Building a training process in CrossFit for beginner athletes

Here are the top 15 CrossFit exercises that only require your body weight. In addition, they can be performed at home.

Dear friends, today we will talk about CrossFit. Let’s try to be as short as possible, but at the same time give you a complete understanding of this type. CrossFit appeared relatively recently in Russia. This sport is new to us, coming from America. CrossFit gymnast Greg Glassman invented it. In the 80s, he defined the general position of this technique.

CrossFit became widespread in 2001. CrossFit can be called a system of general physical training, consisting of functional, constantly varying movements performed at high intensity. CrossFit creates the most versatile athletes possible, that is, they must be strong and resilient, fast, explosive, coordinated, and generally ready for any physical activity. The athlete receives uniform and full physical development. We just ask you not to confuse CrossFit with regular circuit training, as many people mistakenly think. You are told this by those people who have not understood the essence of CrossFit and thereby draw hasty conclusions. Of course, circuit training in CrossFit is a common occurrence, but it is far from the basis.

CrossFit can be roughly divided into fitness for health and sports. Such training has the main goal of improving health and creating good physical shape. CrossFit as a sport has the main goal of winning various competitions.

Mat Fraser

Mat Fraser, a former weightlifter and powerlifter, was forced to say goodbye to his bodybuilding career due to knee injuries. But he did not give up and after the operation he entered the world of CrossFit, where he rightfully earned the fame of “the strongest of the strongest.” At the same time, its other characteristics are at their best. This Canadian-American simply “killed” his competitors in 2016 with his athletic achievements in CrossFit.

Barbell Tips

Successfully lifting the barbell while you're already tired is an important skill for any CrossFitter. Even if an athlete came to CrossFit from Olympic weightlifting, this does not mean that he is able to effectively lift a barbell while very tired.

At weightlifting competitions, athletes do not begin the exercise after a kilometer run or several dozen pull-ups, as is the case in CrossFit. As a rule, each lift in other disciplines is carried out after proper rest periods, unlike CrossFit, where the athlete is given no more than a minute to rest between exercises.

Working with an empty bar

Unless you are a professional weightlifter with good prior training, you should not underestimate the importance of working with an empty bar. Play with many random complexes. Set yourself the time you will spend working with the bar, but do not set the exact bar at 5-10 minutes. Try different positions, vary the width of your grip. Do different variations of exercises, immerse yourself in training, discarding everything unnecessary.

Once you stop getting tired with an empty bar, add some weight. You will find that as you become more and more fit, turning the bar into an extension of your body, you will be ready to attack the heavy lifts.

Don't be afraid of a high heart rate

Another important skill for CrossFitters is the ability to work effectively at a high heart rate. Don't be afraid to do this. Of course, if you've never trained like this before, things can end badly, especially if you come across WODs that include exercises like double jump ropes, rowing, skiing or burpees before weightlifting.

If you've never practiced lifting heavy weights when your heart rate is too high, you're bound to have difficulty doing similar lifts in competition or training. Therefore, gradually practice performing such diverse exercises in a row.

The importance of proper breathing

Don't forget about proper breathing during training. Focus on this the next time you do weightlifting exercises. You will be surprised how much this helps you perform the complex and delay the onset of complete fatigue.

Often, athletes barely breathe or hold their breath while lifting the barbell, especially on exercises such as thrusters. Inhale at the top of the thruster as you press and lock the bar. This will help you establish the desired rhythm and ensure optimal levels of oxygen in the blood. The effort should be made while exhaling.

An effective breathing practice is to inhale only through the nose and exhale through the mouth. As soon as you inhale through your mouth, it is as if you are taking a little rest. This stabilizes breathing in critical situations.

When breathing returns to normal, you can breathe only through your nose again. It is not advisable to use such a breathing technique during WODs at tournaments, but it is very worth using this method in practice during training. This will make you think more about your breathing and improve your breathing habits.

In exercises where the barbell must be lifted off the floor, effective technique is extremely important. When performing deadlifts from the floor with straight legs, the back bends and the chest collapses, which makes it much more difficult to expand the lungs. Bend your knees slightly so you can stay more upright and thus breathe better.

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Proprioception

Another benefit of such training is that it will teach you to better understand your body and move more efficiently. Proprioception is your personal perception or awareness of the position and movement of your own body. Compression clothing can be a great way to improve your proprioceptive abilities. It also helps keep your muscles warm during long workouts, which is important for reducing the risk of injury.

Staying warm is important during barbell exercises as it will help keep your joints flexible and reduce the risk of injury. Wearing a sweater or tracksuit, even if the room is warm, is ideal for such an occasion.

Camille Leblanc Bazinet

Camille Leblanc Bazinet made her CrossFit debut back in 2009. Since then, she has lost only one competition - in 2014, in all other competitions Camilla emerged victorious.

She is rightfully considered the thinnest and most beautiful female athlete in the world of CrossFitter all-around. But, most importantly, over the years she has not lost her physical shape and is ready to show herself in all her glory at the upcoming Dubai competitions with new incredible records.

CrossFit training programs for beginners

You have already heard about CrossFit and want to find out more about what it is and how to start practicing this system. CrossFit training is a complex of several high-intensity exercises combined into a WOD. CrossFit athletes rarely perform the same WOD in the same week. For example, a WOD on Monday includes: 15 squats, 20 lunges and a 500 m run. This sequence is performed for the maximum number of rounds in a certain period of time (this is called AMRAP). Tuesday's WOD consists of 5 pull-ups, 10 squats and a swim, performed as many rounds as possible within a given time. One WOD usually lasts from 20 to 40 minutes.

Jason Calipa

Jason Calipa - Former firefighter and weightlifter who was able to show that you can still perform impressively when switching between sports. Throughout his career, he participated in the CrossFit games more than 8 times, and almost every time he got into prize places.

His performance is very modest in terms of speed, but he is rightfully considered one of the strongest athletes.