Feature
Smart Rest Timers
Auto-starting rest timers that adapt to how you actually train. Three display modes, background notifications, and rest suggestions that learn when your timer doesn't match reality.
Three display modes
Switch between modes on the fly during your workout. The timer remembers your preference.
Fullscreen
Immersive dark overlay with large countdown ring. Time adjustment buttons (-15s, +15s, +30s) and skip button always visible.
Minimized
Compact floating badge in the corner. Tap to expand. Stays out of the way while you review your log.
Inline
Embedded countdown at the top of your workout. No overlay, just a progress bar that lives within the session view.
Auto-start after sets
Complete a set and the timer starts automatically with your configured rest duration. No extra taps between sets. The timer fires instantly on set completion, so you never lose seconds fumbling with buttons.
Smart rest suggestions (Pro)
Plates analyzes your actual rest gaps over your recent sessions per exercise and detects patterns that your timer setting misses. Suggestions appear once there's enough history to trust, and they get more confident as you log more:
Timer mismatch detected
You set 90s but consistently wait 2+ minutes. The app suggests updating your timer to match your actual rest behavior.
Rest too short
Your reps noticeably decline when you skip or rush the timer. Suggests adding rest for strength exercises where recovery matters.
Rest could be shorter
Performance stays stable even when you skip 30s early. Suggests trimming rest to save time without costing reps.
Adaptive rest timers (Pro)
Beyond suggestions, Pro fills the timers you never set. For any exercise where you haven't chosen a rest duration, Plates uses your own recent sessions, per exercise and per set position, to pick a starting time, clamped to a sensible band for your training goal. It even estimates between-round rest for supersets. Timers you set yourself are never changed, and a tappable "Adaptive" badge opens a "see the math" breakdown.
Runs on the Dynamic Island, lock screen, and Apple Watch
Interval sessions do not stay trapped inside the app. On iOS, the live countdown appears on the Dynamic Island and the lock screen as a Live Activity, and on the Apple Watch Smart Stack, so you can glance at your wrist or your lock screen between rounds instead of reopening Plates. Start an EMOM or Tabata, pocket your phone, and the timer follows you.
Goal-appropriate defaults
| Training goal | Recommended rest | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strength (1-5 reps) | 2 - 5 min | Full ATP recovery for max-effort sets |
| Hypertrophy (6-12 reps) | 1 - 4 min | Metabolic stress without compromising load |
| Endurance (12+ reps) | 30s - 2.5 min | Maintain cardiovascular demand |
Suggestions respect these ranges. The app will never suggest 30-second rest for a heavy deadlift set.
Interval training modes
Five dedicated interval protocols for conditioning work, all built into the same workout session:
EMOM
Every Minute On the Minute
60-second rounds. Record reps per round. The timer resets automatically. Great for power cleans, kettlebell swings, or burpees.
AMRAP
As Many Rounds As Possible
Set a time cap (8, 12, 20 min). Record total rounds and reps. No rest structure, just effort against the clock.
Tabata
20s work / 10s rest
The classic 8-round Tabata protocol as a one-tap preset. Hard intervals with short recovery for a quick, brutal finisher.
HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training
Preset work and rest blocks for interval conditioning. Push hard, recover, repeat, with the round count you choose.
Custom
Configurable Intervals
Set your own work duration, rest duration, and number of rounds, with optional warmup and cooldown phases. 30/30 or any split you like.
Audio and haptic feedback
Configurable countdown beeps, completion sounds, and vibration patterns. Plays over background music and sends push notifications when the app is backgrounded. Choose from:
- Electronic Beep, Boxing Bell, Whistle, and more
- Haptic patterns: light taps during countdown, strong burst on completion
- Configurable countdown start (last 3s, 5s, or 10s)
Try Plates free
Rest timers, all five interval modes, and the Dynamic Island, lock screen, and Apple Watch surfaces are free. Smart rest suggestions and adaptive learned timers are part of Plates Pro: $2.99/month or $19.99/year, with a 14-day free trial.