For those wanting to get or stay in shape, and who also have busy schedules, high-intensity interval training is often the preferred way of working out. The basic idea is to organize your workout into rounds, combining periods of intense exercise with brief periods of rest. The result is a better workout in less time.
The key to success then is a good interval/circuit timer, so I took the opportunity to test the SKLZ Workout Interval/Circuit Timer
On the positive side, this inexpensive timer is very easy to use.
There are four rest period options (30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds) and three set length options (60, 90, and 120 seconds), easily chosen with simple slider switches. There is a push button to select the number of rounds, and a large start/stop button.
Activity and rest periods are indicated with an audible alarm OR an audible plus vibrate alarm.
The time and round indicator are clearly shown in the display window, and the timer comes with a belt clip, an armband, and 2 AAA batteries.
However, there are a few quirks that limit the use of this timer:
- You can only select up to 10 rounds.
- You cannot choose to have a vibrate-only alarm.
- You cannot choose rest intervals less than 30 seconds or more than 120 seconds.
- You cannot choose active intervals less than 60 seconds or more than 120 seconds.
- The unit is a little bulky for what it does.
- The armband was too small to wrap around my biceps as suggested in the company brochure, but I was able to put it around my wrist.
For example, an old Gymboss Interval Timer I have been using is much smaller. But more importantly, the Gymboss allows completely custom active/rest periods, and it does not limit you to just 10 rounds. This is key for me, because I often like to use 30/30 second rounds for working with kettlebells, 60/30 second rounds for bodyweight circuits, and 180/60 second rounds when working the heavy bag.
I cannot use any of these intervals with the SKLZ timer.
If you’d like to see the timer in action, here’s a short movie I made demoing the SKLZ workout interval/circuit timer:
In summary, for the price the SKLZ Workout Interval/Circuit Timer is an easy to use interval/circuit timer that might work well for you, especially if the limited active/rest interval options fit your workout needs.
