4 Minute Timer

4 minutes at a glance

In seconds	240 seconds
In hours	0.0667 hours
In milliseconds	240,000 ms
Written as	00:04:00

On a timesheet 4 minutes is 0.0667 hours. In code it is 240,000 milliseconds, usually written 4 * 60 * 1000 rather than as the literal number.

What fits into 4 minutes

• One full Tabata block
• A four-minute mile, if you are Roger Bannister
• Reheating most leftovers

Four minutes exists because of one study. The Tabata protocol, from Dr Izumi Tabata's 1996 research, packs eight rounds of twenty seconds of maximum effort and ten seconds of rest into exactly this window, and it remains one of the most demanding four minutes in training.

Running a 4 minute block well

1. Set up before you startShort blocks have no slack in them. Get into position, open the file or stand on the mat, and only then reach for the button.
2. Press startTap start or hit the space bar. At this length the countdown is the whole discipline.
3. Do not check the clockGlancing at the numbers is what makes a short block feel long. Look away and let the alarm do its job.
4. Stop on the soundPress Escape or tap the dial to silence it, then decide whether to run another.

Away from the gym it is the length of a pop song, a cafetiere brew, and the walk from a car park to a desk. Short enough to feel like nothing, long enough to change your heart rate.

Other lengths

• 1 Minute TimerOne minute is a plank, a rinse of the kettle, a held…
• 2 Minute TimerTwo minutes is the classic tooth-brushing block and…
• 3 Minute TimerThree minutes covers a boxing round, a soft-boiled…
• 5 Minute TimerFive minutes is the standard short break, and long…
• 6 Minute TimerSix minutes suits a mobility flow, a warm-up jog or…
• 7 Minute TimerSeven minutes is the length of the original…
• 8 Minute TimerEight minutes is two four-minute rounds, or one slow…
• 10 Minute TimerTen minutes is the sweet spot for a first meditation…
• 12 Minute TimerTwelve minutes covers a Cooper test run or three…
• 15 Minute TimerFifteen minutes is short enough to start without…
• 20 Minute TimerTwenty minutes is the nap length sleep researchers…

Need a little more or less time? Try the 3 minute timer or the 5 minute timer.

Questions people ask

Why is Tabata four minutes long?

Because eight rounds of twenty seconds on and ten seconds off comes to exactly 240 seconds. The protocol was designed around maximum effort, so extending it past four minutes means the effort was not maximal.

How many seconds are in 4 minutes?

There are 240 seconds in 4 minutes, because every minute contains 60 seconds.

Can I pause the 4 minute timer and carry on?

Yes. The space bar or the pause button stops it where it is, and pressing again resumes from the same point rather than restarting at 4:00.

Will I hear the alarm from another room?

It depends on your device volume, but the default alarm is a repeating triple tone chosen to carry. For short blocks it is usually easier to keep the tab visible.

Can I run several short blocks in a row?

Yes. Press start again after the alarm, or use the plus one minute button to extend the current one without losing your place.

Is the 4 minute timer free to use?

Yes, for personal and commercial use, with no sign-up and no limit. Use it in classrooms, gyms and streams without asking.