If you’re seeking a fresh challenge or a way to spice up your fitness routine, consider some CrossFit-style workouts at Bluecoat Sports Fitness Yard. The range of activities available, from high-intensity cardio drills to complex weightlifting sessions, guarantees you can find something that not only tests your limits but also progresses your skills in a dynamic outdoor setting. Discover all you need to know about CrossFit and the best CrossFit workouts to do in our Fitness Yard.
On Saturday 13th July, Bluecoat Sports is holding a Hyrox/Crossfit-style competition, Yard Games. All of these types of workouts will help you train for this fun and energising fitness event. Find out more and sign up as an individual or couple.
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness programme that combines weightlifting, cardio, and bodyweight exercises to boost your strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and overall health.
In a typical CrossFit workout routine, you’ll encounter a varied blend of activities that challenge different muscle groups and improve various aspects of fitness. CrossFit gym workouts often include sprinting, rowing, skipping, and using weights. The versatility of CrossFit-style gym workouts means that each session is unique, keeping you engaged and preventing the monotony often associated with traditional exercise programmes.
Whether you’re looking to overhaul your fitness regime or spice up your workout routine, integrating CrossFit workouts into your schedule can offer the refreshment and results you’re aiming for.
Why Bluecoat Sports Fitness Yard for Crossfit workouts
Bluecoat Sports Fitness Yard is your ideal choice for CrossFit workouts. It offers a fully equipped, year-round outdoor training environment. With state-of-the-art flooring and a variety of functional fitness equipment, you’re set for any CrossFit fitness workout. Whether you’re following a strict CrossFit workout plan or diving into CrossFit-inspired workouts for the first time, this space accommodates all your training demands.
The multifunctional rig supports diverse activities from TRX to boxing, enhancing your ability to mix strength work with endurance training—critical components of CrossFit. With four squat racks and lifting platforms, you can tackle all types of barbell movements essential for building strength, power and muscle endurance.
For those who thrive on high-intensity sessions and are looking for a more challenging workout, the four-lane sled track is perfect for HIIT elements in your workout. Plus, the Shock Turf ensures you can train hard without wear and tear on your body, no matter the weather.
Types of CrossFit workouts
Cardio workouts
Cardio workouts in CrossFit focus on running, rowing, and skipping techniques to boost your heart rate and endurance. Don’t just jog; vary your pace with sprints and intervals to maximise fat burn and improve aerobic capacity. Remember to keep your posture straight and your strides smooth for efficiency and injury prevention.
Rowing is a powerhouse cardio workout that engages almost every major muscle group in your body. Focus on maintaining a strong, consistent stroke and proper form. Keep your back straight, grip the handles firmly, and push through with your legs before pulling the handle towards your chest. This technique ensures you’re reaping the full benefits of the exercise and reduces the risk of strain.
Skipping offers a quick, intense workout that is all about speed and agility. Practice varying your speed from slow to fast to build stamina and coordination. Skipping is a full cardio challenge that will keep your heart pumping and your muscles engaged.
Strength training
Strength training includes weightlifting, bodyweight manoeuvres, and resistance band workouts to enhance your muscle tone and endurance.
- Weightlifting: You’ll tackle classic exercises like deadlifts, squats, and various presses. Using barbells and kettlebells, these movements target major muscle groups, boosting your strength and metabolic rate.
- Bodyweight Exercises: No equipment? No problem. Engage in push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and air squats that use your body weight to build muscle. These exercises are vital for developing functional strength and muscular endurance.
- Resistance Bands: Add a twist to your routine by incorporating resistance bands. These tools are fantastic for adding intensity to your workouts, helping you overcome plateaus and increase muscle engagement.
- Progressive Overload: To keep your gains coming, you’ll focus on progressively increasing the weight or resistance in your workouts. This approach ensures continuous improvement and helps prevent fitness plateaus.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
CrossFit workouts also include high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This dynamic training format integrates various intense exercises with brief rest periods to maximise your workout efficiency and boost cardiovascular fitness.
One popular HIIT method you’ll encounter is Tabata workouts. These involve 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. It’s a quick, intense four-minute cycle that pushes your limits and increases your metabolic rate.
Another HIIT strategy used in CrossFit is AMRAP, which stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. Within a set time frame, you’ll push yourself to complete as many rounds of a specific circuit as you can. This not only builds endurance but also enhances your ability to maintain high-intensity work under fatigue.
With HIIT, you’ll see improvements in your strength, agility, and overall health, making each sweat-drenched session worth the effort.
Crossfit workouts you can do at Bluecoat Sports Fitness Yard
At Bluecoat Sports Fitness Yard, you can use our setup to practice your CrossFit workouts. Whether you’re just starting, at an intermediate level, or ready for advanced challenges, there’s a workout here for you.
Here are some example CrossFit workouts to help you get started:
Workout for beginners
If you’re new to CrossFit, start with dynamic stretches and light cardio to warm up. This initial phase is vital for preparing your body for the workout ahead and reducing the risk of injury.
Once you’re warmed up, here’s a straightforward beginner workout you can engage in:
- Bodyweight Squats
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 15
- Instructions: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and back straight. This exercise targets your lower body and helps build foundational strength.
- Push-ups
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 10
- Instructions: If standard push-ups are too challenging, feel free to modify them by keeping your knees on the ground. This will help develop your upper body and core strength.
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press:
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 12
- Instructions: Lift with your shoulders, not your neck. This movement is excellent for enhancing shoulder stability and strength.
- Plank:
- Sets: 3
- Duration: 30 – 60 seconds
- Instructions: Hold a plank position on a comfortable mat. Planks are great for building endurance in both the core and shoulder muscles.
Finish your session with static stretching and some relaxation to cool down. Gently ease your muscles after your workout, which helps with muscle recovery and flexibility.
Intermediate workout
Once you’ve mastered the basics, elevate your routine with the intermediate CrossFit workouts. Immerse yourself in a more intense warm-up, combining vigorous cardio with stretching that pushes your flexibility and endurance further. This readies you for the more demanding main segment:
- Kettlebell Swings
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 20
- Instructions: Use a moderate-weight kettlebell. Keep your back straight and use your hips to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height. This exercise targets your posterior chain and core.
- Pull-Ups
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 10-12
- Instructions: Perform standard pull-ups. If these are too challenging, use a resistance band for assistance. This exercise strengthens your upper body, particularly your back and biceps.
- Front Squats
- Sets: 4
- Reps: 10
- Instructions: Use a barbell with moderate weight. Keep your elbows high and chest up as you squat. This exercise focuses on your quads, glutes, and core.
- Burpees
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 15
- Instructions: Perform a burpee by dropping into a squat, kicking your feet back into a plank, doing a push-up, jumping your feet back to your hands, and then jumping up with your arms overhead. This full-body exercise boosts cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 12-15
- Instructions: Use moderate weights. Lift with your shoulders, not your neck, and keep your core engaged. This movement enhances shoulder strength and stability.
- Plank to Push-Up
- Sets: 3
- Duration: 1 minute
- Instructions: Start in a plank position. Lower your body into a push-up position one arm at a time and then return to the plank position. This exercise builds core strength and upper body endurance.
Finish your session with static stretching and relaxation exercises to cool down. This phase is essential for muscle recovery and flexibility.
Advanced workout
Ready to challenge yourself with the most intense workouts? Start with high-intensity cardio to get your heart pumping. Think sprint intervals or a quick rowing session. Follow up with complex stretches to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout ahead:
- Barbell Clean and Jerk
- Sets: 5
- Reps: 3
- Instructions: Use a heavy weight. Focus on explosive power and proper form, engaging your entire body. This complex movement targets your shoulders, legs, and core.
- Muscle-Ups
- Sets: 4
- Reps: 6-8
- Instructions: Perform muscle-ups on rings or a bar. If needed, use a resistance band for assistance. This exercise combines a pull-up and dip, targeting your upper body and core.
- Back Squats
- Sets: 5
- Reps: 5
- Instructions: Use a heavy barbell. Maintain a strong core and proper form, focusing on depth and control. This exercise targets your quads, glutes, and lower back.
- Handstand Push-Ups
- Sets: 4
- Reps: 10
- Instructions: Perform against a wall or freestanding if possible. If needed, use an abmat for head support. This exercise strengthens your shoulders, triceps, and core.
- Deadlifts
- Sets: 5
- Reps: 5
- Instructions: Use a heavy weight with a barbell. Keep your back straight and engage your core throughout the lift. This compound movement targets your posterior chain, including your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
- Burpee Box Jumps
- Sets: 4
- Reps: 15
- Instructions: Perform a burpee followed by a box jump. This exercise combines cardio and explosive strength, targeting your entire body and boosting endurance.
Wind down with deep stretching to help your muscles recover. Focus on areas that you’ve worked the most during the session, like your shoulders, back, and legs.
Incorporate foam rolling or yoga poses that target muscle relaxation and flexibility. This step is essential to prevent injuries and ensure your body is ready for more challenges ahead.
Get ready for the Yard Games
Put your new CrossFit skills to the test at the Bluecoat Sports Yard Games on Saturday, 13th July. Yard Games is a friendly fitness challenge designed to test your strength, endurance, and speed while supporting the Olive Tree, a cancer support charity close to our hearts.
The event runs from 08:00 to 13:00. Whether you’re flying solo or pairing up, there’s a place for you. Entry fees are only £10.00, which goes straight to charity, making every drop of sweat count even more.
To book, head to our online booking system, choose the 13th July, and select your participation style—individual or couple. Remember, spots are limited, and with the event open to both members and non-members over 16, it’s best to act fast.
