Get checked by an M.D. - When you begin training or resume training after more than a year of, you must undergo a physical examination by a medical doctor, passing a medical check is necessary, since the effort level is very high. We recommend that you undergo not only an EKG test, but also cardiac functions and blood pressure stress testing.
Do get checked frequently, especially if members of your family have cardiac illness of any kind, if you are overweight, if you smoke or if you do not engage in regular physical activity. You must undergo an ergometric test (which is done on a treadmill) and consult with a cardiologist before and during training.
This table should be used only under a certified instructor. Don't do this table on your own. If you don't understand, please ask your instructors here or an experienced instructor that you work with. We are here to help, if possible.
In order to start the training table, check how much you are doing usually. And not your maximum, be conservative, do not rush. If you have been doing one push up a month then do not start with ten push-ups on the table, start with one. If you haven't practiced strength exercises for more then a month, just start at the beginning. Your aim should be gradual and maintainable practice rather than a short explosive career.
Strength training is not an option, it's a necessity, and therefore you have to start gradually in order not to burden your body and soul. Literally, hundreds of our practitioners have checked these tables for more then fifteen years.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 50 | 55 |
Push-ups are a much hated exercise because they stress not only the arm and chest muscles, but also the straight and diagonal abdominal muscles. The intra-abdominal pressure goes up considerably during this exercise, which necessitates contraction of the sphincters in the floor of the pelvis. In a similar exercise in a gym, the practitioners lie on their back and are given a bar to be pushed up. The gym exercise is easier (naturally depending on the weight), because the internal abdominal muscles and sphincters are not under as much stress. For this reason we prefer regular push-ups and, later in advanced levels, regular push-ups with a weight on the back.
When doing sit-ups, do at least a third of them diagonally, reaching with your hand towards the opposite knee.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 20 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 110 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 135 | 140 | 150 | 150 |
Back arching, from a prone position (lying on your belly), with the arms spread to the sides and the back arched, face looking forward.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
From lying on the side of the body, go up halfway.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions (כל צד) | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 50 |
For veteran practitioners: A third done on folded fingers (tzuki), a Third on the fists, a third on spread fingers.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 5 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 50 |
Assume Wide posture, feet about twice the width of the shoulders with a natural half turn of the feet, going up and down maintain an erect upper body posture.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 40 |
Keep a narrow posture, feet at the width of the shoulders. Descend to a full crouch and stand up again.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
With your hands keep a steady static pressure on the forehead, alternate with pressure on the chin.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
More than any other exercise, this exercise should be overseen and corrected by an instructor, which is why it is not detailed here
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of repetitions | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 |
Do it with the back of your hands facing you.
| week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of pull-ups | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 15 |
| No. of sets, repetitions of the pull-up sequence | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Always do pull-ups in three or four sets. This is the only exercise that will improve only if you repeat the number of chin ups again in the same session.
If you cannot do even a single pull-up, begin by holding on to the bar with both hands. Using your hands, hang from the bar for 2-3 seconds. In two weeks you can be hanging from the bar for about 20 seconds. Next, try to achieve at least one pull-up while twisting your body to assist the hands.
Pull-ups is an exercise that depends on regular training. If you perform it almost every day, your progress will be fine.
Store-bought horizontal bars which have been installed at home have already caused some unpleasant injuries because of incorrect installation. If you use one of those, be sure to straighten your legs while pulling, that way, in case you fall, you will not injure your kneecaps.
These requirements are AKBAN's minimum standard, but you will find that in some cases there is neither time nor energy to perform even the necessary minimum. Thus, assuming you have reached a reasonable level of training, this is the recommended priority, from the most important exercise to the also important, but not as much. If you have time for only one exercise do pull ups, if you have time for two exercises do pull ups and sit-ups, etc.
Running - at the very minimum run twice a week - according to our tables
Technique - at the very minimum practice one technique a day