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BODYBUILDING & CROSSFIT

Why Bodybuilding is a Great Complement to CrossFit Training

CrossFit has become a dominant force in the fitness world, attracting athletes of all backgrounds for its combination of high-intensity functional training and constantly varied workouts. Whether you’re an elite athlete or just starting out, CrossFit can get you into phenomenal shape, but there’s one area where it can leave a gap: muscle mass and aesthetic development. This is where bodybuilding comes in.

Why Add Bodybuilding to Your CrossFit Routine?

While CrossFit excels at improving cardiovascular endurance, strength, agility, and overall fitness, it doesn’t always prioritize muscle hypertrophy (the increase in muscle size) or balanced muscle development. Bodybuilding, on the other hand, focuses specifically on building muscle mass through isolation exercises and volume training. Adding bodybuilding techniques to your CrossFit regimen can help:

1. Increase Muscle Size and Definition: CrossFit workouts often involve compound movements with moderate to high intensity, but they may not always emphasize hypertrophy, which is key for muscle growth. Bodybuilding exercises focus on volume, tempo, and muscle engagement, helping to sculpt your body and promote muscle growth.

2. Injury Prevention: CrossFit, especially when performed at high intensity, can put a lot of strain on certain muscle groups. Bodybuilding movements often target muscles more specifically, which can help address weak spots and promote better muscle balance, reducing the risk of injury.

3. Improve Strength: While CrossFit includes strength training elements, it often focuses on power and endurance. Bodybuilding provides the opportunity for progressive overload in strength training, which can help you build raw strength that transfers well to CrossFit movements.

4. Faster Recovery: Incorporating bodybuilding-style training can give you a balanced routine, allowing for more focus on specific muscle groups and less wear and tear on your joints. This can help improve your recovery time for CrossFit workouts.

5. Better Aesthetics: CrossFit will improve your functional fitness and muscle tone, but bodybuilding will give you the ability to target specific body parts you wish to improve. 

How do you integrate bodybuilding into your training regimen?

Below is an example of a 6-Week Bodybuilding Program to Complement Your CrossFit Training

Overview  

– Frequency: 3 days per week  

– Split: Upper Body, Lower Body, Core & Shoulders  

– Duration: 6 weeks  

– Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets (or as needed)  

  • Progression: Start with moderate weights and increase gradually each week. Focus on proper form and muscle engagement.
  • Recovery is key! Limit the intensity of your Crossfit Training if your session is going to tax what you just trained in your Bodybuilding day. Recovery gets you results. 

Week 1-2: Foundation and Activation

Upper Body Day (Day 1)

1. Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-10 reps  

2. Dumbbell Row – 4 sets of 8-10 reps  

3. Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps  

4. Pull-ups (or Lat Pulldowns) – 3 sets of 8-10 reps  

5. Dumbbell Skull Crusher– 3 sets of 10-12 reps  

6. Barbell or Dumbbell Bicep Curl – 3 sets of 12-15 reps  

7. Tricep Pushdown (Cable) – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

8. Ring Bicep Curls – 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Lower Body Day (Day 2) 

1. Back Squat – 4 sets of 8-10 reps  

2. Walking Lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps per leg

3. Romanian Deadlift – 4 sets of 8-10 reps   

4. Hip Extensions – 3 x 12-15 reps

Leg Extension – 3 sets of 10-12 reps  (if available)

Leg Curl Machine – 3 sets of 12-15 reps  (if available)

Calf Raises – 4 sets of 15-20 reps

Core & Shoulders Day (Day 3)

1. Standing Overhead Press – 4 sets of 8-10 reps  

2. Arnold Press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps  

3. Lateral Raise (Dumbbells) – 3 sets of 12-15 reps  

4. Cable Face Pulls – 3 sets of 12-15 reps  

5. Russian Twists – 3 sets of 20 reps per side  

6. Planks – 3 sets, hold for 60-90 seconds  

7. Leg Raises – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Week 3-4: Increasing Intensity

As you move into weeks 3-4, the focus is on progressively increasing the intensity of your lifts while maintaining proper form. Start adding weight to your lifts or increasing the number of sets if you can do so without compromising form.

– Add 5-10 pounds to each lift.

– Increase sets for accessory exercises (e.g., biceps curls or lateral raises) from 3 to 4 sets.

– Decrease rest between sets slightly (down to 60-90 seconds).

Upper Body Day  

– Add dumbbell flyes after the incline dumbbell press (3 sets of 10-12 reps).

– Perform **machine chest press** as an accessory after bench press (3 sets of 10-12 reps).

Lower Body Day  

– Add bulgarian split squats (3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg).

– Incorporate hip thrusts after leg press for extra glute activation (3 sets of 10-12 reps).

Core & Shoulders Day 

– Start including front raises for more front delt activation (3 sets of 10-12 reps).

– Add ab rollouts for core stability (3 sets of 8-10 reps).

Week 5-6: Peaking and Refining

In weeks 5 and 6, your goal is to maximize the volume and intensity of each workout while focusing on improving your mind-muscle connection. At this stage, you should be comfortable with your lifts and should focus on pushing yourself.

Upper Body Day  

– Aim for 5 sets for compound exercises (e.g., bench press, rows).

– Incorporate drop sets on your last set of bicep curls or tricep pushdowns.

Lower Body Day  

– Increase squats and deadlifts to 5 sets of 5 reps, focusing on strength.

– For accessory movements like lunges or leg press, add super-sets to maximize volume.

Core & Shoulders Day  

– Perform supersets for shoulder exercises, like alternating between lateral raises and front raises.

– Increase plank time to 60 seconds and aim for 4 sets.

Conclusion

Whether you’re training for performance or physique, bodybuilding principles can offer a solid foundation to optimize your CrossFit progress. With consistency, you’ll see improvements in muscle size, strength, and overall fitness that will elevate both your CrossFit training and your aesthetic goals.

Book a No Sweat Intro with one of our Fitness Professionals to chat about your goals!

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