Favorite and Not-So-Favorite Workouts
When you think of health and fitness, there’s probably some workouts that you automatically gravitate towards. Some people absolutely LOVE running and others hate it. Heck even within certain modalities there’s workouts that you enjoy and others that you dread doing. I’m a firm believer that everyone has workouts that they love and some that they just tolerate. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite and not-so-favorite workouts: CrossFit edition!
Favorite Workout: “Buy-In” Workouts
This isn’t a specific type of workout but it usually requires a cardio based component before you get to the meat and potatoes of the workout. I like these because I feel like it kind of evens the playing field. With my background as a runner, I tend to hold a good pace with these and still have enough energy to work through the rest of the workout. While I may not get off the rower, bike, or finish the first the fastest, I’ve learned to pace these so I’m able to finish the workout with a steady pace. Not every one can so they tend to slow down and I catch up to them!
Favorite Workout: AMRAPS 15 Minutes or Less
The prescribed time on this is important. 15 minutes is tolerable in my book. You’re moving the whole time but it usually means that you’ll get a solid three or four rounds if you have a good amount of movements. In my mind, it’s easier to keep track and I settle into a groove. These workouts are all about repetition and if you’re working out with others, it can turn into a friendly competition.
Not-So-Favorite Workout: Chippers
If you don’t know what a Chipper is, then consider yourself extremely lucky. A Chipper is a workout that combines high number of repetitions for a handful of exercises. Something like 50 reps of box jumps, pull ups, kettlebell swings, wall balls, and pull ups for example. You have to complete all the reps before moving onto the next exercise. You may also have an pyramid scheme or reps but either way you’re doing a lot of reps. These types of workouts drain me because I never quite feel like I know where I am in relation to finishing the workout. I’m often glad to be done with a movement before realizing that I am still not done. These test your engine and let you see how conditioned you are.
Not-So-Favorite Workout: AMRAPS Longer Than 15 Minutes
I alluded to this one earlier. For some time during winter, we got stuck with 20 Minute AMRAPS. They felt SO DANG LONG. These can feel like they’re never end plus it requires you to stay on top of what round you’re in. For longer AMRAPS like these, you have to think about your cycling rate of each exercise. You can go full speed at the beginning but it may not be something you can maintain for the whole time. Again, these show you how truly conditioned you are and make you pay attention to your pace.
Even if I see a workout that I don’t like, I still show up and give it my all. Each type of workout has it’s benefits so I know I’m getting stronger every time I put in the effort!
What about you? What is are your favorite and not-so-favorite workouts? They can be CrossFit related or not!
