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best crossfit workouts

10 Best Crossfit Workouts

CrossFit took the world by storm a few years ago, and now it’s one of the most popular and well-known fitness regimens around the world.

Everyone from celebrities to your local gym rats practices CrossFit, although if you don’t do it yourself, it can seem like a secret society.

This exercise program has its own terminology and approach to workouts, so before we jump into the best CrossFit workouts, let’s give you a crash course in CrossFit vocabulary.

First of all, if you walk into any CrossFit gym or training center, you’re bound to see a board showing the WOD, or “workout of the day.”

The CrossFit organization chugs out all kinds of WODs, so it’s not uncommon to see similar workouts at different affiliate gyms.

Another acronym you’ll see is AMRAP, which stands for “as many reps as possible.”

This term is pretty straightforward; you get a specific timeframe and you aim to do as many reps of the exercises as possible.

This is mostly used in conditioning movements, such as pull-ups and air squats.

EMOM is another vocabulary term you’ll need to know for CrossFit.

It refers to “every minute, on the minute” and means that you do the specified number of reps for that minute, then rest for the remainder of that minute.

That remaining time is your break until the next minute begins, and then you’re back to work with your prescribed reps.

You’ll also notice that the WODs are often named after females.

One theory is that CrossFit founder Greg Glassman named the workouts the same way meteorologists name hurricanes because the exercises make athletes feel like they’ve just weathered a storm.

Cute, right?

​Named crossfit workouts have become the standard in most CrossFit routines.

​The best crossfit exercises for beginners will generally be body weight exercises that require very little equipment.

​There are a host of ​crossfit exercises for beginners that require nothing more than a pullup bar as the most advanced piece of exercise equipment.

Now without further ado, grab your best crossfit shoes and let’s get into some of the best WODs that remain a staple for dedicated CrossFitters.

Always make sure you practice a thorough Crossfit warmup before trying any intense WOD​ and remember to always practice strict form on all the exercises especially when tired.

10 Best CrossFit Workouts

1. Fran

For this workout, you’ll only be doing two exercises, but they’ll be tough. First is thrusters, which involve doing a front squat and then going straight into a push press.

Your second move is a pull-up. The CrossFit standard for thruster weight is 95 pounds for men and 65 pounds for women. You’ll do three sets:

  • 21 thrusters
  • 21 pull-ups
  • 15 thrusters
  • 15 pull-ups
  • 9 thrusters
  • 9 pullups

2. Helen

Here you’ll do three rounds of three different exercises. It’s for time, so you’ll record how long it took you to complete this workout.

For beginners, a kettlebell swing is when you stand and hinge at the waist while swinging a kettlebell through your legs. Then, you explosively thrust your hips forward, bringing the kettlebell through the air in front of you while you straighten your legs.

On the downward motion, your glutes and hamstrings are working, and on the upswing, your legs and hips are propelling the weight forward.

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

3. Cindy

This is an example of an AMRAP routine. You’ll have 20 minutes to do as many reps as possible of these three body weight movements. It’s a staple WOD for those who are just starting out on their CrossFit journey.

Remember, to do a proper squat, keep the weight in your heels with your feet slightly wider than hip width and your toes at a very slight outward angle. Keep your body engaged, your chest up, and your butt back. Send your hips back, making sure your knees extend past your toes.

  • 5 pull-ups
  • 10 push-ups
  • 15 squats

4. Linda

Also known as “the three bars of death,” this is a weightlifting workout that will test your limits and strength. It will also record your total time for completing the routine.

It is one of the best wods for those that love to lift!

You’ll start will 10 reps, then 9, then 8, all the way down to 1 rep.

  • Deadlift (at 1.5 times you body weight)
  • Bench press (at your body weight)
  • Squat clean (at 3/4 of your body weight)

5. Bodyweight WOD

This is a great routine for beginners who are venturing into CrossFit for the first time. Rather than jump into one of the hardcore WODs, try this introductory workout, doing three rounds of 10 reps for each movement. Be sure to give it your highest intensity!

  • Air squats
  • Sit-ups
  • Push-ups
  • Ring rows
  • Burpees

6. Murph

CrossFit has Hero WODs that are named after military service members who have died in the line of duty.

The Murph is one of the most popular crossfit wods ever!

The Murph is named after Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy who died in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005. You’ll do this workout and record your time.

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

7. Chelsea

This is an EMOM workout, so you’ll complete the reps and rest for the remainder of the minute. Keep going for 30 minutes.​ One of the best wods if you have very little equipment but still want a full body workout.

Your score will be the number of reps you complete in that half hour.

  • 5 pull-ups
  • 10 push-ups
  • 15 squats

8. Tabata Something Else

This WOD is a Tabata workout, meaning you have an interval of work, followed by rest. For this routine, you’ll do 20 seconds of work, then rest for 10 seconds, and repeat for 8 rounds.

Beginners are welcome to try this one, and they can replace the pull-ups and push-ups with ring rows and box push-ups. A box push-up is a modified version in which you lean on a box for extra support rather than having your body be completely parallel to the floor.

  • Tabata pull-up(or ring row)
  • Tabata push-ups
  • Tabata sit-ups
  • Tabata air squats

9. Annie

Here’s a WOD that has you start with 50 reps, followed by 40, then, 30, 20, and finally 10. There are two moves: double-unders (when you jump rope and the rope does two passes under you), and sit-ups.

  • 50 double unders
  • 50 sit-ups
  • 40 double unders
  • 40 sit-ups
  • 30 double unders
  • 30 sit-ups
  • 20 double unders
  • 20 sit-ups
  • 10 double unders
  • 10 sit-ups

10. Jackie

Another classic CrossFit WOD, Jackie, involves doing three different movements for time. For the thrusters, the standard weight is 45 pounds for men and 35 pounds for women.

  • 1,000 meter row
  • 50 thrusters
  • 30 pull-ups