Fact: If you cross-train, you will almost certainly lose fat. High-intensity interval training, common to CrossFit, is very effective for weight loss. There is a prolonged calorie/metabolic burn effect after the workout ends.
These 10 WODs, chosen by the team at Workout From Home , have that HIIT factor to the max for truly weight loss (along with a healthy diet and enough sleep, of course).
1.Helen
One of many WODs named after women, Helen features a combination of cardio and strength. It's made for time, with the idea that you'll beat your previous record in subsequent sessions. The combination of running and kettlebell swings really speeds up the metabolism. Pull-ups add multi-joint strength work to build calorie-burning muscle.
Three rounds for time:
400m race
21 kettlebells swing at 53 pounds
12 pullups (with support band if needed)
2. Eva
Think of Eva as Helen's big, mean sister. This workout hits both the cardio system and the muscular system — running is pure cardio, swings and pull-ups are a cardio-strength hybrid — leading to massive calorie burn.
Five laps for time:
800m run
30 kettlebells swing at 70 pounds, if you can, uh, swing it
30 pullups (with support band if needed)
3.Grace
CrossFit has an affinity for WODs that seem so simple...until you realize what is being asked. Grace uses only one exercise, the clean and jerk, for this purpose.
Lifting heavy weights is great for losing weight! Here's a fun workout that combines lifting and speed!
Make sure you can do the move with proper form before you hit the gas, then have your stopwatch ready and load your bar.
For the time :
30 clean & jerk at 80% of your max
4. Fight Gone Bad
In this one, the goal is to achieve your own high score by keeping track of the total reps of five exercises performed as hard as possible for one minute each.
It's a great workout for weight loss because the one-minute sets of maximum effort allow athletes to work to the maximum of their abilities, no matter what.
For the first four exercises, you'll count and add up your reps, then add the number of calories on the rowing machine to your score.
Three rounds, one minute per exercise, with one minute rest between rounds:
- WallBall at a 3m target
- Sumo deadlift high pull
- box jump
- push press
- Rower
5. Newport Crippler
In fact, the more pounds you lose, the easier this workout becomes. This is a great benchmark as you lose weight, squats get lighter as you go. And there's nothing like a quick run after a big leg workout to feel light on your feet, right?
For the time :
30 loaded squats equivalent to your body weight
1.5 km run
6. 7. Minute Burpees
Yes that's it ! Absolutely hellish, there is no body-taxing movement like burpees. A beginner might only get 25 reps in 7 minutes while an elite athlete might approach or exceed 100 reps, but both athletes would walk (or crawl) away with a serious metabolic boost.
In 7 minutes:
Do as many repetitions as possible
7. Frank
Fran is a fast sprint workout that burns fat for hours after your workout.
With reps dropping, Fran should get easier as you go...except you'll be pretty blown away from the previous round.
21/15/9 reps for time:
- Thruster
- Pullups
8. Karen
Perhaps more aptly called "wall balls", Karen is just that: 150 wall balls made for time. It's a strength-based task that causes your heart rate to skyrocket because of the workload. You will get an extra burn as your body tries to adapt to the new muscle growth for the 48-72 hours after the WOD.
For the time :
150 wall ball with a 3 meter target (stop before complete failure)
Target times:
Level 1: 8:00-10:00
Level 2: 5:00-8:00
Level 3: 4:00-5:00
Elite: < 4:00
9. Murph
Yes, that's a lot of reps. Yes, that's a lot of running. Yes, that's a LOT of calories burned. This is one of the longest and most grueling CrossFit workouts out there, you'll probably end up going non-stop for an hour or more. You can break up the monstrous sets of pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats by resting if needed — remember that resting increases your total time.
For the time :
One kilometer race
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1km run
10. "CF open 16.2"
Designed for the CrossFit Open 2016 competition, this WOD is no joke. You must complete each round within four minutes to buy time to move on to the next one.
The combination of cardio and weights works multiple metabolic systems and leads to increased calorie burn. This workout is a sprint, whether you're a beginner only going through the first 4 minutes or an elite athlete going through the full 20 minutes.
Completed in 4 minutes:
25 toes to bar
50 double unders
15 squats
If successful, add 4 minutes and finish:
25 toes to bar
50 double unders
13 squats
If successful before 8 minutes, add 4 minutes and complete:
25 toes to bar
50 double unders
11 squats
If successful before 12 minutes, add 4 minutes and complete:
25 toes to bar
50 double unders
9 squats
If successful before 16 minutes, add 4 minutes and complete:
25 toes to bar
50 double unders
7 squats
Stop at 20 minutes.