If there is one exercise you cannot ignore, it is the deadlift. This is because it stands tall among the mass-gaining CrossFit workouts. Any athlete who wants to add muscles to their upper and lower body as well as create stronger and more appealing physique, the deadlift is the exercise to concentrate on. If performed correctly, the deadlift can help you build unparalleled mass while at the same time strengthening the major muscle groups. To add to this, deadlifting helps in strengthening the back and all the surrounding muscles. For this reason, it is excellent for rehabilitative as well as preventive processes. Experts in the CrossFit industry consider deadlift as the most effective CrossFit workouts in building core strength which supports all other muscle groups. The advantages of core strength cannot be underestimated because of their role in supporting virtually every movement and position performed by the body. You may be wondering why other exceptional compound exercises such as bench press and squat are not given much airtime when discussing a deadlift. The reason behind this is that deadlift is special for a variety of reasons. It’s recommended that it should be added to every CrossFit training schedule. If you want to find out more about this exercise, then read along. Core Stability This benefit has been mentioned above, but to build more on it, I will discuss it in detail. The deadlift workout targets all the muscle groups considered major, and it is responsible for core strength and correct posture. If you are doing deadlifting correctly, you will be able to hold your back straight when doing your day-to-day activities. This is because the workout emphasizes on maintaining a relatively straighter back throughout its performance. In addition, the deadlift strengthens the surrounding supporting muscles of the backside, waist, hips, and the lower back. Core strength is critical in helping you maintain balance as well as weight transference. Minimum Equipment The beauty of deadlift is that it requires little in preparation and equipment. So, all you need is a bar and your willingness to lift. Even though athletes may include wraps, it is not mandatory and in many cases optional. Safety Compared to other workouts, the deadlift is relatively safe and risk-free to perform. Unlike the bench press and squat, the deadlift doesn’t put you at risk of getting pinned under maximum lifts. As long as it is performed in the right form, it doesn’t stress any of your joints. More Muscles Exercised Deadlift is a real compound exercise. It works more muscles than any other movement. Back muscles, leg muscles, gluteus maximus, shoulder muscles, and arms are among those heavily exercised. With the deadlift, your whole body can grow. Gripping Strength If you do deadlift without traps, it will strengthen your grip because of the weight involved. You can easily work over 300 pounds for repetitions. In addition to the above, adding deadlifting to your CrossFit gym exercise repertoire, you will experience amazing cardiorespiratory fitness, the true measure of strength, and lots of real-life applications. 

The back squat is one of the key CrossFit training exercises which help in increasing strength, building muscle, and burning fat at the same time. The beauty with this squat is that it targets every muscle of the body and hits it in some shape, form, or way. If you want to measure your strength, the back squat is one of the exercises that can help you do this. Athletes who squat twice their bodyweight are considered a huge success in strength training. However, it is vital to note that such lifts do not come overnight. You need to put in a lot of practice and effort. The major stumbling blocks athletes face when trying to enhance their squat are weak hamstrings, weak glutes, and limited mobility. If you think you are one of the victims of this, below are ways you can fix them at your CrossFit gym. Weak Glutes Whenever you are coming out from the bottom position of a squat, you may experience some sort of an inward buckle of the knees. This condition is referred to as valgus collapse, and it indicates weak glutes. If not addressed early enough, it may result in injuries and tears such as PCL and ACL. When this occurs, your recovery will take much longer. To fix this, you should add barbell hip thrusts into your CrossFit workout routine as this target the glutes. For the best results, perform 3 to 4 sets each of 6 to 10 reps on your lower body or leg days. Weak Hamstrings While it is true that the back squat hits the quads really hard, heavyweights require activation of the glutes and hamstrings. When you have weak hamstrings, you will spend most of your time struggling as you try to come out of the bottom position of a squat. Fixing this requires the inclusion of Romanian deadlifts which strengthen the hamstrings and teach your body the right order to fire your muscles so as to improve your squat technique. Do 3 to 4 sets each having 6 to 8 reps on your lower body or leg days. Limited Mobility A stiff and tight body in the CrossFit gym possesses a mobility challenge when going through a range of motion. If this is not sorted out, you can ass well forget about packing on weight. To fix this, engage in foam rolling to loosen the tight areas. After a thorough foam rolling session targeting areas such as the chest, shoulder, lower back, mid back, hamstrings, and glutes, do overhead squats to open up, stretch, and mobilize the major parts of the body. Begin with one or two sets each having ten to twelve reps. You start with a PV pipe and after that progress into a barbell as you increase the weight on each set.

Every athlete stepping into the CrossFit gym has their goal in check. For some, their goals could be athletic while others physique. Whichever you go for, your back strength, glute, and hamstring play a crucial role. One of the most loved workouts in CrossFit is the classic barbell lifts. The reason being they are effective and do not need as much special equipment which means anyone can do them at any place. The barbell lifts are the bread and butter exercises and should form the center of your program. However, this doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice the time for other specialized work. Anyone seeing the glute-ham raise for the first time may be led to believe that it is difficult. This is expected and understandable because the glute-ham raise scotches your lower body like no other exercise. Lifters who have tried this workout have ended up experiencing an unexpected boost in their squat and deadlift. Other beneficiaries of the glute-ham raise have been sprinters and other athletes. It Focuses on Posterior Muscles Lots of weightlifting programs concentrate on the anterior muscles at the expense of the posterior or back muscles. The posterior chain consists of all the muscles you can’t possibly see in a mirror. They include the spinal erectors, rotator cuff muscles, or glutes, hamstrings, as well as rhomboids and lats. If you neglect these muscles and instead prioritize arms, chest, and quads, you will be a lot less stronger than you look which certainly is not a good thing. Imagine having a 6 pack and suffering from epic arms and back pain. The solution is to emphasize more on the muscles of the posterior chain, and nothing does this better than the glute-ham raise CrossFit workout. It’s Different from Deadlifts and Squats It is common to hear athletes commenting that the deadlifts and squats they are doing are sufficient for the posterior chain. However, the glute-ham raise if performed correctly is a different movement pattern from any of the above. It allows you to maintain a straight body down from the knees all the way up to the neck. It is one of the few known workouts that train your hip extension and knee flexion at the same time. To do this movement, you will be required to generate significant muscular tension as well as control which makes it a great athletic movement. It Doesn’t Require a Bench One of the common reasons athletes give for not including the glute-ham raise in their CrossFit training schedule is their lack of access to the right equipment. While this may be a legitimate problem, it has a simple solution. There is a version of the workout known as natural glute-ham raise which can be done virtually anywhere. For instance, you can have your training partner hold your ankles while seated on the floor. You can also use an ab bench for the workout. However, one thing you must acknowledge is that simply because it is a natural workout doesn’t mean that it is easy to do. The level of difficulty remains the same. If you have been looking for a workout to add to your program, the glute-ham raise is one of those you cannot afford to leave behind.

It is commonplace to see gym goers using weighted balls to CrossFit exercises. These balls are versatile and often used to target certain fitness aspects such as explosive power, strength, and conditioning. Exercise balls come in 3 categories which include medicine balls, slam balls, and wall balls. For a person who regularly uses them in the CrossFit gym, telling them apart is a no-brainer. However, for a newbie, it can be quite a challenge differentiating them. If you have been wondering how each ball is suitable for your unique workout situation, read along. Wall Balls As the name suggests, wall balls are used in exercises which is some way incorporates walls. These balls have been designed in such a manner as to absorb the impact of the collision with a rigid surface. Wall balls are often larger and made of vinyl with a padded outer layer thereby making them visible and convenient to catch while exercising. Some of the activities that incorporate a wall ball include wall squats, wall throws, and wall sit-ups. The ball is often thrown at a wall, bounces back into the hands of the person exercising, and then thrown back repeatedly. The main reason why wall balls are used is to enhance the experience and effects of the particular workout. Regarding weight, the ball ranges from 2 to 50 pounds and regarding size, it varies from anything to the size of a beach ball. Wall balls can also be used to improve the result of CrossFit exercises using bodyweight by only holding the ball. If you want to increase the difficulty level of core exercises such as lunges, sit-ups, and squats, use these balls. Slam Balls Of all the balls mentioned, slam balls are considered the heaviest and the most durable. The outer layer of these balls is made of tough rubber, thereby enabling them to withstand constant throwing on all manner of ground surfaces. Being solid balls, slam balls have little if any rebound, therefore, making them efficient for workouts. The most popular workout which utilizes a slam ball is the ball slam. Here, the person exercising throws the ball to the ground while simultaneously doing a squat and after that picking it up and repeating the cycle. The reason why slam balls are included in CrossFit exercises is for the improvement of the cardiovascular fitness and the overall strength of the athlete. In numerous exercises such as lunges and squats, slam balls can also be used as free weights. However, when used in throwing exercises, they are most effective. Which is Better of the Two? Having seen what the slam ball and wall ball are designed to do and their unique features, the question remains, which is preferable to the other? When looking for a ball that is heavy-duty and which can withstand hard throws and different surfaces, then the slam ball carries the day. They are durable and best suited for activities involving ball throwing on hard surfaces. However, when it comes to workouts that require partner work or rebounding, the wall ball is the best. When enrolling in CrossFit training, the wall ball is often preferred because most of the exercises here are throwing exercises.

Traveling is often associated with minimal activities, and no one can imagine that you can realistically train on the go. Time limits and other activities override the need for training, and you may find yourself through with your trip without a single workout. This can be concerning especially where you spend most of your time traveling either for work or other reasons. The secret to success in training on the go is to plan adequately. The following are some workable tips to enable you to do some CrossFit workouts on your trip. Preparations before Leaving A few things you should do before starting your trip include: Packing Your Gear Having your training gear is in itself an incentive to workout. In case you are wondering what exactly to pack in your bag, think about the following: • Shoes and Workout Clothes – Have at least a set of shoes, bottom, and top. Travel plans are not 100% predictable, and you can take advantage of those opportunities to train. • Jump Rope –This is a bit lightweight and small in size which means you can carry it wherever you go. • Protein and Shaker – The danger of buying your own protein supplements while traveling is that you may be forced to pay more. To avoid such cases, carry your own from home. • Download a Tabata Timer App –The beauty with tabatas is that they are short duration workouts which you can do at any point. The apps are free, and you can download one before you leave for your trip. Training at a Hotel If the hotel you are in has a fitness center, you can easily put together a CrossFit training schedule and get working. This is not as difficult as it may sound especially if you have been in the habit of planning your workouts. CrossFit by its nature is a varied, functional movement done at high intensity. It is all about getting more work done within a short duration. Your exercises do not have to be complicated. Utilize to the max, whatever workout equipment the hotel provides. Some hotel fitness centers may not have pull-up bars or kettlebells, but they may have bumper plates and barbells. Dumbbells These can give you one of the toughest workouts. You may find yourself in a hotel fitness center with poorly designed afterthoughts such as ceiling height and ergonomic features. If you are confronted with such a situation, you can decide to exercise outside. Pool You can use a pool for a WOD. Access to this facility is almost guaranteed in many hotels. The only caution you should exercise is that pool decks can be slippery and using a wet towel as a mat is recommended. This will give you a much better grip on your bare feet. Stairwell The hotel’s stairwell is a piece of equipment you are not likely to see in a CrossFit gym. You can take advantage of this and do interval training. However, because some stairwells are grimy, it is suggested that you put on gloves for your workouts. Irrespective of your options, training while traveling boils down to the personal determination. There are lots of options, and your planning will go a long way into making your workouts worthwhile.