The for time format is a workout where you complete a set task — a fixed list of movements and reps — as fast as you possibly can, and your finishing time is your score. It is the simplest format in the Dad Bod Destroyer Blueprint and one of the most useful, because the only constant is doing as much work as possible in as little time as possible. In this Physical Friday I explain how for time works and give you examples you can mix and run today.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
For time is a task completed as fast as possible. You set a fixed list of movements and reps, then race the clock to finish, and your total time is your score. The exercises and reps can change from workout to workout, but the constant never changes: do as much work as possible in as little time as possible. That simplicity is exactly why it is so effective.
Your score is your finishing time — the total time it takes to complete all the prescribed work, and faster is better. Since the clock is the only judge, the format rewards smart pacing, efficient transitions, and pushing through the parts where you would rather slow down. You are competing against your own previous times every time you repeat it.
One classic version: run 400 meters, do 20 pull ups, run 400 meters, do 20 dips, run 400 meters, do 20 push ups, then run 400 meters — all for total time. An even simpler version is just running one mile for time. You can also mix any exercises together and try to complete them as fast as possible. The structure is wide open.
Because it forces intensity. When the clock is your score, you naturally work harder, move more efficiently, and resist the urge to rest. It also gives you a clean benchmark — repeat the same workout in a few weeks and your time tells you exactly whether you are improving. Measurable progress is what keeps you consistent, and consistency is king.
Text the words “for time” to me at (305) 930-7346 and I will send you five of my favorite for time workouts you can try. They range from a simple one-mile effort to mixed-movement chippers, so you can match the workout to your equipment and the time you have that day.
I make Physical Friday for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen who want to stay strong and capable for life. I cover the why and the how in the player above, so press play and follow along.
For time is as simple as it gets: complete the prescribed work as fast as you can. The movements and reps change, but the goal never does — do as much work as possible in as little time as possible. That single rule is what makes the format brutal and honest at the same time. I explain how I think about the task design in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is the version I use to teach it. Run 400 meters, 20 pull ups, run 400 meters, 20 dips, run 400 meters, 20 push ups, run 400 meters, all for total time. You can also keep it dead simple with a one-mile run for time, or mix any movements you like. I talk through how to scale the reps in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Because the format is so open, you can build endless versions by mixing exercises together and chasing a finish time. That flexibility is why for time lives in the Dad Bod Destroyer Blueprint — one rule, infinite workouts. I share how I combine movements to target different qualities in the episode, so press play in the player above.
When your time is your score, you stop coasting. The clock pulls intensity out of you and gives you a benchmark to beat next time. That measurable progress is the engine behind staying consistent, and consistency is the only thing that loses a dad bod. I get into how I use times to track progress in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Press play in the player above to get the full breakdown.
For time is the format I recommend when someone wants to feel real intensity without complicated programming. Set the task, start the clock, and race it.
Build one this week, record your time, and repeat it in a month to see the progress. Then text me for five of my favorites. Press play in the player above.
Dad Bod Destroyer Blueprint · for time format · pull ups · dips · push ups · running · chipper workouts · CrossFit
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.
I am Tom Rowland — a Florida Keys fishing guide for more than 30 years, a competitive angler, a lifelong CrossFit athlete, and the host of the Tom Rowland Podcast. I started Physical Friday because staying strong, mobile, and durable is what lets all of us keep hunting, fishing, and chasing the outdoors for life. I train the same way I want you to: simple, consistent, repeatable.
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