Train From Home: 5 Challenging Exercises That Require Just A Wall

Here are 5 effective and deceptively challenging exercises you can do from home. These exercises use nothing more than a wall.

#1) Explosive Wall Push-Ups (and regression)

This is obviously a very advanced push-up variation. This exercise improves upper body power, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. As you can see, rather than jumping back from the wall to the floor as the impact can be high (particularly if you don’t know how to absorb shock), I am returning to the floor by placing one hand down at a time.

If this exercise is too challenging, you can perform plank wall walks, which are also a great option.

Coaching Tips (for explosive push-ups):

Get into a plank position from your hands and feet. Set your body so it is in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position. You should be relatively close to a wall.

While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor. During the push-up component, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.

Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.

Position your hands so they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Figure out what hand width and positioning works and feels best for you.

At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows and wrists should be in a relatively stacked position.

Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.

Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.

Descend into the push-up and retract your shoulder blades. Think about lightly drawing your shoulder blades together and towards your spine as you are performing the eccentric component, but do not overdo this movement. Imagine you are pulling or “rowing” your body down to the floor. Do not just drop down.

In the bottom position, your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out. In the bottom position, your body and upper arms should resemble an “arrow,” not a “T”.

Once your upper arms are approximately parallel to the floor, explode off the floor with your upper body, and place your hands on a wall. Land on the wall as softly as you can.

As you are exploding off the floor, you may pike your hips a slight amount.

When you are pressing your body away from the floor, protract your shoulder blades. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, hips to collapse, or neck to collapse.

In term of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#2) Feet Elevated Glute/Hamstring Marches

This deceptively challenging exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on your back on the floor. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

Bend your knees, and elevate your feet on a wall. Make sure your knees are in line with your feet.

If you wish to target more glutes, keep your knees bent at about 90 degrees. Conversely, if you wish to target more hamstrings, adopt a greater knee angle (be farther away from the wall).

Now extend your hips by driving through the back portion of your feet and squeezing your glutes and hamstrings, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage. In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your knees to shoulders. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.

While keeping your body in a relatively fixed position, remove one foot from the wall and bring your knee in towards your body. Hold for a count, and return your foot to the wall. Reset, and repeat using the opposite side.

While you should feel your glutes for the duration of the exercise, you should really feel your hamstrings on the side that remains against the wall.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your weight on the back portion of your feet. Do not allow your weight to shift to your toes, and for your heels to leave the wall (on the side(s) that is planted).

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to drop.

Do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain a 360 degree brace, and keep your glutes engaged (on the side(s) that is in contact with the wall).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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#3) Prone Feet Elevated Band Resisted Psoas Marches

This exercise strengthens the psoas muscles, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.

Coaching Tips:

Place a resistance band around your feet.

Get into a plank position from your hands and feet, and elevate your feet on a wall. Your body should be roughly parallel to the floor. Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.

Your hands can be placed so they are slightly ahead of your shoulders, as this positioning will better allow you to press your body into the wall, and will help prevent your feet from sliding down the wall.

While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor/elevated surface. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.

Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.

Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor.

Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.

Now lift one foot off the wall and bring your knee in towards your torso. Return your leg and foot to the starting position with control.

For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not mindlessly hang out. Also, as your hands are slightly ahead of the shoulders, there should be some scapular upward rotation.

For the duration of the exercise, aside from the leg that is performing the “march,” the rest of your body should remain in a relatively fixed position.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or excessively round, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, weight to shift from foot to foot, or hips to pike or collapse.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain a 360 degree brace, and keep your glutes engaged (on the side(s) that is in contact with the wall).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#4) Dead Bugs + Wall Press

This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on the floor, and so your head is relatively close to a wall. Figure out what distance works and feels best for you. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

Lift your head and neck so they are several inches above the floor, or you may keep your head on the floor (as in this video). Keep your chin tucked, and neck in a neutral position.

Keep your elbows relatively bent, and press your hands backwards into the wall. Maintain this pressure for the duration of the exercise.

Fully extend your knees, or keep them bent at 90 degrees (I recommend starting out at 90 degrees). Keep your knees in this position for 100% of the exercise.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).

Now contract your anterior core muscles, steadily exhale through your mouth, slowly lower your leg towards the floor. Return your leg to the starting position. Reset and repeat using the opposite leg.

Keep your non-moving leg in a fixed position.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.

Keep your legs relatively relaxed so they do not dominate.

#5) Feet Elevated Plank Opposite Shoulder Touches

This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.

Coaching Tips:

Get into a plank position from your hands and feet, and elevate your feet on a wall. Your body should be roughly parallel to the floor. Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.

Your hands can be placed so they are slightly ahead of your shoulders, as this positioning will better allow you to press your body into the wall, and will help prevent your feet from sliding down the wall.

While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor/elevated surface. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.

Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.

Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor.

Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.

Lift one hand off the floor and place it on your opposite shoulder. Pause for a count, and return your hand to the floor with control.

For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not mindlessly hang out. Also, as your hands are slightly ahead of the shoulders, there should be some scapular upward rotation.

For the duration of the exercise, aside from the arm that is performing the opposite shoulder touch, the rest of your body should remain in a relatively fixed position.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, weight to shift from foot to foot, or hips to pike or collapse.