Sports training
CrossFit-style workout for beginners: learn the lifts, then a short scaled workout
CrossFit classes run in four parts: a warm-up, skill or strength work, the workout of the day and a cool-down, and every workout can be scaled. This session follows that shape for your first months, when injuries are more common: in one gym's 8-week starter programme, novices had 9.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of training, and switching between scaled and full loads went with more injuries. So the loads stay light, every set stops short of failure, and the hard part is an EMOM (every minute on the minute), which kept heart rate and effort lower than racing the clock in a study of the same work. We're not connected with CrossFit or any gym, and a coached class is the best place to learn the lifts.
Warm-up
- Indoor rowing (rowing machine)3 to 5 min easyBeginner · Quads, Glutes, Back · 3D demoLegs, then body, then arms, with the damper at 3 to 5. No rower: 60 s of jumping jacksHarder: Stair climbing
- Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)3 slow circles each armBeginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoBig, slow circlesEasier: Arm circlesHarder: Sleeper stretch
- Standing hip CARs3 slow circles each legBeginner · Glutes, Hip flexors, Hip abductors · 3D demoHold a rackHarder: 90/90 hip lift-off
- Bodyweight squat10 repsBeginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoKnees over your middle toesEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat
- Hip-hinge practice8 repsBeginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demoHips back, back longHarder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Strength and skill
Rest 90 s
- Dumbbell goblet squat3 sets of 8 to 12Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoStop 2 to 3 reps short of failureEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands
- Kettlebell deadlift3 sets of 5Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demoThe hinge behind the swing: flat back, bell close to your legsHarder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
- Push-up3 sets of 6 to 15Intermediate · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoHands on a bench to make it easier; wrists under your shouldersEasier: Wall push-upHarder: Close-grip push-up (close triceps position)
- Inverted row3 × 6 to 12Intermediate · Back, Biceps, Shoulders · 3D demoThe scaled pull-up: a higher bar or bent knees make it easierEasier: Incline ring rowHarder: Bent-over barbell row
EMOM: 10 minutes
5 rounds
- Kettlebell swing60 sIntermediate · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demo10 swings to chest height, then rest for the rest of the minute. Swing from the hips; park the bell if your back takes overEasier: Cable pull-throughHarder: Kettlebell clean
- Burpee60 sAdvanced · Quads, Chest, Shoulders · 3D demo5 burpees, then rest. Easier: step your feet back and in. Still going at 40 s? Do fewer next minuteEasier: Mountain climbers
Core
- Dead bug2 × 8 each sideBeginner · Abs, Hip flexors · 3D demoLower back stays downHarder: Forearm plank
- Side plank2 × 20 to 30 s each sideIntermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoFrom the knees if neededEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift
Cool-down
- Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch30 s each sideBeginner · Quads, Glutes · 3D demoTuck your pelvis underHarder: Couch stretch
- Cross-body shoulder stretch30 s each sideBeginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoGentleHarder: Sleeper stretch
Tips
- Twice or three times a week for your first 3 months, with a day between: being new is the most consistent injury marker in CrossFit studies.
- Pick a scaled load you can keep for weeks rather than jumping to the full weight on good days: switching between them went with 3.5 times the odds of injury.
- Learn the Olympic lifts and gymnastics moves in a coached class, where trainer involvement went with fewer injuries, and build a strict pull-up before kipping.
- Don't do a new move for very high reps or for time in your first sessions. Dark, red or cola-coloured urine, much less urine than usual, or very painful, weak or swollen muscles in the days after need medical help the same day.
- Leaking during jumps or lifts is common and treatable: daily pelvic floor training helped 64% of women in a trial, and our pelvic floor guide explains how.
- Stop if you get chest pain, and call 999 for chest pain that doesn't go away, or spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back.
The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.
Guides that recommend it
Find more moves like these
More sports training
Injury prevention exercises for runners
Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.
25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box
Plyometrics for runners
A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.
20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine
Strength workout for cyclists (gym)
A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.
50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbellQuestions people ask
How long does the crossfit-style workout for beginners: learn the lifts, then a short scaled workout take?
About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.
What equipment do I need?
You need: Cardio machine, A wall, A dumbbell, A kettlebell, Pull-up bar. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.
Is it suitable for beginners?
It is written for beginners. 8 of its 15 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.
How do I make it easier or harder?
Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.