Calisthenics.
Bodyweight Training.
Regardless of your age, calisthenics are for YOU.
Working with athletes every day, I am constantly reminding them that 100 push ups a day is NORMAL ACTIVITY.
It is truly disappointing and frustrating to see high school athletes unable to do proper push ups. I have seen MANY teenagers struggle to perform 2 or 3 perfect reps in the push up.
Pull Ups? These are where we can really see who is strong. Fat people can not do pull ups. Over weight people can do pull ups. Weak people can not do pull ups.
Pull ups are your very own truth teller. They give you a strong sense of where you are with relative body strength and what you need to work on.
In this video I share 9 bodyweight exercises for upper body strength, bigger arms and all around my favorite ways to build pain free muscle.
Enjoy!
I have been doing calisthenics since 3rd grade. In 8th grade, I really began to get disciplined with my training and I'd say I became addicted!
In my research, I found many golden era bodybuilders who pushed the calisthenics big time. Freddy Ortiz certainly comes to mind!
At age 15 when I spent a month in Israel and no gym was available, I would run to the local school every other day and do 20 sets of pull ups.
My first 10 sets were overhand grip and my first set was always 20 reps.
Sets 11-20 were varied grips.
I was always able to do 20+ pull ups, even at a bodyweight of 225 until a few years ago when I got a shoulder surgery. I am pushing to get back to the 20+ rep range.
Right now I am around 15 reps.
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Here's a sample Bodyweight Workout for total body fitness, strength and size:
- Warm up thoroughly before training hard
2A) Pull Ups 4 x MAX reps (Change Grip Every Set)
2B) Dips 4 x MAX Reps
3A) Bulgarian Split Squats 4 x 10 / 10
3B) Skater Jumps 4 x 5 / 5
4) Hill Sprints 5 x 100 ft
NOTES: If pull ups and dips are too easy, add weight on your 2nd and 3rd sets to be around the 6 - 10 rep range. When doing the bodyweight only sets, go for max reps.
I suggest the above training for athletes not just adults.
Athletes develop tremendous strength with bodyweight only training. Some training days we begin our training (after a warm up) with high rep calisthenics, or, we finish a session with high rep calisthenics.
Example before or after a training session:
Option 1:
A) Pull Ups x 50 Reps Total OR Recline Row x 75 Reps Total
B) Push Ups x 100 Reps Total
C) Back Extensions x 50 Reps Total
Option 2:
10, 8, 6, 4, 2 reps of:
A) Squat Jumps
B) Lunge Jumps
C) Push Ups
D) Pull Ups
Get to work and crush those calisthenics!
Live The Code 365,
Z
2 Responses
Excellent blog post! I, too, took a huge break from barbell lifting for a while and just focused on bodyweight training. I’m 252lbs and can still crank out some chin ups.
10×10 EMOM bodyweight leg work, pushups and etc.
Did that for a while and got crazy strong to boot. My wife just got bit by the powerlifting bug and I bought a barbell, plates, a rack. I was surprised how much strength I kept over the years. I didn’t have to start all over. Bodyweight training is LEGIT.
Yo brother, Love to hear it! I have a high school kid who is not taking to the free weights.
He’s in ALL bodyweight and sled work, some kettlebells as well.
There is always a place for Calisthenics!