Want to get better results with calisthenics training? 

This may sound easy but start by doing this:

Tip 1:  Have an idea of what you are going to do at your training session.

I personally like the pulling, pushing, legs training split.

I also have a secondary layer added to this where I plan reps and volume, isometrics and skills, mobility and prehab to stay long term injury free.

Tip 2: Focus on intention on every rep 

When I say that, you may think, “of course we need that!”, well the reality is most people don’t actually do it.

When doing 10 reps, most will start losing will power after 7 or 8 reps, sometimes before that, when they get “tired”. Their mind starts to focus on saving energy rather than get those extra reps as clean as possible.

Focus until the last rep. Have the “intent” even if you fail your last rep!

Tip 3: Train with “speed”

This doesn’t mean “throw” yourself in the air...

Most people see Calisthenics as a sport to get strong, get lean and learn some skills.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg!

This is also a spiritual endeavor, and no one talks about that.

So I just started a new video series on that topic, with Hatem, a French client of mine.

Click here to watch our first podcast episode!

Nicolas

In the end, what I do is teach a METHOD and a MINDSET.

Progress is a process.

And Jared is one of the greatest example of that.

He's one of the first person I started training when I moved to L.A. in 2015.

He went from a complete calisthenics beginner to a beast.

He now pairs his calisthenics work with other sports like Ju-Jitsu.

Most importantly he knows how to keep going.

Jared makes me proud when I see his amazing progress over the last 7 years!

 Nicolas

You probably heard it before and definitely heard it from me: what and when we eat are the most important factors to stay lean all year round.

No matter how hard your workout, nutrition is the X factor to long term progress.

Today I wanted to share my favorite breakfast in details.

The first thing I do is drink a large glass of water at room temperature. This kicks starts your digestive system and prepares you for the upcoming breakfast.

I then let 20-30 minutes pass before I actually eat breakfast.

This give you plenty of time to cook your morning meal.

I love a good omelette with veggies to start the day. It’s a great way to get your protein and fibers in at the same time.

I’ll mix 3-5 whole eggs (depending on how intense my workout day will be) in a bowl, that I set aside while cooking the veggies.

For those, I’ll heat up some olive oil, turmeric, garlic powder,  in a pan then add some zucchinis, sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, then add baby spinach when...

Want to be lean all year round? 

Let’s skip the fluff and go straight to the actionable quick tips that you can implement immediately. 

Besides the obvious “train hard” tips, it all comes down to how you eat.

Quick Tip 1: Start the day with a BIG glass of water

This helps kick start your metabolism and digestive system in the morning. 

I do it EVERY DAY. It feels great to start the day with a fresh glass of water. 

This literally wakes up your body.

Quick Tip 2: Get a big NUTRITIOUS breakfast

Getting your calories in in the morning is the best way to control hunger throughout the day.

I have kept a lean body for the last 10 years doing so.

Quick Tip 3: NO carbs after 6pm

Narrowing down the daily carbs intake window helps promoting an earlier carb intake such as breakfast.

This in return mimics a slight intermittent fasting bracket, which helps keep a slight daily calorie deficit.

After 6pm, go heavy on protein and vegetables!

There you go! ...

My previous post details a 3 day workout program you can do anywhere, anytime.

This is very useful to workout "on the go".

Ideally (not a deal breaker) you have a pair of workout rings and/or some resistance bands with your when you travel!

Today i wanted to share 10 movement variations, so you can mix it up within the 3 day plan I sent last time!

Use these variations to create different workouts.

You can alternate each set or focus on one particular variation, depending on your goals and current level.

Push ups 

• Diamonds 
• Decline
• Explosive Tuck

Squats 

• Bunny Hops
• Explosive lunges

Hollow body

• Leg flutters

Pull ups

• ZigZags
• Typewriters

Hanging knee raises

• Donkey Kick

Australian rows

• Assisted Front Lever Pulls

Tag me on Instagram when you do those!

@streetworkoutacademy

@onlinecalisthenics

Let's go!

Nicolas

PS: if you are new, click here to become an Online Calisthenics member!

Traveling to get some good time off, we all love that!

However most people also fall off their good habits when doing so. Some lose their healthy rhythm, trading it for more drinks, less exercises and less sleep.

We’ve all been there. 

So here is a great, 3 day full body calisthenics workout program. 

You can do anywhere, with minimal or no equipment at all.

Day 1: Push-Legs-Core

• Push ups 10 to 1 (hold every last rep at the bottom with pelvis tilted in). Hold every last rep at the bottom.
• Squats 1 to 10 + hold every last rep for 5 sec
• Superset push and squat: 10 push up/1 squat - 9 push/2 squats - 8 push/3 squats etc...
• Hollow body hold x 1 min + Superman x 1 min

Day 2: Pull-Legs-Core

• Pull ups: 10 to 1 (or front band pulls, you can do a 15 to 5 pyramid if doing front band pulls as they are easier than pull ups). Hold every last rep at the top.
• Elevated hips raises: 1 to 10 + hold every last rep for 5 seconds
• Hanging knee raises x 10 x 3 sets + superman x 1 min

...

I remember when I first had a massive win with calisthenics.

Unlocking the all mighty Muscle Up!

It was incredible! 

Before I was able to do a muscle up, I was a completely different person. 

I thought I would never be able to achieve that from where I was standing. Pull ups were already challenging so the muscle up seemed to be from another dimension.

I felt fatalistic and I was ok with the idea that this move wasn’t for me, that I wasn’t a gymnast anyway and that I’d stay stuck under the bar forever.

How the muscle up happened…is actually the most important part of the story. 

This quest for something that seemed unattainable has changed my life.

I wouldn’t mind rewinding these moments a few more times...  

I would go train every single day for years, and haven’t stopped ever since.

I was getting great advices from the older, more experienced guys that were training at the park, and encouragement from the whole...

Static holds are some of the hardest things to achieve in calisthenics.

They are very different from the classic repetitions we do with regular movements such as pull ups or push ups. The obvious difference is that one is an isometric exercise while repetitions are dynamic exercises.

But there is much more to it.

There are 2 main reasons why static holds are more demanding than traditional movements:

They challenge your nervous system.

Your body needs to learn how to cope with a continuous, strenuous effort. Indeed, when doing reps, your body is used to taking partial "breaks" between your repetitions, even if it does not feel like rest! So the key is to calm your nerves down and learn to breathe optimally through the static hold.

It addresses your weak links.

Static holds will automatically highlight any weakness in your body very quickly. When doing reps there is always a slight compensation or swing in one way or another that will cover for your weaknesses. But isometric...

Do you find that you reach certain limitations in your movements like push ups or pull ups?

Are you able to perform good form, full-range-of-motion movements?

It pains me to see so many people with bad form. That’s what happened with David.

Like many, he spent months and months training, yet still not being able to get good form on foundation movements like push ups and pull ups. But things are going to be different for you! 

Here’s why people do not have good form: they don’t always know about bio-mechanics, and how to use their muscles and joints in the best way. 

Since everyone “does” push ups, people think they all know how to do it. Simple, right?

Instead of assuming, they need to understand the movements they are doing and pay attention to details.

When you figure that out, you can quickly get to the root of that limitation and eradicate it.  

Here are 3 reasons why the online calisthenics course is the best way...