Forma
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The rest timer

The timer, the Live Activity and the Lock Screen.

After each set, Forma counts down the rest at the bottom of every session screen. Glance at the bar on the screen when Forma is open, or at the Lock Screen when it is not.

When to use it

  • You have just pressed Log set and want a countdown without opening a clock.
  • You keep your phone in your pocket or armband between sets and still want to see the time left.
  • You want a nudge when the rest is over, not an alarm to shut off.

The countdown

A slim dark bar pinned above the bottom edge shows Rest, the time left, and two buttons:

  • +15 adds 15 seconds of rest.
  • Skip ends the rest at once.

A thin fill runs behind the bar so you can see at a glance how much of the rest is left.

How long a rest is depends on the lift, and each lift's own header shows its rest time:

LiftRest
Warm-up sets60 seconds
Lifts for core, lower back and calves45 seconds
Isolation lifts (one muscle at a time)60 seconds
Compound lifts (several muscles together)90 seconds

Plans in strength mode double the last two. There is no rest after the last set of a lift: when it is done, Forma takes you back to the list.

When the rest ends

  • Forma open on the screen: you hear two short beeps and feel a tap. The beeps are mixed into your music, which dips for a moment and then comes back.
  • Phone locked, or Forma in the background: a notification says Rest is over and names the lift and the set. The first time, iOS asks whether Forma may send notifications.

Lock Screen and Dynamic Island

On a phone that supports it, the countdown also runs as a Live Activity while you rest. It shows on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and names the lift you are resting from. The expanded Island also shows the set. You can read the countdown without unlocking the phone or opening the app. When the rest ends or the session finishes, the Live Activity disappears.

The rest timer belongs to the training coach. With the training coach switched off, no Live Activity runs. The Live Activity carries its own buttons: −15 and +15 to change the rest by 15 seconds, and Skip to end it, so you can adjust the rest without opening the app.

The Today widget

The Live Activity only runs during a session. To see Forma on the Lock Screen the rest of the time, add the Today widget. It comes in a small and a medium size for the Home Screen, and in circular, rectangular and inline sizes for the Lock Screen. It shows calories and protein left, your 7-day weight average, and what to do next.

  1. Touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen, then tap the plus.
  2. Search for Forma, choose Today, pick a size and tap Add Widget.

Good to know

  • The bar appears on every session screen — the list of lifts and each lift's own screen — so you never lose it by navigating.
  • Added too much rest? On the Live Activity, −15 takes 15 seconds back; shortening it to zero ends it. On the in-app bar, Skip ends the rest early.
  • The notification names the lift and set you logged, so you know which lift to walk back to.
  • Missed the rest entirely? The next screen is waiting; nothing is marked as done without you.

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