Basic
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Push-up | 3 | 6 | 1 min |
| Squat | 3 | 8 | 1 min |
| Abdominal Crunch | 3 | 8 | 1 min |
| Plank | 3 | 15 s | 1 min |
To unlock the next levelin a single set
- 8Incline Push-up
- 12Squat
- 12Abdominal Crunch
- 20 sPlank
Free program
Workout for complete beginners at home: the First Steps program
First Steps is a program for starting to train at home when a floor push-up is still too much. It combines push-ups with your hands on a chair and then on your knees, squats, crunches and a plank across four levels. You move up when you hit a mark in a single set, and you finish it by doing your first five push-ups on the floor. About four weeks.
The 4 levels, exercise by exercise
Levels are cleared by performance, not by the calendar: you need each exercise's mark in a single set. For the plank, the mark is seconds held with good form. From the High level the chair gives way to knee push-ups, and the floor push-up only shows up in the last level: five in a row is the sign you're ready for The Forge.
Medium
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Push-up | 3 | 10 | 1 min |
| Squat | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
| Abdominal Crunch | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
| Plank | 3 | 25 s | 1 min |
To unlock the next levelin a single set
- 14Incline Push-up
- 18Squat
- 18Abdominal Crunch
- 30 sPlank
High
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knee Push-up | 3 | 8 | 75 s |
| Squat | 3 | 15 | 75 s |
| Abdominal Crunch | 3 | 15 | 75 s |
| Plank | 3 | 35 s | 75 s |
To unlock the next levelin a single set
- 15Knee Push-up
- 25Squat
- 25Abdominal Crunch
- 45 sPlank
Advanced
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push-up | 3 | 3 | 75 s |
| Knee Push-up | 3 | 10 | 75 s |
| Squat | 3 | 20 | 75 s |
| Abdominal Crunch | 3 | 20 | 75 s |
| Plank | 3 | 45 s | 75 s |
To complete the programin a single set
- 5Push-up
- 20Knee Push-up
- 30Squat
- 30Abdominal Crunch
- 60 sPlank
Who this program is for
For anyone who opens a workout app and finds the very first exercise is already out of reach. Nothing unusual about that: a floor push-up moves around two thirds of your body weight, and with no base it’s a lot to ask.
First Steps lowers that load without changing the pattern. Your hands go on a chair, your body stays straight and the movement is the same as the full push-up. From the High level you move to the floor with knee push-ups: about the same load, but already where the full push-up happens. Squats, crunches and the plank come along so the rest of your body keeps pace.
How to train each exercise
Incline push-up. Hands on the edge of the chair, a little wider than your shoulders, feet back until your body makes a straight line. Lower your chest toward the edge by bending your elbows, then push. If your hips sag or lead, the exercise gets easier but stops preparing you for the floor.
Knee push-up. Knees on the floor, hands under your shoulders and a straight line from head to knees, without bending at the hips. Lower until your chest nearly touches the floor, then push. If your hips stay back, as if on all fours, your chest stops doing the work.
Squat. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out. Sit your hips back until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If that’s hard at first, go less deep but control the way up.
Abdominal crunch. Lying down, knees bent, hands on your chest. Lift your shoulder blades by bringing your ribs toward your hips, then lower slowly. Your lower back stays on the floor.
Plank. Forearms on the floor, elbows under your shoulders and a straight line from head to heels. Squeeze glutes and abs. It closes every session: it’s harder with a tired core, which is exactly what makes it useful.
Where to put your phone
Side on and upright, on the floor or low down, with your whole body in frame. For incline push-ups, check that both the chair and your feet are in the shot. For knee push-ups, your hands and knees. Two or three meters away is usually enough.
What to do when you finish
Five floor push-ups, thirty squats and a one-minute plank in a single set: that is a base. The next step is The Forge, which starts with sets of exactly five push-ups and adds shoulder work with pike push-ups.
Frequently asked questions
What if I can't do a single push-up on the floor?
Start here. With your hands on a chair you move far less weight and keep the body line the full push-up needs later. The more clean incline sets you stack up, the sooner the first floor ones arrive.
What kind of chair works for incline push-ups?
One that won't move: pushed against a wall or standing on a rug that doesn't slide. A box, a bench or the edge of a low table work too. The higher the surface, the easier the exercise.
Why knee push-ups after the chair, if they're about as hard?
Because the gain isn't load, it's getting down to the floor. A 2011 study measured how much weight your hands carry: about 64% of your body weight in a regular push-up, 49% on your knees, and between 55% and 41% with your hands raised 30 to 60 cm. A chair sits in that range. On your knees you lower your chest all the way to the floor, with your hands where they'll be in the full push-up, so the last step is just lifting your knees.
How is it different from The Forge?
The Forge opens with floor push-ups and pike push-ups, which are a wall for someone with no base. First Steps is the step before it: the same level system, gentler exercises and a final goal that matches The Forge's first set.
Is First Steps free?
Yes. It's one of Tatakae's free programs, and camera counting is free and unlimited on every exercise in it.
How does the camera time the plank?
The clock only runs while your position holds and stops as soon as it breaks. That way the seconds that move you up a level are real plank seconds.