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Fitness

WTF Workouts: Do You Have What It Takes to Complete Them?

These workouts will make you stronger, improve your fitness, and enhance your intestinal fortitude.

Tom Kelso

Written by Tom Kelso Last updated on Nov 7, 2022

WTF workouts are challenging. If you can complete them, you must be in fine shape. They can be brutal and can lead to you saying, “Why the flip am I doing this?”

WTF, of course, stands for “win the flag.” What is the flag? Well, the flag is the end result of completing a difficult workout that not only makes you stronger and improves your fitness, but also enhances your intestinal fortitude (as in: growing a pair).

Here are the flags to win. Your goal is to get after them.

RELATED: The 8 Most Hated Exercises

WTF Workout 1: Barbell Only (45lb/30lb)

  1. 75 squats
  2. 50 bench presses
  3. 40 bent-over rows
  4. 35 overhead presses

Perform four rounds of the above with minimal rest time between exercises.

WTF Workout 2: Body Weight Only

  1. 30 burpees
  2. Maximum rep chin ups
  3. 100 air squats
  4. Maximum rep tent push ups

Perform three rounds of the above with minimal rest time between exercises.

WTF Workout 3: Dumbbell Only

  1. Squat x 40 – 25% of body weight
  2. Overhead press x 25 – 15% of body weight
  3. Bent-over row x 25 – 15% of body weight
  4. Crunches x 15 – 10% of body weight

Perform four rounds of the above with minimal rest time between exercises.

fitness, conditioning, workouts, hard work, intensity, barbell, dumbbell

WTF Workout 4: Barbell Only

  1. Squat x 40 – 100% of body weight
  2. Bench press x 10 – 80% of body weight
  3. Upright row x 20 – 30% of body weight
  4. Overhead press x 20 – 35% of body weight
  5. Bicep curl x 15 – 25% of body weight

Perform three rounds of the above with minimal rest time between exercises.

WTF Workout 5: Dumbbell Plus Body Weight

  1. Dumbbell squat x 20 – 35% of body weight
  2. Maximum rep push ups
  3. Maximum reps chin ups
  4. Dumbbell stiff-leg dead lift x 15 – 30% of body weight
  5. 100 bicycle crunches
  6. Dumbbell overhead press x 25 – 15% of body weight

Perform four rounds of the above with minimal rest time between exercises.

WTF Workout 6: Body Weight Plus Barbell (45lb/30lb)

  1. Barbell overhead press x maximum reps
  2. Body weight squat x 75
  3. Push ups x maximum reps
  4. Barbell bent-over row x maximum reps
  5. 100 bicycle crunches

Perform four rounds of the above.

fitness, conditioning, workouts, hard work, intensity, barbell, dumbbell, bodywe

Rules for the WTF Workouts

  1. If you cannot achieve the prescribed repetitions, do as many as you can.
  2. If you are able to surpass the prescribed number of repetitions, keep going and do as many reps as you can.
  3. Take only minimal rest time between exercises and rounds.
  4. The harder you work with minimal rest between bouts, the greater the return for your efforts.
  5. Enjoy.

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

Tom Kelso

About Tom Kelso

Tom Kelso is currently an Exercise Physiologist with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. He also trains clients through Pinnacle Personal & Performance Training in Chesterfield, Missouri.

For 23 years he was in the collegiate strength and conditioning profession, serving as the Head Coach for Strength and Conditioning at Saint Louis University (2004-2008), the University of Illinois at Chicago (2001-2004), Southeast Missouri State University (1991-2001), and the University of Florida (1988-1990). He got his start in the strength and conditioning field as an Assistant Strength Coach at Florida in 1984 where he was also a weight training instructor for the Department of Physical Education from 1985 to 1988.

In 2006, Tom was named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association for his years of service in the field. In 1999, he was named NSCA Ohio Valley Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the year. In 2001, he received an honorary certification from the International Association of Resistance Trainers (I.A.R.T.).

Tom possesses C.S.C.S. and S.C.C.C. certifications with the NSCA and CSCCA, respectively. Additionally, he is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board in basic instructor development and as a specialist instructor by the Missouri Department of Public Safety. In 2012, he became certified by the IBNFC as a Certified Nutrition Coach.

Tom has worked with athletes at the Olympic and professional levels, presented at various clinics/seminars, and worked several athletic-related camps. He is a strong advocate of safe, practical, and time-efficient training and has published a collection of periodical articles, book chapters, complete books, and user-friendly downloads promoting such.

Tom received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa in 1981(It's great to be a Hawkeye!) and a Master's Degree in Physical Education from Western Illinois University in 1984. He was a member of the Track and Field team at Iowa and served as a Graduate Assistant Track & Field Coach while at Western Illinois.

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