You’re about to step into the box for your first CrossFit workout, and you’re nervous. You look around at the people lifting weights, doing cardio drills, and flipping tires – not to mention ropes hanging from the ceiling. What do you need to do before getting started?
It’s no secret that CrossFit is all the rage these days. And while the workouts are notoriously tough, they’re also incredibly effective. But warming up for CrossFit can be a bit tricky, especially if you’re not sure what to do. That’s where this post comes in! We’ve gathered some of the best CrossFit warm-up ideas and routines to help get you ready for your next WOD. So whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned CrossFitter, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get started!
CrossFit Warm Up Ideas and Routines
Before we get into the specific warm-up ideas, there are a few general things that you should keep in mind when warming up for CrossFit. First and foremost, always make sure to warm up your entire body – not just your muscles!
This means doing some basic cardio drills and stretching exercises to loosen up your joints and increase your range of motion.
Second, be sure to focus on the movements that you’ll be doing in your workout. For example, if you’re going to do a lot of weightlifting, then make sure to include some drills that will help increase your strength and power.
And finally, always listen to your body! If something feels uncomfortable or painful, stop and ask a coach for help.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way let’s look at some specific CrossFit warm-up ideas.
General Warm Up
This is probably the most basic type of CrossFit warm-up, and it’s great for beginners or anyone who wants to avoid injury.
- Step-ups
- Lunges
- Pushups
- Jumping Jacks
These exercises will help increase your heart rate and get the blood flowing, which is important for warming up all muscles in just about any workout. To go along with that, they’re also great for improving your coordination and dexterity.
Weightlifting Warm Up
In just about any CrossFit workout, you’re going to be weightlifting – whether it’s barbells or kettlebells, dumbbells, sandbags, etc. So before starting your workout with a bang (literally), make sure that you do the following weightlifting drills
- Weighted lunges
- Split squats
- RDLs (Romanian deadlifts)
These movements will help increase the strength in your legs, hips, and back. And while doing so, you’ll also be working on your overall coordination with weightlifting exercises which is important for preventing injury and doing them correctly.
Climbing Warm Up
If you’re working on climbing movements like rope climbs, you must do some specific warm-up exercises for your arms, shoulders, back, etc. This is especially true if any other box members are waiting to use the rope!
- Seated rows
- Lat pulldowns
- Banded shoulder presses
These exercises will help increase your strength and range of motion in the muscles you’ll use for climbing. And they’ll also help to prevent any injuries that might occur from overstretching or fatigue.
Mobility Warm Up
These days, more and more people are starting to use foam rollers to increase their mobility. And while they’re certainly helpful for this purpose, there is no reason that you can’t do some simple (and free!) exercises on the floor before your workout starts – even if you’re not using a roller.
- Cat / Camel
- Hamstring stretch
- Quadriceps stretch
- Piriformis stretch
All of these stretches are great for increasing your range of motion and preparing your body for more intense exercises. And best of all, they only take a few minutes to do!
Now that you know some of the best CrossFit warm-up ideas, it’s time to put them into practice. Just remember to always take your time and listen to your body – after all, the point of a warm-up is to PREVENT injury, not cause one!