Interval training alternates periods of work with periods of rest. Doing that with a normal timer means resetting it by hand every thirty seconds. This one handles the switching and tells you which round you are on.
How it works
- Set how many seconds you want to work, how many to rest, and how many rounds.
- Press Start. The display shows "Work 1 of 8" and counts down.
- A tone sounds when work ends and the rest begins. Then work begins again.
- After the last round the full alarm sounds.
Use Full screen and prop the phone or tablet where you can see it. The ring resets for each stage, so you can see the work or rest period running out.
What it is used for
- Bodyweight circuits and conditioning. Exercises such as squats, press-ups or mountain climbers with a short rest between each.
- Running and cycling intervals. Fast and slow segments, set in seconds or minutes.
- Stretching and mobility. Hold each position for a set time, then switch sides.
- Study and drills. Short bursts of vocabulary or maths facts with a breather.
- Games and classroom stations. Rotate groups every minute with a short move time.
Take care: this page is a timer, not a training plan or medical advice. Choose intensities that suit your fitness, warm up first, and stop if you feel unwell. If you have a health condition, ask a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise programme.
Other timers for training
For boxing and combat rounds, the boxing round timer has 3-minute rounds and 1-minute rests. For a free-running count-up, use the stopwatch. For the 25/5 work cycle, see the Pomodoro timer.
Total time for common settings
| Setting | Rounds | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| 20 s work, 10 s rest | 8 | 3 min 50 s (no rest after the last round) |
| 30 s work, 15 s rest | 8 | 7 min 45 s |
| 40 s work, 20 s rest | 6 | 7 min 40 s |
| 45 s work, 15 s rest | 6 | 7 min 15 s |
| 60 s work, 30 s rest | 5 | 7 min 30 s |
The timer does not add a rest after the final round, so the total is rounds × work plus (rounds − 1) × rest.
Quick links: 20/10 × 8 (often called Tabata-style) · 30/30 × 10