Why You Need MORE Volume of Calisthenics / Bodyweight Training

When I was a young kid, even before I was a teenager, I was reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding in the mid 80s.

I remember reading stories about Arnold doing things that seemed completely insane to me at the time.

For example, he talked about starting a back workout with 20 sets of pull ups, changing his grip every set. He also talked about doing pull ups until he could no longer hold onto the bar.

That idea stuck with me and today, it speaks to me!

Then I read about what I describe as “No Rules Training.”

Arnold and his training partners would sometimes take weights out into the woods—sometimes as much as 250 pounds and squat until they could barely stand anymore.

There wasn't a fancy program.

There wasn't a machine for every muscle.

There wasn't someone telling them exactly what exercise they had to do next.

They trained. This was gut busting WORK - which I believe is the very thing missing today!

They found ways to make the work harder.

And they accumulated volume.

You hear about inmates doing this as well - accumulating hundreds if not over 1,000 reps of calisthenics every day.

I also remember reading The Education of a Bodybuilder, where Arnold talked about calisthenics and finding different ways to train, improve, and accumulate more work.

That made a huge impression on me.

I Don't Think People Do Enough Bodyweight Training Today.

I see it all the time, especially with high school athletes.

Many kids struggle with basic push ups. This is unacceptable for any athlete in middle school and beyond.

Some can't perform a single pull up and will ignore pull ups thinking a lat pulldown is the same thing. NO way, not even close.

Think about that.

A kid can graduate high school without ever developing the strength to do one pull up. To get stronger, you must get pissed off at your own weakness.

OWN it.

I believe a large part of the problem is that we've made training too easy.

People spend way too much time looking for the easiest exercise, the easiest machine, or the exercise that allows them to sit down while they train.

Meanwhile, some of the most effective exercises are sitting right in front of us:

Push Ups

Pull Ups

Dips aka Upper Body Squats

Chin Ups

Bodyweight Squats

Lunges

Sprints

Simple movements.

But simple doesn't mean easy.

Calisthenics can be brutally difficult when you accumulate enough volume and challenge yourself. You don't always need more exercises.

Sometimes you simply need more work from the exercises you already have. when is the last time you did 100 pull ups in a training session? 100 dips? 200+ push ups?

Do more pull ups.

Do more push ups.

Change your grips and hand position every set

Change your tempo - slow and hold, fast and powerful, medium tempo for reps and pump.

Add pauses .....

Use different variations of every bodyweight ecercise

Accumulate more total reps. TRM (Total Rep Method) is tough!

Find ways to make your body stronger.

That's one of the lessons I took from reading Arnold's training stories when I was a kid:

Don't always look for a new exercise. Find a way to do MORE.

That's the idea behind No Rules Training.

Train hard. Experiment. Accumulate volume. Find what works.

And don't underestimate the power of your own bodyweight. Instead, lean into doing more calisthenics and push your mind and body to greater heights.

Live the Code 365,

— Zach Even - Esh