How To Warm Up For a Calisthenics Workout!

Today, I want to talk to you about the importance of warming up before your calisthenics workout. 

The warm-up phase is a crucial part of your exercise routine as it prepares your body for the workout and aids in better recovery afterward. It's an essential component for avoiding injuries and making progress, so let's dive into it.

We'll be focusing on the hips/ankles, neck/shoulders, and wrists. 

By breaking it down like that, we can ensure that the warm-up is efficient and effective. So let's get started!

First, let's talk about the standing split, which is a static drill to open up your hips and engage your core. 

Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outward at a 45-degree angle. Keep your rib cage tucked in and your pelvis tilted back. Engage your core and hold this position for about one to three minutes, or as long as possible. 

Watch the calisthenics standing split warm up h...

6 Beginner Movements To Start Calisthenics!

Today, we're going to discuss the six main calisthenics movements for beginners. 

If you can't do a pull-up yet we have alternatives that you can work on and practice until you become strong enough to do them! 

Let's start with the Australian rows or inverted rows.

To perform this exercise, you'll need a low bar like a parallel bar or a pair of gymnastic rings if you don't have access to a low bar. You can also use a tree branch or any pole in the park. Ensure the bar or rings are low enough to mimic a lower bar. First and foremost, focus on your grip and grab the bar properly while keeping your wrists up. This is crucial for a proper pull-up form.

Next, you'll want to work on your body alignment. Create a hollow body position by tilting your pelvis, tucking your rib cage in, flexing your toes up, and staying on your heels. If you're unable to do this initially, you can keep your feet flat on the ground and bend your knees slightly f...

How To Start Calisthenics: Make Your Beginner Calisthenics Workout Program

Today, we're going to discuss how to build your own calisthenics workout routine. 

Lately, I've been asked this question quite often. 

It's crucial to know how to create a calisthenics workout plan when you have to take your health into your own hands. So, I'm here to provide you with some tips for scheduling and planning your weeks to achieve the best results, whether you're a beginner or intermediate.

But before we dive into it, I want to mention that you can download my free workout here. It's a valuable resource that includes the intermediate template we'll be discussing today, along with other helpful tools like a one-day meal plan and a monthly healthy habits schedule. Feel free to make use of these resources to build healthy habits and develop a strong body through calisthenics.

Now, let's focus on the intermediate template in this document. Keep in mind that you can always adjust it if you're a ...

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, training consi...

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 training resul...

How Many Calisthenics Repetitions Should You Do?

Have you ever asked yourself how many times you have to do an exercise? For how long? Which exercise?

A LOT of clients always wonder how to build a workout with calisthenics.

Today I am going to give you an easy way to figure it out.

Design your workouts around compound movements: pull ups, push ups, dips, squats and core hinges.

All variations of those moves are also compound movements.

Set the proper total amount of reps per day:

• Beginner: 100 reps
• Intermediate: 200 reps
• Advanced: 300 reps
• Master: 400+

Divide this amount equally between each exercise, each day.

Don’t train the same thing every day. 

Here is an example:

• Day 1: pull ups, push ups, core
  • Beginner: 30+ of each 
  • Intermediate: 60+ of each 
  • Advanced: 100+ of each 
• Day 2: pull ups, dips, core
• Day 3: Push ups, squats, core

Get my Free Beginner Calisthenics Workout Program here!

The Online Calisthenics programs are made to save you time and ...

What Effort Actually Looks Like!

Here is a picture of myself, that I snapped right after a good effort. As you can see I am sweating heavily.

It's clear that I did produce an effort, that my metabolism is going to speed up and that my body will benefit from that process.

The problem is that a vast majority of people who "workout" don't actually produce much effort while working out.

They get little to no progress as a result.

Getting actual results requires 3 things:

1. Producing an intense effort to stimulate muscle growth

You HAVE to sweat AND BREATHE heavy during your training session. This is the ONLY way to burn fat.

This does not mean you have to be drenched in sweat at the end of every workout but you should definitely see some water drops on your forehead at some point in your training.

2. Being consistent with it

Training for a few weeks or months is simply not going to work.

Make a plan for years to come and follow a plan that will STRUCTURE your discipline and...

3 Actionable Tips For Better Results With Calisthenics!

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 no matter what the form i...

All My Favorite Calisthenics Articles In One Place!

Here are some of my favorite calisthenics and holistic nutrition articles I've written for you that you may find useful.

Calisthenics Workout

• Get Better at pull ups
• Master your push ups
• The hollow body 
• Train legs with calisthenics

Holistic Nutrition

• Replace bad foods with healthy options
• Full day of healthy eating

Mobility

•   Increase hip mobility
•   Improve your squats

But if you only could consume one piece of training from me...

Sign up for my online course, and start at the level that works for you.

• Within this intensive and comprehensive multi-level course, I cover everything you need to know, to achieve your goals, step by step, day by day.  
• Beware, this course is not some shallow half-baked piece of training, it is hundreds of videos, workouts, ebooks and workshops of value-packed calisthenics goodness.

• I have spent 15 years of my life trying to learn everything I can about calisthenic
...

The 3 Surprising Things That Keep You Fat!

The fitness world is full of tricks and programs to help you lose weight. 

They all promise amazing results in 4 weeks and lots of people fall into  those traps.

Meanwhile, there are very simple things you can all do in order to get leaner and stronger all year round.

This starts by avoiding these 3 mistakes:

1/ Thinking you can outwork a bad diet

A full day of calorie allocation goes roughly like the following when you workout:

- 80% goes to your daily physiological needs and vital functions. Think of things like making your heart beat, breathing, brain activity etc. There is an optimum amount of calories needed for that. 

- 20% goes to your workout efforts (what most people call "burning fat")

 So no matter what your workout is and how intense it is, you will only burn around 20% of the calories you intake that day and anything on top of the vital 80% remaining calories will be stored as fat.

Here is an easy (hypothetical) exam...