5 Long WODs You Need to Try

Love them or hate them, WODs that last longer than 20 minutes are an important part of training. Most of the time, we only need a short, intense WOD to get maximum benefit without burning out. But, in the name of keeping things constantly varied, the occasional longer WOD is a must! 

How often do you push yourself with a WOD over 20 minutes long? If it's been a while, here are 5 of our favourite monster workouts:

1. Whitten

Whitten is a hero WOD dedicated to Dan Whitten, an army captain who sadly lost his life in Afghanistan, in 2010.

As with all hero WODs, this is a tough one! The faster athletes might be able to get this done in less than 30 minutes, but the average Joe is likely to take much longer (between 45 minutes to an hour).

If this crops up in your box, try not to worry what everyone else is doing. Stay in the zone, and keep your form tight on those kettlebell swings to avoid unnecessary injury. These longer WODs push you to the limit in terms of fatigue - don't let that get the better of you!

2. Kalsu 

This WOD combines two of the sport's most hated movements: thrusters and burpees. You start with 5 burpees, and then get as many thrusters in as you can before the minute's up. On the second minute, do 5 burpees - then get back on the thrusters. This continues until you've completed all 100 thrusters.

This workout is just about as fun as it sounds (i.e. not at all!) - but it's worth trying at least once. It's testing your mental capacity, as well as the physical. You need to strike a balance between pace and form. You don't want to rest too much - the longer the workout, the more burpees you'll have to do. That said, if you go out too fast, you'll punish yourself later in the workout when you start to burn out.

Give it a go, and let us know how you get on! As always, form on the thrusters is key.

3. OPT Repeatability Test 

This WOD is a little different. Although it's a longer workout, you'll spend 24 minutes of it recovering between rounds.

It might not sound like much, but the goal of the workout is to push through each round at 100% effort - then use the next 12 minutes to recover, before completing the next round.

This is such an awesome WOD, as it gives you insight into your body's ability to recover. The goal of the workout is to keep each the score similar for each round. If you notice a huge difference in the time it takes to complete the second and third round, compared to the first, you need to improve your recovery.

4. Murph

We couldn't write a post about our favourite long WODs and leave out this beauty, could we? Everyone remembers the first time they did Murph - and the days that followed! If you haven't attempted it yet, you're in for a treat.

Once you've completed the first mile run, you can break up the three movements as you like. You don't need to work through them in sequence. So, for example, you could choose to do 20 rounds of 5 pullups, 10 pressups, and 15 air squats. Once you've completed those, finish with another mile run.

Want to make the WOD really tasty? If you've set your sights on completing it RX, you'll need to wear a 20lb weighted vest too. Enjoy!

5. 10km Run

Hate running? All the more reason to give this one a go! It's so easy to get caught up in a world of barbells and gymnastics, only to forget about the basics.

You don't get much more functional than this. Next time you get the urge for a longer workout, head out for a 10km run. The weather's perfect for it at the moment, too. 

What's Your Favourite Long WOD?