Welcome to the Intense and Simple 12min EMOM Dumbbell Workout.
What can you expect from this training session?
Even though it’s “only” a 12-minute workout, the number of reps and type of exercises will give your conditioning a real test. (What is an EMOM workout?)
You will need to have a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells to achieve the intended training stimulus.
In case you are new to dumbbell training, I suggest you give this article a read it goes in-depth about the benefits of dumbbell training, a little guide on what type of dumbbells to buy, and an introduction to exercises beginners can implement in their training.
Now – on to the workout.
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Warmup
Before we start, I want to remind you to never skip your warm-up!
It’s just as important as your actual workout.
Just to give you a few important facts on why you should warm up:
- Increases blood flow
- Reduces the chance of injury
- Increases range of motion
- Improves performance
I could go on and keep rambling about the importance of warming up but I already did that in a different article. (click below to learn more)
If you feel a little more stiffness in your body after a long day of work, use this warm-up routine:
Intense and Simple 12min EMOM Dumbbell Workout
12 min EMOM (every minute on the minute) alternating:
16 x Dumbbell Snatch
12 x Burpees
16 x Dumbbell Thruster
12 x Dumbbell Reverse Lunges
(click on the links for movement demonstration)
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How to approach it?
Before you start the workout, make sure to have a little bit of a test run to find out what weight you are going to use for this session.
The goal is to finish each exercise in around 45 seconds to allow you to have some rest in between the exercises. (15 to 20 seconds rest per minute would be ideal)
If you feel like you cannot maintain the pace for the duration of the workout, either lower the reps or lower the weight.
I always prefer to reduce the reps before I reduce the weight unless you cannot perform the exercise with good technique.
An example would be to lower each exercise by 2 reps and see how you manage.
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Scaling Options
If some of the movements cause you any trouble because of past injuries here are some exercises you could do instead:
- Dumbbell Snatch: an alternative would be the dumbbell clean and press or dumbbell clean and jerk which breaks up the movement in two parts
- Burpee: a good alternative is to go for the “no push-up” burpee
- Dumbbell Thruster: you can either go for a single dumbbell/kettlebell thruster or break the movement apart into a dumbbell front squat and dumbbell push press (with a little break in between)
- Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: a good alternative would be the dumbbell split squat or a reverse lunge without the dumbbell
Find what works for YOU and try to maintain the intended stimulus of this workout.
Keep the movements challenging for yourself.
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Cooldown
After you finished the training session, make sure to have a proper cool-down to avoid injuries & give your body time to recover:
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