If you’ve not yet heard of an AMRAP workout it can be a great way to build strength and endurance. So, let’s set the timer for 20 minutes and see how many rounds we can clock in this at-home AMRAP workout. Three, two, one… go!
What does AMRAP workout mean?
AMRAP quite simply means ‘as many rounds as possible’. It involves doing as many repetitions of an exercise as possible within a set amount of time. And this means continuous repetitions, without resting. AMRAP workouts are intense but can really help you burn calories and build strength.
Time is something most of us wish we had a lot more of, especially when it comes to squeezing a workout into an already busy day. Between work, family, social obligations and life in general, exercise is often the first thing to get the boot from our to-do list.
This is where the AMRAP method comes in handy. An at-home AMRAP workout is an extremely effective and efficient way to improve your overall conditioning and body composition.
Why? Because with an AMRAP workout, you will increase aerobic capacity and muscular endurance while burning fat and building muscle. Sound good? Here’s a home-friendly AMRAP workout to whet your appetite…
How to complete this AMRAP workout…
When doing an AMRAP workout, the goal is to do as many rounds of all exercises (or reps of each exercise) as possible in the designated amount of time. For this workout, set your timer for 20 minutes and see how many rounds of each circuit you can do in that time.
The goal is to do each exercise with as good form as possible, but as quick as possible. Don’t forget to rest for 30 seconds between circuits. Record your results and watch your fitness improve!
At-home AMRAP workout: the circuit
30 ON-THE-SPOT MARCHES
A great cardio move that raises your heart rate and warms your body.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms on your hips.
- Begin the motion by lifting one foot off the floor, bringing your knee to your chest (A), then switch legs (B).
- To do a low-impact exercise, use this movement to march in place.
- For a higher-impact exercise, hop back and forth from foot-to-foot, lifting each knee as high as possible.
- Keep a speedy pace and land softly on the floor.
20 SHOULDER PRESSES
A great move for strong shoulder, upper back and biceps muscles.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
- Hold the dumbbells just above your shoulders, palms facing the front.
- Press the weights up until your arms are straight overhead, palms forward (A).
- Hold for a second, then lower the dumbbells back to start (B), and repeat.
20 KETTLEBELL SWINGS
A great move for working the entire posterior kinetic chain – the calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back
- Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a kettlebell with both hands in front of your body, and keep your arms straight.
- With a slight bend in your knees and a flat back, hinge at your hips and swing the kettlebell back through your legs (A).
- Use the momentum to stand up and swing the kettlebell out in front of your body, up to shoulder height. Thrust your hips forward and engage your glutes and core as you stand
up straight (B). - When the kettlebell is at shoulder height, your knees should be straight and your glutes are contracted in a full hip extension. Allow the kettlebell to swing back down through your legs, then repeat.
10 SQUAT JUMPS
Works the legs, glutes and lungs, all at once!
- Stand with your feet just outside shoulder-width apart, and toes turned slightly out.
- Squat down, with your weight in your heels, chest up, knees tracking over toes and a neutral spine (A).
- When you’ve lowered as far as you can in the squat, squeeze your butt tight and drive through your heels to jump up into the air (B), pushing off your toes at the last moment of contact with the floor.
- Land softly back, then use the momentum from landing to drop into your next squat, jump, and repeat.
5 SIT-UPS
This is a great move for carving strong abs and core muscles.
- Lie on your back, bend your knees, keep your feet flat on the floor and place your hands behind your head (A).
- Begin the crunch by pressing your lower back into the floor while rolling your shoulders up and forward, then raise your upper body off the floor (B & C), keeping your gaze upward.
- Slowly lower your torso down, then repeat four more times.
5 PRESS-UPS
Great for core strength and the entire upper body, including the chest, upper back and arm muscles.
- Get into a half press-up position, with arms extended, knees on the floor and feet crossed (A).
- Lower your body close to the floor but don’t let your chest touch the floor (B). Pause and push back up to the start position.
- If this is easy, do full press-ups, keeping your body in a straight line from your heels to your head (C & D).
Click here for an at-home leg day workout!
By Lucy Miller (Photos: Eddie Macdonald | Clothing: Gymshark)
