This TVT bodyweight workout is going to TRASH your upper chest and your triceps.

And even though it uses only bodyweight with a push-up movement, it's HOW you use it to put tension on your upper body that makes this one special.

I call the base method Countdown Time-Volume Training...and it's going to give you some serious high-workload, high-volume training on a single exercise...in this case an exercise that I call Upper Chest Bench Clench Push-Ups.

 

 

This method builds strength because you're working in very low rep ranges. It builds muscle because of the high training volume. And it burns fat because of the massive workload.

And, as a side benefit, it will challenge and develop your mental toughness and determination.

 

 

What Is Time-Volume Training?

Time-Volume Training is a system that uses training volume instead of intensity to build muscle and strength (and burn fat!). This basically means you get results by doing a lot of "easier" work instead of less "harder" work.

TVT is perfect for training at home with bodyweight, light weight or limited equipment.

To perform the "base" version of Time-Volume Training, you would select a weight you can get 10 reps with and then perform sets of 3 reps, with 10 seconds rest in between sets. Then you just keep repeating those 3-rep sets until you can't get 3 good reps. Then you increase the rest to 20 seconds.

Instead of adjusting weights or reps, you're adjusting REST.

This method of training has a TON of benefits, that you can read more about here.

 

This version is a little different, using a "countdown" strategy to make it work even better for this exercise, which I'll explain in the video and below...

 

 

 

How To Do It:

Pick ONE exercise. In this case, we're doing Upper Chest Bench Clench Push-Ups. You can do this with pretty much any "big" compound exercise like bench press or deadlifts, etc, however if you're doing it with a bodyweight exercise, it should be a fairly challenging one and not something you can get lot of reps with (like regular push-ups).

You're going to use that same exercise and same position for the ENTIRE workout...and you're going to be doing it for 40 minutes straight (you can work this method for a shorter time block of 15, 20 or 30 minutes, potentially...I like to stick to the full 40 to really attack all those dormant muscle fibers that normal-volume training simply can't get at).

 

Exercise Performance

This exercise is a bit different than a regular push-up. You'll need something to elevate your feet and, ideally, a flat bench to set your hands on.

Set the bar height so that your body is angled down like this, then set your hands on the SIDES of the end of the bench, so that you head is able to get down below the level of the bench. This allows you to keep your body straight and keep the focus on the upper chest.

In a regular feet-elevated push-up, you have to flatten your upper body in order to not smash your face into the floor. This setup prevents that.

Hook your toes over the bar. I'm using a bar pad here so they can act as a rolling pivot and having the pad makes it more comfortable for high-volume work (a towel works, too).

Now, instead of pushing up, think of pushing IN with your hands.

You want to push inwards HARD against the bench. As you do so, your body will come up, like a push-up movement, but without actually trying to push UP. You'll feel the difference when you try this one...it's a MONSTER squeeze that is going directly to the upper chest. It's going to hit your triceps VERY strongly as well and likely in a way they've never been hit before.

Come all the way up to the top until your arms are straight. Then lower down.

At the bottom, I recommending resting your upper chest on the bench so that you can reset the tension on the upper chest. This pause allows to use better form and develop more targeted tension. It also prevents you from hammering out reps too fast.

 

What If You Don't Have a Bench or Rack?

Not a problem! You'll need to improvise a bit with what you DO have access to, if you're training at home.

One of the best ways to do it is to train on the stairs. Set your hands a few stairs up from the bottom. Because the stairs go down, they naturally elevate your feet and allow you to keep your body straight and inclined without smashing your face into the floor. Since you don't have something to push inwards on like with the bench, set the hands about a foot apart and flare your elbows to the sides (not so wide that you get shoulder pain, though).

Barring that, I also recommend a stool for your hands...this allows you to grip on the sides. A chair has a back and won't be useful for the position you'll be in.

You can also set your hands on top of something solid that allows you to keep that straight, incline-body position.

Anything that's high enough up and solid will work for your feet.

 

Executing the Workout

Start your timer, then do a set of 3 reps. Rest 10 seconds. Do another set of 3 reps. Rest 10 seconds.

Repeat this pattern continuously until your speed slows down by about 30-40% and you would have to push to get 3 reps...then just stop at 2 reps. Take 10 seconds rest. Then do sets of TWO reps, on 10 seconds rest.

When you would have to push to get two reps, stop at one rep. Take 10 seconds rest. Then continue doing sets of ONE rep, on 10 seconds rest.

 

When you would ALMOST have to really push to get out the one rep, increase rest to 20 seconds and go back to 3 rep sets and repeat.

The cycle will continue with 3 reps sets, then 2 reps, then 1 rep sets.

Again, when you have to push to get that one rep, increase to 30 seconds rest and go back to 3 rep sets...then 2 reps...then 1 rep again, as needed, until your time block is up. You may need to bump up to 40 seconds rest (and back up to 3 reps), if you hit the wall on singles at 30 seconds rest.

A 40-minute workout done with this method might potentially look like this...

• 3 reps sets on 10 seconds rest for 5 minutes
• 2 rep sets on 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes
• 1 rep sets on 10 seconds rest for 6 minutes
  Then --->
  
• 3 reps sets on 20 seconds rest for 3 minutes
• 2 rep sets on 20 seconds rest for 3 minutes
• 1 rep sets on 20 seconds rest for 6 minutes
  Then --->
  
• 3 reps sets on 30 seconds rest for 5 minutes
• 2 rep sets on 30 seconds rest for 3 minutes
• 1 rep sets on 30 seconds rest for 5 minutes
  ---
  
• Done at 40 minutes

 

Make sure you're using tight form on each set. This is very high volume training, which means your nervous system is getting very strongly imprinted with the movement pattern, so you want to make sure that imprint is good. You're using bodyweight, so that should be very doable.

This one may LOOK fairly easy, being a push-up and all, but the specific tension-building method of this push-up makes it VERY challenging...you will be sore for days after this workout.

This method flat-out WORKS.

 

Front Loading - The Secret to Building Incredible Work Capacity

This method uses the concept of "front loading" to do more work up front, while you're stronger, gradually decreasing workload as you fatigue (by decreasing reps down to two then one, then by increasing rest periods).

Front Loading is one of the hallmarks of Time-Volume Training just in general, however, this "countdown" concept takes it to a whole new level. After you hit your limit on single reps with 10 seconds rest, when you go back up to 3 reps at 20 seconds rest, you will find out what you're made of.

This type of loading allows you to do as much work as is humanly possible with that weight...and it develops absolutely insane work capacity.

 

Download a PDF With Three MORE Amazing Workouts Like This One FREE....

 

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