Push-Up Progression: Over 100 Reps
The over-100 push-up bracket is the highest tier in the NSW progression, for candidates whose max set exceeds 100 reps. This is beyond the competitive PST range. The guide prescribes 3-4 sets of 40-50 reps, for 120-200 total reps per session, which is the maximum calisthenics volume the program assigns.
What This Bracket Means
A max set over 100 push-ups is well past what the PST needs. Competitive scores begin around 80-100, so a candidate in this bracket has already turned push-ups into a strength rather than a concern. The prescription of 3-4 sets of 40-50 reps exists to hold that capacity, not to chase a bigger number. The guide caps the progression here, and there is no bracket beyond it. Weekly volume of up to 200 reps per session across 4-5 sessions is heavy, so this level demands attention to elbow and shoulder health and to recovery.
The Daily Workout
Do 3-4 sets of 40-50 push-ups on 4-5 days per week, with 1-2 minutes of rest between sets, for 120 to 200 total reps. Sets this long are close to a full PST effort each, so treat the session with the same respect as a hard interval run. Maintain the slow, controlled tempo on training days and keep the hands beneath the shoulders. Rotating in wide, narrow, dive bomber, and feet-elevated variations, which the guide lists, adds variety and spreads the load across slightly different tissue, which helps when the total rep count is this high.
Maintaining and Reallocating
There is no next bracket, so the weekly max set becomes a maintenance check rather than a graduation test. If the max stays above 100 with good form, the push-up work is done. Redirect spare energy to whichever PST event is furthest from competitive. The guide is direct about this: if you are a solid runner but a weak swimmer, spend the extra time in the water. Push-up capacity at this level tends to hold with the prescribed volume, and adding more sets invites the overuse injuries that end preparation cycles early.
Daily prescription for this bracket
| Sets | Reps per set | Total reps |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 40-50 | 120-200 |
BUD/S will use push-ups as punishment in every form imaginable. Being able to knock out 100 clean makes those moments a breather rather than a crisis.
Related Terms
The 80-to-100 push-up bracket is where a candidate's max set enters the competitive PST range. Competitive push-up scores start around 80-100 reps in two minutes, so this bracket marks the transition from qualifying to standing out. The NSW guide prescribes 3-4 sets of 30-40 reps, for 90-160 total reps per session.
Push-ups are a foundational upper-body calisthenics exercise and one of the five scored events in the Physical Screening Test (PST). In BUD/S preparation, push-up training follows a progressive volume approach where daily targets scale based on the candidate's most recent PST max.
PST standards define two thresholds for each of the five Physical Screening Test events: a minimum score that qualifies a candidate to enter the Naval Special Warfare pipeline, and a competitive score that reflects the level successful candidates actually arrive with. The gap between the two is the target of the 26-week preparation program.
BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) preparation refers to the structured physical training undertaken before entering the Navy SEAL selection pipeline. The Naval Special Warfare Preparatory Training Guide outlines a 26-week progressive program designed to build the endurance, strength, and mental resilience required to attempt BUD/S.
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