Any tips for calisthenics training?

[Robertjo16]

[Levin]

Please be more specific man about what you want to know.

I've been training for 6 or so years.

I suppose my general advice would be to focus on quality, form and film yourself.

The problem with calisthenics (and it's down to bad practice rather than innate to the art) is that it's forgiving with bad form and cheating. You can do a pike pushup for years and not realise your form is shite or that you're not using full range of motion. Try and be slow and controlled. Your body will always follow the path of least resistance and try to make things easy. If you don't cheat from the start you won't have to go back after a year's time and start almost from scratch. I remember I got up to like 13 or so pullups. Then realised I was cheating, so I went from 13 to 7. And then realised I'm cheating again and went to like 4 reps.

Also, just try and focus on informing yourself and quality instructors. You need good progressions and regressions otherwise you're not going to get anywhere. Dominik Sky is rather inspiring. I follow this exactly but there's some good ideas there definitely.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Qwqqyj4jkkhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/qHvMDlQ8Zyk

[Levin]

Also, keep the bulk of your training on the basics and and on two limb work.

You're young so you can probably get away with stuff from the start. But after a while it takes a toll on your body. You can avoid the majority of little niggles and injuries by not being stupid. ie avoid or don't overdo it on the unilateral stuff. Same with 1 rep max. My sister did the 1 rep max squats and now her back is fucked. You can't get much time under tension with 1 rep maxes and it just brutalises your joints. At least 5 reps is reasonable. After that you're using too much stress and it goes all to your weakest points (usually your joints).

[Sonorous]

Here are some I prefer to do:

• Structure exercises in intelligent ways. Your starting exercise should be the one you want to get better at the most. Leave unimportant & highly fatiging exercises (for instance: legs & core) more for the end of the workout if you aren't trying to get stronger at them the most.
• Be sure that before you do an exercise, you warmup with lighter weight in the exact way you plan on doing the exercise. The goal shouldn't be to go to fatigue or especially failure during the warmup.
• Concentrate on implementing slower eccentric movements (2-8 seconds). You don't have to load as much if you do it right. You can get the same results in this safer way & your joints & connective tissues will thank you.
• Don't focus too much on a specific rep range to hit. Just don't do anything so easy that you can go over 30reps if your goal is size.
• Rest for at least 3-5 minutes between each set.
• If an exercise feels unnaturally uncomfortable, don't be afraid to push it to another day or not go as hard that day. I do this all the time. I notice that for me, I may need extra rest days since many movements I do have overlap.

[LaBruh16]

My first tip would be to not do calisthenics and START DOING WEIGHTS!!!

Just joking, calisthenics is a great why for not only building muscle and strength but also flexibility and other components that are often overlooked in a weights-only system. The first thing I would do is check for a place to do calisthenics. There are sometimes calisthenics 'parks' or gyms, but you can really do it at home with limited equipment such as a pull-up bar etc. If you cannot do pull-ups you might want to buy a resistance band to help you initially. Aim for around 10 or 12 reps but going to lower or higher rep ranges is nothing bad. Just don't go for 60 and turn it into cardio. A great bicep exercise is also the reverse grip pull-up and pushup variations are great for back/chest/ triceps. For core do plank/ side plank/ and sit ups for functional strength and then work up to more complex stuff. Remember that a strong core and flexibility are very important in calisthenics and so should not be neglected. Keep pushing!

[ItsMariusz]

If you're new to calisthenics, here's what I typically recommend to beginners: https://nick-e.com/primer/

Some basic yet crucial advice: focus on your form. Doing exercises improperly can lead to pain and significant stress on your muscles and joints. A full-body workout is essential in calisthenics, as it relies on using your body weight for resistance. Therefore, it's important to strengthen your core, upper body, lower body, and even aspects like grip strength.

Must-have equipment for the fastest improvement includes:
Pull-up bars
Resistance bands
Parallettes

There are detailed articles available if you want to delve into the specifics of diet and other aspects to help and take calisthenics seriously.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/calisthenics#pushups

[Charliefretz329]

Just do it… 🙂

[Robertjo16]

Didn't know you were the poster child for Nike

[Charliefretz329]

Hey, some things can’t be improved on! 🙂

[Charliefretz329]

But honestly for me it’s best to combine my workouts with something else I like to do, like listening to a book on audible or hunting mushrooms

[Robertjo16]

That's a great idea

[Charliefretz329]

It helps you get more exercise in… 🙂

[Liketotry]

Do them everyday

[shortster]

Consistency is key