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Rich Froning is a four-time CrossFit Games champion and the owner of CrossFit Mayhem in Tennessee. Although he has never competed as a bodybuilder, Froning credits training like one with giving him an extra advantage when he first started his CrossFit career.
"I've never competed as a bodybuilder," explains Froning, "but I trained like a bodybuilder for many years. I started doing CrossFit as a supplement to my regular training. I fell in love with it and I haven't looked back!"
This CrossFit-inspired metabolic-conditioning circuit is one anyone can try. It isn't complicated and you won't need much equipment. The best part? It takes around 10 minutes to complete, depending on how long you allow yourself to rest. Here's what it looks like:
This workout is done for time. There are no programmed rest periods; the only breaks you get are during transitions from movement to movement. The goal is to complete all the work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
It may not look like much, but your heart will be in your throat and you'll earn your protein shake afterward.
One thing bodybuilders and CrossFitters share is that they need more protein than the average person to support their hard training. VIEW ALL
The Movements
Shoulder-to-Overhead Press
The point of any "shoulder to overhead" movement is to get the barbell from your shoulders to over your head, however makes the most sense for you. If you're an experienced CrossFitter, that will likely be a push-jerk or power-jerk. If you're accustomed to lifting in a bodybuilding style, like Lawrence Ballenger was when he faced down the tough WOD "Grace" in the Brute Strength Challenge, you can use a strict military press or push-press. Every variation counts as long as you lock it out!
- Option 1: Military Press
- Option 2: Push-Press
- Option 3: Push-Jerk
Pull-Up
A pull-up rep only counts when your chin is above the bar. There are multiple ways to do pull-ups for a CrossFit workout. Here are a few options to help you through this workout:
- Option 1: Strict Pull-Up
- Option 2: Kipping Pull-Up
- Option 3: Butterfly Kip
If you can't do any of these options, you can still do the workout. Simply use an assisted pull-up machine, a band, or do jumping pull-ups from a box. Scale according to your skill level.
Double-Under
To perform a double-under, the jump rope must go under your feet twice in a single jump. If you can't do more than 5-10 double-unders without whipping yourself, you're better off doing singles. The jump rope portion is supposed to challenge your cardio, so if you're stopping every 10 seconds to reset the rope, the workout will last longer than it should.
If you can't do double-unders, then your best option is just to do single-unders and simply double the number of jumps. So, instead of 30 double-unders, do 60 singles. If using a jump rope is out of the question, you can jump on and off a plate. You can also jump laterally over a barbell.
Scaling the Workout
Your goal in this workout is to finish somewhere between 5 and 7 minutes, so it is important to scale the moves and weight appropriately. If you are taking more than 10-12 minutes to finish, your weight is likely too heavy. If you bust the whole thing out in 4 minutes, you probably should have gone heavier. A well-designed circuit workout is a combination of strength and cardio that should feel like a kick in the lungs—in a good way!
