These 25 Awkward Exercises Will Build Your Best Body

1. Glute Bridge

What It Works

This is one of the best fundamental exercises for engaging your abs, lower back, hips, glutes, quads, and hamstrings—and one of the easiest to incorporate into a warmup or workout. “Most guys skip glute bridges because they look simple, and they’ve most likely seen their girlfriend doing it for her butt,” Langowski says. That, and you’d rather not be that guy thrusting in a crowded gym. But guess what, it pays to be that guy. Glute bridges are great for activating the muscles in your lower body and warming up your spine. 

How to Do It

1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent, and feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. 
2. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides. 
3. Slowly raise your hips off the floor by activating your glutes and hamstrings, pushing your heels into the floor. 
4. Keep your glutes and abs engaged. 
5. Once you’re at the top of the movement, pause for 2 seconds (your body should be in a straight line from your knees to shoulders). 
6. Return to the starting position with control.
7. Complete 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, supersetting with dive bomber pushups and resting 30 seconds between rounds.

Pro Tip

To make it more challenging, place your feet on an elevated surface, do single-leg variations, or place a bar across your hips. 

2. Dive Bomber Pushup

What It Works

Maybe you’re hesitant to do these outside the comfort of your home for the same reason you aren’t gung-ho to drop down into downward dog at the gym—you’d rather not stick your butt up in the air. But in truth, this pushup variation is an excellent full-body movement that dynamically builds strength and flexibility in your chest, shoulders, back, hips, and triceps. Plus, you’ll get a nice stretch in your hamstrings and lower back. 

How to Do It

1. Start in a downward dog yoga position with your hands planted on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and stick your butt (you guessed it) high in the air. 
2. “Keep your back straight, not hunched, so you look like an inverted ‘V,'” Langowski says. 
3. Now, press into your heels, really focusing on keeping your legs as straight as possible to get a stretch in your hamstrings. 
4. From there, lower your shoulders and swoop down so your chest brushes the ground. 
5. Hold the position for 2 to 3 seconds, then press yourself up so that your back is arched and your arms straight (like cobra position). 
6. Reverse the movement by lowering back down so your chest brushes the ground again, and you return to the starting position. 
7. That’s 1 rep. 
8. Perform 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, supersetting with glute bridges and resting 30 seconds between rounds.

3. Turkish Getup

What It Works

The Turkish getup is a bit awkward to navigate at first, but it’s worth taking the time to perfect . This is a total-body exercise and, though it may not seem like it, it absolutely shreds your core because it requires activation and stabilization. It also helps develop your shoulder muscles and their overall stability, helps to fix any imbalances, and is a great metabolic exercise since it requires all the muscles in your body to work together to complete the movement. 

How to Do It

1. You can do this with a kettlebell or dumbbell—just be sure to start out light. 
2. Lying on your back, grab the weight with your left hand, and lift and lock your arm, to start. 
3. Bend your left knee, and keep your right leg straight out on the ground. 
4. Then, pushing off your left foot, roll onto your right hip and come up onto your right elbow. 
5. Push up onto your right hand, and bring your back off the ground. 
6. Next, thread your right leg back into a kneeling position. 
7. Your arm should still be locked out. 
8. “This is a whole-body exercise—particularly a shoulder developer—but it’s not meant to fatigue your arms,” Langowski says. 
9. From this kneeling position, take a deep breath, tighten your core, and lunge forward to a standing position. 
10. Reverse the process to come back down to the starting position.
11. Complete 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each arm, suppersetting with sumo crab walks and resting 30 seconds between rounds.

4. Sumo Crab Walk

What It Works

This exercise tones and targets your inner thighs, quads, and glutes, but man is it funny looking (especially if you pinch your hands like a crab while you walk; we’re kidding, don’t do this). But with your knees bent and fixed in a wide stance, you create an isometric hold. This type of muscle contraction happens when you’re in a static position, and it also happens to activate more muscle fibers than concentric and eccentric contractions. 

How to Do It

1. Start at the bottom of a squat position. 
2. Keep your arms to your side, or extend them out in front of you with your chest out, shoulders back, and head straight, looking forward. 
3. Now, holding that position, step 10 inches to the left. 
4. Meet your right foot with your left, so you’re back in the starting position. 
5. That’s 1 set.
6. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg (10 to the right and 10 to the left), supersetting with Turkish getups. 

Pro Tip

“Make sure you stay in the bottom squat hold position the entire time,” Langowski advises. This will ensure your leg muscles are activated throughout the entire exercise. To make this more difficult, place a resistance band right below your knees.

5. Inverted Row

What It Works

You may get funny looks for camping out at the squat rack and blasting these out, but consider inverted rows the safer counterpart to the typical barbell row. Because it’s just your body weight, and you’re facing the sky (hence the keyword “inverted”) you take all the strain off your back, and your core gets a decent workout, too. “This is a great upper body ripper that’ll build you a great back and toned arms,” Langowski says. 

How to Do It

1. Go to a Smith machine or squat rack and place the bar at waist level, to start. 
2. Sit on the floor and position your hands as if you were going to do a bench press (your palms should face the ceiling). 
3. Now, straighten your body so you’re hanging from the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart and your heels pressing into the floor. 
4. Pull yourself up so your chest touches the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down, keeping your body straight and rigid. 
5. Complete 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, supersetting with single-leg bench getups. 
6. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

Pro Tip

To make this more difficult, put your feet on a bench and raise the bar so it’s at waist level. 

6. Single-leg Bench Getup

What It Works

This is a multi-joint movement that improves lower-body balance and strength. It also improves core strength and stability. It’s a little awkward to execute because it really showcases imbalances.

How to Do It

1. Sit on a bench with one foot planted at a 90-degree angle, and the other leg straight out, parallel to the floor. 
2. Extend your arms so they, too, are parallel to the floor, and engage your abs. 
3. Leaning forward slightly, stand up on your planted leg. 
4. “Hold your balance at the top of the motion, and slowly lower yourself back down to the bench without dropping hard or fast,” Langowski says. 
5. Pause for one second so you don’t use momentum going into the next rep. 
6. Complete 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, supersetting with inverted rows. 
7. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

7. Pullup to Deadhang

What It Works

This one appears simple and strange at the same time—mostly because you look like you’ve taken a nap in the midst of your pullups. “Not only will this pullup-to-deadhang exercise light up your lats and arms, but your abs will feel like they’re being ripped out of your stomach,” Langowski says. Sounds appealing, right?

How to Do It

1. Situate yourself on a pullup bar, and complete half of your maximum number of pullups, to start. 
2. At the top of your last pullup, simply hold yourself. 
3. Keep your body still, and slightly bring your knees into your chest. 
4. Hold this for 30 seconds. 
5. Then, slowly lower yourself to the ground. 
6. That’s 1 set. 
7. Complete 3 sets of half your pullup max, plus 30-second holds. 
8. Superset with Spiderman pushups, resting 30 seconds between rounds.

8. Spiderman Pushup

What It Works

Though you’re doing a pushup, you’re getting a crunch out of this move, too. As you bring your knee to your elbow, it fires all the muscles in your core, as well as the muscles on that side of your body. When you load one side of your body, it puts extra work on your arms and chest. You’ll look like Spiderman scaling a building as you make your way across the floor.

How to Do It

1. Get into a traditional pushup position, to start.
2. As you lower your body toward the floor, swing your right leg out sideways (keeping your knee bent), and drive your knee to your right elbow.
3. Reverse the movement, and push your body back to the starting position.
4. Repeat the motion on your left side, bringing your left knee to your left elbow.
5. Continue to alternate back and forth for 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps on each side.
6. Superset with pullup to deadhangs, resting 30 seconds between rounds.

9. Crab Walk

What It Works

You were probably a kid the last time you did a crab walk. It pays dividends for adults: You’ll work your entire body, but specifically, your shoulders and triceps, says Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., founder and owner of TS Fitness in New York City. “This exercise is also good for coordination and posture,” he says. 

How to Do It

1. Start seated on the floor, knees bent and feet planted. 
2. Place hands behind you and rotate shoulders outward, so fingertips face diagonally away from you. 
3. Lift hips a few inches off the floor and keep them up. 
4. Take four steps forward with the opposite hand and foot moving with each step. 
5. Keep hips down (but off the floor), chest up, and shoulders externally rotated to open the chest for the entire movement. 
6. Then, take four steps backward. 
7. Do 3 sets of 10 reps (one rep equals 4 steps forward and 4 steps backward). 
8. Superset with exercise bottoms-up kettlebell press or cable pull-through and rest 30 seconds between rounds.

10. Sit Out

What It Works

A sort of breakdancing move, this exercise primarily targets the core, but involves the entire body too, Tamir says. You’ll also get your heart rate revved and challenge your coordination. It’s similar to the step through exercise common in animal flow.

How to Do It

1. Start in a plank position, shoulders over wrists, forming a straight line from shoulders to heels. 
2. Rotate your hips to the right, lifting your right arm off the floor and stepping your left foot under the right and straight out to the side so it’s perpendicular to your body. 
3. Keep your hips low as you rotate then rotate back to plank and perform the sit-out on the opposite side. 
4. Continue alternating for 3 sets of 10 reps on each side, supersetting with blast-off pushup or bottoms-up kettlebell press, resting 30 seconds between rounds.

11. Blast-Off Pushup

What It Works

Like your regular pushup, but turned up a notch, this explosive variation works your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and improves power from your lower and upper body. Make sure to position your hands properly so you can maintain a smooth movement, Tamir says. 

How to Do It

1. Start in a plank position, shoulders over wrists, forming a straight line from shoulders to heels. 
2. Push hips back and up, bending knees and bringing chest between shoulders. 
3. Then, drive forward back to plank and right down to the bottom of a pushup, chest reaching the floor. 
4. Press back up and send hips back again. 
5. Repeat for 3 sets of 12 reps, supersetting with cable pull throughs or standing bottom up kettlebell press. 
6. Do 3 sets of 12 reps, supersetting with rockers or offset pushup with single-arm deficit.
7. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

12. Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press

What It Works

Build your shoulders and strengthen your grip with this move—one that requires you to move with lots of control. “It helps stabilize the shoulder and it’s a great rehab exercise as well,” Tamir says. 

How to Do It

1. Stand and grab a kettlebell upside down so the handle is facing down. 
2. Holding the handle at shoulder height, press the bell overhead, moving slowly to keep the kettlebell bottom up. 
3. Keep elbow and wrist stacked and core engaged. 
4. Then, slowly bring the bell back to shoulder height. 
5. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps on each side, supersetting with exercise blast-off pushups or cable pull throughs. 
6. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

13. Cable Pull-Through

What It Works

You might feel a little funny doing this hip-dominate move, but it’s worth it for the hamstrings, glutes, and core benefits. “This is a very useful exercise to get people to hinge properly and teach them how to deadlift,” Tamir says. “It’s a safer movement for people with lower back issues, too.” 

How to Do It

1. Start standing in front of a cable machine, facing away from it. 
2. With the cable anchor placed about at knee height, straddle the roped handle and hold it with both hands. 
3. With feet hip-width apart, hinge at hips, pushing your butt back and bending knees just slightly, chest lowering toward the floor. 
4. Keep back flat and core engaged. 
5. When your torso is about parallel to the floor, drive through your feet, and stand up, hips extending and shoulders stacking over hips. 
6. Squeeze your glutes at the top and get your hands all the way through the legs with weight in heels. 
7. Repeat for 3 sets of 12 reps, supersetting with rockers or bear stance donkey kick, resting 30 seconds between rounds.

14. Z Press

What It Works

This movement blasts the shoulders in a no-cheating fashion. Since you’re sitting, there’s no ability to use your legs for drive or press hard against a back support. As a bonus, this doubles as a great way to attack your core from all angles.

How to Do It

1. Sit on the floor with a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells, with legs fully extended in front of you, to start. 
2. If you can’t achieve this position with a tall spine, bend knees slightly, or sit on a low step platform. 
3. Next, hold the weights at shoulder level with a neutral grip, then press them vertically up to full extension. 
4. Don’t lean back or slouch. 
5. Complete 3 sets of 10 to 12, supersetting with glute bridges or zercher squats and resting 60 seconds between rounds.

15. Rockers

What It Works

Though this is only bodyweight, it’s one hell of a way to work on your core strength, glute and hamstring strength, and shoulder mobility at the same time. It’s a true testament to your athleticism.

How to Do It

1. Start in a seated position on the floor with legs extended and hands by your sides, fingers facing your feet (note: picture depicts hands facing opposite direction). 
2. Press your hands into the ground to raise your hips into a tabletop position with feet flat and knees creating 90-degree angles. 
3. Hold for half a second, then slowly descend and allow legs to completely straighten as you “swing through” your arms to a hovering version of your start position.
4. Complete 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, pairing with sumo crab walk or Spiderman pushup.
5. Rest 60 seconds between rounds.

16. Offset Pushup With Single-Arm Deficit

What It Works

This will add plenty of accountability to the chest muscles of the working side. Adding a slight bias toward one arm at a time brings you that much closer to your first one-arm pushup, and will really push your core while you’re at it.

How to Do It

1. To start, prepare a small, stable platform about 6 to 12 inches high, and set up in a pushup position with it to one side. 
2. Place the nearest hand on the edge of the platform. 
3. Perform a full pushup, and then press through the finish position by pressing into the platform to full extension. 
4. Your other hand should leave the ground (it’s okay to touch the opposite shoulder with that hand for balance). 
5. Freeze in position for half a second, then return to the start position. 
6. Complete 3 sets of 8 reps and, after 8 reps, switch sides so the opposite arm has the deficit. 
7. Superset with inverted rows, resting 60 seconds between rounds. 

17. Bear Stance Donkey Kick

What It Works

Supercharge your glute work by making your core hold its own at the same time. Not only will this present a unique challenge for the total body, but it’ll also keep your body in proper balance and technical function by eliminating compensation patterns that most people typically go through when trying to isolate the glutes. That’s a win-win. Want to sneak a little cardio in? Try the variation shown (described below).

How to Do It

1. Come into a quadruped position on all fours, hands under shoulders, knees under hips. 
2. Hover your knees off the ground by a couple of inches. 
3. Engage your core to keep your hips from rotating as you drive one heel, foot flexed, toward the ceiling. 
4. The knee should remain bent, and the movement should be led by your glute. 
5. Slowly return to the start position and repeat on the same leg.
6. To make this plyometric, draw your left knee toward your chest, then explosively kick your left foot back and bend your knee so your heel drives toward the ceiling. 
7. Allow your right foot to come off the floor momentarily. 
8. Land softly. 
9. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side, supersetting with Turkish getups or bottums-up kettlebell presses, resting 60 seconds between rounds.

18. Nordic Curl

What It Works

Normal Nordic curls blast your hamstrings, while reverse Nordic curls are all about the quads and a ton of core. The latter is one of the best movements to torch the front of your body with absolutely no equipment needed. Plus, it’s a rare quad exercise that trains them from a stretched position (no other quad movements do that).

How to Do a Nordic Curl

1. To start, kneel on a mat or pad and anchor your feet with a bench (or have a partner hold your heels down). 
2. Engage your core and glutes, maintain a tall torso, and don’t let your low back arch as you slowly lower yourself down toward the ground, slow and controlled for a count of three. 
3. Press your hands into the ground to propel yourself back up to the starting position.
4. Complete 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps, supersetting with exercise 14 or 9.
5. Rest 60 seconds between rounds.

How to Do a Reverse Nordic Curl

1. Kneel on a mat, keeping your torso tall, and shoelaces facing down, to start. 
2. Squeeze your glutes to maintain posture, and cross your hands over your chest. 
3. Slowly lean back in one straight line. 
4. Don’t let your hips sag downward and use quads to brake. 
5. Once you reach a point of maximal tension (that varies depending on your strength), work hard to reverse the movement and return to the start position. 
6. If you can make it all the way to your heels with no issues, feel free to add a light load.
7. Complete 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps, supersetting with crab walk or single-arm dumbbell snatch, resting 60 seconds between rounds.

19. Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch

What It Works

The good thing about explosive movements like this one, is that they leave no stone unturned. This one hits every piece of the posterior chain to help create a powerful physique and build athleticism. Some key players include the glutes, back, and upper traps.

How to Do It

1. Start with a heavy-ish dumbbell and hold it with one hand, allowing it to hang below knee level. 
2. The body should be hinged, meaning the spine is flat and your butt is pushed out. 
3. Your free hand should be out to the side for balance. 
4. Next, in one explosive movement, “jump” the weight up to a full overhead position. 
5. It helps to leave the ground and stomp your feet hard to thrust it to the top. 
6. Remember to keep the weight close to your body. 
7. “Catch” the weight overhead with a slight bend in the knees. 
8. Stand tall, lower the dumbbell to your shoulder, and then return to the start position.
9. Complete 2 to 3 sets of 4 to 8 reps per arm, supersetting with glute bridges, resting 60 seconds between rounds.

20. Straight-Leg Bridge

What It Works

This is a unique way to hit the hamstrings hard while bringing the core and glutes into the picture for good measure. The best part: It’s an isometric bodyweight movement.

How to Do It

1. Set up a sturdy bar (this can be a barbell or safety pin on the squat rack) at knee level, and lie on your back in front of the bar. 
2. Position the balls of your feet on the bar, and adjust your positioning so your legs are almost completely straight. 
3. Place your hands on the floor beside you, squeeze your glutes, and drive into the floor to elevate your hips, back, and legs off the ground. 
4. You should be in a total bridge position with toes on the bar, and shoulders and head on the ground. 
5. Complete 3 sets of 30 second bouts, supersetting with single-arm dumbbell snatch or reverse airborne lunge, resting 60 seconds between rounds.

21. Reverse Airborne Lunge

What It Works

There’s nowhere to hide with single-leg exercises. They expose your strength, mobility, and balance shortfalls, but that’s a good thing. This riff on a reverse lunge strengthens your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while boosting hip and knee stability and ankle mobility.

How to Do It

1. Hold a 10- to 20-pound kettlebell at face height (it acts as a counterbalance). 
2. Stand on one foot, lift the other leg behind you, and slide parallel to the floor. 
3. Shift hips back and slowly lower, until shin meets floor. 
4. Press through standing heel to reverse. 
5. Make sure to hit both sides equally.
6. Complete 3 sets of 8 reps per side. 
7. Superset with dumbbell Z press or rockers, resting 60 seconds between rounds.

22. Alligator Crawl

What It Works

Because of the forward motion of alligator crawls, it forces your abs and glutes to work hard to keep your body in line, while the deltoids get some extra love, too.

How to Do It

1. Start in a high plank wearing socks on a slick floor, or use sliders, and walk hands forward while maintaining a perfectly straight line between head and feet. 
2. Resist the urge to sway your hips as you go—that’s a red flag for a loose core. 
3. Your feet should drag in a straight line, not wriggle back and forth. 
4. Complete 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps on each side, supersetting with pullups to deadhangs, resting 30 seconds between rounds.

23. Lateral Shuffle on Treadmill

*Image above shows traditional treadmill running

What It Works

This will be awkward for you and the person next to you on the treadmill since you’ll be facing them, but, hey, all is fair in love and fitness (or something like that). By side-shuffling on the treadmill, you really give your hips, inner and outer thighs, calves, abs, and obliques a killer workout. You’ll challenge your balance, strength, and coordination to boot. Just be careful with this one as it can be dangerous.

How to Do It

1. Start by walking (facing forward) on the treadmill at 3.5-4.2 speed.
2. While holding onto the front of the treadmill with your left hand, turn your body to the right and immediately start to shuffle.
3. “Take special care to stay on your toes and make sure your legs don’t cross over,” Langowski says.
4. Do this for 1 minute.
5. Come back to the center of the treadmill and face forward.
6. Walk for 15 seconds, and then repeat this on your left side. (Hold onto the front of the treadmill with your right hand.)
7. Do 3 sets of 3-minute reps on each side, supersetting with one-legged burpees.
8. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

Pro Tip

You can gradually increase the speed and incline to make this more difficult.

24. Barbell Zercher Squat

What It Works

Burn out your legs with this unique variation on the typical barbell squat. You’ll feel it working the quads, glutes, and hamstrings—plus your core, too. “The benefit is it’s easier to get into a deeper squat and it promotes an upright torso,” Tamir says.

How to Do It

1. Start behind a barbell, set at a height above your waist.
2. Reach under the bar and position forearms in front of it, bar resting in elbows, and elbows placed shoulder-width apart.
3. Cross your wrists at your chest.
4. Lift the bar off the rack, step forward, and pull the bar in toward your chest.
5. With feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, push your hips down and back to perform a squat.
6. Drive through feet to stand back up.
7. Keep your chest tall, torso straight, and core engaged throughout the movement.
8. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps, supersetting with crab walks or sit outs.
9. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

25. One-Gegged Burpee

*Image above shows traditional burpee

What It Works

Already considered one of the best full-body exercises, burpees test your strength and aerobic capacities. With each repetition, you hit your chest, arms, quads, hamstrings, and abs—and you’ll burn an insane amount of calories, too. Single-leg burpees up the difficulty because you have to work harder to keep yourself balanced. This taxes your fast-twitch muscle fibers and really works your ankles and feet. You probably will look a bit foolish the first time around, but the benefits are worth it—we promise.

How to Do It

1. Start in a pushup position, and bring your left leg off the floor by 10 inches.
2. Perform a pushup, then immediately thrust your right leg toward your chest, driving your hips forward, and plant your right foot on the ground.
3. “Make sure you keep your left leg off the ground throughout this entire movement,” Langowski says.
4. Steady yourself on your right leg, stand up straight, then jump up, landing on your right leg.
5. Bend back down at your waist and reverse the motion, jumping back with your right leg, keeping your left off the ground, and bracing yourself as you meet the ground with both hands.
6. Complete 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps per leg, supersetting with lateral shuffle on treadmill.
7. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.

Pro Tip

You can put your elevated ankle in the strap of a TRX cable for more support in the beginning.