AMRAP, EMOM & Tabata Explained: Why You Should Switch up Your Training
Consistency should be a cornerstone of any fitness routine, but doing the same routine can get stale quickly. Switching up the type of training you do keeps your workout routine fun and fresh, and if you’re having fun, you’re more likely to stay motivated— a bonus is that it challenges your body in different ways. We asked three Alo Moves instructors to walk us through three different styles of training you can start incorporating into your routine right away.
AMRAP
AMRAP stands for “as many rounds/reps as possible” and the format is as simple as it sounds: you can either do a single exercise as many times as you can in a set amount of time, or as many rounds of a variety of different exercises in a set amount of time. Alo Moves instructor Josh Kramer recommends the following: “One minute each on the clock, as many reps as possible. Keep your form solid and your mind focused.”
If you push yourself, over time you should notice that you’re able to pack in more reps and can withstand more rounds. As with any high-intensity training, you’ll be burning calories long after the workout is over. “This short session is designed to challenge you and test all aspects of your physical fitness and mental toughness,” Kramer says. What’s more, you don’t need any special equipment to practice this at home.
EMOM
EMOM workouts are ideal for those who need an extra push of motivation by rewarding you with rest, but only if you earn it: “EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. Every minute you’re given a rep count and an exercise. You have to finish that rep count within the minute. And if you finish it, you get to recover. If you don’t finish it, you have to go right to the next exercise.” - Callie Gullickson, fitness trainer and Alo Moves instructor.
By practicing EMOM, you’ll get all of the benefits of a HIIT workout in a time-efficient manner, too: improved cardiovascular and metabolic health, and even the halting aging at a cellular level!
Tabata
Tabata is a type of HIIT, but with the dial set at full-intensity. “Tabata is an interval exercise protocol that follows eight rounds of movement — 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for a total of four minutes,” says Alo Moves instructor Jacy Cunningham.
Since the rest time is so limited, your endurance is truly tested, and over time, you’ll see it build (which is when you can gradually start adding in additional Tabata cycles!). A Tabata workout should push you to maximum exertion and leave you exhausted.
