Looking to push yourself?
We hope so, as we are going to share the 10 Toughest WODs. For those new to CrossFit make sure to check out our beginners guide to CrossFit at home.
Toughest CrossFit WODs
Buckle up because this is going to be a long and exciting (read: unnerving) ride.
1. Filthy 50
Filthy 50- because that’s how you’ll feel drenched in sweat after attempting it- is a CrossFit staple.
Every CrossFitter is made a target of this excruciating routine that includes 50 reps of 10 exercises done in succession as quickly as possible.
So anyone trying the filthy 50 will have to do:
- 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box;
- 50 jumping pullups;
- 50 kettlebell swings;
- 50 walking lunge steps;
- 50 knees to elbows;
- 50 reps of push press with 45 pounds;
- 50 back extensions;
- 50 wall-balls using a 20-pound ball;
- 50 burpees (dropping all the way to the floor); and
- 50 double-unders.
It’s an excellent full-body regime that deliciously spikes the heart rate up, which gives people a fair idea of what CrossFit is all about.
The number of exercises and reps can be daunting and may prompt a person to quit mid-routine, but the key to finishing this WOD is focusing on performing one move at a time instead of all the ones left.
2. Fran
Next up is the fiery Fran because it fires up every muscle in the body. It features a series of thrusters and pullups done as quickly as possible for three consecutive rounds.
In the first round, a crossFitter has to complete 21 reps of each exercise, then in the second and third rounds, the number of reps is reduced to 15 and 9, respectively.
To modify Fran, you can change the weights used for thrusters and add a jump to the pullups to burn extra calories, although you will still torch heaps of calories without that.
To further challenge people, sometimes CrossFit coaches put a time restriction to finishing Fran, such as five minutes, but that depends on the weights a person is using. For heavier weights, the limit may be more.
3. Murph
Named after Lt. Michael Murphy, who died while serving in Afghanistan, Murph is a seemingly never-ending routine that reduces athletes and expert cross-fitters to sweat buckets.
It’s an unforgiving workout that includes a one-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run. Experienced exercisers perform Murph with a weighted vest on their chest to ramp up the intensity.
The enormous number of exercise reps involved in Murph should be completed smartly at a consistent pace.
That is, one should keep a steady level of effort throughout the workout to finish it, especially if they are a beginner. Experts can go even harder if they feel up for it.
4. The Seven
As the name suggests, this WOD includes seven reps of seven exercises done for consecutive seven rounds.
The moves that constitute the seven include seven handstand pushups, seven 135-pound thrusters, seven knee-to-elbows, seven 245-pound deadlifts, seven burpees, seven kettlebell swings, and 7 pull-ups.
To make the seven even more brutal, some coaches add a time challenge to it by asking exercisers to complete the entire routine in 20 minutes.
However, that’s not suitable for beginners; they should aim for 40 to 45 minutes in their early training days. And of course, they can bring down the intensity level as well during the starting period.
5. The Ryan
Ryan is named to pay homage to Ryan Hummert, a firefighter and CrossFit fan who died after getting hit by sniper fire while on duty. It is a relatively less ruthless WOD than the ones mentioned above. However, it is brutal in its own way.
The Ryan is done for five rounds back to back, and each round consists of 7 muscle-ups followed by 21 burpees. Since the quantity of moves is not too much, people feel a bit more at ease when performing the Ryan.
6. King Kong
Just by the name, one can guess that this WOD is tremendously weighted, and they won’t be wrong. King Kong is a quick workout but unbelievably hard because of the weights involved.
It lasts for three rounds that must be done as quickly as possible, and each round includes an ascension of 1 deadlift at 455 pounds, to 2 muscle-ups, followed by three squat cleans at 250 pounds and then four handstand pushups to finish off one set.
If someone is not a habitual weight lifter, they should steer clear of King Kong until they have gained some experience of dealing with weights.
When holding weights, one has to be careful of their posture and form because one wrong move and the person can seriously damage a muscle. Therefore, after mastering the art of weightlifting, a person should attempt the cruel King Kong.
Some incredibly buff and fit people put a time limit of five minutes or a little more for completing this workout, but if someone is able to do a King Kong from start to finish, they are warriors in their own right.
7. Arnie
Arnie is named after Fighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, who died at 34 in the line of duty in 2009. The aggressive Arnie involves a two pood (70 lbs.) kettlebell, but experienced CrossFitters can challenge themselves more by using heavier weights.
This WOD features 21 Turkish get-ups (right arm), 50 swings, 21 overhead squats (left arm), 50 swings, 21 overhead squats (right arm), 50 swings, 21 Turkish get-ups (left arm), that are all done using the kettlebell.
According to CrossFit’s website, the top time for completing an Arnie is a little over 25 minutes, which clearly indicates the tough nature of the workout. Again, Arnie is better for those who are expert weight lifters.
8. Roy
Honoring the Marine Corps Sgt. Michael C. Roy, this WOD comprises of five rounds with 15 deadlifts at 225lbs, 20 box jumps (24-inch box), and 25 pullups in each. To challenge your body, you can try to complete the entire program in 25 minutes but be sure not to compromise your form.
Having the correct form is absolutely pivotal to a workout’s efficacy. If someone fails to engage the right muscles to go at a faster speed, they might as well not do the routine because poor posture is a recipe for pain but with little benefits.
9. Cindy and Chelsea
Cindy and Chelsea are twin sisters because they follow the same rep scheme of 5 pullups, ten pushups, and 15 squats.
However, Chelsea is more relentless as it works on a 30-minute EMOM (every minute, on the minute, which means at the start of each minute, you have to try and complete all the reps as fast as possible so that you can rest for the remaining seconds, that is if you manage to save some.
10. The Burpee Mile
Comprising of only burpees, this WOD is performed on a one-mile track. You have to do a burpee followed by a broad jump. Repeat the move four times, covering the track in the process.
Burpees are notoriously known for wearing out every muscle in the body, and this CrossFit WOD takes that supremely taxing experience to a whole new level.
Conclusion
Although there may be more challenging CrossFit workouts, these are enough to excite or scare off anyone starting their journey.
Whether you are a beginner or expert, never ignore what your body tells you; if you feel exhausted, give yourself a break because CrossFit is all about staying healthy and overexertion on the body is anything but that.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle and forge elate fitness for yourself with CrossFit.
