AMRAP Workout

20 minute AMRAP

The Pacer

Steady engine · Aerobic Matrix · intensity 2 of 5

The workout

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

Overview

The Pacer is 10 t-push-ups, 20 reverse lunges, 15 russian twists, and 30 skater jumps. The work moves through the chest, the quads, and the obliques instead of sitting on one muscle.

Muscles worked

Energy systems

These are overlapping contributions. This workout is not assigned to one energy system.

  • Glycolytic: Low
  • Oxidative: High
  • Neuromuscular: Low

Training effect

Immediate demand

20 minutes, intensity 2 of 5. Today the limiter is the skater jumps.

Intended stimulus

The style is built so four movements keep you moving for the full clock. On this workout that is 10 t-push-ups, 20 reverse lunges, 15 russian twists, and 30 skater jumps.

Repeated practice

Repeat the same workout and compare the score. What can change over weeks is how long that pace lasts. One time through does not produce that change.

Body-composition context

Body weight changes with the rest of how you eat and train. This workout is one piece of work on one day.

Expected feel

30 skater jumps is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.

Pacing

Rotational demands at every station. Breathe deeply during the T-Push-ups.

Keep the later rounds moving at the same size as the early ones. Do not drop the skater jumps to keep the other sets moving.

The movements

T-Push-ups

Widen your foot stance slightly to provide a more stable base during the rotational phase.

What not to do. Rotating from the arm alone while the hips stay flat to the floor.

Reverse Lunges

Keep your torso completely upright. Leaning forward shifts the load to the lower back and robs the quads of the intended tension.

What not to do. Stepping back too short, which forces the front shin to angle over the toe.

Russian Twists

Cross your ankles to lock the lower body and isolate the rotation to the thoracic spine.

What not to do. Swinging the arms across the body while the shoulders stay square.

Skater Jumps

Keep the chest up. Looking down at the floor rounds the back and cuts off your airway.

What not to do. Bounding forward instead of laterally, so the hips never load sideways.

Why these movements

The work moves through the chest, the quads, and the obliques instead of sitting on one muscle.

Scaling

Keep all four movements in the round. Drop reps so the round stays continuous.

T-Push-ups

  • Hands elevated. Hands on a bench, chair or step. The higher the surface, the easier the rep.
  • From the knees. Knees down, hips in line with the shoulders — do not let the hips pike up.
  • Partial range. Lower as far as you can control and press back. Depth grows as you do.

Reverse Lunges

  • Hold a support. One hand on a wall or chair for balance. The legs still do the work.
  • Shorter range. Drop only as far as you can stand back up from without pushing off your hands.

Russian Twists

  • Knees bent. Bend the knees to shorten the lever. The shorter it is, the lighter it is.
  • Partial range. Move only through the range where you can keep the lower back on the floor.

Skater Jumps

  • Step instead of jump. Same pattern, same range, no flight. Keeps the pace without the landing.
  • Lower and slower. Keep the jump but cut the height and take the landing softly.

Mistakes and who it is for

  • Opening the t-push-ups at a sprint makes the skater jumps the piece that falls apart.
  • Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
  • Spending the first minutes hard leaves the later rounds as a different, slower workout.

Suited to someone who wants 20 minutes through T-Push-ups, Reverse Lunges, Russian Twists, Skater Jumps.

Scoring and progression

Work through the movements in the order listed, then start the next round. Your score is the number of complete rounds plus any reps of the round you were partway through when the clock hit zero — written as rounds plus reps, so seven full rounds and twelve reps is7+12.

Progression is repeating this workout and comparing that score. The page does not promise a change from one time through.

Related workouts

Track every round. Sync with friends when you want to.

The Pacer is a 20-minute clock with rounds and splits for you. Share a rally link when other people join, and the leaderboard updates as they log rounds.

Start this workoutMore 20 minute AMRAPs