Get moving during Ninja Warrior with Mike Meyers’ #CouchlessCommericals

For a lot of families, American Ninja Warrior is quality time. The whole family can gather ‘round the TV and spend two hours having fun and getting inspired. But sitting for two solid hours is a lot, especially for a show all about health and fitness.

Mike Meyers is a three-time Ninja Warrior veteran, with two trips to the National Finals under his belt. He noticed that there was a perfect time to exercise DURING the show. With that in mind, he created #CouchlessCommercials on Twitter. During the east coast airing of the show, whenever a commercial break came up, he tweets out a fast, fun exercise.

It’s a fantastic way to get your blood pumping between Ninja runs! Some people have come up with their own creative twists on Mike’s suggestions.

Mike plays along with a theme for each episode.

For the Dallas Qualifiers, it was about celebrating the show’s tenth season.

• 10 push-ups
• 10 sit-ups
• 10 squat jumps each side
• 10 heel raises each side
• 20 seconds balance on one leg (balance on each leg)
• 10 high jumps
• 10 burpees

For the Los Angeles Qualifiers, it’s all about the dinos.

• 30 second jog in place. Run from the Velociraptors!
• 10 dips. Sliding down a muddy hill trying to get away from the Triceratops.
• 5 pistol squats each side. Climbing down rubble from a destroyed building to avoid running into the Archaeopteryx.
• 15 seconds of swimmer kicks. Swim away from the Plesiosaurus!
• 20 second plank. The Tyrannosaurus Rex is near, stay quiet, and don’t move.
• 15 second wall sit. Contemplating the best course of action to escape the dinosaurs.
• 15 second dead hang. You’re climbing across a wire between two buildings, don’t drop!
• Frog jumps 2 lengths of the room. Pretend you’re a frog because dinosaurs don’t like to eat frog legs.
• 10 tuck jumps. Jump over the fallen trees!
• 10 push-ups. Push those doors open to get to safety, the Compsognathus are coming!
• 10 overhead presses using your favorite book. Knowledge is power, and it’s what has kept you alive!

Stay warm during the Miami episode.

• 10 cobra push ups
• 5 toes to bar or 10 V-up situps
• 10 “I’m a star” burpees (in the jump of your burpee, spread your arms and legs wide and say “I’m a star”)
• 10 squats
• In push up position, balance on only right arm and left left for 10 seconds, then repeat with other arm and leg for 10 seconds
• 25 jumps on tiptoes
• 10 jumping lunges each side
• 5 pull ups or 15 push ups
• 10 second side planks, on each side
• 10 stradle jumps

Here’s your work out for the Indianapolis Qualifiers!

• 10 single leg jumps, each leg.
• Hold legs 6 inches above the ground for 20 seconds.
• 10 dips.
• Mark out a box on the floor and jump to each corner 5 times.
• Grab a book and do 10 tricep presses.
• Grab a chair, or use your couch, and do 10 step ups with each leg.
• 10 normal push ups followed by 10 push ups from your knees
• 20 jumping jacks
• 10 inchworms
• 5 pistol squats each leg
• Shadow box for 20 seconds

Keep busy during the Philadelphia Qualifiers

• Frog jumps across the room twice.
• Jog in place for 30 seconds.
• 10 step ups each leg
• 10 cross body crunches
• 25 second plank
• 10 second lockoff
• 10 second deadhang
• 25 push ups
• 25 squats
• Lay on your back and write your first and last name in the air using your legs
• 15 burpees

Don’t skip out on fitness just because there’s no new Ninja Warrior the week of July 2!

• 10 sit ups
• 10 tuck jumps
• 10 side lunges each side
• 5 segmented pushups (go down halfway and hold for 3 second, go all the way down, come up halfway and hold for 3 seconds, up to top position)
• Grab a towel, roll it up, and squeeze as hard as you can for 10 seconds
• 10 diamond pushups
• 5 pull ups (or 10 dips)
• 10 second lock off (or hold a half pushups position for 10 seconds)
• 10 V ups
• Wall sit for 20 seconds

Here are your exercises for the Minneapolis Qualifiers!

• 5 jumping lunges each side
• 10 wide arm pushups
• 20 second plank
• 10 inchworms
• 5 segmented pushups (go down halfway and hold for 3 second, go all the way down, come up halfway and hold for 3 seconds, up to top position)
• Grab a towel, roll it up, and squeeze as hard as you can for 10 seconds
• 5 pull ups (or 10 dips)
• 10 heel raises
• 10 squats
• 10 heel clicks

Feeling strong for the Los Angeles City Finals? Bump up the reps!

• 15 Pushups
• 15 Situps
• 15 Lunges each side
• 15 Heel raises
• 30 second one leg balance each leg
• 15 Burpees
• 10 Inch worms
• 10 High jumps
• 10 V ups
• 7 Pull ups (or 15 dips)

Keep it moving during the Dallas City Finals

• 45 second Jog in place
• 15 Dips
• 7 Pistol squats each leg
• 30 seconds Swimmer kicks
• 30 second Plank
• 30 second Wall sit
• 20 second Deadhang
• Frog jumps from one wall to another and back
• 15 Tuck jumps
• 15 Push ups

We’re back in Miami for the City Finals!

• 12 cobra push ups
• 7 toes to bar or 15 V-up situps
• 15 “I’m a star” burpees (in the jump of your burpee, spread your arms and legs wide and say “I’m a star”)
• 15 squats
• In push up position, balance on only right arm and left left for 20 seconds, then repeat with other arm and leg for 20 seconds
• 40 jumps on tiptoes
• 15 jumping lunges each side
• 7 pull ups or 20 push ups
• 20 second side planks, on each side
• 15 straddle jumps

Keep the blood pumping during the return to Indianapolis.

• 15 single leg jumps, each leg
• Lay on back, raise legs 6 inches off the ground, hold for 30 seconds
• 15 dips
• Mark a box on the ground, jump to each corner 8 times
• 15 tricep presses using a book or weight
• 15 step ups, each leg
• 10 push ups followed by 15 push ups from knees
• 30 jumping Jack’s
• 10 inch worms
• 10 pistol squats, each leg
• Shadow box for 30 seconds

Philly Finals!

• Frog jumps across the room twice.
• 15 step ups each leg
• 15 cross body crunches
• 30 second plank
• 15 second lock off or 30 dips
• 15 second deadhang or 30 second plank
• 25 push ups
• 15 squat jumps
• Lay on your back and write your first and last name in the air using your legs
• Paper challenge: fold a piece of paper in half and try to pick it up with your mouth while balancing on one leg. If successful, try while balancing on the other leg.

It’s the last City Finals! Don’t give up during Minneapolis!

• 10 jumping lunges each side
• 15 wide arm pushups
• 10 inchworms
• 5 segmented pushups (go down halfway and hold for 3 second, go all the way down, come up halfway and hold for 3 seconds, up to top position)
• Grab a towel, roll it up, and squeeze as hard as you can for 15 seconds
• 7 pull ups (or 15 dips)
• 15 heel raises
• 30 second wall sit
• 15 heel clicks

Welcome to night one of the National Finals!

• 8 Pull ups
• 30 seconds of swimmers
• 20 dips
• 20 second deadhang (or 25 push-ups)
• 15 high jumps
• Run from TV to front door 4 times
• 15 side lunges
• Crab Walk from TV to front door and back
• 10 “I’m a Star” burpees
• Celebration Dance

Time for National Finals night two

• 30 Jumping jacks
• Balance on one leg for 20 seconds, balance on the other leg for 20 seconds
• 20 heel raises
• Balance in a V-up position for 15 seconds
• 20 push ups followed by 10 push ups from knees
• High knees for 30 seconds
• 15 jumping lunges, each side
• 20 dips
• 15 side lunges, each side

One more round for the season finale!

• 15 V-ups- 10 pull ups (or 25 dips)
• Side planks, 20 seconds each side
• 20 squat jumps
• 5 inch worms
• 25 push ups
• 20 second deadhang (or 25 push ups)
• 15 frog jumps
• 10 I’m a Star burpees

We’ll keep updating this with more exercises as Mike comes up with them. That way, you can refer back to this during ANY show and get moving. Suddenly those TV binge sessions won’t make you feel guilty

As with any exercise, you should only do what’s right for you. If you don’t know what an exercise is, just do something that gets you out of that armchair for a minute or so. Remember to stay safe!

Follow Mike on Twitter and use #CouchlessCommercials during the show to play along!