We’ve been told that adding High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts into our current fitness routines will not only blast calories, but also effectively increase our cardiovascular endurance and overall strength. Pairing “all-out” bursts of intense anaerobic exercise – whether it be running, jumping, walking, etc. — with short rest periods for a predetermined number of rounds has been shown to burn fat, bump up our metabolisms and boost brain power. HIIT can also be a welcome change from moderate steady state cardio, such as jogging on the treadmill or traditional strength training sessions that rely on a programmed routine of reps and sets. For those times when you want to accomplish a quick and sweaty cardio workout or strength training session and are eager to enliven your current routine, try E.M.O.M.

E.M.O.M., short for Every Minute on the Minute, is a creative form of HIIT where you decide the number of reps of a particular exercise that you want to complete in one minute. As soon as the minute kicks off, you begin to work. When you hit the number of preset reps, you can rest until the top of the next minute. The quicker you complete the reps, the longer the rest you’ll earn. If you take almost the entire minute to complete your reps, you will have a shorter rest before the next minute begins.

E.M.O.M. Cardio Workouts

If your goal is to increase your cardiovascular endurance, select the number of reps that you can complete in under one minute and take very short rest breaks in-between each minute. Then, choose a set number of exercises to complete and repeat for a few rounds.

E.M.O.M. Cardio Workout:

Click above image to play the full workout.

Minute 1: Plyo Skater (24)
Minute 2: Lateral Plank Jack (12)
Minute 3: Lateral Boxer Jumps (10)
Minute 4: Plank Walk to Toe Taps (8)
Minute 5: Jumping Jack to High Knees (20)
Minute 6: Run + Shuffle (6)

E.M.O.M. Strength Workouts

If your goal is to increase your strength, choose to do only a few heavy reps for each set. This will allow for a built-in rest break. You could also increase your time limit (i.e. from one to five minutes), choose a circuit of exercises to fit into the time allotted and then repeat the circuit for a few rounds.

E.M.O.M. Strength Sample Workout :

After a five-minute warm-up, perform the number of reps shown in the parentheses of each exercise in one minute. Begin each exercise at the top of the minute until all five exercises are completed. Take a two-minute rest between each round and complete the circuit for a total of three rounds. When you’ve finished all three rounds, be sure to end with a 5-7-minute cooldown.

Equipment Needed: One set of dumbbells. Since this is a lower body strength workout, you want to go as heavy as you can while safely completing each exercise with proper form.

Minute 1: Single Leg Deadlift (10 each leg)
Minute 2: Squat & Press (20)
Minute 3: Side Lunge (10 each leg)
Minute 4: Curtsey & Kick (20)
Minute 5: Rotating Squat (24)

E.M.O.M. Strength Sample Workout 2:

After a five-minute warm-up, perform the number of reps shown in the parentheses of each exercise in five minutes. Take a two-minute rest between each round and complete the circuit for a total of three rounds. When you’ve finished all three rounds, be sure to end with a 5-7-minute cool down and stretch.

E.M.O.M. is a creative and effective method for mixing up both your cardio and strength workouts. This form of high-intensity interval training requires minimal equipment and can be performed at home, in the gym, outside or on-the-go. The next time your body is craving a little extra burn and the thought of another treadmill trek has you running for the chaise, try out one of the above sample E.M.O.M. workouts, create an E.M.O.M. workout of your own or visit the Moms Into Fitness Studio for some of our very own mom-approved movements!

Single Leg Deadlift (10 each leg)

Squat & Press (20)

Lateral Lunge (10 each leg)

Curtsey & Kick (20)

Rotating Squat (24)