​The Pushup Hack That Special Forces Soldiers Use to Build True Strength

Id fire them off throughout my days in high school and college, when I was a high-level wrestler. I did them non-stop while preparing for physical tests and staying in shape as a police officer on the gang squad in Toronto. I cranked them out to prepare for big fights when I was in the UFC.

Now, even though I work in a gym that has all kinds of weights, I do them every single day. Theres no simpler, more functional and effective upper-body movement.

The problem: Many guys dont do them correctly. Improper pushups-where you dont lower your chest all the way to the ground-dont give you as much of a strength or muscle-building stimulus.

I work with a lot of tactical athletes. Many arrive at the gym having recently failed a Special Forces or SWAT team selection course. When we analyze what went wrong, a common issue is bad pushups. Theyd been doing incorrect pushups. Then come selection day, they were required to do proper pushups, which they didnt have the strength to crank out.

I teach these guys my method to fix bad pushups (shown in the video above) and take them through my three- or six-month fitness program. They usually pass their next selection course. You can find those fitness programs in my new Mens Health book Maximus Body -they work for regular guys, too.