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This bodyweight EMOM workout proves three things. First, that you can train your whole body without any equipment. Second, that you can experience a rewarding and engaging exercise session at home. Third, that you can improve fitness conditioning while burning fat and sculpting a lean defined physique.
All without the trappings of a modern gym. But there's more.
In addition to proving these two points, the bodyweight EMOM packs a powerful health and fitness punch. As well as enhancing endurance in all the major muscle groups (and many smaller ones), the mix of callisthenics and cardio can increase your aerobic capacity while also improving body composition.
Related: A complete guide to EMOM Training
Bodyweight EMOM workout at home benefits
The previous paragraph was merely a prelude to the following overview of the key ways this workout can help improve your health and fitness. However, to get maximise the effectiveness of this bodyweight EMOM and bag the list of benefits below, you will have to integrate it into your weekly routine.
At a minimum, aim to complete it twice a week. When it starts to get easier, and you find the stipulated repetition ranges aren't as physically taxing, increase the numbers.
Improved functional fitness
Many of the exercises selected for the workout involve coordinating your body through a series of movements. For example, walkouts and burpees are comparatively complex exercises that engage your body on multiple levels. And unlike isolation movements, functional exercises activate a wider range of muscle groups.
Enhanced muscular endurance
Bodyweight exercises such as air squats and press-ups, the author of the Royal Marines Training Manual reminds us, are excellent ‘for working on […] muscular endurance.’ When performed as part of AMRAPs (as many reps as possible) or EMOMs, the effectiveness of bodyweight exercises for promoting muscular endurance increase significantly. Developing your muscle endurance has wider benefits beyond the gym. It can improve your performance in other fitness disciplines including sports and active hobbies.
Improved muscular tonality
While the capacity of bodyweight exercises to build strength and size is limited, they are superlative at sculpting lean musculature. You want that super-shredded Bruce Lee look? Then get more bodyweight exercises into your routine. Coupled with a high-volume training methodology such as EMOM, bodyweight exercises can also burn fat and improve body composition.
Bodyweight EMOM workout at home
Before starting the workout, it’s important to warm up well first. In addition to being ‘the single most common reason why people get injured,’ skipping the warm-up also negatively impacts your training performance. ‘A simple, basic, planned and constructive warm-up conducted prior to exercise is worth its weight in gold,’ (Royal Marines Training Manual). Cashin with the preprepared warm-up below!
Now that you’re firing on all cylinders, you’re ready to get stuck into the workout.
To start, select the rep range most suited to your current level of fitness. Begin at the first EMOM which consists of three one-minute rounds of air squats – a simple exercise to start with. Once you have progressed through the three rounds, you can either transition straight to the next EMOM or complete the aerobic exercise.
The cardio interlude is not a mandatory part of the workout. This is billed as a bodyweight EMOM workout after all. Some people, of course, may not have access to a running route or a skipping rope. However, for those completing this workout in the confines of a single room (or the office), you could run on the spot for three to five minutes between EMOMs. There’s also the option of shadowboxing as well. This is an aerobic exercise alternative that gets the heart rate up and burns fat.
The objective of the workout is clear cut: Get through the seven EMOMs ensuring to stick to the rep range selected at the start.
EMOM workout #1 key points
Get fired up with one of these three warm-up options.
Option1: 10 minutes of cardio – running, skipping, or shadowboxing.
Option 2: 2 to 3-mile steady-paced run.
Option 3: 2 min jogging on the spot (or shadowboxing) → 2 reps air squats and press-ups → 2 min jogging on the spot (or shadowboxing → 4 reps air squats and press-ups → 2 min jogging on the spot (or shadowboxing) → 6 reps air squats and press-ups → 2 min jogging on the spot (or shadowboxing) → 8 reps air squats and press-ups → 2 min jogging on the spot (or shadowboxing) → 10 reps air squats and press-ups → Start EMOMing!
Select the level suitable for your current level of fitness. They are:
L1: 3 minutes of 5 to 10 reps per round;
L2: 4 minutes of 10 to 15 reps per round;
L3: 5 minutes of 15 to 25 reps per round.
Applying the formula listed opposite your level of choice, progress through the seven bodyweight exercises.
Don't forget the cardio!
Bodyweight EMOM workout at home hints and tips
As briefly mentioned above, the primary limitation of a bodyweight-only workout is the inability to increase resistance. However, there are a few ways to circumvent this limitation. For example, performing more repetitions is the simplest way to make bodyweight exercises harder. If you’re finding any of the EMOMs above a little easy, try cramming a couple of extra reps into each round. Another way to make bodyweight exercises more challenging is to apply the plyometric training method. Adding an explosive jump to your air squats or clap to your press-ups, instantly doubles the difficulty of these exercises.
Related: A Guide to Plyometrics Training
A quick recapitulation on the point above about the cardio elements. These have been included to expand the scope of the workout. With cardio exercises your aerobic system will be stimulated along with all your skeletal muscles. As well as engaging a greater range of fitness components, squeezing in a bit of cardio also increases the scope of benefits the workout confers.
Related: Learn more about the Health & Fitness Benefits of Cardio
Don’t hesitate to reshuffle the exercises if they’re not to your taste. And though this is a bodyweight EMOM workout at home, it will still work at the gym. If you feel compelled to incorporate resistance, do so. There are loads of ways that you could do this. For example, holding a pair of dumbbells while air squatting or, the best way by far, strapping into a weighted vest!
Essential kit: Best Weighted Vest
Enjoyed this bodyweight EMOM workout?
Well, there’s plenty more where they came from with the Hungry4Fitness Book of Circuits and Workouts Volume 3.
About Adam Priest –
A former Royal Marines Commando, Adam Priest is a content writer, college lecturer, and health and wellbeing practitioner. He is also a fitness author and contributor to other websites. Connect with Adam via LinkedIn or info@hungry4fitness.co.uk.