CrossFit is notorious for its sprint workouts like Fran. But as a sport, CrossFit also values longer workouts—and that’s what makes it so tough.
If you constantly find yourself gasping for breath after 30 of seconds of work, don’t worry. To tune up your engine, we’ve asked some of the great minds of CrossFit to weigh in with their favorite endurance workouts to improve your cardio ability.
5 CrossFit Workouts to Improve Your Endurance
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The Right Track
4 rounds, as fast as possible:400m Run25 Burpees25 Kettlebell Swings at 53lbs (35lbs for women)This workout comes from Austin Malleolo and Denise Thomas, both trainers at Reebok CrossFit One and members of the CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff. They recommend doing the burpees at a consistent, smooth pace. When it comes time for the kettlebell swings, “Timing is critical,” they say. “On the way up, extend the hips before pulling with the arms. When lowering the kettlebell, make sure the wrists hit the inner thigh before sending the hips back.”
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Death by Sprint
8 rounds, as fast as possible:200m RunRest the same amount of time you ranSam Orme, the owner of CrossFit Virtuosity in Brooklyn, recommends this brutal track workout. Try your best to sprint each of the 200s, and don’t expect that you’ll be fully recovered before starting the next one. If the weather is dismal or your local track is closed, no worries: row the 200 meters instead of running.
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30-minute EMOM
6 rounds:Minute 1: 1 round of Cindy (5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 air squats)Minute 2: 50 Double-undersMinute 3: 15-cal. RowMinute 4: 10 Dumbbell Push Press at 45lbs (25lbs for women)Minute 5: 10 Kettlebell Swings at 53lbs (35lbs for women)This workout comes from Will Lanier, the creator of OUTWOD. His advice? “Try to work through the movements quickly to have some rest before the next movement. Rounds 4-6 will be where the mental work comes into play. You will want to breathe and take your time in the movements, but push through it.”
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Row, Row, Row Your Boat
10 rounds, as fast as possible:500-meter Row1 minute RestStreat Horner, who made his rookie appearance at the 2017 CrossFit Games, recommends this workout. “Pick a pace that is challenging, but that you will also be able to hold throughout the 10 sets,” he says. “This is an easy workout to repeat and see if your endurance is improving.”
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“Go”
Run a 5K as fast as possible. OK, so it would be a stretch to call this a CrossFit WOD, considering that people have been running 5Ks long before anyone started doing power cleans in “boxes”. But that’s exactly the point: You don’t need a complicated WOD to improve your endurance, says Ariel Fernandez, a coach at CrossFit Virtuosity. Just put on your shoes and start running. This is another workout that serves as a great benchmark. Consider doing it every two weeks to track your progress. And if you feel cheated that we recommended a 5K as a CrossFit WOD, you could always do Murph: Run a mile, do 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and 300 air squats, and then run another mile.
This workout comes from Austin Malleolo and Denise Thomas, both trainers at Reebok CrossFit One and members of the CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff. They recommend doing the burpees at a consistent, smooth pace. When it comes time for the kettlebell swings, “Timing is critical,” they say. “On the way up, extend the hips before pulling with the arms. When lowering the kettlebell, make sure the wrists hit the inner thigh before sending the hips back.”
Death by Sprint
8 rounds, as fast as possible:
200m Run
Rest the same amount of time you ran
Sam Orme, the owner of CrossFit Virtuosity in Brooklyn, recommends this brutal track workout. Try your best to sprint each of the 200s, and don’t expect that you’ll be fully recovered before starting the next one. If the weather is dismal or your local track is closed, no worries: row the 200 meters instead of running.
30-minute EMOM
6 rounds:
Minute 1: 1 round of Cindy (5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 air squats)
Minute 2: 50 Double-unders
Minute 3: 15-cal. Row
Minute 4: 10 Dumbbell Push Press at 45lbs (25lbs for women)
Minute 5: 10 Kettlebell Swings at 53lbs (35lbs for women)
This workout comes from Will Lanier, the creator of OUTWOD. His advice? “Try to work through the movements quickly to have some rest before the next movement. Rounds 4-6 will be where the mental work comes into play. You will want to breathe and take your time in the movements, but push through it.”
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
10 rounds, as fast as possible:
500-meter Row
1 minute Rest
Streat Horner, who made his rookie appearance at the 2017 CrossFit Games, recommends this workout. “Pick a pace that is challenging, but that you will also be able to hold throughout the 10 sets,” he says. “This is an easy workout to repeat and see if your endurance is improving.”
“Go”
Run a 5K as fast as possible. OK, so it would be a stretch to call this a CrossFit WOD, considering that people have been running 5Ks long before anyone started doing power cleans in “boxes”. But that’s exactly the point: You don’t need a complicated WOD to improve your endurance, says Ariel Fernandez, a coach at CrossFit Virtuosity. Just put on your shoes and start running. This is another workout that serves as a great benchmark. Consider doing it every two weeks to track your progress. And if you feel cheated that we recommended a 5K as a CrossFit WOD, you could always do Murph: Run a mile, do 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and 300 air squats, and then run another mile.
