The evil Russian’s “hit the deck” programme

WEEK 1

Mon: 100% test, relative intensity (RI) 30% Set frequency (SF) 60 min
Tues: RI 50% SF 60 min
Wed: RI 60% SF 45 min
Thurs: RI 25% SF 60 min
Fri: RI 45% SF 30 min
Sat: RI 40% SF 60 min
Sun: RI 20% SF 90 min

WEEK 2

Mon: 100% test RI 35% SF 45min
Tues: RI 55% SF 20 min
Wed: RI 30% SF 15 min
Thurs: RI 65% SF 60min
Fri: RI 35% SF 45 min
Sat: RI 45% SF 60 min
Sun: RI 25% SF120 min

WEEK 3

Mon: 100% test


The program outlined in the chart above is self-explanatory. Just drop & give me a specified percentage of your last personal best at given time intervals throughout the day. For instance, if you managed 50 push-ups on your test, do 25 on the day that calls for 50% relative intensity. On Mondays, test yourself for one set & do east sets for the rest of the day. You are going to love the constant pump!
Time the breaks between your sets, but you do not have a fit if you missed your date with the concrete here & there. Make it up if you can; do not sweat it if you cannot. Do your sets from the time you get up until an hour before you go to bed. Naturally, most comrades with a real job will have a couple of gaps in their day when they cannot drop & pump out push-ups. Do not worry about it; just gets back on schedule when the boss looks the other way.
Note that you are only supposed to go to the limit once a week. High rep sets to exhaustion are a lot more dangerous than they look. Tension in the stabilising muscles is inadequate to protect the joints & the connective tissues; the latter really get it in the shorts. So do not mess with the outline; stay well within your ability except on test days! Do not worry, you’ll make great gains without collapsing on the last rep, dripping in sweat & making macho faces.
The prescribed regimen requires that you say no to any other upper-body work with the exception of pull-ups or chin-ups. Either of these military favourites will hit the muscles missed by the push-ups & balance out your deltoids.

A word on push-ups for reasons other than getting buff or becoming one of the few good men. Push-ups are no good for strength unless you can merely manage a couple. The time-honoured push-up, however, is useful for developing shoulder endurance for sports such as boxing.

Proper push-up technique

Whether you’re training for the boxing ring or the bodybuilding stage, proper push-up technique will amplify your gains.
Place the weight near the base of your palms rather than closer to your fingers. If the traditional technique hurts your wrists, you have a couple of options. The yuppie choice is a set of push-up handles. The heroic alternative is to do your push-ups the karate way, on your knuckles. The proper martial arts knuckle push-up calls for resting your weight only on two knuckles of each fist. You will find this technique will strengthen your wrists in a hurry. No your forearms won’t look any better, but your bench will go up because your noodle-thin wrists will stop screaming for mercy & wraps.
Keep you butt tucked under; this will make your push-ups look crisp & protect your back from sagging & hurting.
Do not constrict your chest, keep it wide open. The range of motion will be slightly reduced, the pecs will be pre-stretched for more power, & you are less likely to hurt your shoulders that way.
Also, look straight ahead rather than down. Tension in the neck extensor muscles facilitates a stronger contraction of the elbow extensors.

High-Tension Push-Up Techniques

First, grip the ground with your fingertips. Do not attempt fingertip push-ups; just imagine you are trying to leave claw marks on the ground
Second, clench your glutes hard & flex your abs.
Third, squeeze your thighs tight together.
Fourth, “screw your hands into the floor”.
Fifth, hold your breath on exertion.
Do all of the above during the actual rep, at lockout relax as mush as possible. Take a few breaths before the next rep. The above techniques are only to be applied during your test sets! Or for very difficult low-rep exercises.

The Push-Up Rules of Engagement

never come to close to failure, except when testing your max
vary the reps and the rest periods between the sets daily
adjust the load to your recovery ability
build up cumulative fatigue
taper down before a peak
Keep you push-up cycles short & sweet. According to a 1990 study by Russian scientists Nikityuk & Samoylo, repetition lifting of a submaximal weight promotes sarcoplasmic hypertrophy while breaking don the contractile proteins, the “real muscle”. So, in other words, that’s not good. Which is why you are going to alternate two-week periods of push-ups with two weeks of your regular upper-body weight training routine. This rotation schedule, made popular in Russia, is superior to doing everything at once, e.g., doing your push-ups, followed by your benching, followed by your triceps push-downs.

There you have it, Comrade, your complete guide to push-up excellence. Put it to work & fill out your shirt before the month is up!