Crush Your Full-Body Strength Goals with This 20-Minute EMOM Workout
When it comes to achieving full-body strength in a short amount of time, the 20-minute EMOM workout builds full-body strength like no other. EMOM, which stands for “Every Minute on the Minute,” is a type of interval training that allows you to perform exercises at a high intensity within each minute. By focusing on compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups, an EMOM workout efficiently builds strength while keeping your heart rate elevated.
In this article, we’ll dive into the structure of a 20-minute EMOM workout, its benefits, and how you can perform it to maximize results.
What is an EMOM Workout?
An EMOM workout is a training style where you complete a specific number of repetitions of an exercise within a minute. Once you finish the set, you rest for the remaining time in that minute before starting the next round. This structure keeps the intensity high and ensures you’re working at a consistent pace throughout the workout.
The 20-minute EMOM workout builds full-body strength by focusing on multi-joint, compound exercises that target different muscle groups. Because you’re constantly moving from one exercise to the next with minimal rest, you also work on improving your cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, and power.
The Structure of a 20-Minute EMOM Workout
For this workout, you’ll perform five exercises, and each exercise will last for 40 seconds, leaving 20 seconds of rest in each minute. This gives you enough time to recover while keeping your heart rate elevated throughout the session. Repeat the entire circuit four times to complete the full 20-minute workout.
Warm-Up (2 Minutes)
Before jumping into the EMOM workout, it’s important to properly warm up your body. Warming up increases your heart rate and prepares your muscles for the intensity of the workout. Here’s a simple warm-up routine to follow:
- Jumping Jacks (1 minute): Get your body moving and your heart rate up with jumping jacks. This dynamic movement activates your arms, legs, and core.
- Dynamic Stretches (1 minute): Perform arm circles, leg swings, and bodyweight lunges to loosen up your joints and stretch your muscles.
20-Minute EMOM Workout (16 Minutes)
Each exercise in this circuit should be performed for 40 seconds, with 20 seconds of rest after completing the set. Here’s the breakdown of exercises for the 20-minute EMOM workout builds full-body strength:
Squat to Press
- How to Perform: Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Perform a deep squat, keeping your chest lifted and your knees tracking over your toes. As you rise from the squat, press the dumbbells overhead, fully extending your arms.
- Targeted Muscles: Quads, glutes, shoulders, triceps.
- Why it Works: This full-body movement works the legs, glutes, and shoulders while combining the benefits of squats and overhead presses. It builds strength and power in both the lower and upper body.
Push-Ups
- How to Perform: Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your body in a straight line. Push through your palms to return to the starting position.
- Targeted Muscles: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
- Why it Works: Push-ups are an excellent compound exercise that builds upper body strength, specifically in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while also engaging the core for stability.
Kettlebell Swings
- How to Perform: Hold a kettlebell with both hands, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips to swing the kettlebell between your legs, then drive your hips forward to swing it up to shoulder height. Keep your core engaged and use your hips to generate the momentum.
- Targeted Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders.
- Why it Works: Kettlebell swings are an explosive movement that targets the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings, and core. It helps to build lower-body strength, stability, and power.
Renegade Rows
- How to Perform: Start in a plank position, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Row one dumbbell toward your torso while keeping your hips stable, then return it to the ground and row the other dumbbell. Maintain a strong plank position throughout.
- Targeted Muscles: Back, shoulders, arms, core.
- Why it Works: This move works the upper back, shoulders, and core while also challenging the arms. Renegade rows are great for strengthening the upper body and improving overall body control.
Jump Lunges
- How to Perform: Start in a lunge position, with one foot forward and the other foot back. Jump up and switch your legs mid-air, landing softly in a lunge with the opposite foot forward.
- Targeted Muscles: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, core.
- Why it Works: Jump lunges engage the lower body while improving coordination and explosiveness. The movement also activates the core for stability.
Cool-Down (2 Minutes)
After completing the 20-minute EMOM workout, it’s crucial to cool down and allow your muscles to recover. A proper cool-down will help prevent muscle stiffness and promote flexibility.
- Stretching (1 minute): Focus on stretching the muscles worked during the session, such as the quads, hamstrings, chest, and shoulders. Hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds.
- Deep Breathing (1 minute): Perform deep breathing exercises to lower your heart rate and relax your body.
Benefits of a 20-Minute EMOM Workout
A 20-minute EMOM workout builds full-body strength and offers several advantages for those looking to improve their fitness. Some of the key benefits include:
- Time Efficiency: In just 20 minutes, you can target all major muscle groups, build strength, and improve cardiovascular fitness.
- Muscle Engagement: By using compound exercises, the workout engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it an excellent full-body routine.
- Improved Conditioning: The EMOM structure helps improve endurance, coordination, and overall conditioning by pushing you to work consistently throughout the session.
- Fat Burning: The high intensity of the EMOM workout keeps your heart rate elevated, which can help burn fat and boost metabolism.
Tips for Success
To get the most out of your 20-minute EMOM workout, keep these tips in mind:
- Maintain Proper Form: Always prioritize good form over speed or intensity to avoid injury and maximize the effectiveness of each exercise.
- Modify the Exercises: If you’re new to exercise, feel free to modify the exercises by using lighter weights or performing them at a slower pace. As you get stronger, increase the intensity.
- Challenge Yourself: As you become more comfortable with the routine, increase the weight of your dumbbells or add more reps to challenge your muscles further.
Conclusion
A 20-minute EMOM workout builds full-body strength by engaging all major muscle groups through compound movements that target the upper and lower body. With its time-efficient structure, this workout is perfect for those who want to build strength, improve endurance, and burn fat, all in a short period. Consistency and effort are key to reaping the full benefits of this workout, so commit to it and see lasting results.