Entering the world of CrossFit can be both exciting and intimidating, especially with the wide variety of exercises and techniques to master. For beginners, it’s crucial to start with foundational movements that build strength, endurance, and confidence. In this guide, we’ll introduce you to 11 beginner CrossFit exercises that are effective and accessible, helping you establish a strong fitness base.
Whether you’re looking to improve your general fitness or prepare for more advanced CrossFit workouts, these exercises are the perfect starting point.
Here’s a muscle chart so you can reference the muscles worked:
1. Air Squats
Air squats are a foundational bodyweight exercise that involves lowering your hips back and down, like sitting in an invisible chair, then standing back up.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core.
Benefits: Air squats enhance leg strength, improve balance, and increase flexibility. They are a fundamental movement in many sports and daily activities, helping to improve your ability to lift, jump, and run.
Progression: Mastering air squats prepares you for weighted squats, such as back squats and front squats.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your chest up and gaze forward.
- Lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if sitting in a chair.
- Go as low as you can while keeping your heels on the ground.
- Return to the starting position by pushing through your heels.
2. Push-Ups
Push-ups are a classic bodyweight exercise that strengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core by lowering and lifting the body in a plank position using arm and chest muscles.
Muscles Worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
Benefits: Push-ups are excellent for building upper body strength and endurance. They also engage the core, promoting stability and balance.
Progression: Push-ups lay the groundwork for more advanced exercises like handstand push-ups and bench presses.
How to Perform:
- Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows.
- Push back up to the starting position.
3. Burpees
Burpees are a full-body exercise that combines a squat, push-up, and jump
Muscles Worked: Full body, including legs, chest, arms, and core.
Benefits: Burpees increase cardiovascular endurance and overall strength. They are a high-intensity exercise that improves agility and explosiveness, making them great for sports and everyday activities.
Progression: Burpees are a precursor to more complex movements, such as squat thrusts and tuck jumps.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body into a squat position and place your hands on the ground.
- Kick your feet back into a plank position.
- Perform a push-up.
- Jump your feet back towards your hands.
- Explosively jump into the air, reaching your hands overhead.
These can be done at all level. Here’s an example of an even more scaled version of a burpee.
4. Box Jumps
Box jumps are a plyometric exercise that involves jumping onto a raised surface.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes.
Benefits: Box jumps build explosive power and leg strength. They improve your ability to jump, which is beneficial in sports and daily activities like hiking and climbing stairs.
Progression: Once comfortable with box jumps, you can progress to higher boxes or incorporate them into more complex workouts.
How to Perform:
- Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform.
- Bend your knees slightly and swing your arms back.
- Jump onto the box, landing softly with your knees slightly bent.
- Step back down and repeat.
5. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a foundational strength exercise where you lift a weighted barbell from the ground to hip level.
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and core.
Benefits: Deadlifts develop strength in the posterior chain, which is crucial for maintaining posture and preventing lower back injuries. They enhance your ability to lift heavy objects safely.
Progression: Mastering deadlifts sets the stage for more advanced lifts, such as the Romanian deadlift and sumo deadlift.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with a barbell in front of you.
- Bend at your hips and knees to grasp the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Keep your back straight and chest up as you lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees.
- Lower the barbell back to the ground by bending at the hips and knees.
6. Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings involve swinging a kettlebell from between the legs to shoulder height using a powerful hip thrust.
Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, and back.
Benefits: Kettlebell swings are a dynamic exercise that improves cardiovascular fitness and strengthens the posterior chain. They enhance power and endurance, making them ideal for sports and functional movements.
Progression: Once proficient, you can progress to heavier kettlebells and incorporate swings into complex circuits.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell on the ground in front of you.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips to grasp the kettlebell.
- Swing the kettlebell between your legs, then drive your hips forward to propel it to shoulder height.
- Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat.
7. Wall Balls
Wall balls are a full-body exercise where you squat while holding a medicine ball, then explosively throw the ball up to a target on the wall, catching it on the way down.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and core.
Benefits: Wall balls combine squats with an overhead throw, providing a full-body workout that boosts strength and endurance. They improve coordination and power, useful in various sports and activities.
Progression: Wall balls prepare you for exercises like thrusters and overhead presses.
How to Perform:
- Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a medicine ball at chest height.
- Perform a squat, then explode upwards, throwing the ball against the wall.
- Catch the ball as it returns and immediately go into the next squat.
8. Planks
Planks are a core-strengthening exercise where you hold a push-up position with your body in a straight line.
Muscles Worked: Core, shoulders, and back.
Benefits: Planks are fundamental for building core stability and strength, essential for balance and posture. They are a low-impact exercise that improves endurance and supports other movements.
Progression: Planks can lead to more challenging core exercises, such as side planks and plank variations with leg lifts.
How to Perform:
- Lie face down on the ground, then lift your body onto your forearms and toes.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Hold this position, engaging your core and keeping your hips level.
9. Ring Rows
Ring rows are a bodyweight exercise where you pull yourself up towards suspended rings.
Muscles Worked: Upper back, shoulders, and biceps.
Benefits: Ring rows are an excellent exercise for building upper body strength and preparing for pull-ups. They enhance grip strength and muscle endurance.
Progression: Once mastered, you can progress to pull-ups and muscle-ups.
How to Perform:
- Adjust gymnastic rings to chest height.
- Grasp the rings and lean back, keeping your body straight.
- Pull your chest towards the rings, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower yourself back to the starting position.
10. Lunges
Lunges are a lower-body exercise where you step forward and lower your hips until both knees are bent at 90 degrees.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core.
Benefits: Lunges build leg strength, improve balance, and enhance flexibility. They are functional movements that aid in sports and daily activities like walking and climbing stairs.
Progression: Mastering lunges allows you to advance to weighted lunges and variations such as walking lunges and reverse lunges.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Push back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.
11. Jump Rope
Jump rope involves repeatedly jumping over a swinging rope.
Muscles Worked: Calves, shoulders, core, and cardiovascular system.
Benefits: Jumping rope is an effective cardiovascular exercise that improves coordination, agility, and endurance. It’s a great warm-up and enhances footwork for sports like boxing and tennis.
Progression: As you improve, you can incorporate more advanced jump rope techniques, such as double unders and speed jumping.
How to Perform:
- Hold the handles of a jump rope at your sides.
- Swing the rope over your head and jump as it passes your feet.
- Keep your jumps low and consistent.
Getting Started with CrossFit
These beginner CrossFit exercises provide a solid foundation to build upon as you become more familiar with the CrossFit methodology. Start with lighter weights and focus on form to prevent injury and ensure progress. Remember, consistency is key, and as you continue to train, you’ll notice significant improvements in your strength and fitness.
At CrossFit AIO, we welcome beginners and offer guidance to help you master these exercises. We want you to experience the transformative power of these beginner CrossFit exercises. It’s time you join a class!
Sign up for our FREE INTRO SESSION right now! Or feel free to call us (416) 256-1214
We look forward to helping you take your fitness to the next level!
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