CrossFit exercises are generally considered as men’s exercise. This is probably right as they usually involve long, brutal strength training workouts that aim to work and build every muscle in your body, and hence improve your physique and strength. This is also the reason why many women do not want to practice these as they think that they may get bulky like men.
However, there are less stressful CrossFit workouts that women can practice that will also improve their strength without changing their physique too much, such as the following three.
1. Kettlebell Romanian Deadlifts
This dead-lift variety works all the muscles on your back (strengthening them), including your hamstrings and glutes that extend to your thighs and butt, strengthening them and giving you a more impressive booty.
Stand straight with your feet a little wider than the width of your shoulders, and bend down to pick up the kettlebell in front and between your legs, keeping your back straight and bending your knees a little. Lift the kettlebell until you are standing, then bring down again, repeating eight times for a set for three sets. Make sure the kettle-bell is close to your legs the whole time.
2. Speed skaters
Unlike the dead-lift variety above, this exercise is not a strength training workout but a cardio drill instead. It improves your body’s agility, working the muscles located at your lower back, and of course like all cardio drills, increases the pumping of your heart, and hence the blood flow.
Stand on your right leg with your knee bent and jump on to the left leg, bending the knee also, and extending the other leg behind it, while you place the fingertips of your right hand on the floor. Jump back to the other foot repeating the same movement, and then repeat the whole exercise again 16 times in a set, for four sets. One complete repeat is doing both sides.
3. Pushups
Pushups are no longer considered the man’s only exercise. They are effective at strengthening the muscles of your arms and the upper body.
Get into a plank position, with your body being suspended by your hands and feet. Move your chest down towards the ground but not touching it and then push back up again. While your back is straight the entire time and your hands are directly beneath your shoulders with your elbows bent at right angles when going down.
Image courtesy of: i.ytimg.com.
