The popularity of CrossFit is growing at a rapid rate. Gone is the taboo surrounding it as more and more people are discovering the health and fitness benefits of the all-in-one workout. CrossFit is designed to focus on total body workouts and movements that work as many muscle groups as possible. Just 20 mins of CrossFit is also shown to burn as many calories as a 30-minute jog and we know which one we’d prefer doing!
Their benefits to add lean muscle, rapidly burn body fat and improve overall physical and athletic performance are some of the main reasons why jumping on the bandwagon now than ever will open new possibilities to your fitness goals.
If you don’t know where to begin and need something simple but effective to help get you started, then give this 5-exercise workout a try and see if it doesn’t leave you wanting more!
All exercises are to be completed under the RFT method. This stands for “rounds for time” which means completing a given number of rounds of a circuit as fast as possible. The short rest periods help develop long-lasting muscle endurance.
As it’s a beginner CrossFit workout we’ll start with 5 rounds and 10 reps of each of the 5 exercises. If you feel you can do more or are just feeling a bit more adventurous then do as many as 8 rounds. These rounds are designed to be done as quickly as possible with minimal rest in between rounds. The weight used should be around 60% of your 1 rep max to make sure you can handle the training volume although this can be increased once you get better at the workout to make it more challenging!
BARBELL DEADLIFT – One of the most popular exercises, deadlifts work every major muscle group, with focus on the legs, lower back, core and posterior chain. Keep the movements strict and smooth in transition.
BARBELL SQUAT – Although leg-intensive, the squat is well known as one of the best full-body exercises you can do. Go as deep as possible, without putting too much pressure on your knees, and keep the 2nd part of the movement as explosive as possible on the way back up.
KETTLEBELL SWING – These are a CrossFit staple and work everything including arms, shoulders, chest, glutes, hips, core, lower back and posterior chain. Focus on technique to ensure correct form and use the 2nd part of the move to stay explosive as the weight comes up.
TREADMILL SPRINT – A sprint should always be 100% effort and will work every muscle as you drive your body to fatigue. The sprint will be for 30 seconds but can be increased to 45 or 60 seconds to make it more challenging.
BOX JUMP – Present in a lot of CrossFit training plans, box jumps are excellent at improving athleticism and explosiveness and burn a lot of calories. They will help keep your heart rate up and will build powerful legs with explosive speed.
Although a beginner workout, this is designed to be challenging regardless of your fitness level so just put 100% effort into it and do as many rounds as possible. People can usually tell after a few sessions if CrossFit is for them or not, but we have a feeling that you’re sure to be hooked. Good luck!
