Bodyweight Exercises

CrossFit workouts often use various fitness equipment such as kettlebells, barbells, dumbells, etc. However, many CrossFit WOD include bodyweight exercises such as air squats, handstand pushups, push ups, sit ups, burpees, etc. These are included because body weight exercises are fantastic exercises to keep you in shape.

Sometimes you will not have access to any equipment and/or you won’t have space for the equipment e.g. small apartment, college dorm, hotel room, etc. Under these circumstances you have no excuse not to exercise. Even if you only have a very small area to traing you can still do one of the most effective training there is available – bodyweight circuits.
You can combine a variety of body weight drills e.g. burpees, pus ups, squats, planks, walking lunges, etc, to produce a workout which is extremely physically demanding.

Bodyweight exercises are great for anyone to get in great shape no matter whether you have limited time or problems with having a training area. If you have a 10×10 space and some determination you can get very fit.

 

Apart from the CrossFit website an excellent source for specific bodyweight exercises is Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training . Craig has a page full of free videos. Checkout out the video of a sample workout below:

“The Crazy 8 Body Weight Circuit”

 

This is a great bodyweight workout, because it just takes 20-30 minutes and you can do it in a small area e.g. bedroom, hotel room, etc and you don’t need any equipment.

1. 60 Jumping Jacks: Done as fast as possible, but make sure you do full jumping jacks.
2. 15-20 Spiderman Pushups: I’m just doing normal pushups until they become too easy. Typically it is a breeze for me to do 40+ pushups, but it is much tougher when you do these with zero rest in between jumping jacks.
3. Walking Lunges: I take 20 steps total. This is the easiest part of the workout in my opinion.
4. Spiderman Climb: I do a total of 20 of these (10 per side) I really feel these in my abs and obliques.
5. Wall Squat: Do for 45-60 seconds. This hurts! Don’t rest your hands upon your legs, since it makes it easier.
6. Planks: Do for 60 seconds. Tough after doing all these other exercises without rest.
7. 5 Burpees: Make sure and do a full pushup at the bottom and explode as high as pssible at the top into a jump. I’m still kind of uncoordinated with these…probably because I’m “smoked” at this point!
8. High Knees: Done as fast as possible. Do 50 total. I just count when my right leg hits the ground for 25. It is hard to count both legs for 50 since you are going fast. You will be dying about 1/2 way through.

Notes: Each exercise is done back-to-back with no rest in between. Even though you’ll want to have a rest, immediately start the next exercise. After this 8 exercise circuit is completed, rest for 60 seconds. Use this time to drink some water if desired. The 60 seconds will feel much shorter e.g. 10-20 seconds. Repeat the circuit 1 more time. Don’t add in the 3rd circuit until you think you are fit enough.
Also, some people who are new to CrosFit may be very unfit. They may be intimidated by using CrossFit equipment and struggle with simple bodyweight exercises such as press ups. If this is the case the Turbulence Training can be a good place to start your journey to becoming fit, and to give you confidence to start attempting workouts woth CrossFit equipment.

To help you get started with Turbulence Training bodyweight exercises, download the 3 pdf’s below will will give you lots of sample workouts:

4-Week Bodyweight Turbulence Training Workout

Sample Fatburning Workout

Free 10 Minute Workout PDF