Avoiding the Box? Try This Body-Weight CrossFit Workout at Home

One of the best things about CrossFit (though, perhaps, also surprising to some) is that it can be done anywhere by anyone. The definition of CrossFit is — according to its founder Greg Glassman — "constantly varied, functional fitness performed at high intensity."

So as long as you're changing up your training (whether it be movements, rep schemes, load or time), performing exercises that help you in your everyday life and pushing yourself while you do so, you're doing CrossFit!

You can apply that definition to create at-home CrossFit workouts — or anywhere else you happen to be! Jot down your "score" for each workout, whether it be a time or number of reps, so that when you do these workouts the next time, you have a benchmark to beat and can see how much fitter you've gotten.

Warming up is incredibly important. Here's a quick warm-up that should get you ready for just about any home workout.

Move 1: Jumping Jack

1. Start with your feet together, hands at your side.
2. Jump your feet out to the side as you bring your arms overhead.
3. Jump back to start.
4. Complete 10 reps.

Move 2: Burpee

1. Start standing. Lower your hands to the ground, and then jump or step back into a high plank.
2. Do a push-up, lowering your chest to the ground (lowering to your knees if you need to), and then pressing back up.
3. Step or jump your feet back to your hands, and then jump up into the air, landing with knees slightly bent and ready for the next rep.
4. Repeat for 5 reps.

Move 3: Inchworm

1. Start standing, then walk your hands forward until you're in a plank.
2. Hold the plank for a second before walking your feet toward your hands.
3. When your feet get to your hands, stand up and repeat (or turn around and head back to the start if you're short on space).
4. Do 10 reps.

Move 4: Low Lunge

1. Take a big step forward so that you're in a deep, low lunge with your front knee bent to 90 degrees and your back leg extended out straight behind you with your back knee off the ground.
2. Push off your front leg to return to standing, and then repeat on the other leg.
3. Complete 10 lunges total, 5 on each leg.

This simple body-weight triplet routine consists of three exercises done for time, which means the goal is to go as fast as possible while still maintaining good form. Perform these exercises for 7 rounds total.

If you have to break up any of the movements into smaller sets (2 sets of 6 push-ups back to back, for example), that's OK! Or, if you have CrossFit experience, try scaling up the push-ups to handstand push-ups with a pillow under your head and scaling up the squats to pistol squats.

Move 1: Push-Ups

1. Begin in a high plank (or lower to your knees) with your body in a straight line from head to hips to toes.
2. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle from your ribs to lower your chest to the floor.
3. Press back up to the start.
4. Perform this move for 12 reps.

Move 2: Sit-Ups

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Either cross your arms over your chest or place your hands gently behind your head, elbows out wide.
3. Engaging your core and keeping your feet on the floor, sit up until your shoulders are over your hips.
4. Lower back down with control.
5. Do 12 sit-ups per round.

Move 3: Squats

1. Stand with your feet slightly outside your shoulders.
2. Press your hips back and bend your knees to squat down, as if you were sitting in a chair.
3. Stand back up, keeping your chest tall and weight in your heels.
4. Do this exercise for 12 reps.

No sweat session is complete without a proper cooldown. These stretches feel great after any workout.

Move 1: Puppy Dog Stretch

1. Start on all fours.
2. Keeping your butt up, stretch your hands out in front of you so that you feel a stretch throughout your upper body and hips.
3. Hold for 30 seconds.

Move 2: Pigeon Pose

1. Begin on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders.
2. Bring your right knee up toward your hands and extend your left leg out behind you.
3. Rest your right foot either beside your left hip or extended out so that your shin is parallel to your hands.
4. Hold for 30 seconds.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Move 3: Seal Stretch

1. Lie on your stomach, legs extended behind you.
2. Lift your chest and torso off the floor, supporting yourself with arms outstretched a few inches in front of you.
3. Keep your legs straight behind you and hold for 30 seconds.

Move 4: Forward Fold

1. Stand with feet at hip-width distance and hinge from the hips, bending forward and reaching for the ground.
2. Keep your knees bent slightly and fold as far forward as you can.
3. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
4. Hold for 30 seconds.