90 Second Timer
Press Start and it counts down 90 seconds, a minute and a half, on a big display, then rings with the sound you pick. Space starts and pauses.
90 seconds
Alarm: Bell
Spacestart or pauseRreset+ / −a minuteFfull screenMmute
Sound and moreBell
A different length
How this works: 1 source, Checked against 1 worked example,
How this works
How it’s tested
One worked example for this page is checked by automated tests before every release: given the inputs, the tool must show the expected answer.
Changes
- Added 10, 20, 30, 45 and 90 second timer pages, each with its own uses, a table and cited facts.
- A timer opened from a link no longer resets on reload, a tap brings the sound back after one, and on phones Start is on the first screen.
- First published.
A minute and a half on the clock
Ninety seconds is a familiar rest between sets in strength training. The American College of Sports Medicine’s guidance on resistance training suggests one to two minutes of rest between sets when the aim is muscle growth, under ninety seconds for muscular endurance with lighter weights and many repetitions, and three to five minutes for the heaviest strength work. A timer stops rests from stretching out while you check your phone, and the table shows how much of a session goes to rest.
Away from the gym, a minute and a half is a common limit for a short pitch or a self-introduction at a meetup, long enough to make a point and short enough to keep a room moving. It is a calm pause before you reply to a difficult message, a quick tidy of one surface, or the time to let a group read a slide before discussing it. If it runs out mid-sentence, + adds another minute without starting over.
- The ACSM recommends 1 to 2 minutes of rest between sets for hypertrophy training, 3 to 5 minutes for heavy strength and power work, and under 90 seconds for muscular endurance with light to moderate loads. Source: ACSM position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2009).
Rest of 90 seconds between sets
For one exercise: the rests come between sets, so 3 sets have 2 rests. The last column adds 45 seconds of work per set.
| Sets | Rests | Total rest | With 45 s sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1:30 | 3:00 |
| 3 | 2 | 3:00 | 5:15 |
| 4 | 3 | 4:30 | 7:30 |
| 5 | 4 | 6:00 | 9:45 |
| 6 | 5 | 7:30 | 12:00 |
| 8 | 7 | 10:30 | 16:30 |
| 10 | 9 | 13:30 | 21:00 |
90 seconds in other units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Milliseconds | 90,000 |
| Minutes | 1.5 |
| Share of an hour | 2.5% |
| Times it fits in an hour | 40 |
| Times it fits in a day | 960 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I rest between sets?
It depends on the goal. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests 1 to 2 minutes for building muscle, 3 to 5 minutes for heavy strength work, and under 90 seconds for endurance work with lighter weights. Ninety seconds sits between them and suits many general programmes.
Is a 90 second timer the same as 1 minute 30?
Yes. Ninety seconds is one and a half minutes, and the display shows 1:30 before you start. For a different length, open “Sound and more” and type the minutes and seconds under “A different length”.
How do I time rest between sets with it?
Press Start as you finish a set and put the weight down. When it rings, stop the alarm and start the next set. Press R to load 1:30 again for the next rest, or + if you need an extra minute after a hard set.