CrossFit for Beginners - training program for a beginner

What you need

Barbell

Athletes who regularly follow the progress of the most popular and large-scale crossfit tournaments, the CrossFit Games, will confirm that almost none of the competition complexes is complete without weightlifting exercises. This is not surprising, because grueling exercises with a barbell are the most effective way to test the endurance and strength of a CrossFit athlete.

We are sure that athletes who want to achieve good results in the GrossFit Games will definitely be interested in our article, in which we will tell you which barbell complexes allow you to develop power and teach athletes to maintain agility even in a state of fatigue.

Rules for constructing training

Like all sports disciplines, CrossFit is based on certain principles, which are not recommended to be neglected. Failure to do so may adversely affect the safety and effectiveness of your exercise.

The exercises are performed one after another, without pauses. Beginners are allowed to take light breaks for 10–15 seconds.
The basic load consists of multi-joint exercises that comprehensively load the body.
Recommended regimen: beginners - 3 workouts per week, advanced - 3 through 1.
One round should combine different types of training: aerobic and anaerobic.
It is advisable to make the next lesson as different as possible from the previous one.
The training does not have a clear specialization; the main task is the development of general functionality.
To avoid rapid muscle failure, you should alternate exercises on the same muscle group.
Each lesson begins with a warm-up: warming up the body and lightly stretching the ligaments and tendons.

During the round, the athlete must monitor his condition. If you experience dizziness, pain in the heart, joints, or loss of coordination, you must immediately stop training and allow the body to recover. Otherwise, the risk of injury increases.

Why is CrossFit so interesting?

CrossFit workouts use free weights (dumbbells and kettlebells) and work a large number of muscles. A large amount of energy is spent on training, which allows you to quickly get rid of fat. A half-hour workout can speed up your metabolism by about 50%. In addition, CrossFit has a positive effect on the entire body as a whole. For this kind of training to be effective, it is not necessary to go on strict diets. It is enough to combine them with the right low-calorie diet.

Current trainers have a wide variety of exercises. They repeat at a very high speed. But you should not perform them in a weakened state, for example, during an illness or a cold, since the load on the heart increases several times, muscles are difficult to recover, and metabolism slows down.

The exercises in CrossFit training are not repeated, they are very varied, which is what attracts people in the first place. There are elements of bodybuilding, weightlifting, athletics, and gymnastics. The rapid burning of fat and increase in muscle mass makes people interested in engaging in this particular sport.

Preparation

CrossFit combines multidirectional physical activity: strength and aerobic. Therefore, the first thing athletes need to pay attention to is developing endurance.

It is necessary to prepare the cardiac, respiratory and muscular systems for a variety of impacts within a short period of time (usually training lasts no more than 1 hour). To do this, athletes are recommended to conduct periodic high-speed exercises (running, skiing, cycling, etc.), which contribute to the development of the body's resistance to stress.

A gradual increase in endurance should take place simultaneously with the development of exercise techniques, in particular weightlifting. It is power loads that are most dangerous for injury, so proper execution of movements is the key to safe and effective training.

Certified CrossFit trainers help you master the basic elements. If an athlete trains independently, he should thoroughly work out the technique of strength exercises. Exercises with an empty bar and in the Smith machine are best suited for this.

As an addition, it is recommended to master exercises with your own weight: pull-ups, power-ups, dips, work on gymnastic rings and a hanging rope, push-ups, etc. Such loads strengthen the ligaments and tendons, and also develop joint mobility.

Exercises on gymnastic apparatus work out the small stabilizer muscles responsible for holding the body under load. As a result, the athlete is able to perform more repetitions per set.

Preparation for classes and nutrition

Preparation for classes is an important component. It is not at all necessary to run to the store and buy some special clothes. It will be enough to buy regular shorts and a T-shirt. The main thing is that the clothes are comfortable and do not restrict movement. Shoes must have rubber soles, which will prevent your feet from slipping during training and will help avoid injuries. Be sure to prepare dumbbells and a barbell. But even if they are not in the house, you can use 2 bottles of water and a mop stick.

And finally, food. To restore energy, and, as already noted, a lot of it is lost during exercise, proper nutrition is necessary. That is why you should forget about buns, burgers, chips and other fast food and semi-finished products. At the same time, nutrition should restore strength, and what can help with this better than porridge? In the morning, you must eat oatmeal, buckwheat, and rice, since these are complex carbohydrates that are consumed before lunch. Next are proteins, which include beef, turkey, chicken breast, eggs and fish.

You cannot eat for 2 hours before and after training. If you can’t stand it, you can snack on cottage cheese. As for drinking, during training you lose a lot of fluid, its reserves need to be replenished, so you need to drink often and a lot. Proper drinking is water, tea and natural juice. You can drink a sip of water even during training.

Home training

If you don’t have time to visit a specialized fitness room, you can do CrossFit at home. One of the best compound exercises for beginner athletes is burpees. The element allows you to use large muscle groups and put a good load on the heart. In addition, burpees do not require additional equipment and large space to perform, which means they are suitable for home exercises. Technique:

We stand up straight, place our feet close to each other, straighten our shoulders and freely lower our arms along the body.
With a sharp movement we squat and lean forward slightly. Squatting down, place your palms on the floor.
We transfer our body weight to our arms and “throw” our legs back, thereby taking the “lying down” position.
Keeping your body and legs in one line, perform a deep push-up. We try to touch the floor with our chest.
With a sharp jumping movement, we pull our knees to our stomach and squat down again.
We push off powerfully with our feet and jump vertically. At the same time, we stretch our hands towards the ceiling.

Do 8-10 burpees at a fast pace, with proper technique. Then rest for 1 minute and repeat the set. Perform 4-5 approaches. For those who find burpees easy, below is a more complex training program:

Take a skipping rope and jump for 5 minutes. We periodically accelerate the movement of the projectile for 15–20 seconds, then return to the normal pace.
We stand up straight, arms freely at our sides. We squat sharply to a right angle at the knee joints. With a powerful push we jump up and clap our hands above our heads. Repeat 15–20 times.
We lower ourselves into a lying position, bring our feet together, and stretch our body into an even line. Place your palms slightly wider than your shoulder joints and slightly higher. Inhaling, lower your chest to the floor. We exhale powerfully, push off and “throw” our body so that our hands come off the floor. We perform 15–20 repetitions.
We select a low platform (stool, box, ottoman, etc.). The height of the improvised “projectile” must be at least 40 cm. We stand sideways and perform energetic jumps left and right. We do 10 jumps in each direction.
We take the horizontal bar with our hands and hang freely. With a sharp jerk we pull our chest up to the bar, then quickly lower ourselves. Beginners can do pull-ups by lightly pushing off the floor with their toes or using a long rubber expander. We perform 15–20 repetitions.

The presented workout for beginners helps strengthen the main muscle groups and prepare the athlete for more serious loads. You should exercise at least three times a week. Rest between approaches is selected individually in each case, but the less, the better. Between training days you need to take a daily break to restore muscles.

Important training rules

If you want crossfit to be beneficial and effective, then it is extremely important to follow these rules. They apply to everyone: both beginners and experienced athletes.

Safety

Health comes first, and CrossFit is no exception. That's why:

Be sure to follow the exercise technique. Ideally, you should study with a certified instructor for the first months.
Be sure to do a warm-up before training, both joint and muscle (injuries in CrossFit are quite common, and the most common reason for them lies precisely in the lack of proper warm-up).
At first, don’t chase records and heavy weights – get into the mode gradually.

Nutrition and recovery

Effective training, proper healthy nutrition and quality recovery (rest) are the three components of a successful athlete. If at least one of these points is missing, then all the benefits of the classes are destroyed.

Give your body a rest. It is advisable to do 2 days a week at the very beginning of your training, then gradually switch to 3. If you feel very good and have time to fully recover, then you can switch to 4 workouts a week - but after at least six months and if you are committed to pose big challenges. Don't forget about sleep - at least 8 hours.
Proper nutrition. Perhaps the most hackneyed topic. But nevertheless, if you train hard and eat everything in sight, then there will be practically no sense in training. After all, if you build up mass, then it will have nothing to grow from; you need a calorie surplus, a sufficient amount of protein and complex carbohydrates. And if you are losing weight, then an excess of calories consumed will not allow you to do this, even despite the abundance of training.

Scaling in CrossFit

Many novice athletes do not attach importance to the concept of scaling in CrossFit. What's the point? For example, the time to complete the complex and the exercises used in it will be the same for both a professional and a novice athlete. That is, both will start and finish the same tasks at the same time. What then is the difference between them? On working scales.

So, in order for you to make progress, you need to regularly scale your training - gradually, step by step, strive for greater weights and, as a result, results. But at the same time, the technique should not suffer - it should be ideal in any case.

For those who doubt whether CrossFit is for them - how difficult, scary, and dangerous it is:

You can also download a CrossFit training guide from its founder (125 pages of text in Russian): CrossFit training guide (pdf).

Workout of the Day

The WOD represents the training task for the day. Since one of the founding principles of CrossFit is variety, each session has its own plan. Let's look at the most popular examples of WODs:

As fast as possible (AFAP), approximate translation: “as quickly as possible.” That is, the athlete performs exercises at the maximum pace. The number of circles and repetitions is set initially. The goal is to complete the cycle in the shortest amount of time.
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) or “more rounds”. The athlete is given a time interval and given exercises. It must complete the maximum number of cycles in a designated period of time.
Every minute of the minute (EMOM) or “per-minute task”. The athlete performs any exercise, but not more than 60 seconds. As the next minute begins, he moves on to the next training element.
As many reps as possible (AMREPS) or “more repetitions”. This type of WOD training involves performing the maximum number of repetitions in the allotted time in one exercise.
TABATA. Interval training consisting of 8 different exercises. The duration of each Tabata element is 20 seconds, rest between approaches is 10 seconds. The intensity of the lesson is the maximum possible.
Death by reps, Death by weight. In the first case, the athlete increases the number of repetitions in each approach, in the second, on the contrary, he increases the weight of the projectile. There is usually one exercise per round.

CrossFit for beginners should be primarily gentle. A beginner’s body needs to be prepared for intense exercise. Otherwise, the risk of injury or overtraining increases.

We offer an example of a WOD program aimed at strengthening the upper and lower extremities - Half Cindy:

pull-ups on the horizontal bar - 5 times;
push-ups from the floor - 10 times;
squats to a right angle at the knees - 15 times.

Three exercises make up one round. This CrossFit program for beginners is performed according to the AMRAP principle (see above) for 10 minutes. That is, the athlete must complete the maximum number of rounds in a given period of time. Before starting the lesson, it is recommended to stretch your body by jumping rope.

Possible contraindications

Before starting classes, you should consult with a specialist: this will help avoid injuries and the negative consequences of overload. In addition, you need to give up CrossFit:

Pregnant women. Serious stress can negatively affect the condition of mother and child. You should return to training after childbirth no earlier than six months later (especially if we are talking about a caesarean section).
People with heart and vascular diseases. Intense cardio training can provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases. In case of arrhythmia, tachycardia and other cardiac dysfunction, this type of load is strictly contraindicated.
Patients in the acute phase. Bronchial asthma, gastritis, cholecystitis and other diseases during relapse are direct contraindications for any physical activity.

Additionally, CrossFit is not suitable for highly obese people. For them, softer loads are indicated under the supervision of an experienced consultant.

Adaptation program for beginners

The CrossFit workout plan below is designed to gradually strengthen muscles and ligaments. This training is suitable for people who have never been involved in intense sports and have an initial level of training.

Week 1

The first workouts are carried out with your own body weight or with minimal weights:

Lesson 1 (5 laps): jump rope - 30, burpees - 5, squats without weight - 10, crunches - 10.
Lesson 2 (3 laps): deadlift - 5, jumping on a plyo box - 10, hanging leg raises on a horizontal bar - 8, alternating lunges - 20.
Lesson 3 (15 minutes): pull-ups - 5, push-ups - 10, squats without weight - 15.

Week 2

Slightly increase the load on free weights:

Lesson 1 (15 minutes): squats with a barbell - 7, pull-ups - 7, deadlifts - 10, plyo box jumps - 15.
Lesson 2 (20 minutes): burpees - 10, push-ups - 10, squats without weight - 10, jumping rope - 20, crunches - 15.
Session 3 (15 minutes): front squats - 8, Smith overhead press - 10, plyo jumps - 8, clap push-ups - 8.

Week 3

We increase the load in exercises with free weights to 45–50% of the maximum:

Lesson 1 (3 laps): push press - 7, jumping on a plyo box - 7, pull-ups - 7, jump rope - 100, crunches on the floor - 30.
Lesson 2 (15 minutes): T-bar rows - 10, alternating lunges - 20, lat pulldowns - 15, weightless squats - 20, Roman chair crunches - 15.
Lesson 3 (4 laps): running - 1 km (can be on an electronic track), push press - 20, alternating lunges - 30, plank - 60 seconds.

Week 4

We increase the load in strength exercises to 75–80% of the maximum. We perform aerobic elements as intensely as possible:

Session 1 (25 minutes): rowing machine - 30, burpees - 10, push presses - 10, deep squat jumps - 15, deadlifts - 12, plank - 60 seconds.
Lesson 2 (5 laps): push press - 15, plyo box jumps - 15, pull-ups - 15, weighted lunges - 20, crunches on the floor - 20.
Lesson 3 (2 laps): running - 2 km (can be on the track), pull-ups - to failure, squats without weight - 50, push-ups - 30, crunches in a Roman chair with weights on the chest - 20.

Rest between rounds until your breathing is completely restored. During the adaptation period, you should not overload the heart.

Separate training days from each other with daily breaks. Don't forget to eat quality food.

CrossFit for men

Development is taking place in all directions. The level of endurance and strength of people involved in this sport helps them easily run many kilometers and lift heavy weights. It’s not difficult to achieve an ideal figure, just train hard enough and don’t skip classes. Only in this case, the excess weight will go away and the muscles will get stronger. All systems in the body are strengthened and begin to work like clockwork. The competitive aspect is also important, because men always try to be stronger and faster among those representatives of the stronger sex that surround them. Competition and struggle are a huge incentive for men.

Within the walls of the “YourRevolution1905” club, we are ready to professionally help you tighten your body and improve your physical shape. Whole sets of exercises developed by certified specialists, nutritional recommendations, “smart” weighing and much more, all this will help you achieve your goal as effectively as possible. For the most effective and quick results, you can train individually (one-on-one with a trainer) or in mini-groups of up to ten people. Come to our classes and we will help you become the best version of yourself!

Body types:

There are three main body types: endomorph, mesemorph and ectomorph. They differ in the structure of the skeleton and the characteristics of the muscular system. When drawing up training and nutrition plans, they must be taken into account, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to achieve the desired result.

Now let's take a closer look:

Endomorph.

With this body type, people are of average height, have a wide skeleton, powerful arms and legs, but weak abs; as a rule, they tend to be overweight. Girls, also of average height, have a noticeable transition from the chest line to the waist, and then to the hips; the figure can easily be divided into conventional circles.

It is easiest for endomorphs to gain muscle mass, but you need to follow the nutritional system and under no circumstances overeat, otherwise you will end up gaining not muscle, but fat deposits and, as a result, simply harm your health.

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Mesomorph

Mesomorphs are also usually of short or average height, usually squat, and are extremely rarely below average height. They initially have pronounced muscles, which in most cases simply need to be emphasized or maintained.

People with such a physique are luckier than others; they can easily both lose weight and, on the contrary, gain muscle mass. It is not difficult for mesomorphs to prepare for competitions; the body can withstand even the serious weight race required for most athletes.

Ectomorph

Compared to other body types, the ectomorph stands out greatly. People with this body type are tall, have a narrow skeleton and are thin. They are not inclined to be overweight, and therefore it is more difficult for them to gain muscle mass than others.

Ectomorphs are recommended to exercise hard and significantly increase the amount of food they consume, this is the only way they can create a powerful muscle corset.

Conclusion

As you already understand, endomorphs and mesemorphs do not have any big problems with gaining weight, but ectomorphs will find it much more difficult to achieve results. But don’t be upset if you’re unlucky enough to be born pumped up, everything can be fixed, and even in sports such as bodybuilding, ectomorphs are rare. Therefore, below we will focus specifically on ectomorphs.