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Warrior Fitness Training Systems www.WarriorFitness.org

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Push-Ups for Internal Strength

“A Powerful New Program by the Creator of Warrior Fitness…”

Jon Haas, The Warrior Coach

Warrior Fitness Training Systems



Legal Stuff Copyright © 2019, All Rights Reserved All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the expressed written permission from Jonathan Haas. Disclaimer: You must get your physician’s approval before beginning this exercise program. These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting this program or if you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity. This program is designed for healthy individuals 18 years and older only. The information in this e manual is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The author advises readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this e manual, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training and fitness. The exercises in this book are not in-tended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician.

See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition

program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to

your physician before starting any exercise program. If you

experience any light-headedness, dizziness, or shortness of

breath while exercising, stop the movement and consult a

physician.



Introduction

Why Push-Ups?

Push-ups have been used across almost every martial art and military fighting unit for centuries as a standard bodyweight exercise for building strength in the upper body. They require no equipment, gym membership, or special tools, and can be done virtually anywhere at any time. They can be used in high reps for endurance and lung power. They can be used with high tension to build strength. They can be used in a relaxed manner to build flexible striking power. They can be used in regular old school muscle-building and upper body development. OR, They can be used in a very specific way to develop internal power for martial arts... For example - the mysterious Aiki Push-up can be literally a one-stop-shop in the study of internal power building if taught properly. In fact, it was rumored to be part of Daito Ryu master, Yukiyoshi Sagawa’s secret training regimen... And there's much more than that. :)



The King of Bodyweight Exercises

Thousands of years before the bench press was ever invented, heck - before there was such a thing as a barbell, dumbbell, or (gasp!!) even kettlebells... The push-up was building the bodies of fierce fighting men across the planet.

From the time of Spartan warriors and Roman gladiators, all the way up through to today's military - bodyweight exercise has been developing power and strength like nothing else.

This newest program, Push-Ups for Internal Strength, shines a light on the king of bodyweight exercises and takes it a step further teaching you how to become a more powerful, energized, and strong human being.

“In the end, if your body is not conditioned then even if you are

taught you won’t be able to do anything. It’s a problem of building the

body.” – Yukiyoshi Sagawa, Daito Ryu



“The way that I built my body was through push-ups. From the time

that I was a teenager I would train 1,500 times a day. Through that

it became possible for my body to become a single unit. This is not

limited to push-ups, but it is important to continue each physical

training method for at least three years.” – Yukiyoshi Sagawa, Daito

Ryu

Push-Up for Internal Power Model

Our model for using push-ups to develop internal power is based on

In-Yo Ho, or “The method of the union of opposites”.

The pairs of opposites we will use to create internal power within

the body are up/down, left/right, front/back.

This is commonly known as 6 Directional Training. Of critical note

to martial arts practitioners is the fact that the founder of Katori

Shinto Ryu once remarked – “Once I understood 6 directions, my

ken (sword) was unstoppable.”

Yi ➔ Chi ➔ Li

As the maxim above states, Yi (intent) leads Chi (energy) leads Li

(strength). Thus, we see that intent is the primary driver, the prime

mover of internal power.



Intent is the Bridge

Intent is the connection between the thought to act and physical

movement. It is the way we will begin connecting and uniting the

entire body together to create intent-fueled movement.

The Body Must be Re-wired.

The focus of Internal Power training is on changing the body. We

utilize specific exercises to connect, strengthen, and condition the

tissues to remove slack from the body. This process strengthens

the body in a new way that is vastly different from conventional

training. It changes the way outside force acts on the body creating

an unusual power within martial arts training.

However, this is a slow and time-consuming process since we are

working more with tendon and fascia rather than just muscle

tissue.

Overtime, with correct application of training, the body will change.

It is a process, just like following a recipe – follow the steps

precisely and get the results!



Step One – Opening the Body

This is a critical first step to begin to rewire the body as discussed

above. In opening the body, you begin to pull all the fascia and

connective tissues taut from head to toe.

This has the effect of conditioning and strengthening the tissues

and working to start connecting the body as one unit.

Imagine there is a ball of tissue in the center of your body and you

are pulling it apart in all directions.



Start pulling with hands up and down. Use your mind to activate

the tissues in your center and feel them actually move.



Next pull from left to right. Again, the mind-intent is the critical

factor here!



And then finally pull from front to back.

After working on pulling the center open in all directions and feeling

the tissues move, start pulling the arms up over head.

This feeling is like you are taking all the connective tissue in your

body and pulling it from your center up through the torso and over

your head.

Once you feel the pull from the center up over the head, start to

pull from the center down into the feet.

This will then connect the hands over head to the feet through the

middle of the body.



Hold that position for a minute or so really feeling the pull of the

tissues across the center from hands to feet.

Then, while still maintaining the same pulling feeling begin to lower

your hands out in front of you to resemble a standing push-up

position.

Gather all your intent, energy, and strength and feel the body

opening and pulling in all directions as you do this.

Now you are ready to get into the push-up position on the ground!



Shoulder Kwa Mobility

Internal and External Rotation through the “spine” of the arms

Stand in a relaxed posture and rotate the shoulder externally. Hold

for a few seconds imagining the humorous bone of the arms

rotating inside the shoulder joint.



Next rotate the shoulder internally and do the same thing.



Finally rotate one are externally and the other internally.

Hold for a few seconds turning them both as fully as possible, and

then reverse the directions rotating them internally and externally

in the opposite way.



Relaxed Standing Practice

In order to properly learn how to execute the Push-ups for Internal Strength, it is important to first learn how to stand properly on the ground. Then that same posture is translated from the vertical to the horizontal position of the push-up.

How Do We Stand?

In practical terms, how should we stand? Let’s start with the head

and work our way down…

• Lift upwards slightly with the crown of the head allowing the chin to

lower.

• This straightens the vertebrae at the back of the neck. Shoulders

are back and down sitting on the spine.

• The back should be flat.

• Do not tuck the pelvis.

• The spine should be suspended from above like a skeleton hanging

in a Science classroom.

• Do not have the arms lay flush against the body.

• There should be a golf ball sized space under the armpits.

• The bottom of the spine pulls straight down from the tail bone.

• Feel like you are sitting on a high stool.

• Allow the knees to bend slightly.

• Feet should be shoulder width apart and pointed straight forward

as if on railroad tracks.

• Legs should feel like they are squeezing a beach ball.

• Remember though, the ball puts outward pressure on the legs as

they squeeze in.



• Both directions, not just one.

• The weight is carried in the hollow behind the balls of the feet. In

Chinese Medicine, this is known as the yongquan or bubbling well

point.

• All of the above points must be maintained to have a truly “natural”

standing posture.

Wuji Standing

Now that you have the external mechanics down, let’s talk about

how to supercharge your relaxation process.


http://warriorfitness.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Bubbling-Well.jpg


1. Mentally scan the body for areas of tension. The usual suspects

will be the neck, shoulders, low back, and the quads.

2. Begin to actively release each area of tension one by one with your

mind. For example, think of the tightness in your shoulders and

mentally relax it by telling yourself “the tightness in my shoulders is

letting go and relaxing”. Then proceed to the next area until you

have systematically gone through them all.

3. If one particular area is giving you trouble work on breathing into

it. Inhale into the area, hold for a few seconds, then exhale from

the area to release it. Use this process repeatedly until the tension

has let go.

4. Once you have removed all the residual tension in the body

continue to stand holding that relaxed feeling. Think of your body


http://warriorfitness.org/evolve-your-breathing/

http://warriorfitness.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Sun-Lutang-Wuji.jpg


as a drop of ink dissolving in the ocean, spreading out in all

directions.

5. Start with 10 minutes of Wuji standing. Work up to 30 minutes.


http://warriorfitness.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wang-xiangzhai-zhan-zhuang.jpg


Relaxed Push-Up Position – Head to toe alignment

The posture for your push-up should be the same as the Wuji

standing. Body perfectly aligned. Completely relaxed. Intent pulling

tissues taut from head to toe.

Additionally, I want you to visualize your body being connected

from the fingertips of your right hand, across your center, all the



way to the sole of your left foot. And from the fingertips of your left

hand all the way to the sole of your right foot.

Feel these cross-body connections and make them taut as well, like

pulling on lines of flexible steel cables throughout your entire body.

Caution – Do NOT substitute muscle tension for the tautness in the

tissues. These are 2 completely and contradictory things.



Stand on the fists in the push-up position as if you are standing on

your feet in Wuji. Feel the connection to the earth through your

fists and relax as much as possible while maintaining the intent to

pull the tissues from head to toe, and cross-body.

Remain in the Fist Standing Posture for as long as possible while

breathing deeply into the belly and staying as relaxed as possible.

Start with 60 seconds and work your way up to standing on the

fists for a full 5 minutes.



The Structure of a Push-Up

Let’s begin in the up portion of the push-up position. Hands should

be about shoulder-width apart, elbow pits facing forward. Back is

straight, aligned from crown to coccyx.

Very important with all the exercises here, do not use any more

muscle tension than necessary to accomplish the exercise.

As you progress, you’ll find less, and less muscle power is needed

for the same result. We’re working toward efficiency here.



So, relax as much as possible and remember that the push-up is

just the form, the real goal is the breath work.

Begin to inhale slightly before starting the push-up this way your

breath leads the way. As you lower down, continue to inhale by

expanding your belly.

Let the breath lead the movement. In fact, I would go even further

and say, let the breath create the movement. Study this concept!

Pause at the bottom portion, then begin to exhale again slightly

before initiating the upward push. The breath should guide the

movement.

Play with this for several repetitions trying to really get the feel of

the breath leading and supporting the movement.



Now reverse the breathing pattern. Exhale on the way down and

inhale on the way up. Same rules apply.

If you feel excessive muscle tension being used, stop. Stand up and

lean against a wall or a staircase in the push-up position. This will

greatly reduce the demand of the exercise allowing you to

concentrate on the breathing aspect while still performing the

movement of a push-up. When you feel comfortable with the

movement, drop back down to the floor and try again. Keep the

same light feeling you had while doing the push-ups against the

wall or stairs.

4 Phases of Breathing

The breath cycle can be broken down into 4 distinct phases of

breathing:

1. Inhale

2. Pause after inhale (full hold)

3. Exhale

4. Pause after exhale (empty hold)

Each of these phases can be manipulated within the framework of

our exercise to create variation and change the focus of the

exercise.

Previously we had discussed how to use the inhale and exhale

phases of breathing to increase capacity by fitting more movement

into each breath. Now we will focus on the other 2 phases, pause

after inhale and pause after exhale. These breath holds will allow

us to teach the body how to utilize the oxygen it already has more

efficiently by working longer in a state of oxygen deprivation.



As a side note, please be aware of your body’s physiological

response to breathing exercises. In general, inhalation causes a

slight increase in tension and blood pressure, while exhalation

causes a relaxation response and an accompanying lowering of blood

pressure. These effects can be magnified by holding the breath after

inhalation and holding the breath after exhalation. Therefore, please

proceed with caution.

Building Capacity

Once you get the hang of the breath leading the movement of the

push-up, we will begin to work on expanding your breathing

capacity. Here we will stretch out the inhale and exhale to fit more

movements into each breath cycle.

For example, begin again in the upward portion of the push-up

position. Exhale completely without moving. Begin the inhale

slightly before the lowering movement and continue to inhale all the

way down and all the way back up. Exhale. Now try to do 2 push-

ups on one inhale. If you can do 2, try 3. See how many

movements you can fit into one inhale, it’s not easy! Make sure you

don’t rush that will only add tension and gas you out even

quicker. Maintain relaxation and an even pace throughout.

Once you’ve done a few reps by expanding your inhale, try to do the

same thing on an exhale. Start in the top portion of the push-up,

inhale completely without moving. Begin your exhale slightly before

the downward movement and continue through the whole push-

up. Try 2, 3, 4, see how many reps you can do on one exhale.

One way to do this in a set is to do a breathing ladder. Do one

push-up on one inhale. Exhale at the top. Then do 2 push-ups on



one inhale. Exhale at the top. Then do 3 push-ups on one

inhale. Exhale at the top. Try to do 4 on one inhale. Now, reverse

it, inhale at the top and do 4 push-ups on one exhale. Then 3 on

one exhale. Then 2. Then one push-up on one exhale. Get the

idea?

Inhale and Hold

In this exercise we will be working with the pause after

inhalation. Assume the push-up position. Inhale deeply by

expanding the belly. Don’t force it. Just inhale as much as

comfortable for you. Pause. Do not exhale.

Perform 1 push-up.

Exhale at the top and inhale again. Perform 2 push-ups on the full

hold. Exhale at the top portion and then inhale and hold. Perform

3 push-ups on the full hold.

How does it feel?

Can you do 4? 5?

Make sure you are not trying to move faster just because you’re

holding the breath.

Perform the push-ups smoothly and in a relaxed manner. A side

benefit of this type of work is that it helps you to work under

stress. When you can’t breathe, the body begins to panic. Even

though your mind knows it’s just an exercise and you can breathe

at any time, your body is responding to the lack of air and begins to

sound the alarm. Understand this and work with it to teach

yourself to remain calm in difficult situations.



Exhale and Hold

Now let’s look at the pause after exhale, or empty hold. You know

the drill by now – assume the position!

Inhale and exhale in the top portion of the push-up. Hold on the

exhale and do 1 push-up. Inhale and exhale. Do 2 push-

ups. Inhale at the top, exhale. Do 3 push-ups.

What do you notice about holding on the exhale versus holding on

the inhale?

Much more difficult, right?

Again, note the reaction your body is having to the exercise. Are

you speeding up to get through it? Are you using more muscle

tension than necessary? How does the increased muscle tension

affect your body’s oxygen usage? Relax and slow down. You’ll be

able to handle more.

Square Breathing

Okay. Time to put it all together. Square breathing means that

each of the 4 segments or phases of the breath cycle will be of equal

length.

For example, inhale to a count of 5, hold on the inhale for a count

of 5, exhale for a count of 5, then hold on exhale for a count of 5.

The count itself doesn’t matter if each part is equal. Obviously, the

difficultly level can be increased with a higher count and decreased

with a lower count.



For our purposes, let’s stick with the 5 count for one push-up.

Begin in the up portion of the push-up. Don’t move yet, but inhale

for a count of 5. Now hold the breath and slowly lower down to a

count of 5. At the bottom portion of the push-up, exhale in position

for a count of 5. Hold on the exhale and raise yourself back up

slowly to a count of 5.

Power Breathing Push-Ups

Inhale deep into the belly but feel as if the air is permeating through

your entire body from head all the way to the soles of your feet.

“The wise man breathes from his heels.” - Chuang Tzu

Hold the breath for a few seconds and feel the energy flowing

throughout the entire body.

Next exhale but exhale as if you are exhaling into yourself. Visualize

the exhaled breath still being pushed through your body and

increasing the energy and connection throughout the entire system.

Now assume the push-up position and breath the same way. Inhale

energy into your body as you lower, exhale energy into your body as

you raise yourself back up.

Feel as if you are pushing the earth away and not pressing yourself

up through muscular effort – remember to remain as relaxed as

possible while holding the form.



Seiza Power Building

When you have completed as many Power Breathing Push-Ups as

you can while staying relaxed and keeping the form, sit in seiza

with the fists closed and feel the energy flow into the fists making

them heavy and powerful.

Breathe deep into the belly in this position visualizing the energy

flowing through the entire body. Then pull the energy from the

center of the body into the closed hands.

Cycle through this several times until your hands begin to feel

warm and very heavy.



Screwing Push-Ups

Screwing Push-ups teach the body to use stored elastic energy

(SEE) in the tissues to create the movement. These push-ups are

ideal training for striking, grappling, and weapons work.

The Screwing Push-up begins in the normal push-up position. From

there one arm rotates in onto the elbow and then the shoulder

creating a 3-dimensional internal screwing movement to store

elastic energy in the tissues. Then it is released, and the arm

screws back up to the original position before screwing down and in

to the opposite side. Exhale on effort. Repeat approximately 10

times per side.



Stored Elastic Energy (SEE)

Stored Elastic Energy is basically the potential energy stored in

tendons and connective tissue to power movement. An easy

exercise to begin to feel stored elastic energy is to stand in a natural

stance with feet shoulder width apart. Bend your right arm and

raise it up to shoulder height as if you were about to throw the most

telegraphed punch in history (don’t worry, it’s just an exercise).

Now, lead from the elbow and pull your fist back. Allow your torso

to rotate, but keep the feet planted and the hips facing forward.

When you reach the end of your range of motion, hang out there for

a second and feel the tension (torque) on the spine. Now simply

relax and release that torque to throw the punch. Don’t add any



driving forces with muscle. You can’t propel it any faster; you’ll just

slow it down.

Feel it?

Try it again.

Do it with the other arm. Remember the feeling. This is stored

elastic energy (SEE).

The point here about creating torque or stored elastic energy (SEE)

in the spine is essential in being able to move powerfully without

winding up or telegraphing the movement.

If you are having trouble feeling it, try to exaggerate the movement.

Make it much larger than necessary to study the feeling. It should

feel like a tension in the lower back near the bottom of the spine.

When this tension (torque) is relaxed (released), the movement

happens.



Super Slow Push-Up

Super slow push-ups build superior tendon strength and elasticity

by forcing the muscles to let go and relax while allowing the

tendons to bear the brunt of the work.

These excruciating push-up variations will not only strengthen the

tendons, but the will and fighting spirit as well!

1. Assume the push-up position.

2. Slowly (and I do mean slowly), lower yourself to the halfway

point. It should take you a full 15 seconds to lower down to just

halfway. Make sure you count!

3. Hold for a full 30 seconds at the halfway point. Breathe

forcefully in through the nose and out through the mouth. Don’t

cheat. I’ll be watching! 🙂

4. Take another 15 seconds to slowly lower the rest of the way down

until you are hovering just above the ground. The only points of

contact are your hands and balls of feet.

5. Hold for another 30 seconds at the bottom position. Use your

breath to support and sustain you, it’s the only way to survive!

6. Begin to raise yourself back up at an excruciatingly slow rate. 30

seconds from bottom back to the top position.



Breathing Squats

After performing the push-ups in this program it’s generally a good

idea to balance out the body by doing some squats.

Again, allow the breath to lead the movement. Inhale down, exhale

up for 10 reps. Then exhale down, inhale up for another 10 reps.



The Push-ups for Internal Strength Daily Training Plan

Perform this program 3 – 5 days per week, but for optimal results perform daily.

1. Opening the Body – 2 minutes

2. Wuji Standing – 5 minutes

3. Fist Standing – 5 minutes

4. Breathing Push-ups – 20 reps

5. Power Breathing Push-ups – 10 reps

6. Breathing Squats – 20 reps

7. Seiza Power Building – 2 minutes



How to Do 100 or 1000 Push-ups per Day

How to do 100 or 1000 push-ups a day.

First figure out what the maximum number of push-ups you can do

in one set is.

Let’s say for example that number is 25.

Now perform the maximum number of push-ups you can do minus

3 or 5, depending on your condition. The idea is to do a sub-

maximum number of reps, so you do not push yourself into failure.

So, this would be approximately 20 reps in our example. (max of 25

minus 5)

Wait until you are fully recovered - shake out the arms, inhale into

the arms imagine you are pulling all the tension out of the arms

and exhale that tension out of your mouth. Do that several times

until you feel you are fully recovered.

Now do a second set of push-ups but only half the number, 10 in

our example.

Recover again and then do another third set of push-ups at half the

second set – 5 reps this time.

You just performed 35 pushups – which is already 10 more than

your max. See what we did there?

Do that for several days in a row until it becomes easy.

Then retest your number your original number and do it again your

original number should be higher than the first time.

Continue this way until you reach your requisite number, 100, 500,

or 1000 push-ups per day.



Additional Recommended Resources

Warrior’s Inner Circle (NEW) The Warrior’s Inner Circle is my brand-new monthly

training program where I share all my best

coaching, training, exercises, tips and tricks to

maximize your martial art and fitness training!

Shadow Strength Program (NEW) Shadow Strength utilizes a proprietary set of

exercises drawn from traditional martial arts and

trained in a unique combination to skyrocket your

internal strength, power, and resistance to injury.

Using breath, posture, and martial

mobility, Shadow Strength breaks down the

barriers to superhuman strength and an

unbreakable body

Sledgehammer Domination Sledgehammer Domination is the ultimate low-tech,

high yield training program for forging elite

functional fitness.


http://warriorfitness.org/inner-circle/

http://warriorfitness.org/shadow-strength/

http://warriorfitness.org/shadow/

http://warriorfitness.org/shadow/

http://warriorfitness.org/sledgehammer/


Vital Force: The Yin of Strength Vital Force: The Yin of Strength is an easy-to-learn

health maintenance program combining dynamic

mobility with age-old Qigong energy work, and

breathing exercises.

It is specifically designed to increase your body’s

vital energy, open up the joints, enhance recovery

from exercise, and reduce stress. This program can

be used by anyone regardless of age, health, or

physical ability.

WarFit Combat Conditioning Program An 8-Week Combat Conditioning Program That Will

Forge A Warrior’s Whole-Body Strength,

Endurance, and Toughness

The Strong(er) Over 40 Program The exact fitness, nutritional, hormonal, and

mindset blueprint that you need in order to get

stronger, build more muscle, have more energy,

and increase flexibility and mobility after the age of

40.


http://warriorfitness.org/vital-force/




http://warriorfitness.org/warfit/

http://warriorfitness.org/stronger-over-forty/


Integrated Strength Program (Video and Manual) Ever wonder if you could have it all in your

training? Integrated Strength combines the best of

Unconventional Strength training exercises with

Internal Power Building training for a unique and

comprehensive way of building whole body

strength.

Minimalist Bodyweight Warrior Program Finally, a stripped down 30-day program with

nothing but the bare essentials to get you rapid

results. Since this is minimalist, these workouts

will take you just 30 minutes or less. All you need

is your own bodyweight.

Ninja Mission Program 1 (Video and Manual) You will train like the ninja of feudal Japan

preparing body, mind, and spirit through rigorous

physical training and martial practice.


http://warriorfitness.org/integrated-strength/

http://warriorfitness.org/minimalist-warrior/

http://warriorfitness.org/ninja-missions/


Martial Power Program (e-book and video) The Martial Power Program is for those traditional

martial artists committed to taking their body,

mind, and spirit to the next level! This program is

for people who are serious about learning how to

functionally integrate high level fitness training into

their martial arts practice!

Evolve Your Breathing (e-book and video) Essential Techniques for Optimal

Performance! Learn unique and powerful breathing

exercises drawn from martial arts, qigong, and

yoga that will teach you how to Adapt AND Perform

Under Stress!

Dad Strength Program (e-book) A full 10 week program to go from Dad to Super

Dad! A Three-Phased approach to Recover and

Sustain Strength. Awesome for men in their 40’s,

50’s, 60’s, and beyond!

Warrior Fitness Affiliate Program <<<==


http://warriorfitness.org/martial-power-program/

http://warriorfitness.org/martial-power-program/

http://warriorfitness.org/evolve/

http://warriorfitness.org/evolve/

https://warrior-fitness.leadpages.net/dad-strength/

http://warriorfitness.org/affiliates/

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