Military Calisthenics Workout: A Free 6-Week Plan to Train Like the Army

"Military calisthenics" was one of the fastest-rising fitness searches of the year, up about 1,550%. "Military calisthenics for women" was up an extraordinary 4,850%. It isn't hard to see why. The approach is simple, needs no equipment, and is built to produce people who are fit for anything, not just good at one lift.

This guide explains what military calisthenics is, the exercises it's built on, and a free 6-week plan you can start today.

This is a civilian training plan inspired by military physical training. It isn't an official program from any armed force. If you're preparing for a specific fitness test, check that service's current standards.

The short answer

• Military calisthenics = bodyweight strength and conditioning: push-ups, sit-ups or planks, pull-ups, squats, lunges and burpees, combined with running.
• It's usually done as circuits or high-rep sets, often timed, emphasising muscular endurance.
• Train 4 days per week: 2 calisthenics circuit days, 1 run-interval day, 1 long easy run or ruck.
• Progress by adding reps, rounds and pace, and retest every 2 weeks.

What makes it "military"?

Military physical training is designed for work capacity: carrying loads, moving fast, getting up off the ground again and again, and doing it all while tired. That means:

Military calisthenics	Typical gym bodybuilding
High reps, muscular endurance	Moderate reps, muscle growth
Timed tests and circuits	Sets with long rest
Running is a core component	Cardio optional
Bodyweight, minimal equipment	Machines, barbells, dumbbells
Whole-body movements	Often body-part splits

The core military calisthenics exercises

1. Push-ups: the backbone of nearly every military test.
2. Sit-ups / crunches or planks: many modern tests use planks instead of sit-ups.
3. Pull-ups / chin-ups
4. Air squats and lunges
5. Burpees: "up-downs"
6. Flutter kicks and leg raises
7. Mountain climbers
8. Running: intervals and longer steady runs
9. Rucking (optional): walking with a weighted backpack

Take your baseline test

Before week 1, test yourself so you can set targets:

Test	How
Max push-ups	Full range, chest to fist height, no rest on the floor
Max pull-ups	Dead hang to chin over bar
Plank	Max hold with good form
2-minute sit-ups (optional)	As many as possible in 2 min
2.4 km / 1.5 mile run	For time

Retest at the end of weeks 2, 4 and 6.

The 6-week military calisthenics plan

4 days per week (e.g. Mon: Circuit A, Tue: intervals, Thu: Circuit B, Sat: long run). Rest or walk on the other days.

Circuit A: "PT circuit"

Repeat for the prescribed rounds, resting 60–90 s between rounds:

• Push-ups: 50% of your max
• Air squats × 20
• Sit-ups or plank: 20 reps / 40 s
• Burpees × 10
• Lunges × 10 per leg
• Mountain climbers × 20 per leg

Circuit B: "Pull and core"

• Pull-ups: 50% of your max (or inverted rows × 10)
• Diamond push-ups: 40% of your push-up max
• Flutter kicks × 30 (each leg = 1)
• Bulgarian split squats × 8 per leg
• Leg raises × 12
• Plank shoulder taps × 20

Run days

• Intervals: 6–10 × 400 m hard with 90 s walk or jog recovery (or 1 min hard / 2 min easy).
• Long run or ruck: 30–60 minutes at an easy, conversational pace.

Weekly progression

Week	Circuits	Intervals	Long run
1	3 rounds	6 × 400 m	30 min
2	3 rounds, +1 rep per exercise	6 × 400 m	35 min
3	4 rounds (recalculate from retest)	8 × 400 m	40 min
4	4 rounds, +1 rep	8 × 400 m	45 min
5	5 rounds	10 × 400 m	50 min
6	3 rounds, then final retest	6 × 400 m	30 min

Military calisthenics for women

The query growth tells a clear story: many women are looking for this kind of training. The plan above works as-is. The principles are the same, and many modern military fitness tests use the same events for everyone. Practical tips:

• Pull-ups: use negatives (5 s lowering) and inverted rows until you have full reps. They come faster than most people expect.
• Push-ups: use incline push-ups on a bench rather than knee push-ups when possible. They carry over better to full push-ups.
• Scale by percentage: because reps are based on your max, the plan adjusts to your level automatically.

See our calisthenics for women guide for more.

Common mistakes

1. Sloppy reps to hit a number. Half push-ups don't count on a real test and build less strength.
2. All circuits, no running. Military fitness is built on both.
3. Doing every workout max-effort. Keep long runs easy and circuits hard-but-controlled.
4. No retesting. The test is the motivation. Retest every two weeks.

Want more structure?

If you'd rather build pure strength and skills (like your first muscle-up) than endurance, switch to the progression-based 8-week calisthenics workout plan. If you want the same no-nonsense conditioning in a competitive format, look at Hyrox.

Log every rep

Military-style training is built on numbers: max push-ups, pull-ups, run times, circuit rounds. The fastest way to improve them is to write them down after every session and aim to beat them.

GymMonster logs every set and rep, including bodyweight exercises, and keeps your personal records, so every retest shows you exactly how far you've come.

The bottom line

Military calisthenics is bodyweight strength-endurance plus running, done consistently and measured regularly. Take a baseline test, follow the 6-week plan (two circuits, one interval run and one long run per week), retest every two weeks, and log everything.