Top 7 CrossFit Books

There’s a surprisingly large amount of literature on CrossFit considering it’s only a 20-year-old sport.

With so much out there, it’s tricky to know what to pick up first. 

So here, Built for Athletes has broken down seven of our favourite books about CrossFit.

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

It’s rare to get such a detailed insight into an elite athlete’s training regime as has been given here by Chapman.

He goes into serious detail about every training session that was performed by Foucher’s gym in An Arbour, Michigan in the run-up to the CrossFit Games in 2012.

Constructing The CrossFit Games (Dave Castro)

Dave Castro is a legendary figure in the sport, and here he tells the story of the challenges faced when setting up the CrossFit Games and how he designs workouts.

Definitely a worthwhile read for avid followers of the top level.

The Power of Community: CrossFit and the Force of Human Connection (Allison Wenglin Belger)

This is a heart-warming look at how CrossFit provides the social support that every human craves, sharing personal stories of how individuals have used peers to overcome challenging periods in their lives.

Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes (Ben Bergeron)

A former triathlete and CrossFit Games competitor, Bergeron has coached some of the top performers in the sport including Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir.

Here, he entertainingly breaks down his philosophy and shares 12 key principles that all great athletes have.

First: What It Takes to Win (Rich Froning)

Froning’s achievements in the sport obviously make this book, in which he describes how he became so successful, a must-read for any CrossFitter.

Breaking Parallel: A Guide to CrossFit Gymnastics and Body Movement (Jeff R. Tucker)

This is a great guide for anyone looking to perfect the essential movements used in the sport, worthwhile reading for new and seasoned athletes alike. 

Becoming a Supple Leopard (Kelly Starrett)

Starrett offers an in-depth breakdown of how to get the most out of your body explaining dysfunctional movement patterns and describing how to correct them.

She also includes some great tips on recovery and injury prevention.