Sydney Bueckert
Fitness Trainer
CES, FNS, GPTS, NASM-CPT
You know a workout is effective when it’s a favorite for both athletes and busy gym-goers. AMRAP workouts are high-intensity sessions that save time, boost your metabolic system, and deliver results. By aiming for as many reps of an exercise or rounds of a circuit within a set time, they let beginners and seasoned athletes train side by side or on their own, each working to their own ability level while still getting an efficient, challenging workout.
Popular for their ability to efficiently boost strength, cardiovascular fitness, and calorie burn, AMRAP workouts can be done with limited or no equipment. This makes them an easy option for at-home and on-the-go workouts.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is AMRAP Exercise?
AMRAP stands for "As Many Reps as Possible" or “As Many Rounds as Possible.” These two meanings boil down to basically the same thing: a high-intensity workout where you perform either:
- As many repetitions of a specific exercise as you can within a fixed time.
- As many rounds of a specific set of exercises as you can within a fixed time.
The goal of AMRAP training is to maximize your time by increasing the intensity of the workout. So rather than doing 10 reps of back squats and doomscrolling while you recover, you pump out as many reps or cycle through different moves with the time you have.
The high-intensity nature of an AMRAP workout means you can get the same benefits as a moderate-intensity cardio workout in less time. Plus, since most AMRAP workouts focus on strength moves, you may also boost your muscle mass and strength.
How to Do an AMRAP Workout
All you need to create your own AMRAP workout is to determine your exercises and time constraint. Here’s what to consider:
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Choose your exercise/s: Select exercises that meet your goals with the equipment and time you have. If you only have a few minutes, choose a heavy-hitting full-body exercise like burpees or kettlebell swings. If you have more time, shoot for a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups, such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, pushups, and mountain climbers.
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Set a time limit: Most AMRAP workouts last somewhere between 5 and 30 minutes.
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Decide how long you’ll work and rest: One minute of work to one minute of rest is a common choice. Many AMRAP workouts go for even shorter rest periods of 30 seconds or no rest at all. Just keep in mind the less rest you take the less intensity you’ll be able to bring to your workout.
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Get to work: If you opt for one exercise, like kettlebell swings, do as many reps as possible before the timer runs out. If you’re working through a rotation of exercises, aim for 10-20 reps of each. Cycle through exercises for as many rounds as you can before time is up.
- Track your progress: Make it your goal to complete more reps or rounds each time to keep your effort up.
Hot Tip: Although AMRAP workouts are about maximizing reps, it’s pointless and potentially dangerous if your form falls apart. As you get tired, aim to complete as many quality reps as possible, even if you need to slow down or take unallotted rest.
Best Fitness Equipment for AMRAP Workouts
Another consideration is what fitness equipment to use. Because the goal of an AMRAP workout is continuous, efficient movement, bodyweight or light strength equipment like dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, or resistance bands are a great choice.
Example AMRAP Workouts
You can build an AMRAP workout around nearly any exercise. But since the aim with AMRAP is to maximize reps, bodyweight exercises (like squats and pushups), strength exercises with light weight (like kettlebell swings and goblet squats), or cardio-based exercises (like jump rope and battle ropes) really shine. For example:
For Reps AMRAP Workout
Burpees, 1:00 of work, 1:00 of rest, repeat 3 times.
For Rounds AMRAP Workout
10 Squat Jumps, 10 Push-ups, 15 Reverse Lunges, 20 Mountain Climbers, 10 Step Ups, 10 Med Ball Slams. Repeat for 20 minutes.
Benefits of AMRAP Workouts
AMRAPs are a great way to push yourself to hit a high volume of reps in less time, ultimately achieving a high intensity. This effect can help (1):
• Increase your cardiovascular endurance
• Build muscle and strength
• Improve overall fitness
• Burn more calories
• Increase metabolic rate
This type of workout is also highly adaptable to different goals, skill levels, and abilities. Just plug and play exercises that match your needs, and toggle the work, rest, and overall time to make your workout harder or easier.
Is AMRAP Just HIIT Repackaged?
While AMRAP workouts are a type of high-intensity exercise, they don’t always qualify as a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout.
If you’re doing an AMRAP workout for reps, you’ll usually alternate dedicated periods of all-out high-intensity work and rest (aka HIIT). But during an AMRAP workout for rounds, you may not have explicit rest periods at all, and you’re probably working long enough that the work is hard, but it isn’t an all-out effort (aka not HIIT).
In this case, you can alternate the muscle groups worked in consecutive exercises (i.e., pushups to squats, pull-ups to lunges, etc.) for built-in rest. This allows you to keep working on your upper body, for example, while your lower body recovers.
Both workouts are incredibly efficient. However, the distinction is important because the rest taken during HIIT is what allows you to maximize your intensity. That’s why HIIT yields specific benefits like even greater cardiovascular gains and increased metabolic stress (which, in the context of exercise, is a type of good stress that helps your body adapt and become stronger). (1, 2).
An AMRAP workout without dedicated rest periods is undoubtedly tough but may not yield the same intensity and degree of adaptation as a true HIIT workout.
If you want to experience the exact benefits of HIIT, be sure to incorporate enough rest (the sweet spot for when your intensity is 90%+ is a 1:1-5 work-to-rest ratio) into your AMRAP workouts to conserve energy and dial the intensity up a notch.
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