CrossFit timer: EMOM, AMRAP, For Time and Tabata

EMOM: every minute on the minute

In an EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute), you start a set amount of work at the top of every minute. Whatever time is left before the next minute is your rest. Move fast and you recover more; slow down and the rest disappears.

Example: 12-minute EMOM, odd minutes 12 kettlebell swings, even minutes 10 burpees. Pick a volume you can finish in 35 to 45 seconds so you can hold the pace all the way through. EMOMs are great for technique under fatigue, like cleans at 70% or gymnastics skills.

AMRAP: as many rounds as possible

In an AMRAP (As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible), the time is fixed and your score is the number of rounds and reps you complete. The clock counts down, and you keep moving with as little rest as you can manage.

The best-known benchmark is Cindy: a 20-minute AMRAP of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 air squats. Pacing is everything: start at a speed you can hold, break your sets before you redline, and track your rounds out loud or with markers.

For Time: finish as fast as possible

In a For Time workout, the work is fixed and your score is how long it takes to finish. The clock counts up, and most workouts add a time cap: if you’re not done when it hits, your score becomes the reps you completed.

Example: Fran, 21-15-9 thrusters (43/30 kg) and pull-ups, for time. Elite athletes finish under 3 minutes, and plenty of athletes chase a sub-5 or sub-6. In a short For Time piece every transition counts: drop the bar and jump on the pull-up bar without thinking.

Tabata: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

Tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of all-out work followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 4 minutes total. Short on paper, brutal in practice.

Example: Tabata air squats, where your score is your lowest rep count across the 8 rounds. You can also stack several Tabata blocks (row, sit-ups, push-ups) with a minute of rest between each. The timer beeps at every transition so you never have to look at the screen mid-effort.

Tips to get the most out of the timer

Set your phone or laptop where you can see it, ideally at eye level, and crank the volume: the beeps need to cut through the box music. Use the 10-second countdown to get under the bar or strapped into the rower before the clock starts.

Want more? The free WOD Tracker app adds a full timer with a round counter and automatic logging of your score to your history, plus video recording of your workout with Pro.