Best Gym Rest Timer App (2026): 3 Options Compared

If you want a rest timer that starts when you log a set and stays beside the workout record you will use next time, PeakBFF is the best fit for most lifters. It starts a default or exercise-specific countdown after a completed set, lets you pause, end, or adjust it in the moment, and keeps your sets, reps, and weights in the same live workout.

Short answer: choose PeakBFF when a rest timer is one useful part of a broader gym log. Choose Hevy when you want a dedicated lifting tracker with configurable automatic timers. Choose StrongLifts when you are following its focused strength-training workflow and want the timer to start after you log a set.

The 3 apps, compared

1. PeakBFF

PeakBFF is the right choice when the timer should support the workout you are already recording, instead of becoming another thing to manage. In an active workout, completing a set starts a rest countdown. If the exercise does not have its own setting, the fallback is 90 seconds. You can pause the countdown, resume it, end it early, or add or remove 30 seconds when the session changes.

For each live exercise, you can set the next rest period to Off or choose a value up to five minutes in five-second steps. That setting applies to the next completed set for that exercise in the current workout. A completion alert can also be scheduled while the app is in the background, so the timer does not depend on staring at the screen.

The practical upside is continuity. Your rest timing sits beside the weights and reps you logged, while the same app can hold workout programs, protein, calorie, and macro records. If you use a timer mainly to make your sessions more repeatable, see our progressive-overload template for the next-session tracking side of that habit.

PeakBFF does not prescribe a rest interval, measure recovery, coach your technique, or promise a training result. It is a configurable countdown tied to your own workout record.

Best for: lifters who want an automatic, adjustable rest timer inside a gym log that also keeps nutrition tracking close by.

2. Hevy

Hevy is a strong option for someone who wants timer controls inside a lifting-first tracker. Its current rest-timer feature page says the automatic timer is available for exercises in a live workout and when building a reusable workout template. Its help article also documents a default rest timer that can be applied to exercises in active workouts or routines, along with timer sound and volume settings.

That makes Hevy a sensible choice if you are already using its routines and want granular timer defaults within that system. It is less compelling for a lifter who specifically wants the daily food, protein, calorie, and macro record in the same place as the rest of their gym data.

Best for: lifters committed to Hevy's workout and routine workflow who want configurable automatic timer defaults.

3. StrongLifts

StrongLifts is the most focused option in this comparison. Its current timer guide says its built-in rest timer starts automatically after you log a set and appears at the bottom of the workout screen. That is a clean fit when you want to follow a strength-training routine with a timer that does the obvious thing after each set.

Choose StrongLifts when that focused training model is what you want. It is not the natural pick if your goal is an all-in-one record that also brings workouts and nutrition together, or if you want a rest-timer choice built around a broader gym log rather than a specific strength-app workflow.

Best for: people who want a simple automatic rest timer while following a focused strength-training routine.

What makes a rest timer useful during a gym session?

The best timer is not necessarily the one with the most settings. Look for a few practical qualities:

The interval itself is your decision, not an app verdict. You might use one planned interval for a group of working sets, then change it when the actual session changes. A timer is most valuable when it removes the "what time did I finish?" guesswork without making the workout feel rigid.

How should you set up a timer without overthinking it?

Start with the interval already written in your program or the one you have chosen for the session. Then use a simple loop:

1. Open the active workout and set a rest value for the exercise if needed.
2. Log the completed set.
3. Let the timer begin automatically.
4. Adjust it only when something real changes, such as waiting for equipment.
5. Log the next set and continue the same record.

This is why a timer connected to a workout log is usually better than a generic phone countdown. It reduces a small piece of friction without pretending to know how you should train. For a step-by-step setup rather than an app choice, read our rest timer while lifting guide.

The bottom line

Hevy offers flexible automatic timer defaults, and StrongLifts is a good focused strength-training option. But PeakBFF is the best gym rest timer app for most lifters who want the countdown to live with their sets, reps, weights, and nutrition record rather than in a separate tool.

Download PeakBFF on the App Store or Google Play to keep your rest timing and gym log in one place.