Exercise Guide — 120 Movements & Stretches

Arm circles gently move the shoulders through repeated rotation before pressing, pulling, or gymnastics work. Small circles create control first; larger circles add range once t…

Hip circles are a standing mobility drill that explores the hip joint before squats, lunges, and running. The useful range is the one you can control without twisting the knee o…

Leg swings dynamically prepare the hips for running, squatting, and lunging. Front-to-back swings target flexion and extension, while lateral swings prepare the inner and outer…

Shoulder rolls are a low-intensity way to move the shoulder blades and release unnecessary neck tension before upper-body training. The motion should be smooth and come from the…

Thoracic rotations prepare the upper back to turn while the hips and lower back stay controlled. This is useful before overhead lifting, pulling, running, and any movement that…

The world's greatest stretch combines a long lunge, hip opening, rotation, and optional hamstring fold. It is a practical full-body sequence before workouts that include running…

PVC pass-throughs prepare overhead range by moving a wide grip from the front of the body to the back. They should feel smooth through the shoulders; the goal is controlled mobi…

The 90/90 hip stretch places both legs in bent-knee positions to train internal and external hip rotation. Sit tall first; depth matters less than keeping the pelvis controlled…

Cat-cow is a gentle hands-and-knees drill that moves the spine between flexion and extension. It helps athletes feel spinal position and coordinate breathing before bracing, lif…

The PVC overhead squat rehearses squat depth, balance, and overhead position with almost no load. It is a diagnostic warm-up drill: reduce depth or widen the grip when the heels…

The lunge with thoracic rotation opens the front of the hip while the upper back turns over a stable lower body. It prepares running, lunging, squatting, and overhead work in on…

The supine hamstring stretch lengthens the back of one leg while the floor supports the spine. A strap makes the position accessible and helps keep both hips heavy instead of li…

Four-count breathing uses a gentle count to slow the breath after training. Inhale for four comfortable counts and exhale for four; there is no need to hold the breath, and the…

The half-kneeling hip flexor stretch targets the front of the rear hip after running, squatting, or cycling. A small pelvic tuck and glute squeeze create the stretch more safely…

Child's pose is a supported kneeling position used to slow breathing and gently lengthen the back, lats, and hips after training. The hips move toward the heels while the arms r…

Pigeon pose is a floor-based hip stretch that places the front leg in external rotation while the rear hip extends. It can be intense, so support the front hip and keep all pres…

Use the seated hamstring stretch when you want a simple floor position after running, deadlifts, or high-rep squats. Sit on a folded mat if the pelvis rolls backward, then move…

The lying quad stretch bends one knee to lengthen the front of the thigh with the torso supported. Keeping the hips stacked and the knee comfortable matters more than pulling th…

Thread-the-needle is a hands-and-knees rotation that gently opens the upper back and back of the shoulder. The hips stay mostly over the knees while one arm reaches underneath t…

The supine spinal twist rotates the trunk while the floor supports the body. It is a calm finishing position after training when performed gently, with both shoulders heavy and…

The doorframe chest stretch opens the pectorals and front of the shoulder after pressing, burpees, or gymnastics. The arm stays supported while the torso turns away only until a…

The couch stretch combines knee flexion and hip extension to target the quadriceps and front of the hip. It is powerful even at a low angle, so start away from the wall and keep…

A lat stretch lengthens the side of the upper back after pull-ups, rowing, and overhead work. Use a supported hinge or lightly loaded hang; the shoulders should feel spacious an…

Box breathing uses four equal phases—inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding—to bring attention back to a slow rhythm after training. Four seconds per phase is common, but a sh…

Dragon pose is a deep low-lunge position for the front of the rear hip and the inside of the front hip. Because it can be intense after training, use blocks or hands for support…

The forward fold hang is a relaxed standing fold used to unload the neck and create mild tension through the back of the legs. Keep the knees bent enough that the torso can hang…

Happy baby is a supported floor stretch for the inner hips and lower back. The back stays heavy on the floor while the knees move gently toward the sides of the ribs; holding be…

Wrist flexor and extensor stretches gently address both sides of the forearm after bar work, handstands, front rack positions, or gripping. Use very light pressure because the w…

The pull-up is the single most important upper-body pulling movement in CrossFit. It develops the lats, biceps, and posterior shoulder while building the grip and core strength…

The push-up is the foundational horizontal pressing movement in CrossFit and the most accessible upper-body exercise that exists — it requires no equipment and scales to any fit…

The air squat is the foundational lower-body movement in CrossFit — the base from which thrusters, wall balls, overhead squats, and cleans all derive. Performed with bodyweight…

The burpee is CrossFit's go-to full-body conditioning movement — a combination of a push-up, a plank, and a squat jump that builds cardiovascular capacity and muscular endurance…

The CrossFit sit-up differs from the traditional gym sit-up: it is typically performed with an AbMat (a small wedge supporting the lower back), feet butterflied out (soles toget…

The box jump is a plyometric movement that develops explosive lower-body power, coordination, and the ability to absorb impact safely. In CrossFit, box jumps are performed to st…

Wall balls combine a full-depth squat with an explosive overhead throw to a target — 10 feet for men, 9 feet for women. The medicine ball is thrown from the bottom of the squat…

The burpee broad jump adds a horizontal power component to the classic burpee — instead of jumping straight up, you explode forward as far as possible, driving the hips and arms…

Mountain climbers are a dynamic core and cardio movement performed in a high plank — you drive alternating knees toward the chest as fast as possible while maintaining a rigid p…

Lunges are a fundamental unilateral lower-body movement that builds strength, balance, and hip mobility. In CrossFit WODs they appear as walking lunges (travelling forward), rev…

Jump squats combine the mechanics of an air squat with an explosive vertical jump, developing lower-body power and cardiovascular capacity simultaneously. They keep the heart ra…

V-ups are a demanding core exercise where both the upper body and legs simultaneously rise from the floor to meet at the top — forming a V shape. They are significantly harder t…

The hollow hold is the foundational position for almost all CrossFit gymnastics skills. It is a static isometric hold where the body creates a concave "hollow" shape: lower back…

The superman hold is a prone posterior chain exercise — you lie face-down and simultaneously lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor, holding the extended position. It dir…

Box step-overs are a lower-impact alternative to box jumps that remove the plyometric landing while preserving the step-up strength demand. The movement involves stepping up ont…

The pistol squat is CrossFit’s most recognisable single-leg squat variation. It requires full-depth control on one leg while the non-working leg stays extended in front of the b…

The box step-up is one of the most useful lower-body accessory movements in functional fitness because it builds unilateral leg strength without the impact cost of jumping. In C…

The hollow rock takes the static hollow hold and turns it into a dynamic gymnastics drill. The athlete maintains the hollow body position while rocking gently backward and forwa…

The plank is the most universal anti-extension core exercise in training, and it matters in CrossFit because almost every movement gets better when the athlete can resist lumbar…

The side plank is the simplest way to train anti-lateral flexion and oblique stability in a glossary built for CrossFit and functional fitness. While classic WODs do not often p…

The dead bug is one of the best entry-level core drills for learning how to brace the trunk while moving the limbs. That makes it especially valuable for beginners in CrossFit,…

The sandbag carry is a functional-fitness staple because it loads the body awkwardly and forces the athlete to stabilise while moving. Unlike a symmetrical barbell or dumbbell,…

The bear crawl is a simple but potent coordination and conditioning drill in functional fitness. Moving on hands and feet with knees hovering just off the floor creates a strong…

The Pallof press is a dedicated anti-rotation core drill that deserves a place in any serious functional fitness glossary. Unlike sit-ups and raises, it trains the trunk to resi…

The med ball slam is a full-body power and conditioning movement that blends overhead reach, rapid trunk flexion, and aggressive intent. In functional fitness settings it is com…

The back extension is a foundational posterior-chain accessory exercise for CrossFit athletes. It trains the spinal erectors and glutes to maintain posture and resist fatigue, w…

The single-leg balance reach is a controlled unilateral drill: stand on one leg, hinge at the hip, and reach while the free leg extends behind you. It develops balance, foot con…

The inchworm push-up combines a walkout, a controlled push-up, and a return to standing. It prepares the shoulders and trunk while adding a dynamic hamstring stretch without nee…

The glute bridge switches on hip extension before squats, deadlifts, and running. A good rep finishes with the hips extended by the glutes while the ribs stay down and the lower…

The muscle-up is the most prestigious bodyweight movement in CrossFit — a combination of a pull-up and a dip that transitions the athlete from below the bar or rings to above it…

The handstand push-up (HSPU) is the primary overhead pressing movement in CrossFit gymnastics. Performed against a wall, it requires the athlete to lower from a handstand until…

The ring dip is a significantly more demanding version of the parallel bar dip due to the instability of the rings. The rings must be turned out at the top of each rep (hands ro…

The toes-to-bar (T2B) is a hanging core movement in which the athlete swings both feet to contact the pull-up bar simultaneously while keeping the arms straight. It is one of th…

The rope climb is one of the most physically demanding movements in CrossFit, combining grip strength, lat and bicep pulling power, and core stability. The CrossFit standard is…

Ring rows are the primary scaling movement for pull-ups in CrossFit — a horizontal pulling exercise performed on gymnastics rings. By adjusting body angle, they can be made appr…

Dips are a fundamental vertical pressing movement that develops triceps, chest, and shoulder strength. In CrossFit, dips refer to bar dips on parallel bars or a pull-up rig, wit…

Knee raises are the primary scaling movement for toes-to-bar — performed hanging from a pull-up bar, you drive the knees toward the chest rather than extending the legs to touch…

Chest-to-bar pull-ups (C2B) are an advanced pulling variation where the athlete must touch their chest — not just chin — to the bar at the top of each rep. This requires signifi…

The GHD sit-up is one of the most aggressive trunk-flexion movements used in CrossFit. Performed on a glute-ham developer, it takes the athlete into significant spinal extension…

The handstand walk is one of the clearest markers of advanced CrossFit gymnastics. It combines overhead stability, inverted balance, shoulder endurance, and midline control whil…

The wall walk is a staple CrossFit gymnastics drill that teaches inverted control under fatigue. Starting prone on the floor, the athlete presses into a plank, climbs the feet u…

The hanging leg raise is the straight-leg progression between knee raises and toes-to-bar. Hanging from a pull-up bar, the athlete lifts straight legs to roughly parallel or hig…

The L-sit is a classic gymnastics core position where the athlete supports the body on the hands while keeping both legs straight out in front. It develops active hip flexion, t…

The GHD hip extension is a posterior-chain builder performed on a glute-ham developer, but unlike the GHD sit-up it emphasises hip extension rather than trunk flexion. It is hig…

Knees-to-elbows are a hanging gymnastics movement in which both knees travel upward until they contact the arms near the elbows. The strict version builds compression, lat engag…

The scapular pull-up teaches the first shoulder-blade action of a pull-up while the elbows remain straight. It prepares active hanging and shoulder control before pull-ups, toes…

The thruster is CrossFit's signature combined movement — a front squat driven directly into a push press in one continuous motion. It is arguably the most metabolically demandin…

The deadlift is the foundational posterior chain movement in CrossFit and the highest load movement in most athletes' training. In CrossFit, deadlifts are performed from the flo…

The hang power clean begins from the "hang" position — bar at the hip crease or above the knee — rather than from the floor. The "power" designation means the bar is caught in a…

The push jerk is the Olympic weightlifting-derived pressing movement in CrossFit, used to move a barbell overhead more efficiently than a strict press. Like the push press, it b…

The power clean is a full Olympic weightlifting derivative in which the athlete pulls the barbell from the floor to the front rack in a single explosive movement, catching in a…

The push press uses a leg dip-and-drive to initiate a barbell press overhead, allowing athletes to move more load than a strict press. It is the standard overhead pressing movem…

The sumo deadlift high pull (SDHP) combines a wide-stance sumo deadlift with an upright row, pulling the bar from the floor to chin height in one movement. It is a full-body exp…

The power snatch is a barbell movement in which the athlete pulls the bar from the floor to a locked-out overhead position in one explosive movement, catching with the arms stra…

The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic lifts — a barbell is pulled from the floor to the shoulders (the clean) and then driven overhead to lockout (the jerk). In CrossFit,…

The front squat is a barbell squat variation where the bar rests in the front rack position — across the front deltoids, fingertips on the bar with elbows high. It demands signi…

The back squat is the foundational barbell strength movement in CrossFit — the primary way athletes develop the lower-body strength that transfers to every other movement on the…

The overhead squat is the most technically demanding barbell squat variation, requiring simultaneous ankle, hip, thoracic, and shoulder mobility plus significant core and should…

The snatch is one of the two Olympic lifts — a barbell is pulled from the floor and caught overhead with arms locked in a single continuous movement. In CrossFit, the power snat…

The barbell bench press is a horizontal strength lift that moves a bar from locked arms to the lower chest and back. Although it appears less often in classic CrossFit benchmark…

The squat clean moves a barbell from the floor to the front rack while the athlete receives it in a full squat, then stands to complete the rep. It combines the pull and turnove…

The empty-bar good morning rehearses a hip hinge before deadlifts, cleans, and squats. The hips travel backward while the trunk stays braced; it should feel like a hamstring loa…

The muscle snatch moves a light bar from the floor or hang to overhead without rebending the knees to receive it. In a warm-up it teaches close bar path, vertical extension, and…

The light Romanian deadlift prepares the posterior chain and rehearses a close, controlled hinge. Unlike a deadlift from the floor, each rep begins standing and stops when hamst…

A light bent-over row prepares horizontal pulling and upper-back support while the body holds a hip hinge. Keep the trunk fixed and draw the load toward the lower ribs without t…

The kettlebell swing is the foundational kettlebell movement in CrossFit — a hip-hinge-driven movement that sends the kettlebell from between the legs to shoulder height (Americ…

The goblet squat is one of the most effective teaching tools for squat mechanics in CrossFit and HYROX-style training. Holding a kettlebell or dumbbell at the chest counterbalan…

The DB thruster is the dumbbell version of one of CrossFit's most iconic movements — combining a front squat with an overhead push press in a single fluid motion. Two dumbbells…

The DB deadlift is the dumbbell variation of the deadlift — both dumbbells start on the floor and are lifted to hip height using the posterior chain. It is an excellent progress…

The single-arm DB snatch is one of the most athletic movements in CrossFit — featured prominently in the CrossFit Open multiple times. One dumbbell is pulled from the floor to o…

The DB clean and press combines a dumbbell power clean with an overhead press in a single compound movement. Two dumbbells are pulled from the floor to the shoulders, then press…

The kettlebell clean is a fundamental KB skill that brings a single kettlebell from the floor or swing position to the rack — a position where the handle rests diagonally across…

The devil press is a high-output dumbbell conditioning movement that blends a burpee with a double-dumbbell snatch from the floor to overhead. It is brutally effective because i…

The farmer carry is one of the highest-value accessory movements in functional fitness. Walking with load in both hands builds grip endurance, trunk stiffness, posture under fat…

The dumbbell hang clean is one of the most useful bridge movements between basic dumbbell work and more explosive Olympic-lift variations. Starting from above the knees, the ath…

The dumbbell floor press is a horizontal pressing exercise performed on the floor instead of a bench. The floor limits how far the elbows can travel behind the torso, which crea…

The dumbbell strict press moves two independent loads from shoulder height to full overhead lockout without help from the legs. It develops shoulder and triceps strength while d…

The kettlebell halo moves a light bell around the head to prepare the shoulders and upper back while the trunk stays braced. It is a mobility drill, so use a load that never pul…

The Shuttle Run is one of the most useful conditioning movements for HYROX-style training and indoor functional fitness. It combines acceleration, deceleration, rapid direction…

The double-under is a jump rope movement in which the rope passes under the feet twice per jump. It is the primary jump rope skill in CrossFit, appearing in benchmark workouts l…

The sled push is one of the defining stations in Hyrox and one of the clearest tests of force application under fatigue. Unlike a sprint, the sled push demands horizontal force,…

The sled pull is the Hyrox station that punishes poor rhythm more than almost any other. Athletes need to lean back, stay connected through the trunk, and pull the rope in effic…

Running is the most fundamental monostructural movement in CrossFit — appearing in nearly every Hero WOD and benchmark workout. In programming, distances are typically 200m (spr…

Rowing (typically on a Concept2 ergometer) is one of the three primary monostructural cardio machines in CrossFit, alongside the ski erg and assault bike. In WODs, rowing is usu…

Assault Bike (fan bike) cycling is CrossFit's most notoriously demanding cardio modality. Unlike a standard stationary bike, the Assault Bike uses both arms and legs simultaneou…

High knees are a running-in-place drill that raises the heart rate while teaching quick foot contact and active knee drive. Stay tall and use a light, springy rhythm rather than…

Jumping jacks are a simple whole-body drill for increasing body temperature and coordinating the arms with light jumping. Keep the contacts quiet and use a range you can repeat…

Easy jump rope work raises the heart rate and prepares the calves, ankles, wrists, and timing for the session. If a rope is unavailable or impact is not appropriate, marching or…

An easy row or bike is a low-skill way to raise body temperature before a full-gym session. Choose one machine, keep the effort conversational, and finish feeling more prepared…

The fast march is a low-impact temperature builder that uses purposeful arm swing and knee drive without jumping. It is useful when running is unavailable, when impact needs to…

Shadow boxing uses light punches and footwork to raise the heart rate without equipment. In a warm-up the goal is relaxed coordination and rotation, not maximal punching force o…

Easy Ski Erg work raises body temperature while coordinating the lats, trunk, and hips. Begin tall, drive the handles down with a small hinge, and recover smoothly rather than t…