Good Calisthenics Workout at Home

i saw a video about the bar brothers who are ripped and muscular by just doing calisthenic workouts. these guys were doing multiple bodyweight exercises like push ups, pull ups, and bar exercises in different types of ways.

i always thought that bodyweight exercises don’t help you gain muscle but then i saw this and it changed my mind. i also started to think about how some gymnasts are so buff. then i realized they do bodyweight exercises too.

what kind of workout can i do at home? im on the track team at my school and since we are in the preseason are practices are very hard. we lift weights twice a week and run twice a week.
i wants some full body workouts i can do on the days we don’t lift.

i am a 16 year old 6ft 1in 165lb teen age boy

by the way i don’t own a pull up bar and i can only do a max of about 10 push ups

Here’s something you need to understand… You will gain muscle by doing whatever still challenges you. If all you can do is 1 pullup and 10 pushups - guess what - you will look better when you can do 10 pullups and 40 pushups. Getting from 40 pushups to 80, however, won’t have the same effect on the way you look.

So here’s what you will do:

  1. Buy a doorway pullup bar. These are dirt cheap and if you can’t do this, you can’t really do anything since you lack the will or the finances.

  2. Do this routine by Chris Collucci:

"Three Days a Week
Exercise Sets Reps
A Bodyweight Squat 2 12-15
B Push-Up 2 12-15
C Bodyweight Alternating Lunge 2 12-15 per leg
D Neutral-Grip Pull-Up or Horizontal Row 2 12-15
E Plank 2 15-count
F Burpee 2 15

It might look simple, but it’s plenty to start with as long as you reinforce proper technique for each rep and don’t rush through each set.

On squats, the feet should stay flat the entire time, not buckling up on the toes or back on the heels. Push-ups are done on the toes, legs straight, going through a full range of motion. Raise the hands onto a bench to make them easier, if necessary. The lunges alternate legs each rep, but make sure the hips are moving “up and down” more than “front and back.”

Use bands to assist on the pull-ups if necessary or use the Smith machine for horizontal rows as an alternative. The neutral-grip incorporates the most arm work and puts the lifter in the strongest pulling position.

The plank is the easiest of the bunch, simply holding the top part of a push-up with super-strict posture from neck to ankles. And the 4-count burpee (no jump needed) ends the session with a bit of everything ? a little cardio, a little flexibility, “hidden” plank work, and “hidden” squat work."

  1. Once you can do this, with no difficulties, ask again.

You may have noticed that gymnasts are pretty buff; so are professional weightlifters. You know why? They invested a lot of time to get REALLY STRONG. It does not matter if you do a military press or a handstand pushup - both will be very taxing on your shoulder muscles, forcing them to adapt. What you need to do is START something. There are several options,the mistake you and many others are making is doing nothing while figuring out the BEST plan. There is no such thing. Get stronger lifting metal weights, your own body or whatever - but get stronger.

Since you are going to ask about diet: just eat like an adult for now. Three meals a day, one or two small snacks. Get enough protein - preferably without using too many shakes, so eggs, meat, dairy are your friends - and go easy on the sugar. That’s it.

thanks

Can I just advise that you should stick with t3h weights as well?

I know I`m a little late but here I am! The Trick with Bodyweight Training is Reps not Reps in one Set but Reps in a whole Workout! Dont bother if you can only do 2 3 or 8 Reps in set, instead keep looking to up your Rep Volume… for Example start by 50 and as you get stronger you dont need heavy weights but just uppin the Reps more until you have lets say 500 push ups 200-500 Chin ups, 500 Dips and 500 Bodyweight Squats! Thats the whole secret REPS lots of Reps!!!

I told a friend of mine who only just started and I was jokin tellin him he needs to do a thousand and guess what this “stupid” guy did it… he didnt knew about Limitations he just did it and I was shocked when I saw the results in 2 months he was Ripped had forearms biceps pecs and a back that was totally AWESOME he made me rethink about how much you can really do!

Back then I was like yeah ok 100 Reps each and I`ll be ok there is nothing more Ican do since everybody says Bodyweight Training dont lead to much Muscles you need Resistence and I was wrong you need Reps and of course a higher Frequency like at least 3 Times a week! he did this everyday since he didnt knew what frequency in Training is. I was so hooked that I tried it myself and I never looked better ripped and muscular at the same time!

Look at these bodyweight dudes they are doing this all day or at least 3 or 4 days a week plus they are crazy Strong it will give you some serious Power also for the weightroom if you like still doing some weights but the secret really is stick to a few movements like push ups, dips, squats, lunges, sprints and chin ups or rows all bodyweight and since its only bodyweight you wont tax the nervous system that much it gets pretty well with this style of training and your joints will feel a lot better than with weights but still start slowly not like my friend did :-)! btw look at gorillas apes etc. all bodyweight and crazy strong plus lots of green plants and no meat but thats another story!

So if you can stick with the simplicity of this Training you will see results that you never would have imagined. Just do it and your Body will follow

[quote]baresi06 wrote:
btw look at gorillas apes etc. all bodyweight and crazy strong plus lots of green plants and no meat
[/quote]

Are you high?

[quote]baresi06 wrote:
I know I`m a little late but here I am![/quote]
So… you’ve been a member of the forum for six years and your first post is to bump a nine-month-dead thread and give pointless advice to a kid who’s known to have major training ADD?

Now this thread is going places.

Apes are pretty fucking strong, but have you ever seen a what a dung beetle can do? They haul a ball of shit around that weighs a thousand times what they do. They do this all day. Plus their training tool doubles as dinner, so there’s some fucking gains for you brah.

So I think bodyweight stuff is great, but you could probably get stronger by modeling your training after the dung beetle instead of a gorilla. I never liked the taste of shit, so I think you can substitute the dung ball by pushing a two ton meatball around and just eating off of it as necessary to hit your macros.

This needs an e-book I think.

[quote]twojarslave wrote:
Now this thread is going places.

Apes are pretty fucking strong, but have you ever seen a what a dung beetle can do? They haul a ball of shit around that weighs a thousand times what they do. They do this all day. Plus their training tool doubles as dinner, so there’s some fucking gains for you brah.

So I think bodyweight stuff is great, but you could probably get stronger by modeling your training after the dung beetle instead of a gorilla. I never liked the taste of shit, so I think you can substitute the dung ball by pushing a two ton meatball around and just eating off of it as necessary to hit your macros.

This needs an e-book I think.[/quote]

Humans don’t have the genetics for that. We’re vertebrates, loads like that cause the spine to buckle and damage the spinal cord. Dung beetles have an exoskeleton and no vertebra.

He needs ExoGrow by ON. Increases Exoskeleton Growth in mammals by 10000%* and increases levels of enzymes necessary for metabolizing dung**

Hi Mr. Colucci

Yeah you right I only red his first Post from 2013 and then saw this one without reading that he is already doing tons of stuff. My only Intention was to share my experience with him and maybe help since he asked somebody for advice and I was like why not posting even if its 9 months after and even if its only my first post I did what I felt I would like to do yesterday.

I normally only read the Articles (ALL OF THEM) for about 8years and my english wasnt always what it is now :slight_smile:
and to all the others thank you for questioning what I wrote and adding your opinions and experiences Im happy to see that! and I only mentioned gorillas apes etc. because they are similiar to us and because I tried more and more to learn what we are capable of if we only emulate some fundamental things and so far it was an interesting journey with lot of insights Im happy to share with other people

[quote]baresi06 wrote:
Hi Mr. Colucci

Yeah you right I only red his first Post from 2013 and then saw this one without reading that he is already doing tons of stuff. My only Intention was to share my experience with him and maybe help since he asked somebody for advice and I was like why not posting even if its 9 months after and even if its only my first post I did what I felt I would like to do yesterday.

I normally only read the Articles (ALL OF THEM) for about 8years and my english wasnt always what it is now :slight_smile:
and to all the others thank you for questioning what I wrote and adding your opinions and experiences Im happy to see that! and I only mentioned gorillas apes etc. because they are similiar to us and because I tried more and more to learn what we are capable of if we only emulate some fundamental things and so far it was an interesting journey with lot of insights Im happy to share with other people
[/quote]

you’re precious.

Thanks Flipcollar lookin forward to this thread/discussion maybe sharing a little experience or two and maybe I’ll find another piece of the puzzle!

Alright, as long as you’re not high…

While doing bodyweight exercises is a fine addition for overall physical development, why do people like you have such a false sense of secuirity when it comes to them? Because they’re somehow more “natural” since you’re using your own bodyweight?

500 reps of pull ups? 4 times a week? Would you do 500 reps on the bench press 4 times a week even at a weight you can get for 12-20 reps? What about 500 reps of deadlifts?

I got into the stupid habit of doing multiple sets of pull ups everytime I saw a pull up bar when I was in the military. After years of doing that, my left shoulder is fucked and any form of vertical pulling done with sufficient intensity is impossible without days of moderate pain after that. This has not changed even after I took almost a DECADE off from training.

And please don’t tell me about olympic gymnasts training for hours everyday. These people are physically built for it. They have above average joint mobility and flexibility as well as the perfect limb length ratios for appropriate weight distribution. Can the average guy do a real split without crying like a little girl or give himself a blowjob?

[quote]dt79 wrote:
Alright, as long as you’re not high…

While doing bodyweight exercises is a fine addition for overall physical development, why do people like you have such a false sense of secuirity when it comes to them? Because they’re somehow more “natural” since you’re using your own bodyweight?

500 reps of pull ups? 4 times a week? Would you do 500 reps on the bench press 4 times a week even at a weight you can get for 12-20 reps? What about 500 reps of deadlifts?

I got into the stupid habit of doing multiple sets of pull ups everytime I saw a pull up bar when I was in the military. After years of doing that, my left shoulder is fucked and any form of vertical pulling done with sufficient intensity is impossible without days of moderate pain after that. This has not changed even after I took almost a DECADE off from training.

And please don’t tell me about olympic gymnasts training for hours everyday. These people are physically built for it. They have above average joint mobility and flexibility as well as the perfect limb length ratios for appropriate weight distribution. Can the average guy do a real split without crying like a little girl or give himself a blowjob?[/quote]

Well… On the other hand… My entire workout is based around the pull up itself, and have been that way for nearly 4 years now. Here’s the key though. My pull up training repetition ranges from 30 - 50 per workout. I guess if you added that up with me working out at an average of four times a week, would be anywhere between 120 - 200 reps (a lot less if I’m going hard at BJJ or Muay Thai). It’s nowhere near 500 reps, but still much more than your average Joe. So the accepted thought is that one must either add weight or repetitions in order to progress. Not so much for me.

My pull up sets range from 1 to 6 reps, for the most part. But the difference is that I pay attention to the nuances, the details, phases of movement, and apply all sorts of additional texture to the movement. Such as, static holds, pulsing, ripping the pull up bar (on neutral grip. Same concept Dave Tate talks about with squeezing the bar in on the bench press) exploding, rapid descents, etc etc.

And since I have began predominantly bodyweight training, I have jumped leaps and bounds in my physique, BJJ, and even strength. My shoulders never, ever hurt or even feel stiff. But something to note is that I pay extreme attention to my shoulder mobility, which probably is the biggest component in being pain free, even with daily pull ups.

I’ve only recently added a weight belt to my pull up program, and what I’ve come across absolutely demolishes the popular thought of linear pyramid progression. So although I’ve only used bodyweight for so long (140lbs), I was able to pull up 8 reps with 90 additional pounds around my waist. I could have done more, but I stopped because I wanted to do more sets.

So perhaps, and this is just speculation, you aren’t performing the pull ups correctly. Or maybe you have a pre existing injury that was exacerbated?

[quote]Jarvan wrote:

[quote]dt79 wrote:
Alright, as long as you’re not high…

While doing bodyweight exercises is a fine addition for overall physical development, why do people like you have such a false sense of secuirity when it comes to them? Because they’re somehow more “natural” since you’re using your own bodyweight?

500 reps of pull ups? 4 times a week? Would you do 500 reps on the bench press 4 times a week even at a weight you can get for 12-20 reps? What about 500 reps of deadlifts?

I got into the stupid habit of doing multiple sets of pull ups everytime I saw a pull up bar when I was in the military. After years of doing that, my left shoulder is fucked and any form of vertical pulling done with sufficient intensity is impossible without days of moderate pain after that. This has not changed even after I took almost a DECADE off from training.

And please don’t tell me about olympic gymnasts training for hours everyday. These people are physically built for it. They have above average joint mobility and flexibility as well as the perfect limb length ratios for appropriate weight distribution. Can the average guy do a real split without crying like a little girl or give himself a blowjob?[/quote]

Well… On the other hand… My entire workout is based around the pull up itself, and have been that way for nearly 4 years now. Here’s the key though. My pull up training repetition ranges from 30 - 50 per workout. I guess if you added that up with me working out at an average of four times a week, would be anywhere between 120 - 200 reps (a lot less if I’m going hard at BJJ or Muay Thai). It’s nowhere near 500 reps, but still much more than your average Joe. So the accepted thought is that one must either add weight or repetitions in order to progress. Not so much for me.

My pull up sets range from 1 to 6 reps, for the most part. But the difference is that I pay attention to the nuances, the details, phases of movement, and apply all sorts of additional texture to the movement. Such as, static holds, pulsing, ripping the pull up bar (on neutral grip. Same concept Dave Tate talks about with squeezing the bar in on the bench press) exploding, rapid descents, etc etc.

And since I have began predominantly bodyweight training, I have jumped leaps and bounds in my physique, BJJ, and even strength. My shoulders never, ever hurt or even feel stiff. But something to note is that I pay extreme attention to my shoulder mobility, which probably is the biggest component in being pain free, even with daily pull ups.

I’ve only recently added a weight belt to my pull up program, and what I’ve come across absolutely demolishes the popular thought of linear pyramid progression. So although I’ve only used bodyweight for so long (140lbs), I was able to pull up 8 reps with 90 additional pounds around my waist. I could have done more, but I stopped because I wanted to do more sets.

So perhaps, and this is just speculation, you aren’t performing the pull ups correctly. Or maybe you have a pre existing injury that was exacerbated? [/quote]

I agree with everything you wrote actually. There is nothing wrong with bodyweight exercises and high frequency training. The problem is the false sense of security people have towards these exercises.

I am also not singling out pull ups. I used them as an example because of personal experience.

What I’m saying is:

  1. Bodyweight exercises are very much the same as exercises with weights when we’re talking about wear and tear of joints and tendons over time and injury potential. They should be approached with as much caution as free weight exercises and not done excessively.

You are right in questioning my form, which I doubt was crossfit level of bad, but how many people approach these exercises with the same attention to form as they would with, for example, the bench press?

  1. Bodyweight of the individual must be taken into account. I have weighed below 110lbs and over 200lbs before. There is a big difference and it is not a question of relative strength but again, durability of joints and tendons according to the individual.

  2. Type of bodyweight exercises. How an individual is affected would depend on his physical structure. I have friends above 200lbs who can’t do bodyweight dips without shoulder pain while I could do them daily with added weight and not experience any.

Yet they have been doing pulldowns with 45lb plates added on the machine Branch Warren style for years without any injury lol. My shoulder would get inflamed just watching that.

Again, I am not saying there is anything wrong with bodyweight exercises. Anything done excessively and without regard for common sense will fuck you up. I mean, just look at the guy recommending 500 reps and then comparing us to gorillas and apes.

PS. Pull ups with 90lbs of added weight for reps is impressive man.

Awesome Post Jarvan thats exactly what I experienced too especially the part with the linear Progression you can really get crazy Strong just by doing lots of reps without added weights. And after a while you try it with some added weights and BOOOOM!!!

And I can really understand you dt79 I was the same in the beginning until my friend proved me wrong (I guess you can learn alot from some Beginners) thats also when my Beginners vs. Expirienced Lifter view completly changed.

Also dt79 I went trough the same problem like you did with your shoulder… I smashed mine while doing Pull ups and couldnt train for one year plus I had to rehab myself for another year until my shoulder was fixed.
But guess what we injured our self while doing the pull ups and not because of the Pull up there is a big difference but I know you know that too.

The pull up itself is wether good nor bad the pull up is the pull up not more not less its a subjectiv thing with this like everything in Life, some experience good things with it and some dont and I rethinked my judgings about the pull up and also about Bodyweighttraining in general.

Now I would never recommend going to 500 Pull ups without building up to that btw I must say that for Pull ups 300 or even 200 is already mindblowing but for Push ups, Dips, Rows, Squats it is really eazy to achieve that OVER TIME!!! the key is building up to that volume I will write in another Post how I did it and what I would recommend. And yes it will definetly take alot of time but once you are there you will be happy and satisfied beyond belief. But I must also say that for the lower body I considered something like the Trapbar with a HEAVY WEIGHT plus some Farmers or some Overhead walks but for Upperbody for me right now Bodyweight
keeps me Strong and healthy and I`m curious to see what will happen with the TrapBar and Farmers in addition to it.

And my opinion about the false sense of security you touched on is if something feels really good you have no problems whatsoever and you experienced and saw both side of the medal(we say this in our country) than you can say with confidence that your on something good. But still you have to care about some points like Ligaments and Tendons adaption and what I like about Bodyweighttraining is the whole Body Tension thats easier to create thats why I think its more natural not only that but I think (my opinion) that this is easier done with Bodyweighttraining not Downgrading any style of Trainig. Btw Pull ups with Rings is also a major key on it for Jointhealth.

I forgot the thing with the Gorillas and Apes I just wanted the People to see the similarities we have in common with them… its clear we are different from them but there are some things you cant ignore and if youre willing to try something that has never been done you will experience something youve never have! but this would be a discussion where people will try to tear you apart because its completely different from what they BELIEVE and like I said I found a beauty for me and just want it to share

I dont wanna come here pointing fingers at people and say this is wrong this is right, no, I just want to share my experience and learn from others who maybe also experienced something for their self like Jarvan for example and theres (FOR ME) no better place than T-Nation.

[quote]baresi06 wrote:

Also dt79 I went trough the same problem like you did with your shoulder… I smashed mine while doing Pull ups and couldnt train for one year plus I had to rehab myself for another year until my shoulder was fixed. [/quote]

Do you see what I mean when I speak of common sense, or the lack thereof?

@dt79 yeah I know exactly what you mean and you’re right and the funny thing is I injured myself doing maybe around 20-30 Pull ups everyday but I remember that I just hit the Bar as soon as I saw one, like you did… without proper warm up but also my routine wasnt really balanced back then so I paid the price for that!

Now I added some Rows and some lighter days in between to keep things balanced!
To Jarvan I wanna say that even without adding reps every week or even months to progress and still get better in fact that is also a point I like very much about your post! At one point I stuck with 200reps pulls ups for nearly 2months and still got slightly better at them and my physique was still improving!

I did 100days straight with relative high rep volume pull ups without any pain or problems but I wouldnt recommend this thats why I think 4times a week is more than enough because in the end your body will show the bill and say if you continue like this I will burn out! so patience and slow build up is a major factor!