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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