Crossfit Language

Are you new to crossfit and have no idea what people are talking about? I know it was that way for my husband and I when we first started going! Here’s a cheat list to help you out! I wish I would have found one when we started going.

Here are some basic terms of the language of CrossFit:

AMRAP: As Many Reps (sometimes Rounds) as Possible

BEAST: A complimentary term used to describe a badass athlete, as in “she’s a beast”.

Benchmark-A workout or lift that tests or measures your fitness and/or strength. Similar to “What do you bench?” at a normal gym, in CrossFit, the classic benchmark is, “What is your Fran time?”

Box: the term which refers to a CrossFit gym

BS: Back squat

BW: Body weight

Chipper: A workout with many reps and many movements (you chip away at it)

CFT: CrossFit Total – consisting of max squat, press, and deadlift.

C&J: Clean and jerk

DL: Deadlift

Dubs: Double Unders- the jump rope swings around twice with one jump

EMOM: Every Minute On the Minute

Fran: Classic CrossFit benchmark (21-15-9 thursters/pullups)

Firebreather: A top- notch athlete, someone who does things that us mere mortals just stare at in wonderment. Someone we can all aspire to be like.

For Time: Complete the timed workout as quickly as possible. Be sure and log your workouts (especially the named ones) so you can see your fitness progression.

FS: Front squat

The “Girls”: Some of the very first CrossFit WODs; The “benchmarks” for assessing one’s level of fitness; These workouts are named after girls (15 total “original girl” WODs; and 6 total “new girl” WODs).

GHD Situp: Situp done on the Glute Ham Developer.

Globo Gym: the world-wide accepted norm for what a gym is (commercial fitness) i.e. 24 Hour Fitness, WOW, YMCA, etc

Goat: A movement or lift that is difficult for you to overcome. Something you dread coming up in a workout because you either suck at it, hate it or both. Common goats include double unders, muscle ups, running and
handstand push ups. We all should be working on our goats, constantly.

Hero WODs: Named after military servicemen, police, or firefighters who have died in the line of duty, these difficult workouts are intermittently programmed in CrossFit to provide an extra challenge and reminder of their sacrifice- mentally and physically (Example: “Murph”- Run 1 mile, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, run 1 mile)

GPP: General physical preparedness, aka “fitness.”

HSPU: Hand stand push up. Kick up into a handstand (use wall for balance, if needed) bend arms until nose touches floor and push back up.

KB: Kettlebell

K2E: Knees to elbows. Similar to TTBs described below.

Kipping pullup: A rhythmic swing on a pull-up bar that lets you transfer horizontal motion to vertical force. This movement should allow you to complete more (and quicker) pull-ups

MetCon: Metabolic Conditioning.

MU: Muscle ups.

OHS: Overhead squat.

Paleo: Clean eating nutrition plan that many CrossFit athletes adhere to; Not a ‘diet’, but a healthy lifestyle; The premise is “eat real, whole foods”, including protein (red meat, poultry, pork, seafood, eggs), vegetables (all, including some starchy veggies, such as sweet potatoes/butternut squash), lots of healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil) and some fruit; Eliminates gluten, sugar, most dairy and legumes.

Pistol: A squat that only uses one leg at a time (also known as single leg squats). Resistance bands or steadying oneself on a box/pole may be used to help gain balance for those new to the movement

Pood/Pd: Weight of a kettlebell (1 pood = 35lbs, 1.5 pood = 44lbs, 2 pood = 70lbs)

PR: Personal record

PP: Push press

Rep: Repetition. One performance of an exercise completed successfully. A “NO REP” would be a failed attempt at a rep.

Rest day: A necessary component for recovery, both physical and mental. The harder you work, the more rest you need

Rip: What could happen to your hands after pullups at a high volume. It’s preventable! Buy a roll of tape and keep it in your bag.

Rhabdo: Rhabdomyolysis; A dangerous condition where muscle fibers breakdown at a high rate

ROM: Range of motion

Rx’d: As prescribed; as written. WOD done without any adjustments or scaled movements. Complete WOD done with proper form.

SDHP: Sumo deadlift high pull

Scaled: The CORRECT use of “scaled,” is, “I scaled an exercise I can do for one I can’t,” For example,if you can’t do pullups, you scaled by doing an assisted pullup with a band.

TGU: Turkish get-up

Tabata: For twenty seconds do as many reps of the assigned exercise as you can – then rest 10 seconds.
Repeat this seven more times for a total of 8 intervals, 4 minutes total exercise.
The score is the least number of reps for any of the eight intervals.

T2B: Toes to bar.

WOD: Workout of the day
21-15-9: A specific rep scheme for a give wod. (Ex: 21-15-9 Thrusters and pull ups. …Round 1 do 21 Thrusters and 21 Pullups, round 2 do 15 thrusters and 15 pull ups, round 3 do 9 thrusters and 9 pull ups. DONE!)