What's with all the acronyms bro?
We recently covered some of the most common abbreviations for workouts. This led us to start thinking that the acronyms don’t stop there. They are peppered throughout the Crossfit/functional fitness nomenclature. Let’s do a further deep dive into the actual movements you could see on the whiteboard the first time you walk into a gym.
We’ve thrown in a tutorial for each to help you get the visual.
BWS
Bodyweight squats are a staple of any workout. Whether at a functional fitness box or at-home videos from a decade ago, you will most likely find these in the curriculum. As the video demo shows below, many also refer to this one as an air squat.
This is a great workout for those at the gym and especially at home. No weights are required and while you may think they look easy it doesn’t take long to feel a real burn. Want to have some fun with it? Try to do them to the song Flower by Moby. Every time you hear the words “down” you squat and hold until the song says the word “up”.
OHP
The overhead press is next on our list. You will need a barbell or even a kettlebell for this one. You’ll start with the weights in the “rack” position at your collarbone. Then, in one motion you’ll raise the bar over and slightly behind your head. Shoot for your biceps to be even with your ears.
Overhead presses are a great way to build shoulder strength. You don’t need a ton of weight to get a solid workout either. You will quickly be surprised how little poundage it takes to get those shoulders screaming.
FUC
Feet-up-crunches are a variation of the traditional sit-up. Here you’ll hold your legs straight up in the air creating a 90-degree angle with your body. You then start with your hands stretched over your head on the floor and then reach up to touch your toes for each rep.
Each rep will be done without lowering your feet. You are challenging your core to do the motion and keep the static leg position. Have some flexibility issues in your legs? Try starting with your legs bent at the knees to work your way up to the full leg extension method.
HSPU
Crossfit and functional fitness borrow a ton from the world of gymnastics. Handstand pushups are a more advanced bodyweight movement you’ll see in most boxes. You’ll pop up with your full body weight stabilized only by your hands. Then, you slowly lower your body until your head touches the ground. Finally, you push the body back up to full arm extension.
Generally, handstand pushups are done with the body leaned against a wall. However, as you get more jacked, you can do them completely free of any assistance. You can add another level of difficulty by placing plates under your hands to increase the travel of the pushup.
OHKS
Kettlebells are a great tool for any WOD. The most basic way they are utilized in the gym is the overhead kettle swing. You start by holding the kettlebell between your legs with a slight knee bend. You will then swing the bell under you just past your bum, and then in one motion, you’ll swing the kettlebell completely over your head.
Many workouts rely on the kettlebell and swings. The movement engages many of the major points of the body and builds a core foundation of keeping a solid base.
FOHSU
We all want those Crossfit abs, right? Well, get ready to do some sit-ups. The most common version of this at most functional fitness boxes will be the full overhead sit-up.
This combines the standard crunch you did as a kid with an additional motion of outstretched arms overhead. You then engage the entire upper body to move your hands all the way to your feet. It doesn’t take many to get those abdominal muscles burning.
K2W
This is another great core workout. Knees to waist combine a static hold on a pull-up bar with a kinda half crunch. You will take the literal title and put it to work. It really works your total body from the bodyweight hang to the motion of raising your knees for each rep.
Knees to waist is also a good entrance to work your way toward toes to bar. This is a more advanced motion where you carry your feet past your waist and all the way to the bar.
I hope this part is helpful for those that may just be starting at a functional fitness gym. All the acronyms and abbreviations can take just as long as the movements themselves to get stored away in muscle memory.