Weekly Workout: Five-Minute PT Challenge

This workout provides a way to push your limits on calisthenic exercises and will make your standard two-minute PT time limit seem like a piece of cake. This workout is simply designed to be several sets of five minutes: five minutes of calisthenics sets (rest is included in five minutes) but try not to rest too much. There are five minutes of cardio interval options as well and pool swim drills for five-minute sets.

So you could say this workout is brought to you by the number five.

Warm up with pyramid push-ups and run sets: One push-up and 25-meter run, two push-ups and 25-meter run up to 10 (or five minutes, whichever comes first). Make runs dynamic stretch options, too.

Five-minute PT sets: Do as many reps as you can in five minutes. Rest counts as part of five-minute total time.

• Five minutes cardio of choice -- easy pace/light stretch
• Five minutes pull-ups -- max out -- rest as needed off the bar.
• Five minutes push-ups -- but rest with plank position when not doing push-ups.
• Five minutes sit-ups -- rest as needed in up or down position.
• Five minutes dips -- max out -- rest as needed off the bars or bench dips.
• Five minutes plank pose -- no rest.  Try to suck this up.
• Five minutes flutter kicks -- no rest -- keep feet moving.
• Five minutes kettlebell swing or press -- keep the kettlebell moving for five minutes.
• Five minutes Tabata interval -- run, bike, elliptical or row of 20-second sprint/10 seconds easy for five minutes.

Swim Workout

Repeat five times (or as many as you can).

• Five minutes fast swim
• Five-minute tread (no hands) or other drownproofing skills

And/or run or ruck:

• Five minutes fast pace
• Five minutes moderate pace

(Repeat as many times as you can/have time for.)

Enjoy.

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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