CrossFit can feel overwhelming when starting out, but understanding the progression from novice to RX changes everything.
Matt Torres has spent 13 years coaching thousands of CrossFitters, and he’s identified a clear roadmap that makes the journey less confusing and more strategic.
In a recent video, Torres breaks down the four distinct levels every athlete moves through—and reveals why mastering them in order makes CrossFit exponentially more enjoyable.
His approach treats fitness like building a house: foundation first, then framing, plumbing, and finally the finishing touches.
Jump to:
Why RX Matters (And What It Actually Means)
Getting to RX isn’t about ego—it’s about unlocking the full CrossFit experience.
If you can get to RX, CrossFit becomes a whole lot more fun. It becomes less about this movement and that movement and more just about the overall stimulus from the training.
Torres emphasizes that the journey could take months or years, depending on consistency, age, genetics, and life circumstances. But obsession with the process accelerates progress dramatically.
Learning movements in the correct order allows athletes to build skills on top of each other properly, which is exactly what Torres’s level system addresses.
Level One: Novice—Building Your Foundation
The novice stage focuses on one simple goal: completing one rep of every single movement.
Torres recalls his first CrossFit experience with “Filthy 50,” a workout featuring 50 reps of 10 different movements he’d never heard of. That confusion inspired him to create content helping others avoid the same lost feeling.
The cornerstone movements at this level are pull-ups and push-ups. Most people face a strength deficit initially—they’re not accustomed to moving their bodies this way.
The Nine Essential Novice Movements
Proficiency at this level includes basic conditioning and fundamental movement patterns needed for health, not just fitness. Athletes need the ability to jump, run, squat deep, pick things up off the ground, and manipulate their body through space.
Torres recommends showing up 4 to 5 days weekly for 4 to 5 weeks. That consistency alone produces dramatic progress.
Take time becoming exceptional at these simple movements before spending energy on higher-level skills. Many athletes skip ahead to toes-to-bar because it’s programmed that day, but without strict pull-up strength, shoulders aren’t ready for the demand.
Can you complete a kipping toes to bar without having a strict pull-up first? Of course. But from a development standpoint, you are just asking for a plateau or an injury down the line.
Level Two: Intermediate—Framing The House
Intermediate represents an exciting stage. Athletes start drinking the Kool-Aid, discovering movements they excel at and seeing physical changes from hard work.
The two cornerstone movements here are the handstand hold and toes-to-bar. Weightlifting movements should develop naturally through standard CrossFit training—no need for specialized back squat programs yet.
Learning To Push Weights
Torres notes that many people struggle with strength training because they don’t know how to push themselves for strength adaptation. They understand cardiovascular fatigue from running but haven’t experienced fighting weights.
Emphasis should shift toward feeling the weight fight back, triggering the strength response necessary for adaptation.
Becoming A Student Of Technique
This level demands heavy focus on technical aspects, especially with lifting. Film your movements, watch them back, and constantly pursue better execution.
This is where intermediates go wrong. Intensity accelerates results, and going hard feels good, but sloppiness creeps in quickly.
- Push hard on simple movements
- Stop when form deteriorates
- Never use weights so heavy you can’t squat below parallel
- Prioritize efficiency in every single rep
Proper movement equals efficient movement, which is both safer and more effective. Be deliberate now, earn the right to be mindless with high-skill work later.
For handstand holds, develop freestanding balance, even momentarily, before attempting handstand walks. Toes-to-bar requires both strength and skill for sets of 10+ unbroken, teaching tension transfer through hollow and arch shapes essential for advanced levels.
Level Three: Advanced—Installing Plumbing And Electrical
Advanced is where many athletes plateau on their RX journey. Heavy focus shifts to weightlifting skill requiring high degrees of flexibility and strength in specific positions.
Lifestyle factors become major limiters here. CrossFit loses its novelty, and athletes face constant confrontations with weaknesses they resist addressing.
People are willing to do whatever at this stage in the gym. Tell me what the drill is. Tell me what I need to do. Tell me what stretch I need to work on, but what they’re not willing to do is the work outside of the gym.
The Two Cornerstone Movements
Strict handstand push-ups and bodyweight overhead squats define this level.
If you can overhead squat bodyweight, you can probably power snatch it. And if you can power snatch bodyweight, you can definitely power clean it. Lacking mobility and strength in the overhead squat limits progression to RX.
Torres admits strict handstand push-ups are his hardest movement—incredibly specific with few training substitutes. Barbell or dumbbell strict pressing doesn’t translate well. Drills help strengthen weak positions, but raw upside-down pressing strength must be developed through the movement itself.
The Ab Mat Mistake
Many athletes stack ab mats under their heads to shorten range of motion. This is a terrible approach.
Torres made this mistake when starting CrossFit, developing strong lockout but little raw pressing power. Train full range of motion from the beginning.
Athletes strong enough for intermediate lifts usually possess raw strength for advanced lifts—they just lack skill or mobility. Focus your time accordingly: if you’re better at gymnastics, emphasize weightlifting, and vice versa.
Level Four: RX—The Finishing Touches
RX represents paint, carpets, and finishings in Torres’s house analogy. It’s not a black belt—it means you’ve achieved well-rounded fitness and can complete most workouts as written.
CrossFit becomes dramatically more enjoyable at this level. When toes-to-bar, pull-ups, and muscle-ups all appear in one week without modifications, you finally experience the sport as intended.
Once you get to RX, it’s really easy to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie across the broader CrossFit community as well as, you know, in your personal progression.
Movements That Don’t Appear Often
Some RX movements rarely show up in programming: rope climbs, GHD sit-ups, and pistol squats. They still require time and strength to develop.
- Rope climbs: Mostly skill-based, achievable before completing earlier progressions
- GHD sit-ups: Build volume slowly—start with three sets of five, gradually increasing to sets of 20
- Pistol squats: Demand flexibility, strength, and balance; often performed poorly in workouts, defeating the purpose
The Two Final Cornerstones
Handstand walks and ring muscle-ups define RX proficiency.
Torres’s coach wouldn’t let him learn kipping muscle-ups until he achieved one strict muscle-up first. That requirement built safe, healthy shoulder strength and requisite skill, enabling rapid progression to big kipping sets and bar muscle-ups within weeks.
Handstand walks require time, skill, and practice. With a solid freestanding hold established, consistent practice three to four times weekly for five minutes before class produces fast improvement.
Scaling Isn’t Failure
RX means completing workouts as prescribed, but you can always write something too challenging. Scale to meet intended stimulus.
Torres still scales workouts depending on how he feels and his goal for that session. At his gym, scaling simply means not doing exactly what’s written on the board—no shame attached.
Rowing instead of running? Scaled. Lighter or heavier weight? Scaled. The label doesn’t diminish the work.
Building Fitness That Lasts
What got you to your current level won’t carry you to the next one. Progress requires evolving your approach, addressing weaknesses, and sometimes doing work outside the gym walls.
CrossFit is challenging, but the journey to RX teaches more about yourself than seems possible when starting out. Understanding these four levels—novice, intermediate, advanced, and RX—creates a clear roadmap through the chaos.
Build your foundation with pull-ups and push-ups. Frame with handstand holds and toes-to-bar. Install plumbing with strict handstand push-ups and overhead squats. Add finishing touches with handstand walks and ring muscle-ups.
Each level builds upon the previous one, creating a house of fitness designed to last a lifetime. Skip steps, and the structure weakens. Follow the progression, and CrossFit transforms from confusing chaos into an incredibly rewarding training methodology.
