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...

Let's Talk About Problems

Let's face it, EVERY human on earth has problems.

Of EVERY kind.

Here I'll only address injuries, chronic pains, and posture deficiencies. The goal is to keep them MINOR, and reverse them.

I’ll only name a few but I trained with:

1. Broken toes 
2. A long term-chronic winging right shoulder blade (affects ALL overhead movements) 
3. A left elbow with a bursted bursa that will never heal (affects ALL pushing movements) 
4. Chronic tendonitis in the right arm from tennis (problematic for ALL grips). 
5. Right rotator cuff chronic pain due to too much serving at tennis (very inconvenient for ALL overhead movements)
6. Left slightly cracked knee cap skiing in my teens (affects knee bending capacity) 
7. Right ankle busted from a 8ft jump/fail skiing (affects ankle flexion)
8. I have a tendency for hyperlordosis (lower back arching syndrome) (affects ALL movements)
9. I also have constant tinnitus from making music for 20+ years (affects focus)
10. Over the last years, I had to d
...

My Favorite Calisthenics Superset!

It's busy season, so last week I shared my Vegas trip and how I managed to workout "on the go".

These days, I don't always have time to get the perfect workout.

That's when I like to use my favorite calisthenics superset: muscle up - dips - pull ups - core.

You can build up the reps as you want. I like the following splits:

• Ladder sets: 1 Muscle up/10 Dips /5 Pull ups, 2 Muscle Ups, 10 Dips...Up to 5 Muscle ups
• Straight sets: 3 Muscle up/5 Dips/5 Pull ups/5 sec Lsit x 5 sets

Keep your form as clean as possible on each rep.

Click here to watch one of my sets!

Nicolas

If you are new, click here to become a member!

How To Stay Healthy On A Business Trip In Las Vegas?

I just got back from a 3 day business trip in Las Vegas.

I think you can imagine the amount of things that can go wrong there.

But, there are also very simple things we can do to stay healthy and feel energetic, even in Vegas!

Today I will share my personal trip, schedule and tips, so you can use it whenever you have to go somewhere for work.

Day 1 - From LA to Las Vegas. 

The night before: 5 min nightly stretching routine (hips, shoulders, quads/hamstrings, back, wrists)

• 8 am: Wake up - 1 Big glass of water.
• 8:30am - Big breakfast, as always.
• 9:30 am - 11 am: Shower + work emails.
• 11:30am: Pack the car, pack the 12 Big Bottles of Fiji Water. Drive to Vegas.
• 4 pm: Get to Vegas. Drink water through the trip - Park, walk 2 miles, check in, drop luggages in the room, walk 2 miles back.
• 5 pm: Meeting the team at the Venetian expo hall, work until 6pm. 
• 6-7pm: 10 min stretching routine + shower.
• 8pm: dinner at the Italian
...

3 Unconventional Calisthenics Moves For Strong Abs!

The most common mistake people make when training abs is using a single plane of motion, mainly the frontal plane, doing sit ups. 

This DOES NOT work.

The “Core” is a muscle chain you must train using MANY different angles, to tap into its full potential.

The core of the human body can bend forward, back, twist, go side to side, lift your legs, everything in between and much more.

Here are 3 unconventional calisthenics movements to add to your routine to build a well rounded and functional core muscles.

These moves are ideally performed on parallel bars or high parallettes. Click each link below.

Side straddles 

• Repetitions: 4-8 reps
• Sets: 3 sets

In’s and Out’s

• Repetitions: 10-12 reps
• Sets: 5 sets

Tucked Toe taps

• Repetitions: 8-10 reps
• Sets: 5 sets

I build ALL my programs following the rules and method I share with you weekly.

If you are new, click here to join the best calisthenics coaching program, from ...

3 Shoulder Stretches You Need To Do!

I am 42 and have had chronic instabilities and weaknesses in my right shoulder since I was 20.

This is due to years of tennis over-training in my early days, coupled with the lack of proper prehab and conditioning at the time.

I am a great believer that without good healthy shoulders you can't achieve any proper workout results in the long term, no matter how strong you are.

Calisthenics is a great vehicle for mobility training as it requires to keep all joints at their optimal capacity.

The videos I am sharing here are a game changer. All you need is a wood stick.

Click below to check them out!

1. Shoulder/deltoid and arm/tricep stretch
2. Standing external shoulder rotation hold
3. Front shoulder release

As you know, mobility is key, so practice daily.

Let's go!

Nicolas

If you are new, click here to join the best calisthenics coaching program!