When we first created this program, it was a long process of research, trial-and-error, and dedication. That’s because we were putting something together we really hoped our supporters would see it as a helpful tool in their fitness journey.
However, we never anticipated it would become so instrumental in so many people’s lives. It’s really been amazing to witness and be a part of.
“It was your 3 month bodyweight workout … that taught me how to exercise. That content changed my life.” -User testimonial for 3-Month Program
Now, it’s your turn to take the challenge.
If you’ve been looking for a program that is going to push you to the limit… break you down and build you back up stronger than you ever thought you could be… this is it.
That’s because this program is designed to be about as intense as it gets. It borrows from Navy SEAL-type training tactics, while staying true to calisthenics. Throughout the entire three months, you’ll never need to pick up a single dumbbell.
Now let’s talk about what to look forward to with this program, the proper warm ups and cool downs for the workouts, and outline each level simply and thoroughly, so that you’re ready to rock and start a new fitness journey!
WHILE YOU’RE HERE, DON’T FORGET TO DOWNLOAD OUR INFOGRAPHICS BUNDLE, WITH OVER 35 BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED AND VERY EASY TO FOLLOW WORKOUTS
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS PROGRAM
The 3-Month Bodyweight Extreme Workout Program isn’t like other programs for a number of reasons. For one, you aren’t going to be completing exercises in multiple sets, as you would with other programs. Instead, you’re going to be doing each exercise for the day one time, to exhaustion. After that, you move on with no rest in between. That goes until the day’s workout is complete, so you’ll be picking yourself up off the floor by the end of it. So it should go without saying that you absolutely need to keep water handy (you can take drinks between sets).
In a moment, you’re also going to hear more about a critical, albeit unusual, portion of the workout schedule called “Active Rest.” This is going to be an entire week where you ease off the gas pedal, so to speak. In fact, some people choose not to do any of the program’s exercises all week. More on that in a moment.
This program is all about YOU. You’ll be keeping track of how well you do each day, and trying to improve upon that every day after. I like to say with fitness, the only person you’re competing against is the person you were the day before. That’s certainly true with this program.
HOW TO WARM UP FOR THE WORKOUTS
This program consists of one extreme workout after another, so warming up properly is crucial.
Warming up properly prior to the workouts is going to help you perform better during the workouts and thus get better results in the long run.
Since the training program is heavily focused on training for maximum reps, your warm up should be focused on helping you get more reps.
There are going to be 2 different warm-ups depending on your training level.
Remember, it’s absolutely crucial that you do the exercise with good form, so make sure to do your home work. I’ve provided links to youtube videos where some exercises in this program are demonstrated. Alternatively, you can join our Bodyweight Physique Academy for detailed instructions on how to do each exercise.
REMEMBER, MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE 3 MONTH BODYWEIGHT EXTREME WORKOUT SHEETS TO YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER FOR FREE — BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW…
WARM UP #1: BEGINNER WARM UP
You should do this warm up if you can’t perform more than 10 regular push ups.
- A1: 1-2 minutes shoulder 8’s
- B1: 1-2 minutes hip circles
- C1: 2x(5-10) reps knee push ups
- D1: 3-5 minutes jump rope
Notes
- Go from exercise A to C without any rest between the exercises.
- If you feel that knee push ups are tiring you and don’t help you achieve more reps during the actual workout, replace them with an even easier push up progression (eg. incline push ups).
WARM UP #2: INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED WARM UP
You should do this warm up if you can perform more than 11 consecutive push ups. The only difference with the beginner warm up is exercise C.
- A1: 1-2 minutes shoulder 8’s
- B1: 1-2 minutes hip mobility
- C1: 2x(5-10) push ups
- D1: 3-5 minutes jump rope
Notes
- Go from exercise A to C without any rest between the exercises.
- For exercise C, you should do enough push ups to get your arms and chest prepared but not enough to become tired already. So, start off with 2×5 reps and see how it’s going before you add more.
THE 3 MONTH EXTREME BODYWEIGHT PROGRAM
There are 3 major benefits to this bodyweight training plan1
- Intensity– This program delivers results VERY quickly. It will help give you the body of a Navy SEAL- chiseled abs, ripped shoulders and a tight chest.
- Variety– Since you are doing only one set per exercise, you will not get bored.
- Results– This program utilizes both Angular Training (targeting the muscle from different angles) and compound sets (fatiguing the muscle with no break in between).
KEYS TO THIS TRAINING PLAN
- No rest in between each exercise. You move right to the next exercise as soon as you reach total fatigue with the previous exercise. You don’t stop until you are totally done with the exercise session. You can stop briefly to drink water but that is it!
- Make sure to have plenty of fluid handy. You will sweat a ton with this training program.
- Keep track of your total reps. You must keep a detailed log of how many reps you do of each exercise. The goal is to break that number each time you exercise. For example: Say you were doing a Dolphin Pushup and you did 20 of them. The next time you do your exercise session you must try your absolute best to break that number without stopping. If you do have to stop because you have reached total fatigue, then take a couple seconds and finish up so you do more than 20. Then move on immediately to the next exercise. A pdf and excel training plan is provided for you before for FREE.
- I know many of you are doing this program to get ripped. I highly recommend you read this article by Jason Ferruggia called “1 Key To Fast Muscle Growth“. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION!
Many people enthusiastically jump into an exercise routine thinking that they will end up looking like Brad Pitt after a few months. Sadly, this just doesn’t happen. I know because this was me for much of my life. I worked out a ton and didn’t get the chiseled looks I was looking for. What you put into your mouth is just as, if not MORE, important for developing a rock-hard body. I learned some important truths about this and I recommend you check out this article I wrote before performing this training plan: 3 Simple Truths to Getting A Rock-Hard Body. Knowledge is power. Equip yourself with the right tools to getting ripped and it will happen much more quickly.
HOW DO I DO IT?
The full 3 Month – Extreme Bodyweight Exercise Training Plan is outlined below. Follow the guide. Do each exercise only once then immediately move onto the next exercise. Do NOT take any breaks (again, drink water between sets as needed).
MONTH 1- WHAT WAS I THINKING! MONTH
This week is intense even though it is your first month. It is geared to give you results quickly so you will stay through the program. Weeks 1-3 will be your active weeks and Week 4 will be an active recovery. This means that you will NOT do any type of weight training or bodyweight exercises. Use this week to job, play tennis, swim, or any other activity you like to do. This is important! Don’t break this rule. Your exercise sessions will be 3 X Per Week. For example: Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs/Sat. Once you are done with Month 1, move on to Month 2.
EXERCISE SCHEDULE
- Week 13 X Per Week
- Week 23 X Per Week
- Week 33 X Per Week
- Week 4
Active Rest Period
EXERCISE ROUTINE
5 UPPER BODY EXERCISES
5 LOWER BODY EXERCISES
3 CORE EXERCISES
2 MISC EXERCISES
MONTH 2- CRAZY INTENSE MONTH
Month 2 is Crazy Intense. I hope you enjoyed your active recover month because you will be glad you did it now that this month is starting up again. You will be working out 3 X Per Week just like Month 1 but you will be adding 1 Upper Body Exercise, 1 Lower Body Exercise and 1 Misc Exercise. Follow the below routine. Again, this week you will get an active recovery week.
EXERCISE SCHEDULE
Week 1
3 X Per Week
Week 2
3 X Per Week
Week 3
3 X Per Week
Week 4
Active Rest Period
6 UPPER BODY EXERCISES
6 LOWER BODY EXERCISES
- Hindu Squat
- Crazy Lunge
- Bear Squat
- Duck Walks
- Karate Squat
- One Legged Squat (both sides)
3 CORE BODY EXERCISES
- Mummy Sit up
- Imaginary Walking Exercise
- Kissing under the Arch Exercise
3 MISC EXERCISES
MONTH 3- NAVY SEAL HELL MONTH
This is Hell Week for sure. You will be doing the below exercise routine 4 X per week. For example: Mon/Tues, Thurs/Fri. Make sure you get through all the exercises. Remember, you are only 4 weeks away! Weeks 1-3 will again be the training weeks and Week 4 will be your active recovery.
EXERCISE SCHEDULE
- Week 14 X Per Week
- Week 24 X Per Week
- Week 34 X Per Week
- Week 4Active Rest Period
7 UPPER BODY EXERCISES
- Bouncy Spring Pushup
- Falling Pushup
- Helicopter Exercise
- Diamond Kiss Pushup
- Barbwire Pushup
- 3 Prong Pushup
- Condensed Pushup
7 LOWER BODY EXERCISES
- Hindu Squat
- Sunken Squat
- Falling Tower Exercise
- Catcher’s Squat
- Duck Walks Exercise
- Karate Squat
- Crazy Lunge
4 CORE EXERCISES
3 MISC EXERCISES
HOW TO COOL DOWN
After you finish your workout, spending as little as 10 minutes to cool down can make a huge difference in your progress and the results you are going to get.
By cooling down properly, you will be able to recover faster and perform better during the next workout. In addition to that, faster and full recovery means more gains as well.
Keep in mind that the cool down samples below aren’t written in stone and you can easily modify them (and you should) in case a certain muscle group needs more attention than the other ones.
I am going to share with you two cool down samples. One with stretching and one with foam rolling exercises, but if you like to, you can combine both of these recovery methods.
COOL DOWN SAMPLE #1: STRETCHING
- A: 1-2 minutes chest stretches
- B: 1-2 minutes core stretches
- C: 1-2 minutes quad stretch
- D: 1-2 minutes glute stretches
Notes
- Go from A to D without rest between the exercises.
- If you feel that a certain muscle group needs to be stretched after the workout, then add more stretches after exercise D.
COOL DOWN SAMPLE #2: FOAM ROLLING
- A: 1-2 minutes chest foam rolling
- B: 1-2 minutes back foam rolling
- C: 1-2 minutes quad foam rolling
- D: 1-2 minutes glute foam rolling
Notes
- Go from A to D without rest between the exercises.
- If you feel that a certain muscle group needs attention after the workout, then foam roll this area after exercise D.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO DURING THE NON-TRAINING DAYS?
Todd, Can I add an extra day of cardio/HIIT/pull ups to the current training program?
The quick answer is that yes, you can certainly do that. However, I would recommend that you test out the first two weeks of the program before doing that. Then, if you still think that you can handle more training days, feel free to do so.
If adding more training days doesn’t seem to make this program hard for you, I would suggest you check you some more advanced programs here:
Or here:
If you are still a beginner, adding more extreme workouts will probably not be an option for you.
However, there are still some actions you could take during the non-training days to improve your performance.
What you could do is to focus all of your attention on recovery.
The best thing you could do to recover faster (other than adequate sleep and good nutrition) is to perform recovery sessions at every non-training day. If you have enough available time, you can practice recover sessions during the training days as well.
A recovery session is when you set aside 30-60 minutes and practice recovery drills for you whole body. Recovery drills include:
- Stretching exercises
- Foam rolling exercises
- Mobility exercises
What about skill training Todd?
Well… it depends on what skills you are training for.
If you are training for skills that aren’t that taxing to the body (like handstand work), you can practice them every day of the week without having any problems with your performance.
If you are training for more advanced skills, like acrobatic aerials, then you could still train with them during the non-training days, but you should be aware of your progress. If you aren’t progressing as fast as you would like (in either the program or the skills), you could back off a little on the one you consider less important.
WHAT TO DO DURING THE ACTIVE REST PERIODS
Every 4th week of the 3-month program is going to be a deload week.
During this week, you are still going to train but with less intensity than the regular training weeks. The reason we need this week is your muscles have been working extremely hard for three weeks straight, and they needs some recovery time. Over the years, I’ve gotten inquiries from people asking if they can just skip the Active Rest period because they’re so worried they’ll lose all their progress. I can promise you that’s not going to happen. In fact, the only thing that will happen if you don’t use the Active Rest period is that you will actually stall your progress, since your body won’t be getting the recovery time it’s craving (if you were not aware, muscles actually grow when they’re resting, not when they’re working).
Here are somethings you could do to drop the intensity for the week:
#1 A FAVORITE HOBBY
If you’ve got another activity you’re really passionate about, but just haven’t had any energy to do it because of the intensity of the previous weeks, this is the perfect time to do that.
This could be pretty much anything that keeps you moving: hiking, playing tennis, walking your dog, etc. The most important thing is that you keep moving. So no, unfortunately sitting on the couch and watching TV won’t count. Get out there and have some fun!
I should mention, this is actually the preferred method for the Active Rest period. Below, I lay out some options for continuing the workouts in a less intense variation, but if you can do something outside of the workouts that keeps you moving, do that.
#2: KEEP TRAINING
Keep practicing with the regular workouts, but instead of going to failure for each exercise, perform only 50-70% of the max reps you did during the last workout.
So, if you managed to do 30 dolphin push ups the last time you training, now do 15-20.
Do this for every exercise.
#2: TEST YOURSELF
With this option, you are going to set aside one day during the week and test out your progress.
The best day is usually the one in the middle of your training week.
There are various things that you could test. The test that I like to perform the most is the bodyweight gauntlet.
The bodyweight gauntlet consists of:
- A: 3 minutes AMRAP push ups
- B: 3 minutes AMRAP pull ups
- C: 3 minutes AMRAP squats
- D: 3 minutes AMRAP burpees
Notes
- Rest 60 seconds between exercises
The bodyweight gantlet will help you see if you got any better at the basic calisthenics moves.
Since the program doesn’t have any pulling exercises, you can skip the pull up part if you want to.
The whole purpose of the deload week is to help you recover. As such, you should consider doing lots of recovery sessions during this week.
BEYOND THE 3 MONTHS
Todd, what should I do after I complete this training program?
If you successfully complete this training program, there are lots of things you can do. Here are two of your options:
#1: TRAINING WITH THE SAME PROGRAM
If you have gotten great results from this program, I would suggest you go through it once more.
Of course, the program isn’t going to seem as intense as the first time and so you can add more training days if you like to.
#2: CHOOSE A MORE ADVANCED TRAINING PROGRAM
If you have gotten great results from this program, but you think that a second time won’t be as effective, you should check out Bodyweight Workouts and choose to follow a more advanced training program.
Here are some of my favorites:
- The Iron Body 700 Workout Plan
- The Official U.S. Navy SEAL Training Program
- The Beastmode 30 Day Calisthenics Workout Plan
- The Ultimate 30 Day Pull Up Challenge
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here, I’m going to answer some of the more frequently asked question concerning this program.
Some of these questions have been answered in the comments section. However, for your own convenience (reading through the comments can be hard), I’m going to answer here the ones I consider to be the most important.
QUESTION #1: WILL THIS WORKOUT HELP ME BUILD MUSCLE?
Yes. This workout can help you build muscle.
If this is your ultimate goal, however, there are some things you could do to maximize your muscle gains.
Since this program is mostly focused on max reps, it will eventually turn out into an endurance workout (when you start being able to do more than 12 reps for an exercise). What you could do is to modify some of the exercises so that you reach total fatigue in the 8-12 reps range.
Furthermore, other that the workout your lifestyle choices are a big factor in muscle building. So make sure that you’re eating properly and that you have an adequate amount of sleep.
QUESTION #2: WILL THIS WORKOUT HELP ME LOSE FAT?
Yes. This program is going to help you lose fat even though it isn’t focused on that.
Keep in mind, though, that if you are pretty jacked already, you will need a more advanced routine to reach lower body fat percentages.
You can make this program more focused on fat loss by adding an extra day for circuit training. You can find some great fat loss circuits in this post:
Furthermore, your nutrition is really important in fat loss, so make sure you follow a diet appropriate to your goals.
QUESTION #3: WHAT IF I MISS A TRAINING DAY?
If you miss only one day in a training month it’s fine. If you lose more than one, I would recommend you to start training over from week #1 (of the same training month).
However, since this training program has only 3 workouts per week, you can easily compensate a missing day by doing the workout on another one.
So if you can’t perform your 3rd workout during Friday, you can perform it on Saturday or Sunday.
Keep in mind, though, that this isn’t recommended and should be done only when necessary as shifting days can influence the structure of the whole program and it can be difficult to maintain it after a while.
QUESTION #4: I CAN’T PERFORM SOME OF THE EXERCISES, TODD. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
This training program was originally designed for intermediate level people. As such, many beginners are going to have a hard time following through the program.
If you are still a beginner, I would recommend you to follow one of the easier training programs that can be found either on the SOA Bodyweight Workouts list or on this article.
If you are an intermediate level athlete and there are still some exercises that you can’t perform, then all you have to do is to simply move to an easier progression of the exercise.
For example, if you can’t perform pistol squats, you can start by performing assisted or partial reps until you are able to perform the complete movement.
QUESTION #5: TODD, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOME PULL UPS INTO THE PROGRAM. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT?
There are two ways to add pulling exercises into this 3-month training program.
The first way would be to choose two different styles of pull ups and incorporate them when you are doing the other upper body exercises.
The second way would be to add an extra pulling day into the training program. During the pulling day, you could perform either high or low reps according to your goals.
QUESTION #6: WHEN GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISES DO I DO THEM IN THE ORDER OF WHICH THEY ARE SHOWN?
Yes.
The workouts were designed this way to completely fatigue one muscle group before moving to the next one.
If you want to modify the order of the exercises, I would suggest you do so after you have successfully completed a 3 month cycle.
You can also modify the order when you reach a plateau.
Other than these two reasons, try to perform the exercises in the original order.
QUESTION #7: I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD DO THIS PROGRAM AND STILL GO AND DO MY RUGBY (OR OTHER DISCIPLINE) PRACTICE?
Well, it depends on your work capacity.
You can try following this training program and see if you can still follow up with the sport’s specific training.
If you can, then there is no reason not to combine both.
If you can’t, however, and you still want to add an extra program to your current practice, try to find an easier training program.
CONCLUSION
If we judge the effectiveness of the training plans of SOA based on their popularity and the testimonials I received from people like you, then the 3 Month Extreme Bodyweight Training Plan is the most effective plan I’ve ever written.
The program might initially seem simple, yet it’s very effective.
If you think that this program will help you meet your goals, then stop hesitating and start this program ASAP!
You are going to be amazed by the results!
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