Robert S. Maher Blog: The Push Up / Pull Up Challenge

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Welcome to our Push Up / Pull Up Challenge! Get ready for an awesome workout that is going to build muscle in all the key parts of your upper body — all with different variations of push ups and pull ups. If you’re looking for a bodyweight-based solution to get a toned, muscular physique, this is exactly what you need.

As fans of calisthenics, we’re constantly refuting the notion that there’s nothing more to our discipline than push ups and pull ups. That’s just plain not true. There are literally thousands upon thousands of calisthenics maneuvers out there, and a lot of them are pretty difficult.

Now, that being said, one of the great things about bodyweight training is that you can keep things pretty simple, meaning, if you did just want to stick with push ups and pull ups, that can work for you, too!

So today, we’ve got a great workout for people who want to have a toned, lean upper body while keeping things simple. We’re going back to the basics while getting buff, so to speak. Because if you want a total upper body workout, you can get it with a few variations of those two classic calisthenics exercises.

And if you’re worried this challenge may be too easy/difficult for you, we’ve got two different levels for you to try! So whether you’re looking for a “basic” workout or something more on the “advanced” side, we’ll get your blood pumping with an awesome, challenging workout.

Remember, make sure you download the Push Up / Pull Up Workout sheets to your phone or computer for FREE — By Clicking the button below…

Download the Push Up / Pull Up Workout Sheets Here (FREE) <==

Note: both the basic and advanced challenges do require full pull ups, so if that’s not something you’re able to do, this workout may not be for you. However, we do have a terrific 8-week program called Calisthenics for Beginners, which you should definitely check out!

A lot of people think in order to get an upper body they’d be excited to show off at the beach, they need to spend hours upon hours bench pressing, curling, shrugging and pulling heavy weights. This push up / pull up workout is going to put that argument to bed, because all you’re going to need to work with is your own body.

And exercises like the ones we’re about to show you are going to get that lean and mean body we’re going for. But we should mention, if you’re going for huge, bulging muscles and want to look more like a bulldozer than an athlete, this workout (and calisthenics in general) probably won’t be what you’re looking for.

“But push ups and pull ups only work your chest and back! What about the rest of my upper body?”

Oh yeah, we’ve heard that before. Now, in a way, that’s half-true: a standard push up primarily works the pectoralis major (chest muscle), while the standard pull up is mostly for the back muscles. But even the traditional styles of these exercises work more than one area. After all, that’s one of the best parts of calisthenics: you’re working several muscle groups at once, instead of isolating them as you would with gym machines and weights.

And the variations of these two exercises are going to hit all the major spots of the upper body — chest and back, sure, but also biceps, triceps, shoulders and core. It truly is a total upper body workout with just push ups and pull ups.

By incorporating this challenge into your repertoire of workouts, you’re going to build solid definition and get that toned physique that will make you want to walk around shirtless (please be mindful of the climate when considering this).

Let’s quickly break down the basics of each exercise and all the benefits they provide.

Push Up

Most everyone has, at least at one point in their life, performed a push up. The last time may have been an hour ago during your workout. It may be 9th grade gym class. Either way, it’s something that most all of us are at least somewhat familiar with.

However, what most people fail to realize is how beneficial these incredibly popular exercises are, and how much can be done with them.

As the old saying goes, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Maybe that phrase should be changed to, “There’s more than one way to do a push up.” It’s a lot less morbid, and besides, even if you’re not really into exercise, a push up is a much better use of your time than cat skinning.

The point is, there are more types of push ups than we can even list here, but all of them can target a different muscle group in addition to the chest. And this push up/pull up challenge is going to have several push up variations that will target your shoulders, triceps, core, and of course, chest.

Pull Up

Now, the pull up, despite being about as popular as the push up, is something a lot more people struggle with. It can take an athlete a lot longer to execute their first pull up than their first push up. But that’s no reason to shy away from this challenge.

If you’re looking to do the basic challenge, your circuit will have simple variations of the exercise in lower reps, though it will still activate your biceps and core in addition to your major back muscles.

For our advanced athletes, you’ll find a nice mixture of traditional pull ups along with some interesting variations you may not have done before. These exercises, in addition to sculpting your back, you’ll be working your biceps, forearms and core. Plus, you’ll do wonders for improving your grip strength! Get ready for some firm handshakes.

Now, if you don’t have a pull up bar, don’t worry. There are plenty of acceptable substitutes for a pull up bar, some of which you can find right in your own home.

The Challenge

Let’s get to this awesome challenge! Make sure you’re nice and stretched, and be sure to keep a bottle of water nearby.

Again, we’ve got two options here: a basic circuit and an advanced one. Find which one is more within your wheelhouse, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. If you feel like you’re somewhere in the middle (the basic circuit is too easy, yet you’re not able to do the advanced circuit), consider adding some reps to each set of the basic circuit. And feel free to tac on some more reps to the advanced circuit, if you’re feeling extra beastly!

Push Up / Pull Up — Basic

Directions:

Complete the number of reps indicated. Once completed, rest approximately 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise in the circuit. Complete 3 total sets, resting approximately 2 minutes between each set.

Standard push-up — 8
Australian pull-up — 8
Wide push-up — 8
Wide grip pull up — 4
Narrow push-up — 6
Narrow grip pull-up — 4

Push Up / Pull Up — Advanced

Directions:

Standard push up — 10
Wide grip pull up — 6
Wide push up — 8
Narrow grip pull up — 5
Pseudo planche push up — 8
Towel grip pull up — 5
Diamond push-ups — 10
Mix grip pull ups — 6