Workout of the Week: Different Choreography

Here is a two-for-one special this week. It is essentially the same workout, just arranged differently with the same exercises to produce a different effect. We did version number 1 on a Monday, a Max Rep Set workout on Wednesday and version number 2 on Friday last week.

The workout is essentially a pushup pyramid where you run back and forth on a field, track or basketball court and do increasing numbers of push-ups each lap.

Push-up pyramid 1-20 (plus running pull-ups, sit-ups, dips)

1-5 push-up pyramid

Run 25 meters, one push-up; run 25 meters, two push-ups; run 25 meters, three push-ups; run 25 meters, four push-ups; run 25 meters, five push-ups. After every fifth set, do the following exercises:

• Run one mile
• Pullups max
• Sit-ups one minute at goal pace for one- to two-minute tests
• Dips max

6-10 push-up pyramid:

• Go from 6-10, with 25-meter runs between each set.
• Run one mile
• Pull-ups max
• Sit-ups one minute at goal pace for one- to two-minute tests
• Dips max

11-15 push-up pyramid:

• Run one mile
• Pull-ups max
• Sit-ups one minute at goal pace for one- to two-minute tests
• Dips max

16-20 push-up pyramid:

• Run one mile
• Pull-ups max
• Sit-ups one minute at goal pace for one- to two-minute tests
• Dips max

Cooldown swim, bike or elliptical for 15 minutes

The total sum of this workout depends upon your ability to do max-effort pull-ups, dips and paced sit-ups each round. However, you run four miles and do 210 push-ups in this workout.

Here is another way to arrange this one for a completely different feel of the same type of workout. This requires a place to run like a track or road, and you could try it on a field or basketball court as well.

Run one mile, but every 40-50 meters, stop and do a push-up. You will accumulate 40-50 push-ups per mile. Then do your max-rep sets of pull-ups, dips and sit-ups for one minute. Repeat that three more times. You will get roughly the same number of push-ups, dips, sit-ups, running and pull-ups, but it is just different.

It is different because you cannot get into groove with running the short/fast runs. You can push yourself and make them faster than job-paced runs and border on sprinting. You will find you are working harder if you push yourself on the 40- to 50-meter runs than on a steady one-mile run. Regardless of the workout you try or if you do both, work hard on the runs. This workout is designed to help you with the PT/running transition issues many people have when doing PT tests.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.