10 Best EMOM CrossFit Workouts to Enhance Your Conditioning

The structure of EMOM CrossFit Workouts is pretty straightforward, and can be scaled to suit every fitness level, from beginners right through to elite athletes.

Most EMOM CrossFit Workouts generally last between 10 and 30 minutes, but there are many other variations.

THE EMOM METHOD

EMOM stands for “Every Minute On the Minute” and means you perform an exercise as every minute starts.

You set a timer, then on each scheduled minute, perform the exercise(s) given. You then rest for the remainder of each minute. When the second minute starts you do the exercise(s) again. Repeat this process until the set time is over; usually between 10 to 30 minutes.

This way of structuring a workout is very intense and time efficient. Due to the time pressure you should watch out not to get careless about using correct form and technique for each exercise.

Always complete every repetition correctly and properly, even if it takes longer, and you have less time to rest between each set.

One of the benefits of EMOM is that they can be designed to challenge and develop a wide range of different aspects of your fitness. They can be programmed to train:

• Strength
• Endurance
• Coordination
• Technique under fatigue
• Conditioning
• Mental toughness

EMOM workouts are guided by the clock, which makes them easy to track your progress. You can always see how many seconds you needed for each rep, and determine whether you get faster over time.

Make sure that there is always a break between the beginning of each minute. The break is part of the workout, so you shouldn’t plan too many reps in your EMOM.

EMOM CrossFit Workouts

As a rough guide for strength-focused EMOM workouts, 80% of your 1RM is a good guideline to go on.

This method is very variable. You can involve any exercise you want, especially the ones you are weak at to improve them. But you should change the routine regularly.

10. STARTER EMOM WORKOUT

Source: depositphotos

Let’s start with an easier one first.

EMOM in 10 minutes:

• 5 Air Squats
• 5 Push-ups
• 5 Crunches

Every minute on the minute perform all exercises in the order given. Aim to finish with about 7-10 seconds to spare, if this is not possible, reduce the number of reps.

Perform this EMOM cycle until 10 minutes are done.

9. INTENSE BODYWEIGHT STRENGTH WORKOUT

This one concentrates more on improving your strength

EMOM in 20 minutes:

• 5 Pull-ups
• 5 Push-ups
• 5 Box jumps
• 5 Crunches

At the start of every minute perform 5 pull-ups, 5 push-ups, 5 box jumps and 5 crunches. Use a box jump height that feels relatively challenging for your current fitness ability but lets you perform the 5 reps unbroken.

This is a longer EMOM, so use your time wisely every minute and try not to start too fast.

8. EMOM CrossFit Workouts – SPEED AND ENDURANCE

Your endurance will be tested with this one

EMOM in 20 minutes:

• 2 High Knees
• 2 Jumping Jacks
• 2 Burpees
• 25 m Sprint

All exercises should be performed within the minute before you start out again. The rep scheme might look low but all exercises should be performed fast to test your endurance.

7. BODYWEIGHT EMOM WORKOUT

A combination of endurance, speed and conditioning.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

EMOM in 15 minutes:

• 20 Jumping jacks
• 10 Push-ups

This medium-length EMOM workout will raise your heart rate and then test your arm strength.

6. JASON KHALIPA’S EMOM WORKOUT

Jason Khalipa, 2008 CrossFit Games champion, uses EMOM workouts to build strength, conditioning and toughness for all exercises.

He created an extra Instagram profile just for EMOM workouts. Here are two examples. He differentiates between even and odd minutes to keep workouts diversified:

EMOM in 20 minutes:

• Even minutes: 20 wall balls
• Odd minutes: 15 toes to bar

For the first minute, perform 20 wall balls, then perform 15 toes to bar at the start of the second minute. Keep on alternation between exercises until the 20 minutes are up.

5. JASON KHALIPA’S SECOND EMOM

The second EMOM by Jason Khalipa is pretty basic:

EMOM in 10 minutes:

• 15 Burpees

Perform 15 burpees every minute for 10 minutes. Not as easy as it sounds if you account for the fact you’ll perform 150 burpees in 10 minutes.

4. SQUAT EMOM WORKOUT FROM BROOKE WELLS

The next one is from Brooke Wells. She did this WOD with 129kg (and Jared Wayne Stevens used 183kg). Scale to 70% of your 1 rep max.

EMOM 10 minutes

• 2 Back squats

This is a great workout to train strength and teach your body to keep pushing short and hard efforts under fatigue.

3. DIFFERENT MINUTES: DIFFERENT EXERCISES

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

This WOD is a little different, and shows how you can compose different exercises for each minute:

EMOM in 15 minutes:

1. min: 30 sec Handstand hold (do this against a wall if you need to)
2. min: 30 sec Plank hold
3. min: 10 Hollow Body Rocks

This is a great bodyweight core workout you can do while travelling or if training at home, and builds a very solid base for gymnastics exercises and skills.

2. BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT

Source: Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

30 minutes is a long time, you need to stay motivated during this workout:

EMOM in 30 minutes:

• 3 Push-ups
• 3 Pull-ups
• 3 Air Squats

If the rep scheme is too low for your current ability level feel free to add more reps to each exercise.

1. KHAN PORTER’S EMOM CrossFit Workouts

A well known CrossFit athlete, Khan Porter performs this one with 110kg on the bar, but he is an accomplished Games athlete. Feel free to scale this down to 70/55 kg.

EMOM CrossFit Workout in 20 minutes:

• 1 Power clean
• 1 Front squat
• 1 Push jerk
• 1 Front squat
• 1 Split jerk

If the workouts get too easy for you, then increase the weights, do more reps or add more rounds. You can also up the intensity.

These 10 workouts are examples of how different EMOM workouts can look like, but feel free to design your own and create new ones.

The structure is simple and there are endless varieties and combinations: so get creative and enjoy!