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A typical weekly split routine when training hard with calisthenics and/or weights is the Push-Pull-Leg Split. In this, for the first three days of the week, you do all the upper-body exercises that target the “push” muscles: chest, triceps and shoulders. Then on Day 2, you do exercises targeting the upper-body “pull” muscles: biceps, forearms/grip, and upper back/lats. On Day 3 of the split, you do legs, including squats, lunges and leg machines. You could do dead lifts on leg day, but many place it in the “pull” day of the split, along with farmer walks and other grip/core exercises.
Here is a favorite “push” day with running we do for our special ops candidates.
Read More: Training to Fatigue? Rethinking Limits for Muscle Growth and Strength
Who Doesn’t Like a Good ‘Chest’ Day?
This is not your typical bodybuilding split routine.
Warm up with the Pushup/Jog Pyramid.
- Start with 1 pushup; jog 100 meters
- 2 pushups; jog 100 meters
- 3 pushups; jog 100 meters …
Continue up to 10 pushups for a total of 55 pushups. Follow it with a 1-mile jog to finish the warmup.
Lift First
With calisthenics, cardio, and lifting, do the more difficult activity first. Here is the first section of bench press and resting with core exercises:
Repeat 4 times:
- Bench 5-10 + pushups max (no rest)
- Abs of choice, 1 min.
For the bench press, pick a weight that you can barely complete 10 reps with. After you do the bench press reps, drop immediately into the pushup position for max reps with no rest after the bench. The reason for this weighted push with calisthenics immediately following is to help prepare for 2-minute pushup tests without having to do 2 minutes of pushups each set. The pushups after the bench press should feel like the last 20-30 seconds of a 2-minute pushup test as you struggle to get the final 5-10 reps. If you can do more than 10 pushups, you did not do enough bench press reps. Rest with a variety of core exercises, such as situps, flutter kicks, knee-ups or plank pose.
Auxiliary Pushing
The next set of pushing exercises represent auxiliary pushing, working the shoulders, chest and triceps in a different plane. Try this back-to-back-to-back with no rest other than the easy 400-meter run (or 2 minutes of other cardio) as active rest.
Repeat 3 times:
- Military press: 10
- Tricep extensions: 10
- Dips max
- Run 400 meters easy (or bike 2 minutes)
Fast Run + Rest With Pushups
This is a challenging calisthenics/run workout with active rest in the form of pushups. Do this as a fast 100-meter run (near full sprint), turning around and jogging back. Work to make it back in 50-60 seconds. Then do 10 pushups as your active rest. Take 10 more seconds and do the next set for 10 sets:
Repeat 10 times
- Run 100 meters fast
- Run 100 meters easy
- Pushups: 10
Death by Pushups
The grand finale of pushing consists of doing the 10-minute plank pose, but you do 10 pushups every minute on the minute (EMOM). We call this “Death by Pushups.” Most military fitness tests require a plank pose followed by pushups. Here is a way to get good at both.
PT Test Run
The final event is the 1.5-mile run or whatever your branch of service requires for its running fitness test.
This is a challenging push-and-cardio workout that combines several events. For more ideas, check out the Military.com Fitness Section for both group and individual training ideas for all levels of fitness.
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17 Comments
I’m curious about the reasoning behind doing the more difficult activity first, such as lifting, and then following up with calisthenics and cardio, does this really help with preparing for 2-minute pushup tests?
From my experience, starting with the most challenging exercises helps to ensure you’re putting in maximum effort before fatigue sets in, which is crucial for pushup tests.
The combination of a fast 100-meter run followed by 10 pushups as active rest is a unique approach to integrating cardio and strength training, I’m interested in trying this out to see how it affects my overall fitness.
The idea of doing a 1-mile jog after the Pushup/Jog Pyramid warmup sounds challenging, but I can see how it would prepare you for the intense ‘push’ day workout ahead, particularly with the bench press and pushups.
The Push-Pull-Leg Split routine mentioned in the article is a great way to organize a weekly workout, I’ve seen it help with muscle growth and strength, especially when focusing on upper-body exercises like chest, triceps, and shoulders.
I’ve tried a similar routine and found that it’s essential to listen to your body and adjust the intensity based on how you feel, especially on leg day with squats and lunges.
The article’s approach to rethinking limits for muscle growth and strength, as mentioned in the ‘Training to Fatigue’ section, resonates with me, as I believe pushing past perceived limits is key to significant progress in fitness.
The strategy of picking a weight for the bench press that you can barely complete 10 reps with, and then immediately dropping into pushups, seems designed to push your limits and simulate the fatigue experienced during long-duration pushup tests.
The auxiliary pushing exercises, including military press, tricep extensions, and dips, seem like a well-rounded way to work the shoulders, chest, and triceps in different planes, adding variety to the workout.
The ‘Death by Pushups’ section, where you do 10 pushups every minute on the minute during a 10-minute plank pose, sounds incredibly demanding, I wonder how this compares to other calisthenics workouts in terms of effectiveness.
The mention of doing dead lifts on leg day or incorporating them into the ‘pull’ day of the split raises questions about the optimal placement of compound exercises within a weekly routine, considering factors like muscle groups and recovery time.
I’ve found that incorporating core exercises like situps, flutter kicks, or plank pose as rest periods between sets can be highly beneficial for overall core strength and stability, which complements the ‘push’ day workout nicely.
I’m skeptical about the feasibility of this intense ‘push’ day routine for beginners, considering the high volume of exercises and the emphasis on doing sets to fatigue, perhaps a more gradual introduction to such workouts would be advisable.
The use of running as part of the warmup and interspersed with pushup exercises, such as in the Pushup/Jog Pyramid, is an innovative way to combine cardio and strength training, potentially enhancing endurance and muscular performance.
The ‘push’ day workout described, with its combination of bench press, pushups, and auxiliary exercises like military press and dips, seems comprehensive in targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps, which are crucial for upper-body strength.
The inclusion of a 1-mile jog to finish the warmup and the subsequent bench press routine highlights the importance of both cardio endurance and muscular strength in a well-rounded fitness program, especially for special ops candidates.
I appreciate how the article emphasizes the importance of active rest, such as the easy 400-meter run or 2 minutes of other cardio, to allow for recovery between sets without completely stopping the workout, this approach can be applied to various exercises.