To hear someone describe their regimen as “functional training” may elicit an eye roll. Here’s the reality, though: these days, plenty of guys aren’t shackling themselves to machines and free weights for hours on end to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Instead, fit dudes are favoring shorter, more efficient workouts that get them lean, muscular, and cardiovascularly fit. People want to look damn good and be ready for anything life throws at you, be it a 10K or Spartan Race.
“‘Every minute on the minute’ is a creative way to end gym boredom and train your entire body,” says Javier Lee, performance enhancement specialist and fitness director at UFC Gym in SoHo. It all falls under the FIIT principle (short for frequency, intensity, time, and type): If you train about three to five times a week at a challenging intensity for as little as 20 minutes to an hour, you’ll build a stronger, leaner body. All of this is possible with EMOMs.
“EMOMs are one of my favorite workouts for clients who are in a time crunch, because it allows you to get in a good number of reps and sets in a short amount of time,” adds Kenny Valentin, C.P.T., head strength and conditioning coach at UFC Gym in SoHo. “With EMOMs, you can easily work in cardio and strength.”
All these workouts can be implemented into your regimen. Depending on the style of your program, work in these routines about two or three times per week. Make sure you designate 5-10 minutes pre-workout to perform a solid warmup comprising mobility drills and dynamic stretching.
On all EMOMs, perform each exercise for the prescribed number of reps, then rest for the remaining seconds in that minute. Move on to the next exercise in chronological order.
How to do it: Since your overall goal is to burn as many calories as possible, you need to give maximum effort. You want to train at 75%-85% of your estimated maximum heart rate, Lee says, so the intensity level should range from 7.5-8.5 on a 10-point scale, 10 being the most laborious. Complete three 10-minute rounds.
EMOM 2: Endurance
How to do it: Complete three 4-minute rounds.
EMOM 3: Strength
How to do it: Complete three 6-minute rounds.
EMOM 4: Combo
How to do it: Complete three 18-minute rounds. Rest 2-3 minutes between rounds.
EMOM 5: Weight loss
How to do it: Complete two or three 10-minute rounds, depending upon how much time you have.
EMOM 6: Strength
How to do it: This is a three-part EMOM. Complete three 3-minute rounds, resting 2-3 minutes between each. Break it down as follows:
Minutes 1-3: work up to 75% of your 1RM for 4 to 6 reps
Minutes 4-7: stay at 75% of your 1RM keep rep range around 4 to 5
Minutes 8-10: work up to 85% of your 1RM for 3 reps
EMOM 7: Muscle endurance
How to do it: This is similar to the muscle- and strength-building EMOM, except you’ll perform more reps with less weight. Complete three 3-minute rounds, resting 2-3 minutes between each. Break it down as follows:
Minutes 1-3: work up to 60% of your 1RM for 8 to 10 reps
Minutes 4-7: stay at 70% of your 1RM keep rep range around 8 to 10
