If Hyrox isn’t your thing, try the shorter intense ‘acid bath’ sprint workout

When you want short and simple but brutal, the CrossFit Acid Bath sprint workout might be the one for you.

By Steph Green Published December 17, 2024

Man sitting in gym doing seated cable row on cable machine — MAD Production / Shutterstock

Hyrox is a real challenge because you have to run 8km and finish all eight workout stations, from the Farmer’s carry to burpee broad jumps and rowing. If the Hyrox race is too long for you and you’re looking for a shorter way to seriously burn those quads and test your power, stamina, and fortitude, the intense ‘Acid Bath’ sprint workout might be the one for you. Some people are swapping Hyrox for the CrossFit Acid Bath; let’s look at what it is and the reasons to try it.

What is the Acid Bath sprint workout?

man with red shirt doing SkiErg machine skiing exercise equipment — Juan 1023 / Shutterstock

The CrossFit Acid Bath is an intense workout consisting of:

500-metres on the SkiErg machine
A 500-metre row
1,000-metres on the BikeErg, a stationary exercise bike

Recommended Videos

It’s considered one of the most grueling workouts because it’s designed to tax your cardiovascular system, build up lactic acid in your legs, and quickly fire up your largest muscles.

How long is the Acid Bath sprint workout?

Man on stationary bike in the gym — Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels

This short workout typically only takes six minutes, but those six minutes can feel like an eternity. Some fitness buffs and influencers have finished this rough workout in less than six minutes. Those brave enough to attempt this workout shared that they could barely stand up or couldn’t stand up by the end of it.

What are the benefits?

Man with strong legs by cable machine. muscular legs — VlaDee / Adobe Stock

Here are some of the benefits of the CrossFit ‘Acid Bath’ sprint workout:

Work your quad muscles in your thighs.
Enhance your muscular endurance, balance, and agility.
Enhance your cardiorespiratory fitness.
A short and simple workout.

How did it start?

Closeup of handsome african american sportsman training body on modern rowing exerciser in gym, copy space. Motivated young black sportsman with wireless headset having workout on rowing machine — Prostock-Studio / Shutterstock

Acid Bath was introduced at the 2018 Dubai Fitness Championship Finals, and it immediately gained popularity because it’s simple, brutal, and quick. At this introductory event, Roman Khrennikov from Russia completed the workout in an impressive and shocking 4 minutes and 54 seconds. Ever since, CrossFitters have been collapsing at the finish line, attempting to conquer this incredible feat of athleticism.

Topics

Workouts

Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…

Health & Fitness

12 fantastic reasons to add jumping jacks to your workout routine

Jumping jacks or star jumps are a versatile aerobic bodyweight exercise with plenty of benefits

Shirtless man doing jumping jacks

Each branch of the armed forces uses a simple bodyweight exercise to keep everyone in peak physical condition — they clearly understand the benefits of jumping jacks! While exercises like squats, pushups, and pullups have their own benefits, jumping jacks can take a workout to a whole different level.

It might be a decade or more since you last did a round of jumping jacks, but this childhood favorite calisthenic exercise is not just child’s play — jumping jacks have plenty of health and fitness benefits for adults. When I started doing jumping jacks again after a few years, I loved the feeling of the increase in circulation, the endorphins, and just getting my muscles moving in a childlike way, so I kept going until I was out of breath.

Health & Fitness

Does the timing of your workout affect insulin sensitivity? Here’s the research

This is good news for the sunset runners and those who like to work out later in the day.

man running outside grey clouds on road

When you eat sugar, your pancreas releases insulin — the digestive hormone that scuttles sugar into your cells to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Insulin helps prevent dangerously high blood sugar levels.

Insulin sensitivity involves how responsive your cells are to insulin. Your cells have insulin receptors, and with the condition of low insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance, the cells become more resistant, and your body becomes less responsive to insulin. Reducing insulin resistance can help you maintain a healthy weight and improve your blood sugar. Researchers decided to explore how the timing and intensity of workouts affect insulin sensitivity, with interesting results.
The research

Health & Fitness

Research shows why you should try military fitness workouts — even as a beginner

Military workouts usually involve a combination of strength training, bodyweight exercises, cardio, and flexibility stretches.

A man doing a box jump in a gym

When you hear military fitness workouts, you might envision an intense exercise session with agility drills, buckets of sweat, and officers barking orders. The military resembles strength and endurance. Military fitness workouts are all the rage on social media; even British Prince William has been touting the benefits for years. Many people are drawn to the rigidity, discipline, and structure of this type of workout that provides the benefits of cardio along with strength training. Let’s look at what military workouts involve, the possible benefits, and the research.
What are military fitness workouts?

Military workouts usually involve a combination of strength training, bodyweight exercises, cardio, and flexibility stretches. These workouts might also be called high-intensity functional training, and they’re designed to prepare military personnel for the real-world challenges and physical demands they might be up against during military training and operations. These types of group exercises have been used for hundreds of years. Military workouts aren’t just for the military; gyms and coaches worldwide have adapted similar routines.
What exercises are involved in military fitness workouts?