Forget AMRAPS and MetCons for time; Fitness Golf is the newest way to mix up your usual WOD routine. Some mad genius has taken the general idea of par and applied it to workouts, which makes for a fun way to change up your workout structure while challenging you push yourself through sets.
Here’s how it works:
Design some sort of chipper-style WOD with 9 exercises (or 18 exercises, if you’re looking to play a full game of golf). Vary the sorts of exercises, but specifically select movements that require multiple reps. Think about how you would break up the sets in a traditional workout and then assign each movement a par, or rather, the number of sets it should ideally take to complete all the reps. Try to challenge yourself, because the point of this kind of workout is to push the number of reps in a set.
For example, let’s say you programmed 40 pull-ups, and in an average workout, you’d break it up in to 4 sets. For Fitness Golf, give the 40 pull-ups a Par 3, so you’re challenging yourself to complete the 40 reps in three sets instead of four.
For each round, rest as needed, but count each set as a “stroke.” If you go above the Par, that’s an extra stroke. The goal is to “shoot” at or under par, and the person with the lowest score wins.
The strategy behind this version of golf adds an interesting angle to workouts because resting becomes just as important as the movements themselves. While a time cap is good to have just so people don’t rest for a ridiculous amount of time, the clock isn’t really a factor. The goal is to be smart with your rest to make sure you get the sets done under, or on par. The intensity of a workout in this style will be different than an AMRAP or for time workout if you’re letting yourself fully rest in between sets. But if the pars are set correctly, you’ll still be getting the benefits.
What’s also great about the game is that you can work heavy singles or (close to) 1 rep max lifting into a WOD. For example, cleaning 3 heavy singles is normally something you’d do separately from a WOD, but you could easily work it in as one of your Golf stations because you get to take as much rest as you need. You get the benefit of lifting under a little bit of fatigue, but you also get to take the time you need to make sure you’re staying safe and moving efficiently. Remember, if you fail a clean, that’s an additional stroke!
Some CrossFit Affiliates are starting to take the game to heart. CrossFit Orangeville in Ontario, Canada, recently hosted their first Golf Classic. We love this idea, because it encourages multi-day tournaments that could really test the fittest over time. Fore!
Featured Image: CrossFit Orangeville (@crossfit.orangeville)
