CrossFit Movement Guide — 48 Exercises
New to CrossFit, or just unsure what a thruster or sumo deadlift high pull actually is? Every major WOD movement explained — step-by-step technique, what muscles it works, common mistakes, scaling options, and a video demo for each one.
🤸Bodyweight(15)
Pull-Up
The pull-up is the single most important upper-body pulling movement in CrossFit. It develops the la…
Push-Up
The push-up is the foundational horizontal pressing movement in CrossFit and the most accessible upp…
Air Squat
The air squat is the foundational lower-body movement in CrossFit — the base from which thrusters, w…
Burpee
The burpee is CrossFit's go-to full-body conditioning movement — a combination of a push-up, a plank…
Sit-Up
The CrossFit sit-up differs from the traditional gym sit-up: it is typically performed with an AbMat…
Box Jump
The box jump is a plyometric movement that develops explosive lower-body power, coordination, and th…
Wall Ball
Wall balls combine a full-depth squat with an explosive overhead throw to a target — 10 feet for men…
Burpee Broad Jump
The burpee broad jump adds a horizontal power component to the classic burpee — instead of jumping s…
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a dynamic core and cardio movement performed in a high plank — you drive alter…
Lunge
Lunges are a fundamental unilateral lower-body movement that builds strength, balance, and hip mobil…
Jump Squat
Jump squats combine the mechanics of an air squat with an explosive vertical jump, developing lower-…
V-Up
V-ups are a demanding core exercise where both the upper body and legs simultaneously rise from the …
Hollow Hold
The hollow hold is the foundational position for almost all CrossFit gymnastics skills. It is a stat…
Superman Hold
The superman hold is a prone posterior chain exercise — you lie face-down and simultaneously lift yo…
Box Step-Over
Box step-overs are a lower-impact alternative to box jumps that remove the plyometric landing while …
🔄Gymnastics(9)
Muscle-Up
The muscle-up is the most prestigious bodyweight movement in CrossFit — a combination of a pull-up a…
Handstand Push-Up
The handstand push-up (HSPU) is the primary overhead pressing movement in CrossFit gymnastics. Perfo…
Ring Dip
The ring dip is a significantly more demanding version of the parallel bar dip due to the instabilit…
Toes-to-Bar
The toes-to-bar (T2B) is a hanging core movement in which the athlete swings both feet to contact th…
Rope Climb
The rope climb is one of the most physically demanding movements in CrossFit, combining grip strengt…
Ring Row
Ring rows are the primary scaling movement for pull-ups in CrossFit — a horizontal pulling exercise …
Dip
Dips are a fundamental vertical pressing movement that develops triceps, chest, and shoulder strengt…
Knee Raise
Knee raises are the primary scaling movement for toes-to-bar — performed hanging from a pull-up bar,…
Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
Chest-to-bar pull-ups (C2B) are an advanced pulling variation where the athlete must touch their che…
🏋️Barbell(13)
Thruster
The thruster is CrossFit's signature combined movement — a front squat driven directly into a push p…
Deadlift
The deadlift is the foundational posterior chain movement in CrossFit and the highest load movement …
Hang Power Clean
The hang power clean begins from the "hang" position — bar at the hip crease or above the knee — rat…
Push Jerk
The push jerk is the Olympic weightlifting-derived pressing movement in CrossFit, used to move a bar…
Power Clean
The power clean is a full Olympic weightlifting derivative in which the athlete pulls the barbell fr…
Push Press
The push press uses a leg dip-and-drive to initiate a barbell press overhead, allowing athletes to m…
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
The sumo deadlift high pull (SDHP) combines a wide-stance sumo deadlift with an upright row, pulling…
Power Snatch
The power snatch is a barbell movement in which the athlete pulls the bar from the floor to a locked…
Clean & Jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic lifts — a barbell is pulled from the floor to the shoul…
Front Squat
The front squat is a barbell squat variation where the bar rests in the front rack position — across…
Back Squat
The back squat is the foundational barbell strength movement in CrossFit — the primary way athletes …
Overhead Squat
The overhead squat is the most technically demanding barbell squat variation, requiring simultaneous…
Snatch
The snatch is one of the two Olympic lifts — a barbell is pulled from the floor and caught overhead …
🫙Kettlebell(7)
Kettlebell Swing
The kettlebell swing is the foundational kettlebell movement in CrossFit — a hip-hinge-driven moveme…
Goblet Squat
The goblet squat is one of the most effective teaching tools for squat mechanics in CrossFit. Holdin…
DB Thruster
The DB thruster is the dumbbell version of one of CrossFit's most iconic movements — combining a fro…
DB Deadlift
The DB deadlift is the dumbbell variation of the deadlift — both dumbbells start on the floor and ar…
DB Snatch
The single-arm DB snatch is one of the most athletic movements in CrossFit — featured prominently in…
DB Clean & Press
The DB clean and press combines a dumbbell power clean with an overhead press in a single compound m…
KB Clean
The kettlebell clean is a fundamental KB skill that brings a single kettlebell from the floor or swi…
🏃Cardio & Jump Rope(4)
Double-Under
The double-under is a jump rope movement in which the rope passes under the feet twice per jump. It …
Run
Running is the most fundamental monostructural movement in CrossFit — appearing in nearly every Hero…
Row
Rowing (typically on a Concept2 ergometer) is one of the three primary monostructural cardio machine…
Bike
Assault Bike (fan bike) cycling is CrossFit's most notoriously demanding cardio modality. Unlike a s…
Put These Movements to Work
Now that you know the movements, generate a personalised WOD or try a Hero WOD benchmark.