Unlock the Fountain of Youth with these Calisthenics Secrets!

Let's talk about the key to longevity and how to unleash your workout potential through calisthenics and speed training.

Today, I want to share my two all-time favorite exercises for crafting mind-blowing speed and unparalleled eye-hand coordination.

1 - Sprinting

Did you know that 75% of the population never sprints ever again after turning 30?

That’s right! It is an insane number when you realize it.

So you’d better make sure you don’t fall into that category, ever!

Sprinting will boost your cardio strength, testosterone levels and build strong resilient legs.

How to sprint properly?

When sprinting focus on the following:

• Hitting the ground right in front of you (about one foot forward) and avoid reaching out too far in front of you.
• Lifting your knees high on each step
• Never hitting the ground with your heels
• Hitting the ground hard with the front of your foot to generate as much power as possible on...

My Favorite Calisthenics Ab Workout!

Let's make something clear: while abs are also made in the kitchen, you definitely must train them during your workouts!

Today I'm going over some of my favorite calisthenics ab workouts. 

They all involve leg lifting because they are the heaviest thing your abs can lift.

Lifting your legs triggers ALL ab layers, including the transverse (the deepest layer), rectus abdominis and transverse muscles.

Use the following routine to feel the burn:

Hanging knee raises

• Don't swing while lifting your knees up and focus on the way down. This is actually the hard part.
• Lift your knees to your chest or try to get there on every rep!
• Use straight leg raises instead if you are advanced.
• Go anywhere 10-20 reps x 3-5 sets.

Floor Holds and Flutter Kicks

• Keep a strict form while holding your legs off the ground.
• Do NOT bend your knees when performing the flutter kicks!
• Mix vertical and horizontal flutter kicks.
• Aim to perform 1+ minute hold and 100...

3 Moves for a Killer Calisthenics Leg Workout!

You really don’t need much to get a great calisthenics workout.

Today we are going to focus on getting your legs on fire with calisthenics.

All you need is two resistance bands: a thin one and a slightly thicker one. 

1. Overhead squats

- How to do it:

• Use the thicker band for this exercise.
• Place the band under your feet and extend the band over your head as if you were holding a barbel.
• Keep you pelvis tilted in, straight back and keep your hands up both on the way down and up.
• Go slow on the down, fast on the way up!

- How to adjust difficulty:

• You can use a thicker or thinner band to add or reduce the difficulty depending on your level.
• Repeat 10+ reps x 3-5 sets.

Watch the video here.

2. Deadlifts

- How to do it:

• Step on the band and grab each end.
• Go slow on the way down, fast on the way up!
• Keep your back straight on the way down.
• Do not over reach forward with your hips when coming back up straight.
• Control each...

The Expensive Hoax of Supplements, Shakes, and Alkaline Waters!

I was watching the Lakers in the NBA play-offs and saw a ridiculous ad for Muscle Milk during the game.

So let’s re-address an outrageously common things that should never been used: workout supplements, diet waters and protein shakes.

All energy drinks, protein shakes and other pre-post workouts beverages and pills belong to the garbage.

These are basically bad tasting sodas (Gatorades, Monster drinks, Vitamin waters etc...), with bad side effects for an exorbitant cost.

Alkaline water is also a scam, but sells at premium price. 

You don’t need alkaline water.

You should avoid all fitness drinks without exception. 

You could Instead focus on your holistic diet, adaptogens (ashwagandha, turmeric), stick to coconut water (not from concentrate), and basic filtered water of course!

Add a bit of lemon and/or coconut sugar to your water if needed, for a tough calisthenics...

Calisthenics, when will I see results?

Everybody has their own idea of what progress is when starting their calisthenics journey.

For some it may be weight loss, gaining more muscle, becoming more athletic or learning a new calisthenics skill.

These are all excellent goals and more often than not come all together eventually to those who stay consistent.

It’s crucial to remember what progress looks like and how long it takes in most cases. Indeed, it’s not always easy to perceive something that is not there yet while we put lots of effort in reaching those goals.

So here is an overall progress timeframe to better visualize the progress path.

In a nutshell, progress is a lot faster when you are just getting started. It gets harder to level up as you become better! The curve can look like a logarithmic graph for those who studied maths: it goes up quick and starts to plateau after.

This following timeline is an estimate that may vary greatly depending on people,...

5 Calisthenics Training Rules for Great Results!

Last we week we spoke about the best calisthenics training patterns.

In a nutshell, how many sets and reps to do, to get results when you workout.

In addition to how many reps to do, the "What and How" we do these sets and reps matters just as much.

So here are the 5 calisthenics training rules to follow for optimum workouts.

1 - Use full body training as a staple method

Combine pulling and pushing, legs work front and back. Also apply high intensity for each repetition and deep, long muscle contraction to optimize your training. 

2 - Train your core everyday

For 5 to 10 min with intensity.

3 - Train antagonist movements

Train muscles that work together. Aim for pushing after pulling for example. Start with the hardest exercises and sets of your training. Start with pull up sets before your push ups, or muscle ups before pull ups, for example.

4 - Use rather short rest time

Rest time plays a crucial role in...

The Most Efficient Calisthenics Training Patterns!

Focusing on main calisthenics compound movements, as a primary source of training, is always rewarded and at the core of every calisthenics transformation.

Knowing which calisthenics training patterns to use is very important to get the results you want.

This will get you a calisthenics body, and the strength that goes along with it.

Here are the most efficient Calisthenics training patterns to workout: 

• Pyramids sets (1 set of 1 rep, 1 set of 2 reps, 1 set of 3 reps, up to 10 then down to 1). You can go up/down any number. Adjust pyramid size depending on exercise type and your level.
• Ascending & descending ladders: 1 to 10 or 10 to 1. You can start at any number, depending on exercise and your level.
• Combo sets with repetitions & statics (isometric)
• Super-sets
• Short circuits (3-4 movements) 

Whenever you workout, use one or a combination of these patterns!

Nicolas

PS: Access all our programs here if you...

Say Goodbye to Mid-Back Pain: Solution For Better Posture.

Good posture is essential for overall health and well-being.

And Calisthenics is one of the best discipline to work on it!

However, many people tend to overlook the importance of mid-back posture alignment. The mid-back, also known as the thoracic spine, plays a critical role in supporting the upper body and protecting vital organs. 

One of the most common causes of mid-back pain is poor posture.

When we slouch or hunch forward, we put undue stress on our mid-back muscles and ligaments. Over time, this can lead to muscle fatigue, strain, and pain. Improper posture can also affect our breathing, causing shallow breathing, chest tightness, and other respiratory problems.

A weak mid-back area will also lead to poor training results in the long run.

So here are some tips for improving mid-back posture alignment:

1. Sit up straight: When sitting, make sure to keep...

My Favorite Cardio Workout. Boost Speed And Burn Fat.

Most people don’t like to train cardio.

It’s usually viewed as an endless running session, on a treadmill that leads to nowhere, getting little to no results at all in the process.

So today I will share my favorite workout, to make sure you burn fat, and build solid strength and speed!

The goal is to get your heart rate up, sweat bullets and exhale a lot of CO2. Hint: combining these 3 things is the ONLY way to burn fat.

So click on each title below to watch the videos!

1/ Let’s start with some agility work with the skaters runs - back pedal combo.

Go for 8-10 steps, and pause for a split second every time you land, then come back to your initial position running backwards at a moderate pace.

Repeat the process for 10 sets.

Rest 30-60 sec between sets.

2/ We’ll continue with some broad precision jumps, for explosive cardio strength and agility.

The goal is to go as far as possible with a clean...

The Best Cardio Workout To Burn Calories and Get in Shape!

Cardio training is one of those things that everybody has to do, while hating it!

So today I wanted to share the cardio exercise that gets your the best bang for your buck.

If you haven't guessed yet, I am talking about the famous jump rope double-unders.

This is a jump where you get to skip the rope twice under your feet before touching the ground again. Not only you will burn calories while doing this, but your abs will also get a good workout!

I like to finish my sessions with the jump rope. That allows me to finish strong and get the last calories out for the day.

Aim for anywhere between 10 and 30 reps and go for 10 sets.

It's much faster than it sounds.

If you are not able to do those yet, then practice, and substitute with fast single jumps instead. Do twice as many of those!

Click here to watch my last set from yesterday!

Let's go!

Nicolas

Join Online Calisthenics here if you are new!