With the entire CrossFit world taking on 24.1 this weekend, we want to make sure anyone and everyone can have a go at it.
This workout is perfect for a CrossFit kids class and can be modified easily depending on the age and skill level. Read on to learn how you can adapt this workout for younger age groups.
For Preschool and Elementary
For the snatch, it depends on what skills your kids have practiced. They could always use kids’ dumbbells if they’re available, or even something lightweight just to keep them moving, like pom poms or Koosh balls.
If you’d prefer them to skip the snatch at this time, they can always complete slam balls or ground-to-overheads with a light wall ball or a plate instead.
For the burpees, giving the kids something to jump over to force full extension works well and instills correct movement patterns. They can jump laterally or not, or they could jump to a target, which could be a PVC secured in the rig.
[Related: Breaking Down the Most Common CrossFit Open Movement Combinations]
This could be quite a long workout, with lots of reps for smaller kids, so cutting the reps way back may be a good idea. You can also turn it into an EMOM, where everyone is working together at the same time.
Suggested EMOM format:
Five-minute EMOM:
- Snatch x 5 (Arm 1)
- Burpee x 2
- Snatch x 5 (Arm 2)
- Burpee x 2
Extend the time based on the age and skill level of your class.
For Middle and High School
With older kids, it’s easier to keep the workout as close to the original as possible. Of course, some easy scales would be to lighten the weight of the dumbbell. If a lateral jump is tricky, athletes can step or do a burpee in place or to a target.
Another option is to partner the workout with an “I go, you go” format. Instead of changing the rep scheme, athletes could do 21 alternating dumbbell snatches and 21 burpees, then tag their partner to do the other two sets of 21. They could continue this through the 15s and the 9s.
Other scaling options:
- Kettlebell swings instead of snatches
- Slam balls instead of snatches
- Dumbbell-facing burpees (if lateral jumping is a challenge)
- Decrease the reps, but leave the movements and the standards the same
- Decrease the reps and the time domain
Whether you’re coaching kids at your affiliate or maybe even your own little ones in the garage, check back next week and the week after for our modifications on how to make workouts 24.2 and 24.3 fun and accessible for all ages.
Featured image: Smolina Marianna / Shutterstock
