WOD formats
WOD FORMATS EXPLAINED
AMRAP, EMOM, For Time, Tabata and chippers: what each format means, how to score it, how to pace it, and a timer that is already set up.
As many rounds as possible
AMRAP
As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible. You get a fixed time and a list of movements, and you repeat them until the clock runs out. The score is how much work you got done.
Meaning, scoring & examples →
Every minute on the minute
EMOM
Every Minute On the Minute. At the start of each minute you do a set amount of work. Whatever is left of that minute is your rest. Then the next minute starts.
Meaning, scoring & examples →
Finish the work as fast as possible
For Time
A set amount of work, done as fast as possible. The clock counts up and your finish time is the score. Most For Time workouts also have a time cap.
Meaning, scoring & examples →
20 seconds on, 10 seconds off
Tabata
Eight rounds of 20 seconds all-out work and 10 seconds rest. Four minutes in total, and if you do it right, the longest four minutes of your week.
Meaning, scoring & examples →
A long list, done once
Chipper
A long list of movements, usually with big rep counts, done once from top to bottom. You “chip away” at the list until it is gone.
Meaning, scoring & examples →
How the formats differ
The quickest way to tell them apart: what is fixed and what is your score. In an AMRAP the time is fixed and your score is the work. In a For Time workout the work is fixed and your score is the time. An EMOM fixes both and tests whether you keep up. Tabata is a fixed 20/10 interval, and a chipper is a long For Time list you do only once.
For what to write down after each format, see the workout tracking guide. To see the formats in action, try the benchmark WODs.