Strength training is the most common exercise almost everyone loves to do. After all, strength training can get you stronger, build muscles, and improve joint health and stability. But in the process of building strength and muscles, most gym goers forget to train their cardiovascular health.
Your cardiovascular health needs as much attention as your other body parts. It helps you deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles, which are essential for recovery and growth.
However, most people have a misconception that strict cardiovascular training can negatively impact strength or muscle-related goals. That’s partially true! High-intensity exercise like the AMRAP (As Many Rounds or Reps as Possible) can boost your cardiovascular fitness and build muscles and strength at the same time.
In this blog, we will cover what AMRAP workouts are exactly, what they can do for your health and fitness, and how to build a safe and effective AMRAP routine to suit your needs.
The Science behind AMRAP Training
The fitness world is filled with acronyms. From HIIT and LISS to EMOM and AMRAP, it might seem like you need a PhD in translation just to figure out how to work out. Don’t worry, these abbreviations are easy to understand once you know how to decipher the code.
AMRAP stands for As Many Round/Reps as Possible. This is a type of high-intensity exercise that involves performing a set of exercises for a specific time aiming to complete as many repetitions as possible, explains Oksana, certified trainer at Speediance.
For example, AMRAP 20 minutes.
- 5 squats
- 10 push-ups
- 20 burpees
This means that you do as many reps or rounds of 5 squats, 10 push-ups, and 20 burpees within 20 minutes.
AMRAP is not just a workout style, it’s a powerful, dynamic approach to challenge your strength, endurance, and mental grit all at once. Whether you’re doing weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, or intense cardio, this workout pushes you to the limit.
AMRAP vs. HIIT: What is the Difference?
AMRAP (As Many Reps as Possible) and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) are both high-intensity training with a slight difference. AMRAP workout involves doing as many reps as possible in a given time, whereas HIIT involves alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and rest periods.
The primary focus of the AMRAP workout involves cardiovascular health, endurance, and mental toughness, while HIIT primarily focuses on cardiovascular health, power, and speed.
Which is better? This solely depends on a person's fitness goals, preferences, and experience. If you want to add a bit of cardio to your strength training routine, AMRAP is the best fit. If you’re looking to improve your cardiovascular health and overall fitness without needing to gain muscles HIIT might be more suitable. Keep in mind HIIT can be challenging for beginners as it requires a high level of intensity.
If you’re a regular gym goer or have been exercising at home for quite some time, you can try adding both AMRAP and HIIT into your workout routine for maximum results.
Benefits of AMRAP Workouts
Here are the benefits of incorporating an AMRAP workout into your training routine.
Skyrocket Your Strength and Power
When you do as many reps as possible during strength training or heavy lifting within a given time, you put more muscle fibers under stress, leading to muscle growth and strength. Lifting weights in an AMRAP format also enhances power by pushing your muscles to work harder and faster under fatigue, improving your explosive strength and overall performance in both everyday tasks and athletic activities.
Enhanced Mental Toughness
Unlike HIIT training you don’t get a rest time in the AMRAP workout, which challenges your mental resilience. The continuous, self-paced nature of AMRAP forces often makes a person want to stop and rest. When push those mental barriers, you develop of strong mindset, learning to persevere and maintain focus even when the going gets tough
Burn Calories and Weight Loss
If you’re looking to lose weight or burn calories, the high-intensity nature of AMRAP workouts can work like magic. The continuous movement throughout the session keeps your metabolism elevated, leading to a higher rate of calorie burn compared to other Cardio exercises.
Time Efficient
The intense workout style of AMRAP makes the most of every minute. You can train your full body in 30 minutes with an AMRAP workout. The exercises mainly involve combining strength, cardio, and endurance training into one session. This means you’re targeting multiple muscle groups at once.
Versatile
Both beginners and advanced athletes can benefit from AMRAP workouts by adjusting the intensity, weight, time limit, and exercises to fit their current abilities. Despite the modification, the challenges and effectiveness of AMRAP workouts remain the same.
Redefine Your Endurance with This AMRAP Workout
HIIT - Redefine Your Endurance
Exercise 1 - Deep Squat Hip Openers
1.Holding machine, slowly lower into a deep squat with back straight.
2.In this deep squat, slowly shift weight to each foot.
Exercise 2 - Kneeling Ankle Mobilizer
1.Starting in kneeling position, rotate back leg behind at 90 degree.
2.Holding lead foot to floor, shift your body forward to increase mobility and angle at ankle.
3.Do this by pushing knee forward over toes and be sure to keep heel always on the floor.
Exercise 3 - Burpee Popup
1.Lying on floor face down. place hands on floor beside mid chest.
2.Pushing hands down and lifting body explosivly upwards.
3.We want to create enough power to be able to jump body in the air.
4.Land feet where your hands were but land at 45 degree to either right or left.
5.Think landing on a surf or paddle board.
6.Land softly and slowly stand all the way up.
Exercise 4 - Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps Leg
1.Standing in front of bench facing away, step one foot back so toes are on edge of bench behind you .
2.Keeping chest up, slowly bent other knee to drop into a lunge, keeping chest up and eyes forwards.
3.Jump one foot into air and keep other foot on bench.Land softly, by keeping knee bent and slowly bring arms forwards with hands in front of your face.
Exercise 5 - Jumping Mountain Climbers
1.Starting from a plank position na and feet together.
2.Jump both feet in and bring knees to your chest.
3.Try to not lift hips to high through the movement.
4.Jump both feet back to plank position.
5.Don't allow back to sag or drop as you land.
Exercise 6 - Variable Speed Running on Spot
1.Keeping core engaged and chest up.
2.Slight bend in hips.
3.Start with a slow tempo, then exposively go to a fast tempo.
Exercise 7 - Speed Squats
1.Keeping chest up, drive hips back.
2.Allowing knees to come forward in direction toes are facing.
3.Aim to get 90 degrees at both knees. with eyes forward.Driving thru heels, explosivly stand up again.This is a speed move, so using leg muscles to quickly drop and stand between squats.
Exercise 8 - Jumping to Block
1.Standing with core braced and knees soft， hands in front of face, palms away.
2.Drop slightly into a squat, then exposively jump vertically and push hands high over head.Picture catching a ball or pushing a ball away overhead.
3.Land softly by making sure knees are bent and drop into squat slightly.
Exercise 9 - Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
1.In a kneeling position, with one leg in front,Straighten body so chest is up.
2.Keeping body vertical, reach back and grab one foot and pull it up slowly towards glutes.
3.You can hold with both hands, just keep chest upand shoulders back.
4.Hold this position and concentrate on big breaths to help muscles relax.
How Many Reps and Duration are Ideal?
There are no exact reps and duration for AMRAP workouts, it differ from person to person and their fitness level. However, time duration anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes is a good starting point.
Remember, the time duration is directly connected to reps, the longer the time duration, the more reps you’ll need to perform. If you’re a beginner, you should aim for less duration or easy movement to make sure you do the exercises correctly. You can always change the duration and exercises, as you get used to the AMRAP workout style.
No matter how long you train or how many reps you decide to hit, always remember to do the exercises correctly. Oksana, Speediance trainer says as long as you can execute the exercise with proper form, give an AMRAP workout a go. The key is to move as fast as you can but stay focused on form.
“Frequently, when we’re focused on time, we forget things like keeping the core engaged, keeping the chest open, or watching our posture,” she says.
AMRAP Workout Examples
Here are a couple of examples to inspire you:
Beginner AMRAP Workout (10 Minutes)
- 5 Pushups
- 10 Bodyweight Squats
- 15 Jumping Jacks
Advanced AMRAP Workout (20 Minutes)
- 10 Kettlebell Swings
- 10 Burpees
- 15 Box Jumps
AMRAP vs. EMOM Workouts
Wondering how AMRAP stacks up against EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute)? While AMRAP focuses on cranking out as many rounds as you can, EMOM has you complete a set number of reps at the start of each minute, allowing for rest afterward. Both are great options!
AMRAP Workouts for Beginners
If you’re new to AMRAP workouts, start small. Choose shorter time frames and simpler exercises. As you gain confidence and experience, you can increase the intensity and duration!
Time to Level up Your Training
Gone are days of relying on slow treadmill sessions for your cardio workout. It’s time to level up the game by integrating the AMRAP workout into your training. As many reps as possible are what you need for speed, strength, and stamina.
You don't need to spend hours in the gym to see results. Even a 20-minute AMRAP session can provide a full-body workout that challenges your strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness all at once.
If you're looking to mix things up, you can even try partner AMRAP workouts. These add a fun, competitive element as you and your workout buddy push each other to keep up and go harder. Stop doing the traditional cardio and incorporate AMRAP workouts today, you’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve in just a short time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Do AMRAP Every Day?
While AMRAP workouts can be a fantastic addition to your routine, it’s important to give your body time to rest. Mix it up with other workout styles and take rest days to stay healthy.
Best Exercises for AMRAP Workouts
Choose compound movements like squats, pushups, kettlebell swings, and lunges for a balanced and effective AMRAP workout.
AMRAP Workout for Weight Loss
These highintensity workouts can help with weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy diet. Plus, they’re a blast!
