CrossFit is one of the best workout plans that focuses on the good health of a person. Have you heard of CrossFit Total? Let us tell you it was introduced in 2006 and aims to increase and enhance the base of CrossFit to make it stronger and more useful.
The developer of CrossFit Total is Mark Rippetoe who claims that it is the best reflection of the functional strength capacity of an athlete. In this guide, you will come to know what is CrossFit Total and what things are included in it. You will also come to know its importance.
Want to know more? Let’s move further!
Table Of Contents
What is CrossFit Total?
The name of CrossFit Total shows that it is the sum of something. Do you know what these things are? What is CrossFit Total? What things are added together? Let us tell you CrossFit Total is the sum of three main lifts i.e. the deadlift, the press, and the squat.
You have to attempt each lift three times and it is necessary to increase the weight after every successful attempt of each movement. Make sure you do not decrease the weight because it will affect the overall plan.
Let us tell you there is no time restriction or limit for each lift. It depends upon you for how long you can perform these activities or lifts included in CrossFit Total. But make sure all the lofts are performed during one session, it means you should not take a rest in between or perform any other activity.
The purpose of choosing the deadlift, the press, and the squat for CrossFit total is that these activities do not require much technical proficiency and can be performed easily and safely without spotters. Moreover, these are the movements that represent functional strength.
CrossFit Total Score Guide
| Beginner | <500/<300 lb |
| Intermediate | 600-800/300-500 lb |
| Advanced | 800-1000/500-700 |
| Elite | 1000/700+ lb |
Complete Guide About CrossFit Total
We have explained how to attempt the CrossFit Total properly and efficiently. It would be best if you go through all these steps and activities in the right way to get your desired results. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s have a look at them!
General Warm-Up
General warmth means you have to spend at least five to ten minutes working in different areas. For example, you can take rounds of the room for five minutes or use the walking machine for a while to warm up your body. The purpose of this activity is to get your body loosened up and identify the issues that might occur during working out.
When you find your weak spots, you can spend some time working on them to make sure you can move toward the next steps. When you are done with it, it is recommended that you move on to five to ten minutes of light conditioning and get your heart pumping. You will feel more awake after the warm-up step.
The Squat
When performing the squat, you must start from your ankles and then you should move towards your hips and knees. Ankle mobility seems to be easy movement but it is quite difficult for good movement patterns. If you want to perform it properly, you need to position the bar by resting it on your trapezius muscle and your hands on the bar from behind. Stand in a comfortable position and keep your head straight. We recommend you take the help of a coach or trainer to get more information about the squat.
The Press
The press is a lift that is also known as the military press because it is quite strict, especially for beginners. No doubt, it is one of the most difficult activities that are included in the CrossFit workout plan because you have to involve smaller muscles in this activity and a very little momentum.
If you want to do it properly, you have to stand in the front-rack position where the bar must rest on your shoulders near the collarbones and the hands must be underneath the bar. Make sure a parallel line is created between the floor and your upper arm while performing the press lift.
Next, press the barbell over your head until you make sure it is balanced over your shoulders. The barbell should be aligned with the mid of your feet. Lock your elbows at the top and engage with your upper back muscles. At last, lower the barbell back to the front-rack position. You are all done here with the press lift!
The Deadlift
The deadlift is a movement that is important for picking up a heavy weight from the ground and then putting it back. You can also perform this activity daily at home by lifting the grocery bags from the ground, loading and unloading them, picking up a child, etc.
If you want to do it in a proper way, you have to stand with your hips at the hip and position the feet so the barbell hovers over the middle of your feet. Bend to grab the bar and lift the barbell off the ground.
Make sure your chest is positioned up and you consume energy from your hamstrings and glutes. When you stand up, make sure your hips are locked and your feet are flat on the ground. If you want to avoid any kind of injury, it would be best if your lower back is neutral when you are lifting heavy weight.
CrossFit Total For Beginner A- Repetitions
| Back Squat | 3, 3, 1, 1 |
| Shoulder Press | 3, 3, 1, 1 |
| Deadlift | 3, 3, 1, 1 |
CrossFit Total For Beginner B- Repetitions
| Back Squat | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
| Shoulder Press | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
| Deadlift | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
CrossFit Total For Intermediate- Repetitions
| Back Squat | Heavy 5 |
| Shoulder Press | Heavy 5 |
| Deadlift | Heavy 5 |
Benefits of The CrossFit Total
Provides Upper-Body Strength
When you perform the movements included in CrossFit Total, your arms and shoulders press the weight overhead. Moreover, the muscles of your upper body are pulled which results in strengthening them. We can say that your upper body stays balanced and steady due to these lifts. Plus, the chest muscles also work as stabilizers and helpers.
Good For Lower Body
Squats are included in CrossFit Total which plays a vital role in strengthening your entire body including muscles, joints, and bones. All the movements included in it utilize your entire body and are known as weight-bearing exercises. No doubt, squats play a vital role in strengthening your glutes, hips, knees, quadriceps, and hamstrings. The deadlift movement is also considered helpful in lower body exercise because it involves the hamstrings and glutes
Efficient Core Strength
All the lifts included in CrossFit Total need you to engage and utilize your core throughout all the activities. Keep in mind that it is not easy to progress without a strong core. So, you can enjoy efficient and reliable core strength with the help of the deadlift, the press, and the squat.
Good For Baseline Establishment
CrossFit Total is considered the best way to establish a strong baseline. It is not only suitable for the experts but also the beginners who are new to CrossFit or gym. No doubt, you will enjoy the baseline of strength by completing the CrossFit Total which can be then used for measuring and comparing as you progress.
Provides Functional Strength
Want to enjoy functional strength? CrossFit Total is the best because it involves activities like Squats which are the best for functional movement. And when we talk about deadlifts, it is also helpful in providing functional strength to your body. Do you know when we are born, we are taught how to squat! Don’t you know that? It is because we sit in an unnatural way that’s why we have forgotten how to sit properly. Aside from mimicking, the movements included in CrossFit Total are the movements included in our daily life, we just have to perform them properly and in the right way.
Some Common Mistakes To Avoid
Here we have mentioned some of the common mistakes that must be avoided when attempting CrossFit Total. Let’s discuss them!
Skipping a Warm-Up
Thinking of attempting CrossFit Total without a warm-up? Very bad idea! It is like injuring yourself without any reason. We can say that it is the law of CrossFit Total that you have to warm up before starting to work out because it is necessary to increase your heart rate and pump more oxygen and blood to your muscles. Moreover, you have to prepare your joints with the help of warm-up for CrossFit Total
Disregarding Form
Never ever neglect the use of proper form or become careless with the outcomes of your lifts which can result in providing you a good score but an injury at worst. We recommend you consult your workout partner or coach to critique your lifts with light weights before you start attempting CrossFit Total. It means you should first practice lifting lightweight and then move towards heavyweight.
Lifting Too Heavy Weight
Many people think that when they lift too much weight, they will get quality results in no time even if they are a beginner. Let us tell you that you should never be greedy. There is a lot of difference between being greedy and passionate. You must be aware of your capabilities and then lift the weight accordingly. No doubt, it is good that you are able to lift too much weight before attempting CrossFit total but save this energy until you complete this plan or perform it for a long time until you reach the weight to be lifted you claim you can lift up.
Working Out with an Injury
Have you had surgery recently? Is there an injury to your body and still you are thinking of workout out and want to attempt CrossFit Total? It is a very bad idea! Never ever workout if you are not feeling well or are injured because exercising results in sweating a lot and pulling out your muscles which results in affecting the recovery process. You should know that if you attempt CrossFit Total with an injury, it will not only cost you money but also time and time off from work. You will also find difficulty in performing daily activities.
How CrossFit Total Can Be Modified?
We know that CrossFit has been designed in a way that lets you measure functional and true strength in athletes. If you modify this plan, it may result in affecting its effectiveness. But still, if you still insist on modifying it, make sure you seek help from a professional so the effectiveness of the plan is not disturbed. We have explained some of the modifications that can be made to three of these movements if you want.
Modifications For The Press
If you are facing difficulty in performing a Press lift, you can change the grip width to make it comfortable and easy for you. We know that the size of the shoulders and hips of different people are different. If you use a narrower or wider grip, you will be able to press overhead with more comfort.
Modifications For the Squat
While performing Squat, you notice that the back squat is not comfortable for you, you can move towards squatting with the barbell in the front-rack position. No doubt, some people cannot lift too much weight depending upon their health and height. If your ankles and hips are tight and you are struggling to squat, you can raise your heels a little bit. You can also wear the shoes that come with a raised heel. You can also modify this movement by decreasing the depth too so there is no risk of any kind of injury.
Modifications for the Deadlift
Do you want to modify the deadlift? Want to know how? Let us tell you that you can try sumo deadlift out because it can be easily done with a wide-leg stance. This lift is the best for those people who are finding difficulty in their hips and lower back. No doubt, it results in shortening the distance between the upright position and the floor. Moreover, you can try elevating the starting point for deadlifts only if you have back pain or have had surgery or injury otherwise it is not allowed in CrossFit Total.
Safety Measures To Consider
Are you interested in CrossFit Total? If yes, then you must be aware of the safety and precautions associated with it. These precautions are needed to be followed if you need quality results. Let’s have a look at them!
Do Not Forget To Hydrate
Make sure you drink water before working out because hydration is necessary for CrossFit Total as you have to perform three different movements without having a break of even two minutes. We know that we sweat too much while working out so it is recommended to drink at least seventeen to twenty ounces of water before two to three hours of starting exercising. Then, drink eight ounces of water before twenty to thirty minutes of exercising.
Always Warm Up First
It is important for you to warm up before starting exercising or attempting the CrossFit Total. For warming up, you can consider light aerobic work for increasing the heart rate as well as the blood flow to the muscles. Warming up before exercising is important because if you do not do so, your heart rate will get increased too much which will be difficult for you to handle and might be dangerous for your health as you might feel difficulty in breathing.
Eat Enough
We know that CrossFit Total is a combination of three lifts where all the activities have to be performed without a single break so a lot of energy is required for this purpose. Are you thinking of performing these lifts in the morning with an empty stomach? Never think of that at all! It will affect your health badly. Need good results for CrossFit Total? Make sure you eat healthy food all day so you do not feel dizzy at all when attempting CrossFit Total. Moreover, do not eat right before performing these activities because it will cause vomiting.
Conclusion
To sum up, CrossFit Total comes with three lifts which include the deadlift, back squat, and shoulder press. All these lifts are the movements that are associated with the activities that we perform daily so we can attempt them at home too. But if you want to do it properly, you can do it at the gym or at home.
If you want to attempt it under the supervision of a trainer, go to the gym. Otherwise, get a barbell and use it to perform the activities or movements included in the CrossFit Total. Make sure you do not take a break while attempting these lifts and follow all the precautions regarding this workout plan. We can say that the CrossFit Total is the best for a fresh start and is also not too difficult to perform if you are devoted to it.
