Best CrossFit WODs & CrossFit Exercises: Top CrossFit Workouts Guide
This guide is designed to help runners in the UK understand how CrossFit workouts can complement their training, offering practical advice on WODs and essential exercises. Whether you're training for a 5K or a marathon, integrating CrossFit can enhance your endurance, improve your pacing, and support your recovery, contributing to long-term progress in your running journey.
Understanding CrossFit Workouts
CrossFit training, with its emphasis on constantly varied functional movements, can be a game-changer for runners looking to improve their overall fitness and performance. It's not just about lifting heavy; it's about building a well-rounded athlete capable of tackling diverse physical challenges, which directly translates to stronger, more resilient running.
What is a WOD?
WOD explained simply
A WOD ("Workout of the Day") is a structured CrossFit session made up of functional movements performed at intensity. It may include bodyweight work like burpees, strength movements like squats, and cardio work like rowing or jump rope.
The Importance of CrossFit Training
Incorporating CrossFit training into your routine offers significant benefits for runners, enhancing strength, endurance, and overall conditioning. It builds maximal strength and resilience, helping you manage higher mileage, long Sunday runs, and race preparation without breaking down.
Runner insight
CrossFit improves the "support system" around your running — hips, core, and posterior chain — which helps you hold pace under fatigue.
How to Choose the Best CrossFit Workouts
The best CrossFit workouts for runners depend on your goal. If you need endurance, focus on cardio-heavy WODs. If you lack strength, prioritise squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell work.
Essential CrossFit Exercises
These are the foundational movements that carry the most transfer into running performance, from stride power to injury prevention.
Overview of Best CrossFit Exercises
Key movement categories
The most effective CrossFit exercises for runners combine weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio conditioning. Think squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, kettlebell swings, and box jumps.
Squats and Deadlifts
Squats and deadlifts are essential for developing lower body strength and posterior chain power. This directly improves running economy, stride stability, and injury resistance.
Bodyweight Training: Push-Ups and Sit-Ups
Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees build muscular endurance and core stability without equipment. These are ideal for home training or light recovery days.
Popular CrossFit WODs
Hero WODs: High-Intensity Benchmark Workouts
Hero WODs are long, demanding workouts designed to test endurance and mental resilience. They often combine lifting, bodyweight movements, and cardio under fatigue.
What they typically include
Deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, burpees, rowing, and jump rope sequences performed at high intensity with minimal rest.
Full-Body Workouts for All Levels
CrossFit is scalable. Beginners can reduce load or reps, while advanced athletes increase intensity. This makes it suitable for runners at any stage of training.
Cardio-Focused WODs
Cardio-based WODs featuring burpees, jump rope, and rowing improve aerobic capacity, which directly supports long-distance running performance.
Best CrossFit WODs at a Glance
The benchmark workouts every athlete should know — what they are and how to attack them.
| Workout | What it is | Tips to perform it well |
|---|---|---|
| Fran 21-15-9 reps of thrusters & pull-ups, for time Benchmark | The quintessential CrossFit benchmark. Alternating rounds of barbell thrusters (95/65 lb) and pull-ups descending from 21 to 15 to 9 reps. Deceptively short and brutally intense. |
1Break the 21s into 12-9 rather than going unbroken and blowing up early.
2Keep the bar close on thrusters — a forward push wastes energy.
3Kip aggressively on pull-ups to save your grip for later rounds.
|
| Murph 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, 1 mile run Hero WOD | A tribute workout for Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy. Traditionally done with a 20 lb vest. Partition the middle section however you like — most athletes use 20 rounds of 5/10/15. |
1Use 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats to keep rest predictable.
2Run the first mile conservatively — you have a long way to go.
3Drop to knee push-ups rather than stopping completely when fatigue hits.
|
| Grace 30 clean & jerks for time (135/95 lb) Strength | 30 reps of clean & jerks completed as fast as possible. A pure test of barbell cycling efficiency and shoulder-to-overhead capacity. Elite athletes finish in under 90 seconds. |
1Use a squat clean when fatigued — it lets your legs absorb the load instead of your back.
2Keep the bar close on the pull — any arc burns precious time.
3Plan your sets: 10-10-10 or steady 5s beats going for broke.
|
| Helen 3 rounds: 400m run, 21 KB swings, 12 pull-ups Cardio | A classic triplet combining cardiovascular output with posterior chain and pulling work. Kettlebell is 53/35 lb. Tests your ability to transition quickly and manage heart rate under load. |
1Push the 400m pace — the KB swings and pull-ups are your recovery by comparison.
2Go unbroken on KB swings in round 1. Break to 12-9 in later rounds if needed.
3Lock out at the top of every swing — judges will no-rep a lazy finish.
|
| Cindy 20 min AMRAP: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats AMRAP | A 20-minute AMRAP with no equipment other than a pull-up bar. Appears simple but punishes pacing mistakes ruthlessly. A score of 20+ rounds is a solid benchmark. |
1Start at 80% effort — athletes who sprint early always fade in the final 8 minutes.
2Break pull-ups into 3-2 to protect your grip rather than failing reps.
3Use the air squat as your active rest — focus on breathing and resetting.
|
| DT 5 rounds: 12 deadlifts, 9 hang power cleans, 6 push jerks Strength | A barbell cycling hero WOD at 155/105 lb named after USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis. Five rounds for time. The key challenge is keeping the bar moving across three movements without setting it down. |
1String deadlifts and hang cleans together — the transition is just a hip hinge and pull.
2Own the dip-drive on the push jerk — don't stall or press it out overhead.
3Touch-and-go deadlifts in rounds 1–3. Singles in 4–5 are fine.
|
| Annie 50-40-30-20-10: double-unders & sit-ups Cardio | A descending ladder totalling 300 reps of each movement. Pure skill and endurance. A fast time requires efficient jump rope mechanics and consistent core output across all five rounds. |
1Keep elbows tight and wrists doing the work — big arm movements kill double-under rhythm.
2Anchor your feet on sit-ups and use a butterfly kip to keep each rep fast.
3Take one breath between sets to reset before stepping back into the rope.
|
| Nancy 5 rounds: 400m run, 15 overhead squats (95/65 lb) Benchmark | Five rounds combining a 400m run with overhead squats. Tests how well you maintain OHS mechanics when your lungs are burning. One of the trickier benchmarks to pace correctly. |
1Slow the last 50m of each run to get breathing under control before you squat.
2Keep torso upright and bar stacked over heels — fatigue will tempt you to forward lean.
3A light bar that stays moving beats a heavy one that stops.
|
Strength and Conditioning with CrossFit
Clean and Kettlebell Swings
Olympic lifting and kettlebell swings develop explosive power and posterior chain strength. This translates into better stride force and reduced fatigue on hills and sprints.
Dumbbell Training for Runners
Dumbbells allow accessible strength training at home. Movements like dumbbell squats and rows build balanced strength and coordination.
Gymnastics in CrossFit
Gymnastic movements like pull-ups and handstand holds improve core stability, posture, and upper body endurance — all useful for running efficiency.
Creating Your Own CrossFit Routine
Balanced Training Structure
A good routine combines strength, cardio, and mobility. For runners, this means building legs, core, and aerobic conditioning without overtraining.
Cardio + Strength Integration
Simple hybrid structure
Combine rowing or jump rope intervals with squats, deadlifts, or kettlebell swings to build both endurance and strength in one session.
Home Gym Training Tips
A home setup with dumbbells, a pull-up bar, and bodyweight movements is enough to complete effective CrossFit-style training sessions.
Progressing in CrossFit
Tracking Performance
Track reps, weights, and times across workouts. This helps identify improvements in strength, endurance, and conditioning over time.
Setting Realistic Goals
Focus on gradual improvement rather than intensity spikes. Master technique before increasing load or speed.
Consistency Over Intensity
Key principle
Consistent training builds far better long-term adaptation than occasional high-intensity sessions. This is especially important for runners managing mileage.
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