50 Natural Movement Strength Training Exercises (No Equipment)
Twenty-five years ago my enjoyment and activation of my personal exercise objectives was on a high. I owned a nice commercial exercise equipment store in Atlanta, and I cherry picked my equipment for my training studio.
Fitness Rush Atlanta training studio offered the best options for iso lateral movement and I had chose Hammer Strength , Cybex, and Body Master as my providers. I also rode my spinner several hours each morning, and road bike several hundred miles a week in the mountains of North Georgia.
I have told folks for decades traditional fitness equipment is a substitute for body weight. https://www.rushwalter.com/holistic-strength-training-for-beginners/ Today my wife and I workout with functional training equipment in our local gym, plus we incorporate natural body movements. For years I have been on the hunt for result oriented exercises I can do anywhere with or without equipment. And I knew the exercises would have a learning curve to maximize results.
Since then, I’ve become obsessed with natural movement patterns that require nothing but your body and enough space to move around. https://www.rushwalter.com/what-is-holistic-strength-training-guide-to-mind-body-fitness-in-2025/ These fifty exercises are becoming a pillar of my training philosophy, proving that the most effective strength training often comes from the simplest movements.
Ground-Based Movement Patterns (Exercises 1-15)
1. Beast Hold The foundation of all ground movement. https://www.rushwalter.com/how-crawling-patterns-transform-your-strength-training/ Hands and feet on ground, knees hovering one inch off the floor. Aim to keep your back straight not arched. This position builds incredible core strength and shoulder stability while teaching you how to create tension throughout your entire body. Most people shake within fifteen seconds.
2. Bear Crawl Forward From beast position, crawl forward using opposite hand and foot movement. Focus on keeping knees low and maintaining steady rhythm. This movement builds full-body strength while improving cross-lateral coordination that’s essential for athletic performance. Begin with crawling for 60 seconds, then add a minute until you get to 5 minutes; yep 5 minutes. Include the following moves to enjoy the exercise more.
3. Bear Crawl Backward Significantly more challenging than forward crawling because you can’t see where you’re going. Develops posterior chain strength and challenges your nervous system’s ability to coordinate complex movements without visual feedback. https://www.rushwalter.com/bear-crawl-variations-for-total-body-strength-training/ Lift your torso as high as you can comfortably and walk backwards. As you get stronger you will lift your torso easier.
4. Lateral Bear Crawl Step sideways with same-side hand and foot, then follow with opposite limbs. This movement addresses the lateral strength deficits that plague most adults while building hip stability and core strength in the frontal plane.
5. Crab Walk Forward Sit with hands behind you, lift hips to create reverse tabletop position, then walk forward on hands and feet. Builds posterior chain strength and shoulder mobility while challenging coordination in an unfamiliar movement pattern.
6. Crab Walk Backward The natural direction for crab walking that feels more intuitive than forward movement. Develops glute strength, hamstring flexibility, and shoulder stability while improving posture and posterior strength.
7. Lizard Crawl Army crawl style movement staying close to the ground. Drag yourself forward using primarily your arms while keeping your body as low as possible. Builds incredible core strength and teaches you how to move efficiently in restricted spaces. One of my favorites.
8. Frog Hops Deep squat position, hop forward landing back in deep squat. This explosive movement builds lower body power while maintaining mobility through the deep squat position that most adults have lost.
9. Duck Walk Walk forward in deep squat position, maintaining low stance throughout movement. Builds quad strength and ankle mobility while teaching you how to maintain balance in challenging positions.
10. Rolling Patterns Side rolls, forward rolls, backward rolls. These movements improve spatial awareness, spinal mobility, and teach you how to move safely through all planes of motion. Start slow and controlled, focusing on smooth transitions.
11. Scorpion Reach From beast position, reach one hand forward and across body while extending opposite leg back and across. Creates powerful rotation through your core while building unilateral strength and stability.
12. Ape Reach From beast position, shift weight back onto feet and reach both hands forward and up. Builds hip extension strength and teaches you how to transition between different movement patterns smoothly.
13. Wave Movements Create undulating motions through your spine while in various ground positions. These movements improve spinal mobility and teach you how to move with fluidity rather than rigidity.
14. Turkish Get-Up (Bodyweight) Complex movement from lying to standing and back again. Integrates nearly every fundamental movement pattern while building strength, mobility, and coordination simultaneously. Master this movement slowly with perfect technique.
15. Breakdancer From bear crawl position, sweep one leg under your body and across to the opposite side. Builds rotational strength and hip mobility while challenging coordination and balance.
Standing Movement Patterns (Exercises 16-25)
16. Deep Squat Hold Sit in deepest comfortable squat position with heels flat and spine straight. This position should feel like rest, not torture. Builds ankle mobility, hip flexibility, and leg strength while restoring a fundamental human position. https://www.rushwalter.com/natural-movement-exercise-progressions-beginner-to-advanced/ I’ve been doing this one for years and even today when I squatted, my spine released pressure and felt like the chiropractor had laid hands on me.
17. Squat Pulses Small bouncing movements within your squat range. These micro-movements build strength through challenging ranges while improving joint mobility and movement confidence. No big bounces, small ones. This is not a ballistic exercise.
18. Single-Leg Squat Lower slowly on one leg to comfortable depth, then return to standing. Start with small ranges and progress deeper as strength improves. Builds unilateral leg strength and balance.
19. Jump Squats Explosive squat jumps focusing on soft landings. Builds lower body power while teaching proper landing mechanics that reduce injury risk in daily activities.
20. Lateral Lunges Step to one side, sit back into stepping leg while keeping other leg straight. Addresses lateral movement deficits while building hip mobility and strength in the frontal plane.
21. Reverse Lunges Step backward into lunge position, focusing on control and balance. Builds single-leg strength while being easier on the knees than forward lunges.
22. Walking Lunges Forward lunges with continuous movement. Builds leg strength and balance while challenging coordination and rhythm. Focus on smooth transitions between sides.
23. Curtsy Lunges Step one leg behind and across your body into curtsy position. Challenges hip stability and builds strength through rotational movement patterns that most people avoid.
24. Cossack Squats Wide-legged squat shifting weight fully onto one leg while keeping other leg straight. Builds unilateral leg strength and dramatic hip mobility improvements.
25. Hindu Squats Continuous squatting movement with arm swings and heel raises. Builds leg endurance and cardiovascular conditioning while maintaining movement flow.
Pushing Movement Patterns (Exercises 26-32)
26. Push-Up Variations Standard, wide, narrow, diamond, and single-arm progressions. Each variation challenges different aspects of pushing strength while building core stability and coordination.
27. Pike Push-Ups Downward dog position with push-up movement emphasizing shoulder strength. Builds overhead pressing strength and shoulder stability while improving flexibility.
28. Handstand Progressions Wall-supported handstands progressing to freestanding. Builds incredible shoulder strength and teaches you how to support your body weight in inverted positions.
29. Bear Crawl Push-Ups Push-up movement from bear crawl position. https://www.rushwalter.com/complete-primal-movement-patterns-workout-routine/ Combines pushing strength with core stability while maintaining the challenging bear crawl posture.
30. Mountain Climbers Push-up position with alternating knee drives. Builds pushing endurance while challenging core stability and cardiovascular conditioning.
31. Burpees Full-body movement combining squat, push-up, and jump. Integrates multiple movement patterns while building strength and conditioning simultaneously.
32. Dive Bomber Push-Ups Flow movement combining downward dog, push-up, and upward dog positions. Builds pushing strength while improving spinal mobility and flow integration.
Pulling Movement Patterns (Exercises 33-37)
33. Inverted Rows (Using Table) Lie under sturdy table, pull chest to table edge. Builds pulling strength using household furniture. Adjust difficulty by changing foot position.
34. Door Frame Rows Stand in doorway, lean back holding frame, pull chest to hands. Convenient pulling exercise using standard door frame. Focus on squeezing shoulder blades together.
35. Superman Pulls Lie face down, lift chest and pull elbows back. Builds posterior strength and improves posture while requiring no equipment. Essential for counteracting forward posture.
36. Prone Y-T-W Raises Lie face down, create Y, T, and W shapes with arms while lifting chest. Builds specific posterior strength needed for healthy shoulder function and posture.
37. Wall Angels Stand with back against wall, slide arms up and down while maintaining contact. Improves shoulder mobility while building postural strength. Harder than it looks.
Rotational Movement Patterns (Exercises 38-42)
38. Russian Twists Seated position, lean back slightly, rotate torso side to side. Builds rotational core strength essential for athletic movement and daily activities involving twisting.
39. Wood Chops (Bodyweight) Standing position, reach diagonally across body from high to low. Teaches integrated rotational movement while building core strength through functional patterns.
40. Spiral Movements Create spiraling motions through your entire body while standing or moving. These movements improve spinal mobility and teach you how to move with natural rotation.
41. Standing Rotation Reaches Stand and reach in different directions while rotating through your core. Builds rotational strength while maintaining balance and coordination challenges.
42. Rolling Spirals Rolling movements with rotational emphasis. Combines ground movement with rotational challenges, building three-dimensional movement capabilities.
Jumping and Plyometric Patterns (Exercises 43-47)
43. Broad Jumps Jump forward for maximum distance, focusing on soft landings. Builds horizontal power while teaching proper landing mechanics essential for injury prevention.
44. Lateral Bounds Jump sideways from leg to leg, focusing on single-leg landings. Addresses lateral power deficits while building unilateral strength and stability.
45. Tuck Jumps Jump straight up bringing knees to chest. Builds vertical power while challenging hip flexibility and coordination in the air.
46. Split Jump Lunges Jump switching legs in lunge position. Builds explosive leg strength while challenging balance and coordination during dynamic movements.
47. Depth Jumps Step off elevated surface, land softly, immediately jump vertically. Builds reactive strength and teaches your nervous system to handle impact forces efficiently.
Integration and Flow Patterns (Exercises 48-50)
48. Animal Flow Sequences Combine multiple animal movements into flowing sequences. Creates continuous movement challenges that build strength, coordination, and conditioning simultaneously.
49. Movement Flows Create personal sequences combining any of the previous exercises into continuous patterns. Builds movement creativity while challenging strength and conditioning.
50. Parkour-Style Movements Vaulting, crawling under obstacles, precision jumping using household items. Develops real-world movement capabilities while building functional strength and coordination.
Programming Your Natural Movement Training
Start with 5-8 exercises from different categories, spending 2-3 minutes on each movement. Focus on movement quality over intensity initially. As you develop competency, create longer sequences and more challenging combinations.
The beauty of natural movement is its scalability. Beginners can practice basic positions and simple movements, while advanced practitioners can create complex flows and challenging combinations. Every exercise can be modified to match your current capabilities.
Daily Practice Guidelines
Aim for 15-20 minutes daily rather than longer, infrequent sessions. Natural movement is about rebuilding movement patterns and capabilities that improve with consistent practice, not sporadic intense efforts. I often incorporate these exercises with my gym equipment to maximize a particular objective, such as an endurance bike ride.
Listen to your body and adjust intensity based on how you feel. Some days you might feel energetic and explore challenging variations. Other days, gentle movement and basic patterns are exactly what you need. Even on my “muscle awareness” days I activate the bear crawl for a few minutes, as well as deep squat.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t rush through progressions. These movements are teaching your nervous system new patterns, which takes time and repetition. Master basics before attempting advanced variations.
Avoid treating natural movement like traditional exercise. The goal isn’t burning calories or exhausting yourself – it’s developing movement competency and strength that enhances daily life capabilities. And yes, you will burn calories and exhaust yourself quickly as you learn.
Benefits Beyond Strength
Natural movement training improves balance, coordination, flexibility, and body awareness while building functional strength. These qualities enhance every other physical activity while reducing injury risk in daily life.
The mental benefits are equally significant. https://www.rushwalter.com/the-psychology-of-functional-movement-mental-benefits-beyond-physical-gains/ Natural movement reconnects you with your body’s capabilities and builds confidence in physical activities that might have felt intimidating before.
Remember, these exercises represent movement patterns that humans have been performing for thousands of years. Your body knows how to do these movements – you’re simply helping it remember through consistent, patient practice.
No gym membership required, no equipment to buy, no excuses left. Just you, your body, and the space to move. Everything you need for incredible fitness is already available to you. Call on us when you need customized holistic fitness direction or tools.
Thanks for reading this fitness blog. I hope you enjoy a healthy day, Walter
