Goal-focused training is the best route to workout consistency, staying disciplined with nutrition and exercise selection. Creating focused fitness goals helps build good training habits even when you're not motivated some days.
The PT pyramid is a good standard to create a workout with a built-in warmup, max-out and cooldown while acting as a great assessment tool. Each week will bring progress. Whether your goals are military fitness, losing weight, getting stronger at pull-ups or just increasing your general fitness and health, the PT pyramid is a great place to start.
Here is a question about using the PT pyramid and finding specific goals to use with it:
Hi, Stew. I'm using your pyramid workouts again and really enjoying it. But stuck on my goals, though. How do you decide what goals to shoot for as you train? Thanks, Sam
It really depends on what you are trying to do. If you are attempting military service, you should know what that branch tests during basic training, as well as every six months. Also, you should realize things are changing within the military testing world as military fitness tests change to tactical fitness tests and replace sit-ups with plank poses.
But for general health and wellness, the standard goal for the PT pyramid is to make it up to 10 and back down to one with the following exercises:
Pull-ups x 1
Push-ups x 2
Abs of choice x 3
Dips or military press x 2
*add in a short run every set as well (100 meters, 200 meters or even 400 meters) as you progress at running.
I still use the PT pyramid personally and professionally with students as a tool to build muscle stamina to help with PT tests. Even my children started out training with the PT pyramid, and they hit their goal of one to 10 and back to one after several months.
About the PT pyramid
The 1-10-1 PT pyramid is 19 sets of systematic progression. Each set you are on, you multiple the exercises above by one, two or three each set number. So, set 1 is one pull-up, two push-ups, three abs and two dips. Set 5 will be five pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 abs and 10 dips … and so on.
These just so happen to be a significant part of many military and law enforcement testing events.
The total pyramid equals 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 abs of choice and 200 dips or military press.
On leg days, you can do the following exercises but add in a run with the pyramid:
1 squat -- run up/down a hill or flight of stairs (or do a fast 100-meter run)
2 squats -- run up/down
3 squats … keep going up to 10 and repeat in reverse order
This will equal 100 squats double or triple as you progress. Another way to add in some leg PT is to do a three- to four-mile run, but stop every minute or two and do a step of the squat pyramid (or add lunges).
Eventually, you may want to test yourself with a military fitness test and see where you match up. See the links below for many options:
Most common fitness test in the world
Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.
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