Posted on November 25, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

I recently stumbled upon a free app called Interval Timer. Being a personal trainer where everything we seem to do is measured by the second I can honestly say it has made life a thousand times easier.

Interval Timer is exactly what it says on the tin, its a simple app where you set a work and rest period in time, click go and you’re off!

 

The app allows you to:

• Adjust the work period in seconds
• Adjust the rest period in second
• Alter the number of sets
• Choose whether to repeat this after a phase of time between sets
• Set alarms to coincide with the end of sets

I believe the app was designed to help individuals doing HIIT approaches of training keep on top of their intensity levels. However I have also suggested to a couple of clients that they use the app t during weight training exercises. Any one that is a personal training client of motive8 North will know how much we love to set prescribed tempos to a lift. Controlling the tempo of a movement really ensures you’re working towards your individual goal, rather than just moving a weight.

For example ‘Bob’ needs to do 5 sets of 12 reps on a back squat (4010 tempo) with 90s rest between sets

• Change the work period to 1s (represents the pushing phase)
• Change the rest period to 4s (represents the lowering phase)
• Change the sets to 12(to account for the reps)
• Change the setting to repeat after 90s

This leaves you to focus on the lift itself not having to worry about any of the numbers!

Obviously this app great for HIIT sessions, in fact I can’t think of a time where you’re more brain dead than half way through a set of intervals, having a programmed timer really does help you keep on top of the intensity.

Great app guys!