19 Ultimate CrossFit Workouts

If you want to get fit, burn fat, and build muscle and strength, CrossFit is the training system for you. CrossFit has been around since 2000 and is the fitness phenomenon that has swept the world.

Combining bodyweight and calisthenic exercises, weightlifting, gymnastics, and a host of other training methods, the aim of CrossFit is simple – to build the highest possible level of all-round fitness.

CrossFit is popular with groups like the military, the emergency services, and athletes from lots of different sports, as well as the general public. It’s also spawned its own competitive sport, which culminates in the annual CrossFit Games, the winners of which are crowned the fittest athletes on the planet.

Part of the appeal of CrossFit is the vast array of workouts. Each one is challenging but very different. Most are against the clock and are all designed to test and develop all aspects of fitness.

For this article, we’ve put together the ultimate CrossFit workout list. You’ll find home workouts, bodyweight workouts, and workouts that use both basic weight training and more specialist CrossFit training equipment. In short, if you’re looking for the best CrossFit workouts, you’re in the right place!

Remember, though, CrossFit workouts are usually short, but that doesn’t mean they are low intensity. Take it easy if you are new to this type of exercise. Make sure you warm up before your workouts too. That way, you are less likely to get injured.

Ultimate CrossFit Workouts

1. Murph

CrossFit workouts are often named after members of the worldwide CrossFit community. Murph is named after Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005.

This is a seriously tough workout that combines running with high-rep sets of some staple CrossFit bodyweight exercises. Like most CrossFit workouts, Murph is a race against the clock.

Storm through the following as fast as possible. Complete all reps of one exercise before moving onto the next.

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

2. Cindy

Many CrossFit workouts have girl’s names, although it’s not always clear who these women are or were. Cindy is a simple workout, but it’s also very effective and uses just three well-known bodyweight exercises to work all of your major muscles. Because you don’t need a lot of workout equipment, Cindy is an ideal home CrossFit workout.

Complete as many laps of the following exercises as you can in 20 minutes:

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

3. Grace

Another of the CrossFit “girl” workouts, Grace involves just one exercise – the clean and jerk. But, despite this parred down exercise list, Grace is still a challenging workout to master. Clean and jerks are an Olympic lifting exercise that works virtually every muscle in your body. C & Js are not easy to learn, so this workout is best left to CrossFitters who have been taught how to do them.

For time:

• 30 clean and jerks

Men: 135 lb.

Women: 95 lb.

4. Bert

Bert is named after USMC corporal Albert Greetings, who died in Iraq in 2009. This workout involves lots of different movements, so it’s a good choice for anyone who gets bored doing the same exercises over and over again – as you could do with the Grace workout (#3).

The Bert workout is a straight race, so storm through it as fast as you can. Of course, you can take breaks whenever you need to, but the clock is always ticking…

One round for time of:

• 50 burpees
• 400m run
• 100 push-ups
• 400m run
• 150 walking lunges
• 400m run
• 200 squats
• 400m run
• 150 walking lunges
• 400m run
• 100 push-ups
• 400m run
• 50 burpees

5. Linda

Linda really proves that CrossFit workouts with girl’s names are far from easy. In fact, this is arguably one of the toughest on the roster. Also known as the three bars of death, this advanced workout features three classic barbell exercises: deadlifts, bench presses, and squat cleans.

For this workout, you do ten reps of each exercise, and then nine, eight, seven, etc., until you reach one rep. This is called a descending rep ladder.

For time:

• Deadlift at 150% bodyweight
• Bench Press at 100% bodyweight
• Squat Clean at 75% bodyweight

6. Fran

Fran is short, sharp, and brutal. This workout is for anyone who loves pull-ups. Despite being a couplet (a workout of two exercises), Fran works your entire body. Fran is one of the most dreaded CrossFit workouts and one of the benchmarks by which CrossFitters measure their progress.

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:

• 95 lb. thruster
• Pull-ups

7. Clovis

Most CrossFit workouts are usually short and intense. Many can be completed in 20 minutes or less. Clovis is an anomaly in that it may take several hours to finish. This is a CrossFit workout for runners. Named after US Army second lieutenant Clovis T Ray, this workout will test your cardiovascular fitness AND your mental toughness.

One round for time:

• Run 10 miles
• 150 burpee pull-ups

8. Karen

Karan looks like an easy girl(!), but the reality is quite different. Despite being one of the most straightforward CrossFit workouts, this one’s a real killer. Top CrossFitters can complete Karen in less than five minutes. But, most mere mortals will do well to finish Karen in under ten.

Wallball shots combine front squats with a push press and overhead throw to work all of your major muscles at the same time. Most people feel this workout most in their thighs and shoulders.

One round for time of:

• 150 wallball shots – 20lb ball

9. Helen

Kettlebells have been around for hundreds of years, but CrossFit made them popular again. Kettlebells can be used for a variety of exercises, but swings are amongst the best. The Helen workout combines swings with running and pull-ups to produce a short but incredibly intense training experience.

3 rounds for time of:

• Run 400 meters
• 21 kettlebell swings
• 12 pull-ups

10. Fight Gone Bad

CrossFit is immensely popular with boxers and MMA fighters. It’s arguably the best type of conditioning training for anyone involved in martial arts and combat sports. Fight Gone Bad is designed to test your endurance and fitness, as well as building mental toughness and resolve.

3 rounds of 60 seconds per exercise. Rest 60 seconds between laps:

• Wallball, 20/14 lb.
• Sumo deadlift high pull, 75/55 lb.
• Box jump, 20 inches
• Barbell push press, 75/55 lb.
• Row calories

11. 5K

5K (5000 meters, or just over three miles) is a classic running distance. It’s far enough to be challenging but short enough that, with training, you can “go for it” and try and run it quickly.

This workout can be done on a treadmill, but it’s better if you run outside, and preferably on an athletics track or accurately measured trail.

Pacing is essential for this CrossFit workout. Set off too fast, and you may not finish it. But, if you go too slow, you won’t set a good time. Ideally, you should cross the finish line feeling like you gave it your best shot and couldn’t have gone any faster.

For time:

• Run 5K

There is also a CrossFit 5K rowing workout, which is every bit as challenging.

12. Chelsea

Chelsea is very similar to Cindy (workout #2) but, instead of doing as many laps as you can in 20 minutes, for this workout, you do one lap every minute. This is called EMOM training, which is short for every minute, on the minute.

EMOM workouts start off feeling easy but, as you start to tire, it gets harder and harder to complete your reps in the allotted time.

Do one set of the following three exercises every minute for 30 minutes:

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

13. Gunny

Gunny is named after sergeant major Martin “Gunny” Barreras, who was killed in action in 2014. He used CrossFit before and during his many deployments, and his favorite workouts included Murph (#1) Bert (#4).

Gunny is a challenging workout that combines running with push-ups and sit-ups. This workout is usually done wearing a 20 lb. weighted vest to replicate body armor. The extra weight is optional and not recommended if you haven’t done this workout before.

For time:

• 1-mile run
• 50 push-ups
• 50 sit-ups
• 1-mile run
• 50 push-ups
• 50 sit-ups
• 1-mile weighted run

 14. CrossFit Total

Most CrossFit workouts are against the clock and designed to develop your cardiovascular fitness and endurance. This one is different. Instead, this workout was created to test and build strength.

Attempt each of the following lifts three times, doing just one rep. Your CrossFit total is your three best lifts added together.

• Barbell back squat
• Barbell shoulder press
• Barbell deadlift

Good Scores for the CrossFit total (men/women):

• Beginner: <500/<300 lb.
• Intermediate: 600-800/300-500 lb.
• Advanced: 800-1,000/500-700 lb.
• Elite: 1,000/700+ lb.

15. The Filthy 50

The filthy 50 is a beastly race against the clock where you do 50 reps of ten different exercises to total 500 reps. It’s an unrelenting workout, there are no easy exercises, and it leaves no muscle untested.

For time:

• 50 box jumps
• 50 jumping pull-ups
• 50 kettlebell swings
• 50 walking lunges
• 50 knees to elbows
• 50 push-presses
• 50 back extensions
• 50 wallball shots
• 50 burpees
• 50 double unders

If the filthy 50 is too much for you right now, try the dirty 30. The exercises are the same, but you do just 30 reps of each.

16. Tabata This

Tabatas are a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). A Tabata involves eight sets of 20 seconds work and ten second rests. Lasting four minutes, a single Tabata is incredibly tough but also very time efficient. Tabata This involves doing five different Tabatas, and it’s a real killer.

Do eight sets of 20 seconds work with ten seconds of rest of:

• Rowing machine
• Air squats
• Pull-ups
• Push-ups
• Sit-ups

Rest one minute between Tabatas.

17. Megan

Some of the most intense CrossFit workouts are also the simplest and shortest. Megan is a real butt-kicker, but on paper, it looks entirely innocent. The reason these short, simple workouts are so hard is that they allow you to really “go for it,” and racing against the clock is a great way to work harder without realizing it.

Three laps, 21-15-9 reps, for time of:

• Burpees
• Kettlebell swings
• Double-unders

18. Row Cindy Row

Row Cindy Row adds an extra twist to the Cindy/Chelsea triplet of pull-ups, push-ups, and squats. In one way, the addition of an extra exercise gives you a welcome rest between laps. On the other hand, that same extra exercise increases the cardiovascular demand of what is already a challenging workout.

Row Cindy Row is an excellent workout that leaves no muscle group or energy system untrained.

Do as many rounds of the following as you can in 20 minutes:

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 air squats
• 20 calories rowing machine

19. Angie

Angie is a numerically pleasing workout that consists of 100 reps of four straightforward bodyweight exercises. Despite its simplicity, this is a tough workout that leaves no muscle untested.

For Angie, you must do all 100 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next.

For time:

• 100 pull-ups
• 100 push-ups
• 100 sit-ups
• 100 squats

Scaling the Workouts

Unless you are a competitive CrossFitter, you don’t have to do the workouts exactly as they are written. Instead, you can alter or scale them to match your current fitness level. For example, if 60 seconds per exercise on Fight Gone Bad (#10) is currently beyond your abilities, you can do each exercise for 45 or 30 seconds instead.

As you get fitter, you can gradually work toward doing the workouts in their original form.

Ways to scale the workouts include:

• Doing fewer reps
• Using lighter weights
• Taking longer breaks between laps
• Doing fewer laps
• Using less demanding exercises

Some exercisers get injured doing CrossFit workouts, usually because they try and do too much too soon. Scale the workouts down so that you can complete them safely. They’ll still be demanding and productive, but scaling should make them more achievable.

Bottom Line

CrossFit is arguably the best training method for developing all-around fitness. While things like running are good for your cardiovascular fitness and weightlifting builds muscle and strength, very few workouts combine these elements to create such complete conditioning.

One of the appeals of CrossFit is that the workouts are never boring. There are hundreds of different workouts, so training variety is all-but-guaranteed. And if you don’t like a particular workout, you don’t need to worry; it’ll probably be several weeks before it shows up in the rotation again.

CrossFit isn’t for everyone. It’s not the best way to build muscle mass and may be too intense for very unfit or overweight exercisers. However, if you want to develop a high level of all-around fitness and enjoy workouts with a competitive slant, you’ll probably enjoy and get a lot from CrossFit.

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