[quote]animus wrote:
I’m an acrobat, so I need to do calisthenics… it’s a different form of strength altogether, but it helps transfer quite a bit.
For instance, there’s a great amount of rotator cuff stability and lat strength involved in performing a front lever, and this helps me keep a tighter back on the bench.
In acrobatic hand-balancing acts, you’re also expected to floor press people into the air, or perform lunges while balancing two women wrapped around you (see photo). While strictly not calisthenic, the use of gymnastic strength skills and abilities lend to being able to perform these movements better… Powerlifting assists in it. And vice versa. My acrobatic and gymnastic training has made my lifting better. I’m a raw lifter who’s explosive enough that I need to train like an equipped lifter, since I never have issues in the hole, just at lockout.
More than that, most bodyweight skills are pull-heavy, so it’s a good way to balance out the push-heavy bench movements. I have a client who’s a football player (former VTech starter) and I’ve taught him to handstand, front and back lever, as well as hold a human flag and we’re getting close to a one-handed handstand. The back lever, which involves hanging from the air and basically doing a reverse hyperextension with ALL your bodyweight, has a tremendous transfer to the deadlift and we have him pulling over 600lbs without a belt at 220lbs.[/quote]
Wow thanks for the great advice. This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. I’ve never really been interested in calisthenics or gymnastic type stuff before but lately I have been. I think it has to do with the fact that although I’ve been getting stronger I feel like my ability to “move my own body” isn’t as great as it used to be. This got me interested in calisthenics.
Been doing pushups and pullups everyday… max of about 35 pushups right now (want to be able to do 100+) and ten pullups (want to be able to do at least 20, then hopefully a muscleup). and I know some people think that strength training and calisthenics can’t go hand in hand but I’m not so sure. That guy you train that can deadlift over 600 at 220… that’s incredible! I weigh 230 and the most I’ve ever pulled is 510. Maybe I should get a pair of rings and start practicing lol.