15 Extraordinary Exercises To Inspire You To Unlock Your Athletic Potential
Badass Exercises To Build An Athletic Body
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m showing you 15 extraordinary exercises to inspire you to unlock your athletic potential.
Let’s go.
15 Extraordinary Exercises To Inspire You To Unlock Your Athletic Potential
Here are the 15 badass exercises to build an athletic body.
Click the links below for the step-by-step exercise demonstrations to see how to do each one.
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Exercise #1: Battle Ropes Alternating Single Arm Waves With Side To Side Step Shuffle
Battle Ropes Alternating Single Arm Waves with Side To Side Step Shuffle is a full body cardio combination exercise that will quickly elevate your heart rate, while targeting your shoulders and legs.
To get started:
- Place a just below knee height sturdy step at the end of the battle ropes.
- Hold the ends of the battle ropes with both hands, shoulder width apart, in front of your hips, while standing to the side of the step.
- Step laterally to the side to place your inside leg on top of the step.
- With your core contracted, quickly press your foot through the step to laterally jump to the other side of the step, with your knees bent in a quarter squat position.
- Land the opposite foot on the floor while landing the other foot on top of the step, landing softly. Your feet should not make a loud thumping noise when making contact with the step.
- As you shuffle side to side, explosively raise and lower one arm to create a wave with the battle ropes.
- As the one arm lowers, the other arm raises to create a wave with the other battle rope.
- Continue alternating arms with the battle ropes as you move side to side over the step.
- Repeat for time or reps.
Exercise #2: Box Jumps
Box Jumps are a great exercise to help build power, athleticism, and prime the nervous system to get stronger.
To get started:
- Stand in front of a box with both feet firmly planted into the ground.
- Raise your arms up, swing them back while pushing your hips back, then explode up by extending fully at the hips while swinging your arms back up.
- It’s important to land softly with both feet on the box and stick the landing in a squat position, chest up, eyes forward, with your abs contracted.
- Step off the box onto a shorter box rather than jumping directly down to the floor to minimize strain on the knees.
- Repeat.
Exercise #3: 100m Sprint
The 100m Sprint is a fast and explosive run outdoors at the track or field.
To get started:
- Line up at the start line in a three-point or four-point sprint stance. This simply means having both feet planted as well as one or both hands touching the track. In this example, I’m in a three-point stance as only one hand is touching the ground.
- Explode out of the start by driving your feet through the ground and swinging your arms for momentum.
- Continue running as fast as you can until your reach the 100m finish line.
- That’s one set.
- Rest for the desired time and repeat.
Exercise #4: Agility Ladder Side To Side Plyometric Push Up Shuffle
The Agility Ladder Side To Side Plyometric Push Up Shuffle is an explosive exercise that targets the chest.
To get started:
- Get into a push up position to the side of the agility ladder, with the inside hand in the first box and the other hand outside the ladder.
- Complete a push up by lowering your body to the floor, then explosively press your hands and toes through the floor to lift your hands and feet off the floor, as you jump up and across the ladder, landing your other hand in the box ahead of the first box.
- Land softly, by immediately lowering into another push up, this time landing with the other hand in the next box.
- Continue moving side to side up the ladder until you reach the end.
- If moving up and across during one plyo push up is too difficult, you can shorten the distance of the hop by simply moving up one box, then over one box, with two different push ups.
- This increases the number of push ups, however requires less explosion during the push up.
Exercise #5: Agility Ladder Forward And Reverse Ickey Shuffle
The Agility Ladder Forward and Reverse Ickey Shuffle is an excellent cardio combo that works on foot speed, agility, and increases calorie burning.
To get started:
- With the agility ladder in front of you, stand to the side of the first square.
- Step laterally into the square one foot at a time, then immediately step to the other side of the square with your outside foot.
- Then place the outside foot into the square ahead, followed by the opposite foot.
- Continue this, moving as fast as possible until you reach the end of the ladder.
- Once you reach the end of the ladder, reverse the movement, moving backwards until you return to the starting position.
- Repeat for reps or duration.
Exercise #6: Superman Flying Push Up
The Superman Push Up is an explosive plyometric exercise that lifts your entire body off the floor, as if you’re flying in the air like Superman.
This primarily targets your chest, however it requires total body strength to elevate your entire body off the floor.
To get started:
- Get into the traditional push up position with your hands planted into the floor below your shoulders.
- Contract your core and glutes to keep your body in a straight line as you bend your elbows and lower yourself to the floor.
- Once your chest is just a few inches off the floor, contract your core hard, then explosively push the floor away from you with your hands and feet, so your hands and feet come off the floor, as you quickly extend them over your head, similar to the superman pose.
- Land softly cushioning your elbows, as you immediately lower into another push up.
- Repeat for reps.
Exercise #7: Push Up To L-Sit Shoot Through On Parallettes
The Push Up To L-Sit Shoot Through On The Parallettes is an advanced exercise combo that combines a push up to a shoot through, to a l-sit.
This move targets your chest, abs, and shoulders.
To get started:
- Set up a pair of parallettes on the floor, shoulder width apart.
- Get into the top of the push up position by gripping the parallettes with your hands, directly below your shoulders.
- Complete a push up by bending your elbows and lowering your chest towards the floor, then press your hands through the parallettes to extend your arms.
- With a strong core, lift your feet off the floor, and bend your knees to shoot your legs forward through the parallettes.
- Without touching the floor, immediately complete the l-sit by extendin your legs in front of you, with your toes pointed.
- Hold for a brief moment, then without touching your feet to the ground, bend your knees and shoot your legs back through, then complete another push up.
- Repeat.
Exercise #8: Agility Ladder Lateral Plyometric Push Up
The Agility Ladder Lateral Plyometric Push Up is an explosive exercise that targets the chest.
To get started:
- While facing an agility ladder, get into a push up position by placing one hand in each side by side box.
- Complete a push up by lowering your body to the floor, then explosively press your hands and toes through the floor to lift your hands and feet off the floor.
- Land softly, by immediately lowering into another push up, with your hands landing in the next box over.
- Continue laterally moving down the ladder until you reach the end.
- Once you reach the end, immediately reverse directions and make your way back to the starting point.
Exercise #9: V-Bar Commando Pull Up
The V Bar Commando Pull Up is an easier variation of the original commando pull up where you grip the pull up bar with a hands together inverse grip.
This targets the muscles in the back and biceps.
To get started:
- Place a v bar on top of a pull up bar, so the handles hang down.
- Grasp the handles of the v bar and hang at arm’s length.
- Keep your core and glutes strong to prevent your body from turning, then contract your lats and pull your chest to the bar as you move your head to one side of the bar.
- Pause, then under control, slowly lower your body and fully extend your arms back to the starting position.
- Complete another pull up, but this time move your head to the other side of the bar.
- Repeat.
Exercise #10: Knee Jump Pistol Squat
The Knee Jump Pistol Squat is an advanced plyometric bodyweight leg exercise that requires a combination of balance, flexibility, core, and single leg strength.
To get started:
1. Get down on your knees with the top of your feet planted into the ground.
2. Sit back on your feet, with your arms bent and in front of your body.
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3. In one quick and explosive motion, swing your arms back then forward as you extend your hips forward.
4. The goal is to land in a partial pistol squat, then lower into a full pistol squat, by balancing on one bent leg, with your other leg extended in front of you.
5. Once you stick the bottom of the pistol squat, press your planted foot through the floor to rise back up to standing.
6. Repeat all the reps on one leg, then switch legs and repeat.
Exercise #11: Rowing Machine
The Rowing Machine is an excellent low impact combination of cardio and strength, that is a major calorie blaster.
When performed correctly, you’ll get a great cardio, upper and lower body, and core workout.
To get started:
- Sit down on the rowing machine seat with your feet tightly strapped into the foot holders.
- Lean forward and bend your knees to grab the handle. Your body should be around 11 o’ clock at this point.
- With your torso upright and arms straight, push your heels through platform to drive your body back.
- As you’re moving towards the back of the rower, lean back so you body is positioned around 1 o’ clock.
- This is when you use your arms to pull the handle towards your chest, using your back strength to finish the stroke.
- Reverse the movement to return to the starting position by extending your arms, leaning forward, and bending your knees.
- Repeat.
Exercise #12: Burpee Push Up Lateral Box Jump Over
The Burpee Push Up Lateral Box Jump Over is a full body cardio combination exercise that will quickly elevate your heart rate, while targeting your legs and chest.
To get started:
- Stand to the side of a sturdy box that is just below knee height.
- Complete a burpee push up by lowering your body to the floor to complete a push up.
- After you complete the push up, quickly jump back to your feet and immediately jump laterally on top of the box.
- Tap the box with your feet, then quickly jump off the box landing on the other side on the floor.
- Pretend the top of the box is fire, so rather than sticking the landing, quickly tap your feet to the box, then jump off, and Immediately complete another burpee push up.
- Repeat for time or reps.
Exercise #13: Speed Skater With Reach Lateral Box Jump
The Speed Skater With Reach Lateral Box Jump is an excellent plyometric exercise that targets the legs, glutes, and core, while improving lateral explosiveness and balance.
To get started:
- With a hip width stance, stand to the side of a sturdy box.
- To get into a speed skater pose, slightly bend your knees then bend your elbows while lifting one foot, bending your knee, and drawing it behind your other leg with your opposite elbow drawing back.
- Take a wide jump laterally up on top of the box, softly stick the landing in the speed skater pose, on the outside leg that was bent.
- Hop back to the floor, while landing on the opposite leg, in the speed skater pose, as you touch the floor with your opposite hand.
- Hold the position for a brief moment, then complete another rep.
- Complete all the reps on one leg, then switch legs and repeat.
Exercise #14: Jump Rope Combos
Complete jump rope combos with any of the following jump rope exercises:
- Alternate Foot Step Jump Rope
- Speed Jump Rope
- Side To Side Jump Rope
- Jump Rope Crossover
- Double Unders Jump Rope
Exercise #15: Medicine Ball Slam Burpee
The Medicine Ball Slam Burpee is an explosive conditioning exercise that targets the back, core, and legs.
This exercise is best completed using a slam ball, which does not have a lot of bounce.
If you only have access to a traditional medicine ball, before starting, test how much bounce the medicine ball has, as you don’t want it to fire back up into your face, after the slam.
To get started:
- Pick up a medicine ball and raise it over your head, while keeping your core tight.
- Hinge at the hips to push your glutes back as you throw the medicine ball towards the floor.
- Once the medicine ball slams on the floor, immediately complete a burpee by bending over to grip the medicine ball with your hands, then kick your feet out to get to the top of a push up position, with your core flexed.
- Quickly jump both feet back in, then stand up while gripping the medicine ball.
- Immediately raise the medicine ball back over your head, then complete another medicine ball slam into a burpee.
- Repeat for reps or time.
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Question For You:
- How many of these exercises have you tried before?
- Which one do you want to learn how to do?
Be sure to share your answers in the comment section below.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.