10 Weird But Useful Bodyweight Exercises for Strength, Mobility, and Fat Loss

I’ve got some weird but useful movements for you today. I call them weird because some of them are weird–depending on who’s looking, of course. 

But whether or not you find them weird, I am very sure you will find them all useful.

What are your favorite animal-inspired exercises? Please share yours in the comment section. Also post any questions you have there as well.

The Squat Walk.

A damn good joint conditioner, right here.

This movement works to supple the hips, strengthen the knees, mobilize the ankles, and stretch the toes.

Be sure to keep your torso as upright as possible, while driving your knees forward and down towards the ground–pushing into deep dorsi-flexion.

Movements like this may sometimes look silly, but they serve the useful purpose of bullet proofing the joints.

Remember, my friends, an active hinge never rusts.

The Leopard Crawl–one of my favorite bodyweight conditioning movements.

This is a little different from the bear crawl. The bear crawl features a fairly wider stance with toes and hands pointed out. The leopard crawl is more compact, with feet and hands straight.

The leopard crawl is also to be performed speedily–once you have the contra-lateral pattern down, of course.

Hands out, feet out. Opposite arm and leg move together. Good for rotary stability and some other stuff here and there.

The Bear Push Up — a deceptively tough movement, but a worthwhile one.

The aim here is to push your chest as far out over your hands as possible while descending into the push up.

This requires much in the ways of wrist mobility, core stability, and upper body strength.

A Real “Perfect Push Up”:

1. Hands are set up underneath shoulders with a fairly narrow grip (your thumb should be positioned inside of your shoulders, or your pinky lined up right along the outside of your shoulders)

2. Neutral spine is maintained at all times. Do not allow the belly to sag. And do not pop your butt into the air, less you’re trying to make friends in prison.

3. Forearms should be vertical, or very close to at the bottom position. Elbows in.

Elbow IN. Shoulders and Hips SQUARE!

When most people do burpees they are serving slop. 

And movement should never be served as slop. Ever.

And I like the burpee, I really do. But slop disgusts me. 

Next time you go to do burpees, try this out:

The Squat Burpee.

1. Full ass-to-ankles bodyweight squat
2. Sprawl into plank
3. Push Up
4. Recover into the bottom squat position
5. Stand Up

This variation is clean and lower-impact. Focus on moving as gracefully as you can, not as speedily as you can. Speed and power will come with proficiency.

When you try to add power before precision, you get slop.

High-speed slop.

Good for the “side muscles”. Keep the elbows in and stay square as you drive knee to elbow. Synchronicity, my friends.

It’s a squat on one leg, that’s really all it is.

Careful, this SHREDS the serratus. Great rotational exercise.

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