What is an EMOM?

EMOM is short for Every Minute On the Minute. It is a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout that involves performing a specific exercise or set of exercises at the beginning of every minute for a set period of time. 

EMOM workouts can be designed to target specific muscle groups, improve endurance, or increase overall fitness. They are often used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to improve their performance and increase their intensity during workouts.

Why you should do them

• They will save you time in the gym. EMOMs are generally anywhere between 8-30 minutes long.
• They will keep you focused and accountable. 
• They are great to build strength and endurance.
• They are also great for fat loss.

Setting up an EMOM Workout

You can set up and EMOM different ways but for now let's do a basic format:

• Decide how long you want your EMOM to be. This could be anywhere from 8-30 minutes.This will vary depending on the exercise selection and the experience of the trainee.  A beginner can start with a shorter EMOM and as they get stronger they can increase the duration of the workout. 
• Choose the exercise: Select a single exercise or a combination of exercises that you want to perform during the EMOM. 
• Set the reps or duration for each exercise. 
• Use your phone or a smartwatch to use the⏱️stopwatch feature. As soon as you start the clock (00:00) you will perform a specific exercise or set of exercises for a prescribed number of reps or time, then rest for the remainder of that minute. Once the next minute starts, you begin the next exercise, and so on, until the end of the workout.

So for example let's do a 15 minute EMOM with the following 5 kettlebell exercises: thrusters, two-handed swings, sumo deadlifts, side lunge to clean and alternating floor presses.


It would look something like this:

ON THE START COMPLETE 12 KETTLEBELL THRUSTERS
  
ON MINUTE 1 COMPLETE 20 2-HANDED KETTLEBELL SWINGS

ON MINUTE 2 COMPLETE 10 KB SUMO DEADLIFTS

ON MINUTE 3 COMPLETE 10 SIDE LUNGE TO CLEAN

ON MINUTE 4 COMPLETE 20 ALTERNATING FLOOR PRESSES

ON MINUTE 5 COMPLETE 12 KETTLEBELL THRUSTERS

ON MINUTE 6 COMPLETE 20 2-HANDED KETTLEBELL SWINGS

ON MINUTE 7 COMPLETE 10 KB SUMO DEADLIFTS

ON MINUTE 8 COMPLETE 10 SIDE LUNGE TO CLEAN

ON MINUTE 9 COMPLETE 20 2-HANDED KETTLEBELL SWINGS

ON MINUTE 10 COMPLETE 12 KETTLEBELL THRUSTERS

ON MINUTE 11 COMPLETE 20 2-HANDED KETTLEBELL SWINGS

ON MINUTE 12 COMPLETE 10 KB SUMO DEADLIFTS

ON MINUTE 13 COMPLETE 10 SIDE LUNGE TO CLEAN

ON MINUTE 14 COMPLETE 20 ALTERNATING FLOOR PRESSES

The video below gives you insight on how these movements will look in action:

How to select exercises for an EMOM

Selecting exercises for an EMOM will depend on the goal of the workout. Would it be to get you stronger? Then you would have to use heavy kettlebells and preferably two of them.

Do you wish to target a specific muscle group? Upper or lower body? Or maybe both. You can also select exercises based on their difficulty, skill requirement or movement pattern, e.g. pushing or pulling.

You can do an EMOM based around around endurance and conditioning, then you would select movements like kettlebell swings and snatches.

How much time to rest in an EMOM

This would be different for every person and on how quickly they can complete the prescribed reps. Let's say you have to do 20 reps of kettlebell swings in a minute.

It might take you 30 seconds to complete 20 reps, so that means you have 30 seconds to rest until the next minute is up. However, it might take another person to complete those 20 reps in 25 seconds. So this means they would have 35 seconds to rest.

It is important to note that you shouldn't complete your reps with haste just so that you will have more time to rest. Quality reps is more important (and safer) than reps with bad form. 

Now that you know what an EMOM workout is, let's take a look at a few examples below.

How many Times per week should you do an eMOM

This will depend on the person but doing an EMOM everyday is fine as long as you are properly recovering from each training session. Anytime you are starting a new training format it is better to gradually work up to the demands of that particular training and gradually increase the duration and intensity. 

So for a beginner you can do something like this:

Is doing 1 eMOM a Day Enough?

If you're looking to stay in shape then yes. According to the CDC, "Each week adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity, according to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans."

There is nothing moderately intense about EMOMs. These can be intense workouts that can be very challenging. If you are fit and could do 1 full body 20 minute EMOM everyday that would be splendid.

If you're looking to improve athleticism, endurance or strength then no. You would have to do 2 EMOMS.
Or you can do a traditional strength training or bodybuilding routine followed by an EMOM. 

EMOM Workouts

Beginner Friendly EMOMS with 1 and 2 kettlebells

1 Kettlebell2 Kettlebells

About this workout:

This is a very basic EMOM set up. The set up here is to use only one kettlebell and to perform a lower body movement, an upper body one followed by a conditioning exercise or ballistic kettlebell exercise, in this case the swing. 

About this workout:

This EMOM is focused around the lower body. The first movement focuses on your hamstrings, the second on your quads and the third on conditioning. 

Kettlebell Complexes 

A complex is a set of exercises performed without setting the training tool down. Kettlebells are beyond ideal for complexes because you're able to swiftly transition from one movement to the next.

So for the following examples the design is different to help illlustrate how a kettlebell complex would look like in an EMOM format.   

Advanced Kettlebell EMOMs with descending reps

In this EMOM variation you will decrease the reps on each new round. The benefit of this approach is that it takes advantage when the trainee is strongest at the beginning of the workout.

It makes a hard workout more manageable. If it were the other way around where you increase the reps, you might fatigue and therefore compromise your form as you progress through the workout.

Try to use the same weight(s) for the entire workout.

9 Minute Kettlebell & Jump Rope EMOM

This is a simple approach with just 3 basic but super useful movements. In this EMOM we are focusing on time instead of reps for the first movement only. If you can't jump rope then run in place or shadowbox.

I hope you've enjoyed this article and learned the benefits of doing EMOMs and how to use them. 


- Juan