How to get interactive during American Ninja Warrior

So, we don’t know if you all have heard, but AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR IS BACK! Season 11 starts tonight, Wednesday, May 29 at 8/7c on NBC! We’ll be ready later on with recaps of the action and extra interviews with the contestants, but there are even more way to go deeper when watching Ninja Warrior.

First, tweet along with us! You can follow us here on Twitter. We’ll live tweet the show (so it will NOT be spoiler-free) and we want you to chat with us there. Be sure to use the hashtag #AmericanNinjaWarrior to chime in.

Next, American Ninja Warrior episodes are two-hours long. That’s a lot of Ninja action, and a lot of time to spend on the couch. So get moving! During season 10, American Ninja Warrior competitor Mike Meyers came up with #CouchlessCommercials. It’s a series of short exercises that you and your family can get done while the show takes commercial breaks.

He’s back for season 11! Mike shared this list of suggested excises to accompany your viewing of the season premiere.

Keep in mind that these are suggestions. Don’t hurt yourself! Do as much as you can and be proud you got off the couch!

Los Angeles Qualifiers:

• 5 push ups
• 5 sit ups
• 5 squats
• 10 jumping jacks
• 5 heel raises
• 10 seconds of jogging in place
• 5 dips
• 5 lunges
• 5 squat jumps
• 15 second wall sit

Atlanta Qualifiers

• 5 inch worms
• Hold a plank for 15 seconds
• 5 side lunges, each side
• Bear crawl across the room and back twice
• 5 burpees
• Deadhang for 5 seconds
• Balance on one leg, with your eyes closed, for 5 seconds. Repeat with other leg
• 2 slow push ups. 5 seconds down, 5 seconds up
• High knees for 10 seconds
• Lay on the ground. Keeping your legs straight, spell your first name in the air with your feet

Oklahoma City Qualifiers

• 10 seconds One arm out, one leg out. Switch.
• 10 sec mountain climbers
• 5 in line push ups
• 15 sec passing object through legs
• 3 pull ups
• 5 sec lock off
• 10 high jumps
• 10 sec side plank, each side
• 5 jumping lunges, each side
• 5 boat rockers

Seattle/Tacoma Qualifiers

• 5 single leg heel raises, each side
• 5 pistol squats
• 20 split leg pass throughs
• 20 second plank
• 10 dips
• 10 lunges
• 15 seconds shadow box
• 5 step ups, each side
• 15 second deadhang
• 25 second wall sit

Baltimore Qualifiers

• 7 burpees
• 10 tuck jumps
• 25 jumping jacks
• 15 second side plank, each side
• 15 squats
• 5 pull ups
• 5 inch worms
• Do lunges across the room and back
• Hold a reverse table top position for 15 seconds
• 3 clapping push ups or 15 normal push ups

Cincinnati Qualifiers

• 5 one legged jumps, each leg
• 7 diamond push ups
• 15 seconds of swimmers
• 10 heel raises
• Frog jumps across the room
• 15 seconds of mountain climbers
• In push up position, do 10 shoulder touches, each arm
• 10 boat rockers
• 10 QM movements (get in half push up position and move opposite arm and leg forward)
• Hold a half push up position for 10 seconds

Los Angeles City Finals

• Hold a plank position and twist to touch one hip to the ground, repeat 7 times with each hip
• In a push up position, one arm at a time, transition to a plank position on your elbows, then go back to push up position 5 times
• 4 pull ups
• 10 dips
• 5 jumping lunges, each side
• 25 jumping jacks
• High knees for 20 seconds
• Hold a superman position for 10 seconds (laying on your stomach with arms and legs lifted off the ground)
• 7 heel clicks
• 4 cobra push ups

Atlanta City Finals

• Balance on one leg for 15 seconds, then repeat with your other leg
• Sit on the ground, move to a standing position without using your hands - Repeat 7 times.
• In a push-up position, bring one knee across to touch the opposite elbow, repeat with other knee and elbow - 7 times each side.
• Hold side plank for 10 seconds each side
• Shadow box for 20 seconds
• Imitate your favorite Ninja running through the first 3 obstacles of the course
• Wall sit for 15 seconds
• 7 wide arm push ups
• 5 slow push ups, 7 seconds down, 7 seconds up
• Jump up as high as you can 10 times

Oklahoma City Finals

• 5 typewriters, each side (Hold a half push up position the entire time, then move your upper body to the left until your right arm is straight. Come back to center and repeat on opposite side.)
• 20 raise the roofs (overhead presses without weights)
• Crab walk across the room and back
• Start in a push up position, move your left arm and left leg over to the other side of your body so you’re facing up. Repeat 5 times. Try and keep your back as straight as possible through the whole exercise.
• Hold a half lunge position for 10 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
• 5 inchworms
• 7 burpees
• 10 heel raises
• 15 dips
• Walk across the room and back on your heels only

Seattle/Tacoma City Finals

• 10 side crunches, each side
• Hold a superman for 15 seconds (lie on your stomach, arms and legs extended and lifted into the air)
• While on your back, bring your knees to your chest 10 times
• Grab a book, hold it out in front of you, and turn it 180 degrees like a steering wheel, 5 times each direction.
• Put a book on the floor in front of you. Pick it up and raise it over your head, then place it back on the ground 7 times.
• 7 pull ups
• 15 push ups
• 15 squats
• 6 lunges, each side
• Frog jumps across the room and back

Baltimore City Finals

• Bear crawl across the room and back
• 10 squat jumps
• 25 jumping jacks
• 15 crunches
• 10 dips
• Sit on the ground with your legs straight in front of you. Place your hands next to your hips and lift your butt off the ground. Hold this position for 5 seconds. This is considered an assisted L-sit.
• Hold a lock off for 7 seconds
• Hold each type of plank (normal, and both sides) for 5 seconds each
• 7 burpees
• Run in place for 15 seconds

Cincinnati City Finals

• 12 wide push ups
• 15 seconds of mountain climbers
• 4 pull ups
• 5 push ups with feet on the couch
• 20 seconds run in place
• Side planks, 10 seconds each side
• 20 second wall sit
• 20 second plank
• 20 second reverse table top
• 20 second superman

National Finals - night one

• Tabletop position, touch left arm to right knee, then extend both out. 4 times each side
• 20 seconds of swimmers
• 20 seconds high knees
• 7 side lunges, each side
• Hold a squat position and side step 7 steps to the right and 7 steps to the left
• Draw an imaginary line on the floor and jump sideways over it 15 times back and forth.
• Using the same imaginary line, jump forwards and backwards over it 15 times.
• 15 heel raises
• 20 jumping jacks
• 20 sit ups

National Finals - night two

• Balance on one foot with your eyes close for 5 seconds. Switch feet.
• QM across the room. QM is being in a push up position and moving using opposite arm and leg movements.
• Lay flat on your back and bring your knees to your chest 10 times
• Walk on your tip toes across the room and back
• 5 clapping push ups. Give them a try! If you can’t do them from a normal push up position, try them from your knees.
• Hold a high knee position (one knee up) for 5 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat 4 times each leg.
• 10 burpees
• 30 jumping jacks
• Using the couch or a chair do 7 step ups with each leg
• 10 second deadhang

National Finals - night three

• 5 pull ups
• 10 burpees
• 25 second wall sit
• 7 lunges, each side
• 12 dips
• 15 heel raises
• 30 jumping jacks
• Run in place for 20 seconds
• 20 seconds of mountain climbers
• 15 sit ups

National Finals - night four

• Lock off for 11 seconds
• 11 tuck jumps
• 11 pull ups
• 11 cobra push ups
• 11 seconds of swimmers
• 11 squats
• 11 dips
• 11 frog jumps
• 11 “I’m a Star” burpees
• 11 heel clicks

We’ll update this list each week with more exercises. So have fun, get moving, tweet along, and make American Ninja Warrior an interactive experience!