Toughest CrossFit Exerices

The beauty about CrossFit is that it’s designed to cater for all types of people no matter what level of fitness you are.

If there is a type of movement you are struggling with, it can always be modified to ensure you get the benefits out of the workout, while improving your strength and conditioning.

In CrossFit there are many movements that are quite easy to perform and great for beginners and professionals. However, there are also a number of exercises that are quite tough and often take months, if not years, to master.

Here is a list of some of the hardest CrossFit movements you might come across:

Pistols. Requires athletes to stand on one foot and then lower themselves until their bottom is hovering just above the ground. Basically, it is a one-foot squat but requires a great deal of strength and balance.

Snatch. While this movement can be done quite easily with a lower weight, getting the technique right can take years to perfect. A snatch is when you take a bar from the ground to over your head in one movement. To perform a good snatch, you will need to have a good sense of timing, efficient use of your arms and know where and how to grip the bar.

Handstand Push-Ups. Where you move to a handstand position with the back of your feet resting against a wall. From here you are required to lower your body until your head touches the ground. Then you will need to push yourself up for one rep. This requires a lot of shoulder strength and it takes time for athletes to get used to the position and feeling of having blood rush to your head the whole time. Getting down from a handstand push up position can also be dangerous at times, making this one of the toughest CrossFit movements.

Muscle Ups. Using two gymnastic rings, the aim is to get your chest above the rings with your arms extended. Starting in a standing position you will grab the rings, then try to ‘kip’ your way up, before dipping up and extending your arms. Not only does this require athletes to understand the ‘false’ grip on the rings, but it requires a lot of technique, patience and tape to protect your hands!

Butterfly Kip Pull Ups. Most CrossFitters will be able to perform a standard ‘kipping’ pull up, but not too many will be able to pull out a butterfly kip. You will see almost every professional use this movement when doing pull ups as it uses less energy and is faster than the convention kip. The movement, however, is very difficult to perform continuously and may often take years to master.