Pushups, Pullups, Crunches: The 1-2-3 Bodyweight Workout

Candidates, if you need to mix up your cardio circuits or need some ideas for a no-frills bodyweight workout, you will love the 1-2-3 Bodyweight Workout. Since there’s no running or lower body involved, you could combine it with some or else use it on your alternate days. Either way, it requires no gym or weights, so you could do the whole thing at home or on the road with just an in-door pullup bar. Best of all, it prepares you perfectly for real OCS workouts. Get some!

You warm up slowly, and perform rounds until failure. After time, you will get stronger and go further in sets.

Start the workout with one pullup, two pushups, and three crunches. Each set you simply add one pullup, two pushups, and three crunches.

The 1-2-3 Bodyweight Workout

  1. 1 Pullup, 2 Pushups, 3 Crunches

  2. 2 Pullups, 4 Pushups, 6 Crunches

  3. 3 Pullups, 6 Pushups, 9 Crunches

  4. +1 Pullup, +2 Pushups, +3 Crunches each set, until failure

Candidates doing pushups
A well-prepared candidate doesn't sweat pushups

Do the Pullups, Pushups, and Crunches back-to-back, only resting between total sets. Between each set, you get to rest 10 seconds for each pullup you’ve done. So, after the fourth set, you get up to 40 seconds of rest. I recommend pushing yourself and keeping rest to a minimum.

Once you experience failure, say getting only 4 pullups in the ninth round, complete the round with the pushups and crunches as capable.

Well, how many rounds can you make it?  Let’s get that 300 PFT!

USMC Pull-ups: PFT Rules

USMC Crunches: PFT Rules

USMC Push-up Rules

6 thoughts on “Pushups, Pullups, Crunches: The 1-2-3 Bodyweight Workout

  1. for a marine pushup can you do wide pushups instead of shoulder width because it shows that variant too also are you allowed to stop while doing pushups.

    1. Hi Joseph,
      Yes you can do wider, narrower, arms under your shoulders or arms at navel-height. Rarely would anyone on staff change where you set your hands but sometimes you’ll do unit diamond pushups, for example. It’s best to train to a wide variety of styles.

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