CrossFit is a training program that focuses on “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements”. It focuses on calisthenics, powerlifting, Olympic-style weightlifting, plyometric, Strongman-type events, indoor rowing, bodyweight exercises, running, aerobic workouts and swimming. Read Here: Top 5 Best CrossFit Shoes

There are several CrossFit gyms scattered across the globe. However, if you are a bit intimidated joining a CrossFit box and want to try out these workouts without paying a dime, then here are the 13 best workouts that you can try at the comforts of your own. You will get a taste of how effective and intense the basic moves can be, eventually inspiring you to find the nearest box to you. Read More: 20 Best Kettlebell Exercises For Women

CrossFit Workout Terminologies But before you, we get to the best CrossFit exercises, here are 3 basic terminologies you might hear or see on the internet.

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AMRAP

Short for “as many reps as possible”, AMRAP is a workout structure that is frequently used in CrossFit workouts to accompany conditioning pieces. This program is designed to push the body to the limit in just a short time frame. In AMRAP, you get to specify the amount of time that a training session will take.

WOD

Short for “workout of the day” this is the recommended workout from a CrossFit Affiliate gym to its members. It typically takes only 20 minutes or less, making other people question their efficacy.

Every person will need to experiment in order to know what “enough” means. Meanwhile, experienced athletes with a specific competition objective and goal will need extra work in order to improve their fitness regime. As opposed to beginners who only need to reduce the volume of WOD in order to optimize the result.

EMOM

Short for “every minute, on the minute”, EMOM will require you to have a stopwatch, watch or a clock. You need to complete the specified number of reps within the minute’s timeframe, resting only for the rest of the same minute. This workout program encourages you to work a bit harder to earn more rest. And once the new minute starts, you will also start.

The 13 Best CrossFit Exercises To Build Your Strength

5 CrossFit Workouts For The Beginners

Before introducing yourself to any of the “women”— more on these below— the following workouts are more ideal for the beginners in CrossFit.

However, that does not mean that it is going to be easy. So, don’t be too confident. It will need hard graft, however, you will quickly see results in your strength, size, and overall energy.

The combination of some good old-fashioned weight training, staple CrossFit moves, and high-intensity circuits will push your muscles and keep them guessing. Do not rest between moves, but only recover for a minute after every cycle. Repeat 5 times.

1) Barbell Squat

Barbell Squat

Here’s how to do it:

  • Stand with the feet slightly wider than the shoulder-width apart.
  • Hold the barbell across the upper back with an overhand grip. Make sure to avoid resting it on your neck.
  • Then, hug the bar into your traps in order to engage your upper back muscles.
  • Sit back slowly into a squat with your head up, backside out and back straight.
  • Lower until the hips are aligned with the knees and your legs are at a 90-degree angle. If you can, a deeper square is more beneficial, offering improved flexibility and strength.
  • Drive the heels into the floor, pushing yourself back up, explosively.
  • Make sure to keep the form until you are stood up straight.
  • Do this for 5 sets of 10 reps.

2) Barbell Deadlift

Here’s how to do it:

Barbell Deadlift
  • Squatting down, hold a barbell with both hands that are slightly shoulder-width apart.
  • Lifting the bar, make sure to pull your shoulders back, keep your chest up and look straight ahead.
  • Now, focus on taking the weight back to the heels and keep the bar close to your body all the time.
  • Lift until thigh level, a short pause, then return to the start position, with control.
  • Do this for 5 sets of 10 reps.

3) Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Swings

Here’s how to do it:

  • Position a kettlebell a few feet in front of you.
  • Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart.
  • Bend the knees and lean forward, grabbing the handle of the kettlebell with both hands.
  • Keeping your back flat, engage the lats in order to pull the weight in between your legs.
  • Then, drive the hips forward and pull the kettlebell up, explosively to shoulder height with your arms completely straight in front of you.
  • Go back to the starting position and repeat for 30 seconds without pauses.
  • Do this for 5 sets. 

4) Box Jumps

Box Jumps

Here’s how to do it:

  • Get a box then set yourself from a small distance to the box, with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Quickly drop into a quarter squat, swinging your arms and jump upwards onto the box, explosively. But, make sure to land as softly and as quietly as possible.
  • Then, step backward off of the box under great control.
  • Do the movement for 20 seconds and 5 sets.

5) Treadmill sprints

Treadmill sprints

Here’s how to do it:

  • Sprint at the full speed for 60 seconds.
  • Do this for 5 sets.

Read Here: Top 10 Best Treadmills Under $1000

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5 Famous Female-Named CrossFit Workouts

It does not take a genius to realize that some of the famous CrossFit exercises are named after women.

Who are they, well, we really do not know, however, these workouts really pack a punch when it comes to getting your heartbeat pump, pump, pump and getting sweaty all over.

Thus, it is believed that Greg Glassman, the CrossFit Inc. founder, named them after female names in a similar vein to that of the weather service. Because these workouts were physically demanding, that they will leave you feeling as though a storm hit you.

6) Fran

The Fran workout is a common and widely practiced workout routine. For this workout, the standard weight for men should be 5 pounds and 5 pounds for women. You simply can’t rest in the middle of this workout regime and repeat it twice.

The biggest challenge throughout this workout is finishing the first 3 minutes. However, once you’re through with that, the rest should be easy.

Here are the following moves:

  • Thrusters with 43kg barbell
  • Pull-ups

Do it for 21 – 15 – 9 reps for each workout, alternating.

7) Helen

The Helen CrossFit workout is more challenging and is designed for those who have moderate or advanced exercising experience.

This workout has 3 rounds in total which can make you run out of breath at the end of the 1st one. So, a tip for you to complete this workout is to not give your total 100 percent during the first round. Because, if you do it too fast at the start, then you will run out of energy to do the rest.

For beginners, you can make some modifications. For instance, if you’re not doing American kettlebell swings, then you can try the Russian kettlebell swings. Or you can try resistance bands instead of a pull-up bar since the result will be the same.

Here are the following moves:

  • 400-meter run
  • 21 kettlebell swings
  • 12 pull-ups

8) Cindy

Cindy is a CrossFit workout that requires 20 minutes a day. This one will one the body like never before, getting you in tiptop shape quickly.

For the beginners, this exercise might cause you to run out of breath by the end of the 1st round. However, with enough practice and time, it would be a piece of cake. Like Helen, Cindy allows modification for the moves, especially for beginners.

For instance, you can use resistance bands rather than bars. Just make sure that you keep track of your rounds and record well so you can see your progress.

Here are the following moves:

  • 5 pull-ups
  • 10 press-ups
  • 15 air squats

9) Theresa

Probably one of the toughest among all CrossFit workouts the Theresa workout will surely make you run out of breath and push you to the maximum. So, make sure that you keep a bottle of water near you.

Starting with 100 jumping jacks or single jump ropes then ending in the 1-mile run, this workout is not for the beginners.

Here are the following moves:

  • 100 Single Jump Ropes
  • 90 Sit-Ups
  • 80 Walking Lunges
  • 70 Dips
  • 60 Knees To Elbows
  • 50 Jumping Squats
  • 40 Push-Ups
  • 30 Box Jumps (12 inches box)
  • 20 Candlesticks
  • 1 Mile Run

10) Mary

The Mary workout only lasts for at least 20 minutes. But, it is very intense. The goal for a level 1 CrossFitter would be 5 – 9 rounds of Mary, while for the Level 2 Crossfitters can go 9 – 12.

You can modify the pullups and do strict, butterfly, or kipping. Meanwhile, the handstand pushup is the toughest to do out of the 3 workouts, requiring you a lot of shoulder strength. So, you can try out kipping or strict, with butterfly and kipping allow you to use the momentum of shoulders and/or hips to do the move.

You can finish as many rounds as you and within the 20 minutes timeframe, and the more effort that you put in means the better the result.

Here are the following moves:

  • 5 Handstand push-up
  • 10 alternating one leg squats
  • 15 pull-ups

3 CrossFit Hero Workouts

For the CrossFit Hero WODs, these workouts are named after the fallen first-responders and soldiers who died in the line of duty. Law enforcement, military, and first responders were among the earliest people to do CrossFit.

Their intensity matched the fitness that CrossFit offers. And when a service member passes away in the line of duty, a CrossFit hero exercise is then created in their name. Hero WODs not only help you build strength, but they are also a great opportunity for the fitness enthusiast to reflect on the sacrifices of these fallen soldiers, speaking their names and honoring their memories.

11) DT

In honor of Staff Sgt. Timothy Davis of the US Air Force who was killed while supporting in an OEF operation with his vehicle hit by an improvised explosive device.

For this workout, it tests your grip while firing off quick reps of barbell movements, requiring the full use of your posterior chain. And while everybody loves barbells the challenge here is to hang on as it can be pretty intense.

Here are the following moves:

  • 12 reps of the deadlift (70 kg barbell)
  • 9 reps hang power clean (70 kg barbell)
  • 6 reps push jerk (70  kg barbell)

Do this for 5 rounds for time.

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12) Murph

This CrossFit exercise was previously called the “Body Armor”. For those who do not know, this CrossFit WOD was made to honor the Lieutenant Michael Murphy of the Navy SEAL. It has quickly become the staple workout for every Memorial Day, honoring Lt. Murphy and every fallen veteran.

This workout regime tests your stamina while building strength in your arm and legs. Probably its most challenging part is the sheer length and volume of the workout, so you will have to be a bit strategic to get through the whole thing.

Here are the following moves:

  • 1-mile run
  • 100 pull-ups
  • 200 push-ups
  • 300 squats
  • 1-mile run

13) Gunny

On May 13, 2014, Command Sergeant Major Martin “Gunny” Barreras died from wounds he sustained during an attack on his unit 7 days before his death. Gunny joined the Marine Corps in 1983 then the Army Ranger in 1988, using CrossFit training in order to improve his fitness as well as his unit.

The gunny workout is the ultimate heart-pumping routine, jump-starting your metabolism and building arm, shoulder and core strength and stamina.

Here are the following moves:

  • 1-mile run (weighted)
  • 50 push-ups
  • 50 sit-ups
  • 1-mile run(weighted)
  • 50 push-ups
  • 50 sit-ups
  • 1-mile run(weighted)

Conclusion

Fast weight loss, bodybuilder biceps, and triceps, and HD six-packs are the promises of the CrossFit workouts. So, if you are looking to make a change in your body, increase your strength and power while pushing yourself to the limits, try one of these Crossfit workouts and see whether you love it or loathe it!

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