In a For Time workout the goal is to finish the prescribed work in the shortest time possible. The stopwatch counts up, shows tenths of a second, has an optional time cap and a split button. When you are done, tap Finish and your result is recorded, ready to copy.
How For Time works
The workout defines a fixed amount of work, for example 3 rounds of a 400 m run, 21 squats and 12 pull-ups. The clock starts at zero and stops only when you complete the last rep. Your score is the time. Since there is no scheduled rest, strategy comes down to splitting the effort: short, planned breaks are usually faster than stopping from failure.
Time cap
The time cap is the maximum time to finish. If the clock reaches the cap before you finish, the workout ends and your score becomes the number of reps completed, or simply "CAP". A good time cap is between 10 and 20 minutes for most workouts; set it so that an average athlete can finish with room to spare. This timer beeps for the last 3 seconds before the cap and shows the remaining time under the stopwatch.
Rx and scaled
Rx means the workout as prescribed, with the loads and movements listed. Scaled is the adapted version, with lighter loads or simpler movements, to keep the intended stimulus. Choose the level before you start: it goes into the copied result text so you can compare identical workouts in the future. There is no shame in scaling; scaling well is part of the strategy.
Sample For Time workouts
- Short (10 min cap): 21-15-9 of two movements, such as thrusters and pull-ups, in the style of famous benchmarks.
- Medium (15 min cap): 5 rounds of 10 jump squats, 10 push-ups and a 200 m run.
- Long (60 min cap): endurance workouts with a weighted vest, split into blocks; use splits per block.
- Chipper: a long list of movements, each done once from start to finish.
Splits and strategy
The Split button logs the running time and the time of each round or block without stopping the stopwatch. Compare the splits to see where you slowed down. The general rule is that the first rounds should feel too easy; if the first round is much faster than the second, you started too hard. Decide before you begin which sets you will break up, for example 5 reps every 3 breaths.
Common mistakes
Going too fast and falling apart in the last rounds, miscounting reps, forgetting to hit Finish at the right moment, and comparing times from workouts with different loads. Always perform full reps with the correct range of motion; a bad rep does not count, not even at home.
Warm-up and recovery
Because For Time calls for continuous and often maximal effort, do a specific warm-up with the same movements at a light load and one or two practice rounds. After the workout, walk for a few minutes, drink water and write down the result, the load and how it felt. That history is the best way to know whether you have really improved.
Who it is for
People who do CrossFit, functional training or obstacle racing, or who want to test personal benchmarks with an accurate clock, at the box or at home. See also the AMRAP timer, the EMOM timer, the Tabata timer and the full CrossFit timer.