The Complete CrossFit Workout Timer Guide

AMRAP, EMOM, For Time, Tabata, and RFT — explained, scored, and timed

Last updated: February 2026

A CrossFit workout lives and dies by its timer. The clock determines when work starts, when rest ends, how many rounds you complete, and whether your score is valid. Understanding the five major WOD formats — and knowing how to set up the right timer for each — is foundational to CrossFit training, whether you are an athlete or a coach.

This guide covers every main CrossFit WOD format: what it means, how scoring works, common variations, and step-by-step timer setup for each format using Box Timer on iPhone. It also covers how to choose the right CrossFit timer app and the mistakes athletes make most often with their clocks.

The five main CrossFit WOD formats

1. AMRAP — As Many Rounds As Possible

AMRAP is the most common format in CrossFit programming. As Many Rounds As Possible means you set a time cap — typically 10, 15, or 20 minutes — and perform a fixed movement sequence (e.g., 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats) as many times as you can before the clock runs out. Your score is the total number of complete rounds, plus any additional reps completed in a partial round.

AMRAP is deliberately open-ended. There is no "finish line" — the goal is to manage pacing so you are still moving at full intensity when the final second ticks. A common programming choice is to run two athletes through the same AMRAP and compare scores.

Scoring example:

If the AMRAP is 3 pull-ups + 6 push-ups + 9 squats and you complete 6 full rounds plus 3 pull-ups and 4 push-ups, your score is "6 + 7" (6 complete rounds, 7 additional reps).

The descending clock creates urgency. Watching time disappear — rather than accumulating — pushes most athletes to keep moving.

2. EMOM — Every Minute On the Minute

Every Minute On the Minute workouts require you to begin a set of reps at the start of each minute. Whatever time remains after you finish is your rest. The faster you move, the more recovery you earn — which makes pacing and efficiency a central skill.

EMOM workouts are popular for strength-skill development (e.g., 3 power cleans every minute for 10 minutes), conditioning (e.g., 10 calories on the rower every minute for 12 minutes), and gymnastics practice (e.g., 5 strict pull-ups every minute for 15 minutes). The total duration is usually the number of rounds in minutes — a 10-round EMOM with 1-minute intervals lasts exactly 10 minutes.

Variants: E2MOM (every 2 minutes) and E90S (every 90 seconds) follow the same structure with longer intervals, giving athletes more recovery time for heavier or more complex movements.

The beep at the start of each round is the signal to begin. Box Timer's loud audio cues are audible even under a barbell, so you do not need to watch the screen during your set.

3. For Time

For Time is the simplest CrossFit format: complete a prescribed set of work as fast as possible. The clock counts up from zero, and you stop it when you finish. Your score is your finishing time. This creates a direct sprint incentive — unlike AMRAP, where the endpoint is the clock, For Time workouts let athletes push toward a finish line.

Famous benchmark workouts like Fran (21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups) and Helen (3 rounds of 400m run, 21 kettlebell swings, 12 pull-ups) are For Time workouts. Most have an implicit or explicit time cap — athletes who cannot finish within the cap record their time cap plus reps completed.

Rounds For Time (RFT) is a variant where a fixed number of rounds is prescribed rather than allowing unlimited rounds. "5 Rounds For Time" of a given sequence uses the same timer — count up and stop when all rounds are done.

If there is a time cap, run the timer as a countdown instead (select Down and set the cap). Athletes who finish early simply stop the timer; athletes who hit the cap note their reps completed.

4. Tabata

Tabata is a specific high-intensity interval protocol: 8 rounds of 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest, for a total of 4 minutes. It originates from a 1996 study by Dr. Izumi Tabata, which found that this protocol produced greater improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic capacity than traditional steady-state cardio in a fraction of the time.

In CrossFit, Tabata is commonly applied to barbell cycling (thrusters, ground-to-overhead), rowing and bike ergometers, and bodyweight movements (air squats, push-ups, sit-ups). The 10-second rest interval is deliberately insufficient for full recovery, which drives the metabolic intensity.

Scoring: In competition, Tabata scores are recorded as the lowest round count across all 8 rounds ("Tabata score"), which penalizes athletes who sprint the first rounds and fade. In training, athletes often simply count total reps.

The beeps at the work/rest transitions are the defining feature of a good Tabata timer. At 10 seconds of rest, there is no time to look at the screen — the audio cue is what tells you to start again.

5. Rounds For Time (RFT) and chippers

Rounds For Time prescribes a fixed number of rounds completed as fast as possible. Unlike AMRAP (unlimited rounds, fixed time), RFT has a fixed workload and variable time. "3 Rounds For Time" of 400m run, 21 kettlebell swings, 12 pull-ups is a classic example.

A chipper is a long, multi-movement workout done once through rather than for rounds — e.g., 50 wall balls, 40 box jumps, 30 pull-ups, 20 toes-to-bar, 10 clean-and-jerks, For Time. Both use a count-up timer stopped when the athlete finishes.

WOD format quick reference

How to choose a CrossFit timer app

Most general-purpose timer apps — including the iPhone's built-in clock — cannot handle CrossFit workouts. A countdown timer works for AMRAP but not EMOM. A stopwatch works for For Time but not Tabata. A dedicated CrossFit timer app needs to support all four formats natively.

Here is what to look for:

• All four WOD formats supported — AMRAP (countdown), For Time (count up), EMOM (interval with no rest), and Tabata (interval with work/rest). Apps that only support intervals will not handle AMRAP or For Time.
• Loud, distinct audio cues — You should be able to hear the timer from across a gym, over music, and under a loaded barbell. Warning beeps in the last few seconds of an interval add significant value during Tabata and EMOM work.
• Compatibility with music playback — Beeps should play over your music without pausing or interrupting it. Apps that use video-style audio routing kill your playlist at every transition.
• Large, readable display — A landscape full-screen mode is essential for garage gym athletes who prop their phone up and need to read the timer from five meters away.
• Workout history and saved presets — Reconfiguring a timer from scratch before every workout wastes time and mental energy. The ability to save and reload your common WODs is a practical necessity.
• No ads — A pop-up ad mid-Tabata is not just annoying. It breaks the audio cues and ruins the workout. Paid apps or genuinely free apps (no ad-supported tier) are both fine; freemium apps with ads in the free tier are not.

Common timer mistakes CrossFit athletes make

• Running AMRAP as a count-up — A count-up timer during an AMRAP tells you how long you have been working but not how much time is left. A countdown from your time cap creates urgency and lets you pace rationally. Always use a countdown for AMRAP.
• Setting rest to nonzero for EMOM — An EMOM has no explicit rest period. The rest is the time between finishing your reps and the next minute starting. If you add a separate rest interval in your timer, the structure breaks — you will get a rest beep mid-minute rather than beeps only at the minute mark.
• Skipping the countdown lead-in — Starting a Tabata the instant you tap Start means you begin moving before you are positioned. A 10-second countdown before the timer starts gives you time to get under the bar, grip the handle, or get your hands on the floor.
• Not saving workouts — If you run the same Friday EMOM every week and configure it from scratch each time, you are spending cognitive energy that should go into warming up. Save and pin your frequent workouts so you can reload them in one tap.
• Using a timer that stops music — Some apps route audio through video channels, which pauses any music playing when a beep fires. If your CrossFit music cuts out every 20 seconds during Tabata, switch to an app that uses system audio mixing to play beeps over the top of music.
• Trying to use a Tabata-only app for CrossFit — Several popular timer apps support only Tabata and custom intervals. They do not support AMRAP (countdown) or For Time (count up). Athletes who invest in learning one of these apps often discover the limitation only when they try to run a WOD that uses a different format.

CrossFit timer app comparison

The most commonly used CrossFit timer apps for iPhone, compared on the features that matter most for WOD training:

Apps supporting only Tabata and custom intervals cannot run AMRAP or For Time workouts natively — a significant limitation for CrossFit athletes who program across all formats.

Frequently asked questions

What timer is used in CrossFit competitions?

CrossFit Games and sanctioned competitions use large wall-mounted commercial timers (typically Fringe Sport or similar gym clocks) that display time in large LED digits visible from the spectator stands. In affiliate box settings, most coaches use a dedicated iPad or TV app, or a phone timer propped up near the whiteboard. A smartphone CrossFit timer app that replicates the large-digit display and loud beeps is the standard for individual athletes training without a dedicated gym clock.

How long is a typical CrossFit WOD?

Most CrossFit workouts fall between 8 and 25 minutes of active work, excluding warm-up and cool-down. AMRAPs are typically 10–20 minutes. EMOMs are usually 10–20 minutes. For Time workouts vary significantly — Fran (21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups) takes elite athletes under 2 minutes; longer chippers can run 25–35 minutes. Tabata is always exactly 4 minutes. Total class time at a CrossFit affiliate is usually 60 minutes, of which the WOD itself represents 10–25 minutes.

Can I use my iPhone as a CrossFit timer?

Yes — with the right app. The iPhone's built-in Clock app can run a countdown or stopwatch, but it does not support intervals, does not have loud round-transition beeps, and does not replicate the EMOM or Tabata format without manual restarting. A dedicated CrossFit timer app like Box Timer gives you all four WOD formats, automatic transitions, audio cues, and a large landscape display — everything the built-in clock lacks.

What is the difference between AMRAP and RFT?

AMRAP fixes the time and maximizes rounds: the clock determines when you stop, and your score is how much work you completed. RFT (Rounds For Time) fixes the rounds and minimizes time: the workload is predetermined, and your score is how long it took you. AMRAP typically uses a countdown timer; RFT uses a count-up timer stopped at completion.

Is Box Timer free for CrossFit workouts?

Yes. Box Timer is completely free — no ads, no subscription, no premium tier, and no in-app purchases. All WOD formats (AMRAP, EMOM, For Time, Tabata, custom intervals), the full workout history, pinned presets, the landscape display, and all audio features are available without paying anything.

Related: Free CrossFit Timer for iPhone  ·  Free EMOM Timer for iPhone  ·  Free Tabata Timer for iPhone  ·  Free WOD Timer for iPhone  ·  Best Workout Timer Apps for iPhone in 2026  ·  HIIT & Interval Timer Guide

Comparisons: Box Timer vs SmartWOD  ·  Box Timer vs Seconds Pro  ·  Box Timer vs Interval Timer  ·  Box Timer vs Tabata Stopwatch Pro  ·  Box Timer vs Tabata Timer