Physical fitness isn’t just about lifting. It’s about how strong you are relevant to your body weight, says Martin Rooney, the author of Ultimate Warrior Workouts. That’s why he has his athletes-in-training do body-weight tests. If they struggle, they need to either gain strength or lose weight.
| The test | The rules | How you did | Problems to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do as many push-ups as you can in three minutes | 1. Rest whenever you want, but keep the clock running the whole time. 2. For a rep to count, you must maintain perfect form: elbows locked at the top, chest five centimetres above the floor at the bottom, hips not sagging and knees not touching the floor. 3. Pace yourself however you’d like, but it’s best not to rush, says Rooney. Take a 15-second break once you slow down after your first burst. Then take longer breaks as you become more tired, he says. Never push yourself to total fatigue. | <55 push-ups Below average 55-74 push-ups Average 75-99 push-ups Good 100-110 push-ups Excellent 111 or more Extraordinary | If you can’t do 15 push-ups with perfect form . . . Your chest and triceps are weak. Strengthen them by doing regular high-rep (12-15) sets of the bench press and triceps pushdown. Also try push-ups using a barbell supported in a power rack, so you can set your body at an incline, making the push-up easier. As you improve,lower the barbell until you’re doing regular push-ups. If your hips sag during push-ups . . . Your core is weak. Solution: planks and side planks. These exercises build core stability and endurance, and mimic the movement needed to succeed at push-ups. They’re also great for abs workouts. |
| Week | Sets | Push-ups | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 4 | 20 | 2 minutes |
| Week 2 | 6 | 20 | 1 minute |
| Week 3 | 4 | 25 | 1 minute |
| Week 4 | 3 | as many as you can | 2 minutes |
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