By Clark Hibbs
Last week, I posted a Path To Pull Ups program. I mean, I hear it all the time here in the gym… “I really want a strict pull up.”
But you know what ELSE I hear a lot?
“Wow, push ups are so hard. I need to work on those.
Yes you do, and so do I.
We ALL do.
So here’s a great 8 week program you can start today to get better at your push ups. This is 2-3 days a week and will require about 10-15 minutes. You could easily do this before or after class, or pop over to Local Cove a few days a week and knock it out there.
Either way, let’s get some more push up proficiency in our lives.
The program is quite simple. There are 2 mandatory days each week, followed by a third “optional” day. To make it even MORE simple, we’re keeping the exercises very basic and accessible. Try to put at least 1 rest day in between the 2 mandatory days.
The exercises involved in this program:
- Incline/Bench push ups
- Knee push ups
- Dumbbell chest presses
- Dumbbell rows
- Planks
- Direct arm work (biceps and triceps)
- Accessory shoulder training
Enough fluff. Let’s jump right into this.
The numbers will be listed as sets x reps. So if you see 3×7, that would be 3 sets of 7 reps. Take 45 seconds to 75 seconds in between each set.
NOTE – BEFORE YOU START THIS – TEST YOUR MAXIMUM UNBROKEN NUMBER OF PUSH UPS.
| WEEK | Day 1 | Day 2 | Optional Day 3 |
| Week 1 |
Make these challenging. If it feels too easy… it is! |
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| Week 2 |
You can decrease the height of the bench by putting your feet on a few plates. |
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| Week 3 |
Increasing volume this week. |
Changing the planks to low planks. |
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| Week 4 |
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| Week 5 |
Use weights that cause you to fail in the 12-15 range for the chest press |
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| Week 6 |
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(Notice how much stronger your shoulders and arms are feeling? |
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| Week 7 |
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| Week 8 |
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At the completion of the 8 weeks, re-test your maximum number of unbroken push ups. I’m not a gambler, but I’d put the house on you showing improvement.
The cool part about this 8 week program is you can take 1-2 weeks off of this, and then start it right back up so you can continue to see some solid push up progress. Having a large capacity for push ups only has upsides, and I hope to see you with better push ups in the near future!
Let us know if we can be of any help!
-Coach Clark
