Bigger Stronger Leaner

Tip: Do EMOM Sets for Strength & Conditioning

Doing one set every minute forces you to keep rest times strict and pushes intensity. Here's how to do them.

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Every minute on the minute (EMOM) sets hold you accountable for both work and rest. They force you to focus on getting a certain amount of work done in a specific amount of time, then for the remainder of the minute you recharge for the next round of work. There are several ways to use EMOM. Some examples:

  1. Load a barbell or trap bar with a 3-5 RM weight. At the top of every minute, perform two reps for a total of 10 minutes. You just pulled 20 fairly heavy reps in the amount of time most people would use for two sets. This will drive up your work capacity while still using relatively heavy loads, which, if you prioritize being strong, may ultimately be more beneficial than simply banging out intervals on the treadmill.
  2. Load a bar with your 10 RM weight. At the top of the first minute perform one rep. At the top of the second minute, perform two reps. Keep adding a rep each minute until you can no longer complete the set within that minute. This obviously gets tougher as the end of one set becomes increasingly closer to the beginning of the next set. Get to 10 reps and you're doing well. Get to 15 and you're a beast from another planet.