What makes an EMOM useful?
An EMOM starts a prescribed task at the beginning of each minute. Complete it, then rest for the remaining time. The format gives your session a repeatable structure, but the clock does not replace technical coaching or an appropriate workload.
Choose repetitions that leave a useful margin for recovery. Finishing faster only helps if you maintain the intended movement standard. Read the EMOM format guide before selecting a workout.
Orbison: a bodyweight option
Orbison combines burpees, air squats and sit-ups in a twenty-minute EMOM. No external load is needed, but repeating the sequence each minute creates substantial accumulated work. It is not automatically a beginner prescription.
Rehearse a minute before starting. If you have almost no recovery, reduce repetitions or shorten the session in advance. Record the adaptation separately from the full programme.
Chelsea: repeatability over thirty minutes
Chelsea repeats pull-ups, push-ups and squats every minute. The challenge is maintaining the prescribed sequence as fatigue builds, rather than winning the opening minute.
Choose a pulling and pushing variation you can repeat. Establish what happens if you miss a minute before starting: follow the workout instructions or agree an adapted version with your coach. Completing fewer minutes is useful information, not a judgement of your ability.
Fight Gone Bad: timed stations rather than a strict EMOM
Fight Gone Bad uses one-minute stations and a total-repetition score. Unlike a fixed-task EMOM, completing a certain number of repetitions does not create rest for the remainder of the minute. The workout's planned rest comes separately.
Plan transitions and record each station's score. Treat it as a related interval workout, not an interchangeable scoring format.
Death by: increasing the task each minute
A simple burpee example starts with one repetition in minute one, two in minute two, three in minute three, and so on. The attempt ends according to the agreed rule when the required work no longer fits in the minute. This escalating format differs from repeating a fixed workload.
Choose a movement you can control, set a sensible stopping point and stop earlier if technique deteriorates. There is no need to reach failure to make the session useful.
Build your own session
Start with one or two familiar movements and a short duration. As an editorial planning guideline, leaving roughly twenty seconds or more for recovery can help keep an introductory session manageable; adjust the task to the individual rather than treating that margin as a rule.
Complementary movements can distribute the work, but they do not guarantee recovery. Record load, repetitions, duration and any missed minutes. Use the beginner selection if you need a simpler starting point.
Hotel WODs: three short workouts for travelling
No-equipment WODs: Cooper, Bert and a Riley variation
Beginner WODs: five workouts and ways to scale them