12 Space-Saving Garage CrossFit Workouts To Train At Home
Are you considering starting a training program at home but are short on space in your garage CrossFit gym? You’re not alone!
Training in a home gym is great, but not every house has a huge garage that can be converted into a fitness facility.
But in reality, you don’t need a massive garage gym to get a great CrossFit workout.
I’ve been squeezing epic sessions into my CrossFit garage gym for years, and in this article, I’ll be sharing my top 12 go-to space-saving metcons with you so you can start training at home as well.
These high-intensity workouts pack a punch without the need for a ton of equipment or requiring you to punch through your walls!
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What Are The Best Garage CrossFit Workouts?
Below are my top twelve space-saving garage CrossFit workouts that anyone can do at home.
Whether you are fortunate enough to have a big garage space or are short on real estate to train, these workouts will get the job done without needing a ton of square footage.
Give them a shot for your next workout of the day!
AMRAP Workouts (As Many Rounds As Possible)
AMRAP workouts are time-priority workouts that aim to maximize the amount of work completed in a specific time frame.
Cindy
20-minute AMRAP
- 5 Pull-ups
- 10 Push-ups
- 15 Air Squats
How to approach this workout: Cindy is a benchmark workout that tests muscular endurance and pacing. To optimize your performance, look to maintain a consistent pace throughout the 20 minutes.
Begin at a sustainable speed, aiming to complete each round without extended breaks and a consistent cadence.
Fatigue will inevitably set in in the later rounds of the workout, but if you avoid going out too hot, you will be able to maintain your seconds per round.
The Chief
5 rounds of 3-minute AMRAPs with 1-minute rest between each round
- 3 Power Cleans (135/95 lb)
- 6 Push-ups
- 9 Air Squats
How to approach this workout: The Chief requires both intensity and recovery management. Treat each 3-minute AMRAP as its own workout, pushing for maximum reps while ensuring you can recover during the 1-minute rest.
Consistency across all five rounds is key. The last thing you want to do is go out hot on round one and then burn out for the next four rounds. Monitor your performance in the first few rounds to establish a sustainable pace for the entire workout.
I have hit this workout multiple times, and each time, the push-ups after the power cleans are what slow me down, so pace them as necessary.
Open Workout 19.1
15-minute AMRAP
- 19 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb to 10/9 ft target)
- 19 Calorie Row
How to approach this workout: If you did it in 2019, you know how devastating it is. I remember being halfway through it and dry heaving on every wall ball shot.
This workout demands pacing and transition efficiency. Begin with a steady, maintainable pace on the wall balls, potentially breaking them into two sets per round while focusing on breathing rhythm and consistent movement.
On the rower, find and maintain a sustainable stroke rate. Minimize transition times between movements, but allow brief rest if necessary to maintain your intensity.
As the workout progresses, be prepared to push through increasing fatigue in the final minutes.
EMOM Workouts (Every Minute on the Minute)
EMOM workouts challenge your ability to repeat efforts with limited rest time. Begin an exercise at the top of the minute and then rest the remaining time until the next minute starts to move on to the next exercise.
Bergeron Beep Test
EMOM for as Long as Possible
- 7 Thrusters (75/55 lb)
- 7 Pull-Ups
- 7 Burpees
How to approach this workout: The Bergeron Beep Test is an endurance-focused EMOM that uses relatively lighter weights and tests both physical capacity and mental fortitude.
The first time I did this workout, I was blown away by how difficult it is to sustain myself minute by minute.
A sustainable pace is key on this one as well, but be aware that 21 repetitions will take up a good chunk of the minute regardless of your pace, so consider scaling the weight or repetitions as needed.
As the workout progresses, you’ll have limited time to move between exercises to keep your equipment close and try to start each movement immediately.
Break up the pull-ups and burpees into smaller sets if necessary, but always aim to complete all reps within the minute or stop the clock and log your score for the next time that you hit it.
Macho Man
EMOM for as Long as Possible
- 3 Power Cleans (185/135 lb)
- 3 Front Squats (185/135 lb)
- 3 Jerks (185/135 lb)
How to approach this workout: Macho Man is a high-intensity EMOM that challenges both strength and endurance. The weights are considerably heavier than most other metcons, so build up as needed to get your nervous system ready to lift.
If you hope to get a decent score on this workout, it’s crucial that you stay as close to unbroken as possible. If the weights make this impossible, scale down to a weight that feels heavy but is sustainable.
As the workout progresses, maintain a consistent breathing pattern and a strong core throughout all movements. Be prepared to break up the front squats or jerks into smaller sets if absolutely necessary, but aim to complete all reps within the minute.
Monitor your rest time between rounds; when it becomes minimal, this indicates your workout is about to end.
Chelsea
30-minute EMOM
- 5 Pull-ups
- 10 Push-ups
- 15 Air Squats
How to approach this workout: Chelsea is an endurance-focused EMOM that requires consistent pacing over an extended period.
It’s longer than most other CrossFit workouts, so getting the work done quickly will be crucial to maximizing rest times. But not at the expense of burning up and losing your pacing in the later rounds.
I will typically do a few rounds of Chelsea before 3-2-1 to gauge the best pace for it.
As the workout progresses, be prepared to break up the push-ups into smaller sets if necessary, but other than that, you should aim to be unbroken on the pull-ups or air squats.
Focus on maintaining proper form and breathing patterns to sustain performance over the full 30 minutes.
For Time Workouts
For time, workouts are task priority, meaning there is a set amount of work, and the goal is to complete it as quickly as possible.
These workouts range from multiple-round to chipper workouts, in which you complete all of the required reps once.
DT
5 rounds for time:
- 12 Deadlifts (155/105 lb)
- 9 Hang Power Cleans (155/105 lb)
- 6 Push Jerks (155/105 lb)
How to approach this workout: DT is a barbell-intensive workout demanding strength and endurance. The key to optimal performance is maintaining a steady pace and making efficient transitions between movements.
For example, I break the deadlifts up as needed and use strategic rest breaks to avoid unnecessary repetitions later in the rounds.
My best times on DT have come from when I drop on the eleventh deadlift to pick up the barbell and move right into the power clean.
Doing so gives your grip a break so that you don’t have to drop the barbell during the cleans and perform another deadlift rep to return it to the shoulders.
To conserve energy, focus on an explosive hip drive in all the movements and avoid a muted hip.
Karen
For Time:
- 150 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb to 10/9 ft target)
How to approach this workout: Karen is a high-volume, single-movement workout that tests muscular endurance, cardiovascular capacity, and mental toughness.
To be blunt, Karen is just a tough workout that can kick you in the guy if not approached correctly.
You’ll have to determine your level of wall ball capacity to determine the number of sets you’ll tackle this one with.
If you have great wall ball endurance, you may opt for sets of 20-30, but if not, quick sets of 10-15 might be a better bet. I have seen athletes perform Karen unbroken, but they were tall, had great leg endurance, and a tremendously strong squat.
Maintain a consistent breathing pattern, exhaling as you throw the ball. Focus on efficient movement: Use the squat momentum to propel the ball upward, minimizing unnecessary upper-body effort.
Break the sets into smaller sets as needed as fatigue sets in, but aim to minimize rest time between sets and prepare for battle on this one.
Annie
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time of:
- Double-Unders
- Sit-Ups
How to approach this workout: The Annie WOD tests an athlete’s ability to sustain high-intensity output over decreasing rep schemes.
For double-unders, aim for large, unbroken sets in the early rounds if they are a good skill for you.
If not, then I would break them into 2-3 sets and try to pick up time for the sit-ups.
Whenever I do this workout, my core muscles burn out and cramp. Thus, I aim to maintain a steady pace and consider breaking the exercises into sets of 10 or 15 or simply moving at an easy, consistent pace.
Focus on efficient transitions between movements and capitalize on the decreasing rep counts to increase intensity in the later rounds.
For Load Workouts
The last type of workout is for maximal weight lifting. These workouts challenge your maximal strength output in either a rested or fatigued state.
If you’re tackling these workouts in your garage, make sure to have some cushion on the floor to avoid cracking the floor. I have been there, and it makes a failed lift even more upsetting!
CrossFit Total
1-rep max attempts in:
- Back Squat
- Shoulder Press
- Deadlift
- Sum of the heaviest successful attempt of each lift is your total score
How to approach this workout: The CrossFit Total is a test of absolute overall strength across three fundamental lifts: the squat, the press, and the deadlift. Begin with a thorough warm-up for each movement.
For each lift, start with a weight you’re confident you can lift for one repetition, then incrementally increase the load. Take sufficient rest between attempts, typically 3-5 minutes for heavier loads.
If you want to maximize your weight, I would grab a weightlifting belt and use it to increase intrabdominal pressure to create a stronger platform to produce force into the barbell.
Once you build up to your first attempt, I would limit attempts to 3-5 per lift to avoid fatigue. Prioritize successful lifts over rapid progression in weight. The Back Squat and Shoulder Press are done from a squat rack.
Bear Complex
7 minutes to find 1RM of the complex:
- 1 Power Clean
- 1 Front Squat
- 1 Push Press
- 1 Back Squat
- 1 Push Press
- All done without the barbell touching the ground
How to approach this workout: The Bear Complex tests both strength and stamina in a series of linked movements. Begin with a weight you’re confident you can complete the complex with, then gradually increase.
This workout has to be unbroken each set, so it’s important that you use your breath wisely. Exhale during the efforts and inhale during the transition points.
For example, exhale during the power clean and then take a big breath in before starting the front squat.
The push press will likely be the limiting factor in this workout, so spend ample time warming up your shoulders and practicing the dip to maximize your leg drive into the barbell.
The last thing you want to have to happen is to get through all the repetitions on our last set and miss the final push press because you got sloppy with technique.
The Other Total
Sum of the Best of Each Lift
- Clean
- Bench Press
- Overhead Squat
- Time Cap: 30 minutes
How to approach this workout: The Other Total is another maximal strength test across three diverse lifts within a time constraint. Begin with a thorough warm-up that includes movement-specific preparation for each lift.
Start each lift with a weight you’re confident you can successfully complete, then incrementally increase. Efficient time and attempt management is crucial to ensure you get enough attempts but not so much that your system fatigues.
I would allocate approximately 10 minutes per lift, allowing for 3-5 attempts on each.
Rest roughly 2-3 minutes for heavier loads to ensure optimal performance.
For the clean, emphasize explosive power from the ground. In the bench press, maintain a stable position and full range of motion. Take your time in the descent for the overhead squat and prioritize shoulder stability, balance, and core control.
Having a plan for this workout is best, so I would pick your weights using a safe, target, and reach-weight approach.
Pick a weight you know you can hit, a weight that you would like to hit, and then leave some time for a new personal record attempt.
Cool-Down and Recovery
The physiological benefits of a proper cool-down are numerous and contribute significantly to overall fitness and recovery. (1)
Here are the key benefits:
Gradual Heart Rate Reduction
A cool-down allows for a gradual decrease in heart rate, which helps the body exit a high-intensity sympathetic state and move into a relaxed recovery parasympathetic state. (2)
To assess your heart rate, I suggest purchasing a fitness tracker so you can easily monitor the response to your cool-down and training.
Enhanced Blood Flow
Continued movement during a cool-down promotes blood flow, helping to remove metabolic waste products from muscles that accumulated during the session and bringing new oxygenated blood to the areas.
Improved Flexibility
Stretching during a cool-down, when muscles are warm, can help improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension. (3)
This is important to reduce post-workout stiffness and ensure that you won’t need to spend valuable time stretching to regain your mobility in tomorrow’s workout.
Accelerated Recovery
A proper cool-down can jumpstart recovery, potentially reducing muscle soreness and improving readiness for subsequent training sessions. (1)
General 10-minute Cool-Down for a Small Garage Space:
The best way to stay consistent with a cool-down is to plan it out already. Use the one below as a general cool-down if you need some ideas.
- 2 minutes: Easy effort on a bike, rowing machine, jump rope (single unders or double unders)
- 1 minute: Cat-cow
- 1 minute: Thoracic rotations in deep-squat position
- 1 minute: Lunge w/ twist (in-place)
- 1 minute: Downward dog to cobra pose (alternating, 5 repetitions each)
- 1 minute: World’s greatest stretch (30 seconds each side)
- 1 minute: Pigeon pose (30 seconds each leg)
- 1 minute: Child’s pose
- 1 minute: Seated forward fold
Final Thoughts On Garage CrossFit Workouts
There you have it! Twelve space-saving garage CrossFit WODs that prove size doesn’t matter when it comes to getting fit.
These garage workouts demonstrate that you can achieve incredible results in your fitness level, even in the smallest of spaces.
You’ll notice that none of these workouts are fancy or complicated. Simple usually gets the job done best in fitness.
All you need is some basic pieces of equipment, a workout, and good old-fashioned hard work.
Remember, the key to success is consistency, not square footage. So clear out that corner of your garage, grab your gear, and get ready to transform your fitness and your garage space.
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References:
- Parks, J. C., Marshall, E. M., Humm, S. M., Erb, E. K., & Kingsley, J. D. (2022). Effects of a Cool-Down after Supramaximal Interval Exercise on Autonomic Modulation. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(9), 5407. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095407
- Takahashi, T., Okada, A., Hayano, J., & Tamura, T. (2002). Influence of cool-down exercise on autonomic control of heart rate during recovery from dynamic exercise. Frontiers of medical and biological engineering : the international journal of the Japan Society of Medical Electronics and Biological Engineering, 11(4), 249–259. https://doi.org/10.1163/156855701321138914
- Behm, D. G., Blazevich, A. J., Kay, A. D., & McHugh, M. (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 41(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235
