How to Start Calisthenics: 8 Steps Beginner Ab Workout

Calisthenics, using your own bodyweight for resistance, is a fantastic way to build core strength and improve overall fitness.

It's accessible, requires minimal equipment, and offers a wide range of exercises targeting different muscle groups.

When it comes to calisthenics, a strong core is essential.

This blog post will guide you through eight beginner-friendly ab exercises, helping you build a solid foundation for a sculpted midsection.

Why Core Strength Matters

Your core, encompassing your abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips, is the powerhouse of your body. It provides stability during movement, protects your spine, and improves posture. A strong core translates to better performance in all aspects of exercise, from resistance training to running. Additionally, a strong core can help alleviate back pain and improve overall balance.

Unlocking Your Lower Abs: The Power of Knee Raises

Knee raises are a fundamental c...

How To Start Calisthenics: Your 5-Step Guide to Mastering Dips.

Dips are essential calisthenics upper body exercises.

They sculpt powerful triceps, engage your chest and shoulders, and build impressive upper body strength.

But mastering dips requires dedication, proper progression, and a solid foundation in bodyweight training.

This guide outlines a 5-step calisthenics progression specifically designed to propel you towards achieving full dips. It utilizes readily available equipment and focuses on progressive overload, gradually increasing the difficulty as you gain strength.

Remember, consistency is key!

Aim for 3 sessions per week minimum with rest days in between to allow your muscles to recover and rebuild stronger.

Step 1: Building the Base with Box Dips

Box dips are your gateway to achieving full dips. Find a sturdy bench or chair that allows you to comfortably lower yourself until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle.

Here's how to perform box dips

• Sit on t
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What is Being Fit?

Forget the misconception that "fit" just means bulked-up muscles.

While crucial, muscle mass is just one piece of the puzzle.

True fitness is a holistic balance, incorporating:

• Natural-optimal muscle mass (achieved through balanced calisthenics training and proper nutrition)
• Mobility & flexibility (enhanced through consistent stretching and mobility routines)
• Agility & endurance (developed through diverse activities like running, calisthenics, and other movements)
• Fast recovery speed (supported by good sleep, nutrition, and dedicated calisthenics training)
• Pain-free movement (a crucial indicator of overall well-being, which calisthenics training can help maintain)
• Quality sleep (essential for all aspects of health, achievable through healthy habits and potentially aided by calming routines like the one mentioned)

Want specific goals? Here's the calisthenics twist:

• Increase muscle mass: Combine calisthenics training with a consistent 300-calorie s
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How to Start Calisthenics!

5 Steps to Push Ups.

The humble push up is one of the foundation of calisthenics.

It is the most universal training movement around the world.

However, a LOT of people do them wrong or can't do them at all!

Just like for any other calisthenics training movements, there is a good progression to work towards good technique and full range of motion.

Follow these 5 steps to achieve your first push up:

1. Standing Push ups (use a wall if you don't have a low bar)
2. Elevated Knee Push ups
3. Elevated Push ups
4. Knee Push ups
5. Full Push ups

Training Tips:

• You can add planks and shrug push ups to the mix as well!
• Use the variation you can do.
• Do 5-10 repetitions x 3-5 sets.
• Once you master a variation, move on to the next one.
• The key is CONSISTENCY.
• To insure constant progress, focus on incorporating the calisthenics "Big 5" in your overall calisthenics training routine: pull, push, dips, squats, hinges

Start at the level that works for you with ...

How to Get Your First Pull Up (Without the Guesswork)

Pull ups are the gold standard of upper body strength.

They’re challenging, humbling, and wildly rewarding.

Whether you’re already training or just getting started, mastering the pull up is a must.

If you're exploring calisthenics as a beginner, know this: your back is the biggest muscle group in your upper body.

Ignoring it isn’t an option. And nothing targets it better than a well-executed pull up.

But here’s the catch: most people don’t know how to actually train for one.

Let’s break it down.

1. Standing Pull Ups


Start by using your legs for assistance. Find a low bar and stand in front of it, pulling yourself forward toward the bar while keeping your back straight and feet on the ground.

The key is learning to initiate the movement with your shoulder blades. Think: blades pull in as you move forward, and glide forward as you move away from the bar.

Go for 5–10 reps per arm, 3–5 sets. Once that feels easy, move on...

What To Do After Christmas Eve!

If you are like me and like to eat good during the holidays, then this training tip is for you.

My wife cooked a great "Fench bistro" Christmas dinner: steak with mushroom sauce, sauteed potatoes, and garlic green beans, followed by a decadent chocolate tart and blueberry coulis.

We had some great red wine from Paso Robles to along with the meal.

The meal was a amazing.

All that being said, an easy trick I use right after a successful Christmas dinner is to speed up my metabolism!

I don't forget the essential life hacks.

And this includes: do not be inactive on Christmas day!

So, I go for a 2 mile, run, on an empty stomach (I do drink a bit of water before running) first thing in the morning, on Christmas day!

It feels great!

You sweat a lot of toxins out, and you can even breathe heavy towards the end if you try to finish fast (I sometimes try to sprint the last 30 seconds of my 2 mile run).

The best beginner running tip is to start runni...

Can Calisthenics Burn Fat?

This is a common beginner calisthenics question!

First the short answer is: 
YES, ABSOLUTELY.



Here is how to get started and make your own beginner calisthenics workout!



Second, the long answer:
Beyond burning fat and building muscle, calisthenics will speed up your overall metabolism, allowing to burn fat 24/7.

It is also about muscle quality and composition. And you get prime muscle quality with calisthenics.

Calisthenics isn't just about packing on muscle and burning fat; it's about cultivating muscle quality and a toned physique reminiscent of athletes in gymnastics and martial arts.

And achieving this goes beyond just the exercises – it's about how much and how well you eat.

In the end, your muscle mass attributes and qualities are shaped by your nutrition and the type of training you undertake, guided by your unique fitness goals, be it strength, power, function, endurance, skills, or speed.



Third, the longer answer:


The path to shap...

Muscle Growth with Push-Ups

Today, let's dive into one of the most underrated exercises.

Many mistakenly see push-ups as beginner's exercises, since anyone can do a push up.

Or sort of!

But I'm here to challenge that!

Push-ups are not just for beginners; they are, in fact, one of the most frequently butchered exercises out there (with pull ups).

It's time to rethink your approach and discover the muscle-building magic hidden within this seemingly simple movement.

Here the 3 most important types of push ups!

Mindset Shift:
First things first – let's reshape our mindset around push-ups.

Instead of fixating on rep counts, shift your focus to extracting the most from each repetition. Think of it as a full body workout, where your body tenses from head to toe.

Push-ups, when executed with precision, are far from easy. They are an amazing tool for enhancing overall fitness and sculpting the upper body. It's not only about how many you can do; it's about how much you can get from each re...

Calisthenics when overweight?

I have sometimes heard: “I think I need to lose weight before I can start calisthenics”.

This is because people think they need to be able to do pull ups and hard push ups right away.

And this isn’t the case at all!

In fact, it’s the opposite!

Starting and doing calisthenics will make you lose weight.

You will also then become stronger and able to achieve the harder moves that you once thought was impossible!

Watch my client Antal’s transformation, from calisthenics beginner to achieving the muscle up in 2 years!

If you are a beginner and/or need to lose weight here are some useful substitutions for the movements you can’t do yet:

Push ups: 

• Start in a plank, do the negative repetition all the way to do get your chest to the floor, then use your knees to come back up. 
• If you can’t do that yet, start with standing push ups against a wall or elevated push ups with hands on a bench or chairs.

Pull ups:

• Grab a pull up bar you can reach
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Beginner Calisthenics Workout For Women!

You can do it at home or your favorite park if you have access.

This is a great workout for beginners. You don't need any equipment besides a resistance band if you have one. This routine include essential compound movements that will workout your entire body.

1. Warm Up: perform proper warm up drills to make your workout safe and more efficient. Try your best to apply proper form on each movement. If don't have a resistance band, do the band pull apart just pretending you are hold a band and creative resistance yourself.

2. Pulling and Pushing exercises: the pull and push combination will provide great training balance and work both your "front and back". If you don't have access to a low bar you can substitute the low bar pulls with doorway pull ups (scroll down the channel to check the doorway pull ups video).

3. Leg Work: we are using basic squats as it is one of the most important movement to master. It connects both upper and ...