Free Workouts

The best exercise is the one you enjoy and will continue doing, for the rest of your life. If you love running, ignore those who ridicule ‘cardio bunnies’ and decry the dangers of ‘chronic cardio’…and run! If you love lifting weights, stop worrying about ‘bulking up’ or being too strong to fit into society’s teeny tiny little box of ‘acceptable activities for women’…and lift! If yoga is your thing, then by all means, bend and stretch as your heart dictates.

Move every day, and lift something heavy regularly, even if that heavy thing is just your own body. Other than that, explore activities until you find a match.

I’m going to be posting my own workouts here, mostly workouts you can do at home with minimal equipment. These range from beginner to advanced, work at your skill and fitness level. Feel free to engage or ignore, just get out there and move.

And now, the workouts. 1RM means 1 rep max, the max weight you’re able to lift one time. Check out my youtube channel for tons of exercise tutorial videos, or exrx.net. If you’re stumped on something here, just ask in the comments or drop me an email. Enjoy!

1. (see instructional videos here):
10 Rounds for Time
10 hindu pushups (ok to go all the way to floor on descent to make it easier)
10 running reptiles (10 each leg)
10 dynamic squats

2. (see instructional videos here)
1. work up to 1 rep max in Hang Snatch
2. 8 rounds for time: 8 overhead squats @ ~60% of 1 rep max/20 bosu mountain climbers
3. 20 reps: burpee with pullup

3.
Load oly bar in squat rack with ~75% of your 1 rep max
8 rounds: 5 back squats/1 handstand pushup (or 10 regular pushups)
Then tabata, 4 rounds:
1. jump rope
2. burpees
3. wall ball with weighted ball
4. dumbell deadlift

4.
HIIT! Pick an activity, any activity (preferably something cardio-y), warm up for 5-10 minutes, then do:
10 rounds: 30 seconds all out/90 seconds easy
Then cool down.

5.
50 rounds for time of: 1 squat clean @ ~60% of your 1 rep max/1 burpee

6.
5 rounds, load oly bar with about 65% of your deadlift 1 rep max:
Round 1: 5 x 1 deadlift/1 pullup
Round 2: 5 x 2 deadlifts/1 pullup
Round 3: 5 x 3 deadlifts/1 pullup
Round 4: 5 x 4 deadlifts/1 pullup
Round 5: 5 x 5 deadlifts/1 pullup

7.
Tabata (8 x 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest), 4 rounds:
round 1: burpees
round 2: spidermans
round 3: plank jacks
round 4: bicycles
REPEAT

8.
Overhead press: work up to 1 rep max, then 3 x 10 @ 60% of that weight
30 reps of burpee w/ pullup
4 x 25 squat: start at ~40% of 1 rep max, then add 10# each subsequent set

9.
work up to 3 rep max in back squat, then 3 x 10 @ 60% of that weight
then 10 rounds of:
-5 clean and jerk @ ~ 70% 1RM
-5 box jump

10.
11 rounds of:
11 burpees
11 air squats
11 second plank or handstand hold

11.
Work up to 5 rep max in front squat
Then, 10 rounds:
5 thrusters @ ~70% of your front squat 5 rep max/10 box jumps
Finish with 25 burpee pullups

12.
Work up to 5 rep max in front squat
Then, 10 rounds:
5 thrusters @ ~70% of your front squat 5 rep max/10 box jumps
Finish with 25 burpee pullups

13.
For time:
100 deadlifts @ 50% of your 1RM.
100 kettlebell swings.
Divide them up however you’d like, 10 sets of 10, 5 sets of 20, 4 sets of 25, etc.

14.
10 rounds:
15 air squats (or 10 weighted squats)
10 mountain climbers (10 each leg)
10 pushups

15.
Squat: work up to 1 rep max, then 3 x 8 @ 60% 1RM
50 rounds: 1 power clean @ 60% 1RM/1 burpee

16.
Deadlift: Work up to 1RM
Then 20 reps at 80% 1RM

17.
power clean: work up to 1RM
20 reps @ 80%
30 burpee pullups

18.
50 reps of each:
-kettlebell Turkish get-up
-overhead squat @ ~60% 1RM
-medicine ball wall-ball
-running reptile (50 each leg)
-jump lunge/mountain climber combo: two jump-lunges (one each leg) and two mountain climbers (one each leg) counts as one rep

19.
Squat: Work up to 1RM, then 3 x 8 @ 70%
10 rounds:
30 second sprint/90 second easy jog

20.
Power clean: work up to 1RM, then
25 rounds of 1 power clean @ 80%/1 burpee
5 x 5 deadhang pullup
5 rounds of 1 handstand pullup/5 jump lunge-mountain climber combo (2 jump lunges, 2 mountain climbers = 1 rep)

21.
10 rounds for time:
10 glute bridges
10 pushups w/ plank rotation
50 jumps, alternating 5 simple jumps with 5 tuck jumps x 10

22.
Deadlift: work up to 1 RM
then 3 rounds:
8 deadlifts @ 70%/8 burpees

23.
Bench press: work up to 1RM, then 3 x 8 @70%
15 rounds:
20 second sprint/5-15 pushups (depending on how many you can do in a row)

24.
back squat: work up to 5 rep max
6 rounds:
12 back squats @ 65% 5RM/50 single unders (or double unders if you’re a badass)

25.
Clean and Jerk: 30 reps @ 80% 1RM (Grace, for you crossfitters)

26.
15 rounds of 1 minute work, 20 seconds rest. Here’s the circuit, do it 3 times:
1 min jump rope (invisible rope if you don’t have one)
1 min run in place (high knees)
1 minute mountain climbers
1 minute sumo air squats
1 minute burpees (no pushup)

27.
overhead squat: work up to 1RM
21-15-9: overhead squat at 65% 1RM/pullup

28.
Sandbag shouldering: 100 reps
Deadlift: 100 reps @ 60% 1RM
Renegade rows with kettlebells, must balance on kettlebell handle w/ one arm while rowing 5 reps with the other arm, feet elevated on a bench. 3 x 5 (5 each arm)

29.
5-8 rounds:
10 weighted sumo squats/10 slalom jumps over a box

30.
There are four total rounds. Each round is a mini round: 5 reps of one exercise followed immediately by 15 reps of a second, repeated 5 times. So four total rounds, consisting of 5 mini rounds.
Round 1: 5 pushups/15 plank jacks x 5
Round 2: 5 jump squats/15 slalom jumps x 5
Round 3: 5 squat thrusts/15 run in place w/ high knees
Round 4: 5 1-leg glute bridges/15 crab toe touches x 5

31.
10 rounds for time:
5 jumping lunge/mountain climbers (2 lunges + 2 mountain climbers = 1 rep)
10 tricep pushups
15 flutter kicks

32.
sandbag workout:
you need a large room or an outdoor space, and a decently heavy sandbag for this circuit. Set up two stations on either end of whatever space you’re using. Do 6-8 4 minute intervals with a short rest between each interval. Here’s the circuit:
Shoulder the sandbag at one station, and walking-lunge it to the other station. Drop the sandbag and do 10 jump squats. Re-shoulder the sandbag onto the other shoulder, walking-lunge it to the other station. Drop it and do 10 runs-in-place with high knees (10 each leg). Keep repeating for the 4 minute interval. Rest, Repeat.

33.
15 rounds of:
either sprint or run in place with high knees for 20 seconds, then 5 pushups. Can break this up into 3 sets of 5.

34.
Front squat: work up to 1RM
50 burpee pullups for time

35.
Use a sandbag/vest/backpack full of heavy things if you have the option for the squats and lunges, otherwise just bodyweight.
Tabata (20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest x 8 per exercise):
squats
mountain climbers
flutter kicks
static lunges (switch off legs each interval, so 20 seconds with right leg, then 20 seconds with left leg, etc)

36.
5 rounds:
45 seconds static lunge right leg, 15 second rest
45 seconds side plank pulse right side, 15 second rest
45 seconds bicycles, 15 second rest
45 seconds side plank pulse left side, 15 second rest
45 seconds static lunge left leg, 15 second rest

37.
warm up then spend a few minutes working on your full hang snatch (if you know how, of course), then:
overhead squat 8 x 5 at roughly your hang snatch 1 rep max
21-18-15-12-9 kettlebell swing/burpee (no pushup)

38.
Warm up
Back squat: 5 x 5 at whatever weight you’re working at for 5
Hang clean or bent over barbell row: 5 x 5 (same as above)
Pushups: 5 x max reps

39.
Warm up for 5-10 minutes, then do an additional core warmup of 3 sets of 12 renegade rows. Then:
5-8 rounds of:
10 front squats (if you don’t have a barbell, use a backpack loaded with heavy stuff, strapped on to the FRONT of your body)
10 pike-planks (from plank position, jump your feet forward to pike position and back to plank, etc)
Cool down.

40.
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
10 renegade rows (10 each side)
10 turkish get-ups (switch arm each rep, so 5 each arm)
20 kettlebell swings
20 sandbag shoulders

41.
Run 3 miles:
Mile 1: slow and easy
Mile 2: for time
Mile 3: slow and easy

42.
5 rounds of:
600 meter run (or run around your block)
15 sandbag cleans, 15 sandbag presses, 15 sandbag squats. Divide them up however you like, I did 3 sets of 5.
If you don’t have a sandbag, do 15 squat thrusts, 15 pushups, 15 jump squats.

43.
AMRAP in 15 minutes:
5 sandbag squat cleans (or front squats with a heavy backpack)
5 jump lunges (5 each leg)
5 pushups

44.
10 rounds:
10 plank jacks
10 jump squats
10 mountian climbers
10 pushups

45.
press: work up to 1RM, then 5 x 5 @ 85%
5 rounds:
8 deadlifts @ 70% 1RM/8 boxjumps

46.
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
40 air squats
30 plank jacks
20 mountain climbers
10 burpees
1 minute rest

47.
AMRAP in 15 minutes:
10 burpee climbers (see video)
100 single unders
burpee climber video tutorial

48.
3-5 rounds
10 step ups (10 each leg, use a barbell or sandbag if you have them)
20 kettlebell swings
30 single unders

49.
400 meter run
50 single unders
400 meter run
40 goblet squats (or air squats)
400 meter run
30 walking lunges
400 meter run
20 mountain climbers
400 meter run
10 burpees
400 meter run

50.
tababtas!
1 round is 20 seconds of work/10 second rest x 8
round 1: run in place w/ high knees
round 2: prisoner sumo squat
round 3: dynamic side plank
round 4: static lunge
round 5: turkish get-up

51.
1 sandbag clean/1 burpee
repeat 50-100 times.
Rest as needed, but keep rests as short as possible.
sandbag clean/burpee video tutorial

52.
5 rounds:
20 single unders (use an imaginary jump rope if you don’t have one)
20 static lunges (10 each leg)
20 glute bridges
20 plank jacks
20 pushups

53.
4 supersets, do 3 sets of 8-10 reps for each exercise
1. lat pulldown/static lunge w/dumbells
2. dumbell military press/step-ups with dumbells
3. tricep bench dips/single leg bench squats w/dumbells
4. dumbell rows/V-ups
Then finish off with 3 sets of 10 burpees

54.
5 rounds:
10 burpees
20 box jumps
30 air squats

55.
Squat: 5 x 5
5 rounds:
10 box jumps
20 air squats
30 kettlebell swings

56.
Front squat: 5 x 5
Superset 1
5 rounds:
10 wall ball/10 mountain climbers (10 each leg)
Superset 2
15-12-9
thruster/burpee

57.
100 single unders (use imaginary jump rope if you don’t have a real one)
50 single leg glute bridges, 25 each leg (break up into sets of 5 or 10 if desired)
100 single unders
50 side plank with pulse (25 each side, again, break up into sets of 5 or 10)
100 single unders
50 squat thrusts
100 single unders
50 step ups onto chair (25 each leg)
100 single unders

58.
You can do this workout with a barbell or sandbag. Load it to about 1/3 your deadlift 1 rep max.
5 rounds:
50 deadlifts
max rep bent over rows

59.
overhead press: 5 x 5
5 rounds:
8 barbell single leg squats/max rep inverted pushup
finish with 20 burpee-pullups

60.
Version 1 is if you have gym access, version 2 is doable at home with no equipment.

Version 1:
back squat: work up to 1 rep max
5 rounds:
5 chin ups
10 pushups
15 jump squats

Version 2:
10 rounds:
5 chin ups (use a table if you don’t have a bar, see video in comments)
10 pushups
15 jump squats

61.
15 rounds of 1 minute work, 10 seconds rest. Here's the circuit, do it 3 times:
1 min jump rope (invisible rope if you don't have one)
1 min run in place (high knees)
1 minute mountain climbers
1 minute sumo air squats
1 minute burpees (no pushup)

62.
4 rounds of four exercises, do each exercise for 45 seconds with a 15 second rest in between.
-crab toe touches
-squat thrusts
-supermans
-walking lunges

63.
5 rounds:
20 burpees/run 2 minutes

64.
5 rounds:
Run around the block (or run ~500 meters). Somewhere between a jog and a sprint.
15 sandbag cleans
15 sandbag presses
15 sandbag squats

Bodyweight substitutions:
20 pushups (modify to your ability)
20 mountain climbers
20 air squats

65.
AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 20 minutes:
5 burpee-climbers
10 sandbag front squat (or use a heavy backpack/duffle bag)
15 kettlebell swings (a dumbell can stand in for a kettlebell)

66.
20 minute AMRAP:
10 deadlifts/10 burpees

67.
5 rounds:
500 meter row
20 kettlebell swings
10 pushups

68.
warm up
50 pushups
10 burpees
50 ab wheel roll outs
10 burpees
50 weighted lunges
10 burpees
50 hang snatches or cleans
10 burpees
cool down

69.
For the kettlebell overhead press, hold a squat the whole work interval, while pressing the KB overhead. Do one arm at a time.

45 seconds kettlebell press w/ right arm/15 second rest
45 seconds kettlebell press w/left arm/15 second rest
45 seconds mountain climbers/15 second rest
45 seconds inverted rows/15 second rest

Do the entire circuit 3-5 times.

70.
You’ll need a barbell loaded with about 80-90% of your 8 rep working weight for the overhead press. If you don’t know what that is, experiment until you find a weight you can overhead press 12-15 times. You’ll also need a jump rope and a kettlebell.
Warm up with 10 minutes light cardio.
4 supersets:
1. 5 rounds of 10 overhead presses/max rep pushups
2. 5 rounds of 20 single arm KB swings (right arm then left arm)/10 step ups w/barbell you used for overhead presses (10 each leg)
3. 10 hang cleans with the same barbell/10 bent over rows with barbell
4. 10 static lunges with barbell (10 each leg)/10 mountain climbers

Then AMRAP in 8 minutes:
25 single unders/10 squat jumps

71.
Kettlebell!
AMRAP in 15 minutes:
20 plank rows, 10per arm
20 thrusters, 10 each arm
20 swings, alternating arms

72.
AMRAP in 15 minutes
4 strict burpees
8 box jumps (or jump squats)
12 KB swings

25 thoughts on “Free Workouts

    • Wouldn’t body mass index include specific breakdown (in percentage or lbs) of lean muscle tissue, bone mass, and fat mass?

      Whereas body fat percentage is only the portion (in percentage) of your weight that is fat mass?

      That is my understanding.

  1. Thank you a million times. I needed a revamp to my work outs. Your story is amazing and I love that you do not subscribe to the one size fits all version of nutrition and fitness. I love your philosophy that basically says to do what you love.

  2. I just did this: 26.
    15 rounds of 1 minute work, 20 seconds rest. Here's the circuit, do it 3 times:
    1 min jump rope (invisible rope if you don't have one)
    1 min run in place (high knees)
    1 minute mountain climbers
    1 minute sumo air squats
    1 minute burpees (no pushup)

    I’m pretty sure I’m dead right now.. not quite sure how I’m typing.

  3. Hi there!

    Are any of these ok for a beginner… or not so much beginner, but somewhere not far from? Are these good starters, or better suited for the more experienced? Cheers!

  4. I’m intrigued by these exercises but there is a huge amount of jargon here for a total exercise newbie. What is a burpee, for example (other than something which is naturally produced by digestive processes after a curr-ee!)? It’s amazing you’re posting these for free but I find it largely incomprehensible…

    • Just Google. I don’t know what any of it means either, Google helped. I’m sure it would take her quite a bit of time to explain out ever sort of exercise, and attach tutorials and so on. I Google what i need to understand, and YouTube is full of videos. I am a total newbie as well.

      • A Burpee is when you put your hands to the ground, jump your feet back (now in plank position) and then proceed to do or not do a push up. Then jump your feet back towards your hands again and jump up. Repeat.

  5. These are awesome! I downloaded an app called Fitness Point and added my own workouts and then I add a log to each exercise each time so I can track my weight and reps. I’ve found it really helpful and thought I would share!

  6. Amber, I’ll add my thanks to you for posting these workouts. I’ve been doing Rippetoe’s Starting Strength for several months (with some OK gains in the lifts, not bad for a 44 yr old newbie) but was aching for more variety. So I started today with #1 – Hindu pushups, running reptiles and dynamic squats – and plan to work through the list as best I can with the equipment I have (including my own fabulous bod). Thanks again!

  7. Hi Amber,
    Congratulations – on, well, everything! As a father of 2 boys (men now), who are all in the fitness industry, we find you and your story fantastic and more importantly, inspiring. Your website & blogs are outstanding as well. i am writing because we have developed a product that we are trying to get off the ground, that we believe is perfect fot your market, and your following. we have deiceded to launch it via a “crowdfunding” site called Indiegogo – our link is:
    http://igg.me/at/dumbags or just go to the website http://www.dumbags.com we would really appreciate any feedback, advice, support, facebook “likes” – anything that can be done to help spread the word,
    thanks & regards
    Michael, Chase & Blaine Coates
    Melbourne, Australia

  8. Amber, I really enjoy your posts….
    I discovered your snatch video clip on you tube, but can’t seem to get the comment thingy right over ther…I wanted to point you in the direction of two very helpful things I’ve use recently to work on my own snatch technique…I’m about to attempt the SFG certification (and so not live near any qualified instructors…), so these two people have REALLY helped my understanding of the snatch, mentally and visually.
    Andrew Read RKC:
    http://breakingmuscle.com/kettlebells/how-to-do-the-perfect-kettlebell-snatch (Read it carefully once or twice or more times…!!)
    and (visually) Neghar Fonooni: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13y4bOwOvbg (..she also has a VERY helpful detailed article accompanying this clip on her site…I cannot articulate any advice better than they do….but also try including 1 swing, 1 high pull, 1 SNATCH drills, with a lighter bell, maybe …to emphasize your HIPs involvment in projecting force horizontally…
    Hope it helps!!! keep up the hard work..!!
    Thank you Thank you..!!
    Mandy

  9. hi, I want to lose weight. how many calories did you give yourself whilst losing? I’m not keen on calorie counting but I don’t trust myself if I don’t. I don’t want to go silly low calories! thanks Sara

  10. Feeling like a goof because I’m stuck at #1. 10 Rounds meaning 10 of 1, 2 & 3? That’s it? Or does one round = go to exhaustion or for 30 secs or something? Thanks!

  11. I’m a cf coach and am bored with it. I’ve gotten to were i only do the wod’s and no 1rpm, mainly because of back issues. i started doing running sprints again, weight lighting twice a week and cf wod’s the rest of the time. I want to focus on gains in the backside, including hammies. I love these workouts and is the variety I’ve been after. Any recommendations on the best order? I’m very confused with the best way to get gains and the most effective way.

    • There’s really no order here, and they’re for all different ability levels. :) I tend not to follow any specific programming, just fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, and it works for me because it keeps me interested and engaged.

  12. I have never commented before on here but i wanted to first say THANK YOU for everything you do. I truly appreciate your perspective. It helps me feel grounded as i work towards improving my own self worth, a self worth not tied to an un acheivable body vanity but one based on my humanity and uniqueness.
    Secondly I love you for putting these free workouts on here.

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