If you’ve got a busy week ahead and have no idea how you’re going to fit in your workouts, EMOMs might be a great addition to your repertoire.
An EMOM - Every Minute On the Minute - is a style of workout that alternates periods of work with periods of rest, determined by one minute (or more) intervals. There are many styles of EMOMs, but the concept is the same: when the timer beeps, you aim to complete the required work (and possibly have a little rest) before the timer goes off again and you must repeat and/or do another movement. EMOMs can take many forms, and you can be as creative as you like, but the concept remains the same - each time the timer goes, you work!
For example, a simple EMOM workout might go like this:
EMOM 10 (Every Minute On the Minute for 10 minutes)
10 burpees.
Set your timer to beep every minute, on the minute, for 10 minutes. At the beginning of the workout you complete 10 burpees and rest for the remainder of that first minute. When the timer goes for the beginning of the second minute, you complete 10 burpees and rest for the remainder of that second minute, and so on until you have completed 10 rounds.
A more complicated (but still easy to understand) EMOM might be:
EMOM 20
Minute 1: 10 squats
Minute 2: 10 pushups
Minute 3: 10 alternating lunges
Minute 4: 45 second plank
Minute 5: Rest
Repeat for 20 minutes (4 rounds)
Set your timer to beep each minute, on the minute for 20 minutes. When the workout starts, you complete 10 squats, and rest for the remainder of that minute. Minute 2 you complete 10 pushups, then rest the remainder of that minute, and so on down the list, resting for the entirety of minute 5. At the beginning of minute 6, you start the circuit again, with squats, and carry on until you have completed 4 total rounds of the workout.
Always make sure you get in a thorough warm-up (like this one), to help you stave off injury and get the most out of your workout. If you’re just starting out with a new workout routine, make sure to have at least one rest day between workouts. Whether you’ve been working out for days or years, the focus on good form throughout the workout will be essential to minimize your risk of injury and ensure you’re targeting the correct muscles.
EMOMs are a great addition to your workout routine; an easy way to add in some intensity and variety to keep you progressing. Add in one of these to your routine this week and enjoy!
7 EMOM Workouts For When You're Short on Time
Workout 1
EMOM 12
5 Sandbag Clean & Jerks
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Every minute, on the minute, for 12 minutes, complete 5 sandbag clean & jerks. Because the reps are quite low, you want to make sure the weight is challenging enough that it becomes difficult, but still possible to complete the 5 reps in the last few minutes. In your warm-up, test out your weight, and get in a couple warm-up rounds, building up to your workout weight.
Workout 2
For time:
Run 2 miles
EMOM 15 air squats
A fun way to spice up your run! Set your timer to beep every minute on the minute for the duration of your run. Start out running for the first minute, and when the timer beeps, stop and do 15 air squats on the spot. Run for the remainder of that minute, and repeat 15 squats every minute. This one will get spicier the longer it goes, so try to get that run done as quick as possible, without going so hard that you’re completely gassed before you get halfway through. Pacing yourself will be key! This would be a great benchmark for you to retest in a few months and see how far you’ve progressed!
Workout 3
Death by Burpees
Minute 1: 1 Burpee
Minute 2: 2 Burpees
Minute 3: 3 Burpees…
Carry on each minute adding one more burpee rep until you can’t complete the required number of burpees in the minute.
Rest 3 minutes
Repeat workout
This workout starts out almost too easy. And then you get into the trenches really quickly. As the reps increase, pace yourself and focus on controlling your breathing. When you can’t complete the required number of burpees in the minute, stop and rest for 3 full minutes. Then repeat the workout again and see how far you can get. If you stay calm and get into the zone, I promise you’ll get further than you thought you could. Also a great one for a benchmark. :)
Workout 4
For time:
300 Kettlebell Swings
EMOM: 3 burpees
The goal of this workout is to complete 300 kettlebell swings in the shortest time possible. Every minute, your timer will beep and you will complete 3 burpees, and then continue with your kettlebell swings for the rest of the minute. Again, pace yourself and focus on that good form for the swings.
Workout 5
EMOM 14
Odd Minutes: 8 Thrusters
Even Minutes: 15 Kettlebell Swings
For this 14-minute EMOM, you will do 8 thrusters on the odd minutes (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13), and 15 kettlebell swings on the even minutes (2,4,6,8,10,12 &14).
Workout 6
EMOM for as long as possible
Odd Minutes: pushups + 1
Even Minutes: air squats + 1
The way this one works is when the time starts, do 1 pushup, then rest for the remainder of that minute. For the Second minute you’ll do 2 air squats, then rest for the remainder of that minute. For the third minute you’ll do 3 pushups, then rest for the remainder of that minute, and so on until you can no longer complete the required number of reps required in that minute. You should be able to go a little further in this one because you’re alternating movements and allowing other muscles to rest.
Workout 7
EMOM 25
Minute 1: 10 pushups + shoulder taps
Minute 2: 10 squat jumps
Minute 3: 10 v-ups
Minute 4: 15 kettlebell swings
Minute 5: 20 alternating lunges
A Classic EMOM full-body workout. Switch movements for each of the first 5 minutes, and then continue to cycle through the movements until you have completed 4 rounds of each move which will take you 25 minutes.
The next time you’re short on time for your workout, throw one of these EMOMs into the mix and get your workout in!
