What Does AMRAP Mean in a Workout?

AMRAP stands for “As Many Rounds As Possible” or “As Many Reps As Possible.”

An AMRAP gives you a fixed amount of time and challenges you to complete as much work as possible before the clock runs out.

For example:

60-second AMRAP — Push-Ups

Start the timer and complete as many good-quality push-ups as you can in 60 seconds.

If you complete 24, your score is 24 reps.

Rounds vs Reps

If an AMRAP contains several exercises, you're usually trying to complete as many rounds of the workout as possible.

For example:

10-Minute AMRAP

5 Push-Ups
10 Squats
15 Kettlebell Swings

Complete the exercises in order, then immediately return to the push-ups and begin another round.

Keep going until 10 minutes have elapsed.

If you finish 7 complete rounds plus 5 push-ups and 6 squats, your score would be:

7 rounds + 11 reps

This makes AMRAPs very easy to record and repeat.

What Does “AMRAP 10” Mean?

You'll often see AMRAP followed by a number.

For example:

AMRAP 5 = 5 minutes
AMRAP 10 = 10 minutes
AMRAP 20 = 20 minutes

Unless the workout specifies otherwise, the number refers to the amount of time you have to complete the work.

How Hard Should an AMRAP Be?

This is where people often get AMRAPs wrong.

“As many as possible” doesn't necessarily mean “sprint as hard as possible from the first second.”

You need to manage your effort across the entire workout.

During a 60-second AMRAP, you might be able to attack it pretty aggressively.

During a 20-minute AMRAP, doing the same thing will probably leave you staring at the floor questioning your decisions after about three minutes.

The goal is to find a pace that allows you to accumulate the greatest amount of quality work across the whole time period.

Ideally, you should be able to increase your effort towards the end and finish knowing you didn't have much left to give.

What If I Need to Rest?

Rest when you need to.

The clock will continue counting down, so the aim is to manage those breaks rather than allowing them to become unnecessarily long.

Sometimes I'll give clients something simple to control this:

Take three deep breaths, then get moving again.

That prevents a five-second breather from quietly becoming a minute spent contemplating your existence.

As your fitness improves, you may find you can work for longer, recover more quickly and accumulate more repetitions within the same time.

Don't Sacrifice Movement Quality

An AMRAP is a test of how much good-quality work you can complete.

It isn't an excuse to gradually turn every exercise into something unrecognisable.

If you're performing push-ups, they should still be push-ups.

If you're squatting, maintain the movement standard you've been given.

And if your technique is deteriorating significantly because of fatigue, slow down or take a short break.

More bad reps aren't necessarily better than fewer good ones.

Why Use AMRAP Workouts?

I like AMRAPs because they're simple, measurable and incredibly versatile.

Depending on the exercises and duration, they can be used to develop conditioning, muscular endurance, work capacity or simply provide an efficient training session.

They're also easily repeatable.

If you complete:

8 rounds + 12 reps

the first time you attempt a workout and:

9 rounds + 4 reps

several weeks later under the same conditions, you've increased the amount of work you can perform in the same period of time.

That's progress.

AMRAP vs For Time

The difference is straightforward:

AMRAP: The time is fixed and you're trying to complete as much work as possible.

For Time: The work is fixed and you're trying to complete it as quickly as possible.

So:

10-minute AMRAP: How much can I do in 10 minutes?

5 rounds For Time: How quickly can I complete 5 rounds?

Both require pacing.

The clock just works in opposite directions.

The Bottom Line

AMRAP = As Many Rounds or Reps As Possible.

You have a fixed amount of time.

Complete as much quality work as you can.

Pace yourself appropriately.

Keep your technique intact.

And when the timer reaches zero, stop.

Your completed rounds and repetitions are your score.

Over the course of the 40 seconds, 2 rounds are completed.

Even if you know you wont have time to complete an additional round - go for it anyway to get the full benefit and increase your results.