There’s nothing quite like a workout that keeps you moving when the holidays try their hardest to slow everything down.
The 12 Days of Christmas workout is a simple, festive way to fit in a full-body session at home—no gym, no equipment, no complicated setup. It’s designed to help you stay consistent during one of the busiest times of the year, while still delivering a solid strength and cardio challenge.
The format is inspired by the classic holiday song: 12 different movements performed in descending fashion, building volume as you go. The result is a longer, steady workout that gets your heart rate up, works your entire body, and leaves you feeling accomplished, even if you only had a small window of time to move.
As a coach, I know how hard it can be to stick to structured training during the holidays, and that’s okay. This workout isn’t about hitting exact splits or checking boxes; it’s a fun, flexible way to keep moving, wherever you are, when your normal routine gets disrupted.
What is the 12 Days of Christmas Workout?
The 12 Days of Christmas Workout is a full-body routine that’s easy to follow and perfect for squeezing in movement during the holidays. The format mirrors the classic song, with a new movement added each round, which keeps things playful and engaging as you go.
To make it even smoother, it can help to jot the movements down somewhere visible so you can stay organized and enjoy the flow of the workout without overthinking it.
Before you start, take a quick look through the 12 movements, so you feel comfortable with each one—there’s nothing fancy here, just familiar, functional exercises.
One of the best parts? It’s a bodyweight-only workout, so you can do it just about anywhere—at home, while traveling, or wherever the holidays take you. No equipment needed, just a bit of open space and a wall.
This workout is designed to keep you moving and breaking a sweat in a way that feels energizing rather than overwhelming. Think of it as a fun holiday challenge that helps you stay active, not something you need to “survive” or overanalyze.
How to Do the 12 Days of Christmas CrossFit Workout
To prepare for the workout, you will need a space by the wall and an exercise mat. You will also need enough space to complete broad jumps.
The workout follows the pattern of the 12 Days of Christmas song.
You start with one rep of the first movement. In the next round, you do two reps of the second movement, then one rep of the first movement. Each new round adds a movement at the top, then works back down through all the previous movements until you finish with one rep of the first movement.
You do this all the way until the last movement, where you will do 12 of the twelfth movement, 11 of the eleventh movement, 10 of the tenth movement, 9 of the ninth movement, etc., all the way down to one rep of the first movement. This last set will total 78 reps.
When all is said and done, you will do 12 sets, starting at 1 rep, then 3, then 6, then 10, and so on.
Here is the exact format:
12 rounds for time, starting with 1> 2-1 > 3-2-1 > and so on
- 1 Wall Walk
- 2 Candlesticks
- 3 Burpees
- 4 Push-ups
- 5 Walking lunges
- 6 Air squats
- 7 Sit-ups
- 8 Jumping squats
- 9 Jumping lunges
- 10 Broad jumps
- 11 Handstand push-ups
- 12 Pistol squats
Remember to start at one rep and work up to the movement with 12 reps.
Since you do not need exercise equipment for this workout, all that setting up will require is wall space for handstand pushups and wall walks, and at least a 20-foot strip for completing broad jumps.
How to Scale the 12 Days of Christmas Workout for Each Fitness Level
Beginners:
There are various ways to adapt this workout so beginners can complete it. The best option is to modify the individual movements rather than the number of reps and take rests between sets if needed.
We suggest the following as the best option:
12 rounds for time, starting with 1> 2-1 > 3-2-1 > and so on
- 1 Inchworm
- 2 Candlesticks Without Standing
- 3 Step- up Burpees
- 4 Box Push-ups
- 5 Alternating Lunges
- 6 Air Squats
- 7 Crunches
- 8 Jumping squats
- 9 Jumping lunges
- 10 Broad Jumps
- 11 Pike Push-ups
- 12 Lateral Box Step-ups
You can rest between sets and, if necessary, between movements.
Intermediates:
If you are an intermediate CrossFit athlete, you can do all the movements on the 12 Days of Christmas workout list. However, doing the complete number of reps doing the regulated form of each movement may be too challenging.
To complete this workout in its entirety, it is a good idea to scale some of the movements slightly.
We recommend trying the following workout:
12 rounds for time, starting with 1> 2-1 > 3-2-1 > and so on
- 1 Wall Walk
- 2 Candlesticks on Stacked Mats
- 3 Burpees
- 4 Push-ups on Knees
- 5 Walking Lunges
- 6 Air Squats
- 7 Sit-Ups
- 8 Jumping Squats
- 9 Jumping Lunges
- 10 Broad Jumps
- 11 Handstand Push-ups Against the Wall
- 12 Pistols with Support
If you feel you cannot complete the workout with rest, limit yourself to brief rest between sets, not between movements.
Advanced:
The 12 Days of Christmas workout should be completed as written and without rest for advanced athletes. You should really be pushing the pace, trying to lay it all out there.
The workout should look like this:
12 rounds for time, starting with 1> 2-1 > 3-2-1 > and so on
- 1 Wall Walk
- 2 Candlesticks
- 3 Burpees
- 4 Push-ups
- 5 Walking Lunges
- 6 Air Squats
- 7 Sit-ups
- 8 Jumping Squats
- 9 Jumping Lunges
- 10 Broad Jumps
- 11 Handstand Push-ups
- 12 Pistols
Your score comes from the total elapsed time to complete the entire workout.
How Long Does It Take to Do The 12 Days of Christmas Workout?
The time it takes you to complete this workout will vary from one individual to the next. Because this workout is longer, efficiency in the simple movements and overall endurance will definitely play a part.
Considering the scaled versions of the workouts we provided, this is how long we expect this workout to take athletes:
- Beginner athletes: 35 minutes
- Intermediate athletes: 30 minutes or less
- Advanced athlete: under 20 minutes
We cannot forget to mention the beast athletes who can crush this workout in under 17 minutes. Now that is moving.
The 12 Days of Christmas CrossFit workout is a fun challenge and quite different from your traditional WODs. It is meant to be a lot of work, but also a fun way to switch up your workout for the holidays.
Some CrossFit boxes or individuals who are really into CrossFit like to make their own version of this workout.
It is the perfect base for creating something fun and challenging.
If you want to try another CrossFit workout that will torch your full body, check out this next guide:
