3 Unique Bodyweight Exercises

If you’re sick of pushups, then you’re in for a special
treat today…3 exercises better than pushups and crunches.
As you know, I’m a big fan of bodyweight training. Of course,
I’ve got my regular “go to” exercises that work well for me.
But when I want to spice things up, I give my friends Adam &
Ryan a call. They’re absolute masters at creating UNIQUE
bodyweight moves unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

You’ll want to PRINT this out.

I’ve got a treat for you today. I asked them to share three cool
exercises you can use right now to add variety to your workouts.
They’re even going to tell you what “regular” exercises to replace
with these “version 6.0” moves, so you can plug them right in to
your current training plan.Here we go…

1. Ditch Your Pushups

Do the Screw Press instead. This cool move takes the
two-dimensional strength you built in push ups and adds a
rotational element–turning a classic exercise into a
three-dimensional functional movement. It also gives you more core
stabilization and shoulder work. Here’s how to do it:

Begin in the same top position as a basic pushup. Shoulders are
pulled down away from your ears, chin is tucked, and glutes, thighs
and core stay strong to prevent “belly sag” and maintain solid
alignment.

Exhale to stabilize as you bend the right arm and touch your right
forearm to the ground. Elbow pits face the front, with the goal of
pressing back to top position by driving your elbow pits forward
rather than simply pushing up. Repeat the movement from side to
side, pressing off alternating arms.

2. Spice Up Your 1-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Flamingo is a cool variation the 1-Leg RDL. It adds an element
of timing and coordination that makes it a little more fun, while
burning more fat and recruiting more muscle through increased
stimulation of the nervous system. And yeah,  you sorta look like a
big pink bird. Here’s how to do it:

Stand tall with feet shoulder width apart. Shift your weight to one
foot, and raise the opposite leg, bent loosely at the knee. This is
your start position.Stretch the heel of the free leg back as your shoulders come
forward, pivoting at the waist. You can hold your arms out to the
sides like a tightrope walker for balance as you extend. Keep going
until you have a nice straight line from head to heel. Come as
parallel to the floor as possible while maintaining that straight
line. Only go as low as you can while maintaining proper alignment.

Squeeze the glute of the planted leg to pivot back to the start
position.

3. Do the Dead Bug instead of crunches

Crunches are a staple in a lot of bodyweight programs. But not only
are thousands of crunches incredibly boring to do, they can also be
downright dangerous for your lower back health. Squash a roach
instead! The Dead Bug gives you an awesome core workout without the
repetitive trunk flexion of the crunch. Here’s how to do it:

Begin lying on your back, with one arm overhead and the other at
your side, pointing to your toes. Raise the opposite leg of the
overhead arm and draw the knee in, coming as close to your chest as
you can while keeping about a hand width of space between your
lower back and the floor. The heel of the extended leg is raised
off the ground, and belly button pulled in. This is your start
position.

Change position with your hands and legs at the same time. So the
top arm goes down as the opposite leg goes down, and the bottom arm
goes overhead as the extended leg draws in knee to chest. Exhale
with each switch.

Remember to keep your belly button pulled in slightly, and one hand
width of space between your back and the floor throughout.

There you have it.

Three cool new bodyweight movements to replace three of the
“classics.” All three are pulled straight from the pages of Ryan &

Adam’s groundbreaking Shapeshifter Body Redesign System.

Enjoy your new exercises,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer