Anime workout
In One-Punch Man, Saitama says his strength comes from 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats and a 10 km run, every day, for three years. As a habit it beats doing nothing. As a muscle-building plan it has gaps: nobody has tested it, there is no pulling exercise, and once 100 reps feel easy most of them stop being hard sets. Below: the exact source, what the studies say, and a version that keeps the spirit and fixes the gaps.
Updated 2026-10-24 · by Ryu Training
Saitama, the hero of One-Punch Man, explains his training in the chapter "The Secret to Strength": every day, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats and a 10 km run, plus eating properly and never using the air conditioner or the heater, to strengthen his mind.
He says he kept it up for three years. Genos, who asked for his secret, doesn't believe him.
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We found no study of 100 push-ups, sit-ups and squats a day. What studies do measure is the work behind it: weekly hard sets, how close each set ends to failure, and progression.
In an 8-week study, push-ups taken near failure grew the chest +22% and the triceps +10.5%, close to a light bench press [Kikuchi & Nakazato 2017]. So push-ups are a good base, as long as they stay hard.
Growth tended to rise as sets ended closer to failure [Robinson et al. 2024], and stopping 1–2 reps short worked as well as failing [Refalo et al. 2023]. Once 100 push-ups are easy, most of those reps are far from failure. Fewer sets of a harder version do more.
With the same weekly sets, training a muscle 1, 2 or 3+ times a week gave similar growth [Schoenfeld et al. 2019]. More weekly sets meant more growth, with diminishing returns [Pelland et al. 2026]. Three hard sessions a week can do the job of seven easy ones.
Full squats grew the glutes +6.7% versus +2.2% for half squats over 10 weeks [Kubo et al. 2019]. If you squat like Saitama, go all the way down.
The routine has no exercise for the back or biceps, so the plan below adds rows. Our study list has nothing on sit-ups or on the 10 km run, so this page makes no claim about them.
Same spirit: bodyweight, at home, no excuses. Three full-body sessions a week, each set taken to 1–2 reps from failure, and a harder version of each move as you get stronger. It needs a backpack you can load with books or water bottles, a sturdy table, a chair and a step.
When: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (or any 3 days with a rest day between them).
Chest · Legs · Back · Shoulders · Calves · 18 hard sets · 45–55 min
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push-Up Home: Easier: incline push-up | 4 × 8–20 | 1–2 min | 1–2 |
| Squat Home: Backpack goblet squat | 4 × 8–15 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Inverted Row Home: Table row | 3 × 8–15 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Romanian Deadlift Home: Backpack Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min | 2 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press Home: Pike push-up | 2 × 6–12 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Standing Calf Raise Home: One-leg calf raise on a step | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | 0–1 |
01 · Chest · Triceps · Front delts
floor, table or chair version
HomeEasier: incline push-up. Hands on a table. Harder: feet on a chair.
Study: In 8 weeks, push-ups grew the chest +22% and the triceps +10.5%. [Kikuchi & Nakazato 2017]
02 · Quads · Glutes · Adductors
goblet with a dumbbell, or barbell once you've learned it
HomeBackpack goblet squat. Hug a backpack loaded with books or water bottles.
Study: Full squats grew the glutes +6.7% vs +2.2% for half squats. [Kubo et al. 2019]
03 · Upper back · Lats · Biceps
bar in a rack, or a sturdy table at home
HomeTable row. Only under a heavy table that can't tip: test it with your full weight first.
04 · Hamstrings · Glutes
dumbbells or barbell
HomeBackpack Romanian deadlift. Hold a loaded backpack by its straps, or one heavy bag in each hand.
05 · Front & side delts · Triceps
bench with a back pad
HomePike push-up. Hips high, lower the top of your head toward the floor in front of your hands. Feet on a chair to make it harder.
06 · Calves (gastrocnemius)
machine, step or stairs
HomeOne-leg calf raise on a step. One hand on the wall for balance, the other holding a backpack.
Study: Standing raises grew the gastrocnemius far more than seated ones (+12.4% vs +1.7%). [Kinoshita et al. 2023]
This is general fitness information, not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, check with a doctor or physical therapist first, and stop any exercise that hurts.
Under 18? Strength training is safe and worthwhile for teens when it is supervised and taught properly; most reported injuries came from poor technique, wrong loads or no supervision [Faigenbaum & Myer 2010] [Lloyd et al. 2014]. Learn the lifts with a coach, a PE teacher or an adult who knows them. Light weights first, no max lifts, never heavy weights over your head alone.
In One-Punch Man (manga Punch 11, Volume 2; anime season 1, episode 3), Saitama says he did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats and a 10 km run every day for three years, ate properly, and never used the air conditioner or the heater, to strengthen his mind.
Push-ups and squats can build muscle when the sets are hard: push-ups taken near failure grew the chest +22% in 8 weeks [Kikuchi & Nakazato 2017]. But once 100 reps are easy, most of them are far from failure, and the routine has no pulling exercise. A harder, progressive version works better.
You can, but it isn't needed. With the same weekly sets, training a muscle once or several times a week gave similar growth [Schoenfeld et al. 2019]. A few hard sets of push-ups, three times a week, with a harder version as you progress, follow what the studies show.
As a daily habit, it's a start. A beginner who can't do 100 push-ups yet should not force them: split the reps into sets, use an easier version (hands on a table) and stop 2–3 reps before failure for the first weeks. If you have pain or a health condition, check with a doctor first.
Free PDF
17 pages: every exercise drawn, with sets, reps, rest and effort, a warm-up, a progression guide and a 4-week training log. Every rule in it is backed by a study, with the references inside.
The link works for 7 days. Save the file on your phone or computer.
Every study below was checked on PubMed. Results in short, as the studies report them; most were done on young adults, often beginners.