25 Minute AMRAP Workout

Got a limited amount of time to workout? No worries! Do this high intensity gym-based AMRAP workout when you’re short on time

Hey friends, I’m back with another workout! My goal is to post at least 1 recipe a week and 1 workout a week. That’s the plan, we’ll see how that goes 😉 This workout is a total-body AMRAP workout similar to the one I shared over on Heather’s blog. Since I’m teaching an AMRAP class regularly, you can bet that I will be sharing plenty of those workouts with you!

I created this workout for my AMRAP class we did a couple weeks ago. My class did a 5-10 minute group warm-up, then this AMRAP sequence for 25 minutes (whew!!), and then a 5-10 minute cool-down and stretch for a total of 40 minutes all together. It’s a great workout!

I don’t have my own photos for some of these exercises yet, so feel free to check the links below for images and good form tips:

• Clean and press
• Barbell squats
• Plate situps
• Barbell bench press/chest press (we did these on the floor, but you can use a bench if you have one)
• Jump squats

For this workout, a barbell works perfectly (I used a BodyPump barbell loaded with about 40 pounds), but you can use a heavy set of dumbells if you don’t have a barbell. With a barbell, you will transition right from the clean and press to a barbell back squat, then you can unload your bar after the squats, then pick it up again for the barbell chest press (we just used the floor for this one but you can use a bench or step).

Make sure that you go at your own pace for these exercises and take time to catch your breath and grab a drink (sips!) whenever you need it. I would usually grab a small drink of water after each round that I completed so I could stay hydrated. I usually do this every time I exercise – when I teach Zumba, I grab sips of water between most songs.

This keeps me hydrated without having too much water sloshing around in my stomach, which spells disaster when your workouts are intense! Since I have interstitial cystitis, it’s really important for me to get enough water each day, and this helps a lot.

Since you will be doing a lot of reps, keep your barbell or dumbbell weight within a manageable limit and reduce your weight as needed as you start to fatigue, especially on the clean and press exercise. 25 minutes is a long time to be lifting weights almost non-stop, so make sure you are lifting weight that is a bit challenging but can be done with good form all the way to the end. I think I was getting into my 6th or 7th round when the the time was up, that gives you an idea of how many reps you will end up doing in this workout if you are working quickly.

This particular AMRAP workout isn’t a HIIT workout since there are no rest segments here. In order for a workout to be HIIT or MIIT (moderate intensity interval training), there needs to be peaks and valleys in heart rate and therefore intensity levels. During recovery periods, your stroke volume increases, helping to strengthen your heart muscle.

Since there are no scheduled rest/recovery times during this AMRAP workout, it would be considered a high intensity workout, no intervals. If you want to make this a HIIT workout, add a 1-2 minute break at the end of each round to allow your heart rate to come down, and work at max or near max capacity during the work periods.

Push your pace in this workout but don’t go so fast that your form gets sloppy. Safety and form always comes first!!

Have fun!