Daumendreher

Hill Sprints as the ultimate interval training

Imagine being able to improve your sprint speed, build explosive leg power, and take your cardiovascular fitness to the next level in just 30-40 minutes per week. Sounds too good to be true? Welcom...

What is the best way to get through the team WOD?

You enter the box, your eyes wander to the whiteboard and it says in big letters: WOD in Team of 2. A mix of anticipation and slight nervousness is immediately noticeable. Team workouts can always ...

Sled Push: Technique, Muscles, and Hyrox Preparation

The weight sled, also known as a power sled, competition sled, or prowler, has become an indispensable training tool in recent years: whether in high-intensity Hyrox competitions, American football...

What are the benefits of using Fat Grips for increasing your grip strength?

Know this feeling? You’re performing heavy deadlifts, it feels really good, and your legs and back could handle even more weight, but your hands are slowly opening up and your grip is failing. For ...

The right training volume: Why less is sometimes more

In CrossFit training, the motto is often: "Go hard or go home" or "No pain, no gain," and most people know the feeling: You are exhausted, your body aches, and yet you stand in the box again, ready...

Increase your explosive power through plyometric training

Whether it's a snatch, a clean & jerk, or an explosive box jump—these exercises aren't just about being strong; they're about being able to call upon that strength quickly at the right moment. ...

Front Squat vs. Back Squat: What is the difference?

Squats are arguably the king of all strength training exercises. Hardly any other movement engages so many muscles simultaneously or has such a great carryover to everyday life, sports, and perform...

Performing thrusters correctly: technique, muscles & variations

If there is one exercise in CrossFit that is as feared as it is loved, it is the thruster. Hardly any other movement pushes you to your limits as quickly, which is exactly why it has earned its fir...

Overhead press for strong shoulders and more progress in CrossFit

Overhead pressing is one of the absolute fundamental exercises in strength training. Hardly any other movement strengthens the shoulders as directly and effectively. At the same time, you are train...

Learning Toes to Bar: Technique, Muscles and Progression

Toes to Bar are one of the signature exercises in CrossFit and are firmly anchored in many workouts. At first glance, the execution often looks like child's play: athletes hang seemingly effortless...

Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups: Learning Strict, Kipping, and Butterfly

Strict pull-ups are one of the classic basic exercises in strength training and are considered a true benchmark for upper body strength. Anyone who has even the slightest interest in training has c...

Barbell rows and other exercises for the back

Along with squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups, rowing is one of the fundamental exercises in strength training. It is by no means as popular as the bench press, but it plays a vital rol...

How to perform the Jefferson Curl correctly — technique, muscles, risks

Jefferson curls are among the less commonly seen but extremely effective exercises in strength and mobility training. Unlike most classic strength exercises, the spine is deliberately rounded verte...

What can the butterfly pull-up do that the kipping pull-up cannot?

The butterfly pull-up is considered the most efficient way in CrossFit to complete high-repetition pull-ups. You have likely watched more experienced athletes seemingly effortlessly stringing repet...

From pull-up to muscle-up and everything you need to know about it

The muscle-up is a challenging and impressive exercise often encountered in CrossFit or calisthenics. It combines the pull-up and the dip into one complex movement that requires strength, technique...

Hip Thrust: Muscles, Technique, and Variations Explained

A strong, capable body is built on a solid foundation, and that includes the posterior chain. This chain comprises, among other things, the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, playing a central rol...

The Hero WOD White

Among the many Hero WODs in CrossFit, there are some that stand out in particular – whether due to their brutal volume, their history, or both. White is definitely one of them. Not just because it ...

Rope Climbs in CrossFit: Technique, J-Hook, and Zombie Variation

Rope climbs are among the exercises that cause many athletes a headache. While experienced athletes glide up the rope seemingly effortlessly, others struggle with slipping feet, lack of technique, ...

Wall Balls in CrossFit and HYROX: Height, Weight & Technique

You either love them or you curse them. Almost no one has a neutral opinion on Wall Balls. The combination of a deep squat and a powerful throw with a medicine ball is no small feat. What looks sim...

Range of Motion: Meaning, range of movement, and benefits

Strength training is often all about training plans, weights, repetitions, and sets. However, one crucial factor is frequently overlooked: the range of motion (ROM) – the extent to which you perfor...

Bulgarian Split Squats: single-leg squats & execution

Anyone trying Bulgarian split squats for the first time will quickly notice: this exercise looks harmless, but it packs a punch. After just a few repetitions, the thighs burn, balance becomes shaky...

Making muscle building more efficient: How to use eccentric strength training effectively

When we move weights in the gym, do push-ups, or hammer out squats in the CrossFit box, we rarely think about what is actually happening in the body. A repetition is just a repetition, right? Not q...

Chin-Up vs. Pull-Up: The difference in pull-ups explained

Not all pull-ups are created equal. While the classic pull-up with a wide overhand grip is often considered the gold standard, the chin-up with an underhand grip is frequently dismissed as its litt...

How to train your grip strength effectively

Whether you're lifting heavy in the gym, doing pull-ups, or lugging heavy shopping bags home in your daily life, your grip strength plays a vital role. It helps determine how long you can hold a lo...

How are pistol squats performed correctly and how can you learn them?

Strong, controlled, and elegant, pistol squats are among the most demanding bodyweight exercises for the legs. Performing them with good form combines leg strength, core tension, balance, and flexi...

Learning the Overhead Squat: Technique, Muscles, and Mobility

The overhead squat is called "Überkopfkniebeuge" in German. Quite clunky and not very sexy. That’s why we’ll stick with "overhead squat." It’s not called the "king of squats" for nothing. The barbe...

Home strength training: A serious alternative to the gym or just a compromise?

Not everyone manages to get to a gym or CrossFit box for regular workouts. Be it due to lack of time, lack of opportunities, or because one doesn't feel comfortable with others watching during a wo...

How to use back-off sets in your training

You have a clear goal in mind: you want to get stronger. More weight on the bar, more visible muscles, tangible progress. You push yourself to your limits. Set by set, week by week. But at some poi...

Learning pull-ups as a beginner: preparatory exercises and training plan

Pull-ups are among the most honest exercises in training: no hiding behind equipment, no tricks – either you pull yourself up or you don't. Anyone starting as a beginner knows the feeling of failin...

Compound exercises in strength training are the foundation for strength and more muscle.

Regardless of whether you are just starting out with strength training or have been at it for a while – sooner or later you will stumble across the term compound exercises. And rightly so: because ...

How to correctly combine endurance and strength training

Those who want to get or stay physically fit often pursue two central goals: more strength and better endurance. Therefore, it makes sense to combine both. Be it through classic running sessions al...

What is the bench press? Muscles, technique, and variations

Bench pressing, along with the squat and deadlift, is one of the "Big Three" of strength training — and is the most measured chest exercise in the world. Nevertheless, many beginners see real progr...

Why jogging should be part of your training and how to get started as a beginner

Jogging is one of the simplest yet most effective training methods. Anyone can start immediately. You don't need a gym membership, expensive equipment, or much specialized prior knowledge. Just lac...

Why Open Gym is the key to more success in your CrossFit workout

If you have been doing CrossFit for a while, you are probably familiar with the following situation: 5 p.m., warm-up, maxing out back squats, preparing for the WOD, the WOD timer gives the start si...

Why jump rope is an integral part of CrossFit

Anyone who trains regularly in a CrossFit box or has ever completed a trial workout knows the typical sound of a jump rope snapping against the floor in a steady rhythm, followed by the familiar st...

The CrossFit benchmark WOD Grace

Grace is one of the simplest benchmark workouts in CrossFit. It consists of only one movement. These standardized workouts serve not only as a performance comparison but also as a mercilessly hones...

How to perform the Pallof Press correctly — the underrated core exercise

When it comes to training the core, many people automatically think of classic sit-ups, leg raises, planks, or Russian twists. Yet there is one exercise that is not as well-known and is often under...

When do you need a weightlifting belt and when do you not

The weightlifting belt is a tool found in almost every gym, CrossFit box, or on competition platforms. Many athletes instinctively reach for one out of fear of injury or a feeling of instability as...

What are the benefits of box jumps and why are they a major part of CrossFit workouts?

Jumping is one of those movements we did quite naturally as children, simply because it’s fun. In a sporting context, however, it is much more than just a childhood memory. It is a powerful trainin...

What are the benefits of Romanian deadlifts for your training?

When performing classic squats and deadlifts, it is often forgotten that the hamstrings and glutes should be heavily involved in the exercise. If this is not the case, you are leaving a great deal ...

Science-based training is the holy grail - or is it?

"Train smart, not just hard" is a motto that is ubiquitous in today's training world, and every approach must be scientifically sound. But what exactly does that mean? In recent years, exercise sci...

What the Sots Press is and where its name comes from

Anyone who has ever tried to press a barbell overhead from a deep squat position knows how difficult that can be. The Sots Press is no walk in the park. It challenges the entire body, especially wh...

What are dips? Exercise for chest, triceps, and shoulders

Dips are among the few bodyweight exercises that work the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids simultaneously at the level of a heavy dumbbell session. Regardless of whether you do CrossFit, want ...

Using lifting straps: useful in weightlifting & CrossFit

Lifting straps are a popular training aid in strength sports, weightlifting, and CrossFit. They are usually made of robust fabric, leather, or nylon and relieve your grip strength, allowing you to ...

Why a good mobility warm-up makes you better at the clean and jerk

Olympic weightlifting is not just about strength, but also technique, stability, and mobility. A targeted mobility warm-up before training can make a significant difference in performance and injur...

What can you do when you lack the motivation to exercise?

Everyone knows those days: work was stressful, your mind is blank, your body feels tired, and the sofa is calling your name. But you had actually planned to go work out. What can you do when you la...

Why injuries are the biggest killer of progress

Anyone who regularly does CrossFit, weightlifting, or functional fitness knows the feeling of pushing their limits. You want to get stronger, move weights, achieve new personal bests, and feel your...

What is VO2max and what does it indicate?

VO2max is one of the most important indicators of your aerobic fitness and overall endurance capacity. Whether you do CrossFit, lift weights, or simply want to improve your general endurance – a hi...

How to achieve better training results in less time with interval training

Interval training is one of the most effective methods for improving endurance, speed, and fat burning. In contrast to steady-state endurance training, it is characterized by alternating between hi...

How to improve your CrossFit workouts in the long term

Crossfit is a challenging and versatile training method that requires strength, endurance, mobility, and technique. If you already practice Crossfit and want to take your level to the next level, y...