School Adapted Crossfit for Kids

Just so we are clear, I am not a crossfit for kids instructor, but I have been doing crossfit for 2+ years. I am a certified gymnastics coach, and have taught PE for years. Before the beginning of the year, my friend (who also crossfits) that I taught with previously sat down and thought, how can we get our 5th grades in the best shape ever before their physical fitness test. It was a short conversation - Crossfit! Duh! She has been crossfitting for the last year, and together we sat down and made a crossfit program for our 5th graders. Below is the program we created:

Week 1:

Warm-up: 1 lap, 10 Jumping Jacks, Stretch

Skill: Push up with Hand release

WOD:

5 min AMRAP

5 push up with hand release

5 Jumping Jacks

Week 1 Challenge:

100 Jumping Jacks unbroken

Week 2:

Warm up: Skipping, High Skip, High Knees, Butt kickers, High kick, Lunge

Skill: Toes to Bar, Pull ups*

WOD:

1 mile for time

*if the whole 5^th grade is here: one class runs the mile the other does the skill, and we switch

Week 2 Challenge:

50 Toes to bar in one session

Week 3:

Warm-up: 1 lap warm-up, Stretch

Skill: Squats

WOD:

10 min AMRAP

10 squats

Sprint across bball court

10 hand release push-ups

Week 3 Challenge:

100 Squats

Week 4:

Warm up: 1 lap warm up, stretch

Skill: bear crawl, broad jump, lunges, and sprint

WOD:            

Team of 4 “The Box”

Start at each corner, first person bear crawls to broad jumper. BrJu to L, L to Sp. Has to go straight to bear crawl

Challenge Week 4:

Run a mile during recess

Week 5:

Team Warm up: 100 meter run, Squats, Push ups, Sit ups, 10 minutes

Skill: Plank hold, Burpees

WOD:

Every minute on the minute Burpees, Plank hold during rest

Week 5 Challenge:

2-minute plank hold

Week 6:

Warm up: Skipping, High Skip, High Knees, Butt kickers, High kick, Lunge

Skill: Handstands

WOD: Mile Run for time

Week 6 Challenge:

100 push-ups

Week 7:

Warm up: 1 lap, stretch

Skill: Wall Ball

Partner WOD:

20-30-40

Push ups, sit ups, wall ball

Week 7 Challenge:

50 Burpees

Week 8:

Warm up: 1 lap, stretch

Skill: Yarn Overhead Squats

WOD:

2 Min. AMRAP 1 min. rest between sets

Overhead squats

Push-ups

Sit-ups

“Box” jumps

Week 8 Challenge:

100 Sit-ups

Week 9:

Warm up: Wall ball, plank, “box” jumps, 200 meter run, 10 minutes

Skill: Review push-ups and sit-ups

WOD:

1 minute AMRAP with partner

Sit-ups, Push-ups

Week 9 Challenge:

3X 1 mile

Week 10:

Warm up: Skipping, High Skip, High Knees, Butt kickers, High kick, Lunge

Skill: Pull ups, Toes to bar testing
WOD:

1 mile run for time

Week 10 Challenge:

5 pull-ups unbroken

Week 11 Challenge:

50 box jumps

Week 12 Challenge:

50 inclined push ups (feet up)

Week 13 Challenge:

100 single jump ropes unbroken

or

20 double under jump ropes unbroken

Week 14 Challenge:

50 wall balls

Week 15 Challenge:

Skip around the entire field without stopping

Now you are probably wondering (if you crossfit) what are these challenges? Well, our schools only have so much time to teach PE, and we wanted our students to get out and work out on their own. So, we created a challenge for the week. The students would do this challenge on their own, and either two friends would witness at recess, or their parents could witness at home. This way they are getting an extra day of working out! Pretty smart huh?! After 5 challenges are completed, I give them a reward. 

Now, if you don't crossfit, you are probably wondering what all the acronyms, and half these work outs are. This is my answer - YOUTUBE! Most crossfitters have posted how to do the workouts on you tube. 

What I learned:

After doing the 15 weeks, these are the things I learned: kids HATE AMRAPS, they want to stop and just give up (at least the first couple of weeks until they get what this crossfit thing is). After about week 4, they get it and like AMRAPs a bit better.

Also, it is a lot easier to put running in between movements, for some reason they like that. So if the work out says: (like week 2) 10 squats, 10 hand release push ups. I found that putting running between the squats and push ups broke it up for the kids, and they liked the workout better. Not sure why, but they did. 

 They are HORRIBLE at squats!!! I found that putting them up against a wall - nose facing the wall, helped them a bit. Or if you have a handball court, have them practice the wall sit, and have them sit to the wall sit, then stand up. 

Now that my kids know what they are doing, they really love the program. They have become much stronger! It really is awesome!!