Survival of The Fittest? Really?

It’s bullsh*t.

In the real world, it’s the most adaptable that survive.

T-Rex are extinct while small rat-looking mammals that lived underground for thousands of years now dominate the world.

Insects and octopuses are adaptation masters which have been around for hundreds of millions of years.

The biggest guy does not always win when endurance come in play.

David beat Goliath.

Even Thanos loses at the end!

You get the point.

You have to be “agile” in the way you approach things in order to finish on top.

It’s great to be the fittest too, to have the perfect plan, with the perfect timing and nutrition intake that goes along with it. Last but not least perfect sleep.

However, it just does not really happen in real life, thus the need to adapt to the conditions we are facing at that exact moment.

We all have unexpected changes of situations that occur from time to time.

The key is to know how to handle those changes.

So while you should a...

The Back Bridge Benefits

This might be the least sexy move with the most benefits you’ll see today.

The back bridge and its dynamic variations are an essential tool for overall back mobility and good posture.

It is something I have neglected for a good part of my life. I started to change that when I realized my mid/lower back was my missing link.

I’m still far from the acrobat level but at 43 it’s night and day compared to what I was able to do in my 20’s.

I like doing dynamic knee raises paired with the bridge to work on my motor control when up-side down.

It is surprisingly hard to lift your legs when the body is engaged into an arched position. This requires to re-calibrate how we use our hip muscles in order to lift our legs.

Go for 4-6 reps and repeat for 3 sets. 

You can ideally mix those reps sets with 3 sets of maximum static holds.

If you can't do the full bridge yet, simply start with an elevated version of the bridge, with parallel bars or yoga blocks for example. Your...

You Don’t Need To Be 8% Body Fat

Getting big, diced and shredded is the most common goal for most people, wether when they are getting started with fitness or already on the workout train.

But it’s a very far off, sub-optimal and inefficient way to approach training.

My goals are multi-dimensional:

1 - Lean mass and muscle density improvement

If you are 10-15% body fat (for men) or 15-20% (for women), you are a healthy individual. And more likely to perform better at ANY sport than someone under the 8-10% mark. Make sure to focus on muscle density and a fast metabolism. Yes you want to be lean, no you don’t want to be malnourished. 

2- Performance based results

Your real-life capabilities – from sprinting to pull-ups, dips, and handstands – are an authentic reflection of your overall well-being. Mastering essential strength, athleticism, and skill-based activities showcases your true potential.

3 - Form and Mobility Enhancement

Aiming for better form and greater mobility i...

The Most Controversial Pull Ups!

In case you are wondering, I am talking about the “Behind the Neck Pull ups”.

I have had many people ask me if they were safe to do.

The answer is yes! But it’s only good If you are strong enough to back it up.

It's actually recommended to work towards it. Indeed, this will imply you work towards getting bullet proof shoulders.

So how to perform the Behind the neck properly?

Make sure to keep your shoulders externally rotated at the top of the pull up. That's a key point. Don’t let your elbows go too high or far behind you. Keep them as close to you as possible.

Otherwise you will most likely feel a pinch in your shoulder and could end up impinging it.

You also need to keep a tight core and hollow body position as you perform the move. 

Go for 5 reps x 5 sets. Add isometric holds and adapt rep count depending on your level.

What if you can’t do it yet?

I could not do those either when I started, so I worked on it.

Here are some things to...

How to Start Calisthenics Alone?

Well first of all, you might not be as alone as you think!

There are LOTS of people doing calisthenics all year round.

All you need is to get a good beginner calisthenics workout program and go to the park near you regularly. You can also just do it at home! 

Or maybe there is a free-form workout area at the gym you go to, if you live somewhere that gets cold and rainy, or too hot to workout outside. You can also bring on any relative you’d like to initiate to your practice as well.

With all those options, you will start meeting and being surrounded by people that do calisthenics too!

When it comes to training, start with a focus on the main calisthenics foundation movements: pull ups, push ups, dips, squats and hinges.

Build all your workouts around these foundations and get good at it.

Make sure you workout your full body at least 3 times a week. Ideally up to 5-6 times a week when you become intermediate!

Here is my FREE Calisthenics W...

Is Calisthenics the Best Form of Fitness?

Absolutely, without a doubt.

And I can explain.

The origin of the word calisthenics traces back to ancient greek and literally means “Beautiful Strength”. 

During that era, mastering bodyweight movements was synonymous with achieving true physical power, and even gladiators honed their prowess through these techniques.

I view calisthenics as a central discipline encompassing all movements that solely rely on the body's intrinsic abilities.

Sprinting, running, dancing, swimming, boxing, martial arts, animal movement, and so much more are part of “Beautiful Strength”.

It’s the most complete and free form of training: you train resistance and cardio during 70-80% of your training sessions. 

The exception occurs when you train skills. 

Calisthenics can be defined as bodyweight training and street gymnastics system with it’s own practice code, form and tricks. 

You do not need any equipment at all to start and even to get good at it. 

I Haven't Trained in 6 Months.

Ok, let's address the clickbait title – yes, I have been training, but my focus has shifted to what I call the "small work" for the last 6 months. 

This involves paying attention to the small details, joint mobility, movement patterns, and precision in my workouts.

One of the key elements of my routine has been mixing 3 days of bodyweight and light band specific work sessions, with 3 days of hard weighted calisthenics sessions where I strictly focus on compound movements.

I put a lot of emphasize on leg work during the weighted sessions (2 leg sessions + 1 full body session).

The bands, on the other hand, have been great in addressing the health of my shoulder blades and the transversal plane of my back.

They have allowed for fuller and more controlled scapular movements/shrugs, and I've varied the set-ups to target different angles. 

I've also mixed in exercises like scapula movements, planks and shrugs variations. 

Here is a simple “small work” ...

Don't let anything stop you.

You have to build your own mindset, and you can not wait for it to just happen.

Calisthenics training is a great metaphor for life. Use it or loose it. 

When I had to deal with an injury on my right hand for close to 3 months, I wasn’t able to train any real calisthenics pulling or hanging during that time.

So i focused on everything else (pushing, core, legs). 

I was seeking feedback from my body when pain lowered down. Working out promotes overall healing.

I was focusing on how my movements were affected by my limitation and how I could work around it. 

Whatever movement you can not perform because of an injury, here are some tips to keep going:

• Work what's around the injury
• Work on the side or part that is not injured
• Focus on overall compound movement training
• Substitute full body movements with light band exercises alternative

In this muscle up video, my right injured pinky finger is healing and almost not squeezed at all.

I am tes...

Use Explosive Calisthenics to Break Plateaus!

Explosive training is one of the calisthenics secrets.

It will take your skills and strength to the next level.

The regular "workouts" that most people follow, often lacks fast and athletic training.

You can apply speed training to all calisthenics movements.

But push ups are the best way to start working on explosive strength. 

Incorporating fast and controlled movements to your workouts is great to build overall athleticism. Speed and explosive power are important components of success in many sports. The ability to move at multiple levels of speed, at just the right time is critical to success within any game.

Speed and precision are essential features to develop functional strength and muscle endurance. This allows our bodies to learn how to repeat an intense and quick effort over a longer period of time than what we are used to. It is also a great tool to increase and fine tune mental calibration.

You will build very respon...