An interval timer built for training: work and rest set independently, rounds counted automatically, cues loud enough to hear over the room. Tabata, HIIT and EMOM presets included.
A workout timer structures training by time rather than by feel: work intervals, rest intervals and rounds that advance on their own, so the session runs without anyone counting reps in their head. ONLINETIMER.TOOLS offers a free interval timer and stopwatch for HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, circuits and strength sessions — no login, no ads, no installation.
Tabata is 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest across 8 rounds. Classic HIIT sits around 30 to 40 seconds of work with 15 to 20 seconds of rest. EMOM means one minute of work at the start of every minute. Strength work needs the opposite: rest long enough to repeat the set, usually 90 to 180 seconds, with the stopwatch used to keep that rest honest.
The work interval sets the stimulus; the rest interval decides whether the next set is comparable to the last. Shortening rest by feel turns a conditioning session into a progressive slowdown that nobody notices until the final round. Timing the rest is what keeps quality per round stable — which is the entire point of interval training.
Time is a fixed unit. Reps are not: ten reps with good form and ten rushed reps produce very different work. When the goal is conditioning, timing the work is the more honest measure, and it is also the one that can be compared across days.
Choose the work and rest values, decide the number of rounds, place the device where it can be seen and heard without moving, and start the timer before the first set — never during it. A session that starts with a timer already running is a session nobody abandons halfway.
What is the best timer for HIIT?
An interval timer with separate work and rest values and automatic round counting — presets such as Tabata 20/10 and HIIT 40/20 are included here.
How long should rest be between strength sets?
Between 90 and 180 seconds is the usual range, depending on the exercise and the goal. A stopwatch keeps that rest consistent.
Does the workout timer work on a phone?
Yes. It runs in any mobile browser, requires no installation, and stays visible while you train.