In short
- Every format answers two questions: what is fixed (the time or the work) and what is measured (the time or the work done).
- With the work fixed you measure time: For Time, RFT, chipper, AFAP and ladders.
- With the time fixed you measure work: AMRAP, EMOM and Tabata.
- AFAP and For Time are the same idea written two ways.
- Formats combine with doing them in pairs or in a team.
What is a WOD format?
It is the structure that says how the workout is done. Every format fixes one thing, the time or the work, and measures the other: if the work is fixed, you measure how long it takes; if the time is fixed, you measure how much work fits into it.
That is the quickest way to recognise one when you see it written on a whiteboard or in an app. The next sections group them by what they fix.
Which WOD formats are measured by time?
In these the work is fixed and the score is how long it takes you to finish:
- For Time
- You complete a fixed amount of work as fast as possible and log your time. It is the base of the other formats in this section. Benchmark in this format: Fran.
- Time cap
- The time limit of a For Time. If you reach it without finishing, you stop and log the work you were missing.
- RFT
- "Rounds for time": a fixed number of rounds of the same set, as fast as possible. Benchmark in this format: DT. Made-up example: 4 rounds of 10 air squats and 10 push-ups, 4 × 20 = 80 reps.
- Chipper
- A long list of movements with many reps that you do once, in order and from top to bottom, against the clock. Made-up example: 50 air squats, 40 jump-rope skips, 30 push-ups and 20 burpees, 140 reps.
- AFAP
- "As fast as possible": another way of writing a For Time. Fixed work, as fast as possible; in practice it changes nothing compared with it.
- Ladder
- The reps go up or down each round. Made-up example: air squats and push-ups in rounds of 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 reps, 30 of each movement and 60 in total. The cumulative version with twelve movements is the twelve days of Christmas WOD.
Which WOD formats are measured by work done?
In these the time is fixed and the score is the work you manage to do:
- AMRAP
- "As many rounds as possible": as many rounds and reps as you can in a fixed time. It is scored with the full rounds plus the reps of the round in progress. Detail in the AMRAP guide. Benchmark in this format: Cindy.
- EMOM
- "Every minute on the minute": at the start of each minute you do a fixed block and rest whatever is left. There are variations with a longer interval between signals. Detail in the EMOM guide. Benchmark in this format: Macho Man.
- Tabata
- Eight rounds of 20 seconds of effort and 10 of rest: 8 × 30 seconds is four minutes in total. It is usual to repeat a single movement.
If you are after a long, sustained effort, that is not a new format but a way of setting up one of these: it is in the endurance WOD guide.
What is the difference between For Time, RFT and AFAP?
In essence, none: all three fix the work and measure the time. For Time and AFAP are used to say the same thing. RFT specifies that the work is equal rounds of one set, and a chipper that it is a list of movements done once.
The useful difference is in how you log it: in all of them the score is the time, or the work that is left if there is a time cap. To compare with another day, the full set and the version (as written or scaled) must match; how to scale is in the guide to scaling a WOD.
Which formats are done in pairs or in a team?
Any of the above. What changes is how the work is split between the people: free, in turns or at the same time. It is explained, with examples, in the guide to pair and team WODs.
How do I decide which format to use?
Ask yourself what you want to measure. If it is how long it takes, a time format; if it is how much work fits, a work format; if you want the rest built in, an EMOM or a Tabata. The WOD timer guide develops this and explains how to set up each one.
If the notation of a session is unclear, what is a WOD has an example of how to read one; to do them at home, no-equipment WOD. The rest of the vocabulary (Rx, unbroken, time cap, metcon…) is in the A-Z WOD glossary.
What are the most common questions?
What does RFT mean in a WOD?
"Rounds for time": a fixed number of rounds of the same set that you do as fast as you can. The score is how long it takes you.
What is a chipper?
A long list of movements with many reps that you do once, in order, against the clock. It is not repeated in rounds: you chip away at the list until it is done.
Are AFAP and For Time the same?
In practice, yes. AFAP stands for "as fast as possible" and means the same as For Time: fixed work, as fast as possible, and the score is the time.
What is a Tabata?
Eight rounds of 20 seconds of effort and 10 of rest, four minutes in total. It is usually done with a single movement.
What is the difference between an AMRAP and an EMOM?
In an AMRAP the time is fixed and you do as many rounds as you can. In an EMOM you start a fixed block every minute and rest whatever is left. They are scored differently: rounds plus reps, or minutes completed.
Can these formats be done in pairs?
Yes. Any format can be done in pairs or in a team if you agree how the work is split and what counts as the score. The guide to pair and team WODs explains it.
What does Zoku Athletics offer for timing these formats?
Zoku Athletics brings together a multimodal timer (For Time, AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata and mixed) that times these formats so you do not have to watch the clock while you move. How to set it up step by step is in the WOD timer guide.
If you only need the clock, the online WOD timer on this website runs in the browser, with no sign-up and no cookies.
You can create your Free account on the website, no card needed; how the account and the subscription are managed is covered in account and subscription on the Zoku site.
The app is not public on the stores yet. It is in testing and there is no launch date.
How can I try Zoku Athletics?
The Free plan is free, with no card and no expiry. Pro and Elite are paid; what each includes is shown in the plans section of the home page.
Who is behind the website and the app: About Zoku Athletics.