Hello Alli, good questions and points on Tabata. Yes, the study does indicate that all exercise was on the bike at high intensity. There are some other intangibles of that study. Other studies have been done on the Tabata protocols with similar results. The common item from the original study and the above workout are the timing protocols. I know the study used bike ergometer and a very high intensity. I like the timing combination and feel that the 20/ 10 combination can help to boost VO2 max with any exercise (as long as intensity is high). I think the timing protocol is a good option for firefighters that are trying to increase their cardio recovery rate.