Do This To Get Your Back in Great Shape!

Static pull up holds are a great way to stretch and strengthen your back. 

They are a game changer to get better at pull ups!

This exercise consists of holding at 3 levels of the pull up for an extended amount of time:

• The top of a pull-up (bar to chest, or bar behind the neck)
• The mid-hold (bar above the head)
• The dead hang (straight arms)

The mid hold is probably the hardest part of the combo. It requires good shoulder strength and mobility. You can practice assisted lat flies and use a resistance band to build up to it.

This is an overall great combo for building core strength, as well as increasing flexibility. It can also help to improve posture and reduce back pain. 

If you can’t hold behind your neck yet, substitute for a classic chest to bar at the top of the pull up hold.

Aim for 5-10 seconds at each level. Go for 3-5 sets after your pull up workout.

Check out one of my sets here!

Give them a try and see how much your ba...

What I Asked To Calisthenics Santa For Christmas...

...is for you to stay consistent with your routine and get "gainz" during the holidays!

That's really the secret!

There is no resolution to have on January 1st.

Whatever happens, the secret is to never stop.

That doesn't mean you have to train beast mode every single day.

That means you need to keep up with the bare minimum of movement your body needs to stay alive.

There are MANY reasons and ways to make that a very cool part of life.

1/ You have 100% freedom of choice. 

You can do it whenever you want, anywhere, anytime. 

2/ It's extremely easy to remember.

It's just like you remember to brush your teeth everyday.

3/ The 100 rule. 

Do 100 repetitions of a compound movement, as a bare minimum to do everyday, on any day where/if you don't fully workout (Sunday can be mobility!). Convert that to seconds if it's a static movement or a mobility routine. If you can't perform some movements, you can use any assisted variations...

My Favorite Push ups!

Push ups are one of my favorite movements. 

You can do them anywhere. They can become infinitely hard.

My favorite ones are the superman push ups!

They are really fun, and give you a good bang for your buck.

I like to end some sessions with a few sets to finish strong.

Here are some of my favorite explosive push ups!

• Set 1
• Set 2
• Set 3
• Bonus set

While I have fun performing those sets, I also put a lot of focus on practicing foundation push ups such as the classic version, the pike push up and decline push ups (various angles), and more!

Foundation work is key!

Nicolas

If you are new, join OnlineCalisthenics here.

Calisthenics Training With Online Clients In Real Life!

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to meet my online client Antal from Toronto, in real life! 

He was a beginner and signed up for the Online Personal Coaching Program back in 2020-2021.

He made tremendous progress during that time.

He went from calisthenics beginner to training for the muscle up in 1 year!

Watch his full 2 year calisthenics transformation here!

So training with him in person last week was a really great time. It was an opportunity to exchange more tips and tricks, answers questions, and workout together. 

We did about 300 reps total in 1 hour, and completed a full body workout as follow:

 • Hanging shrugs and Chin ups

 • Incline push ups and box dips

 • Squats and long lunges

 • T-pose holds

 • Hanging knee raises

 • Hollow body holds

We then got a great sushi lunch by the Marina.

Really cool times.

It’s always great to train in person, it's what I love, and hope to workout with you when you ar...

I’m excited to be part of the Invert, Bend and Balance symposium with Andrea Plancarte!

There are more than 20 experts involved in this great online event.

It's for all for aerialists, hand-balancers and pole dancers.

I can’t wait to share with you How Calisthenics Will Boost Your Upper Body Strength and Your Aerial / Pole Skills.

During the interview, we’ll talk about:

* What’s calisthenics, the importance of push ups and pull ups movements

* Their massive benefits to pole dancers and aerialists

* What’s proper technique for both pushing and pulling

* How to implement calisthenics in your workout and scale it to your level, to get the best results

The interview goes live tomorrow Monday November 14th.

Get your FREE spot at the link below!

https://symposium.invertbendbalance.com/nicolas

Let's go!

My 30 Second Calisthenics Challenge To You!

Practicing a skill requires setting clear goals that you can visualize.

This is what the goal was for me when I started practicing handstands: holding a simple straight line for 30 seconds.

So here is my challenge to you: hold whatever handstand variation you want for 30 seconds!

It can be assisted on the wall or even a simple elevated pike hold (hint: this is how you start building shoulder strength and muscle endurance).

Make sure to keep your scapula retracted, "squeezed" together enough, so that your shoulders don't round and "fall forward".

Click to watch the 30 second handstand video!

Nicolas

PS: Tag me @onlinecalisthenics in your videos so I can check it out!

PS 2: Join the movement here if you are new!

The Best Dips To Hit Your Chest!

Today I just want to share the absolute best way to hit your chest with calisthenics dips.

This dips variation hits EVERY PART of your upper body and MAXIMUM tension on the negative phase.

It's a classic gymnast move variation that looks easy but is actually advanced.

You must control the descent and keep your core in a hollow body position during the movement.

Don't compensate the descent with poor form.

Go for sets of 3's if you are getting started with that variation.

Click here to watch the video!

Nicolas

If you are new, join the movement here!

My Latest Favorite Calisthenics Stretches!

Everybody that has worked with me knows that training calisthenics hard and often is the only secret to getting results (along with a proper diet, this goes without saying). 

On the other hand this has to be balanced with daily recovery and prehab exercises.

I do them everyday to prepare and recover from my workouts and avoid injuries overall.

So today I'm going to share some my latest favorite stretches with you.

These moves will mainly address your back and shoulders. I recommend spending a few minutes on each in the morning and/or before going to sleep.

Click on the links below to watch each video.

1. Mid back and spine stretch

The stick forces your spine to get straight. Put your arms under the stick and press it against your back gently as you tilt your pelvis up.
Keep your spine alignment clean and rotate sideways a few time.
Then hinge forward keeping the stick firmly stacked against your back. 

2. Lat stretch

Keep your back str...

Back To Back Muscle Ups! Calisthenics Success!

Last week I shared Olivier's first muscle up.

This is the movement that changes everything once you are able to do it.

This week Nick also achieved his first muscle up, but also got a second one in a row, then attempted a third one!

That makes it his first muscle up set ever.

The major keys of that success are method and consistency.

I'm really proud to see everyone I coach being consistent with their workout journey and making progress.

Click here to watch Nick's first muscle up set ever!

Nicolas

If you are new, join the movement here!

How To Get Your First Muscle Up!

The muscle up is one of the most iconic calisthenics movement, and put calisthenics on the fitness map.

Despite being very hard to achieve, it became somehow mainstream on social media and everyone wants to do it!

The secret is to break down the movement into different sections, and train them until you feel good with each move:

1. Start with the "take off" phase: practice lat pull downs, tuck levers, front lever raises
2. The pulling phase: practice lots of explosive pull ups (sets of 15+)
3. The transition phase from pulling to pushing: practice mid range hangs and short range pull ups
4. The pushing phase: practice single bar dips (sets of 15+)
5. Muscle up with bands: put everything together with a resistance, train until you "feel the movement" and get better at it, then start trying without the bands.

These are the main ingredients for success.

I put together a complete Muscle Up workout program in the app, so you can schedule your workouts in deta...