CrossFit®: what is an EMOM, here are three representative WODs

It seems that, of all the members of the animal kingdom, human beings are the only ones to perceive the passage of time.

Not only. Around the concept of "time", men have speculated, reflected, theorized with intelligence, science and philosophical refinement.

And where did this thought take us?

To look through a veil of sweat the wall of a gym, where the hand of a clock is devouring the last notches of the seconds before turning vertical.

Two notches are missing. Tighten the grip around the barbell. You say you could almost pass out.

The invention of time has brought us to EMOM.

A mechanism as simple as it is diabolical

EMOM means Every minute on the minute. It is a form of interval training typically lasting between 10 and 20 minutes.

A WOD then consists of one or more exercises, the number of rep to perform, and a duration.

The execution is this:

• Start the timer and perform the assigned reps
• you now have a chance to take a breather for the rest of the minute you managed to spare - what generosity!
• Set up the setup of the exercise, and when the hand points up again, go to reps.

Clearly, the more time passes, the more difficult it will be perform reps quickly, and the time saved for rest will shorten.

For coaches, EMOMs are an unbeatable tool for measuring the performance of an athlete: precisely because the pause time is inserted in the structure of the workout, it is possible - minute by minute - to analyze the pace, the technique, thearrival of fatigue.

for choice of exercises, there is no limit: everything can be trained in the form of EMOM, from the single exercise with barbell, to superset of two or more movements.

Why EMOM?

Because we like to suffer.

Or because someone likes to see us suffer.

This type of workout allows you to practice with the pace of our athletic performance and with the conditioning. By forcing break times, EMOMs also make us do a good job work on strength.

EMOMs have recently been proposed also in other disciplines, because their value in building conditioning, resistance and - within certain parameters - hypertrophy are undeniable. Out of CrossFit® they are generally used as finishers to close the training sessions with brio (!) and with some more burned calories.

Some examples of WOD

These are just three WODs built with the EMOM method. The variety is literally infinite.

EMOM 16 minutes

Even minutes: 8 off the ground

Odd minutes: 6 burpees

EMOM 12 minutes

10 calories on bike

EMOM 16 minutes

Four rounds in all:

10 push ups

15 burpees

10 Squat with free body

15 sit-ups

And a final suggestion.

Did your training partner just text you that he is 12 minutes late?

Load a barbell, reset the timer, and take an EMOM of 3 reps off. You'll thank me.

© Photo @carlovittorio_video