5 AMRAP Workout Benefits

What’s the best way to define your gym personality? Are you an exercise junkie who simply can’t get enough of going to the gym five days a week? Maybe you’re a fan of taking group workout classes that challenge you with a little friendly competition. Perhaps you’re just someone who wants to build more muscle and live a healthier lifestyle. 

Regardless of where you land on the gym personality spectrum, an AMRAP workout can be an exciting and effective new addition to your fitness repertoire. 

If you’re wondering, “what’s an AMRAP workout?”, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll break down what an AMRAP workout is and explore the top 5 AMRAP workout benefits. 

What Are AMRAP Workouts?

AMRAP is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) where you push yourself to your limit by performing as many reps or rounds of an exercise in a given time period.¹ In fact, AMRAP is an acronym that stands for as many reps as possible. 

During an AMRAP workout, you don’t get to rest until after your set time limit is over. For example, your AMRAP workout might be completing as many burpees as you can in a one-minute time frame, then resting for 30 seconds. 

If you were to use this burpee example and perform 1-minute rounds for 10 rounds, your AMRAP workout would look something like this:

• Set your timer for 1 minute
• Start your timer, and immediately begin doing burpees
• Continue to do burpees until your timer stops
• Take a 30-second rest
• Set your timer, and repeat 9 more times

You can also get creative with AMRAP workouts by stacking different exercises and setting different goals.² For instance, you could set your timer for 10 minutes and count how many rounds of the following workout routine you can get through within that time frame: 

• 10 jumping jacks
• 10 squats 
• 10 push-ups
• 10 sit-ups 

Although ten reps of each of these moves on their own may not seem challenging, when you repeat this circuit for 10 minutes straight, the reps will add up and your heart rate will soar.

The primary purpose of an AMRAP workout is to work as hard as possible during short bursts of exercise. By doing as many reps as you can in a condensed time frame, you challenge yourself to push harder since you know you’ll be able to rest shortly. 

Whether you’re doing bodyweight exercises, strength training, or even home workouts, the benefits of AMRAP exercises are great for any fitness journey and can be utilized anywhere.

A reminder that since these types of workouts tend to be more intense, it’s important to warm up your body and muscles before beginning. The benefits of warming up before a workout are important to your body, endurance, and performance and should be done before any activity.

But, let’s get into the benefits of AMRAP workouts. 

Top 5 Benefits of AMRAP Workouts

The benefits of AMRAP exercises  are wide-ranging, with both your body and mind reaping the rewards. However, for the purposes of this guide, we’ve narrowed down our top five.  

#1 AMRAP Workouts Can Help Burn More Fat and Build More Muscle

One of the most notable AMRAP training benefits is that this HIIT workout can help you burn more fat and build more muscle. By elevating your heart rate with bursts of cardio, AMRAP workouts incinerate calories to reduce visceral body fat.³ 

Plus, because you can incorporate body weight training moves, like push-ups, AMRAP workouts also help strengthen and build your muscles.

#2 AMRAP Workouts Can Improve Heart Health

Keeping your heart healthy can help reduce your risk of developing heart disease-related illnesses later in life. During AMRAP workouts, you’re consistently pushing yourself to the limit, forcing your heart to pump blood throughout your entire body. 

This helps with aerobic capacity and increases oxygen consumption—both of which help strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system.³

#3 AMRAP Workouts Can Boost Mental Health 

Exercise has always been linked with physical health benefits, but it also does wonders for mental health. Because AMRAP workouts force you to focus on the task at hand, you’re less likely to start thinking about potentially stress-inducing factors, such as:

• Work
• Errands
• Everyday anxieties

Plus, achieving a physical goal (like completing a certain number of reps), can be mentally rewarding. In fact, research has shown that these types of workouts help reduce certain symptoms that come from depression and anxiety.⁴ 

#4 AMRAP Workouts Can Give You More Bang for Your Buck 

Not everyone has the time to commit to daily hour-long gym workouts. However, with an AMRAP workout, it’s not about the length of the workout, but rather:

• The intensity of the workout
• The quality of the workout

In other words, short AMRAP workouts provide similar physical benefits as hour-long workouts by challenging you to exercise more efficiently.

Since you choose how long you want to work out for, it could be as little as 10, 20, or 30 minutes—whatever works best with your schedule. In fact, you could probably squeeze in a 15-minute workout during a 30-minute lunch break.

#5 AMRAP Workouts Are Perfect for Any Fitness Level

Beginner, average, pro, or maniac, AMRAP workouts can be performed by people of any fitness level. Unless you’re doing an AMRAP workout with a friend, you’re only competing against yourself. 

This means you can go at your own pace and progress when you feel ready. 

If you’re also working out in a group setting, an AMRAP session can be a great way of creating a little repetition competition to do as many reps and rounds as possible and reaping the benefits of group exercise. Incorporating fun group workout ideas to get everyone involved, like an AMRAP session, can motivate each participant to push themselves individually and collectively. 

Add AMRAP Workouts to Your Routine at Chuze Fitness

Whether your fitness goals involve high intensity training, regular cardio exercises, or weightlifting and strength training, consider incorporating an AMRAP style workout. Ready to experience the benefits of an AMRAP workout for yourself? As one of the biggest, cleanest, and friendliest gyms around, Chuze Fitness is the best place to perfect your AMRAP routine. 

Plus, the low price of our membership means you can do more for less, without sacrificing quality.

With turf areas, circuit training areas, group classes, plenty of equipment, and friendly, expert staff members, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try Chuze Fitness sooner. Find your nearest location today.

 

Sources:

1. AMRAP Workouts Are the Next HIIT – Here’s Why You Should Try One. Livestrong. https://www.livestrong.com/article/13721585-what-are-amrap-workouts/ 
2. AMRAP: Definition, Benefits, and Why It’s Part of FIERCE. Chontel Duncan. https://www.chontelduncan.com/blogs/fitness/amrap
3. High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases – The key to an efficient exercise protocol. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6763680/ 
4. The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise. HelpGuide. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm 

 

The post 5 AMRAP Workout Benefits appeared first on Chuze Fitness.