Pavel’s Pushups

I was working out at SEALFit in Encinitas, California this last summer with Rob Budd, Kettlebell instructor and asking him about his training. Rob is one of the top kettlebell trainers in the world (see his rating on DragonDoor.com) and studied with Pavel Tsatsouline. Rob was kicking my ass and showing me all sorts of new kettlebell exercisesI had never seen before. The conversation turned to bodyweight exercises and Rob mentioned the name Pavel Tsatsouline and how much he had contributed to bringing the kettlebell training and many Soviet Special Forces techniques to the U.S.

Here is some of the information that Pavel smuggled back across enemy lines to bring to the land of the Free.

Pavel’s Pushup Routine

To do the routine first you have to find out the maximum number of reps you can do in pushups. After finding out your max, you will do a percentage of this number for your workout.

Check out a few videos of Pavel:

Week 1 Workout – Pavel’s Push Ups

Monday – test your max, 30% every 60 minutes

Tuesday – 50% every 60 minutes

Wednesday – 60% every 45 minutes

Thursday – 25% every 60 minutes

Friday – 45% every 30 minutes

Saturday – 40% every 60 minutes

Sunday – 20% every 90 minutes

Week 2

Monday - test your max again, 35% every 45 minutes
Tuesday – 55% every 20 minutes
Wednesday - 30% 15 minutes
Thursday – 65% every 60 minutes
Friday – 35% every 45 minutes
Saturday – 45% every 60 minutes
Sunday – 25% every 120 minutes

Week 3

Test max

The routine is over, you can do it for two weeks, then do something else for another two weeks, then you can do the pushup program again.

Guidelines

Never go near failure except when testing your maximum. Vary reps, sets, rest periods daily. Taper down before a peak.

Do the routine when you get up in the morning and your last set of pushups should be done one hour before your bedtime.

You can check out more on Pavels website: Dragon Door

Recommended Books By Pavel
Power to the People!
Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American
Bullet Proof Abs
Beyond Crunches, 2nd Edition
The Naked Warrior
Master the Secrets of the Super-Strong-Using Bodyweight Exercises Only