Boxing Timer How do you set up a circuit training timer app on iPhone?
In Boxing Timer each station is a round and the rest is your time to walk to the next one, so 6 stations done 3 times is 18 rounds. With 40 seconds of work and 20 to switch, that circuit runs 17:50 including a 10-second prep.
A 6-station circuit — squats, push-ups, kettlebell swings, plank, lunges, burpees — can be set up in the app in under a minute.
- Tap the list icon at the top left for Setup, scroll down and tap Custom Timer.
- Type a name under Name instead of My Timer. Using the number of stations makes it easier to recognise later.
- Set Rounds to stations x laps: 6 x 3 = 18.
- Under Durations, set Round to 0:40 (work per station), Rest to 0:20 (move and set up) and Prep to 0:10.
- Set Warning to 5. On a 40-second station the default of 10 left 10 seconds to go when it fired, and that felt like too much warning for such a short burst.
- Tap Save & Use. It now sits under My Presets at the top of Setup.
The numbers for a few circuits
The app adds no rest after the last round, so the total is prep + rounds x work + (rounds - 1) x rest.
| Circuit | Rounds | Work / switch | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 stations, 3 laps | 18 | 0:40 / 0:20 | 17:50 |
| 8 stations, 2 laps | 16 | 0:45 / 0:15 | 15:55 |
| HIIT 40/20 preset, for comparison | 12 | 0:40 / 0:20 | 11:45 |
The header shows Round 7 of 18, not station 1 of lap 2. Keeping a sticky note by the phone with the station order avoids doing the maths mid-burpee.
How long to rest between circuit rounds, and the catch
One timer has one rest length. Every station change gets the same 20 seconds, including the change at the end of a lap, even where a longer break and a drink would help. That's the main limitation.
One workaround: at the rest after station 6, tap Pause, recover, then tap Play. The ring picks up where it stopped. History counts only the time the timer was running, so it can log 18 rounds · 17min 50s for a session where the real clock reads nearly 22 minutes with two 2-minute breaks.
If you'd rather not touch the phone, the other route is three separate timers of 6 rounds each, with your own break in between.
What free gets you
Free: Custom Timer with Use Once as many times as you want, plus one saved timer with Save & Use. A second saved circuit opens the Pro screen. If you run one circuit all month, free is enough. Rotating between three or more circuits is where the one-slot limit becomes a reason to upgrade to Pro.
Pro also removes the ads (including the full-screen one after every second finished workout) and adds the Voice Coach with Announce Rounds, which says the round number out loud. It doesn't name your exercises.
- Station names can't be added; the app only knows round numbers.
- Work time is the same at every station. A 60-second plank next to 30-second sprints needs two timers.
- Saved timers can't be edited, only deleted (long-press, Delete) and built again.
Questions and answers
How long should you rest between circuit rounds?
How many stations should a circuit have?
Is there a circuit timer for Apple Watch?
Is the circuit training timer app free?
You might also like
- Create a custom interval timer for HIIT on iPhone · Boxing Timer
More Boxing Timer guides
- Boxing round timer app for 3-minute rounds and 1-minute rest
- Tabata timer on iPhone: 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 off
- MMA round timer app: 5-minute rounds with 1-minute rest
- Muay Thai round timer and kickboxing timer for iPhone
- BJJ round timer for rolling rounds and match time
- Create a custom interval timer for HIIT on iPhone
- EMOM and AMRAP timer on iPhone
- Heavy bag workout timer that calls out punch numbers 1-6
- How Do You Set a Timer for Workout Sets?
- Can You Run a Tabata Timer on Apple Watch?
- Which CrossFit WOD timer app setup works for For Time, EMOM and AMRAP?
- Can you use an iPhone interval timer for swimming?
- All questions about Boxing Timer
- Back to Boxing Timer