Navy SEAL Workout You Can Survive From Your Home Gym

Navy SEALs are arguably the fittest people on the planet and by no accident. A typical Navy SEAL workout will have you repping out calisthenics, running, swimming, and performing obstacle courses and load carries, all with the aim of building endurance and strength that holds up under brutal conditions.

Now, the SEALs have oceans, sand berms, and drill instructors screaming in their faces, but you don't need any of that to borrow their methods. You will, however, have to embrace the suck. With some basic equipment, you can build your own Navy SEALs style training plan at home. Here's a look at how they train, what the Navy SEALs physical fitness test looks like, and a workout to get you started.

What Is Navy SEAL Training?

Navy SEAL training is built around BUD/S, which stands for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL), a roughly 24-week selection course split into physical conditioning, combat diving, and land warfare. Every day, they're out there running (often on deep sand), swimming, tackling obstacle courses, and doing rep after rep of calisthenics like push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups.

Then there's the aptly named Hell Week, which is five and a half straight days of nonstop drills in cold water with almost zero sleep. It sounds just about as fun as it is. You need hella resilience and grit to withstand this kind of training, which uses controlled chaos and team pressure to build mental toughness. More recent SEAL programs are changing to include block-periodized and high-intensity functional training because they get better results than the old standby of low-intensity PT, which is great news if you want a home gym plan that'll get you ripped like a SEAL.

The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Test

Before you even sniff BUD/S, you have to pass the Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test (PST). The test is a single event done in order with short rest periods:

• 500-yard swim (sidestroke or breaststroke)
• Push-ups (max reps in 2 minutes). Proper form is strictly enforced. Build your base with our push-ups guide.
• Sit-ups (max reps in 2 minutes)
• Pull-ups (max reps, no time limit, overhand grip only). Our pull-ups guide can help you improve.
• 1.5-mile run (timed)
  

Minimum SEAL scores are a 12:30 swim, 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups, and a 10:30 run and competitive candidates crush those minimums. Passing the PST gets you a ticket to BUD/S, but more than half of candidates who pass it still don't finish training. It's that tough.

Navy SEAL Workout Plan

This plan takes the best parts of Navy SEAL training (like periodized strength training and high-intensity conditioning) and scales them down for your home gym. But first, you'll need a primer on the correct Navy SEAL style burpees technique, which are an intense 10-count variation that hits your chest, shoulders, core, and legs that's perfect for blasting your muscles and tackling cardio at the same time.

How to Do Navy Seal Burpees with Proper Form

• From a shoulder-width stance, squat and kick back into a plank.
• Perform one push-up, then a right-knee mountain climber.
• Do a second push-up, then a left-knee mountain climber.
• Complete a third push-up, jump feet forward, and finish with an explosive overhead reach.
• Land softly with your core braced, and exhale during efforts.
  

What Are the Main Benefits of Doing Navy SEAL Burpees Regularly?

Full-body strength and endurance, better coordination, and mental toughness are benefits of Navy SEAL burpees. Each rep packs three push-ups, two mountain climbers, and a jump, so 100 reps equals 300 push-ups plus cardio and core work.

Day 1: Push and Conditioning

• Push-ups: 5 sets x max reps in 1 minute (90 sec rest)
• Dips: 4 sets x 8-12. Shoulder press: 3 sets x 8-10
• Navy SEAL burpees: 5 x 5 (60 sec rest)
• Steady-state cardio: Finish with 20 minutes easy on an air bike
  

Day 2: Pull and Core

• Pull-ups: 5 sets x max reps (90 sec rest)
• Dumbbell rows: 4 sets x 10-12
• Sit-ups: 4 sets x max in 1 minute
• Plank holds: 3 x 45-60 seconds
• Farmer carries: 4 x 40 meters
  

Day 3: Conditioning

• Interval running: 8 rounds of 400m hard / 200m easy on a curved treadmill or outside
• Navy SEAL burpees: 3 x 8 (90 sec rest)
• Air bike sprints: 5 x 30 sec max effort / 60 sec easy
  

Day 4: Legs and Endurance

• Squats: 4 sets x 8-10. Lunges: 3 x 10/leg.
• Good mornings or RDLs: 3 x 10. Step-ups: 3 x 8/leg.
• Steady-state cardio: Finish with a 30-40 minute easy run or ruck walk.

Learn more about strength training for runners.

Progression

Add 1-2 push-up or pull-up reps per set each week. Increase run distance or cut rest intervals on conditioning days. For more structured military style programming, check out our military workout guide.

Takeaway

Navy SEALs crush tons of bodyweight exercises, build serious endurance, and develop the mental grit to keep going when their bodies want to quit. Borrowing from their training (without the more hellish aspects) is a solid way to build a body that can handle anything you throw at it. Make push-ups, pull-ups, running, and Navy SEAL burpees your core conditioning moves. Start by aiming for the PST scores, then add in strength work and interval training, and slowly ramp up the difficulty. You probably won't end up storming any beaches, but your fitness will be in a completely different league.

FAQs

How can I train like a Navy SEAL at home?

Focus on high-rep push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, dips, and running as your base. Add Navy SEAL burpees for conditioning, and use an air bike or curved treadmill for cardio variety. Train 4-5 days a week and aim to hit or go above the physical screening test minimums.

What are the key components of a Navy SEAL workout plan?

Calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups), running, swimming or alternative cardio, and full-body conditioning moves like burpees. Strength work with free weights or bodyweight rounds out the program.

Can Navy SEAL burpees help improve overall fitness and endurance?

Navy SEAL burpees are a 10-count full-body exercise that builds pushing strength, core endurance, and cardiovascular fitness at the same time. Doing them regularly combined with running and other calisthenics will level up your conditioning fast.

What is the best way to incorporate Navy SEAL burpees into a workout routine?

Use them as a conditioning finisher (3-4 rounds of 30 sec on/30 sec off), as part of a circuit, or as a separate endurance workout. Start with low reps and perfect your form before adding volume.

What exercises are most effective for Navy SEAL-style training?

Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, running, swimming, burpees, dips, squats, and loaded carries form the core of SEAL-style training.