Best CrossFit workouts to try

Published: October 3, 2026

You already know that any physical activity will help you stay in shape. Either you choose some group sport like soccer or individual activity like running your body and soul will appreciate it. One of the most popular group activities around the world became CrossFit. The CrossFit lifestyle is a combination of diet and exercise. It is based on many different movements, with various workouts modified to help each person achieve their goal. It helps people lose weight in a healthy way and to stay in good shape. The great thing about CrossFit workouts is that they are meant for everyone. They don’t discriminate on gender, age, or level of experience. Whether you are a professional athlete or you are just starting to exercise, you can find a place for yourself in CrossFit training. This is a community that welcomes everyone and provides motivation and safe training.

What Is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a type of exercise that combines various activities like weightlifting, cardio, and gymnastics. It focuses on functional movements, which are exercises that mimic everyday activities. In a CrossFit workout, you might do things like lifting weights, jumping, running, or doing bodyweight exercises in a short and intense session. The goal is to improve overall fitness, including strength, endurance, and flexibility.

The biggest power of CrossFit workouts lies in the fact that you do all the hard work together with other CrossFitters. Everyone has to finish their task in the given time and sometimes your partner depends on you finishing your part. Which is also very motivational. You will learn the language of the CrossFit community very fast, as soon as you start training.

Start with knowing what the WODs are. WOD stands for the “workout of the day” which is very varied. They are a series of exercises that are scored for time or the number of reps completed over a given interval. That means that you include HIIT exercises in your training sessions, which is High-Intensity Interval training. Basically, you will be doing large amounts of reps of various exercises at speed. CrossFit WODs are usually named after women. People decided to name them in girls’ names, like storms because they will make your body feel like the storm has hit it. The truth is that the training is very hard, but the results make it worth it.

CrossFit’s own definition is “constantly varied functional movements performed at relative intensity.” A typical class lasts about an hour: a 5 to 10-minute warm-up, 10 to 20 minutes of skill or strength work, a 10 to 20-minute WOD, and a short cool-down. More than 9,000 affiliate gyms, known as boxes, run CrossFit training worldwide. You can also do most of the workouts in this guide at home, in your building’s gym or in a park with a trainer.

The Benefits of CrossFit

CrossFit offers a wide range of benefits, making it a popular and effective fitness regimen. Here are some key advantages:

• Total Body Fitness: CrossFit incorporates various functional movements, targeting multiple muscle groups. This approach promotes overall strength, endurance, and flexibility.
• High-Intensity Workouts: Exercises involve high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, burn calories, and boost metabolism.
• Variety and Constant Challenge: Workouts are diverse and constantly changing, preventing boredom and promoting continuous physical and mental adaptation.
• Community and Support: CrossFit is known for its strong sense of community. Working out in a group setting fosters motivation, support, and camaraderie, helping individuals stay committed to their fitness goals.
• Efficiency: CrossFit training is often shorter than traditional gym sessions, making it suitable for individuals with busy schedules. The emphasis on intensity allows for effective workouts in a shorter amount of time.
• Adaptability: CrossFit workouts can be scaled to accommodate individuals of different fitness levels and abilities. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete, the exercises can be modified to suit your needs.
• Functional Movements: The training emphasizes functional movements that mimic real-life activities, enhancing your ability to perform everyday tasks and reducing the risk of injuries in daily life.

Types of CrossFit workouts

Besides the meaning of the WOD, you will learn the other idioms and ways of training that will break up the monotony of body-part splits:

• EMOM – means that “every minute on the minute” you do a set number of reps at regular intervals at the start of each minute. These kinds of workouts scrutinize your powers of recovery.
• AMRAP – stands for “as many rounds as possible“. You are given a certain time and expected to complete the given exercise combination as many times as you can. Your muscles will hurt, but your mind will have to beat the pain.
• RFT – or “rounds for time“. The idea is to do a given number of rounds of a circuit as fast as possible. Because of the short rest period, your muscles are developing a long-lasting endurance.
• Chipper – these are high-volume and muscle-building exercises, where you have to do a one-round series of workouts usually with high reps, in the fastest time possible.
• Ladder – the name explains it. You are doing one or more movements, increasing or decreasing the workload over time.

You’ll also see “Rx” next to a workout. It means you are doing the workout exactly as prescribed, with the official weights and movements. Scaling means adjusting the load, the movement or the number of reps so the workout matches your current level. Most people scale for months before they go Rx, and that’s how progress is meant to work.

What is the Role of a Trainer?

To do these workouts most efficiently, you should find a personal fitness trainer in Dubai and give your maximum on each practice. A good trainer should give you nutrition advice, motivate you daily, and follow your progress. But, most importantly, he or she should keep you safe. Speaking of WOD girls’ names, many people wonder whether to hire a male or a female personal trainer to guide them. Whoever you decide to go for, let it be because of the references or chemistry between you two, and not because of the prejudices.

Some men fear those female trainers will go easier on them than male trainers. Sometimes they don’t like the feeling of inferiority strength-wise. Don’t be that guy. Open your mind and let yourself learn from the best personal trainers, never mind their sex. You’ll see how quickly you can achieve your goals if you follow their leadership, training, and dietary recommendations. In case you are somewhat frightened of the CrossFit training because you have never trained before, a good coach will reassure you of your capabilities. Get excited about finally moving away from a couch, you’ve got this.

Five popular CrossFit WODs

Whichever road you decide to take in terms of the personal coach, you will do some of the most popular WODs. So let’s get to know them.

Fran

If you haven’t already done it, now is the time to find the best personal trainer Dubai experts recommend and arrange the meeting. Because you shouldn’t avoid doing a Fran WOD for even a day longer. This is the most popular CrossFit training and coaches often use it to test progress among CrossFitters. The idea is to do a combination of only two exercises in the Ladder type of workout. The exercises you need to repeat are thrusters (front squats into push presses) and pull-ups, for time. Start by doing 21 reps, then 15 reps, and finish with 9 reps of both exercises. The standard weight for the thrusters is 95 pounds for men and 65 pounds for women.

CrossFit says most people finish Fran in 4 to 7 minutes, and a time under 5 minutes at the prescribed weight is a strong result. If the barbell is too heavy, start with 16 to 20 kg and replace pull-ups with ring rows.

Cindy

This is also an awesome workout for beginners because it involves only bodyweight movements. Even though you can do it by yourself, you should consider hiring a personal trainer to make sure you are doing everything right. Sometimes people avoid hiring them due to how expensive they can be. Well, not to worry, you can find professional yet cheap personal trainers in Dubai, that will be worth the money you spend. And then get to business and do a Cindy – 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats as many times as possible in 20 minutes. You will love the pain in your arms and legs.

If 20 minutes feels long, CrossFit’s beginner version runs for 12 minutes with 3 ring rows, 6 assisted push-ups and 9 squats per round. At the prescribed level, 20 or more rounds is a solid score.

Murph

One of the most popular CrossFit workouts, includes a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another mile run, for time. The name is given in honor of Lieutenant Michael Murphy of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005. You wouldn’t want to disrespect Murph, and skip this one out, would you?

You can split the pull-ups, push-ups and squats into smaller sets, for example 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats. That is also the smartest way to do Murph for the first time.

Grace

This exercise involves doing 30 reps of clean and jerks for time. It may sound like it’s easy because it’s only one movement to repeat but think again after you try it. The standard weight is 135 pounds for men and 95 pounds for women.

Angie

To finish the five most popular CrossFit trainings we have chosen Angie. Many people think that it is an easy-breezy exercise because it involves only your body weight. But, we’ll leave you to think about it after you finish 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats, for time.

CrossFit Workouts to Build Muscle

The Girls above are mostly about conditioning. When your goal is muscle and strength, choose workouts with heavier barbell work and fewer reps. Research on high-intensity functional training shows gains in strength and fat-free mass, so pair these WODs with enough protein and recovery. A muscle gain meal plan makes that part much easier.

DT

DT is a Hero WOD named after US Air Force Staff Sergeant Timothy P. Davis. You complete 5 rounds of 12 deadlifts, 9 hang power cleans and 6 push jerks with one barbell, at 47.6 kg for women and 70.3 kg for men. Because every movement uses the same bar, DT builds grip, back and shoulder strength fast. Scale the weight so you can finish each set without dropping the bar more than once or twice.

Diane

Diane pairs heavy deadlifts with handstand push-ups in a 21-15-9 rep scheme. The prescribed deadlift is 70.3 kg for women and 102 kg for men. If you can’t do handstand push-ups yet, use pike push-ups with your feet on a box. CrossFit’s benchmark for a prescribed Diane is under 6 minutes.

Grettel

Grettel is one of the newer Girl workouts, released in 2021. You complete 10 rounds of 3 clean and jerks and 3 burpees over the bar, at 43 kg for women and 61 kg for men. It’s short, heavy and ideal when you only have 20 minutes. Beginners can do 7 rounds with 20 to 29 kg.

Lynne

Lynne is the purest strength test on this list. You do 5 rounds of as many bench press reps as you can at your own bodyweight, followed by as many pull-ups as you can. Rest as long as you need between rounds. If bodyweight on the bar is too much, use a lighter load and track your total reps from month to month.

How Often Should You Do CrossFit Training?

Three sessions a week is a realistic start. CrossFit’s original template uses a pattern of three days on and one day off, and it also suggests five days on and two days off for people who train around a work week. Both fit within the World Health Organization’s guidance of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, with muscle-strengthening work on two or more days.

If you’re new, read our CrossFit for beginners guide before your first WOD. Add one full rest day after every three hard sessions, and drop the intensity whenever your joints, not just your muscles, feel sore.

Is CrossFit Training Safe?

CrossFit training is about as safe as other strength sports when you scale it properly. A 2021 review of 14 studies found 3.2 injuries per 1,000 hours of CrossFit training, a rate comparable to weightlifting and powerlifting. The spine, shoulders and knees were the most common injury sites, so technique on lifts like deadlifts, cleans and overhead presses matters most. A coach who corrects your form in the first weeks is the simplest way to stay on the safe side of those numbers.

How to Do CrossFit Workouts Safely in Dubai’s Heat

Dubai’s average daily high stays above 38°C from May to September, so plan outdoor CrossFit workouts around the temperature:

• Train early in the morning or after sunset from May to September, and move longer workouts like Murph indoors.
• Drink water before, during and after every session, and don’t wait until you feel thirsty.
• Start each workout slower than usual and build intensity gradually.
• Stop and cool down straight away if you feel faint, dizzy or nauseous.
• Use the cooler months, from November to March, for outdoor running and long WODs.

Can You Do CrossFit Training at Home in Dubai?

Yes. Cindy, Annie, Angie and Murph need little more than a pull-up bar and a skipping rope, and Helen works with one kettlebell. Many Dubai residential towers have gyms with barbells, so DT, Grace and Grettel are possible there too. If you’re still choosing between styles, our boxing vs CrossFit comparison can help you decide.

With DubaiPT, the trainer comes to you. Jeff, for example, specialises in strength and conditioning as well as boxing and martial arts. A coach like Jeff can teach you the lifts, scale each WOD and track your benchmark times, so you can see how far you’ve come.

Explore the World of CrossFit

CrossFit transcends the borders of mere physical exercise. It becomes a lifestyle that champions continuous learning, adaptability, and the pursuit of one’s best self. Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a beginner, the inclusivity of CrossFit invites everyone to join a global community that values effort, progress, and the shared pursuit of fitness excellence. Embrace the challenge, relish the support, and let CrossFit workouts be part of your regular fitness routine.

When you’re ready to start CrossFit training with expert support, browse all DubaiPT trainers and get matched with a coach who comes to your home, your building’s gym or an outdoor spot near you. Your first session with a Premium trainer is free, so you can test your first WOD before you commit.

FAQ

Is CrossFit good for beginners?

Yes. Every CrossFit workout can be scaled by reducing the weight, the number of reps or the difficulty of the movement. Beginners should start with bodyweight benchmarks like Cindy and learn the basic lifts with a coach before attempting heavy barbell workouts.

How many times a week should you do CrossFit?

Three to four sessions a week works for most people. CrossFit's original template follows three days on and one day off, and five days on and two off also suits a work week. Beginners should start with three sessions and add more once recovery feels easy.

Can you build muscle with CrossFit?

Yes, especially with barbell-heavy workouts like DT, Diane, Grettel and Lynne. Studies on high-intensity functional training show gains in strength and fat-free mass. For the best results, combine CrossFit training with enough protein and at least one full rest day after every three sessions.

Can you do CrossFit at home?

Yes. Workouts like Cindy, Angie, Annie and Murph need only a pull-up bar, a skipping rope or nothing at all. Helen needs a kettlebell, and barbell WODs can be done in a residential building gym.

What is a good Fran time?

According to CrossFit, most people finish Fran in 4 to 7 minutes. A time under 5 minutes at the prescribed weight of 29.5 kg for women and 43 kg for men is a strong result, and elite athletes finish in under 3 minutes.