What is an EMOM workout? How it works, and how to set one up
The short answer
EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. At the start of each minute you do a set piece of work, such as 10 kettlebell swings, then rest for whatever is left of that minute before the next one starts. Choose work that takes 30 to 45 seconds, so 15 to 30 seconds remain for rest. Sessions usually run 10 to 20 minutes, and longer ones alternate two or three movements.
Most interval formats set the rest for you: 40 seconds on, 20 off. EMOM is different. The clock only tells you when to start. How much you rest depends on how fast you work. That makes it simple to run and very honest: if the reps take too long, you feel it by round four.
How an EMOM works
- At 0:00, do the set work. For example, 10 kettlebell swings.
- When you finish, rest.
- At 1:00, start the next set, whether you feel ready or not.
- Repeat for the number of minutes you chose.
If the swings take 35 seconds, you rest for 25. If you get faster, you rest longer. If you get slower, you rest less. The work stays the same and the rest absorbs the fatigue.
Choose the right amount of work
The whole session depends on this.
| Work takes | Rest left | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 seconds | Over 30 seconds | Too easy to be worth the structure |
| 30 to 45 seconds | 15 to 30 seconds | Hard, but holds together |
| Over 45 seconds | Under 15 seconds | Collapses within a few rounds |
Time one set before you start. If it takes 40 seconds fresh, it will take longer by round eight, so start at the low end of the range.
Example sessions
Ten-minute starter. 10 air squats and 5 push-ups every minute for 10 minutes.
Alternating twenty. Odd minutes: 12 kettlebell swings. Even minutes: 10 walking lunges. Twenty minutes, so each movement gets ten rounds and a minute’s recovery in between.
Skill work. 3 pull-ups every minute for 15 minutes. The low reps keep form clean, and the total adds up to 45.
E2MOM. Every two minutes for 10 rounds: 400 m row. The two-minute clock suits work that cannot fit inside one.
Every 30 seconds. 5 burpees every 30 seconds for 20 rounds. Short, sharp pieces with little rest.
Setting up the timer
Open the EMOM timer. The presets are set as rounds of work with no separate rest phase, because in an EMOM the rest is whatever is left:
- EMOM × 10, × 15, × 20 and × 30 for one-minute rounds
- E2MOM × 10 for two-minute rounds
- E30s × 20 for thirty-second rounds
Each starts with a short prepare phase so you can put the phone down and get into position. The screen changes colour at the top of every minute, which is your start signal. You do not need to watch the number, so your eyes stay on what you are doing. Switch to the loud bell in a noisy gym.
Fullscreen shows only the timer, with no ads, and the page keeps the screen awake while it runs. On a phone, plugging in helps keep it awake.
When you start missing the minute
If you cannot finish the work before the next minute starts, reduce the reps and keep going. Do not skip a round. The fixed start every minute is the only thing an EMOM has; skip one and it becomes a set of loose intervals.
EMOM, Tabata or HIIT?
- EMOM fixes the start times. Rest depends on your speed.
- Tabata fixes work and rest at 20 seconds on and 10 off, eight times. See what is Tabata training.
- Other HIIT fixes both work and rest at a ratio you choose, such as 40/20. See work-to-rest ratios.
The interval timer runs all of these, with presets for HIIT, circuits and strength intervals.
- Fitness
- Timers
