Friday, May 8, 2009

Gymboss Interval Timer



I received one of these last week for my birthday. It is a cool, inexpensive (under $20) gadget for all types of interval training: Tabatas, track repeats, sprints, etc. It can even be used to remind you to take a nutrition or walk break during a long run. It chimes and/or vibrates, and is smaller than a small old-school pager. It also has a handy clip so you can fasten it to your shorts or watch band for hands-free running.

With just three buttons, it is easy to program after a very short learning curve. The first one I received in the mail was dead. I called their toll free helpline, and in two days I received a new fully functional timer with a postage paid return envelope for the broken one. They assured me that this was a rare occurence. Based on reviews I've read, quality control is not an issue.

For any runner who collects gadgets, and especially the runner who is in to speed training, track intervals, HIIT, Tabatas, etc., this timer belongs in your toy box.

I recently learned about a workout that kettlebell enthusiasts believe is the quickest way to improve VO2 Max. It is 30 seconds of high intensity KB swings followed by 30 seconds of rest. They repeat this for anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. I personally believe this workout can be tailored to any exercise (hills, sprints, stairs, dumbell curl-presses, etc.). I plan to experiment with this some starting next week using my new Gymboss timer.


Run hard out there...

1 comment:

Andy Payne said...

I bought one of these for me and one for my girlfriend, and it is really cool. We use it for Jeff Galloway style 4:1 or 5:1 run walking... The vibrate isn't very strong, so I just keep it in my hand. But I am going to start HIIT and Tabata training this summer, I'm looking forward to using it there as well.