Who needs a gym when there’s the family room floor? Bodyweight exercises are a simple, effective way to improve strength, balance, coordination and agility without machinery or extra equipment.The next time your "too tired" to come to class, pick five of the exercises below to create your own WOD. Send it in to the gym and we'll use it for class and even name it after you!
1. Tuck Jump: Standing with the knees slightly bent, jump up as high as possible and bring the knees in toward the chest while extending the arms straight out. Land with the knees slightly bent and repeat.
2. Bear Crawl: Starting on the hands and knees, rise up onto the toes, tighten the core, and slowly reach forward with the right arm and right knee, followed by the left side. Continue the crawl for 20-25 ft.
3. Plyometric Push-Up: Start on a well-padded surface and complete a traditional push-up. Then, in an explosive motion, push up hard enough to come off the floor. Once back on solid ground, immediately head into the next repetition.
4. Mountain Climber: Starting on your hands and knees, bring the left foot forward directly under the chest while straightening the right leg. Keeping the hands on the ground and core tight, jump and switch legs. The left leg should now be extended behind the body with the right knee forward. Next up? Everest.
5. Prone Walkout: Beginning on all fours with the core engaged, slowly walk your hands forward, staying on your toes but not moving them forward. Next, gradually walk your hands backwards to the starting position, maintain stability and balance.
6. Burpees: Standing with your arms at your sides, drop to the floor in a push up position then lower your chest to the floor. Press yourself from the floor up to your feet in a squat position, then return to standing. Jump up 6 inches off the ground clapping your hands over your head. That's one repetition. Repeat.
7. Plank: Lie face down with your forearms on the floor and hands clasped. Extend the legs behind the body and rise up on the toes. Keeping the back straight, tighten the core and hold the position for 30-60 seconds (or as long as you can.)
8. Plank-to-Push-Up: Starting in a plank position (prone on elbows), place down one hand at a time to lift up into a push up position, with the back straight and the core engaged. Then move one arm at a time back into the plank position (forearms on the ground). Repeat, alternating arms.
9. Wall Sit: Slowly slide your back down a wall until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Make sure the knees are directly above the ankles and keep the back straight. Go for 60 seconds per set.
10. Lunge: Stand with the hands on the hips and feet hip-width apart. Step the right leg forward and slowly lower your body until the right knee is close to or touching the floor and bent at least 90 degrees. Return to the starting position and repeat with the left leg. Try stepping back into the lunge for a different variation.
11. Clock Lunge: Complete a traditional forward lunge, then take a step to the right and lunge again. Finish off the semicircle with a backwards lunge, then return to standing.
12. Lunge Jump: Stand with the feet together and lunge forward with the right foot. Jump straight up, propelling the arms forward while keeping the elbows bent. While in the air, switch legs and land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward. Repeat and continue switching legs.
13. Pistol Squat: Stand holding the arms straight out in front of the body, and raise the right leg, flexing the right ankle and pushing the hips back. Then lower your while keeping your right leg raised.Basically, it's a single leg squat.
14. Squat Reach and Jump: Perform a normal squat, then jump from the squat position up into the air, reaching the arms straight overhead. Aim for 10 reps, 8 sets.
15. Air Squat: Stand with the feet hip-distance apart and squat until the thighs are parallel to the floor while swinging your arms up. Straighten your legs returning to standing position and repeat.
16. Step-Up: Find a step or bench, and place the right foot on the elevated surface. Step up until the right leg is straight , then return to start. Repeat, aiming for 10-15 reps on each side.
17. Quadruped Leg Lift: Starting on your hands and knees, keep your back flat and engage the core. Raise the left leg straight back, stopping when the foot is hip-level and the thigh parallel to the floor. Hold for up to 8 seconds, then switch legs.
18. Calf Raise: From a standing position, slowly rise up on your toes, keeping the knees straight and heels off the floor. Hold briefly, then come back down.
19. Standard Push-Up: With hands shoulder width apart, keep the feet flexed at hip distance with your legs fully extended bearing weight on your toes. Tighten the core. Bend the elbows until the chest reaches the ground, and then push back up (make sure to keep the elbows tucked close to the body).
20. Inverted Push-Up: Place your body in a standard push up position with your feet elevated on a stool, bench or low counter. Perform push ups in this inverted position. Progress the amount of inversion until you are performing full handstand push ups against the wall.
21. Superman: Lie face down with arms and legs extended. Keeping the torso as still as possible, simultaneously raise the arms and legs to form a small curve in the body. Be sure to lift your chest and feet up off the floor about six inches while keeping your core tight.
22. Triceps Dip: Get seated near a step or bench. Sit on the floor with knees slightly bent, and grab the edge of the elevated surface and straighten the arms. Bend them to a 90-degree angle, and straighten again while the heels push towards the floor.
23. Boxer: Standing with one foot in front of the other and your feet a shoulder width apart, begin to "shadow box" by punching into the air at an imaginary opponent. Perform for three minute rounds.
24. L Sit: Seated with the legs extended and feet flexed, place the hands on the floor and slightly round the torso. Then, lift your hips off the ground, hold for five seconds and release.
25. Rotational Push-Up: Standard push-ups not cutting it? For a variation, after coming back up into a starting push-up position, rotate your body to the right and extend the right hand overhead, forming a T with the arms and torso. Return to the starting position, do a normal push-up, then rotate to the left.
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