8 CrossFit Workouts for Beginners
8 CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners
CrossFit is a well-known method of achieving what some refer to as extreme fitness. To gain strength and/or decrease weight, it combines exercise and nutritional adjustments. Depending on your fitness level and goals, you can alter the programme.
A CrossFit culture exists as well. People that train at the same box may establish a sense of community because the classes are often held inside a CrossFit GYM. They also speak in CrossFit lingo. WOD stands for “Workout of the day,” for example.
CrossFit is considered to be ideal for just about everyone, young and elderly, fit and not so fit, since the movements can be tweaked to fit practically any fitness level. When it comes to CrossFit, though, the best suggestion is to begin cautiously, don’t overexert yourself.
We asked the UK’s leading CrossFit coaches for their recommendations on the best beginner moves. Here is what we found.
1. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners Air squat
According to Ebe Ghansah, senior coach at CrossFit MK in Milton Keynes, you should begin the air squat by simultaneously commencing the movement at both the hip and knees, while keeping your feet flat on the ground.
- Keep your spine in a neutral, braced position by strengthening your core and avoiding back arching or rounding.
- Bend your knees and hips to lower your body, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
- Lower your hips to the level of your knees.
- Return to a standing position by pushing up through your heels.
2. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners Shoulder press
According to Luke Brumer, owner of CrossFit London in Bethnal Green, East London, the shoulder press is a crucial starter action because it establishes a “strong overhead stance” for many of the more advanced CrossFit moves.
- With a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, hold an empty barbell on the shoulders.
- Raise the bar directly above your head.
- Return to your original starting position.
3. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners Burpee
Burpees are the move that everyone despises. But why is that? They’re tough and efficient, and according to Brumer, they’re excellent for metabolic conditioning.
- Lower yourself to a squat from a standing position.
- Return to a pushup position by placing your hands on the ground and kicking your legs back into a pushup position.
- Perform a pushup.
- Return to a squat stance with your legs.
- Jump into the air from a squat position, land back in a squat position, and repeat.
4. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners Pushups
If you can’t do a basic pushup, don’t utilise your knees, says Ben Upfold, owner and CrossFit coach at CrossFit Ancoats. You won’t be able to build up the strength needed to eventually accomplish a full pushup if you go to your knees. Instead, he recommends using a platform or something similar to lift your hands off the ground, which needs less strength.
- Placing your hands directly beneath your shoulders is a good idea.
- Lower yourself to the ground completely.
- Push up to the starting position as soon as you reach the bottom.
5. CrossFit Workouts for Beginners
Pushup with hand release
Do you need some assistance with your push-up form? According to Ghansah, releasing your hands, like in this action, will allow you to go all the way down and maximise your push-ups.
- Push yourself up into a push-up position.
- Release your hands for a brief moment as you descend yourself, keeping your chest in contact with the floor.
- Return your hands to the floor and push yourself up to a starting position.
6. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners Box jump
According to 2020 the Fittest Man in the UK Zack George, the box jump is “one of the purest types of intense exercise.”
- Stand standing on a stable box or platform, heels shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward.
- Begin to descend into a squat with your knees tracking over your toes.
- When you’ve reached the bottom, use your arms to propel yourself upwards.
- In a standing or squatting stance, land with both feet on the box at the same time.
- Take a step or hop off.
7. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners The Clean
When you’re first starting out, George recommends using an empty bar to avoid harm. If that’s too heavy, try a sweeping broom.
- Begin by placing your feet hip-width apart. Maintain your weight in your heels and keep your chest open throughout the workout.
- Squat down and hold the bar directly over your feet, just slightly in front of your shins. Your elbows should be facing outwards and your arms should be locked. Maintain as much uprightness as possible in your chest.
- Begin to vertically elevate the bar, bringing it slightly toward your body.
- Jump slightly and shrug to bring the bar as high as you can to catch it once it passes your knees.
- Squat under the bar as it reaches its greatest height, resting on the front of your shoulders in a front squat stance. Repeat.
8. CrossFit Workouts
for Beginners Kettlebell swing
When doing a kettlebell swing, Upfold recommends keeping your knees open and avoiding forcing them forward. You’ll need a kettlebell for this.
- Stand over the kettlebell with your feet hip-width apart, back straight, and chest high.
- Squat down with your knees over your toes and grip the kettlebell with your palms facing your body.
- Raise yourself to a standing position. Shift your weight into your heels as you do so, bending your knees slightly and forcing your buttocks towards the wall behind you.
- Swing the kettlebell through between your legs while you do this.
- Swing the kettlebell forward in a continuous motion, elevating it to just below shoulder height in front of you while tightening your glutes and hamstrings.
SUMMARY
CrossFit can be a fun way to change up your workout regimen or establish new healthy habits. However, pay attention to your body and adjust the activity to suit your demands.
If you’re new to an exercise routine, take it carefully at first. Use light weights or none at all until you’re confident in your form. Slowly increasing your strength will allow you to get more out of your workouts while reducing the risk of injury.