When I first heard about CrossFit, I wanted to know if it was possible to do CrossFit workouts at home or if I’d need to join a gym to do them. Since you are reading this, I assume you are wondering the same thing.
The good news is that it certainly is possible to do CrossFit workouts at home.
Before starting, it’s wise to get some instruction from a certified trainer. If you don’t have access to one, there is plenty of online information to help you get underway.
This article will look at what CrossFit involves and whom it will suit.
It will also cover what a typical workout entails and what you will need to do CrossFit workouts at home.
If you don’t have any equipment, not to worry. You can easily improvise and make your own CrossFit equipment to use when doing CrossFit home workouts.
Table of Contents
What is CrossFit?
When done regularly, CrossFit workouts are one of the most effective ways of developing lean muscle mass and achieving a very high fitness level in a short period.
This comprehensive form of exercise increases and optimizes athleticism in the ten recognized fitness areas.
These include cardio/respiratory endurance, strength, stamina, power, speed, flexibility, agility, coordination, accuracy, and balance.
CrossFit exercise routines combine various components, including weight training using dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells.
You can also sprint, climb, throw rubber tires, jump rope, row, and use a medicine ball. Pull-up bars and gymnastic rings can be utilized, and the list goes on.
Not all of the above components will be incorporated into each session.
With an almost limitless range of activity and equipment options, no two sessions need ever be exactly the same unless you want them to be.
Though CrossFit exercise routines are intense, each element is short, with an entire session typically lasting fifteen to twenty minutes.
Read on to learn more about home CrossFit workouts and decide if they could be for you.
Whom does CrossFit Suit?
CrossFit exercise routines suit anyone who wants to build muscle tone and increase their strength, fitness level, balance, and flexibility.
CrossFit was once the domain of elite athletes, firefighters, military and police force members, and others whose professions necessitate being in peak physical form.
In recent times it has gone mainstream, with an increasing number of people in a wide range of age groups taking it up. These people like that the sport offers infinite variety, so it is never boring. Challenging, yes, there’s no doubt about it, but many individuals who try it quickly become hooked.
While the workouts are tough, the moves can be modified to suit people of any fitness level.
Home CrossFit Workouts Demo
What Does a Typical CrossFit Workout Consist Of?
An example of a typical CrossFit workout is 50 Lunges, 50 Kettlebell Swings, a 60-second sprint, 50 One-Legged Squats, 50 Push-Ups, 60 seconds of rope jumping, and 50 Box-Jumps, followed by 50 Hanging Knees-to-Elbows.
A subsequent session might consist of Push-Ups, Burpees, Air-Squats, Lunges, Sit-ups, Russian Twists, Planks, and sprints or longer runs.
The next session would be different again, and so on. Exercising in this manner challenges the muscles, and, as a result, they tone up fast.
What You Will Need to do CrossFit Workouts at Home
Whether you’re a beginner to CrossFit or more experienced, it’s great to have the option to do CrossFit workouts at home.
To do CrossFit workouts at home, you will need some exercise equipment.
While it’s nice to have the proper equipment, use whatever you have at your disposal to do the job if you are on a tight budget.
If you can afford just one piece of exercise equipment, make it a jump rope.
If you can afford a second piece of exercise equipment, go with a kettlebell.
These two fitness tools will give you a good base from which to start, and you can add to them later as your budget permits.
You may also like to read How to Get Fit on a Budget.
What Weight Kettlebell Should I Buy?
The weight of the kettlebell you use will vary depending on the exercise.
As a guideline, adult females who have not exercised before should start with a weight no heavier than between 9 lbs and 13 lbs.
Reasonably fit women may be able to start with a weight of between 13 lbs and 18 lbs.
Very fit females may be comfortable using a weight of between 26 lbs and 35 lbs.
Adult males who are out of shape should start with a weight no heavier than between 18 lbs and 26 lbs.
Moderately fit men should find a weight of between 35 lbs and 44 lbs a good starting point.
Athletic men may be comfortable starting with a weight between 35 lbs and 62 lbs or heavier.
If in doubt, go lighter rather than risk an injury that could put you out of action.
Click here to read about 10 top-rated kettlebells
What if I Don’t Have any CrossFit Equipment?
Not everyone has the money to invest in CrossFit equipment. If your budget is tight, you want to test the waters before spending any money, or you want to start right away, this is possible.
With a little imagination and improvisation, you can do CrossFit workouts at home using furniture and other household items and fixtures that you can find in many parks.
A home gym will enable you to do upper body exercises such as Tricep Dips and Pull-Ups. The good news is, you can still do these without one.
You can use a sturdy chair or a park bench to do Triceps Dips. A concrete ledge, the jungle gym at your local park, or even a sturdy tree branch is a great substitute for a Pull-Up-Bar.
You can also easily make your own CrossFit equipment to use in your home CrossFit workouts.
Don’t have access to a kettlebell? No problem!
Fill an empty plastic milk or juice bottle with water or sand, secure the lid tightly, and use that. Don’t have a barbell? Fill two empty plastic bottles with water or sand and screw their lids on tightly. Attach the bottles to either end of a metal rod, and there’s your barbell.
Final Thoughts on Doing CrossFit Workouts at Home
CrossFit workouts offer limitless variety and address every aspect of fitness, enabling you to quickly improve your shape, stamina, flexibility, strength, athleticism, and more.
With so many exercise choices, it can be adapted to suit just anyone.
Don’t let a lack of equipment stop you from trying this efficient, fun, and enjoyable fitness activity.
Think outside the square, and you should be able to find suitable substitutes for just about any piece of exercise equipment you will need to do CrossFit workouts at home.