When you think of CrossFit, you probably picture people throwing around heavy barbells, swinging kettlebells all over the place, and jumping up onto impossibly high boxes. Turns out, though, you don’t need of these things to channel CrossFit’s famously badass vibes. And, even better: home CrossFit workouts do the work, are tough as nails and require minimal equipment.
Yep, there are of daily CrossFit workouts (known as WODs, or workouts of the day) that require only your body weight. (Well, that and the desire to #werk.) “No-equipment workouts force you to master key movement patterns, which lays down a foundation for long-term success,” says CrossFit Games athlete and coach Ian Berger CF-L2.
They’re also much more accessible (and safer!) for beginners curious about — but intimidated by — CrossFit and its hardcore rep. While working out in your living room or garage might not have the same feel as a CrossFit box (read: gym), you’ll still score the same great sweat.
Need proof? Give one of these bodyweight home CrossFit workouts a go — and know that you can always up the intensity with a pullup bar, jump rope, or kettlebell if you’re feelin’ it.
1. Murph
Best for: a full-body challenging workout
Arguably the most famous CrossFit workout, Murph isn’t for the faint of heart. Every Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., CrossFitters everywhere sweat through this workout in tribute to U.S. Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.
If you can’t do a pull-up (or don’t have access to a pull-up bar), try chair-pulls instead, suggest Berger. And, remember, you can always drop to your knees for push-ups.
2. Cindy
Best for: upper and lower body endurance
Set a timer, then cycle through as many rounds of these three exercises as you can in 20 minutes. “It’s not complicated, but it’s effective at working your upper body lower body,” says CrossFit Games competitor and coach Brooke Ence CF-L2.
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3. Annie
Best for: cardio conditioning
For this one, you’ll perform 50 reps of each move, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. Double-unders (which involve swinging a jump rope around your body during every jump) are a fire way to get your heart pumping, says Ence. Can’t do ’em? That’s A-OK. Just count regular jump rope skips or hop completely rope-free.
Pro tip: Pop a pillow, towel or yoga mat beneath your tailbone for the endless sit-ups.
4. Death By Burpee
Best for: conditioning, cardio, all-over strength
For this WOD, start a timer and perform the designated number of burpees at the top of every minute. Continue adding a burpee each minute until you can’t burpee anymore.
“Death by burpees is one of my favourite full-body workouts,” says Ence. “It sneaks up on you. The first six to eight minutes you think the workout is easy, and then all of a sudden you’re out of breath.” Like, out of breath.
Plus, it’s fast! The longest you’ll likely last if you’re absolutely c-r-u-s-h-i-n-g it, is 20 minutes. Hanging on ’til somewhere between 13 and 16 minutes is a good goal, though.
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5. Karen
Best for: full-body endurance burn
This six- to 10-minute workout sounds simple: All you do is stand arm-distance from a sturdy wall or column holding a medicine ball (opt for 3–4kg for beginners or 5-6kg for advanced) in front of your chest, elbows bent and close to body. Then, lower into a squat, and as you rise back up, bounce the ball off the wall slightly above your head. Catch it and lower into another squat. That’s 1 rep. Simple, right?
Well, don’t be deceived: “Karen is a really full-body burner,” says Ence. Don’t have a medicine ball to throw around? Do thrusters with a textbook, milk jug, or backpack instead. Or, churn out 150 bodyweight squats.
6. CrossFit Open Workout 12.1
Best for: all-over strength and cardio
If you’re really short on time and need a short, snappy, and sweaty workout, this is it.
Berger recommends trying to hold a pace of 10 to 15 burpees per minute (that’s 70 to 90 burpees total).
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7. JT
Best for: upper-body strength
Need a quick upper-body burn? “JT is the perfect recipe for not being able to lift your arms up overhead tomorrow,” says Berger.
If handstand push-ups aren’t your thing, swap them for pike push-ups (essentially a push-up to downward-facing dog) instead, he suggests. For the dips, just make sure to plant your hands on a stable surface like a bench, table, or step.
8. Chad
Best for: lower-body strength
Got a ledge, step, or super-sturdy table? That’s all you need for this WOD. “Be sure to switch your leading leg every step,” says Berger. “Don’t worry about whether or not it’s faster to lead with one leg than the other, prioritise symmetry over speed.”
To keep things interesting, feel free to alternate between side step-ups and standard ones.
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9. Bounce
Best for: combined cardio and strength
Already a master of burpees? Give burpee tuck jumps a try. This plyometric move will jack up your heart rate while working your legs, Berger says. Combine it with running and dips and you’ve got yourself a quality, all-around workout.
10. Active Rest Day
Best for: rest days, sore muscles
If you don’t have much gas in the tank, this restorative workout will get the blood flowing so you can get sweaty tomorrow. “Our bodies need time to recover in order to actually reap the benefits of all our workouts,” says Berger.
Wondering what a couch stretch is? Open up your hip flexors by standing facing away from your couch with one foot planted on the floor and the other leg bent so your knee rests on a seat cushion and the top of your foot rests on the back cushion behind it. You should feel the stretch along the front of your bent leg from hip to knee.
11. Angie
Best for: full-body strength
Fancy a full-body workout? Annie is just that. “With a push, pull, squat, and hinge movement, Annie is a muscular endurance workout that challenges you head to toe,” says Libby Landry, CF-L3 coach at CrossFit Invictus and member of the CrossFit Headquarters Seminar Staff.
As with other workouts, swap in chair-pulls if pull-ups aren’t happening.
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12. 5K Run
Best for: cardio
Yep, one of the most-used CrossFit WODs ever is a classic 5k run. “It’s a great test of cardiovascular endurance, even if you need to intersperse walking throughout the 5K,” says Landry.
13. Dealer’s Choice
Best for: all-over conditioning
For this one, break up the moves however you like until you work through all of the reps. If you can’t do pistol squats (understandable, they’re darn hard), swap in skater squats instead, Berger says.
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14. 3-Part Press Blast
Best for: cardio and conditioning
This three-part AMRAP gets your cardio up with plenty of quick runs — and though it’s a little more complicated than other workouts on the list, you definitely won’t get bored.
The gist of it: Set a timer to complete each AMRAP, resting for two minutes between them.
15. 15-Minute EMOM
Best for: cardio
Next time you’re feeling meh about working out, Berger recommends EMOM (every minute, on the minute) workouts, which require you to jump back into action when a new 60-second interval starts.
For this one, you’ll work through five, three-minute rounds, focusing on one of three exercises for 40 seconds out of every minute.
“If you don’t have a kettlebell, put a few books in a tote bag or use a 5-litre jug of water,” Landry says.
