CrossFit Workouts at Home: The Ultimate Guide to Working Out

Do you love CrossFit workouts but don’t have time to go to the gym? Or maybe you’re just not comfortable working out in a public place. We’ve got great news for you: CrossFit workouts can be done right at home! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about getting started with CrossFit workouts at home. We’ll cover what equipment you need, what exercises to do, and how to structure your activities. Let’s get started!

• CrossFit Workouts
• Benefits of CrossFit
• 15 CrossFit Workouts
• Murph
• Cindy
• Annie
• Death by Burpees
• Karen
• CrossFit Open Workout 12.1
• JT
• Chad
• Bounce
• Active Rest Day
• Angie
• 5K Run
• Dealer’s Choice
• 3-Part Press Blast
• 15-Minute EMOM
• Is CrossFit safe?

CrossFit Workouts

A form of high-intensity interval training, CrossFit is a strength and conditioning workout that is made up of functional movement performed at a high-intensity level.

These functional movements are actions you perform in your day-to-day life, like squatting, pulling, pushing, etc. Many workouts feature variations of squats, push-ups, and weight lifting that last for predetermined amounts of time to help build muscles. This varies from a traditional workout that may tell you how many reps to do over any period.

Benefits of CrossFit

Improve physical strength

CrossFit’s high-intensity, multi-joint exercises may help you build muscle mass and endurance. Adding more weight to your workouts puts additional strain on your muscles, which can help you build muscle.

You may push your muscles to their limits during each CrossFit workout by engaging in the day’s exercise. The CrossFit routine is made up of several components, one of which is the hero WOD (workout of the day). A new set of exercises is added every day. The aim is to finish each exercise with as many repetitions as feasible in a given period.

Improve aerobic fitness

CrossFit focuses on high-intensity power training (HIPT), similar to plyometrics. This sort of exercise may aid in increasing your VO2 max or the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during activity.

However, research has been inconclusive on both the short- and long-term effects of CrossFit on physiological changes and aerobic benefits. More research is needed to understand how CrossFit improves aerobic fitness compared to other forms of exercise.

Improve agility, balance, and flexibility

Functional fitness workouts, or ones that mimic real-life activities, are common in CrossFit routines. Functional exercises, such as squats, kettlebell swings, and overhead presses can help boost agility, balance, and flexibility.

They may also help you avoid injury and improve your quality of life.

Burn calories and manage weight

CrossFit routines can help you burn more calories than other workouts. A CrossFit circuit for a 195-pound male or 165-pound female will burn 15 to 18 calories per minute and 13 to 15 calories per minute. You may also continue to burn calories after your workout.

Compared with 11 calories per minute and 9 calories per minute, while performing traditional weightlifting on machines, this is a significant difference.

15 CrossFit Workouts

Murph

Arguably the most famous CrossFit workout, Murph isn’t for the faint of heart. Every Memorial Day weekend, CrossFitters everywhere sweat through this workout in tribute to U.S. Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan in June 2005.

Try chair-pulls instead if you can’t do a pull-up (or don’t have access to a pull-up bar). And you can always drop to your knees for push-ups.

How to do it:

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

Cindy

Set a timer, then cycle through as many rounds of these three exercises as you can in 20 minutes. It’s not complicated, and it’s effective at working your upper body and lower body.

How to do it: (as many rounds as possible)

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

No pull-up bar? No problem. Try the following instead:

• 5 push-ups
• 10 situps
• 15 air squats

Annie

For this one, you’ll perform 50 reps of each move, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. Double-unders (which involve swinging a jump rope around your body twice during every jump) are a fire way to get your heart pumping. Can’t do them? That’s A-ok. Just count regular jump rope skips or hop completely rope-free.

How to do it: (as many rounds as possible)

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

Pro tip: You can prop a pillow, towel, or yoga mat beneath your tailbone for endless situps.

Death by Burpees

For this WOD, start a timer and perform the designated number of burpees at the top of every minute. Continue adding a burpee each minute until you can’t make a burpee anymore.

Death by burpees is one of my favorite full-body workouts. It sneaks up on you. For the first six to eight minutes, you think the workout is easy, and then suddenly, you’re out of breath. Like, really out of breath.

Plus, it’s fast! The longest you’ll likely last if you’re absolute ‘crushing’ it is 20 minutes. Hanging on ’til somewhere between 13 and 16 minutes is a good goal, though.

How to do it: (as many rounds as possible)

• Minute 1: add one burpee
• Minute 2: add two burpees
• Minute 3: add three burpees
• Go until you can’t complete the required reps in a minute

Karen

This six- to 10-minute workout sounds simple: All you do is stand arms distance from a sturdy wall or column holding a medicine ball (opt for 6–8 pounds for beginners or 12–14 for advanced) in front of your chest, elbows bent and close to the body. Then, lower into a squat, and as you rise back up, bounce the ball off of the wall slightly above your head. Catch it and lower it into another squat. That’s one rep. Simple, right?

Don’t be deceived: Karen is a great full-body burner. Don’t have a medicine ball to throw around? Do thrusters with a textbook, milk jug, or backpack instead. Or, churn out 150 bodyweight squats.

How to do it:

• 150 wall balls (record your best time)

CrossFit Open Workout 12.1

If you’re really short on time and need a short, snappy, and sweaty workout, this is it.

We recommend trying to hold a pace of 10 to 15 burpees per minute (that’s 70 to 90 burpees total).

How to do it:

• 7 minutes of burpees

JT

Need a quick upper-body burn? JT is the perfect recipe for not being able to lift your arms overhead tomorrow. If handstand push-ups aren’t your thing, swap them for pike push-ups (essentially a push-up for downward-facing dog) instead. For the dips, make sure to plant your hands on a stable surface like a bench, table, or step.

How to do it: Record your best time

• 21, 15, 9 handstand push-ups
• 21, 15, 9 triceps dips
• 21, 15, 9 push-ups

or 

• 21 burpees
• 21 thrusters
• Rest 2 minutes
• 15 burpees
• 15 thrusters
• Rest 2 minutes
• 9 burpees
• 9 thrusters

Chad

Got a ledge, step, or super-sturdy table? That’s all you need for this WOD. Be sure to switch your leading leg every step. Don’t worry about whether or not it’s faster to lead with one leg than the other; prioritize symmetry over speed. Feel free to alternate between side step-ups and standard ones to keep things interesting.

How to do it: (Record your best time)

• 1000 steps

Bounce

Already a master of burpees? Give burpee tuck jumps a try. This plyometric move will jack up your heart rate while working your legs. Combine it with running and dips, and you’ve got yourself a quality, all-around workout.

How to do it: (record your best time)

• 10 burpee tuck jumps
• 400-meter run
• 15 triceps dips

Active Rest Day

If you don’t have much gas in the tank, this restorative workout will get the blood flowing so you can get sweaty tomorrow. Our bodies need time to recover to reap the benefits of all our workouts.

Wondering what a couch stretch is? Open up your hip flexors by standing facing away from your couch with one foot planted on the floor and the other leg bent so your knee rests on a seat cushion and the top of your foot rests on the back cushion behind it. You should feel the stretch along the front of your bent leg from hip to knee.

How to do it: 18 minutes (as many rounds as possible)

• 5 inchworms (demo-d here)
• 10 pass-throughs (a.k.a. chest openers)
• 30-second couch stretch per side

Angie

Fancy a full-body workout? Angie is just that. Angie is a muscular endurance workout that challenges you from head to toe with a push, pull, squat, and hinge movement. As with other workouts, swap in chair pulls if pull-ups aren’t happening.

How to do it: (Record your best time)

• 100 pull-ups
• 100 push-ups
• 100 situps
• 100 single-leg squats

5K Run

One of the most-used CrossFit WODs ever is a classic 5k run. It’s a great test of cardiovascular endurance, even if you need to intersperse walking throughout the 3.1 miles.

How to do it: (Record your best time)

• Do a 5-km run

Dealer’s Choice

For this one, break up the moves however you like until you work through all of the reps. If you can’t do pistol squats (understandable, they’re darn hard), swap in skater squats instead.

How to do it: (Record your best time)

• 4-minute wall sit
• 300 air squats
• 250 lunges
• 200 situps
• 100 pistol squats

3-Part Press Blast

This three-part AMRAP gets your cardio up with plenty of quick runs—and though it’s a little more complicated than other workouts on the list, you definitely won’t get bored. The gist of it: Set a timer to complete each AMRAP, resting for two minutes between them.

How to do it: (as many rounds as possible)

10 minutes, AMRAP

• 200-meter run
• 10 push-ups
• Rest 2 minutes

8 minutes, AMRAP

• 200-meter run
• 15 squat thrusts
• Rest 2 minutes

6 minutes, AMRAP

• 200-meter run
• 10 military presses

15-Minute EMOM

Next time you’re feeling meh about working out, Berger recommends EMOM (every minute, on the minute) workouts, which require you to jump back into action when a new 60-second interval starts.

For this one, you’ll work through five, three-minute rounds, focusing on one of three exercises for 40 seconds out of every minute.

If you don’t have a kettlebell, put a few books in a tote bag or use a gallon water jug.

How to do it: (as many rounds as possible)

• Minute 1: 40 seconds lateral jumps over an object, 20 seconds rest
• Minute 2: 40 seconds reverse lunges, 20 seconds rest
• Minute 3: 40 seconds kettlebell swings, 20 seconds rest

Is CrossFit safe?

The intensity of CrossFit is high. Your danger of hurting yourself while doing more intense workouts or lifting heavier weights increases every time you raise the intensity or quantity of your exercises.

Some common CrossFit injuries include:

• low back pain
• rotator cuff tendonitis
• Achilles tendonitis
• knee injuries
• tennis elbow

If you’re new to this exercise, it is better that you learn in a CrossFit gym before trying to do it alone at home. Hiring a professional fitness coach to ensure that you’re executing the exercises correctly is a good idea. Inadequate form, attempting to go through moves too quickly, or lifting more than you can handle can result in injury.

Until their fitness level improves, beginners should go at a slower speed and gradually increase weight.

CrossFit isn’t safe for everyone. If you’re pregnant and already doing CrossFit, go ahead and continue, but make sure to check with your doctor first. If you’re new to CrossFit while pregnant, you should hold off until afterward.

CrossFit isn’t suitable for you if you’re injured or have other critical health issues. Before beginning CrossFit, get your doctor’s approval or work with a physical therapist.

CrossFit may or may not be suitable for people over the age of 65 who are in good health. Before you begin, speak with your doctor.

It’s possible that CrossFit may help you lose weight, increase strength, agility, and flexibility while also improving your aerobic fitness. It’s not for everyone, though. If you have a health condition or injury, talk to your doctor before trying CrossFit. Consider working with an instructor instead of relying on online videos or workouts when you’re starting. They can help you learn proper form which may reduce your risk for injury.

References:

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-crossfit-it-right-you-here-s-what-you-need-ncna1070886

https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/crossfit-benefits

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g32465488/best-at-home-crossfit-workouts/

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a22799174/crossfit-workouts-at-home/

https://greatist.com/health/crossfit-workouts-at-home