12 CrossFit Workouts Anyone Can Do

If you've never tried CrossFit, you probably assume the barbell-and-burpee-heavy WODs (it stands for Workout Of the Day) are way out of your fitness range. As a beginner, odds are you're right. But not all CrossFit workouts require being insanely fit or for you to know your way around a clean and snatch and Romanian deadlift. 

"Just make sure you follow these three principles: technique (move safely and focus on form the entire time), consistency (keep at it so you see improvements over time), and intensity (push yourself as hard as you can for the short amount of time you're working)," says JJ Christopher, owner of Division St. CrossFit in Chicago, Illinois. Try it yourself with any of these 12 entry-level workouts. Be sure to do some light cardio like an 800-meter run or jumping jacks and stretching beforehand. Make it through all dozen and you have no excuse not to join your nearest box (CrossFit-ese for gym).

21-15-9

(From JJ Christopher of Division St. CrossFit, Chicago, Illinois)

21-15-9 (this means you do 21 reps of both exercises, then 15 reps of both, then 9 reps of both as fast as you can)

• Deadlifts (Beginners should try to do a weight between 95 and 135 pounds for this.)
• Burpees (From a standing position, place hands on floor, jump feet back, perform a push-up, then jump back up to standing.)

Countdown

(From JJ Christopher of Division St. CrossFit, Chicago, Illinois)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (similar to the WOD above, this series has you perform 10 reps of each move, then 9 reps, then 8 reps all the way down until the last set is just one rep of each)

• Dumbbell Thrusters (Hold a 15- to 25-pound dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest. Squat down, keeping the dumbbell in place, then stand back up while simultaneously raising the dumbbell overhead.)
• Kettlebell Swings (Try to do them with a 53-pound kettlebell, but if that's too heavy you can use a 35-pound one.)

All Body Weight

(From JJ Christopher of Division St. CrossFit, Chicago, Illinois)

As fast as you can, perform three rounds of the following moves:

• 15 air squats (You don't need any weights for this one.)
• 15 sit-ups (Make sure your hands touch your toes at the top of each sit-up.)
• 10 push-ups
• 10 ring rows (Think of this as a push-up in reverse. You position yourself under two rings looking up, holding the rings in your hands, with your arms extended, feet out in front of you, body in a straight line, and core engaged. Pull up until your chest reaches the rings. If you don't have access to rings, you can do pull-ups on an assisted pull-up machine at your gym or substitute dumbbell bent-over rows. For that last option, you place one knee and hand on a bench, hold a dumbbell in the other hand, and pull it up towards your body.)
• 5 burpees

http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/12-crossfit-workouts-anyone-can-do-20140408/speed-squats