Issue 060
March 2010
Not all gyms have a timer for you to base your workouts around.
In these cases a personal timer might be more appropriate, as we explain.
Why use them?
In the last issue we covered gym timers. Most fighters will, sometime or another, find themselves in a situation where it isn’t convenient to use a gym timer. Having a stopwatch, Gymboss or pocket interval-timer can be invaluable.
When would you use them?
Whenever you need a portable and versatile way to keep time. Perhaps you’re running intervals outdoors, doing a conditioning session at home, cornering an MMA fight, sparring in a friend’s garage, or someone else is hogging the gym timer!
Types of personal timer
Gymboss
The Gymboss is a specially designed personal interval-timer. It can be set to count down either one or two different time intervals in a repeating sequence, making it ideal as a round timer or for doing interval and tabata work. It can be clipped onto your shorts and has both alarm and vibrate settings.
Digital watch
Most digital watches will feature a basic stopwatch and countdown timer. These are relatively cheap, easily available and you’ll always have it with you. Some specialist sports watches have extra features such as an interval timer, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Stopwatch
Similar to the digital watch but with a larger display, buttons that are easier to hit in the heat of a workout and sometimes a few extra features. These are most useful when coaching or cornering.
Smartphone apps
If you have an iPhone, Blackberry or other smartphone, for very little money you can get applications that will turn your phone into a countdown timer, round timer or interval timer at the touch of a button. These are about the most versatile of any of the personal timers, and ideal for most situations.
Alarm and vibrate functions
An alarm that is too quiet will be a constant annoyance! Timers such as the Gymboss get around this by including a vibrate function which is fantastic for interval training and conditioning, but less useful for timing rounds of wrestling or BJJ.
Size and portability
Depending on where you’re training and what you’re doing, this may be an important factor to consider. Personal timers vary in size, weight and ease of use. Some are easy to attach to yourself before you start your workout (Gymboss) while others may need to be placed in a strategic location close by (smartphone).
Interval timer / Round timer
A lot of drills and training methods really benefit from having a timer with an interval function. At its most basic, this simply counts down alternating time intervals. You can use it as a round timer by setting it to count off five-minute rounds with a minute’s rest in between, or as a tabata timer with a repeating 20-second work interval and ten-second rest period.
GENERAL TIPS
Don’t make do
A lot of workout time and focus can be wasted by trying to ‘make do’ with a timer that doesn’t quite do what you need. It’s no good having to look away from what you’re doing every few seconds to check the stopwatch display, or scramble to reset your countdown timer between sets of shuttle sprints. Invest in a timer that’s designed for the job and you’ll find it much easier to concentrate fully on the task in hand.
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