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Exercises

CrossFit warm-up exercises: a general circuit, then the WOD's own movements

Published October 24, 2026

A CrossFit warm-up is 3 minutes on the air bike or rower, then 2 rounds of 10 back extensions, 10 inverted rows and 10 push-ups, followed by 2 or 3 rounds of the workout's own movements with an empty bar or light ball, climbing toward WOD weight. For a barbell WOD that means 5 empty-bar overhead squats and 2 lighter sets of thrusters; for a gymnastics WOD, kipping swings and a few easy pull-ups. Plan on 12 minutes.

  1. Air Bike Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes
  2. Rowing Machine Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats
  3. Back Extension Lower Back
  4. Inverted Row Upper Back, Lats
  5. Push-Up Chest
  6. Barbell Overhead Squat Quads
  7. Barbell Thruster Quads, Shoulders

Three minutes on a machine

Pick the air bike or the rower and go easy for three minutes, building to a moderate pace in the last 30 seconds. Choose the machine the WOD doesn't use, so your warm-up adds variety rather than extra volume on the same muscles.

Machine warm-up, arms and legs

Air Bike

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

The fan bike works arms and legs together and the resistance rises only as you push harder, so easing in is natural.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so your knee is slightly bent at the bottom.
  2. Let your arms drive the handles in time with your legs.
  3. Start easy for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, then build to moderate for the last 30 seconds.

Cues

  • Arms push and pull
  • Breathe through your nose at first

Common mistakes

  • Sprinting in the first minute: save it for the WOD.
  • Gripping the handles so tight your shoulders shrug.

Swap for: Rowing Machine, Stationary Bike, Ski Erg

Build a session with Air Bike

Machine warm-up, posterior chain

Rowing Machine

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats

The rower warms the legs, hips and back in a pattern close to a deadlift or clean, which suits WODs heavy on hinging.

How to do it

  1. Sit with feet strapped in, knees bent, arms straight.
  2. Push through your legs, then lean back and pull the handle to your ribs.
  3. Return arms, body, then legs.
  4. Three minutes easy, steady stroke rate.

Cues

  • Drive with the legs
  • Smooth recovery

Common mistakes

  • Bending the arms early in the stroke.
  • Rushing forward on the recovery.

Swap for: Air Bike, Ski Erg, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Rowing Machine

General circuit: hinge, pull, push

Two rounds of 10 back extensions, 10 inverted rows and 10 push-ups cover hip extension, pulling and pushing, the three patterns that show up in almost every WOD. Move steadily between them without resting, at an effort where you could do twice the reps.

General circuit, hip extension

Back Extension

Lower Back

Lifting the chest from the floor moves the lower back through extension, the position it holds in deadlifts, cleans and kettlebell swings.

How to do it

  1. Lie face down with your hands behind your head and elbows out.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and lift your chest off the floor while your legs stay down.
  3. Lower slowly. Do 10 at a steady pace.

Cues

  • Lift the chest, not the chin
  • Squeeze the glutes

Common mistakes

  • Jerking up fast: lift and lower at the same speed.

Swap for: Superman, 45-Degree Back Extension, Good Morning

Build a session with Back Extension

General circuit, pulling

Inverted Row

Upper Back, Lats

Rowing under a bar or rings warms the lats and upper back for pull-ups and toes-to-bar without the full load of hanging.

How to do it

  1. Set a bar at about waist height and lie under it, hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
  2. Keep your body straight from heels to head.
  3. Pull your chest to the bar, then lower with control. Do 10.

Cues

  • Body like a plank
  • Chest to the bar

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging.
  • Shrugging toward your ears.

Swap for: TRX Row, Band Bent-Over Row, Pull-Up

Build a session with Inverted Row

General circuit, pushing

Push-Up

Chest

Push-ups warm the chest, shoulders and triceps, and the plank position braces your trunk for the rest of the session.

How to do it

  1. Hands under your shoulders, body in one straight line.
  2. Lower your chest to just above the floor with elbows at about 45 degrees.
  3. Press back up. Do 10.

Cues

  • Body moves as one piece
  • Elbows at 45 degrees

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag.
  • Doing half reps.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Incline Push-Up, Plank to Push-Up

Build a session with Push-Up

Specific prep: the WOD's movements at rising load

The last part copies the workout. For a barbell WOD, do 5 empty-bar overhead squats, then build the main lift in 2 or 3 sets toward WOD weight. For pull-ups, do kip swings and 2 easy sets. For wall balls, 2 sets of 8 with a lighter ball or a lower target. The final warm-up set should feel like the first round of the WOD, only shorter.

WOD prep, empty bar

Barbell Overhead Squat

Quads

Five empty-bar overhead squats check shoulder, hip and ankle mobility all at once before any barbell WOD.

How to do it

  1. Hold a barbell overhead with a wide grip and locked arms.
  2. Squat down while keeping the bar over the middle of your feet.
  3. Stand up. Do 5 slow reps with the empty bar.

Cues

  • Push up into the bar
  • Bar over midfoot

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bar drift forward.
  • Going for depth before your arms are stable.

Swap for: Goblet Squat, Snatch Balance, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Barbell Overhead Squat

WOD prep, build to WOD weight

Barbell Thruster

Quads, Shoulders

When the WOD has thrusters, two or three lighter sets let you find the rhythm of squat into press before the clock starts.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar in the front rack with elbows high.
  2. Squat down, then drive up and press the bar overhead in one movement.
  3. Bring it back to your shoulders as you start the next squat.
  4. Warm-up: 5 at about half WOD weight, then 3 at about 80 percent.

Cues

  • Drive from the legs
  • One smooth motion

Common mistakes

  • Pressing before you stand: let the legs launch the bar.
  • Dropping your elbows in the squat.

Swap for: Kettlebell Thruster, Wall Ball, Dumbbell Push Press

Build a session with Barbell Thruster

WOD prep, gymnastics

Kipping Pull-Up

Lats

A few kip swings and an easy set or two prepare the shoulders for the fast, repeated pulls in gymnastics WODs.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar and swing between pushing your chest through your arms and pushing the bar away.
  2. Do 5 swings.
  3. Add a pull at the top of the swing, then do 2 easy sets of 3 to 5.

Cues

  • Active shoulders in the swing
  • Hips drive the kip

Common mistakes

  • Swinging from loose shoulders.
  • Doing many kipping reps before strict ones feel solid.

Swap for: Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up, Inverted Row

Build a session with Kipping Pull-Up

WOD prep, ball work

Wall Ball

Quads, Glutes, Shoulders

Two sets with a lighter ball let you groove the squat-to-throw timing before the WOD ball.

How to do it

  1. Hold the ball at your chest facing the wall.
  2. Squat down, then stand fast and throw the ball to the target.
  3. Catch it and go straight into the next squat.
  4. Warm-up: 2 sets of 8.

Cues

  • Catch and sink
  • Legs throw the ball

Common mistakes

  • Catching with straight arms.
  • Throwing with your arms only.

Swap for: Medicine Ball Overhead Throw, Barbell Thruster, Goblet Squat

Build a session with Wall Ball

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Barbell WOD with thrusters

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets42 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentAir Bike, Hyperextension, Barbells

Your workout pairs thrusters with a machine or gymnastics piece.

The circuit warms the main patterns, and the empty bar plus two lighter sets brings you to WOD weight. Thruster sets in this strength piece end 2 reps short of failure, leaving room for the conditioning after.

Barbell WOD
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Air BikeSeconds. Easy, then moderate. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Back Extension 2 × 10 4 0 s
Inverted Row 2 × 10 4 0 s
Push-Up 2 × 10 4 0 s
Barbell Overhead SquatEmpty bar. 1 × 5 4 30 s
Barbell Thruster2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–8 2 2 min
How to run it
Bike, circuit, empty bar, then build the thruster.
How to progress
Add 2.5 to 5 kg when every set reaches the top reps at 2 reps in reserve.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Gymnastics WOD

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine, Barbells, Pull-Up Bar

Your workout has pull-ups, push-ups and bodyweight work.

Rowing and the pulling circuit warm the lats and shoulders, then kip swings and easy sets prepare the fast pulls. Working sets end 2 reps short of failure so technique holds.

Gymnastics
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Inverted Row 2 × 10 4 0 s
Push-Up 2 × 10 4 0 s
Kipping Pull-Up2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–12 2 90 s
How to run it
Row, circuit, kip swings, easy pull-ups.
How to progress
Add a rep per set each week.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Conditioning WOD with wall balls

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentAir Bike, Hyperextension, Medicine Ball

Your workout is a longer metcon with wall balls and a machine.

Back extensions and push-ups warm the hips and shoulders, and two lighter wall-ball sets set the rhythm before the timed sets.

Engine
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Air BikeSeconds. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Back Extension 2 × 10 4 0 s
Push-Up 1 × 10 4 0 s
Wall Ball2 warm-up sets first 4 × 10–20 2 1 min
How to run it
Bike, extensions and push-ups, then wall-ball sets.
How to progress
Add a rep per set each week.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is a good CrossFit warm-up?

Three minutes on a machine, two rounds of back extensions, inverted rows and push-ups, then light reps of the WOD's movements building toward WOD weight.

How long should a CrossFit warm-up take?

About 10 to 15 minutes. The general part is short; most of the time goes to the WOD's own movements.

Should the warm-up match the WOD?

Yes. The last part should rehearse the exact movements of the workout at rising load.

How do I warm up for a heavy barbell WOD?

Empty bar first, then 2 or 3 sets with fewer reps and more weight, landing at WOD weight.

What are 10 basic warm-up exercises?

Air bike, rower, back extensions, inverted rows, push-ups, overhead squats, thrusters, kip swings, pull-ups and wall balls all fit here.