Want muscles like Cameron Diaz [1], Jessica Alba [2], or Jessica Biel [3]? You may want to try CrossFit. The workout has many devoted fans, not just incredibly fit celebrities, who love it not only for its scalability — workouts are tailored to your current ability, and the difficulty increases as you get better — but also for the mental challenge that comes from pushing yourself further with each workout.
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CrossFit uses simple exercises involving body resistance, gymnastics, aerobics, weight lifting, and other moves, which are done at a high intensity. While the exercises are simple, that doesn't mean you'll be bored — CrossFit is all about mixing up exercises and ramping up difficulty over time so you don't do the same workout twice in a row.
- Beginner's workout: CrossFit Games champ Mel Ockerby takes us through a simple workout of squats, sit-ups, and push-ups that anyone can try. You probably know how to do these moves already; get the beginner's CrossFit workout here [4].
- Back to basics: CrossFit is all about basic moves, so here's a good poster workout [5] to try if you're new to CrossFit. Using moves like push-ups, squats, and deadlifts, this workout is an effective one you can do almost anywhere.
- Outdoor workout: Who needs a gym when the weather's this nice? Brick gym owner and CrossFit coach Jarett Perelmutter shows us a total-body outdoor CrossFit workout that you can do outside; all you need is a park bench. Get the CrossFit bench workout video here [6].
- Eight-minute workout: CrossFit is all about high-intensity intervals to get results fast. This Tabata workout video [7] from CrossFit trainer Shirley Brown uses 20-second intense intervals of squats and push-ups to whip you into shape in only eight minutes.
- Kettlebell workout: There's a reason Jessica Alba always looks so strong and sexy: her trainer Yumi Lee introduced the actress to CrossFit. Yumi showed us how to burn major calories with this CrossFit kettlebell video workout [8].