13 CrossFit AMRAP Workouts To Skyrocket Your Fitness

AMRAP is one of the many CrossFit acronyms known for describing workouts.

The term has actually been around in weightlifting but not popularized until CrossFit boxes started using them regularly.

These workouts are good for any athletic level, from beginner to pro.

Some of the exercises sound harmless, but when you do the workout, you find out quickly that you’re in for a challenge.

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Related: 33 WODs You Can Do At Home

What Is AMRAP?

AMRAP is the acronym for As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible.

These workouts can go from 10 to 20 minutes and include one or more exercises.

The way they’re done is you perform a certain number of reps of each exercise and continue until the determined time is over.

An Example AMRAP Workout

Let’s say the workout calls for a 10-minute bodyweight AMRAP of 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups.

You would perform the 10 pushups, then the 10 sit-ups, then 10 pushups again and so on. Keep going until the 10 minutes are up.

With AMRAP, you take a rest when you need to; however, it’s not advisable to take more than a few seconds. The workout is designed for you to keep going with minimal rest.

The way these workouts are scored is either by counting the total amount of repetitions or the number of rounds you did plus the number of repetitions of the unfinished round. Continuing with the example above, let’s say you completed 3 rounds and on the last round you completed 10 push-ups and 3 sit-ups. Your score would be written down as either “73″ or “3 + 13″.

You’re encouraged to write it down where you can reference it in the future. So that when you do the same AMRAP, you can see how you’ve improved.

AMRAP assault bike

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4 Benefits of AMRAP Workouts

Fat Burning

AMRAPs are great when you’re looking for a fat-burning workout. When programmed properly, you use both aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) pathways.

It’s more fun than running on a treadmill like a hamster, don’t you think? One tip – curved treadmills can be a lot more fun!

Strength and Conditioning

If programmed correctly, an AMRAP workout will help improve your strength and conditioning.

When including weight-bearing exercises with cardio, you get the best of both worlds.

Read Also: Best Fitness Trackers For CrossFit For Data Driven Improvements

Short or Long Length of Workout

Just like EMOMs, AMRAPs are great when you’re short on time and want to have an intense workout. The difference is that AMRAPs are designed as a WOD, so you probably won’t see it as a warm-up.

Mental Resilience

This is where the rubber meets the road. You have to push yourself mentally to get through an AMRAP, no matter how many exercises you’re performing. You have to keep going until the time is up. It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 minutes or 20.

At some point, you may want to take a very long break or quit altogether, but you can’t. There’s no quitting.

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The 13 Best AMRAP Workouts

Below are 13 AMRAP workouts you can do to test your fitness level.

Workout 1: Burpees Until You Die

Time Required: 10 minutes

Exercise: Burpees

Notes: To perform burpees, start in a standing position. Then, jump down into a plank position by kicking your feet out behind you and placing your hands on the ground. Do a single push-up. As you come up from your push-up, launch your feet back underneath you, in a low squat position. Finish by performing a jump or hop to bring you back to standing.

Ten minutes of this is going to hurt, we promise you that!

Read More: Why Burpees Are So Hard, And Here Is How To Improve

Workout 2: Swings and Jumps

Time Required: 10 minutes (ladder)

Exercises: Kettlebell Swings, Box Jumps

Notes: Do one rep of each exercise the first round, then two the second round, then three, etc., going up one every round. When the CrossFit timer hits 10 minutes, write down what round you’re in (round 13, for example, which means you were in the middle of 13 kettlebell swings and 13 box jumps).

Kettlebell swings are a huge part of CrossFit culture. Holding a kettlebell between your legs with both hands, swing it to eye level with straight arms, squeezing your glutes really hard at the same time. As the kettlebell swings back down, lower your butt as if you are sitting back into a chair. This is not a squat! Your back should be almost parallel to the ground and ramrod straight the entire time. Swing back up with another solid squeeze of the glutes at the top.

Read Also: Best Plyoboxes For Home Workouts

As for box jumps, it’s pretty straightforward. Stand with a box in front of you. Make the box a height you feel comfortable jumping on for 10 minutes. Go into a semi-squat position to build up power. Spring from both legs and land with your feet planted securely on the box with your knees slightly bent in an athletic stance. Step or hop down from the box and repeat.

Workout 3: Full-Body AMRAP

Time Required: 12 minutes

Exercises: 20 Calorie Row, 20 Jump Rope Double Unders, 10 Burpees

Notes: For rows, make sure you have a row machine that can measure calories on a screen you can see while performing the movement. Keep your back upright and straight, push with your legs first, then row with your back while simultaneously leaning back a little, thrusting the handle into your torso at the end.

Read More: How To Do Double Unders For CrossFit

Read Also: Best Rowing Machines For Home Gym

Workout 4: The Push

Time Required: 15 minutes

Exercises: 9 Wall Balls, 12 Push-ups, 15 Jump Rope Double Unders

Notes: For wall balls, click the link above. You can alter your push-ups if you’re feeling brave: Diamond push-ups, Spider-Man push-ups, and dynamic push-ups are a few options. However, just doing normal push-ups will be more than enough, we guarantee it.

Read More: 6 Quick Tips To Dominate The Wall Ball

Read Also: Best Medicine Balls And How to Choose Them

Workout 5: The Up-Down

Time Required: 15 minutes

Exercises: 12 Thrusters, 12 Burpees

Notes: Click on the link above to see how to do thrusters. Pick a weight that is easy to do because 15 minutes is a longer time than you think. Your muscles will start to fatigue quickly, so drop your pride and drop the weight while you’re at it.

Read More: 11 Thruster WODs To Take Your Fitness To The Next Level

Workout 6: The Core Crusher

Time Required: 20 minutes

Exercises: 1000-meter Row, 25 Thrusters, 10 V-ups

Notes: For more details on rowing, we suggest following the link above. As for V-ups, these are like crunches on steroids. Lie on the ground on your back with your arms up by your head and legs straight out. To perform a V-up, engage your core and touch your toes (legs still straight) with your fingers (arms also still straight) at the top. Return to the ground. That’s one. Enjoy!

Read More: Solutions For The 5 Most Common Rowing Mistakes You Might Be Making

Workout 7: Jelly Legs

Time Required: 20 minutes

Exercises: 9 Deadlifts, 12 Burpees, 15 Box Jumps

Notes: As with thrusters in other AMRAPs, pick a deadlift weight that isn’t too heavy. Nine reps, over and over for 20 minutes, is a lot. And, as with all exercises and workouts, never ever ever sacrifice form for reps. If you need to take a break to achieve perfect form, then please, take that rest.

Workout 8: The OG

Time Required: 20 minutes

Exercises: 10 Push-ups, 20 Sit-ups, 30 Squats

Notes: Three classic exercises. It seems easy enough, right? Wrong! Twenty minutes of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats will have your entire body screaming. So don’t go too gung-ho with the first few circuits. This is not a sprint — it’s a marathon, boys and girls.

Workout 9: Before and After

Time Required: 21 minutes

Exercises: Push-ups for the first 10 minutes, rest one minute, squats for the second 10 minutes

Notes: This is a great AMRAP because it gives you both an upper-body push and lower-body push exercise. You can do this with pull exercises too, such as pull-ups and light deadlifts.

“Celebrity” AMRAPs

Jason Khalipa, who won the title of “Fittest Man on Earth” at the 2008 CrossFit Games, created the following AMRAP:

Workout 10: The Khalipa Killer

Time Required: 20 minutes

Exercises: 15 Squats, 15 Push-ups, 15 Sit-ups

Notes: The fact that all three exercises involve 15 reps means you don’t even have to remember different rep counts for different movements. One less thing to think about. You can use that extra brain space to wonder why you put yourself through hell on a consistent basis…

Rich Froning, who became the first person to win the title of “Fittest Man on Earth” four times from 2011-2014 in the CrossFit Games, does this AMRAP:

Workout 11: The Froning Finisher

Time Required: 7 minutes

Exercises: 9 Front Squats (50/80 kg for women/men), 7 Burpees, 5 Overhead Press

Notes: Only 7 minutes. Easy-peasy. Except it isn’t. The weight on the front squats will tire you faster than you’d imagine, and the quick transition of 9-7-5 reps is no joke. Again, practice proper form and rest when absolutely necessary.

CrossFit Benchmark AMRAPS:

Workout 12: Zimmerman Hero WOD

Time Required: 25 minutes

Exercises: 11 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups, 2 Deadlifts (315 pounds), 10 Handstand Push-ups

Notes: This is a long AMRAP, and the two-rep deadlift is tricky (you think it’s quick and easy, but 315 pounds starts to feel much heavier around minute 15). If you can’t do handstand push-ups, prescribe it down to pike push-ups.

Read More: 6 Progressions To Help You Improve Your Hand Stand Push Ups

Workout 13: Cindy

Time Required: 20 minutes

Exercises: 5 Pull-ups, 10 Push-ups, 15 Squats

Notes: Another one that seems simple and a walk in the park, this is a precursor to the Murph. (For an extra challenge, put on a weighted vest…but we doubt you’ll need an extra challenge.)

How Often Should You Do AMRAPs?

AMRAPs are meant to mix up your regular routine, not replace it. You might end up overtraining if you do AMRAPs continuously without breaking it up with EMOMs or a regular lifting routine.

Doing AMRAPs for four weeks is a good length of time. Think of it as a training modality.

They should also vary in length and number of exercises. You shouldn’t be doing the same AMRAP in one week. Mix them up with different exercises, reps, and time lengths.

What’s the Difference Between AMRAP, HIIT, and Tabata?

Fixed time; fixed rest; fixed reps

AMRAP, HIIT, Tabata – what’s the difference? They are all hard workouts, but they have their differences.

Let’s take a look at all three and how they differ one from another.

HIIT (High-Intensity/Intermittent Interval Training) is performing a high-intensity exercise for a specified time limit, followed by a low-intensity exercise for another specified time limit.

It usually follows a 2:1 ratio of work to recovery (example: 30 seconds of all-out intensity, 15 seconds of low-impact movement). The total workout time varies and goes up to 30 minutes.

An example of a HIIT workout is a 30-second sprint with 15 seconds of walking/jogging. The time can also be 40 seconds of work with 20 seconds of recovery.

Tabata is performing an exercise at maximum effort with a 10-second rest period for eight rounds. This workout also follows the 2:1 ratio; a typical Tabata is eight rounds of 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

You can do one Tabata workout or string two or more together. An example of a Tabata workout is doing as many burpees as you can in 20 seconds, then resting for 10 seconds. Repeat this eight times.

AMRAP has a fixed total time and can have fixed reps. There is no designated rest period, but you can take one if you need to. It might seem easy looking at the workout on a board or paper. But make no mistake, it’s a hard workout.

Do AMRAP Workouts Work?

In the grand scheme of things, AMRAPs are a terrific way to physically progress in a workout program. They are simple and straightforward, yet always challenging. Plus, you’re constantly trying to beat your best. You’re never comparing yourself to others; you’re simply gunning for a few more reps more than what you did four or five days prior.

This is how you get better at CrossFit; your biological markers and progress pictures will improve if you progress consistently with AMRAP workouts.

Once you get a few AMRAPs under your belt, you can program your own.

You can make them as challenging as you want. Just don’t do complex exercises in an AMRAP.

Keep them simple to get the most bang for your buck.

If you want to use these workouts to keep track of your fitness progress, write them down or input them into an app that you can refer to at a later date. When you do an AMRAP again you can compare it to your last score.

Try out a few of these AMRAP workouts and see how your physical fitness — both strength and cardio — skyrockets.