by Bobby Maximus

Case in point: When I was fighting in the UFC and needed to keep my weight up and maintain my upper body power, Id do this barbell circuit regularly. That often surprises people, because the workout is done as a circuit, and many believe that circuits are solely for fat loss.

This circuit is different. Its not a race, and the ultimate goal is perfect form.

By cranking out a total of 165 reps of three heavy, compound barbell liftsand 55 pullupsthat hit your upper body in different planes of movement, you elicit both muscle growth and fat loss. Its a true beast maker. Thats why its one of my favorite workouts in my Mens Health book <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> check it out for 99 more great routines plus a training plan thats guaranteed to get you ripped.

Ive done this workout in just 20 minutes, and afterward felt like I couldnt lift my arms over my head. But after recovering I was undoubtedly strongerboth physically and mentally.

Load a barbell or two so that you can use a weight in each of the following exercises that makes it moderately difficult to complete the 10 reps. (You may want to use a heavier barbell for the bench press and a lighter one for the overhead press and bent-over row.)

Perform 10 reps of each of the following exercises as a circuit. Then do 9 reps of each exercise, then 8, then 7 and so on until you do just 1 rep of each. (Dont change the weight on the bars.)

Try to finish the workout quickly, but stress using perfect form over speed. Rest as needed.

2. Pullup (if you cant do 10 pullups, switch to inverted rows)

Get Shredded With This Simple 4-Move Workout

Ticket to Gainzville has a ridiculous name, yesbut it might be the perfect workout when it comes to adding strength and muscle to your upper body.

This Simple 4-Move Workout Is Your Ticket To GAINZville

Most people say the difference between a pullup and a chinup is the direction that your hands face. (For chinups, your palms face in. For pullups, your palms face out.)

But we look at it a different way: The term chinup implies that all you have to do is pull yourself high enough that your chin barely squeaks over the bar.

To get the most out of the movement (and for a rep to count"), we require that you pull yourself all the way up until your chest touches the bar. So thats why we call them pullups, regardless of how your hands are holding the bar.

Lets review pullup form. Theres a decided difference between doing 20 kipping pullups (where you use momentum to get more reps) and 20 dead hang, no kipping, chest-to-bar pullups. This article is about the latter.

At <a href="https://gymjones.com/" id="ab1bff78-0ea1-3999-ab13-aef65780c840"> Gym Jones </a> , we think kipping pullups are OK if youre using them in a competition to get more reps. But for general fitness enthusiasts who want to develop a big, powerful back, nothing trumps a regular pullup.

To do a regular pullup, start by hanging from a bar, your arms completely straight. This is called the dead hang position. Without swinging your torso to gain momentum, pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar and your elbows are behind the center of your torso.

Dont be lazy and rely on gravity to lower yourself back down. Theres enormous muscle and strength building value in the negative portion of the movement. Slowly lower yourself back to a dead hang. Repeat.

(Find out how to <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19539807/better-pullup/" id="4a78a0cf-9155-3052-a09f-bcc4b5199451"> Power Up Your Pullup </a> with this challenging variation on the old classic, the Hollow Pullup.)

If you do pullups like I just described, 20 in a row is a great standard to aim for. The vast majority of guys cant do that. If you get to 20 reps, it tends to be a game changer for your upper body strength.

Whether your palms face in or out during each rep is more or less irrelevant in the grand scheme of 20 pullups. So when you train, use both hand positions equally.

If you want to get good at pullups, do more pullups. It sounds too simple to be effective, right?

Many people want some magic exercise thats going to make them better at pullups, but it just doesnt work that way.

Case in point: People often do lat pulldowns (a machine that mimics the pullup movement) because they think itll help them strengthen their pullup skills. But it doesnt. You need the real thing.

I realize some of you may only be able to do a single good pullup. Thats fine-just do several sets of one pullup. Pepper those small sets throughout your routine-a single pullup in between sets of every other exercise in your routine is a good way to approach it.

Aim for 25 to 50 total pullups, three days a week (25 reps if youre a beginner). If you dont go to the gym, you can put a pullup bar in a door frame and pay a toll of a couple reps to walk through the door.

If you can already do 5 pullups, do sets of whatever number of reps is 2 to 3 reps shy of your max until you hit 50 total pullups each session. For example, if you can do 12 pullups, do sets of 9 or 10 until you hit 50 reps total.

Volume is key-by tallying more reps, your sequential number will slowly build over time.

Some guys who come into Gym Jones arent able to do a single pullup. The best way to get started is by practicing the lowering portion of the movement.

Jump up to a bar and hold it so that youre at the top portion of a pullup. Slowly lower yourself, taking 4 or 5 seconds to go down to a dead hang. Do sets of that throughout your workout.

Soon, those guys are able to perform one pullup.

But theres also value in the negative for guys who can already crank out pullups. Even if youre close to 20 reps, do one set each workout where you do fewer pullups but take as long as you can to return to the dead hang.

( Related: <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19536824/4-ways-to-do-more-pullups/" id="17ebb396-3df2-3089-a097-a1f7a75cffef"> 4 Ways to Become a Pullup Powerhouse </a> )

Exercises that work the same muscle groups you use in a pullup will help you score more reps.

An exercise I recommend for anybody who wants to do more pullups is the inverted row.

Set a barbell about waist high in a squat rack or a Smith machine (this exercise actually might be the only good use for a Smith machine). Using an overhand, shoulder-width grip, hang with your arms completely straight, hands positioned directly above your shoulders, and heels touching the floor.

Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head.

Pull your shoulder blades back, and continue to pull with your arms to lift your chest to the bar. Pause, and lower your body back to the starting position.

Remember to keep that plank position throughout. Do at least three sets each workout.

A few other exercises to consider adding to your routine: Bent over barbell rows, wide-grip deadlifts, and the T-Bar row.

Want more? Check out Men's Health <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> . It features my most effective mental and physical toughness building-drills, 100+ workouts, and the 3- and 6-month fitness program that I give to clients ranging from special forces soldiers to average guys who want to get insanely shredded.

We dont do chinups at Gym Jones. We do pullups.

How to Do 20 Perfect Pullups

Most people get stuck in strength plateaus because they just dont do enough repetitions. Many guys, for example, come in to the gym to bench on Monday and do 3 sets of 10, or 5 sets of 5, performing, respectively, 30 or 25 total repetitions.

In this workout youre going to do a lot more than that. Load a barbell with a weight you can lift 10 times. Now do as many reps as you can with good form in 30 minutes.

By minute 10, youll realize that this workout is also a psychological test-you have to block out your brain screaming at you to quit. When you learn to do that, your fitness begins to explode. If youre interested in how you can hack your psychology to improve your fitness, my Mens Health book <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> features an entire section devoted to just that.

Pro tip: Dont go to failure on any set of this test. You might do, for example, as many sets of 3 or 4 reps as you can. By not completely tiring out your muscles on any one set, youll be able to pack in more reps overall.

Dont use a bar heavier than 225 pounds. Thats the standard weight we use at Gym Jones, the gym where Im the general manager. Im the king of the bench press at Gym Jones, and my best in this test is 272 reps with 225 pounds.

We also do a squat variation of this test. Tommy Hackenbruck, who took second place in the CrossFit Games in 2009, is the undisputed Gym Jones champion of the squat version of the test. I once saw him do 269 reps. (P.S., if you can beat Tommy, please video it and send it to me and Ill send you a copy of my book.) A good goal to aim for: 200 reps.

If you liked this workout and want to reach a world of fitness you never thought possible, check out my Mens Health book <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> . In it I reveal my three- and six-month fitness programs that are guaranteed to turn even the most average guy into a Spartan warrior.

Load a bar with a weight you can lift 10 times with stellar form (dont go over 225 pounds). Set a timer for 30 minutes. Do as many reps as you can until the timer goes off. To avoid injury, stress doing reps with your best form over getting more reps with bad form. Id rather see you do 70 clean reps than 140 garbage reps.

The Most Effective Bench Press Workout of All Time

Alright, heres the deal: This workout is tough. Its a 30-minute mental and physical crucible that involves more bench press reps than you would normally do in a month. But it works-I do it any time I need to break through a plateau. The workout (from my Mens Health book <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> ) shocks your system with weight, reps, and intensity, eliciting a crazy amount of gains in ...

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 <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> -they work for regular guys, too.

The Pushup Hack That Special Forces Soldiers Use

Its possible that Ive done more pushups than any man alive.

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

This is the perfect workout youd want to do.

Its not for the faint of heart, but it has an incredible ability to give you strength, speed, and insane endurance. Those are all skills that make you harder to take down. Thats why Id do it when I was fighting in the UFC, and why I give it to the Special Forces soldiers that I train at Gym Jones, where Im the general manager.

Do this workout as quickly as you can, but make sure to use strict form. If you can finish in 15 minutes or less, you may be able to claim the title of the hardest man in the yard. And if you like this workout-and learning how fitness can make you mentally tougher-check out my new Mens Health book <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> , which features 100+ workouts and thousands of secrets for hacking your fitness.

Directions: Stand in one corner of a room. Do 20 burpees. Now run to another corner of the room and do 19 burpees. Run to another corner and do 18. Repeat the pattern until you reach 1 burpee. Rest only as needed.

The Workout That Special Forces Soldiers Use

Imagine youre in a prison cell, confined by four walls. You have a bed, a sink, a toilet, and nothing else. When your cell door opens and its time to go to the yard, your safety depends on your fitness.

The Burpee Workout That Special Forces Soldiers Use to Get Insanely Fit

I have a handful of go-to challenges I give everyone from the NFL athletes and Special Forces soldiers who train with me at Gym Jones, the worlds most hardcore gym. These challenges build a killer instinct that helps you achieve any goal.

My favorite test of psychological will is to set a rowing machine for 2,000 meters and have you row for time. It also tests your strength and cardio, making it a great gauge of your holistic fitness.

The test works so well because you cant cheat. The only way to gain an advantage is by pushing harder. The clock is unbiased and unforgiving. You can't pass with half-ass form or reps.

The time I want you to finish in: 7 minutes.

Seven minutes or less tells me that youre not only in good shape, but that youre also willing to silence your mental demons, go all out, and keep getting better.

Of course, it's OK if you cant finish in 7 minutes. The point is that you truly give the test your all, and continually train to finish below the time limit. Once you nail that goal, keep going. I regularly see people finish in the low 6-minute range. (All other things being equal, taller, heavier people generally log faster times than shorter, lighter people.)

When you take this test, youll probably think the first 500 meters is relatively easy. But halfway through, your mindset will change.

This is when your wheels begin to fall off, because youre left alone with your thoughts. Ive watched numerous people go through this, and it quickly progresses from Im not going to make it to Im going to die if I keep going.

A good test of whether youre going hard enough is to ask yourself: Do I want to quit right now? If your answer is no, you arent rowing hard enough.

I can tell you this: If you fight to the end, youll become something more. The people who succeed are always better for it, and it usually unlocks the door to success in many other areas of their training.

Thats why the 2,000-meter row challenge and a handful of other key fitness tests are included in my new Men's Health book, <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> . Youll find the tests peppered throughout the 12- and 26-week workout programs that I give to people who need elite fitness and a never-say-die attitude, like pro athletes and Tier 1 military assets.

A challenge is only worthwhile if its physical and psychological. I want a fitness test to put you in an uncomfortable position, so you reach the point where your mind tells you to give up. Then I want you to dig deep and push on-doing that is the first step to finding real fitness.

Why the 2,000 Meter Row Is the Ultimate Test Of True Fitness

"Death By" workouts are simple but not easy. They deliberately put you in an uncomfortable position in order to push you to your limits. They also kill your excuses. They require minimal equipment and time. In fact, most take less than 20 minutes and require only a will to suffer.

"Death By Burpee" is particularly great at forcing you to face what I call The Moment:" That special point in a workout where your brain tells you to pack it in and go home - or the moment you decide to push yourself just a little further and overcome your mental demons. The first five minutes will seem easy. But after minute six, the fun stops. That first moment your brain tells you its time to stop, you need to recognize that you still have at least two more minutes in you. Pushing and getting that extra two minutes is where the real magic happens.

The best workouts test your psychological willpower as much as they do your body. Thats because its ultimately psychological barriers that block people from reaching their goals. Youre never going to get truly fit by just showing up and going through the motions.

The people who are most successful at getting fit show up to the gym, and they work harder than anyone else there. They dont quit, make excuses, or take shortcuts. After their workout, they pay attention to their health outside of the gym by eating right and sleeping enough.

You build all those habits with the muscle between your head. If you build a strong mind that powers hard work and dedication, then all this fitness stuff is easy. This concept is why my new book, the <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> , features an entire section devoted to helping you forge elite mental toughness and a never-quit attitude that will allow you to power through workouts. The reality is that if you dont have that, youre never really going to get fit.

The methods in the book are the same I use when I work with pro athletes, special forces soldiers, and A-list actors. The shit works. Trust me. In the book, youll also find a handful of other Death By workouts, as well as many other workouts designed to forge mental toughness.

Directions: Follow the Death By format: Start a timer, and do one burpee during minute one.

Do two burpees during minute two, three burpees during minute three, and so on.

Do as many rounds as possible for 10 to 20 minutes until you can't do anymore burpees.

I live for Death By workouts. Before I explain why I love them so much, let me explain their simple premise: You pick one exercise and set a timer. The first minute, you do one rep of the exercise. The second minute, you do two reps of the exercise; the third minute you do three reps, and so on. When you cant finish your reps-say, 20 reps on minute 20-the workout ends.

This Burpee Workout Might Kill You

Due to popular demand, I've decided to release another one of my five key mass gain workouts. It's similar in format to the last workout, but specifically targets your upper body. It's one of my go-to workouts for anyone who wants to add lean upper body mass and improve their athleticism.

By doing this workout, I went from having a mediocre bench press to being able to do 10 reps of 315 with no problem at all.

If youre interested in learning the other three workouts I did to gain all that muscle, check out my Mens Health book the <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> . It also contains my previously-unreleased 12- and 26-week fitness programs Ive used with everyone from UFC fighters to Special Forces soldiers.

The programs will help you build muscle and get shredded. But I've always believed there's no sense looking like an athlete if you can't perform like one. That's why the fitness plans stress performance-you'll be able to move better, faster, and stronger, too.

Load a barbell with a weight you can bench 10 times and do 10 sets of bench press. Then do 10 pullups (if you cant do 10 pullups, do 10 assisted pullups or 10 lat pulldowns). Rest 2 minutes. Thats one set. Do 10. Suggested weights: Beginners, use 135 pounds; intermediates, use 185; advanced, use 225.

1. Barbell Bench Press: 10 Reps 2. Pullup: 10 Reps

Sets: 10 Rest: 2-Minutes between sets

Gain 35 Pounds With This Bench Press Workout

Last week I revealed one of the five workouts I did that over the course of six months helped me pack on 35 pounds of muscle. That workout is a lower body nightmare-a 10 sets of 10 reps squat session that crushes your entire body, eliciting serious muscle growth.

The Bench Press Workout That Helped Me Gain 35 Pounds

Its simple: an overhead barbell press done sitting on the floor.

By taking your lower body out of the equation, youre forced to rely on your upper body and core for strength. The Z-Press result: Youll add far more muscle to your shoulders, lats, and chest. Youll also shred your abs.

My favorite way to perform the Z-Press is by doing the 10-minute test. In it, you set a timer and do as many Z-Presses as you can in 10 minutes with an unloaded, 45-pound bar. Aim to do 100. (My record is 240.)

Many fitness challenges are solely meant to be suffer fests that test your ability to endure exercise-induced pain. Theres nothing wrong with those, and I have a handful that I love because they help people realize that fatigue is often just in their head.

But I also like challenges that do more than just kick your ass. The Z-Press test challenges you physically and mentally, but it also improves your mobility and shoulders and hips strength, and increases stability in your core. That means youll be able to lift more weight with better form, leading to bigger strength gains and fewer injuries.

And, of course, because you'll do far more reps than youre used to, you'll pack on muscle.

I especially like giving this test to the NFL athletes and special forces soldiers I train. That extra upper body strength and muscle mass allows then to hit harder and faster.

The 10 minute Z-press test is just one test in my new Men's Health book, <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> . It features my most effective mental and physical toughness building-drills, 100+ workouts, and the 3- and 6-month fitness program that I give to clients ranging from special forces soldiers to average guys who want to get insanely shredded.

This 10-Minute Challenge Will Shred Your Abs

The Z-Press is one of the most effective yet overlooked upper body exercises.

This 10-Minute Z-Press Challenge Will Shred Your Abs

The problem: Grip strength holds back most guys deadlifts. It doesnt matter if your back and lower body can handle 1,000 pounds. If your grip can handle 200 pounds, guess how heavy your strongest deadlift is? You got it: 200 pounds.

My go-to exercise for strengthening your grip is the farmers walk. Its simple: Grab two heavy weights and take a walk. The farmers walk beats a lot of traditional grip exercises like plate squeezes because it also hammers your core and shoulders, and it melts fat and builds muscle.

I also recommend heavy holds, which take walking out of the equation. Whatever you choose, accumulate five daily minutes of holding heavy weights.

If you want to use farmers walks to go to a very dark place but emerge far fitter and mentally tougher for it, consider one of my favorite workouts of all time: the Single Movement Mind F***. Its exactly what it sounds like-one exercise repeated over and over again until you finish, quit, or go batsh*t crazy. It puts you in a state of serious physical and psychological stress. But if you finish strong, itll forever change the way you work out.

To do it, grab two 70 pound dumbbells or 32 kilogram kettlebells. Now walk for a total of one mile.

I give this SMMF to many of the Special Forces guys I train. The workout is part of my three- or six-month fitness program that I take those soldiers through. It helps build mental toughness and killer fitness. You can find those two programs and 100+ workouts in my new Mens Health book <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245259" id="27f07910-12c5-3386-aedc-f3e4f5cc2ef1"> Maximus Body </a> -they work for regular guys, too.

Discover What's Holding Back Your Deadlift

I have all the guys I train deadlift, whether theyre NFL pros training to reach the Super Bowl, Special Forces soldiers preparing to execute operations in a war zone, or average guys trying to look better with their shirt off. The move adds an insane amount of muscle and strength to your entire body.

​The Hidden Weakness That’s Holding Back Your Deadlift

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