In episode 110 of YouTube’s “Celtic Warrior Workouts,” WWE Superstar Sheamus is joined by the high-flying “Ricochet” (real name: Trevor Mann) for an efficient every-minute-on-the-minute (EMOM) chest workout, demonstrated at Doc’s Gym in sunny Fresno, CA.
Ricochet is no stranger to hard work. Having fallen in love with pro wrestling from an early age and practicing his scintillating aerial assault on his front lawn, the “Future of Flight” made a name for himself on pro wrestling’s independent scene before signing with WWE. He’s since earned the right to call himself a “Triple Crown Champion,” meaning he has won the WWE United States, North American, and Intercontinental titles thus far.
Ricochet is known for staying ripped consistently and is a proponent of the EMOM training method. Check out their 35-minute EMOM chest workout in the video below:
[Related: WWE’s Bianca Belair Shares the “EST” of Lower Body Workouts]
What is an EMOM workout?
EMOM is a pacing strategy — a high-intensity workout style that requires the athlete to complete a certain number of reps within a 60-second window. Once all the reps are finished, any remaining time in that 60-second window is rest.
EMOM workouts are flexible because the rep range can increase as work capacity improves. EMOMs are great for building stamina and strength while burning fat.
There’s no limit to how many sets or reps. This type of workout can be designed for any body part or full-body sessions. EMOMs can be squeezed in as a quick five-minute addition to a workout or scaled longer up to the entire training session’s duration.
Ricochet’s 35-minute EMOM includes five different exercises, repeated for seven rounds/sets, totaling 35 sets at 60 seconds each. A timer or stopwatch is a must when performing EMOM workouts, but a Tabata timer is likely the best bet. Set the timer for “Interval Exercises” at one minute each, with no “Rest Intervals” because the resting time occurs within the exercise window.
“Once you do your 10 (reps), whatever you have left on the timer — whether it’s 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 15 seconds, whatever you have left — that’s your time for rest,” Ricochet explains. “So, make sure your reps represent how much rest you want to take.”
Ricochet’s 35-minute EMOM Chest Workout
Here are the moves involved in Ricochet’s EMOM chest workout, followed by a breakdown of each:
- Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
- Incline Dumbbell Chest Flyes
- Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
- Underhand Dumbbell Front Raise
- Crunches
Here’s how the workout progressed:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press & Chest Flyes
Ricochet says he typically aims for 10-12 reps in each set. Sheamus felt he completed his reps too quickly and could have increased the weight or number of reps, but Ricochet reminded him he had 34 more minutes to go.
EMOM workouts require trial and error to gauge the appropriate capacity. Still, it’s a great way to learn how to maximize rest time and control breathing for recovery.
You play around with it. You kind of just find what you can do.
The boys complete the first set with 10 seconds to go. As the rounds rolled on, EMOM-newbie Sheamus began to run out of juice. Ever the fighter, Sheamus waited for the clock and attacked the next set undeterred.
Dumbbell Flat Press
Sheamus realized that the ongoing sets, with little rest time, have a cumulative effect. He recognized that he initially confused the exercise window with the time it took to execute the set. In the case of the flat press, Sheamus nailed his first set in 27 seconds, leaving him with 33 seconds to recover.
[Related: Pro Wrestler Matt Cardona Talks Gym Bag Essentials, Chest Workouts, and Staying in Shape on the Road]
Underhand Front Dumbbell Raise
“You don’t want to do a curl,” Ricochet advised during his initial run-through of the standing dumbbell raise. “Keep a little bend (in your arms), but keep your arms straight, so you don’t focus on curling (the dumbbell) up.”
Cores Exercise: Personal Choice
Ricochet likes to give his chest a break by performing a set of crunches for approximately 30 seconds to keep the blood pumping. I’m already at 122 beats per minute,” Ricochet says, following his first completed round.
Raising your heart rate to around 60-70 percent of your max heart rate is a great way to maximize fat-burning potential. You will also build endurance at the same time. (1)
Last Set, Best Set
As the rounds tick past, Ricochet advised that adaptations, such as lowering the dumbbell weight, are a smart idea to complete the workout. The grunts and groans became louder as the grapplers began to appreciate the cardio and stamina required with EMOMs.
But, just like in the wrestling ring, the lads battle on, visibly pumped. “Strength is out of the question now,” shared Sheamus. Laughing through the pain, they continue to push themselves further out of their comfort zone until it’s over.
It’s just a matter of endurance.
“I’m proud of my efforts,” Sheamus says, and with good reason, having given it all to his first EMOM, taking his body to the limit in 35 minutes, capped off with a one-minute plank. The WWE legend has kept up with “King” Ricochet throughout and proved that even when time is at a premium, there are no excuses to miss out on making a brave change.
References
- Exercise Heart Rate Zones Explained. (2021). Retrieved 16 November 2022, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained/
Featured image: @wwesheamus on Instagram
