Never guess your
rep speed again
Lifting Tempo gives you precise audio, visual, and haptic cues for every phase of every rep — eccentric, pause, concentric, and squeeze. Control your rep speed with the ultimate time under tension timer for iPhone & Apple Watch.
Train smarter with precision timing
Everything you need to master tempo training, nothing you don't.
Customizable Tempos
Define exact durations for every phase — eccentric, bottom pause, concentric, and top squeeze. From 0 to 20 seconds each.
Smart Audio & Haptics
Distinct ticks, voice countdowns (3, 2, 1), and phase announcements keep you in rhythm. Haptic feedback on your wrist.
Standalone Apple Watch
Create and manage plans right on your wrist. High-contrast animations, live heart rate, and full workout tracking.
Movement-Specific Modes
Top Start for squats and bench press. Bottom Start for deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups. Match the timer to your movement.
HealthKit Integration
Workouts save as Functional Strength Training to Apple Health. Calories, heart rate, and Activity Ring credit — automatic.
Privacy First
No accounts, no tracking, no ads. Your data stays on your device. Period.
How it works
Three steps. Zero complexity.
Create a plan
Set your tempo (e.g. 4-1-2-0), choose reps, sets, and rest time. Pick Top Start or Bottom Start.
Hit start
A 5-second countdown kicks in. Then audio, visual, and haptic cues guide you through every phase.
Train with precision
Focus on your lifts — the app handles the counting. Workout saved to Health when done.
Three timer visualizations
Choose the style that keeps you focused.
Classic Ring
Smooth filling circle, color-coded by phase
Quad Sectors
Four arcs, one per phase, filling sequentially
Vertical Fill
Full-screen color flood matching the movement direction
Lifters love Lifting Tempo
Here's what early adopters are saying about their training.
"Finally, a timer that actually works for time under tension. The haptic taps on my Apple Watch mean I don't even have to look at the screen during a heavy set."
"I used to count in my head and always rushed the eccentric phase. This app forces me to be honest with my tempo. The burn is unreal."
"Worth every penny. No subscription BS, just a solid, well-designed tool that does exactly what it promises. The HealthKit integration is seamless."
What is tempo training?
The simplest way to unlock serious muscle growth.
Time Under Tension (TUT) explained
Tempo training — also called time under tension (TUT) training — is a method where you control the speed of each phase of a lift. Instead of just "up and down," you assign a specific number of seconds to the eccentric (lowering), bottom pause, concentric (lifting), and top squeeze phases.
A tempo like 4-1-2-0 means: 4 seconds lowering, 1 second pause at the bottom, 2 seconds lifting, 0 seconds at the top. This forces your muscles to work harder and longer, increasing metabolic stress and mechanical tension — the two primary drivers of hypertrophy.
Why serious lifters use tempo prescriptions
Research consistently shows that controlling rep tempo improves muscle activation, strengthens connective tissue, and eliminates momentum-based cheating. Bodybuilders, powerlifters, and physical therapists all use tempo prescriptions to:
- Increase time under tension without adding weight
- Target weak points in a lift (e.g., slow eccentrics for muscle growth)
- Improve mind-muscle connection and movement quality
- Rehabilitate injuries with controlled loading
- Break through plateaus by introducing a new stimulus
Why you need a tempo timer
Counting "one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi" in your head while under a heavy barbell is unreliable and distracting. Lifting Tempo handles the counting for you with audio cues, haptic taps on your Apple Watch, and visual phase indicators — so you can focus entirely on the lift. Think of it as a metronome for your muscles.
Go deeper: What Is Tempo Training? • TUT Benefits • How to Read Tempo Notation • Exercise Guides
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about tempo training and Lifting Tempo.
What does a tempo like 4-1-2-0 mean?
The four numbers represent seconds for each phase of a rep: Eccentric (lowering) – Bottom pause – Concentric (lifting) – Top squeeze. So 4-1-2-0 means lower the weight for 4 seconds, hold at the bottom for 1 second, lift for 2 seconds, and no pause at the top before the next rep.
What's the difference between Top Start and Bottom Start?
Top Start begins with the eccentric (lowering) phase — use this for squats, bench press, and overhead press where you start at the top. Bottom Start begins with the concentric (lifting) phase — use this for deadlifts, barbell rows, and pull-ups where you start at the bottom.
Does it work without my iPhone nearby?
Yes. The Apple Watch app is fully standalone. You can create plans, run workouts, and save to HealthKit entirely from your wrist — no iPhone connection required during your workout.
What kind of audio cues does the app provide?
Lifting Tempo provides distinct ticks for each second, voice countdowns (3, 2, 1) before phase transitions, and spoken phase announcements ("Eccentric," "Concentric," etc.). On Apple Watch, haptic taps reinforce every cue so you can train even with earbuds playing music.
Does it save my workouts to Apple Health?
Yes. Every completed workout is saved as Functional Strength Training to Apple Health with duration, calories burned, heart rate data, and Activity Ring credit — all automatically.
Is it a subscription?
No. Lifting Tempo is a one-time purchase of $2.99. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads. You buy it once and own all features forever, including future updates.
Your data. Your device. That's it.
No accounts. No analytics. No ads. No server. Everything stays on your iPhone and Apple Watch. We literally can't see your data — and that's by design.
Read our Privacy Policy →Start lifting with intention
Most gym apps charge $10–20/month. Lifting Tempo is a one-time $2.99 purchase. No subscription. No ads. No upsells. Ever.