At my facility, I employ many strength and conditioning variations. We use many different modalities and use an array of protocols such as single-set training, multiple sets, circuits, combination strength/cardio training, intervals and much, much more. When I train my clients, I work with them one-on-one and watch every nuance of how they are performing their exercises – it’s just something I find to be important and effective. In doing so, this precludes me from keeping an accurate eye on the clock when we do intervals or “timed work”.
Recently, I stumbled upon a little gadget that made this particular situation a thing of the past. This little, inexpensive, yet well thought out interval timer is about the size of a small pager. It has a big, bold numeric display and allows for one or two different time intervals from 2 seconds to 60 minutes. It also has an auto mode which keeps repeating through intervals, a manual mode that acts as countdown timer and an alarm which can beep, vibrate or do both. It’s very lightweight and even comes with a belt clip. In addition, it’s very easy to set and make on-the-go changes.
What I like about the Gymboss the most is it takes away the need to monitor time and it allows me to coach my clients through their workout. There is no doubt that as a trainee, the Gymboss is a useful tool in enabling you to do what you’re supposed to be doing – focusing on your workout. – Fred Fornicola
