CrossFit Workouts To Get Started With

So you want to give CrossFit a whirl? Well, welcome to the pain cave my friend.

In my 3 year fitness journey, I thought I had seen and felt it all.  That was however, until I joined my local CrossFit box at the beginning of January and boy, oh boy, was I wrong. 7 months in and I can quite easily say that CrossFit, unlike any other sport, has managed to not only test my boundaries, muscles and mobility like no other, but it’s the only thing that will leave me in a bundle on the floor,  pulling my knees up to my chest and wondering what the f*ck just happened. But guess what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sweat, blood and tears? You bet.

You’ve probably all heard of CrossFit by now. It’s suddenly hitting social media by storm, converting regular gym-goers, opening up a whole different perspective to fitness and more importantly, providing a new purpose to people’s training. If you’ve been hiding under a rock these past few months, then you can find out more about CrossFit here and why I decided to ditch the gym.

There’s no doubt that CrossFit is known for it’s super fit and super strong athletes. So it’ll come as no surprise that the CrossFit WOD’s (workout of the day) are probably one of the toughest workouts you’ll ever try. Think it looks easy on paper? Think again. Of course different WOD’s all range from different intensity levels, but believe me, you’ll be on that floor after each and every WOD. So, to help you understand the different type of WOD’s and their CrossFit lingo, I’ve prepped a detail outline for you all below…

AMRAP

Aka, “as many rounds as possible”. Complete the chosen exercise (or exercise combination) in the time given and see how many rounds you can complete. These are normally a killer and a half as my competitive nature kicks in.

For time

Complete the chosen workout for the time.

EMOM

“Every minute, on the minute”. For this one you’ll set yourself a running time (usually given) and for every minute you’ll complete an exercise before moving onto the next exercise for the next minute.

Girls

CrossFit’s original benchmark WOD’s. These WOD’s are set to test your fitness levels and to highlight your weaknesses and your strengths and yes, you got it, they’re named after girls. So yes, there really is a reason why everyone hates Kelly.

Time cap

You have a certain time length to complete the chosen workout in. Once you hit your time cap, that’s your score. These are great to re-visit later on to see if you’ve improved.

Ladder

This is typically a workout with one or more movements where you’ll increase the workload over time.

Strongman

A specific style of metcon (metabolic conditioning) using typical Strongman equipment. I.e, tyres, battle ropes, sledges, farmer carries, logs, medicine balls, etc.

Tabata

A workout in the format of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 8 times round. Short but deathly. 

Hero WOD’s

Dedicated WOD’s to our fallen hero’s. They’re intense, sweaty and will 100% leave you in a ball on the floor.

Metcon

Aka, ‘metabolic conditioning’. You’ll usually finish a CrossFit class with metcon’s. They’re short bursts of higher-intensity workouts designed to increase metabolic demand and energy usage. Expect a lot of sweat, my friend.

RX’ed

Completing the chosen workout at the given weight and scale.

Whether you think CrossFit may or may not be your jam, just give it a go. Simple. If you hate it, don’t do it again. If you love it, then welcome aboard my friend. You never know until you try something and trust me, there’s something about CrossFit – it’s endurance, it’s strength and it’s community –  that has me completely and utterly sucked in. I too thought I’d be one of those who would only last a few weeks, but let me tell you something… it’s taught me how to be stronger in so many different areas of my life – physical and personal – and I haven’t looked back since.

So, are you ready?

Here are a few popular CrossFit WOD’s that are perfect for you to give a whirl during your next gym session…

Fran

Possibly one of the most popular girl workouts. You’ll do 21 reps of thrusters, 21 reps of pull ups, 15 reps of thrusters, 15 reps of pull ups, 9 reps of thrusters 9 reps of pull-ups. All for time. The standard weight for the thrusters is 95 pounds for men and 65 pounds for women. Split this workout up how you wish, but either way, you’re against the clock so be aware of any rest time.

Murph

Murph was named in honor of Lieutenant Michael Murphy of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005 and has become another very popular WOD thanks to it’s intensity. It consists of a 1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 air squats and another 1 mile run – for time. Good luck. 

Helen

400 metre run, 21 kettlebell swings and 12 pull ups for 3 rounds. The weight is 16kg for girls and 24kg for guys. Short and sweet, if you’re quick that is! 

Angie

Perfect for the gym if you’re yet to join a CrossFit box. Angie involves 100 pull ups, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 air squats. And don’t half ass those squats! Ass to the grass, please. 

Jackie

Oh Jackie, you brutal beast. One I am yet to experience and one I hope to never experience. It includes 1,000 metre row, 50 thrusters and 30 pull ups for time. 20kg for the guys and 15kg for the girls. Ugh. 

Yes they’re brutal, yes they’re sweaty and yes, they really will push you to your limits, but that’s exactly why CrossFit works. You reveal your weaknesses, you show your strengths and ultimately, you push yourself to work harder, each and every time. CrossFit isn’t routine, nor is it about aesthetics. It’s about working on yourself everyday, watching yourself grow as a person and being involved in a community that will support you 100%.

Give one of the above a go and good luck on your first CrossFit WOD!

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