EMOM — Every Minute On the Minute

EMOM workouts give you a fixed amount of work to complete at the start of each minute. Whatever time remains in that minute is your rest. When the next minute begins, you go again. It’s a simple format that enforces consistent pacing and built-in recovery.

Why use EMOM?

EMOMs are brilliant for skill practice, strength work, and conditioning. Because you have a hard deadline each minute, you can’t sandbag — but you also get guaranteed rest. This makes EMOMs ideal for practising movements under fatigue without form completely breaking down. They’re also easy to scale: choose lighter weights or fewer reps to get more rest, or load up to challenge yourself.

How to set up an EMOM in PT Tracker

Tap New Workout and select Functional / CrossFit.
Choose EMOM as the timer type.
Set the total duration (e.g. 16 minutes).
Choose between Standard (same work every minute) or Alternating (different exercises on odd/even minutes).
Add your exercises and rep counts. For alternating EMOMs, assign exercises to Minute A and Minute B.
Tap Start. A countdown shows time remaining in the current minute, and an audio cue signals the start of each new minute.
Complete your prescribed reps, then rest until the next minute begins.

PT Tracker logs whether you completed each minute’s work and how much rest time you had, giving you pacing data to review afterwards.

Standard vs alternating EMOM

Standard EMOM: The same exercise(s) every minute. Good for skill drilling — e.g. 3 power cleans EMOM for 10 minutes.
Alternating EMOM: Different exercises on alternating minutes. This lets you pair upper and lower body movements, or mix strength and cardio. For example, odd minutes: 8 dumbbell thrusters; even minutes: 12 cal row.

You can also set up EMOMs with a three-minute or four-minute rotation for more variety — just add exercises to each minute slot.

Example workouts

Beginner — 10 min EMOM

8 kettlebell goblet squats (12 kg)

Intermediate — 16 min alternating EMOM

Odd: 10 dumbbell snatches (17.5 kg)
Even: 15 cal row

Advanced — 20 min EMOM

Min 1: 3 squat cleans (70 kg)
Min 2: 6 bar muscle-ups
Min 3: 12 cal assault bike
Min 4: Rest

Tips and common mistakes

Choose reps wisely. You should finish your work in roughly 40–45 seconds, leaving 15–20 seconds of rest. If you’re working right up to the beep, reduce the reps.
Don’t start too heavy. The early minutes will feel easy — that’s by design. The fatigue builds. What feels light in minute 2 will feel very different in minute 14.
Use EMOMs for skill work. Low-rep EMOMs (2–3 reps) at moderate weight are excellent for practising Olympic lifts or gymnastics movements.
Watch the clock. If you consistently can’t finish within the minute, the workout has beaten you — scale down and note it for next time.

Who it’s for

EMOMs suit all levels. Beginners can use them for simple bodyweight conditioning, intermediate athletes for strength-endurance work, and advanced athletes for heavy barbell complexes or high-skill gymnastics under fatigue. They’re also a favourite of coaches for group sessions because everyone works and rests at the same time.

See also: AMRAP for open-ended time caps, or Tabata for shorter, more intense intervals.