EMOM workout: what it is and how to build one.

• In an EMOM the block of work and the minute are fixed; the rest is whatever is left.
• Each minute starts when the signal sounds, whether or not you finished the previous block.
• You score minutes completed with the whole block, not speed.
• The block has to fit inside the minute: if it fills it, there is no rest.
• Variations: alternating movements, rotating several, and signals at a different interval.

EMOM stands for "every minute on the minute". It is an interval format in which the clock tells you when to start each block of work, so you do not have to decide it yourself.

The total length is the number of minutes you set: if the WOD says ten minutes, there are ten blocks. The rest is not scheduled: it is the time between finishing the block and the next signal.

This example is made up, just to show the mechanics. A four-minute EMOM with 10 air squats per block:

Minute 1

The signal sounds and you do the 10 squats. You finish at 20 seconds: you rest the remaining 40.

Minute 2

The signal sounds 60 seconds after the start. You do the 10 squats and finish at 45 seconds: you rest 15.

Minutes 3 and 4

The same. Each signal restarts the block, however your timing is going.

Note that if minute 2 had taken 70 seconds, the minute 3 signal would still sound; decide beforehand what you do then (see the common mistakes below).

1. Choose the movement, or movements, you will repeat.
2. Fix the block for each minute: how many reps, so that it fits in the minute with some rest.
3. Decide how many minutes the EMOM lasts and, if needed, how often the signal sounds.
4. Decide what you will do if you do not finish a block in time, and log it.
5. Set a timer with a signal at the start of every minute.
6. When you finish, log the minutes completed, the block and the load.

The step that changes the result most is the second: the block decides how much you rest. To see how to set the signal on the timer, check the WOD timer guide.

In an EMOM nobody wins by finishing first: the clock sets the pace, and you log how many minutes you completed with the whole block. If you did all ten, you log "10 of 10"; if you missed the seventh, "6 of 10" and the minute where you stopped.

If the EMOM has a load, that load is part of the result and is logged with it.

Alternating movements

One movement on odd minutes and another on even minutes, so each one rests while the other works.

Rotating three or more

A different movement every minute, and the cycle starts again when it runs out.

Signal at another interval

The block is longer and so is the interval. The mechanics are the same, with fewer signals.

There is an EMOM example for repeating a movement calmly in the guide to natural-movement training and WODs. To do an EMOM with a partner, see partner and team WODs; the other formats are in the WOD formats glossary.

These three examples are our own and are illustrative: they show how an EMOM is written, not how much or how long you should train. Swap the numbers for ones that suit your level.

Single-movement EMOM

8 minutes: every minute, 10 air squats.

Alternating EMOM

10 minutes: odd minutes, 6 burpees; even minutes, 12 lunges.

Rotating EMOM

9 minutes: minute 1, 8 push-ups; minute 2, 10 air squats; minute 3, 20 jump-rope skips. Repeated three times.

If a block does not fit inside the minute, the guide to scaling a WOD explains what to change first.

• A block that fills the whole minute: the rest disappears and the format starts to look like continuous work.
• A block so small it is done in a few seconds, so almost the whole minute is waiting.
• Not deciding beforehand what to do if you run over: cut the block and start the next, or finish it and lose the rest. Pick one and log it.
• Changing the block halfway through the EMOM without logging it, so the result no longer matches any WOD.
• Comparing with another day's EMOM without checking that the block, the minutes and the interval match.

One that signals at the start of every minute, or every interval you choose, and keeps the running total so you do not have to count minutes while you work. If you already use an app, check that it has an EMOM mode; if you are choosing one, the guide to choosing a WOD timer app lists the criteria.

Zoku Athletics brings together a multimodal timer (For Time, AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata and mixed) that times the EMOM so you do not have to count minutes while you move. How to set it up step by step is in the WOD timer guide.

If you only need the clock, the online WOD timer runs in the browser, no sign-up.

The Free account is created on the website, no card needed: see account and subscription.

The app is not public on the stores yet. It is in testing and there is no launch date.

The Free plan is free, with no card and no expiry. Pro and Elite are paid; what each includes is shown in the plans section of the home page.

Who is behind the website and the app: About Zoku Athletics.

• What is a WOD? Formats and meaning: What a WOD is and how to read one: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata, what Rx and scaled mean and how to log the result to compare it.
• WOD timer: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata: What a WOD timer is and how to use it: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata formats, how to choose one, set it up and log the result.
• AMRAP workout: meaning and how to score: What an AMRAP workout is and how to score it: full rounds plus extra reps, a worked example, the types and examples with no equipment.