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Sprint Timer
Choose a plan and press Start. Warm up, sprint on the long tone, then recover until the beeps call the next rep.
Round 1 / 4
4 all-out 30-second sprints with 4 minutes of easy recovery. 24 minutes with warm-up and cool-down.
8 sprints of 10 seconds with 50 seconds of recovery. About 17 minutes with warm-up and cool-down.
6 uphill sprints of 20 seconds; the 100-second recovery is your walk back down. About 20 minutes.
Sprint interval training timer plans
| Plan | Sprint | Recovery | Reps | Total with warm-up and cool-down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | 30 s | 4 min | 4 | 24 min |
| Short | 10 s | 50 s | 8 | 17 min 10 s |
| Hill | 20 s | 1 min 40 s | 6 | 20 min 20 s |
Each plan includes a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minute cool-down. There is no recovery interval after the last sprint; the cool-down follows it. The 5-minute warm-up is a minimum, so do extra easy running and drills before you press Start.
How to use it
- Warm up before you start the clock if you can: 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging or spinning, leg swings, and two or three short accelerations.
- Choose a plan and press Start. Use the 5-minute Warm-up phase on the timer for a final easy build to working speed.
- At the long tone, sprint at full effort until the next tone. Three short beeps count down the end of each sprint and each recovery.
- During Recover, walk or pedal with no resistance. Do not sit down. After the last sprint, keep moving through the 5-minute Cool-down.
How long to rest between sprints
Longer than feels natural. An all-out effort drains the fast energy systems in the muscle within seconds, and they take minutes to refill. Start again too soon and the next rep is a hard run, not a sprint: slower, with worse form, training something different. A work-to-rest ratio of roughly 1:5 to 1:8 or more is the usual guide. The plans here use 1:5 for the 10- and 20-second sprints and 1:8 for the 30-second ones.
The classic sprint-interval protocol used in exercise research is 4 to 6 all-out 30-second efforts with about 4 minutes of easy recovery, originally done on a stationary bike. Thirty seconds flat out is far harder than it sounds, and most people slow down well before the tone. The short plan keeps every sprint at or near top speed, which suits field-sport players and anyone practicing acceleration.
Hill sprints, bikes and rowers
A hill sprint timer plan is the kindest place to start on foot. The slope caps your top speed and shortens your stride, which is easier on the hamstrings, and you land with less impact. Choose a steady gradient you can run up for 20 seconds, sprint to the tone, and walk back down during the 100-second recovery.
The same timings work on a stationary bike or a rowing machine, where there is no impact at all. One or two sprint sessions a week, with easy days between, is plenty. All-out sprinting is very demanding on the heart, muscles and tendons. It is not for beginners, people with heart conditions, or anyone returning from injury without medical clearance; build a base of regular running or cycling first.
Common mistakes
- Sprinting cold. Hamstring pulls are the classic sprint injury and cold muscles invite them; the timer’s 5 minutes is the least you should do.
- Cutting the recovery to make it feel harder. Short rests turn sprints into tempo running and take away the speed.
- Pacing the 30 seconds. The classic plan is all-out from the first stride, accepting that you will fade.
- Stopping dead after a rep. Keep walking or spinning so your legs clear and you do not feel faint.
- Adding reps too soon. Add one rep every week or two, and only if the last rep is still fast.
Questions people ask
How long should you rest between sprints?
About five to eight times the length of the sprint, or more: 50 seconds after a 10-second sprint, and around 4 minutes after 30 seconds all-out.
How many 30-second sprints should I do?
Four is the usual starting point for the classic protocol, building toward six. Stop the session when your speed drops clearly, even if reps remain.
How often should I do sprint interval training?
Once or twice a week, with easy days between sessions. Sprinting loads muscles and tendons heavily, and they need time to recover.
Are hill sprints better than flat sprints?
They are gentler. A hill lowers your top speed and impact and is easier on the hamstrings, so it is a good first step before flat sprinting.
Can I use this 30 second sprint timer on a bike or rower?
Yes. The classic 4 × 30 seconds with 4 minutes of easy recovery was first used on a stationary bike, and the same timing works on a rowing machine.
Is the 5-minute warm-up on the timer enough?
Treat it as a minimum. Add easy running, leg swings and a few short build-up runs before the first sprint, especially in cold weather.