EMOM: The every minute, on the minute workout to do when you don't have time

Christmas  - it’s the time of year when an exercise regime is most likely to go completely to pot. Too many drinks parties, too much alcohol consumed, too many meals to cook, too many potatoes to peel, too many people staying in your house. Exercise? At Christmas? Are you stark raving MAD?

Just hear me out... a few years ago I was introduced to exercising at Christmas by  Steve Mellor  of Freedom2Train who religiously goes for a run on Christmas Day morning every year. Now I wouldn’t go as far as saying I lace up my trainers on Christmas morning (I’m usually at home trying to stop my children exploding with chocolate coins and excitement), but at some point (Boxing Day or the day after) I always try to head out to do an EMOM.  An EMOM? Now it may sound like something from Star Wars (that's an Ewok), but it's a golden nugget of exercise that helps clear my head, helps me escape the madness and makes me feel better for consuming my body weight in bread sauce and turkey.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

EMOM stands for Every Minute On the Minute.  It’s a series of very simple short, hard, fast bursts of exercises that start Every Minute On the Minute for either 15, 20 or 30 minutes depending on how much time you have (or how long you can hack it depending on how many mince pies you ate the night before). The only piece of equipment you need is your watch or a timer, and you only need about a yoga mat’s worth of space to complete it.

AN EMOM EXPLAINED

The EMOM I often do goes like this: for 10 minutes, every minute on the minute I do 10 burpees then 10 squats. There are usually about 25 seconds after the burpees where I rest until the next minute starts again. This goes on for 10 minutes where I switch to 20 mountain climbers (10 each leg) followed by 10 squats, every minute on the minute for another 10 minutes. THAT'S IT. Now it sounds easy, and you may start off thinking 'I can nail this' but as you can imagine, the going gets tough.

The brilliance of an EMOM is that the clock makes you work. “The clock is your trainer," says Mellor. “If you stick to the clock it will incentivise you - all you have to do is get through to the next minute.” He agrees it is the perfect exercise to do at Christmas when time is poor and fun is high on the agenda. “You can structure a 20 or 30 minute workout to have a workout and a warm up in one,” he says. And will it burn off that brandy butter efficiently? Oh yes, he explains. “You’re doing moderate to high intensity exercise, and because your heart rate is elevated for longer, your metabolism will be burning at a higher rate for longer," which means you will stay fit over Christmas, eat all you want and get to wear that little black dress for New Year's Eve. Win win win.

Here are some EMOMs depending on how much time you have. See below for a gloassary of exercises.

THE 20 MINUTE EMOM

Step 1: Warm-up - 5 mins

Every minute, on the minute complete the following for 5 minutes:
4 inch worms
5 mountain climbers (step, don’t jump the legs
6 squats

Step 2: EMOM for 15 mins

Every Minute On the Minute complete the following for 15 minutes
12-16 walking lunges
5 push-ups (on the knees if you are a beginner)

NOTE: Check your watch when you finish the movements and then take the rest of every minute to recover, ideally aiming for 15 seconds (or more) recovery before you starting again at the beginning of the next minute.

THE 25 MINUTE EMOM

(I do this one)

Step 1 Warm-up

Every minute, on the minute complete the following for 5 minutes:
4 inch worms
5 mountain climbers (step, don’t jump the legs)
6 squats

Step 2 EMOM for 10 minutes

Every minute on the minute repeat the following for 10 minutes
10 burpees
10 squats

Step 3 EMOM for 10 minutes

Every minute on the minute repeat the following for the remaining 10 minutes
20 mountain climbers
10 squats

NOTE: Check your watch when you finish the movements and then take the rest of every minute to recover, ideally aiming for 15 seconds (or more) recovery before starting again at the beginning of the next minute.

THE 30 MINUTE EMOM

Step 1: Warm-up - 10 minutes

Every minute, on the minute complete the following for 10 minutes:
4 inch worms
5 mountain climbers (step, don’t jump the legs)
6 squats

EMOM for 10 minutes

Every minute, on the minute complete the following for 10 minutes:
6-10 burpees (depending on ability)
6-10 reverse lunges (both legs are counted as one movement)

EMOM for final 10 minutes

Every minute, on the minute complete the following for 10 minutes:
5-10 sit-ups
5-10 squats

NOTE: Check your watch when you finish the movements and then take the rest of every minute to recover, ideally aiming for 15 seconds (or more) recovery before starting again at the beginning of the next minute.

GLOSSARY OF EXERCISES:

Inch-worms

From standing, put your hands on the floor in front of your feet, keeping legs as straight as possible, and walk them out in front of you until you are in plank position. Then, keeping legs as straight and possible and you hands on the ground, walk legs in to meet your hands and walk them out to plank again. Repeat

Mountain climbers

Start in plank position with arms straight (not on elbows) then jump your right foot up so it is next to your right hand (or as close to it as possible). As you jump the right leg back out, jump the left leg up to the left hand (like a scissor action, legs jumping in opposite directions). Repeat.

Squats

Stand with feet hip width apart , and keeping your chest up (look i front of you, not down at the floor), squat as low as you can (you are aiming for thighs parallel to floor or lower) . Make sure you push your knees out as you do this. Return to standing. Repeat

Walking Lunges

Stand tall and lunge the right leg out in front of you so the thigh is parallel to the floor and the left knee is as low to the floor as possible. Push off with the right foot and on one movement bring the left leg from behind you to a lunge in front of you. Do the same with the right so are walking and lunging at the same time. Keep your core tight and your torso tall at all times.

Reverse lunges

Stand tall and lunge the right leg out far behind you so the knee is close to the floor and the left leg is at a right angle, thigh parallel to the floor. Return to standing and repeat with the other leg. Keep your core tight and your torso tall at all times.

Sit-ups

Lie on your back and bring your feel together in front of you and knees out to the sides so your legs form a diamond shape. Sit up and touch your toes with your hands. Repeat.

Press-Ups

Start in plank position with your hands on the floor beneath your shoulders, feet together and your core tight. Keeping your body straight and your legs locked out bend your arms so your chest and body lowers to the floor in a straight line. Go as low as you can before pushing back up to plank position. If this is too hard put your knees on the floor and lower your chest to the ground from there and back up. Repeat.

Burpees

There are two types of burpees - this one (which is easier), then the full burpee (below).
Stand tall, feet hip width apart then bend at the hips and place your hands just in front of your feet. Kick your legs back into plank position and then jump them back straight back in towards your hands. Stand up straight. Repeat.

Full Burpees

Stand tall, feet hip width apart then bend at the hips and place your hands just in front of your feet. Kick your legs back into plank before dropping your whole body to the floor (try and do this as a continuous smooth movement). Keeping your core tight and body straight push back up to plank and jump legs in to your hands. Stand up straight. Repeat.

Try the above over Christmas and let us know how you get on. Instagram or tweet us  @SusannahTaylor_  and @ GetTheGloss