Rounds for Time is a workout format where you pick any exercises and rep scheme, complete a set number of rounds as fast as you can, and record your exact time so you can come back and beat it. This is the first workout in my Dad Bod Destroyer Blueprint on Physical Friday, where I show you how to use different formats to stay interested and keep progressing. Consistency is king, and boredom kills progress — Rounds for Time fights both.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Rounds for Time is a format where you choose any exercises in any rep scheme, complete a fixed number of rounds as fast as you possibly can, and keep track of your exact finishing time. Your score is the total time it takes to finish. The whole point is that you can return to the same workout later and try to beat your time, which keeps you motivated and consistent.
A classic CrossFit example is Helen — three rounds for time of a 400-meter run, 21 kettlebell swings, and 12 pull-ups, done as fast as possible and recorded. You can keep it that simple, or push it to an extreme like 60 rounds of a 400-meter run, 10 burpees, and one muscle-up. The format scales from beginner-friendly to brutal depending on the rounds and reps you choose.
There are two main variations. In the first, the reps stay exactly the same every round, like Helen. In the second, the reps decrease each round — a rep scheme like 21-15-9. The most iconic decreasing version is Fran: 21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups, done for time. Both are scored by total time; the decreasing version just changes how the work is distributed across the rounds.
Recording your time is what makes the format work. It turns a workout into a benchmark you can revisit and try to beat, which keeps you interested and consistent over the long haul. Without a recorded score, you lose the measurable progress that makes Rounds for Time so motivating. Write it down somewhere you will find it again.
Absolutely. Keep them simple and feel free to invent your own using any rep scheme and number of rounds. You can do constant reps every round or a decreasing scheme like 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 with different exercises. Have fun with it — the format is built to give you an almost infinite number of workouts to keep things fresh.
The only way to lose a dad bod is through consistency. Consistency is king, and boredom is what kills it. Using formats like Rounds for Time lets you create an infinite number of workouts so you stay interested, excited, and progressing toward your goals instead of quitting out of boredom. Pick a format, keep showing up, and the results follow.
Consistency is king and boredom kills progress. That is the whole reason for this series. Most people do not quit working out because the workouts are too hard — they quit because they get bored doing the same thing. So I am walking through the workout formats that let you build an endless supply of fresh sessions. Rounds for Time is where we start.
The magic of this format is the recorded time. When you know your number on Helen or Fran, you have a target to chase the next time you do it. That built-in benchmark is what turns a one-off workout into a habit. I walk through exactly how to set yours up and score it in the episode. Press play to follow along.
You can keep it as simple as three rounds or scale it to something extreme like 60 rounds with a muscle-up in every one. That range is the point — the same format serves a beginner and an elite athlete. I share my favorite way to build these and what to watch for in the full episode. Listen in for it.
The dad bod does not come off in one heroic workout. It comes off because you keep showing up, week after week, and the only way most of us keep showing up is by staying interested.
Rounds for Time gives you an infinite number of workouts and a score to chase every time. Text RFT to me at 305-930-7346 and I will send you five of my favorite Rounds for Time workouts for free.
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.
Rounds for Time · Helen (CrossFit) · Fran (CrossFit) · kettlebell swings · thrusters · pull-ups · muscle-up · Dad Bod Destroyer Blueprint · Physical Friday · Tom Rowland Podcast
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series where I help fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen build the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay strong and stay in the game for life.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.