Physical Training Program I: Bodyweight Circuit

Here’s an 8-week training program you can stick to and build on long term. This combines calisthenics, cardio, core, and mental toughness exercises while maintaining recovery and injury prevention.



How This Works
  • Duration: 8 weeks
  • Frequency: 5 training days per week (1 active recovery day, 1 full rest day)
  • Gear needed: A pull-up bar and a willing mind
  • Focus: strength, endurance, breathing discipline
  • Time commitment: 20+ minutes per session
  • Prepares you for: crushing life and achieving your dreams

Explaining the Bodyweight Circuit 🐒

By cycling through exercises like push-ups, squats, pullups and planks, you develop strength and stamina without overloading any single muscle group. This also enhances muscular coordination, endurance and movement efficiency.

The constant movement keeps your cardiovascular system engaged, helping to increase VO₂ max (the body's ability to use oxygen) and burn calories efficiently. Over time, this builds endurance, allowing you to perform at higher intensities for longer durations. Since bodyweight circuits can be adapted to any fitness level, they are an excellent way to develop strength and endurance in a time-efficient way.


Before You Begin
  • Warm up before every workout (jog, jump rope, dynamic stretches, whatever gets heat in the body)
  • Prioritize form first — perfect reps beat fast sloppy reps
  • For pull-ups: use band assistance or negatives if needed
  • If you can’t complete the reps, don’t stop — break into mini-sets and keep going
  • If you're sore, take the active recovery day seriously (walk, stretch, yoga, mobility)

The Program

Week 1-2: Build the Foundation 🏋️‍♂️

Your goal here is to master bodyweight basics and improve cardio endurance.

Daily Bodyweight Circuit

Repeat 4 rounds of:

  • 10 push-ups
  • 10 squats
  • 5 pull-ups (or max effort if you can’t do 5)
  • 10 sit-ups
  • 30-second plank
  • no rest between exercises, 1.5 min rest between rounds

Week 3-4: Strengthen 💪

Push past your comfort zone here. You should be getting used to discomfort.

Daily Bodyweight Circuit

Repeat 4 rounds of:

  • 20 push-ups
  • 20 squats
  • 5-10 pull-ups
  • 20 sit-ups
  • 45-second plank

Week 5-6: Intensity 🔥

These weeks will push you hard. Recovery becomes critical here.

Daily Bodyweight Circuit

Repeat 4 rounds of:

  • 30 push-ups (or failure)
  • 30 squats
  • 12-15 pull-ups (break into sets if needed)
  • 30 sit-ups
  • 60-second plank

Week 7-8: YN 🥷

You should be stronger and tougher by now. Finish strong.

Daily Bodyweight Circuit

Repeat 4 rounds of:

  • 40 push-ups (or failure)
  • 40 squats
  • 15-20 pull-ups (break into sets if needed)
  • 40 sit-ups
  • 1.5 minute plank

Graduation 🏆

This training program was based on military-style PT and so we end it with a good old fashioned test. Take the test three days in a row, multiple times per day if you're feeling bold. Rest for a week once you're done and find something new to pursue! You'll win!!!

PTP I Fitness Test

  • 2-mile run (timed)
  • Max push-ups in 2 mins
  • Max sit-ups in 2 mins
  • Pull-up max effort

Next Steps

When you finish this block, pause and acknowledge the work. Strength isn’t built in one perfect session — it’s built by showing up, learning your limits, and getting a little more capable each week. You’re stronger than when you started, and that matters.

Consolidate the Gains 💪

  • Take a deload or recovery week: lighter weights, clean reps, extra rest.
  • Log your key lifts to mark progress — not for ego, but for awareness.
  • Notice what feels more stable, powerful, or controlled in daily life.

Keep Building 🔁

  • Repeat the final 2–3 weeks to reinforce strength and technique.
  • Run the program again with slightly heavier loads or cleaner execution.
  • Pair this block with endurance or conditioning work to turn strength into usable capacity.

Support the System 🧠

  • Tight or sore? → add Yoga I or mobility-focused sessions.
  • Feeling flat? → reduce volume and prioritize sleep and food.
  • Mentally cooked? → train without chasing numbers — move with intention.

Strength training isn’t about maxing out — it’s about building a body you can rely on. Carry that forward.


Up Next
Physical Program II: Dumbbell Circuit | Sendō
Dumbbells offer the perfect balance between control and resistance, allowing you to build strength, balance, and coordination through a full range of motion.


Sendō
Running | Sendō
Running is one of the most accessible and effective forms of exercise, offering a multitude of benefits for both physical and mental health.
Strength Training | Sendō
For a long time, endurance athletes saw strength training as optional. But research and real-world experience tells a different story: strength training isn’t just a bonus - it’s essential.
Yoga | Sendō
Yoga is far more than just physical postures; it’s a rich, multifaceted practice that nurtures the body, mind, and spirit.

Cross Training
Cycling | Sendō
Cycling is an excellent exercise for building cardiovascular fitness, increasing strength, and improving endurance.
HIIT | Sendō
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is praised for its effectiveness in improving cardiovascular fitness, burning fat, and building muscle.
Swimming | Sendō
Unlike running, swimming is a low-impact sport. This makes it an ideal recovery exercise, especially after a high-mileage run or weightlifting.

Fundamentals
Mindset | Sendō
Explore your mental framework. Consider the hard facts of reality that you have to deal with. Develop your own system of being. Make it clear to yourself and others. Keep evolving.
Nutrition & Hydration | Sendō
Nutrition plays a crucial role in a runner’s performance and recovery. Eating the right foods at the right times can fuel your runs, enhance endurance, and speed up recovery.
Sleep & Recovery | Sendō
Sleep is the most underrated performance tool out there. It’s when your body rebuilds muscle, balances hormones, consolidates memory, and restores energy. Skip it, and all your hard work gets taxed. Prioritize it, and you unlock superhuman gains.
Training Injuries | Sendō
From novice runners to seasoned athletes, understanding common running injuries and how to prevent them is essential for a safe routine.


Subscribe to get updates on new content, merch and more from Sendō Worldwide.
Browse the Online Shop for apparel, accessories and training books to equip yourself for the path ahead.
Have a tip, story, or idea? It could end up in a future post. Email me anytime with questions, thoughts, or even confessions — we're all in this together.

Click here to go back to the homepage.