Bodyweight Moves Gallery
The Anywhere Workouts Challenge took place in August 2012. Competitors performed bodyweight moves wherever they found themselves – from Alaska to Botswana! The contest challenged them to perform exercises with no equipment anywhere they were – but the only way they could get credit was if they also posted notes on their form. Preventing injuries while exercising is easily accomplished through mindfully practicing good body mechanics.
I’ve included their submissions here along with the form notes they added (maybe a couple additions here and there). You can click the picture to make it bigger.
Anytime you need inspiration, are away from the gym, in a hotel, or find yourself lacking equipment, make yourself a circuit based on these moves or any of the moves in my bodyweight videos - have fun, be safe and get after it!
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- Curtsy Lunge – When lunging, step the left leg back behind the right, bending the knees and lowering the hips until the right thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Remember to keep the torso upright and the hips square.
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- Jessica looking strong as she keeps her core engaged, legs straight and elbows hugging in.
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- Tree pose in London (Picadilly Square). Stand straight w/ lifted foot propped above knee to avoid injury. Lift hands and keep back/spine straig
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- Tae Bo sidekicks outside of Walgreens! My boyfriend ran inside to grab a few things so instead of sitting in the car, I used the opportunity to get a mini workout in. Keep your glutes as tight as you can while kicking as high as you can in the air, keeping the other foot grounded.
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- Today’s anywhere workout challenge – 30 second snow side plank holds with a leg lift on top of a glacier
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- Counter L sits. Internally rotate arm bones and lock out elbows as you draw your navel to your spine. Work from fully tucked knees to fully extended legs. Smile is mandatory :)
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- Mountain Climbers – bring the left foot forward directly under the chest while straightening the right leg and alternate legs using your tight core to change positions.
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- Decline push-up – Feet up to provide angle, which works upper chest. Try to keep back as straight as possible. Hands can be as wide or narrow as you would like. Wide works shoulders and chest while narrow really blasts the inner chest/pectoral muscles.
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- Standing body weight row. Not as difficult as laying flat, but works upper back, lats and rear deltoids.
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- Calf raises on any staircase. Use a wall or ledge to help keep your balance. To challenge yourself, dip heel as low as you can then raise heel as high as you can with each repetition.
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- Traditional tricep dips. Try to keep elbows close together in back. This works deltoids, pectorals, triceps, abdominals and several other smaller muscle groups.
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- Headstand! Well…almost. This was as close as I got to getting a straight line but in the 5 minutes I spent trying to get it right, I got a great core workout. Try practice on a soft surface (like this grass) to allow yourself to forget the fear of falling and embrace the challenge!
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- You really can work out anywhere! Stole this move from Betty Rocker’s anywhere fitness challenge- declining pushups at 14,064 feet! Keep those elbows in tight and drop and do 20. Perfect grand finale to a hike
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- Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana). This pose develops concentration and balance. It tones and lengthens the leg and hip muscles. Strengthens the spine and entire leg. Opens the chest and lungs, creating more space for breath. This pose can be done as shown – anyplace (at a firehouse) and done wearing anything, including a dress!
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- Side Lying Leg Scissors Move: Lie on your side on a mat/floor with your legs lengthened straight away from your body. Start scissoring your legs using a controlled movement. Remember to engage your core. I do 4 sets of 25 on each side.
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- L-sit straight leg tricep dips. This adds a crazy ab workout to the already intense dip exercise.
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- Move: STAR JUMPS I was jumping too fast for the camera here ;) Start with feet together, knees slightly bent, arms crossed in an x at heart center. Using the burst from your legs jump up–feet come out arms go out, making a star :) FORM: LAND SOFTLY!!! Keep your shoulders drawn down and back, avoiding our tendency to want to curl forward.
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- Wall sit against any wall. Keep knee-bend at a 90 degree angle and hold for at least 30 seconds. I did this one waiting for jury duty this morning! :)
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- You can do traditional push-up planks anywhere. Again, back straight, arms at or near a 90 degree angle.
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- Tricep dips – Bend arms to a 90-degree angle (as you dip) and straighten again while the heels push towards the floor. For some extra fire, reach the right arm out while lifting the left leg.
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- MOVE: Trail Taps Find a challenging height rock. Start grounded into standing foot, with other foot lightly tapping the center of the rock. Jump and Switch. Form: POSTURE!!! Ears in line with shoulders in line with hips. Engage your belly–draw up and back. Light taps on the stone. Use your core to help lift your leg. LAND SOFTLY!
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- Form: As you come down during your push-up, bring your left knee to your left elbow. Try to keep that leg parallel to the ground. As you come up push your leg back out into the regular push-up position. Do equal reps on each side
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- Make sure you lock your legs over the bar and perform a crunch-like situp. Alternative for weaklings like me, just perform the crunch and not the actual situp. *Note* – After your workout, simply hanging like this will increase blood flow and circulation and is very relaxing.
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- Arm circles! Stand with arms extended by the sides, perpendicular to the torso. Slowly make clockwise circles for about twenty to thirty seconds (about one foot in diameter). Then reverse the movement, going counter-clockwise.
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- Not feeling so great and did not want to work out today but there are only a few days left in the anywhere fitness challenge. So I pulled from my barre class and did 30 sec of leg lifts each side. Tones the legs with minimal effort!
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- side plank on the sand dunes! Janelle is stacking her wrist below her shoulder and keeping her chest open as she reaches for her opposite foot
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- Many different names for this one. The box jump is an explosive move that works a ton of muscles and keeps your heart rate up. I found that keeping my back straight and feet about shoulder width apart helps.
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- Move: Jump over the squares-I jumped over one square (you should jump over as many squares as you can), all the way to the mall entrance. Form: Start in a square and jump over as many squares as you can. Make sure to have a soft landing and land with your knees slightly ben
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- Fire up that core and engage the legs! Elbows bent at 90 degrees, head lifted slightly. Chad is a mega badass and this picture is SICK!
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- Anywhere workout challenge! Today= Wall sits in my hotel room. Make sure those thighs are parallel to the floor and back against the wall and hold for a minute. Try five rounds it’s a leg burner!
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- No real form here. Just turn off the TV, get out on a playground and be young and fit again!
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- This is a parallel pull-up. Your hands are facing each other in what’s called a neutral grip. There is more emphasis on your biceps, brachiallis, and brachioradialis.
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- Inspired by all the super women in my life I give you today’s anywhere workout challenge- the superwoman! Arms behind head and squeeze the glutes then lift and lower your chest and legs. Amazing for building back strength. Tutu optional
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- Handies handstand- we braved 5 miles, lingering thunderstorms, 2,400 feet elevation gain but I made my 26th summit in 2 hrs, a record time for me!
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- CROW Pose Move: Bending the knees slightly, bring your palms flat on the floor about shoulder distance apart. Place the knees on the back of the upper arms. Start to come forward, lifting the head as you go.Take feet off the floor, one at a time, so you come to balance with both feet up. Hold for as long as you can and repeat 3 times.
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- use a bike rack for pullups. To get a great core workout, keep your pelvis raised to achieve a straight line and hold at the top for 3 seconds
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- How do you keep warm in Alaska on a breezy day by the water? With today’s anywhere fitness challenge- 50 jumping jacks
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- Move: STUMP PUSHUP Find a stump to elevate one arm. Start in plank, lower down to a 90 degree bend in the raised arm, press back up to plank. FORM: Keep your neck nice and long, creating a single line of energy from your heels through the crown of your head! Draw your shoulders back toward the spine to engage them. Keep your belly lifting toward your spine. *Lower down SLOWLY for a negative pushup! (works the backside!)
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- Move: Wall sit-I did this in the elevator and held it until I got to my floor. Form: Sit against the wall and make sure your legs are bent at a 90 degree angle. Keep your core tight.
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- Single leg squats, use arms for balance and squat on one leg
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- BRIDGE POSE Move: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet almost touching your fingertips. Lift your hips and torso off the floor, keeping them in a straight line. Lift your hips higher toward the ceiling. Hold for five breaths. Lower your glutes back to the floor. Repeat five times.
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- Before I ever joined a gym I started my workout routine simple- 20 pushups before bed. Try it for today’s anywhere workout challenge. Start small and work to big things!
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- Dips at 14,000 feet – keep your shoulders stable, chest up and stabilize your elbows.
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- Move: Nose-to-Knee Crunch. – Get into plank position (usually done on a stability ball – I substituted a chair done in a library) A. Draw one knee toward your chest. B. Hold for one second and return to plank position. That’s one rep. Form: Plank position and making sure hands are shoulder width apart and head is looking forward. Works: entire core, shoulders, chest, hips, and glutes.
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- Anywhere fitness challenge hollow body hold a move I stole from gymnastics. Tones the core. Keep the shoulder blades off the ground and the low back on the ground. Hold for 1 min if you dare!
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- Move: Step up with knee raise (on a bench downtown)-10 each leg Form: Put your left foot on the bench and drive up with your heel. Raise your right knee up, without letting it touch the bench.
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- Move: CRAB WALK Kicking it old school. Remember back to 5th grade–across the gym floor. Start in reverse table top. Hands face forward toward your feet. Start walking backward, hands, then feet. FORM:Keep your belly lifting high toward the sky to engage the core. Focus on good alignment in the wrists, keeping your shoulders in line with your elbows and wrists. EXTRA NINJA CHALLENGE: try it on the trail! Try it on the trail UP HILL!!!! That’s right!
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- Anywhere Workout Challenge – Headstand. Maria carefully gets into position with weight balanced on forearms and head evenly. Keep back straight and core engaged. Pic taken in Mochudi, Botswana. You really can workout anywhere!
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- Waiting for traffic to die down at red rocks last night- an anywhere fitness challenge straddle press on the rail! As I held on for thirty seconds this guy goes, “hey that’s really good!”
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- 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 the body while keeping the right leg raised. Hold (have fun with that), then return to standing. As you can see… I’m struggling :)
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- Basic sit-up. Maria lays down and keeps core engaged. Lock feet in and sit back and up. Pic taken in Mochudi, Botswana. You really can workout anywhere!
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- Move: Wall squat facing the wall (I did it in the elevator)-do as many as you can Form: Stand as close to the wall as you can (my goal is to have my toes touching the wall-I starting having to be about a foot away from the wall) and squat down-try not to fall over backwards! This move forces you to keep your weight in your heels and prevents you from leaning forward. It will REALLY help you with your squat technique.
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- Move: INLCINE SPIDERMANS Find a solid spot to position your feet and hands in an inline plank. Draw right knee toward right elbow slowly, and back to plank. Repeat on both sides. FORM: STRONG CORE! Scooping the belly under creates space for your knee to draw closer to your elbow, firing up the obliques. Keep shoulders directly over your wrists for a strong, stable alignment.
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- Move: Incline triceps pushups (on a bench downtown)-I did 10 Form: Keep your core tight, put your hands next to your chest and keep your elbows back and tight to work your triceps.
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- Move: Single leg bridge Form: Lay on your back and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. Kick one leg out, completely straight, and use your other leg (engage your glutes) to push up off the ground. Hold for a couple seconds and then lower yourself back down.
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- Anywhere workout challenge- today’s hotel room workout is toning those calfs with some heel raises. Lift up on to the ball of the toes and flutter the heels for a minute. It burns so good!
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- PLANCHE: This is a hard one! David starts with a 90 degree push up and raises his legs parallel to the ground while engaging his core.
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- Spontaneous Core for Betty Rocker’s “anywhere workout challenge.” Let’s be honest, pretty much everything is better with a tight core…
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- You can’t wear cheeky bottoms if you don’t tone that booty. Today’s anywhere fitness challenge- alternating leg lifts aka the butt blaster. 50 each leg, 100 if you can stand the burn!
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- Perform a box jump but don’t stop there. Add in a traditional squat at the top and/or bottom of move.
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- Move: L sit (on a bench downtown)-I could only hold it for a couple of seconds Form: Sit in an L and lift yourself up so that you’re levitating. My form is horrible-legs should be higher, toes should be pointed, and I’m sure there are many other things wrong, but this is the best I could do.
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- Move: ROCK CRUSHERS Lie down on your cooler, supporting your neck. Grab a large stone with both hands. Start with your arms straight, 45 degrees over head and slowly bend your elbows, lowering the rock toward the top of your head. Form: Focus on trying to melt your low back into the cooler. Keep your elbows drawn in! *Don’t actually crush your skull! ;)
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- jumping jacks! You don’t have to sit around while waiting for your water to boil. Get your body moving simply by doing some jumping jacks. Tighten your abs to bring your pelvis forward and take the curve out of your lower back.
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- Hip dips with alternating leg lifts. Keep your elbows hugging in as you lower and lift your hips
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- incline push-ups. Keep back straight and do as many as possible
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- Just try to make sure no one gets hurt!
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- SINGLE-LEG LUNGE Move A: Begin in a lunge position, with your right foot forward. Quickly bring your left knee in front of you at hip height. Continue alternating as quickly as you can 30 times. Repeat on the other side
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- Crunches targeting lower abs – bring your knees in to your chest and perform crunches in this position. Remember to keep your chin up for maximum benefit
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- Move:SKATE SKIER Find a stump (or you can do it on the ground). First ground in on one foot, creating a solid foundation. Slowly start to lower into a one legged squat, extending the back leg behind you. Opposite hand reaches toward the ground. FORM: Keep your shoulders drawn back, and the neck nice and long, creating a flat back. Make sure that the knee doesn’t creep over the toes in your squatting leg. ENGAGE the CORE to help you keep your balance as you slowly lower and come up.
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- 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.
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- Climbing a jungle gym! There are playgrounds EVERYWHERE in Denver. Next time you pass by one, take 5 minutes find your inner child and climb, slide, pull, jump until you can’t go any longer. When climbing, lift from your hips to prevent injury.
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- DOLPHIN PLANK Move A: Begin in a modified plank position on your forearms, hands clasped together. Brace your abs in tight and press down through your shoulders and arms as you lift your hips up to the ceiling and your chest back towards your feet. Keep your abs tight as you lower back into your plank position. I repeat this move for 15 sets
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- Incline push-up to work the deltoids and lower pectoral (chest) muscles. Keep back straight and butt, core and leg muscles engaged
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- Knee to elbow sit ups: keeping your core engaged, draw your elbow to your opposite knee.
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- Side plank to work the obliques and core. Keep arm at 90 degree angle and hold body as straight as an arrow. Alternate move, lift the outer leg and outer arm.
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- Balance your back foot on a bench or in a wall display of pants and squat on your other leg.
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- Put a circuit together, put your game face on and crush your workout!
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- Dancer pose. Cradle rear foot w/ same side arm/hand and lean forward to try and get as close to 90 degree angle as possible. Keep planted foot spread and engaged. Pic taken in Mochudi, Botswana. You really can workout anywhere!
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- leg lifts. Find something to hand from and keep your back flush to flat object. Then, simply lift legs straight up for an AWESOME ab/core workout. Slightly easier, but still equally effective if you lift your knees instea of entire legs
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- Move: Decline push-up Form: Put your feet up on a bench and do a push-up (keep your elbows as close to your sides as possible and try to rotate your elbows out-it will help with engaging your triceps.)
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- Glute raises – when raising leg up, squeeze glutes as tight as you can to get the maximum benefit.
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- Most of us know the exercise we call the burpee pretty well…well here’s the backward burpee. Start standing up, hands in the air an hop, then hands down to the floor, kick your feet out, do 1 dip. Kick your feet back underneath your bottom and stand up and repeat!!
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- Move: Donkey Kick Form: Come down on your hands and knees and push your foot towards the ceiling. Hold for a couple seconds.
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- Side plank on the edge of a mountain! Shoulders engaged on the back, lower belly strong, inner thighs engaged. Epic.
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- Anywhere fitness challenge today- straddle press! Extend the legs and point the toes and engage the core!
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- Incline plank thrust. Slight variation on push-up plank. Simply get in push-up plank and work your core up/down.
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- Squats in a fountain! Keep knees from bending over toes as you pretend like you’re sitting in a seat. Keep arms out for balance if needed.
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- You don’t need fancy gym equipment for today’s anywhere fitness challenge- just a good set of knees for alternating side lunges and some rockin music. Do 40, keep the weight in your heels and take a wide stance.
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- DIPS W/ Straight legs Move: Position your hands shoulder width apart on a secured bench or stable chair with legs straight out. Now slowly bend at your elbows and lower your upper body down towards the floor until your arms are at about a 90 degree angle. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly press off with your hands, and push yourself straight back up to the starting position. Do 8 reps for 10 sets
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- Sprinter Sit-Up – Bring left elbow to your knee to engage your obliques. The slower you take these, the better the results.
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- Tuck planche hold on the floor. Take a few seconds and see how long you can hold or do some reps. Keep those arms straight! Alexander is in the background encouraging me.
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- FOREARM PLANK Begin in a modified plank position on your forearms, hands clasped together. Brace your abs in tight and press down through your shoulders and arms.
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- Just sling a man over your shoulder and carry him off, Cavewoman style!
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- Supported handstands… Maria does 5 of these for 45 seconds each. Easy enough, just kick yourself up and hold a steady and solid handstand. Careful to kick back the way you started and don’t fall over onto your back.
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- Who says you need flat ground to do pushups? Anywhere pushups for Betty Rocker’s anywhere workouts. Keep the core tight and your legs engaged!
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- Simple leg locked situp. Find a bar or ledge to lock your legs in and perform a standard situp. Make sure to keep your belly engaged.
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- Back-bridge – start on your back and push yourself up slowly. This exercise is great for the spine.
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- Staggered push-up. Same with incline/decline, keep back as straight as possible. This adds a nice change to the routine and certainly targets forearms as well.
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- Anywhere pushups! Shoulders drawn back, belly tight, legs engaged.
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- Brace yourself on two rocks and engage your core as you lift your legs and look like a boss!
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- Keep your core engaged and your chest open as you balance on your sit bones
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- Diamond Push-Ups – situate your hands so that the thumbs and index fingers touch to make a diamond and you perform your push-up. This hand readjustment will give those triceps some extra (burning) love
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- Move: Hanging knee raises-I did 10 (on a sturdy bar outside the mall) Form: Hang from the bar and left your knees up, keeping your core tight. Lower back down with control to avoid swinging.
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- Move: CUTTING WOOD Great camping exercise!!! Find a BIG, ALREADY FALLEN, tree. position your feet in a lunge position, bending the front knee. Use one hand to hold the tree stable and slowly draw the saw back and forth. FORM: Keep a flat back! Belly lifted! As you draw back with the saw, imagine a rowing motion. Use your back to help your arm draw the saw back toward you.
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- LEG LIFT Move: Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your hips with your fingertips facing forward. Use your glutes to lift your hips off the floor. Extend your right leg out straight, squeezing your inner thighs together so that your knees stay in contact. Hold for 60 sec with each leg for 10 reps.
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- Move:INCLINE SITUPS I used a little help here since the object is so high! My little bro is actually holding my feet down below. Find a solid, safe corner to hang your feet over. Using your hamstrings and calves, grip the corner for stability. Slowly lower back as far as you can go keeping your core engaged. Pause. Engage again to lift yourself back up to seated. FORM:You can use your hands for momentum, crossed on front, or lightly behind your neck. Just avoid pulling yourself up by pulling on your neck. Keep a long straight line in your torso, avoiding arching your back as you lower down.
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- Form: Lay on a bench and grab under the end of it. Lift your legs up into the air, and use your core to make as straight of a line as possible.
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- Kangaroo Jumps – bring knees to your chest every time you jump for an extra cardio burn….these are fun :)
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- Simple body weight row. If you don’t have TRX bands why not do it at a jungle gym? :)
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- Anywhere workout challenge – mountain climbers. From a plank position, while engaging your core, and switch legs back and forth as quickly as possible
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- I love to hate v-ups. Like a sit up but lift the legs when you lift the chest then lower all the way down. A great anywhere fitness challenge, do three reps of 25!
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- Never miss an opportunity to get an anywhere fitness workout in- heading up to Mumford and Sons at red rocks doing some alternating lunges!
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- Boat yoga pose. Hold this as long as possible for a strenous abdominal workout. This one is tough!
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- Lunges – keep thigh parallel to the ground without knee bending over your toes.
This is sooooo coooollll!!!! Thanks. Much love for this. The page is now bookmarked for easy use! Yeaahh!!
Yay! I’m glad you like it. The credit really goes to all the people who participated – they did a great job! Share your workout circuit when you put one together
Yay, I’m so glad you put this up, I’m going to use it all the time!! Thanks for adding in my incline push-ups pic too, hee hee!
I wish I had participated more during the actual challenge, but life got really craze there for a couple months…but I was there in spirit! 
Jessica,
Your picture from before the contest started pushed me to make it happen. You were very much there in spirit!
Hope everything in your life is going great!
-BR