What Are Top CrossFit WODs To Try?
Sports & Activity
Two certified trainers unpack everything you need to know about CrossFit’s workouts of the day (WODs).
CrossFit has built a reputation for creating fun and challenging workouts. At the heart of CrossFit is the brand’s workouts of the day, or WODs. CrossFit WODs are the specialized workouts you’ll encounter when you visit a CrossFit location, and they change on a daily basis.
While the full Crossfit WOD experience is best done at an actual CrossFit location where all the equipment and guidance is readily available, the company shares WODs on its website for athletes to replicate at home. There are a lot of CrossFit WODs to wade through, though. So, what are the best CrossFit WODs to try? CrossFit trainers break it down.
What is the goal of CrossFit WODs?
CrossFit doesn’t offer up random workouts — they’re designed to increase fitness and health, said Denise Thomas, CrossFit Level 4 trainer.
“We define fitness as work capacity across broad time and modal domains,” she said. “Work capacity is the amount of power created across an unlimited set of physical tasks. Power is important because it's both measurable — creates accountability — and can also be defined as intensity.”
And, Thomas said, “intensity matters because when it is appropriately prescribed relative to ability, it will garner incredible results.”
CrossFit WODs are exercises that range from those that are very short with maximum effort to others that are long, with variations in between, Thomas said. “We want to have the ability to perform to the best of our ability in any given time frame, so we take on such stimuli,” she said.
WODs cover different modalities including gymnastics, weightlifting and cardio. “Our program aims to create a broad, general, and inclusive fitness, therefore we expose ourselves to a lot of things,” Thomas said.
Participants get best results when they go four to five days a week, modify workouts for their own fitness level, take necessary rest and recovery days, and eat well, Thomas said. “We are not a quick-fix, 12-week program,” she said. “To understand CrossFit, it requires an investment and trust that is developed over time within the walls of our affiliates via the CrossFit coach.”
What are the top CrossFit WODs?
It depends on who you ask. Chuck Carswell, seminar excellence manager and CrossFit Level 4 trainer, has his personal favorites.
“Over the years, I have developed proficiency with the movements and the ability to handle the loading required to do them as they are written,” he said of his top picks. Carswell said he recommends that people start out by “establishing competency in these movements as well as gaining capacity” before attempting the workouts with the load as prescribed.
Here, both Carswell and Thomas list the CrossFit WODs they recommend trying.
1.Grace
For time:
30 clean and jerks at 135 pounds (for men)
This is a benchmark workout, meaning it’s designed to be repeated to assess overall improvement. “A decrease in time from a previous effort for the 30 clean and jerks is an indicator of increased fitness,” Carswell said. “The loading for this workout is considered light to moderate. Therefore, 30 repetitions are listed as opposed to one single maximum lift, like you would find in the Olympics.”2.DT
Five rounds for a time of:
155 pound deadlift, 12 reps
155 pound hang power clean, 9 reps
155 pound push jerk, 6 reps
DT is a "hero" workout that was created in honor of United States Air Force Sergeant Timothy P. Davis. “Hero workouts are some of the most challenging workouts in CrossFit and written as a memorial to those we have lost,” Carswell said.
Note, all of these recommended weights are tailored to men. Carswell added that every person’s goal will look different. Be sure to work with a certified personal trainer or CrossFit trainer to help you assess which weight range would be safe for you to strive toward.3.Isabel
For time:
30 snatches at 135 pounds
Isabel is also a benchmark workout and “arguably one of the most technically complex movements,” Carswell said.
Again, the weight listed above is usually recommended for men. Consider working with a professional to determine which weight is best for you and your goals.4.Fight Gone Bad
Three rounds of:
Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10-foot target
Sumo deadlift high pull, 75 pounds
Box jump, 20-inch box
Push-press, 75 pounds
Row
This workout involves moving from each station after a minute. “The clock does not reset or stop between exercises,” Carswell said, noting that people can take, at the very least, a one-minute break before repeating the workout.
Carswell says the workout is “challenging because it is light or no load at each station and has squatting, pushing, pulling and jumping.”5.Jackie
For time:
1000-meter row
50 thrusters (45 pounds)
30 pull-ups
The score is the time it takes to complete the workout. “Jackie is a classic CrossFit benchmark workout that has a little everything,” Thomas said. “It's a high heart rate, lactic acid-burning, grip-intensive, sub 10-minutes workout.”6.2,000 Meter Row
For time:
Row 2,000 meters
“It starts with no technique and all effort, to some technique and all effort, to more technique and less effort, to rowing efficiency bliss,” Thomas said. “The rower is a phenomenal piece of equipment and if mistreated you will exert a lot more energy than required. Your lats, butt, quads, and beating heart will love it.”7.Nasty Girls
Three rounds for time:
50 air squats
7 muscle-ups
10 hang power cleans (155 pounds)
“This triplet offers a good dose of simplicity, complexity and the opportunity to experience a heavier load,” Thomas said. “What's beautiful is that while each movement has different functions, they still interfere with each other, causing fatigue.”
The workout has “just enough air squatting to build a spicy leg burn that can be felt on the drive portion of the hang power clean, and seven muscle-ups is a number that can be completed unbroken, but in doing so will affect the grip on the hang power clean,” Thomas said.
What To Consider Before Attempting CrossFit WODs at Home
While people often go to a CrossFit location to do the workouts, Carswell said they can “be completed virtually anywhere and often with minimal equipment.” He added, “it is not uncommon for these workouts to be completed in garages, backyards, parks, offices, hotels, or driveways.”
But coaching can help: “The coach can help guide the individual to the right protocol for them,” Thomas said. “CrossFit is for everyone, but understanding an athlete's past history, present ability, and future goals are very important conversations in ensuring they are set up for continued and enjoyable success. If not introduced correctly, it could deter or completely ruin their experience.”
Words by Korin Miller