Beginner's Guide to the Norwegian 4x4 Workout
Learn about the Norwegian 4x4 workout, its structure, benefits, and how beginners can start with this highly effective HIIT protocol. Improve your cardiovascular health and endurance.
Norwegian 4x4 Interval Timer
A free full-screen timer for 4 × 4-minute intervals, with countdown beeps, voice cues and your heart rate targets. Tabata, EMOM and custom intervals too.
Ready
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Settings: custom intervals, sound and heart rate targets
Warm up properly and stop if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Talk to your doctor before starting hard intervals if you have a heart condition or take heart medication.
How a Norwegian 4x4 session runs
| Phase | Time | Intensity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 10 min | Easy, building to about 70% of max heart rate |
| Interval 1–4 | 4 min each | 85–95% of max heart rate: hard, breathing heavily, a few words at most |
| Recovery 1–4 | 3 min each | 60–70% of max heart rate: keep moving with an easy jog, walk, spin or paddle |
| Cool-down | 5 min | Easy, until your breathing is back to normal |
The intervals and recoveries take 28 minutes, or 43 with the warm-up and cool-down. Judge each interval by the last 2 minutes: your heart rate lags behind your effort, so don't sprint the first minute to hit the number. New to it? Start with the 2- or 3-interval beginner presets, as in the beginner's guide.
Tips for using the timer
- Keyboard: Space starts and pauses, the right arrow skips to the next phase, Escape leaves full screen.
- On a treadmill or bike: press Full screen and prop your phone up. The colours tell you the phase at a glance: red is work, blue is recovery.
- Heart rate targets: open Settings and enter your age. Want them more precise? Use the heart rate & pace calculator or the Zone 2 calculator with your resting heart rate.
- Audio: sound starts after you press Start, because browsers block audio until you tap something. Turn your volume up first.
Tabata, EMOM and custom intervals
Tabata (20 seconds on, 10 off, 8 rounds) and the Norwegian 4x4 train different things: Tabata hits anaerobic capacity in 4 minutes, while the 4x4's longer intervals keep you near VO2 max for longer. Norwegian 4x4 vs Tabata compares them. Use Custom for anything else, such as 6 × 3 minutes or hill repeats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the Norwegian 4x4 timer?
Pick the Norwegian 4x4 preset and press Start. You get a 10-minute warm-up, four 4-minute hard intervals each followed by a 3-minute active recovery, and a 5-minute cool-down: 43 minutes in all. Beeps count down the last 3 seconds of every phase, and an optional voice tells you what comes next.
Does the timer keep running if I switch apps or lock my phone?
The timer keeps correct time in the background because it works from timestamps, so it will be in the right place when you come back. Browsers may silence sound in background tabs, though, and a locked phone usually pauses web audio. While the page is open, it asks your phone to keep the screen on. For locked-screen audio cues, use the Norwegian 4x4 app.
Can I use it for Tabata or EMOM?
Yes. There are presets for Tabata (8 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off), EMOM and beginner 4x4 sessions, and a custom mode where you set the warm-up, work time, rest time, number of rounds and cool-down.
Why are the recoveries 3 minutes in the Norwegian 4x4?
Three minutes of easy movement lets your heart rate fall to about 60–70% of max, so you can repeat a full-quality 4-minute effort, but you don’t cool down completely. Shorter recoveries make later intervals fade; longer ones waste time.
Can I add my heart rate targets?
Yes. Enter your age and the timer shows your target heart rate range for each phase, using the HUNT formula for maximum heart rate: 85–95% during intervals and 60–70% during recoveries.
What does the app add?
The Norwegian 4x4 app on iPhone and Android adds audio cues with the screen locked, pause and resume, a workout history with calories burned and, on iPhone, Apple Health sync. This web timer is free with no sign-up, and it’s fine for most workouts.
Sources
- Helgerud J et al. Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39(4):665-71.
- Wisløff U et al. Superior cardiovascular effect of aerobic interval training versus moderate continuous training in heart failure patients. Circulation 2007;115(24):3086-94.
- Tabata I et al. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996;28(10):1327-30.