If you're looking to burn more calories, improve your cardiovascular fitness, break a plateau, or increase workout duration, interval training should be part of your workout program.
When I was contacted several weeks ago by Gymboss.com asking if I would be interested in test-driving the Gymboss Interval Timer, I jumped at the opportunity and even recruited a CFB reader to help review the product.
To start, let me explain what the Gymboss is and what it claims to do.
According to the Gymboss packaging, this high quality, muti-use timer is designed and used by fitness experts to increase strength, endurance, cardio, and general health. The Gymboss will accelerate any workout to the next level by allowing you to control the intensity, set the pace, and avoid interruptions, resulting in a more precise, disciplined workout.
Features and Functionality
For the low price of $19.95 the Gymboss has some very nifty features that are usually found in $100 + interval timers:
- Ability to set one or two intervals. This is incredibly useful if you’re doing a high intensity interval workout (HIIT) and need to switch from one exercise to another in an allotted time frame. For instance, I did 2 minutes of Clubbell swings followed by 30 seconds of mountain climbers; cycling through this sequence for a total of 6 sets.
Catapult Fitness Blog reader and co-reviewer Caron S. found another great use for the dual interval option – “My trainer set up circuits and as soon as the timer went off, we moved to the next station. Easy for all of us to hear and keep the session moving at a better pace. No more watching the clock for my trainer either … she was able to focus on our form, training and beatings.”
Intervals can be set from 2 seconds to 100 minutes.
- Multiple alarm options. You can set the Gymboss for a low beep, high beep and/or vibrate mode. As Caron mentioned, the high beep is loud enough to hear in a group setting. For running intervals on the treadmill, I personally prefer the vibrate mode.
- Stopwatch functionality. Very basic but a nice addition.
- Water and shock resistant. I wouldn’t have thought the Gymboss would have held up as well as it did. To no fault of the product, I dropped the unit twice and it kept on ticking. The belt clip was perfect for running intervals while keeping the Gymboss on vibrate.
Ease of Use
While not intuitive, the instructions that come with the Gymboss are pretty straight forward and I was up and running with the unit within 10 minutes of taking it out of the package (actually, I think it took me longer to open the clamshell package than setting up the unit itself!).
If you require assistance, Gymboss has posted YouTube videos to walk you through the set up process.
The unit is small and very light weight, and comes with a belt clip that will hold tight regardless of what speed you may achieve on the treadmill. The battery life is great.
Round-up
So, does the Gymboss meet its claim in regards to accelerating any workout to the next level?
If weight/fat loss is your goal, interval training is a must. While the Gymboss cannot do the workout for you, it is definitely a tool that will benefit anyone performing any of the following exercises:
- Boxing (the Gymboss enables you to set the number of rounds, the length of rounds and the length of the rest period)
- Interval Training
- Weightlifting
- Running/Sprinting
- Crossfit
- Tabata
- Kettlebells
As Caron mentioned to me in her review, “I never used an interval timer prior to this and now I do not work out without it.”
I concur and based on the value the Gymboss provides at a sub $20 price point, The Gymboss Interval Timer is the newest recipient of the Catapult Fitness Blog NO BULL Seal of Approval!
If you're interested in the chance to win a Gymboss Interval timer, leave a comment on this posting telling us how a Gymboss would help your workout.
This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents from Wednesday, October 14, 2009 through 11:59 pm ET, Sunday, October 18, 2009.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
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comments
11 Responses to "Gear Review - The Gymboss Interval Timer"Great info on the Gym Boss. I've been trying to compare it to other interval timers on the market. Unfortunately I don't really have the ability to try each one.
I started training a year and a half ago using Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training (great guy, even better system) and did one of his sessions that utilized Tabata Intervals. Ever try doing TI's with a wall clock? Currently I'm doing Jon LeToc's Intense Conditioning...really relies on Intervals (Pulse Pyramids etc). I've come to realize that Intervals (Pyramids/Tabatas/High Intensity in conjunction with Body weight exercises, Bike, Rower , Treadmill, kettlebells) along with proper nutrition, are the sole reasons for my success (dropped 40lbs and bodyfat is now sub 12% after being near 25%..at the age of 43). The greatest thing about intervals is that you can do them anywhere (with the exceptions of church, sports bars, and bowling alleys)..you don't need a gym, you just need yourself and a good interval timer.
Once again, great post!
Mike Zoppa
I use Turbulence Training and have gotten great results so far, but it would be much easier to use the GymBoss. And then I could focus on my form and reps, not my watch! It's really hard to plank when you're trying to look at your watch, never mind planking on a ball!
Great product - loved it. Thanks for the opportunity to test it...highly recommend it to everyone!!!
Caron S
Great post. I've been coveting ... er, wanting ... a Gymboss for some time & am glad to see this positive review. Like others, getting to focus on the actual *work being done* instead of the clock should be really helpful. This is one more way to eliminate obstacles to success! Thanks for the info.
I've just started interval training on a beginner level and am surprised how fast I can lose track of time on the treadmill and elliptical. I've been inundated with research of pedometers, heart rate monitors, watches, etc. As a newbie, it is helpful to get such a review: Yes it works!
I use a NIKE watch that has interval timers, but the beep is very quiet. I, too, have done TT and IC (TT on steroids) and intervals are an important part of my workout. I would love to not miss an interval because I couldn't hear the beep or my wrist accidentally stopped the times.
-Dan
Strengthening the core muscles can help improve physical activities. Further, one will have a good blood circulation, endurance and good resistance.
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Fat Loss Facts
I would use this when I am doing HIIT while running. Feeling the unit vibrate would be much better than trying to watch my watch. I would also use this while doing Craig Ballantynes 6 minute Ab workout. It is hard to concentrate on a movement while trying to watch the clock for 30 seconds to be over!
I was curious about the GymBoss after seeing Craig Ballantyne use it in his videos and your post has been very informative as to how useful this gadget actually is! Thanks :)
I am a student and a member of my university's dragonboat rowing team. From September to April, our team trains on land to build up our fitness levels before hitting the water in the spring. A GymBoss would help my workouts because I do interval training on hills to increase my stamina. However, it is often very difficult to hear the beeping of a watch when running up/down the hills and sometimes I almost trip because I'm constantly looking down to check the time. The vibrating function on the GymBoss could save me from this embarassment!
In addition, since the GymBoss is water resistant, I would also be able to take advantage of it for my paddling practices on the lake. :)
Cheers,
Ellen
This is a very cool tool. I didn't know they would be that cheap. These kinds of things are excellent for tracking progress and showing if you're making any improvement.
I've been looking for a tool or an app that I can use in the gym for both HIIT and for timing weightlifting. From the freeweight section of our gym, it's not always easy to see the clocks for timing rest periods.
the Gym Boss sounds like be the perfect "ap" for that!
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