The 10 Best Books For CrossFit

Endurance training and building muscle. Eating healthier and recovering from injury. Time of day rarely matters as CrossFit athletes go to the extreme, pushing their bodies to the maximum.

As a CrossFit athlete, you’ll engage in some of the most strenuous exercises ever known. Whether you’re a beginner, have some experience, or you’re a veteran, you need some reading material to stay strong. Fortunately, ten of the best books for CrossFit will elevate your athletic career, helping you over time to build the confidence needed to succeed.

Newbies and the best books for CrossFit

If you’re new to CrossFit, you’ll likely be searching for advice on healthy eating. Go beyond a mere explanation of the basics to grasp some of the most reliable dieting solutions meant for trainees. Equipped with weight loss and muscle-gaining advice, these books are sure to get your CrossFit journey off to a strong start. Remember that progress as a CrossFit trainer will take dedication and commitment.

1. Healthy CrossFit Diet Cookbook by Emily Robert

High-intensity workouts within a short time is the CrossFit way. But healthy foods provide newbie CrossFit trainers with both energy and essential nutrients. This book by Emily Robert consists of reliable diets. Among them are the Paleo and Zone diets. You’ll also find meal plans, key ingredients, and instructions for incorporating both macronutrients (proteins, healthy carbs, and fats) and a hearty variety of healthy foods— minus the sugar—into your life as soon as possible.

Why read this book though? Because if you want cooking ideas meant for CrossFit, you’ll find plenty in this book to choose from. From Paleo Bruschetta Chicken to Picadillo Stuffed Peppers, the ingredients and meals found in this cookbook will fill you with energy needed to succeed. Read this book if you’re a CrossFit beginner. You’ll learn which non-starchy vegetables meats are worth adding to your diet. And for the foods you don’t need at all? The Cookbook also points those out, so you can stay healthy and avoid inconvenient setbacks in the future.

While reading, questions will arise. How do you meet the caloric needs that will guarantee you CrossFit success? How do you make diet changes when you don’t see immediate results? Whether you’re still figuring out CrossFit or you’ve already begun your training, newbie CrossFit trainers looking to build strength and endurance will have plenty of strategies for healthy eating. By the end of the book, you can rest assured knowing the author will leave you feeling empowered and refreshed. The Healthy CrossFit Diet Cookbook is, at its core, one of the best books for CrossFit.

2. The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf

As a CrossFit trainee, you’ll have plenty of chances to thrive in your fitness journey, especially when you can avoid illness. Cancer and diabetes, for example, are two illnesses caused by unhealthy eating. But fortunately, Robb Wolf’s The Paleo Solution will emphasize eating suggestions reinforced by the CrossFit community.

The Original Human Diet is meant for CrossFit trainers who are just starting out. After all, how far do you get with your goals without adopting the best diet? At 320 pages, the book will answer all of your questions about healthy eating. And not just any kind of healthy eating, but the Paleo-style of eating. A closer look reveals the method behind the solution; that means, everything you need to know to get started.

That means yes to meats and vegetables, and put a checkmark in the box beside nuts and seeds. A little fruit is okay, as well as some starch, but as CrossFit experts know, the solution behind the Paleo diet consists of no sugar at all.

Should we call the book a solution? Absolutely. The U.S. News World Report’s Best Diet Rankings cited a 2015 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. When 76 people followed the diet for 60 days, they lost an average of 9 pounds, plus an improvement in their blood sugar levels. Remarkable, when you think of your fitness journey ahead. Even more remarkable, according to the U.S News World Report, the Paleo diet ranked 30th overall.

3. First, What it Takes to Win by Rich Froning Jr.

CrossFit is more than intense exercise. Take it from the Fittest Man on Earth, Rich Froning Jr. From the moment you open this book you’ll start to grasp what it takes to win in CrossFit. The CrossFit challenge is just as fulfilling when you embrace the mission all to yourself. But without physical strength and mental toughness, progress as a CrossFit trainee will be inconsistent at best.

Fortunately, the winner of back-to-back CrossFit challenges is willing to share some insight into self-discipline. Hard work, knowledge, consistency, and resilience. These are the traits and behaviors that will take you farthest in your goal of winning big as a CrossFit competitor. Still, if you’re new at CrossFit, why not take this opportunity to learn from one of the masters? Nothing matters more than making sure you’ve got the brainpower and toughness to persevere. What it Takes to Win is here to guide you through that process.

The book also contains classic workouts and intense physical exercises. The best part is that they’re suitable for the most serious of athletes. But What it Takes to Win’s overarching look at what makes a CrossFit winner makes it an excellent read for newbie trainees. Particularly those who are still seeking direction.

A champion like Froning takes great care in delivering an in-depth read. As you read, you’ll find motivation, encouragement, and reassurance. Despite being published in July 2013, this book still remains relevant and timely. It’s a must-read for the strong-minded who are also eager to improve.

The best books for CrossFit meant for trainees with intermediate experience

At the intermediate level, you’ve gotten into the routine. The workouts are growing in intensity. You can feel the burn as you train harder with each passing day. From comprehensive guides filled with exercise routines to advice from the world’s best competitors, these books will help you navigate the most challenging aspects of being a CrossFit athlete.

4. Cross Training WOD Bible: 555 Workouts from Beginner to Ballistic

Working out for a while? This book is filled with detailed instructions for completing 555 CrossFit workouts. There are bi-element and tri-element exercises as well as extremely challenging endurance exercises. While reading this book, your expedition from a hopeful CrossFit competitor to an experienced athlete will have you in awe.

Fortunately, the WOD Bible contains comprehensive explanations for CrossFit terminology. Learning what it means to be a firebreather is an entirely different concept than finishing as many reps as possible (AMRAP). This book covers the jargon, the technical, the details, and the need-to-know. You’ll enter your intermediate CrossFit challenge with knowledge and insight. Then, you’ll work hard and stay focused to emerge stronger and closer to the verge of going ballistic in your training.

Equipped with the WOD Bible, you’ll see that the emphasis is placed on working more while also building the capacity to keep going. Along the way, you’ll read about which equipment to use and when, as the pages turn easily thanks to a healthy dose of motivational advice. Helpful encouragement gives you plenty of room to explore the sport of CrossFit. By the time you start reading, you’ll embrace this book with the same intensity used for working out.

5. Cracking the CrossFit Open: How to Outperform Your Peers in Every Workout by Oliver Norris

The CrossFit Games will be the culmination of months, even years, of intense weightlifting, powerlifting, rowing, and gymnastics-related exercises. In Cracking the CrossFit Open, you can expect to find lessons for pursuing the fierce competition seen in the sport. All while studying which strategies work best for which specific approach. Strategy, tactics, and psychology are thoroughly discussed in this 164-page text. For intermediate-level trainees, the opportunity to dive deep into the world of athletics and strength is well worth the time it takes to digest this encouraging book.

To the author’s credit, a major strength behind this book stems from its need to get the reader focused on winning, and winning frequently, using a variety of researched mental strategies meant to keep you focused and engaged. As an added bonus, the book draws upon an analysis of the CrossFit Open workouts from 2014-to 2018. So, wherever you end up in this book, adopting a healthier lifestyle will remain at the top of your priority list. It’s these practical methods, combined with insight and strategically placed tips, that ultimately make Oliver Norris’ 2017 CrossFit book one of the best books available on the sport.

6. Dottir: My Journey to Becoming a Two-Time CrossFit Games Champion by Katrin Davidsdottir

In Katrin Davidsdottir’s 2019 memoir, the delivery of CrossFit instruction comes from extensive personal experience. The author from Reykjavik, Iceland, is the third person to win the Games not once, but twice. As legendary as that sounds, Katrin is only the second woman to accomplish this amazing feat. This fact alone should inspire the intermediate-level CrossFit trainee to take action, starting by simply adding this book to their library.

Notably, the author’s success is not the only takeaway in this personal story. After not qualifying for the Games in 2014, Katrin refused to give up and kept training. Her battles over the next years reveals to all Cross Fitters that goal-setting and accountability are essential to victory.

This book teaches you that training won’t always be easy.

Somewhere in your CrossFit journey, you’ll need to take a hard look at your mindset. Are you easily distracted or too quick to fold? Or, do you approach every workout with passion and confidence? Your answer matters, but might change the more you read. The book will provide you with as much opportunity to learn about yourself as you do the challenges surrounding the sport. As an ideal companion for any CrossFit athlete, Davidsdottir’s journey will take you on a journey of triumph and emotion.

The same energy you use to power through your workouts is present on each page, delivered through rich narration that’s intended to keep CrossFit athletes with some experience motivated to improve. Test your spirit by envisioning your own experiences and comparing them to the author’s. The winner of the 2015 and 2016 Games has plenty to share in a story that will remind you why you took up the sport.

7. Training for the CrossFit Games: A Year of Programming used to train Julie Foucher, The 2nd Fittest Woman on Earth, CrossFit Games 2012 by Douglas Chapman

What does it mean to be a CrossFit champion?

That’s the question that’s on your mind from the moment you get into this 2012 release. As an essential piece of history, this book delves into both mental programming and mental toughness, ultimately drawing the reader into a series of lessons surrounding Julie Foucher’s rise to fame.

From the early chapters, you’ll develop a deepened sense of belonging. While reading, you’ll also grasp the need to minimize weaknesses that impact your success. The CrossFit games remain one of the most competitive and physically rewarding sports to date. This book is perfect for those who spend a significant amount of time training.

Your fitness goals could depend on you eating healthily. The thrill of losing weight faster might push you to analyze how you train and why. In Training for the CrossFit Games, you’re given an inside look at what a CrossFit competitor needs to be one of the fittest humans on Earth.

The idea behind the book is to inspire and encourage developing, but trained athletes. After all, adopting the mental programming needed to endure and grow stronger? That’s a skill set that intermediate-level athletes can incorporate into their workout regimen. Where you go from here depends on your specific CrossFit goals. Think of your desire to be athletic as well as your dedication to working hard. These together make up what it means to be the strongest on Earth.

8. Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett

With its amusing and interesting title, this 2013 read by Kelly Starrett is aimed at helping advanced athletes transform into the strongest, toughest versions of themselves. The critical takeaway here is that becoming stronger means watching out for ways to reduce and work through injury. The book is careful to provide insight into working through injuries. But any advanced athlete can benefit from applying the techniques mentioned throughout the book.

This interesting read will help grasp the power of mobility through demonstration. Go beyond the workout and conduct an analysis of performance strategies meant to get you moving faster, longer. In this book, the author wants you to focus on overcoming limitations. You’ll learn to deal with pain, all while adjusting your workout routines to meet your full potential.

With quality images included, Starrett hopes to motivate those with varying body types. By living pain and injury-free, readers like yourself can use this training manual to make faster progress in their CrossFit journey. Best of all, you can do it all while following a methodical, carefully organized guide. You can finish this book and become as strong as a leopard.

9. As Many Reps as Possible by Jason Chalipa

If you need a CrossFit book that adheres to the most rigorous training, then look no further. As winner of the Fittest Man on Earth title, Jason Chalipa has emerged as a successful businessman and world champion. Later, the renowned athlete went on to win the 2008 CrossFit games, proving to himself and his family that he’s fitter, stronger, and more disciplined than your average man.

Early on, Chalipa refers to his daughter’s diagnosis with leukemia. Surrounding this anecdote is a technique known as The AMRAP Mentality. As many reps as possible is a mindset the strongest, most successful athletes have come to embrace. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, only 3-5 reps of a heavy load builds muscles and improves strength, while 12-15 reps with a light load is conducive to increased endurance.

By reading this book, you’ll be left with a clear understanding of why repetition is so critical. The same endurance the author relied on to win CrossFit titles will come to benefit you in your own career.

Is your goal to accomplish more in a shorter period of time? The research and in-depth explanation surrounding repetition is essential to your personal challenges. When the resistance weighs you down, your body will ache, and still, you’ll long to complete the workout of the day. Thanks to the AMRAP technique, a serious athlete will understand athletes are humans. They, too, encounter hardship that makes those reps difficult to complete.

Fortunately, this book is about getting to work, whether or not you know how hard the work will be in advance. With plenty of information included in 145 pages, you’ll finish this read with more insight into what it means to be a serious and most importantly, tougher athlete.

10. Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes by Ben Bergeron

The final book on this list should get you focused on greatness. According to trainer Ben Bergeron, greatness, excellence, and success are all obtainable. Not just for a destined few, but for anyone with the mental toughness and determination to get there. In Chasing Excellence, readers are gifted with a story that’s as entertaining and interesting as it is memorable and helpful.

Begin with an interesting takeaway from the book’s description. The fitness techniques that work for other athletes are also relevant and applicable for CrossFit competitors. Rather than focus solely on the CrossFit way, Ben Berguson uses his personal experience from the 2016 Reebok Games to excite and challenge the reader. Consider, what does it mean to be a world-class athlete when you think you’re somewhat ordinary? This book will inspire you to work hard and stand out. For the benefit of the CrossFit community, it’s a read every advanced athlete should add to their collection.

As a serious CrossFit athlete, you can only benefit from furthering your experience. You’ll learn over time that it’s best to get your insight from a veteran competitor. By the time you finish this book, you may feel a yearning to share your experience with others. It’s possible, considering the program’s impact, that the more people who try CrossFit, the better. CrossFit competitors have a mind set for success. 

Whether you’re a newbie, have some experience, or you’re a veteran, CrossFit training may become more important than anything else in the world. As a competitor, you know you have to strive for excellence. You know your ability to win depends on your strength and determination.

Success comes with endurance and eating healthily from the start. But without an understanding of CrossFit diets, you simply can’t succeed. The lessons intermediate-level and expert-level CrossFitters gain can be experienced through the top ten best books for CrossFit. Wherever you are on your journey, you’ve got no reason to feel stressed. CrossFit training is for the best, and these books will help you get to the top.