The pushup hack that Special Forces soldiers use to build true strength

pulse

February 21, 2017 11:02 PM

There’s no simpler, more functional and effective upper-body movement.

stop cheating at pushups

It’ll help you pack on more muscle with every single rep.

It’s possible that I’ve done more pushups than any man alive.

I’d fire them off throughout my days in high school and college, when I was a high-level wrestler. I did them non-stop while preparing for physical tests and staying in shape as a police officer on the gang squad in Toronto. I cranked them out to prepare for big fights when I was in the UFC.

Now, even though I work in a gym that has all kinds of weights, I do them every single day. There’s no simpler, more functional and effective upper-body movement.

The problem: Many guys don’t do them correctly. Improper pushups - where you don’t lower your chest all the way to the ground - don’t give you as much of a strength or muscle-building stimulus.

I work with a lot of tactical athletes. Many arrive at the gym having recently failed a Special Forces or SWAT team selection course.

When we analyze what went wrong, a common issue is bad pushups. They’d been doing incorrect pushups. Then come selection day, they were required to do proper pushups, which they didn’t have the strength to crank out.

I teach these guys my method to fix bad pushups (shown in the video above) and take them through my three- or six-month fitness program.

They usually pass their next selection course. You can find those fitness programs in my new Men’s Health book Maximus Body - they work for regular guys, too.

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!

pulse