The AMRAP is a fantastic high intensity workout designed to improve strength and endurance. AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds and Reps As Possible, and it can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Whether you’re exercising as an individual or as a group, AMRAPs can help you gauge your fitness and track your improvement over time.

What is an AMRAP?

An AMRAP has three components: Time, Rounds, and Type of Exercise.

The time element generally varies from five to twenty minutes (though it can be longer).

The number of rounds is what you’re trying to get as many of as possible.

The type of exercise is limited only by your goals, capabilities, and equipment. That’s one of the beauties of the AMRAP: it can be anything you want it to be.

Three Example AMRAPs:

Five-Minute AMRAP – Do the following exercises in a circuit. Complete as many rounds of the circuit as possible. (This workout is designed for limited space and time and no equipment.)

• 5 Burpees
• 10 Crunches

Ten-Minute AMRAP – Do the following exercises in a circuit. Complete as many rounds of the circuit as possible. (This workout is designed for more space and equipment.)

• 20 Kettlebell Swings
• 15 Box Jumps
• 10 Burpees

Fifteen-Minute AMRAP – Do the following exercises in a circuit. Complete as many rounds of the circuit as possible. (This descending ladder workout is designed with endurance in mind.)

• 20 Double-Unders
• 15 Kettlebell swings
• 10 Step ups
• 5 Burpees

(No, you don’t have to do burpees with every AMRAP, but they’re just so much fun.)

It’s important to note that, unlike the EMOM where you rest for the remaining time between reps, the AMRAP has no set rest periods. You only rest when you really need to.

Benefits of an AMRAP

1. Versatility. The AMRAP can be tailored to any space and any fitness level. It can be used to improve strength for weight lifters, speed for runners, or endurance for pretty much anybody. Whether you have your company’s full onsite fitness facility at your disposal or just an empty corner of your hotel room, you can do an AMRAP. 
2. Measurable Results. Fitness coaches will often program a ‘benchmark’ workout on a recurring basis so athletes can measure their progress against the last time they did that workout. AMRAPs work well as benchmarks, measuring your final number of rounds and reps against previous performance.
3. Self-Paced Results. The joy of the AMRAP is that you are exercising at your own pace. That pace should be intense, but not everyone is expected to knock out pushups like a piston. You do as many rounds as possible for YOU. The AMRAP also helps athletes learn the value of pacing, especially for a longer effort.
4. Adaptability. AMRAPs are suitable for any fitness level and goal. However, it’s important to ensure that you focus on form throughout the AMRAP. It’s easy to get sloppy when you get tired, and bad form can lead to injury. If you can’t maintain form, you’ve hit the edge of ‘as many as possible’.

If you’re looking for high intensity workouts to improve your strength and endurance, look no further than the AMRAP.