Bodyweight 20 Set Benchmark Test

I love bodyweight training and not just because I’ve been talking all about it this week, but because it’s truly one of my favorite ways to train.

There’s so many methods to mixing and blending it into your training plus the different types of challenges you can do with just bodyweight are just limitless. 

Bodyweight ONLY training is by far one of the best ways to test the body.

How strong and conditioned are YOU with just your bodyweight??

For this, I’ve got a pretty awesome “Benchmark Test” to share with you below.

This is an excellent test for a couple of reasons…

#1 – It Tests Your Body and Mind In A SMART Way.

YES.  This benchmark will push your physical and mental self (plus beat you up a bit) BUT it’s not just designed to crush you just to crush you.

You’ll do it in a “SMART” way which which in return will help you LEARN some important stuff about where you’re “limits” sit which I explain a little more about below.

#2 – This Test Helps You Find Your “Bodyweight LIMITS”

This is critically important if you’re a competitive Crossfitter.

If you’re not, it’s still nice to know where your certain “Bodyweight Limits” lie in which this test will certainly help you find.

Now, what I mean with “Bodyweight LIMITS” is knowing how far you can push certain movements before you get to your redline or failing point.

A few quick examples would be:

To know how many repeated 5 rep sets of unbroken pull ups you can do until you hit failure…

Or to know how many repeated 3 rep sets of unbroken muscle ups can you can until you hit failure…

There’s TONS of different “Limits” you can test.

Either way, it’s super important to know especially if you compete in Crossfit because if you have a metcon that blends in a bodyweight movement with another movement, you’ll want to know how far you can push without hitting failure.

Because once you hit failure, it’s GAME OVER as your muscles aren’t going to recover very quickly once they hit that redline.

You mighty have seen (or experienced) this a on HSPU’s or Muscle Ups…

People hit a point of failure and it takes FOREVER for them to get just one more rep.

When you avoid that redline, you can continue on with less rest VS. if you try to push it too far, you get smashed.

You don’t want that to happen in a competition OR a workout for that matter.

Either way, since it’s Thursday and all, I wanted YOU to take on this “benchmark” to use for this week’s Thursday Throwdown.

Just note that a Benchmark like this is something you’d only want to do every once in a great while.

Typically once every 4 to 8 weeks.

Not something you want to do every week.

Alrighty, here’s the TEST…

“The 20 ROUND Test”

First, you’ll choose a SINGLE movement out the following:
***This depends on YOU, your fitness level and what you’d like to TEST

Recline Rows, Pull Ups, CTB Pull Ups, Bar Muscle Ups, Ring Muscle Ups, Dips, Ring Dips, Pike Press, Feet Elevated Pike Press, HSPU, EROM HSPU
***Muscle Ups would be EXTREMELY ADVANCED
***Can choose to do STRICT or Kipping variations

Next, you’ll choose a “Difficulty Level of “Rep-Sets”:

***Note which ever rep-set you pick – it means that ALL of your 20 sets must be done UNBROKEN at this number – So if you pick “5” you must do ALL of your sets of the movement you choose at 5 reps UNBROKEN

Now, it’s simple. 

You start a clock then start your sets of UNBROKEN reps at which ever level you choose.

Example:

20 Sets Of 5 HSPU’s

You got 20 UNBROKEN sets to complete in the fastest time possible.

You can rest as much as you want between sets, but just know it’s obviously YOU vs. the clock.

BUT, just be careful NOT to hit redline.

Because if you hit redline and fail to complete a set UNBROKEN, or you FAIL your test 😉

In order to pass you must complete ALL 20 sets UNBROKEN.

So again, your goal is to get done as fast as possible, but you might have to go just a bit slower to do so.

This will be FUN.

Let me know what YOU choose to do and REPLY back.

Would love to hear how things go for ya.

#goham