Crush the 'Death By' Protocol to Build Stronger Shoulders, Back & Arms

We’ll make this intro as simple as the workout: when it comes to building lean muscle and strength, pushing close to failure, performing enough volume, and progressively doing more work are what matter most. But, can you achieve all this without weights? We think so – especially when it comes to upper body training.

This two-move bodyweight challenge uses the dramatically named ‘death by...’ protocol, forcing you to accumulate a huge amount of muscle-swelling density while pushing your shoulders, triceps, back, and biceps closer to failure with each passing minute.

The death by... protocol is simple but sinister. Start a running clock and immediately perform one pike push-up and one chin-up. Watch the clock and rest for the remainder of the minute. At the beginning of the second minute, perform two pike push-ups and two chin-ups, again resting for the remainder of the minute. Continue in this fashion, adding a rep to each movement (taking short breaks if needed) until you can no longer complete the prescribed reps within the minute.

Make a note of the round you reach—your goal is to beat this ‘score’ each time you tackle the challenge.

Every Minute Until Failure

1. Pike push-up x 1,2,3,4,5 etc…

Assume a strong press-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Walk your hands backwards towards your feet until your hips are almost above your shoulders. Raise your feet up on a box or bench, if you can. Lower your head slowly towards the ground by bending at the elbow. Pause as your nose makes contact before explosively pushing back up.

2. Chin-ups x 1,2,3,4,5 etc…

Grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing your body. Lift your feet off the floor and hang freely with straight arms. Pull yourself up by pulling your elbows down and back towards your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause, squeezing your biceps hard before lowering to the starting position. Move from a dead hang to fully above the bar on each rep, try to avoid excessive swinging or kipping.

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