Workout guides Workout notation
How to Read a Workout
Read the workout format first, then identify the exercises, sets or rounds, repetitions, load or effort target, and rest. Check any tempo, time cap or scoring notes before starting the clock.
By Aika · Reviewed
Read the format before the numbers
The format tells you what ends the workout and what the clock measures. AMRAP fixes the duration and measures work completed. For Time fixes the work and measures finishing time. EMOM schedules a new start every minute.
Then read the complete exercise list, including notes below it. “10 lunges” and “10 lunges per side” are different amounts of work. “Rest 2:00” and “start every 2:00” are different schedules.
Sets, reps and rounds: 5×5 and 3×10
In conventional sets-first notation, 5×5 back squat means five sets of five back squats: 25 total repetitions. 3×10 means three sets of ten. Complete a set, take the prescribed recovery, and then begin the next set.
A round usually means one pass through an exercise list. Three rounds of squats, push-ups and lunges means repeating the whole list three times. A timer may call each timed interval a round, so read its count separately from the circuit count.
Read one complete strength prescription
3 × 10 Back Squat @ RPE 8, tempo 3-0-3-0, rest 2:00
| Notation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3 × 10 | Three separate sets of ten repetitions. |
| Back Squat | The named exercise and load position. |
| @ RPE 8 | Finish each set with approximately two repetitions in reserve. |
| 3-0-3-0 | Three seconds down, no bottom pause, three seconds up, no top pause. |
| Rest 2:00 | Rest two minutes between sets. |
This example demonstrates the notation. It is not a required workout or a recommendation to use this exact combination of load, volume and tempo.
Load and effort: @ RPE 8 and 70% 1RM
The @ symbol means “at,” and the text after it tells you what to use. @ 40 kg specifies load. @ RPE 8 specifies a perceived effort target. In the reps-in-reserve lifting scale, RPE 8 corresponds approximately to two additional reps remaining at the end of the set.
70% 1RM uses a reference maximum: if the relevant one-rep maximum is 100 kg, 70% is 70 kg. A program may use a training max instead of your actual best lift. Check the reference, units, and whether dumbbell weight is per hand. The same percentage does not guarantee the same RPE for every set. See RPE and RIR explained.
Timing: EMOM 10 and E2MOM
EMOM 10 usually means ten one-minute intervals. Start at 0:00, then 1:00, and continue through the last start at 9:00. Finish the assigned reps inside each minute and rest for what remains. The tenth interval ends at 10:00.
E2MOM × 5 schedules starts at 0:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 and 8:00. Its five two-minute windows finish at 10:00. If a set takes 45 seconds, 75 seconds remain until the next start. That is different from resting a full two minutes after the set.
For alternating movements, a twelve-minute EMOM has twelve timed starts even if each of two movements appears only six times. Set up the interval and round count in Aika.
Rep schemes: 21-15-9 and 5 rounds for time
For a typical two-movement 21–15–9 workout, do 21 of movement A, 21 of B, then 15 of A and 15 of B, then 9 of each. That totals 45 repetitions per movement and 90 altogether. Keep the written order unless the instructions say you may partition the reps.
5 rounds for time asks for five complete passes through the list on one continuous clock. Your rest and transitions are part of the elapsed time. You finish when the fifth round is complete, or stop at the time cap if one arrives first.
Tempo, pauses and movement variations
In the squat example above, a 3030 rep has three seconds down and three seconds up, with no prescribed pauses. Ten such reps take approximately 60 seconds before any setup or interruptions. Read the four tempo positions before applying the same numbers to a lift that starts from the floor.
Strict specifies the movement style, deficit changes the range of motion, and a pause specifies a hold. These notes are part of the exercise prescription, not optional decoration beside its name.
Buy-ins, cash-outs and time caps
Example: one continuous For Time clock
- 500 m row buy-in, once.
- Five rounds of 10 burpees and 15 wall balls.
- 500 m row cash-out, once.
Stop after the final row. For this example, all work, rests and transitions are included in the finishing time.
The first row is a buy-in; do not repeat it before every round. The last row is a cash-out; here it is part of the scored workout. Other sessions may place these tasks inside each interval or outside the scored block, so the written instructions matter.
If this workout also specifies a cap, it limits the entire continuous clock unless stated otherwise. When capped, record the work completed using that workout’s scoring rule. Do not report the cap as though you finished all assigned work.
Choose the clock for the workout
| Instruction | Clock to use |
|---|---|
| EMOM / E2MOM | Repeating intervals with a start cue each minute or every two minutes. |
| AMRAP 12 | A fixed twelve-minute work window. |
| For Time | Elapsed time, with a limit if the workout has a cap. |
| 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest | Separate repeating work and recovery phases. |
| Rest 2:00 between lifting sets | A two-minute recovery timer started after each set. |
Once the prescription is clear, choose the matching timer in Aika. Keep the exercise instructions nearby; the clock provides timing, while you follow the movement, effort and scoring requirements. For a quick definition, return to the workout glossary.
Common questions
Does 3×10 mean 30 reps in a row?
Usually it means three separate sets of ten repetitions. Use the prescribed rest between sets. If no rest is given, clarify the intended recovery rather than assuming the sets are continuous.
Does 21-15-9 apply to every exercise?
In a typical two-movement 21–15–9 workout, perform 21 of each, then 15 of each, then 9 of each. Specific instructions can override that convention.
Does a time cap include rest?
In a continuous-clock workout, yes: rests and transitions use the available time. A separately timed block or an explicit clock-stop instruction is different.
Is an EMOM minute the same as a workout round?
A timer round can mean one minute, while a circuit round means one pass through an exercise list. In a 12-minute EMOM alternating two movements, set 12 one-minute intervals, not six. Set up an EMOM timer.