The CrossFit(ish) Workout for a Better Body

Women are obsessed with those CrossFit bodies, but let’s be honest. It takes a lot of work and hefty gym membership fees every month to achieve that look. What if all you have is a general $10 a month gym membership and an hour, tops, to move towards this goal? Is all hope lost?

Absolutely not. This is a week of workouts you can repeat on your own, no technical lifts and no special gear required.

The Anatomy of a CrossFit Workout

Let’s break down a CrossFit workout so we understand which portion delivers what results. First, there is typically a warm-up. Depending on what is written on the board that day, there will be a good ten minutes or so getting the heart rate up and loosening the muscles that will be put to work that day.

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This is especially important for fast-paced workouts with weights. There is a higher chance of injury if you are not properly warmed up than there is if you are doing everything slow and controlled.

Then you have your skills or strength portion. This is where you may do a strength movement like a squat, a clean and press, or a deadlift, or you may work on muscle ups or handstands. It is important you do this portion at your own pace to avoid injury and progress with proper form. This is the part where your strength increases and your muscles take shape.

After that, comes the famous portion, the WOD – or, Workout of the Day. This is the twenty or so minutes of fast-paced metabolic exercise that everyone talks about. It has a name and it is timed, so you have to race through the movements as quick as you possibly can, ideally without letting your form breakdown too much. This is the part where you burn a lot of calories and lean out.

Finally, most boxes will have a cool-down portion, which, for some people, might involve lying in a puddle of their own sweat, wondering whether the place has a defibrillator, but most folks will sip on some BCAAs and stretch out or foam roll.

The Benefits of CrossFit

CrossFit is great for exercising. It is full of functional movements and increases your cardiovascular capacity. Beginners will get stronger and faster and burn more fat than by simply lifting weights alone. By combining weightlifting with high-intensity intervals, you can build a gorgeous muscled physique and be able to jog up a flight of stairs without having to feign death.

CrossFit also provides a wide range of movements, so you can be proficient at more than just a few structured patterns. Instead of only squats, deadlifts, and bench press, you learn to jump, run, utilize Olympic lifts, do gymnastics, and climb, as well. It gives you a variety of things to discover and improve upon.

The Cons of CrossFit

There are problems with CrossFit, however. First of all, it is exercising, not progressions or training. Once you get better at cardiovascular power, returns begin to diminish because you are doing completely different workouts every day.

There is no linear periodization, progressive overload, or peaking and tapering. This is why professional CrossFit competitors do not train by doing general CrossFit. They could never become elite by remaining so random.

Another problem is that Olympic lifts require precise technique, as in, you need a coach for these techniques. This is something most people don’t have access to and there is little quality control when it comes to CrossFit coaches.

Lastly, there is a high chance of injury and burnout because many people are competitive and they don’t take their rest and recovery seriously. CrossFit can bring out the puke bucket mentality, but if we are honest, needing a puke bucket is not a sign of a good workout – it’s a sign you overdid it in the name of, what, suffering? It doesn’t make your performance better.

Training smart makes your performance better.

How to Combine CrossFit Style With the Globo Gym

So, how do we reap the benefits from CrossFit, and minimize the downsides and potential for pain and exhaustion? How do we achieve this hot body without spending an arm and a leg? Easy. We combine some big, basic lifts with a quick metabolic burn afterward. These are simple movements you can perform without on-site technicians. You can do this program for a few months and make functional strength gains while burning fat.

And if you want an extra boost, keep your diet in check. Trade most of your starchy carbohydrates for vegetables. Keep your protein high and your fats moderate. Cut back on sodas, alcohol and any other empty liquid calories. That should help you show off the muscles you will build.

This is a five-day program aimed at intermediate-level lifters. You should already know where your maxes are, or understand how to test them prior to starting this workout. You should also have a base level of cardiorespiratory endurance.

These workouts should take about an hour, plus some time during the third week to rest between heavy sets. If you struggle with any movement, like pull-ups, feel free to use an assisted machine or substitute lat pulldowns. Modify where necessary.

There are four days with a major lift focus, followed by a metabolic workout, and one day that is simply cardiovascular endurance-based.

If you repeat this over a four-week cycle, you will start with a 5x5 on your big lift, then, the following week, move to 3x3, then on the third week, 6x heavy singles at close to your 1RM. The last week will have you doing a general 3x10 at a lower percentage, think a deload/hypertrophy.

This four-week cycle can be repeated with incrementally heavier weights. The choices you will have with warm-ups and accessories should keep it fun.

Workout 1 – SQUAT DAY

• Warm up: Choose 10 minutes on any cardio equipment you like, then: 2 sets of 10 bodyweight squats, 12 lunges, 10 light Stiff-legged deadlifts
• Strength: Squat Week 1: 5x5, Week 2: 3x3, Week 3: 6x1, Week 4: 3x10
• Workout: 5 pull ups, 10 pushups, 20 goblet squats, 30 kettlebell swings, 40 Russian twists, 50 Romanian Deadlifts with kettlebell. (Repeat 3x)
• Cool down: Easy ten minutes on a bike.

Workout 2 – BENCH DAY

• Warm up: Choose 10 minutes on any cardio equipment you like, then: 2 sets of 10 dislocates, 5x 1-arm floor press, 5x 1-arm shoulder press
• Strength: Bench Week 1: 5x5, Week 2: 3x3, Week 3: 6x1, Week 4: 3x10 W
• Workout: 250 Meter Row /1 min plank / 500 Meter Row/ 1 min plank / 750 Meter Row / 1 min Plank / 1000 Meter Row / 1 min plank / 750 Meter Row / 1 min plank / 500 Meter Row / 1 min plank / 250 Meter Row
• Cool down: Stretching, whatever you need to loosen up.

Workout 3 – ENDURANCE DAY

No need for a warm-up. Pick any machine (or machines) and do either a full hour on one, three 20 minute sessions on three, or however you want to break up one hour of moderate-intensity cardio.

You can also skip the gym and go out for a run. How intense is moderately intense? Simple.

Aim to be persistently a little bit uncomfortable, but not struggling. The point of this day is to increase your cardiovascular work capacity and recover from the weight lifting portion of the workout.

Workout 4 – DEADLIFT DAY

• Warm up: Choose 10 minutes on any cardio equipment you like, then: 2 sets of 10 bodyweight squats, 12 lunges, 10 light Stiff-legged deadlifts
• Strength: Deadlift Week 1: 5x5, Week 2: 3x3, Week 3: 6x1, Week 4: 3x10
• Workout: 20 kettlebell goblet squats, 15 box jumps, 10 calories on the Airdyne or Assault Bike, (2 min rest) – repeat 3x
• Cool down: Easy 10 minute on any cardio equipment.

Workout 5 – OVERHEAD PRESS DAY

• Warm-up: Choose 10 minutes on any cardio equipment you like, then: 2 sets of 10 dislocates, 5x 1-arm floor press, 8 banded pulldowns
• Strength: Overhead press Week 1: 5x5, Week 2: 3x3, Week 3: 6x1, Week 4: 3x10
• Workout: 5 Pull-ups, 10 barbell rows, (3x) THEN: 1 arm loaded kettlebell carries & 20 Russian twists (3x)
• Cool down: Stretching, whatever you need to loosen up.

*Take two days for recovery and active or general rest.