Crossfit can seem a bit intimidating for a range of reasons. The supposed ‘clique-ness’ of some boxes, the competitive nature and all of the jargon. And whilst we can’t calm your first-day nerves or necessarily stop you from feeling competitive pressure (although the only person you need to compete against is yourself), we can certainly help with some of the Crossfit jargon. So here’s your one-stop-shop of all the need-to-know lingo so you’ll be up to speed for your first Crossfit session.
The basics
Affiliate: Box or Crossfit gym that is affiliated with the Crossfit brand.
Box: An individual Crossfit gym. These will be local and each has a different owner.
CF: CrossFit
CFHQ: CrossFit HQ
CrossFit Games: Annual competition which pits the highest level of CrossFit athletes against each other. They compete to be crowned the ‘Fittest Man or Woman’ in the world.
CrossFit Open: A virtual version of the CrossFit Games. Any member of a CrossFit box can sign up and compete anywhere in the world.
Games competitor: The highest standard of Crossfitters who enter the Crossfit games.
GPP: General physical preparedness. How fit you are overall.
SPP: Specific Physical Preparedness. SPP is your level of skills training.
Workouts
AMRAP: As many reps as possible. A set timed workout where you have to try and get through as many reps or rounds as possible.
ATG: Ass to grass. The squat technique adopted by CrossFitters.
CFT: Crossfit total. This is the signature strength workout in Crossfit. You’ll look to max out your squat, standing press and deadlift. For each movement, you’ll have three attempts. These movements are at the core of your strength.
CFWU: Crossfit warm-up. This is an essential part of every CrossFit workout.
Chipper: A series of movements in a sequence. This could be your full WOD, part of your warm-up or skills.
Couplet: Two exercises that complement each other
DFL: Dead f***ing last. The last one to complete the WOD.
DNF: Did not finish. This is if you did not finish the WOD, either because of time or another reason e.g. injury.
EMOM: Every minute, on the minute. This is when you have a set amount of reps and sets which you have to complete within a minute. The faster you go, the more rest time you have.
Filthy fifty: A type of chipper. 50 reps of 10 different exercises. Super challenging.
For time: Completing a set, workout or reps in no set time. This is about seeing how fast you can get through the prescribed exercises.
Fran: A 21-15-9 rep scheme of thrusters and pull-ups. A workout often featured in a CrossFit WOD.
Grace: 30 clean & jerks at 135 as fast as possible. Way more difficult than it sounds.
Isabel: Another CrossFit benchmark WOD. It’s a timed workout of 30 snatches.
Kip(ping): Opposite of strict. Using your bodies’ momentum to aid pull up or muscle up.
Ladder: Increasing reps each round
MetCon: Metabolic conditioning workout. Designed to challenge your stamina, these tend to be a lot shorter than your average CrossFit workout.
Murph: One of the most challenging WODs. A 1-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 push-ups & 300 bodyweight squats then another mile run.
PR: Personal record.
Rep - one repetition of a movement.
RM: Repetition maximum. For example, your 8RM for squat might be 60kg, while your 1RM 80kg.
RX’d as RX'd: When you’re completing a WOD (workout of the day) “as Rx’d” it means you aren’t subbing or adjusting any of the prescribed workouts.
SDHP: Sumo deadlift high pull. Starting in a sumo deadlift position pulling the barbell to shoulder height. Useful to help with cleans.
Set: Number of repetitions
Strict: The opposite to kipping. Not using any momentum to perform a movement. This is usually spoken about in terms of muscle-ups, toe to bar and handstand push-ups.
Subbed: Swapping out exercises from the WOD to suit your ability.
Tabata interval: Intervals of 20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds rest. This is an intense interval division. This tends to go in groups of 8 intervals - totalling 4 minutes.
The girls - Fran, Chelsea & Annie. Different types of workout, all very difficult
WO: Workout
WOD: Workout of the day. This changes every day in every box. Everyone has the same workout but there will be progressions for those with more skill and fitness level.
Equipment
Bumper plates: The rubber plates used on barbells. They should mostly be the same size across the board.
C2: Widely used rowing machine.
GHD: Glute hamstring developer. A machine used to perform glute ham raises.
KB: Kettlebell.
Parallettes: Parallel bars that increase the difficulty for handstand and regular pushups. They sit 8inches off the floor generally.
Rings: Gymnastic rings used for dips, muscle-ups and rows.
Exercises/movements
Air squats: Squats with no weight. They might sound easy but after 100 you’ll have jelly legs.
BP: Bench press. An absolute classic. Using a barbell on a straight bench, pushing away from the chest.
Box jump: Kind of self-explanatory but jumping onto a box. Usually is placed in a combo with over movements.
Burpee: A core exercise in CrossFit. Full body movement bringing you from the floor up to standing again.
C&J: Clean and jerk. Pulling the barbell from the floor, into a front squat, to stand and pushing overhead.
Clean: Pulling the barbell off the floor, catching into a front squat position and pushing up to stand.
DL: Deadlift. Classic powerlifting move. Either in conventional (legs hip-width and parallel) or sumo (legs wider than the hips, feet pointing outward). This involves hinging at the hips, keeping a straight back and pulling upward to hip height.
Double unders: Style of jump rope. Doing double skips rather than singular.
HSPU: Handstand press up. This is a difficult skill but one you’ll work on in the skills section of your Crossfit workout.
KTE: Knees to elbows. A regression of TBT (toes to bar). This involves hanging from a bar, engaging your core and bringing your knees to your elbows.
MU: Muscle-ups. A combination of a pull-up and dynamic tricep dip.
OHS: Overhead squat. Squatting down with the barbell overhead.
Pistol: A one-legged ass to grass squat.
PC: Power clean. See above for clean. The catch position is higher than a squat - catching the bar at a point where the legs are at 90 degrees or more.
PSN: Power snatch. See below for snatch. Similar to PC, the catch position is higher - with the weight being overhead when your legs are at 90 degrees or more.
PP: Push press. Using the momentum from your legs as well as your upper body to push a weight above your head. Either a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebells.
Ring dip: A tricep dip using the rings.
Rope climb: Climbing a rope with your whole body. This is a test of endurance.
SQ: Squat. A full-body movement that can either be performed with the barbell on your back or in the front rack position.
SN: Snatch. Pulling a barbell from the floor, with a wide grip to an overhead position in an ass to grass squat.
Thruster: From a clean position (barbell in front squat position), squat and push out of the squat overhead.
TTB: Toes to bar. Hanging from a bar and pulling your toes to the bar. This is a core and momentum-based exercise.
TGU: Turkish get up. A series of small movements bringing you from lying down with a weight overhead to standing.
Wallball: Throwing a weighted ball at a set target, catching and then squatting before powering up to throw again.
Walking lunge: Weighted or non-weighted lunges.
Now you might not be able to walk the walk (or clean the clean) but you’ll certainly be able to talk the CrossFit talk. Good luck in your new CrossFit journey! We know you’ll smash it.
