Last Updated On September 26, 2023
It can be difficult to get in a challenging workout with minimal equipment.
Fortunately, CrossFit bodyweight workouts are a great way to get in a solid workout and increase your overall fitness levels.
It's possible to complete bodyweight WODs using nothing but bodyweight movements that will challenge even the fittest athletes in the world.
The guide below will go over some of our favorite bodyweight WODs.
- First, Let's Get Familiar With A Few Terms
- 25 Bodyweight CrossFit Workouts (For Beginners To Experts)
- 1. Bodyweight Blast
- 2. Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Sit-Ups, Squats
- 3. 200 Air Squats
- 4. 500 Double Unders For Time
- 5. Upper Body Blast
- 6. Muscle-Ups For Time
- 7. Bodyweight AMRAP 20
- 8. Hero WOD Cindy
- 9. Countdown By Burpees
- 10. Shoulder Walk
- 11. Hero WOD Mary
- 12. Quad Crusher
- 13. Gymnastic Fantastic
- 14. 20 Minute EMOM
- 15. 10 To 1
- 16. The 100
- 17. Reverse Pyramid WOD
- 18. Gymnastic Stamina WOD
- 19. Gymnastic Conditioning
- 20. Hero WOD JT
- 21. Leg Burn-Out
- 22. Max
- 23. Hero WOD Angie
- 24. Jump Rope, Squat Jumps, Sprints
- 25. Pull Ups, Push Ups, Sit Ups, Air Squats EMOM
- Pros And Cons Of CrossFit-Focused Workouts
- How To Make Your Own Bodyweight CrossFit Exercise Routine?
- Common Bodyweight CrossFit Questions
- Conclusion
First, Let's Get Familiar With A Few Terms
WOD
WOD means Workout Of the Day. This is the workout you'll get when you visit a box, or in this case, when you choose a bodyweight WOD from our list.
Some WODs are named, and hero WODs are typically made to honor someone who has died in the line of duty.
However, some boxes will make one in honor of someone important to the box who has passed away.
AMRAP
AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. Some CrossFit boxes call them As Many Rounds And As Many Reps As Possible.
When you start your workout, a clock is set to a time cap, and you finish as many rounds of the workout as possible before time runs out.
EMOM
EMOM stands for Every Minute On the Minute, and these workouts can be fun.
In a typical EMOM workout, you'll do one move on the odd minutes and another on the even minutes until time expires.
Each exercise is performed for a set number of reps each minute, and you get a chance to rest if you finish before the minute is up.
Tabata
A Tabata workout is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT workout) with eight sets of fast-paced exercises, each performed for 20 seconds interspersed with a brief rest of 10 seconds.
For Time
When you see “For Time,” it means you complete the movements as quickly (and safely) as possible.
Most WODs like this will have a time cap.
Here are the best bodyweight CrossFit workouts you can add to your workout plan to get a good workout.
You don't need a single piece of equipment for most of the following exercises, but some will require a pull-up bar or maybe jump ropes along with your body weight.
If you’re ever feeling extra ambitious, you can always hold a heavy object in the goblet position while doing these workouts.
And if you don’t have a pullup bar, there are several alternatives to choose from.
25 Bodyweight CrossFit Workouts (For Beginners To Experts)
CrossFit is a branded fitness regime that has functional movements performed at a high intensity.[1]
When we say functional movements, we mean the movements you perform daily, like lifting objects, squatting, jumping, or stretching.
CrossFit workouts take these everyday moves and leverage them to create an intense workout by making lifts heavier, doing them faster, at longer distances, and keeping rest periods short.
Most CrossFitters love the barbell, but with bodyweight CrossFit workouts, you can add reps, speed, and intensity to make your workouts more challenging.
CrossFit bodyweight workouts will build muscle and strength, burn fat, improve flexibility, and increase stamina.
These workouts are designed to fit everyone’s ability level, so everyone will find at least one workout on this list they will be able to complete.
In addition, if there is ever an exercise you come across that you can’t perform, there will always be scaling options.
1. Bodyweight Blast
This one has a few advanced moves for beginners, like the hand-release push-ups and the burpees.
If you need to, you can swap out for regular push-ups and no push-up burpees.
For Time:
Related Article - Bodybuilding Vs CrossFit - Ultimate Comparison
2. Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Sit-Ups, Squats
This one is great for beginners. If you don't have a pullup bar, you can do bodyweight rows instead.
We recommend getting a wall-mounted pull up bar at home if you want to do more workouts like this one!
Pace yourself; you'll be tired by the time you get to your last round of squats. If you want to make it more challenging, do handstand push-ups.
For Time:
3. 200 Air Squats
One move, 200 times. Your legs will be angry after this one.
If you want more high-intensity lower body workouts, head over to our guide on the best bodyweight glute exercises.
For Time:
4. 500 Double Unders For Time
This WOD is a cardio killer. Double unders are an advanced move, so if necessary, do regular single unders instead of the double unders.
With your jump rope, jump and pass the rope twice under you before landing-- holy wrist action!
5. Upper Body Blast
This is a great program, especially if you have a freestanding or ceiling-mounted pull-up bar. Your upper body and core will be on fire.
For Time:
6. Muscle-Ups For Time
This is for the advanced CrossFitters, requiring you to both pull yourself up to the bar and push yourself up over it.
If you aren't ready for this one, skip it or swap them out with regular pull-ups until you gain the strength.
For Time:
Read Also - 19 Best Bodyweight Chest Exercises
7. Bodyweight AMRAP 20
This will be a fun 20 minutes. Each round is 200 reps. See how many you can get before your 20 minutes are up. Make note of how many rounds you get through for a benchmark.
8. Hero WOD Cindy
Cindy is one of the most popular WODs out there. It seems like a simple 20 Min AMRAP at first, but if you push yourself, it’s a killer. Add a jump to the squat if you’re feeling frisky.
For Time:
9. Countdown By Burpees
This is another sneaky hard WOD. The burpees will push your cardio, and the sit-ups will have your abs on fire by the end of it.
Burpees are tough for some bodyweight training newbies. Check out our list of the best burpee alternatives if you want to make this one easier.
Rep Rounds For Time:
10. Shoulder Walk
Wall climbs are a really fun move. Make sure you have a safe space and enough room for them.
Rep Rounds For Time:
See Related - Best Bodyweight Deltoid Exercises
11. Hero WOD Mary
Mary is a benchmark WOD used to assess your progress over time. This is one you really want to push yourself on so you can see your progress.
Handstand push-ups against the wall are totally acceptable.
12. Quad Crusher
Your friends will be calling you “quadzilla” if you do this one often enough. This one really works those legs, and if you’re new, it could be painful to walk around the day after.
See Related - Benefits of Lunges
3 Rounds For Time:
13. Gymnastic Fantastic
Gymnastics are a huge part of most Crossfit programming, and these are always fun. Pistol squats are very hard, so work through the progressions or choose a pistol squat alternative.
Start with regular squats, and be sure to protect your neck on the forward rolls.
Also Check Out - Best WOD & Gymnastics Grips
3 Rounds For Time:
14. 20 Minute EMOM
This one is as simple as they come. Unfortunately, it's simple but not easy, and after 20 minutes your body is going to wish you chose another workout.
15. 10 To 1
This one will test you. Start with 10 burpees and 1 pull-up and work until you reach the end. You’ll be happy to finish this one.
Rep Rounds For Time:
16. The 100
For this one, you start at 100 and work your way down. It has everything from jumping jacks to squats, and you end on a 10-minute run.
For Time:
17. Reverse Pyramid WOD
Pyramid workouts are a great way to get your reps in.
With 100 sit-ups, push-ups, box jumps, pull-ups, and dips, you will feel this one in the morning.
For Time:
18. Gymnastic Stamina WOD
Both of these moves are for advanced lifters. To scale, you can do regular push-ups and choose a pull up alternative if you don't feel confident.
Rep Rounds For Time:
19. Gymnastic Conditioning
Here's another gymnastics program that is a little advanced. If you aren't comfortable with handstand push-ups, you can swap them for hand-release push-ups.
3 Rounds For Time:
20. Hero WOD JT
JT is CrossFit’s very first hero WOD. It’s named in honor of Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA, who was killed in Afghanistan June 2005.
Like many of the hero workouts, JT is incredibly tough. Pace yourself through this one.
See Also - Ring Dip Alternative Exercises
(For Time) 21-15-9 reps of:
21. Leg Burn-Out
If you’re a big fan of leg day, this one is for you. Between the walking lunges, air squats, and hip extensions, you’ll be walking around on Jell-O the next day.
3 Rounds For Time:
22. Max
This one is called max because you do as many reps as you possibly can of the following moves. It's a 20 minute AMRAP, so break it down as necessary.
Most people will cycle through each of the moves for the 20 minutes. So you can do 10 push-ups, 10 pullups, 10 air squats, and 10 mountain climbers and repeat until your time is up.
Or, start with 5 of each movement, and add one more rep each round.
23. Hero WOD Angie
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Angie is all about fatigue. You can scale the volume if you need to, but not so much to where you never feel the burn of the push-ups, air squats, or other moves.
For Time:
24. Jump Rope, Squat Jumps, Sprints
This one adds a nice twist to the air squat by adding a tuck jump. Be sure to keep proper form on those, and scale the double unders if necessary.
You’ll be happy to see that there is programmed rest in this one.
Related Article - How Long Should a Jump Rope Be?
5 Rounds For Time:
25. Pull Ups, Push Ups, Sit Ups, Air Squats EMOM
This is a straightforward workout that will work your entire body. Try to power through the moves so you have some rest, but don’t exhaust yourself.
EMOM:
Pros And Cons Of CrossFit-Focused Workouts
There’s never been a better time if you’re looking for a new workout program and considering taking up CrossFit.
In addition to looking up a bodyweight CrossFit workout online that requires no equipment, you can find CrossFit boxes in almost every city in the world.
And CrossFit attracts all types of people, including professional athletes, gymnasts, martial artists, and people tired of the traditional gym.
Still, like every other type of fitness program, CrossFit isn't for everyone.
There are advantages and disadvantages when it comes to CrossFit, and it is essential to know what they are before you dive into your at-home bodyweight CrossFit Workouts.[2]
5 Benefits Of CrossFit-Focused Workouts
1. The Workouts Are Good For You
The most important thing about this style of workout is that they work. The high-intensity, multi-joint movements will help you gain muscle strength and stamina.
This type of training may also increase your aerobic fitness by raising your VO2 max, or the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during exercise.
Functional moves like squats, lifts, and presses help improve agility, balance, and flexibility. They also reduce your risk of injury and can improve your quality of life as you age.
WODs typically help you burn more calories compared to other workouts. On average, a 195-pound male or 165-pound female will burn 15 to 18 calories per minute and 13 to 15, respectively.
You may also continue to burn calories longer during the recovery period. Compare that to 11 and 9 calories per minute during traditional weightlifting.
Also Check Out - Best CrossFit Equipment For Home Gyms
2. You Have A Sense Of Community
The thing many people love about CrossFit is the community. The bulk of Crossfit classes are designed to be group classes, so CrossFit boxes can quickly turn into tight-knit communities.
This helps with accountability and motivation, especially when you are first starting out.
If you decide to join a CrossFit box, you'll have others around to help push you along. This is also an excellent way to meet new people and interact with your community.
Of course, CrossFit is perfect for extroverts. If you're an introvert just starting, there are plenty of beginner bodyweight CrossFit workouts you can do from the comfort of your own home.
3. The Workouts Are Challenging
Even though they might not look like much on paper, CrossFit WODs are incredibly challenging. They are full of difficult moves like the hand-release push-up, pistol squats, and burpees.
They also test your endurance by making you complete up to 10 rounds or more of these moves as fast as possible.
Even though 15 air squats or 5 pull-ups might not seem like a lot, doing as many rounds as fast as you can will push you to your limits.
WODs are designed to push you out of your comfort zone, but they can be scaled if necessary.
That means that they can be adapted to any fitness level, but as you get stronger and stronger, you can push yourself more and more as you progress through your classes.
This is incredibly rewarding because it allows you to see your progress quickly and consistently at the beginning of your training.
Moves like muscle ups are impossible for most beginners, but before you know it, you'll be doing a full set.
And the most rewarding thing about CrossFit is that going through strenuous training makes other aspects of your life easier.
With CrossFit, you build toughness when you push yourself through a difficult bodyweight WOD. Then, you can apply that toughness to other areas of your life.
4. The Workouts Are Versatile
CrossFit uses various moves on an ever-changing basis. Typical WODs use a mix of bodyweight, barbell and kettlebell moves, plyometrics (jump training), and machine conditioning.
Even when you are only using bodyweight exercises, the plethora of available movements helps beginners stay motivated because each class presents something new, fun, and challenging.
And since the key to success in any new endeavor is consistency, having hundreds of exercises and variations is an excellent way to help you adhere to a new training structure.
5. Early Progress
Another key to success is noticing changes as quickly as possible. When you begin a new training stimulus, there’s usually nowhere to go but up.
The nature of these workouts requires you to challenge yourself right away.
You will set personal records (lift heavier, complete bodyweight WODs faster or with more reps, etc.) at almost every workout when you first start.
These quick wins will motivate you to keep up with your workouts and to challenge yourself continually.
4 Drawbacks Of CrossFit-Focused Workouts
1. Community
Our main benefit is also our main drawback.
Some people do not enjoy crowds, especially when working out, and an environment that encourages interaction with others could be a complete turn-off.
Introverted people are usually best suited in small group classes or working independently.
If you tend to shy away from others and enjoy spending time alone, this training style may not be appropriate for you.
2. The Workouts Can Be Too Versatile
Variety often helps improve adherence in beginning trainees, but it’s not always optimal for increasing mass. To add muscle mass, you need to apply progressive overload.
It takes the nervous system several weeks to adapt to a training stimulus and efficiently recruit muscle fibers for the movement pattern.
That’s when you can start to see size increases. So if all you want to do is build muscle and add size, this might not be the best for you.
3. Cost
This is one of the most expensive ways to work out. First, you purchase a monthly membership that takes care of all the programming. Then, all you do is show up and do the work.
This will vary depending on your location and other factors, but the average cost of classes is $186 per month. Bigger cities and metropolitan areas will see higher prices.
You need to decide if this price point is worth the benefits. If you dedicate yourself and put in the work, you'll get your money's worth.
However, if cost is a factor, there are other much cheaper training methods.
4. Poor Programming
WODs are typically decided by Crossfit HQ boxes that will run their classes through the workouts.
Most boxes will also run their own programming, but either way, you are at the mercy of the knowledge and experience of the coaches.
Before committing to a box and paying their monthly fee, you should research their coaches to see what their clients say about them and the results they achieved.
Even if you are just looking up bodyweight WODs to do at home, you should still research the coaches that designed them.
How To Make Your Own Bodyweight CrossFit Exercise Routine?
One of the best things about CrossFit is that once you've been doing the programming for a few months, you can start to build your own WODs and exercise routines.
Depending on your fitness goals, you can design a WOD with 10 rounds of 20 air squats, 10 hand-release push-ups, and 50 mountain climbers, or you can design a WOD with 5 rounds of 100 sit-ups and jump squats.
And with seemingly unlimited scaling options and alternative moves, you will never get bored.
The first thing to do when designing your WOD is to choose a primary goal. Maybe you want to increase strength, improve your conditioning, or add mass. Have a single focus and build from there.
Next, you'll pick your moves and lifts. The exercises you choose will depend on your goals and, more importantly, what your body is capable of.
For example, if you're recovering from a leg injury, you don't want to design a program with many lunges. You must also create your programs based on equipment and space availability.
You also need to design to your capabilities. For example, if 95 pounds is your one-rep max for overhead presses, don’t try to do a set of 10 presses at 95 pounds.
Personalizing your WOD means you can lift heavy weights or an empty barbell if necessary.
Never overcompensate on the heavy side. No matter what type of workout you do, form is always more important than what you’re lifting. And just because you can lift something doesn’t mean you should. Always be safe and lift smart.
The final step is to sequence the exercises and reps together.
For example, muscle-ups are a great burner before muscle cleans, especially if you're confident and experienced with your bodyweight work.
If your focus for the day is on strength, you should program barbell work before the bodyweight moves.
And don’t forget to program adequate rest. While most WODs are designed for speed and endurance, some need breaks programmed in. Working without a break could be just as bad as lifting something too heavy.
Also Check Out - Full-Body Calisthenics Workout Plan For Beginners
Common Bodyweight CrossFit Questions
You can do your exercises daily, but it's not typically recommended. Instead, you should CrossFit two to five days a week. Beginners usually start doing workouts two days a week and gradually increase it to five days a week after building stamina and adjusting their bodies to these intense workouts.
Beginners who aren’t already working out will see measurable fitness gains within weeks, sometimes sooner. It might take longer for people already working out because progress slows over time. In general, if they work out properly, most people see measurable results after about six weeks of training.
The answer to this question is both. HIIT workouts are one of the most effective ways to burn fat.[3] Intense exercises performed in rapid succession, usually with the goal of beating the clock, are excellent fat burners. Lean muscle tissue supports an increased level of calorie burning. The more you have, the more calories you burn while at rest.
CrossFit recommends eating meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. They advise you to keep intake to levels that support exercise but not body fat. However, everyone’s nutritional needs are all a little bit different.
CrossFitters take their shirts off because it’s part of the culture, starting at the elite level down to local boxes. The most obvious reason to do this is body temp regulation. You can get extremely hot working out, and removing a layer mitigates heat build-up. That makes it easier to work out when temperatures rise.
Conclusion
You don't have to go you a gym or pay a lot of money for a membership at your local box.
Anyone can perform CrossFit bodyweight WODs in the comfort of their home and see amazing results.
The workouts we listed above are enough to get you in shape and keep you busy for a while.
However, once you’ve acclimated to the workouts, you can start designing your own. Your options are endless.
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7473349/
2. https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/crossfit-benefits
3. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/2/51
