EMOM Workouts for Beginners (The Ultimate Guide)

EMOM workout is a form of high-intensity interval training.

EMOM, or every minute on the minute, consists of a 1-minute working duration range where a specific amount of reps must be completed.

EMOM workouts are short but intensive workouts that are excellent for building full body or local muscular endurance [1].

The type of endurance built will depend on exercise selection since different exercises activate different amounts of muscle groups and joints.

Essentially, they are a form of continuous exercise.

The origins of the EMOM method can be tracked as early as the 1900s.

This is the time when a more common type of high-intensity interval training, Tabata, was introduced by Izumi Tabata.

EMOM training is excellent for people looking to spend less time in the gym. It is a quick workout suitable for busy entrepreneurs, endurance freaks, and CrossFitters.

Burpee endurance ladder is one of the best EMOM workouts to include in your fitness routine and build whole-body endurance.

Bodyweight EMOM workouts such as the burpee endurance ladder are excellent for challenging your body's muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory capacity.

Here is the entire endurance and cardio-based EMOM workout with burpees:

1. During the first minute, you should complete one burpee.
2. When the second minute starts, complete two burpees.
3. For each following minute, you must add one burpee to complete, building up to 15 burpees in the 15th minute.
4. Since the first few minutes will be boring and you will have more time to rest, you may incorporate core exercises or wall sits.
5. In total, you will complete 120 burpees at the end of the workout.

If this beginner workout is too hard for you, exclude the push-up at the bottom of the burpee to make it easier.

However, if this isn't challenging or hard enough, you may learn how to do box jumps or do exercises with dumbbells..

"EMOM workouts are a highly effective form of training. They provide an efficient way to build muscle, strength, endurance, and overall work capacity."

- Kirsten Yovino, Certified Personal Trainer

To get started, you will need a timer, a workout plan, and a bottle of water. However, some additional things like extra space and having some of the best home gym equipment available may be necessary.

Generally, every EMOM workout can be based on bodyweight exercises. This is why you don't need barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells to complete an EMOM workout.

However, you must add external resistance to make the EMOM workout more challenging.

External resistance usually comes from fitness equipment, so additional dumbbells or kettlebells may be necessary.

Also, proper hydration is necessary, and you shouldn't start a workout without a bottle of water.

You should drink water while working out because your body's temperature increases, causing water loss through sweat.

You risk dehydration and serious side effects that may lead to more severe health problems.

You must have a timer or stopwatch to follow through with the workout. Also, the entire workout plan should be noted somewhere to access it during the session.

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Yes, EMOM workouts are effective. EMOM workouts are an excellent way to increase muscular endurance and improve cardiovascular fitness.

EMOM workouts were designed to improve the endurance of your whole body or specific muscles with a pacing strategy [2].

The repetitive nature of this method will develop local or entire muscular endurance, which is the foundation for developing muscle hypertrophy and strength in the future.

One of the benefits of EMOM workouts is that they are very short.

The time-saving element is why many entrepreneurs and busy people prefer implementing EMOM-based workouts into their schedules.

The average duration of 15 minutes is short yet effective for inducing health benefits, and only one workout session per day is enough to trigger effects like anabolism or burning fat.

Cardio-based EMOM workouts are excellent for improving the function of the entire cardiorespiratory system, which is proven to indicate life quality and longevity.

EMOM workouts usually last between 10 and 20 minutes. This amount of time is enough to build endurance and improve cardiorespiratory functions.

How long the EMOM workout is will depend on your personal goals, fitness level, age, and previous experience.

Beginners usually start closer to the 10-minute mark, which is enough to build the initial muscular and respiratory endurance necessary for future progression.

Intermediary lifters or active people can go up to 15 minutes of an EMOM workout without stopping.

This amount of time will be the best for them to induce the biggest health benefits since they have more experience and better-developed muscular and respiratory functions [3].

More than 15 minutes will be necessary for advanced lifters and gymgoers to produce results.

Sometimes, people complete up to 60 minutes of EMOM workouts, but those are usually well-trained and experienced individuals with developed respiratory and endurance functions.

Generally, your EMOM workout should have only one exercise. However, you may change workout and exercise programming to suit your needs.

For example, you may complete an EMOM workout composed of three different exercises at the same time interval.

Let's say that a total of 15 minutes of workout is divided into three equal sections of 5 minutes.

In the first five minutes, you may perform burpees, the second air squats, and the third plyo push-ups.

However, you may add some additional exercises but lower the minutes performed by the same exercise.

I would suggest sticking to the 1-exercise method for local endurance, and choosing diversity for whole body endurance and cardiorespiratory improvement [4].

You can do EMOM workouts in the morning and the evening.

Having enough carbohydrates and proteins before the workout is necessary to avoid side effects and health problems.

EMOM workouts are short and effective so they can be implemented anywhere in your daily schedule.

You shouldn’t bother about morning or evening workouts if you only have free time before lunch.

The time of the day becomes less important if you eat enough carbs and proteins, rest, and have enough energy to complete the workout.

Also, hydration and mental fatigue play a major role in the effectiveness of EMOM workouts.

You shouldn’t finish an EMOM workout without having a single drop of water since that may lead to fatal consequences, such as health problems or going unconscious.

"Because they’re designed to limit your rest periods and perform exercise after exercise, you generally won’t lift very heavy weights during EMOM workouts. That doesn’t mean that EMOM workouts in general won’t help you get stronger."

- Alex Polish, Certified Personal Trainer