Well, it’s that time of year again (and, if it’s actually not that time of year again and you’re reading this in July or something…what’s wrong with you??!!)
Time to start planning for that last workout you’re going to perform before your oh-so-controlled eating/drinking binge!
I’m not exactly sure how the classic 12 Days of Christmas CrossFit WOD, or it’s iconic format (1, 2,1, 3,2,1, 4,3,2,1…like the song!) became so popular, but you have to admit that it can be pretty fun (that is until you get to the impossibly heavy D-ball cleans on “Day 5”, effectively making the rest of the workout impossible…like I did back in 2017!)
Without further blithering and fluff, we present to you the 6 best 12 Days of Christmas WODs of all time. There is a little something for everyone out there (heavy, light, bodyweight, dumbbell, etc.) and, if you really want to get into the Christmas spirit, please feel free to tackle all of them!
Table of Contents
The 6 Best 12 Days of Christmas WODs
12 Days of Christmas 2020
This was CrossFit.com’s “official” 12 Days of Christmas WOD offering back in 2020. Although not technically classified as a bodyweight workout…it is (which makes sense, knowing what we know about the gym situation back in 2020).
A very accessible workout, you might even be able to take this one on after your first holiday party or Christmas Eve bender!
“Christmas Holiday WOD”
A classic 12 Days of Christmas WOD (but don’t you dare call it that), this one keeps the weight light and the foundational CrossFit movements aplenty.
Bonus points if you go unbroken on the power snatches, cleans, push presses, thrusters, and high pulls each round!
CrossFit Stables 12 Days of Christmas
I have no idea where CrossFit The Stables is, but judging from this workout, they go hard. A decently-heavy deadlift each round, heavy sandbag work, high box jumps, and a lot of bar muscle-ups.
Maybe this one is supposed to be more of a piece of coal/punishment for those who haven’t worked hard enough that year…
Comptrain 12 Days of Christmas 2019
I remember doing this one with my wife and friend at Best Box Elite Fitness in Podgorica, Montenegro. As the country is mainly Orthodox Christian, we were way early performing this one ~December 20th…but the weights were still heavy!
If you gotta scale down the barbell movements, feel free; once you get past those, I can assure you that things get a bit easier!
Bodyweight 12 Days of Christmas
I know that 2020’s CrossFit.com edition of the 12 Days of Christmas WOD is un-officially a bodyweight version of the workout.
…but this is the bodyweight version you’re looking for if you happen to have some rings and a pull-up bar (and if you don’t, go out and get you some ASAP!)
You start and end with muscle-ups and…I hope you have gotten good at wall walks over the last couple of years because you’re going to have to do a lot of them!
Dumbbell 12 Days of Christmas
Some how, this one didn’t make our list of the top CrossFit dumbbell workouts. Thankfully, it meets all of the criteria for making the top 12 Days of Christmas WODs list!
Interestingly enough, you’ll only not use dumbbells on 3 of the 12 exercises making this a true dumbbell WOD. More interesting, that 12th day…is quite the doozy. You get to that 12th “day” of Christmas and…well..I’ll let Mr. McCallister tell you what’s up:
Twas the Night Before CrossFit…
The night before performing one of the 12 Days of Christmas WODs can be a bit nerve-racking.
To say the least.
In many cases, this is the last workout that everyone at the “box” will do together for the current year.
…and as much as the coaches will present it as some “fun” and “light-hearted” workout, as you can see above, none of these WODs are “easy”.
Plus, you want to win.
Do it for Santa! Do it for the presents! Do it for the next day’s (or that evening’s) eating and/or drinking binge!
Thankfully, now that you have a “cheat sheet” of the likely workout you’ll be doing this Christmas, you can prep for a bit. When it’s finally unveiled on that fateful day, your maniacal grin will put this guy’s to shame!
