When it comes to winning without scale, there’s nothing more satisfying than mastering a trick you never thought possible.
Testing your limits helps you measure your progress in real time and see what your body is capable of. Would you like to try it? We’ve collected 12 of the toughest exercises from the entire BODi catalogue. Each of these movements challenges you in a different way, increasing your strength, mobility, endurance, agility, or all of the above. — to the maximum.
See how many of these moves you currently have in your fitness wheelhouse and which one you can conquer next.
1. Roll jump
Where can you find it: core of strength
Why it’s difficult: The first repetitions of this exercise will feel very easy. Just do a boxing roll followed by a straight jump. But as a 30-second cardio workout, this move will heat up your legs and lungs.
“The exercise itself isn’t what makes this difficult, but the aerobic endurance required to complete all the reps in a certain amount of time is!” says Amanda Herrera, CPT.
Try:
- Stand in a fighter position, with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your hands raised to the sides of your face, and your elbows tucked in.
- Put your weight on your right foot and “roll” to the left (as if crouching under your opponent’s punch) while bending your knees slightly and bending your hips to transfer your weight to your left foot.
- After rising from the roll, jump straight through the balls of your feet. Land in a fighter’s position and repeat the movement in the opposite direction.
2. Push-up lunge clap
Where can you find it: 6 weeks of work
Why it’s difficult: Mastering the perfect push-up takes effort. Adding plyometric elements takes it to the next level. But this move takes it to the next level and requires explosive strength, flexibility, and coordination.
“Plyo push-ups require much more upper-body strength and core strength than regular push-ups,” Herrera says. “That’s not all. You also need flexibility and stability to move your knees and feet into a lunge.”
Try:
- Start in a high plank position with both feet on the slider.
- Draw your elbows toward your body, keep your head down, and lower your torso until your chest is within a few inches of the floor.
- Push up with enough force to lift your hands off the ground. While doing push-ups, bend your left knee and slide your left foot forward into a lunge position. Place your hands together under your left knee.
- Place your palms on the floor and slide your left leg back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
3. Triple Bear
Where can you find it: elevator 4
Why it’s difficult: “Core strength, core strength, core strength!” Herrera said. You’ll also rely on your cardiorespiratory endurance to complete as many reps as possible, and your shoulder strength and stability to keep your upper body still. Not to mention the mental grit to ignore screaming quadriceps.
Try:
- Start on all fours with your arms straight, hands under your shoulders, and knees bent 90 degrees under your hips. Raise your knees 2 inches off the ground.
- Keeping your back flat and feet together, move your feet to the left, back to center, right, and back to center.
- Repeat for 30 seconds and complete as many reps as possible while maintaining form.
4. Ground to Fighter Stance
Where can you find it: core of strength
Why it’s difficult: Burpees are difficult enough on their own, but this exercise takes it even further. After doing a pushup, explode into a fighter position instead of dropping back into a low squat like a regular burpee.
“You need strength to jump up, but you also need mobility and flexibility to get your feet into a fighting position,” Herrera says. “Plus, this exercise really spikes your heart rate!”
Try:
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.
- Bend your knees and squat low, placing your hands on the floor.
- Jump your legs back into a push-up position and lower your body to the floor.
- Jump your legs forward and push up, landing with one foot slightly in front of the other. Stand up and get into a fighter position.
- Repeat this motion, this time landing with your opposite foot in front.
5. Split knee jump
Where can you find it: morning meltdown 100
Why it’s difficult: Completing a full round of split-knee jumps at high altitude requires power, flexibility, and stamina. “This is about the same as your maximum intensity for exercise,” Herrera says. “It’s all-around full-body strength and power, but it also requires coordination, mobility, and cardiorespiratory endurance.”
Try:
- Start in a standing position. Push your hips back and bend your knees, lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, as if you were doing a squat.
- Jump and raise your right knee and left arm in a running pose, then slowly land on both feet at the same time.
- Repeat this movement with the opposite arm and knee. Complete as many repetitions as possible.
6. Quarter Turkish Setup
Where can you find it: 645
Why it’s difficult: “Nothing requires more shoulder stability and control than holding dumbbells above your head,” Herrera says. She adds that you also need “incredible core strength” to maintain perfect form and stabilize the dumbbells as you move through each step of this exercise.
Try:
- Lie on your back with your left knee bent and your left foot flat on the floor. Extend your right arm and right leg to the side at a 45-degree angle. Grab a dumbbell in your left hand and push it up toward the ceiling.
- Raise your left arm straight above your head and, keeping your eyes on the dumbbell, lift your left shoulder off the floor and curl up until you are supporting yourself with your right forearm and then your right hand.
- Place your left arm above your head and, keeping your eyes on the dumbbells, use your left leg and right hand to lift your hips off the floor.
- Slowly reverse the entire movement.
7. Running clinch knee
Where can you find it: fire and flow
Why it’s difficult: It takes a lot of stamina to keep up your energy (and your knees) throughout the interval. “This exercise definitely gets your heart rate up quickly and keeps it high throughout the interval,” Herrera says. “It takes a little adjustment to keep going without tripping.”
Try:
- Hold your hands above your head.
- Draw your hands down to your right hip, and then slightly jump your left leg and bring your right knee up.
- Repeat the same movement on the other side. Continue alternating sides as quickly as possible while maintaining good form.
8. Resistance X Jump
Where can you find it: insane asylum
Why it’s difficult: X-jumps are already tough enough before you add resistance bands to the equation. “All plyometrics test muscle strength and cardiac endurance,” Herrera says. “But there’s an extra resistance here, which means you have to overcome an extra barrier to extend your limb to position X.”
Try:
- Wrap the resistance loop around your wrist (or hold one end of the loop with both hands) and the other loop around your ankle.
- Bend your knees, hinge at your hips, and touch your toes.
- Extend your arms wide above your head and jump across your legs so your body forms an “X” shape. Repeat for a certain period of time.
9. Bulgarian Split Squat Jump
Where can you find it: master’s hammer and chisel
Why it’s difficult: Landing softly (and safely) on one foot requires stability and balance. The first few repetitions will be more difficult as your legs will feel like jelly.
“It takes a lot of core strength, leg strength, and lower body strength to lift your knees high without using momentum and absorb the landing without hurting your joints,” Herrera says. “Also, you may not realize how much wear and tear you put on your stable legs and feet trying to maintain balance and stability.”
Try:
- Stand in front of the bench with your back to it. Place the ball of your left foot on the bench behind you.
- Keeping your back straight, bend your right knee and lower your arm toward your right leg.
- Keeping the ball of your left foot on the bench, forcefully lift your right foot apart and lift your right knee toward your chest. Land gently with your knees bent. Repeat the same number of times with both legs.
10. Burpee Bolt
Where can you find it: morning meltdown 100
Why it’s difficult: While basic burpees will test your cardio and muscular endurance, this advanced variation will also test your agility.
“Because you’re adding ‘bolts,’ it requires more power, strength, and coordination to get your foot high enough and into shape,” Herrera says. “You also need the strength and stability to land your feet softly on the ground.”
Try:
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.
- Bend your knees and squat low, placing your hands on the floor.
- Jump your legs back into a push-up position.
- Keeping your back flat, lift both feet off the ground at the same time, drive one knee forward toward your chest, and extend the opposite leg straight out behind you.
- Repeat with the opposite leg.
- Jump your feet forward into a low squat and stand tall.
11. Ted’s Chair (Flying Pigeon)
Where can you find it: P90X3
Why it’s difficult: If you’ve ever wished Crow Pose was more difficult, this challenging pose from the X3 Yoga Workout is for you.
“This exercise involves quite a bit, including lower body strength and stability, mobility and flexibility, core strength, balance, and full-body control,” says Herrera. “If any of these are missing, it can be difficult to exercise, let alone stick to it within the allotted time frame.”
Try:
- Put your weight on your right foot and stand tall. Lift your left foot and place the outside of your left ankle on top of your right knee. Place your palms together in front of your chest.
- Bend your right knee and return to one-legged chair pose.
- Extend your arms straight in front of you and shift your weight forward until your hands touch the floor in front of your feet. Hold your left leg in place by pressing the top of your left foot against your right arm.
- Shift your weight into your hands and slowly lift your right leg off the floor and extend it behind you, aligning your shoulder over your fingertips for stability. Release the pose by slowly lowering your right leg to the floor.
12. Four-ball push-up
Where can you find it: P90X2
Why it’s difficult: Calling this exercise a “push-up variation” seems like an understatement. Pulling it off requires strength and stability, as well as circus-worthy balance.
“This might be at the top of the difficulty list,” Herrera said. “It’s a full-body burner that requires an incredible amount of upper body strength, lower body strength, and core strength to balance on all four balls and even do pushups.”
And while it’s not an aerobic workout, using your whole body will definitely get your heart rate up, Herrera adds.
Try:
- Arrange four small medicine balls in a rectangular shape, spaced far enough apart to support your hands and feet while in the high plank position.
- Place your hands on top of the two balls in front of you, keeping your back flat and your shoulders directly over your hands.
- Step your feet back and place the balls of your right feet on the ball. Keeping your left foot on the floor for balance, adjust the ball’s position until you’re in a high plank position.
- Keeping your whole body in mind, lift your left foot off the floor and place the ball of your left foot on top of the fourth ball.
- Perform one set of push-ups while balancing on four balls.
