CALISTHENICS

TheTrueBodyweightTrainingGuideYourBodyDeserves

ForExplosiveMuscleGainsandIncredibleStrength

ByJohnCooper

Copyright© 2016 by JohnCooper -All rights reserved. Printed in theUnitedStatesofAmerica.

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Disclaimer: The information in this book is not to be used as professionalmedical advice and is not meant to treat or diagnose medical problems. Theinformation presented should be used in combination with guidance from acompetentprofessionalperson.

Theinformationinthisbookistrueandcompletetothebestofourknowledge.Allrecommendationsaremadewithoutguaranteeonthepartoftheauthor.Itisthesoleresponsibilityofthereadertoeducateandtrainintheuseofalloranyspecialized equipment thatmay be used or referenced in this book that couldcauseharmorinjurytotheuserorapplicant.Theauthordisclaimsanyliabilityin connection with the use of this information. References are provided forinformationalpurposesonlyanddonotconstituteendorsementofanywebsitesorothersources.Readersshouldbeaware that thewebsites listed in thisbookmaychange.

FirstPrinting,2016-PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

TABLEOFCONTENTS

IntroductionAllYouNeedToKnowAboutExercise4WaysYourBodyAdaptsToExercise7ImportantMindAndBodyConnectionsNervousSystemTrainingvs.MuscularSystemTraining

GettingStartedWithCalisthenicsWeightTrainingvs.Calisthenics6SimpleStepsToABetterStart5ImportantRulesForSetsAndReps4SecretMotivationalTechniquesSettingGoalsForBestResults7ImportantReasonsToKeepALog

30EssentialExercisesChoosingTheBestExercisePlanForYouQualityvs.Quantity4LittleKnownExerciseTechniquesMaintainingYourPhysiqueMovingUpALevel

10IntermediateExercises10AdvancedExercisesTopTrainingProgramsLookingAtYourDiet3SampleDietPlansForAllNeeds6BiggestDietFlawsWeightManagementTips5SupplementsToConsider

10SafetyTipsYouShouldNeverIgnore20TipsTrainersWishYouKnewAboutYourWorkout19CommonMistakesThatAreKillingYourResultsFAQConclusionAbouttheAuthor

INTRODUCTION

Calisthenics is the newest, most popular trend in exercise and fitness (inaccordancewith the annual survey conducted in 2015). It can be used to helpsculptyourbody,regardlessofyourendobjective–musclebuilding,gettingfit,orlosingweight!

Calisthenics are a form of exercise that consist of different gross motormovements, which are mostly conducted rhythmically, usually without usingequipment or apparatus. These exercises aremeant to increase body strength,bodyfitnessandflexibilitythroughtheperformanceofmovementslikebending,jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using only the body weight forresistance. These exercises are mostly performed alongside stretches. Whenperformedwithforceandwithdiversity,calisthenicscanyieldtheadvantagesofmuscular and aerobic conditioning. Calisthenics also improve psychomotorskillssuchasbalance,swiftnessandcoordination.

Thewordcalisthenics isderived from theancientGreekwordskalós (καλός),meaning “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος),whichmeans “strength”. It is theprocessofmakinguseofbodyweightandinertiaqualitiesasawaytodevelopone’s physical structure. Some of themost common calisthenics exercises arelunges,situpsandcrunches.

ThetopbenefitsofCalisthenicsareasfollows:

Youdonotneedequipment.Ifyouhavesomethingtodopullupsonthem,youarereadytogo.

Itcanbedoneanywhere, soyouwon’twaste timewaiting for themachinesandyoucansaveonexpensivegymmemberships.

It trains your whole body, builds strength and increases musclemass.Forexample,asimplepullupwillnotonlyworkthemusclesinyourback,butalsoyourarms,shoulders, lowerbackandabdominalmuscles.

Itsupportsweightloss,helpingyoutodropfat.

It’s a natural, funworkout that you can tailor to suit yourself andavoidtheinjuries.

Thisbookwill covereverythingyou’llneed toknow toget you startedwiththisnewexerciseregime;thesciencebehindit,asetofbodyweightexercisesforyou to tryathomeandevenyourdiet.Youwon’t findamorecomprehensivebook on the market, and by the time you’ve finished reading it, you’ll bedesperatetogiveitatry!

The military, sports teams and even schools are incorporating calisthenics intheir exerciseprograms. It is evenoneof thebaselinephysical evaluations fortheU.S.Army,whichjustdemonstrateshowmuchtherereallyistoit.Ifallofthese experts can see benefits fromcalisthenics, then the chances are that youwilltoo.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsForBeginners’.

ALLYOUNEEDTOKNOWABOUTEXERCISE

Oneof themostchallengingpartsofanyexercise– includingcalisthenics– isgettingstarted.Peopleoftenstrugglewithwheretogo,takingthefirststepsandmakingthefirstpositivemove.However,it’soneofthosethingsthatwhenyoueventuallydogetstarted,youwon’tlookback.

According to the statistics by NHS UK, it has been proven medically thatpeoplewhoengageinfrequentphysicalactivityhave:

A35%lowerriskofcoronaryheartdiseaseandstroke

uptoa50%lowerriskofDiabetesmellitustype2

uptoa50%lowerriskofcolorectalcancer

uptoa20%lowerriskofbreastcancer

a30%lowerriskofprematuredeath

uptoan83%lowerriskofdegenerativearthritis

uptoa68%lowerriskofhipfracture

a30%lowerriskoffalls(inolderpeople)

uptoa30%lowerriskofdesolation

uptoa30%lowerriskofmentalillness.

Now if those advantages weren’t enough to convince you, how about thesesurprisingbenefitsthatyoumaynothaveknownabout:

Reducedstressandincreasesyourrelaxationlevels

Stimulateshappychemicals

Improvesself-confidence

Helps you appreciate the environment – also boosting your vitaminD!

Preventsthecognitivedeclinethatcomeswitholdage

Helpsalleviateanxiety

Boostsyourbrainpower

Sharpensyourmemoryandcreativity

Helpscontroladdiction

Formoreinformationwatch‘BenefitsOfExercisingRegularly’.

4WAYSYOURBODYADAPTSTOEXERCISE

The way that your body adapts to exercise is important to know whenconsideringwhichworkouttechniqueisbestforyou.

Thebodyisanextraordinaryworkingmachinethatcanacclimatizetothestressthatisappliedonit.TheprocessofacclimatizationduetostressisknownastheGeneralAdaptationSyndrome(GAS).Thefirststageisreferredtoasthealarmstage,itisatthispointwherethebodyfirstreactstostress,humansmanifesta“fight or flight” reaction, this prepares the body for physical exercise. Thesucceeding stage is referred to as the resistance stage, this involves the bodytryingtoadaptinordertodealwiththestress.Finally,ifthestressispersistent,thebody’sresourcesareconsumed;thisleadsthebodytotheexhaustionphase.

Whenastress(exercise)causesanincreaseineffortinthebody,higherthanitisnaturallydesignedto,thebodyisputintoaconditionofoverload.Overloadwillmomentarily lower thebody’scapability todowork(workcapacity).After thebody has had enough time to recuperate from the initial stress of activity, itsworkcapacityrisestoamuchhigherlevelthantheinitial.

GeneralAdaptationSyndrome

GeneralAdaptationSyndromeBestTraining

Thereare fourmainadaptationsourbodyundergoeswhenwe start regular

exercise:1.Heart&CirculatorySystem.

All forms of training give rise to adaptations of the heart and cardiovascularsystemasawhole.Thesingle largestdistinctionbeing thestrokevolume (thequantity of blood pumped out of the heart with every beat). This is 100millilitersroughlyinuntrainedpeople,and60millilitersintrained.

2.Muscles.

The muscles of a trained person have a greater potential to store fuel(carbohydrates, glycogen and fats), more enzymes that produce energy, andraised levels of myoglobin (a molecule which conveys oxygen into themitochondria).

3.Lungs.

Thehardermusclesworkduringanexercisingsession,thehighertheamountofoxygentheyrequire.Thisimpliesthatmoreairmustbeinhaledintothelungs,and as one becomes fitter, the lungs becomemore acclimatized at ventilatinglarger volumes of air during vigorous physical exertion, although the lungstypicallywillnotincreaseanylargerduetoaerobictraining.

4.Bones.

The key training adaptation associating to the skeletal system, involves theprocessofrevampingwhichisresponsibleforstrengtheningthebones.

Alloftheseeffectsarepositiveandpromoteahealthierwellbeing–somethingweallneedtobeaimingfor.Calisthenicsisagreatwaytoachievealloftheseeffectsisaneasyway.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowYourBodyAdaptsToExercise’.

7IMPORTANTMINDANDBODYCONNECTIONS

Whenconsideringthewayourbodiesareaffectedbyexercise,itisimportanttolookattheconnectionourbodyhastoourmind.

Doctorshavestudiedtherelationshipbetweenourmentalandphysicalhealthforcenturies.Untilthe1800s,mostmedicalprofessionalstrustedthatemotionswereconnectedtodisease,sotheycounselledpatientstovisitspasorseasideresortswhen theywere unwell. Slowly emotions lost favor as other causes of illness,like bacteria or toxins, unfolded, and new treatments such as antibiotics curedillnessafterillness.

Morerecently,scientistshavepostulatedthatevenbehavioralmalfunctions,suchasautism,haveabiologicalroot.Atthesametime,theyhavebeenrediscoveringtheconnectionsbetweenstressandhealth.Nowadays,webelievethatthereisastrongmind-bodyconnectionthroughwhichemotional,mental,social,spiritual,andbehavioralfactorscandirectlyinfluenceourhealth.

Withthisinmind,belowisalistofthemind-bodyconnections thatwillgiveyoupauseforthoughtwhenitcomestoexercise,andinparticularcalisthenics:

1.WeAllHaveTheMind-BodyConnection

Whetherintentionallyawareofitornot,eachofusexperiencesthemind-bodylinkeverydayofourlives.Insteadofthinkingofthelinkassomethingfaroutof reach, or something only realizable through hours of yoga andmeditation,rememberitisalwayshere.Mouth-wateringoveradelicious-lookingdessert,ornervous “butterflies” in the stomach before doing a presentation, or running arace,areallperfectexamplesofnaturalmind-bodyconnections,whichmostofushavegonethroughatsomepoint.Sometimes,themind-bodyconnectioncanproducenegativeresults,likefailingtomeetathletic,academic,orprofessionalobjectivesduetofearoriginatedbythemind.

2.OurBodiesRespondToHowWeThink

“All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make theworld.”–Buddha

This means, if we are always thinking negative, self-ruinous thoughts, ourbodies will follow suit. Emotional and mental imbalance can start assomething like stress-generated headaches, tight shoulders, and a sore upperback, and lead to unhealthy weight gain or loss, insomnia, and high bloodpressure.On the other hand,we canmake an intentional effort to thinkmorepositivelyandtodevelophealthycopingmechanismsforthetrialsandstressesinlife.Withtime,thestateofouremotionalandmentalhealthcaneitherdamageorhelpthebody’simmunesystem.

3.WeCanEitherMakeOurselvesSickOrWell

Research show that our coping mechanisms and ways we deal with stresscorresponds directly to howwe dealwith severe sickness, like cancer. Longterm stress affects the body adversely, and over long periods of time, chronicstresscanmakeusmorevulnerabletodiseaseslikediabetes,hypertension,heartdiseases,andsomeinfections.

However,byutilizingourinbredbody-mindlinkinafavorableway,bykeepingourmindsandbodies in shapewithactivityandnutrition,wecan lowerstresslevels.Inotherwords, themoreweareabletocopebyremainingtranquilandlowering psychological stress,wewill as a result lower physical stress, alongwiththeprobabilityofdevelopingadisease.

4.WeAlsoHaveABody-MindConnection

Ifweareattentive,itissimpletonoticetheeffectthebodyhasonourmind-setaswell.Forinstance,whenalady’sbodypreparesformenstruation,itisthehormoneswithinthebodycausingalloftheawfulsymptoms(cramps,bloating,fatigue, emotional fluctuations, etc.). Another illustration of body-mindresponsesistheflu.Morelikely,apersonstartsfeelingabsurdmentallythedayora fewdaysbefore thebodymanifests the sore throat,nasal congestion, andothertypicalphysicalmanifestations.

On the other hand, body-mind connection is inconceivably positive, be itendorphins secreted after exercise or relief from stress in the course of amassage. In the physical postures of yoga, it is thought that certain positionsresults to particular mental states. Backbends, for instance, are believed toactivatethemind,whileinversionsmayresulttoamoretranquilstate.Exercisecanbeaneasywaytoboostourfocus,moods,andoverallhealth.

5.FoodAffectsBothOurBodies&Minds

It goes back to the archaic saying, “We arewhatwe eat.”Everymouthful orliquidthatgoesintoourmouthshassomesortofconsequenceonourbrains.Ournutritional intake daily, can have huge effects –- both disadvantageous andadvantageous – on how we feel, mostly due to the chemical serotonin.Summarily,whenserotoninlevelsarehigh,we’remorejovial,andwhenthey’relow,webecomedesolate.

Eating large quantities of carbohydrates and sugar can lower sensitivity toserotonin, which results to badmoods, and subsequently obesity. To stabilizeserotonin levels,consumingproteincanbe the remedy,especiallybeforecarb-intake.Inplaceofeatingasugarypick-me-upmidday,goforasnackwithhighproteintokeepthemoodpositiveandenergyup,avoidingacrashlater.

6.RegularSleepIsAMustForMindAndBody

Apart from food and exercise, sleep also plays a huge role in keepingserotoninlevelshealthy,andkeepingourmindsandbodiescontentwitheachother. Serotonin’smain action in the body is to sedate, therefore, it is closelyrelatedtohowenergyis–orisnot–consumed(i.e.exerciseandsleep).Intheabsence of sleep, our brains can be adversely affected, by messing with ourbrain’s reaction to serotonin. In other words, it is vital to keep up a steadysleepingpattern,inordertokeepthemindandbodyfit.

7.MeditationCanHelpOurHearts

ConferringtotheAmericanHeartAssociation,medicalconfirmationrevealsagenuinemutual connection between themind and body. Exercises such asmeditation and other relaxation techniques have revealed to change not onlymind-body, but also mind-heart connections.While there is a lack of studiesdirectly pertaining to how mind-heart interventions can aid patients withcongestive heart failure, the AHA resolved that meditation could help withnervousnessanddepression,whichoftenconcurwithsevereillness.

Dailymeditationforabout15minutescanalsohelpanyonewhowantstostayfocused and calm all through the day. An activity likemeditation can helpchangementalperceptionsandreactionstosituations.Bybecomingconsciousoftension and anxiety, and connecting to the breath, themindwill relax and thebody will relax too. Even allocating a few moments out of a hectic day tobreathequietlycanhavecomparableeffects.

Basically, we arewhatwe think, eat, drink, say and breathe. Developing andapplyingmindfulnesstoallofthesecharacteristicsoflifecanhelpustomaintainjoyfulmind-bodyrelations.

Your brain health is directly associated to the exercise that you do. Theneurotransmitters,chemicalconveyorsinyourbrain–suchasmood-stimulatingserotonin–arereleasedduringasessionofexercise,butthatisn’tall:

Ifyoustartphysicalexercise,yourbrainidentifiesthisasamomentofstress.Asyourheartpressureescalates,thebrainreasonsyouareeitherfightingtheenemyorfleeingfromit.Tosafeguardyourselfandyourbrainfromstress,aproteinisreleased calledBDNF (Brain-DerivedNeurotrophicFactor).ThisBDNFhas ashieldingandalsoreparativeelementtoyourmemoryneuronsandactsasaresetswitch.That’swhyweusuallyfeelsoateaseandalsofeellikethingsareclearafterexercising.

Concurrently, your brain gives out endorphins, another stress-associatedchemical. According to researcherMKMcGovern, the endorphins reduce thephysicalpainanduneasinessassociatedwithexercise.They’realsoaccountableforthefeelingofecstasythatmanypeopletestifywhenexercisinghabitually.

Scientists have been associating the advantages of physical exercise to brain

healthformanyyears,butcurrentresearchhasmadeitclearthatthetwoaren’tjust merely related; rather, it is the relationship. The evidence shows thatphysical exercise helps you shape a brain that not only fights shrinkage, butincreases reasoning abilities. Exercise inspires your brain towork at optimumcapacity by causing your nerve cells to reproduce, strengthening theirinterconnections, and protecting them from damage. There are numerousmechanisms manifesting here, but some are becoming better understood thanothers.

TherevitalizingroleofBDNFisoneofthem.BDNFtriggersbrainstemcellstoconvert into new neurons. It also triggers numerous other chemicals thatstimulateneuralhealth.

Studieshaverevealed that thosewhohadexercisedduring thepreviousmonthbutnotonthedayoftestinggenerallydidbetteronthememorytestthanthosewho had been inactive, but did not perform nearly as well as those who hadexercisedthatmorning!

Further,exerciseprovidesprotectiveeffectstoyourbrainthrough:

Theproductionofnerve-protectingcompounds

Betterdevelopmentandsurvivalofneurons

Reducedriskofheartandbloodvesseldiseases

Changing the way harmful proteins exist inside your brain, whichappearstoretardthedevelopmentofAlzheimer’sdisease.

Asyou can see fromall of this study, there is no refuting thepositive impactexercise has on our brains – but did you know that the first 20 minutes ofexercisingactuallyprovidesmostofthehealthbenefits,particularlyforsomeonewhohasbeenreallyinactive?

Calisthenics and bodyweight exercises is a great way to reap all of thesepositives.

Formoreinformationwatch‘ExerciseAndTheBrain’.

NERVOUSSYSTEMTRAININGVSMUSCULARSYSTEMTRAINING

Bodybuilders use calisthenics differently than gymnasts. They are focused onmusclemassbuildingbyalsoincreasingstrength.Whilstgymnastdoesn’treallywanthugemuscles–theyprimarilytraintheirnervoussystem.

TheNervousSystem

The primary thing to take into account when examining your routine is thetrainingresultonthenervoussystem.Withthebeginningtrainee,theirnervoussystemscapabilitytodealwithintenseexerciseisquitelimited.Consequently,itmakes sense that the individual should be working on their nervous systemcapacityasopposedtobodyparttraining.

NervousSystemTraining

Therefore,whatdoesnervoussystemtrainingconsistof?Wellpreciselywiththebeginner,virtuallyanytypeoftrainingwillwork.Thisfactisoneofthemajorreasons why there is so much misunderstanding in training modalities in thebodybuildingmarket.Typically, any training thatyoucarryout at firstplacesdemandsthataresomuchhigherthanyourregularnervoussystemoutput,someresults unavoidably occur. Unfortunately, most athletes have incorporated agreat deal of bad habits in this early training, which eventually spells failuredown the road.Foroptimumresultsover theshortand long term thebeginnerand intermediate trainee should incorporate training that escalates the nervoussystemscapacityfortraining.

SoWhatDoesThisNervousTrainingSystemInclude?

Nervoussystemtrainingusuallyconsistsoftrainingparticularexercisesthroughspecific planes and motions with an eye on regularity, volume, and exercisechoice. In other words, what are typically calledmulti-joint exercises will beincorporatedasthebasisofthetraining.

Multi-JointExercises

Squats

Bentoverrows

Pull-downs

Dips

Benches

GroupingBodyParts

When doing system training, one should exercise groups of body partscollectively tomaximize the overload for a specific area. In otherwords, youwould train body parts such as chest, shoulders and triceps on one day; back,bicepsonanotherday,and legsondifferentday.Therearedifferentwaysyoucancombinethis,dependingontheamountoftimeyouhaveavailableaswellashowlongyouwishtoworkoutandalsoathowfastyouwishtoprogress.

FrequencyOfTraining

Anotherconsiderationwhen training thenervoussystemis thatonehas topayspecial attention to the frequencyof training. Ingeneral,youneed tokeep thefrequencyrelativelyhigh.Implyingtrainingthebodypartsaminimumoftwiceaweek.Insomesituations,youcangoashighasthreetimesaweek;onceagain,depending on howmuch volume, how intensely a person is training, and thenutritionlevelsoftheathlete.

Definitely,withnervoussystemtraining,onehastobuildupprogressively.Soinaverynewathlete,nervoussystemtrainingmight includewholebody trainingonlythreetimesperweek.Asapersonadvancesandmorevolumecanbedealtwith,thebodypartsaretypicallysplitup.

Onthethree-dayprogram,itmaybefullbodyworkouts;onafour-day,itwouldbemaybeupperbodyandlowerbody.Subsequently,youwouldgotomaybeafiveorevensix-dayroutinefor theseriousathlete.Thispermitsasignificantlyhigher frequency and also the ability to bombbody parts over and over againwithfluctuatingrepranges.

BodyPartTrainingorMuscularSystemTraining

The other aspect of developing a symmetrical physique to look at isindividualizedbodyparttraining.Sizeofcourseisnoteverything;particularlyinthe bodybuilding world. One wants to have the physique look aestheticallypleasingaswellasgrowinglargemuscles.

IsolatedExercises

Soinbodypart training, theexercisechoicebecomesmoreisolated.Generallythereismorevolumeofsetsinabodypartsessionandthebodypartsaretrainedless regularly.To sum it up, youdomore exercises,morevolume in isolatingspecific body parts. Typically at this more developed stage, a person isconsideringtosculptthephysique,workonspecificweakpoints,tobalancethephysique and to create a more symmetrical look. Also, this increases theseparationandgeneraloutlookofeachofthemusclegroups.

Frequency

Inbodyparttraining,typicallythefrequencythatyoutrainabodypartismuchlessthanyouwouldonnervoussystemtraining.Soabodypartmightonlygetexercised once a week, but that one session would be exceptionally intense,overloading thatmuscle ineverypossiblewayand thenmovingon to thenextbodypartonthenextday.Normallyinbodyparttraining,youwouldcyclemoreexercisesthrougharotationofmaybethree,fourorfiveweeks,goingbackandforthsothatoptimalimprovementofeveryaspectofthephysiqueisachieved.

SwitchingBetweenNervousSystemandBodyPartTraining

In order to create balanced growth aswell as size, onemust switch back andforthbetween thenervoussystemtrainingandbodypart training.This isdonethatapersoncanattainmaximalgrowthaswellasminimizinganyimpairmentstothephysique.Therearealwaysbodypartsthatgrowbetterthanothersandsotheisolationbodyparttrainingcanhelpyoutore-evaluateyourweakpointsandovercometheseinherentflawsinyourphysique.

In the process of doing so, we develop not only a large body but also asymmetricalbody.

The question then pops up: “How do I know when and where to alternatebetweennervoussystemtrainingandbodyparttraining?”

Noparticularruleexistsonthishowever;onemustconsideritfromthispoint;usually, themoreinexperiencedatraineeis, themoretimeneededtospendonnervous system training. Most trainees will gain from two or three years ofprimarilynervoussystemtraining.

For instance, a person might assign three to six months on nervous systemtraining only and switch to a body part training for a short period,maybe 12weeksbeforereturningtoanothernervoussystemtrainingroutine.Thisshouldberepeatedforayearorso,andthenprogressivelyperformingmorebodyparttrainingsessionsalongwiththenervoussystemtraining.

Ifyourgoalistoexplodeyourmusclegrowth,thenyoushouldfocusmainlyonMuscularsystemtraining.Ofcourseit’sonlyafteryou’vedoneenoughofNervous system training to gain the strength and flexibility required forbodyweightexercises.

SimilarlyaswithNervoussystemtrainingyoushouldpickadifficultexercise,butinsteadofattemptingtoperformitperfectlyasmanytimesaspossible,youshould try to perform it for as long as you can until yourmuscles are nearlydrained. You should do no less than 6 reps and no more than 20 (ideallyaround10-12reps).Trytopushashardasyoucanduringyourworksets,makeyourtrainingsessionschallenging.Yourprimarygoalistoexhaustyourmusclesinordertoforcethemtoadaptandincreaseinsize.Becausethemusclescanbedrainedveryquickly,alownumberofsetsisneeded(1or2setsareenough).Also remember to choose exercises that do not require a lot of balance andcoordination skills, but works on multiple muscle groups and you find themrather difficult to perform, e.g. pull ups, push ups, dips, bridges, squats,pistols, leg raises, handstand push ups.Most importantly,haveplenty of restbetweensetsandoff-daystoallowthemuscularcellstoreplenish.

Formoreinformationwatch‘NervousSystem101’.

GETTINGSTARTEDWITHCALISTHENICS

Now that we’ve looked at the wide-ranging benefits of exercise, it’s time tonarrow it down to calisthenics.Calisthenics is defined asgymnastic exercisesaimedatdevelopingphysicalhealthandstamina,usuallyexecutedwithlittleornospecialapparatus.Somepeoplefindtheconceptofitalittleoverwhelmingtobeginwith,untiltheyresearchitandlearnhowsimpleitreallycanbe.

Agooddemonstrationofthisisthebeginnercalisthenicsexercisesbelow:

Numerouspull-ups–Thistrainingisnecessaryforthestrengtheningof your back and arms, and secondary muscles like your abs andshoulders.

Push-ups–Thisexercisewillhelpdeveloparobustchestandtriceps,andsecondarymuscleslikeshoulders.

Squats–Aimedatstrengtheningyourlegs.

Variousdips–Thisworkoutservestostrengthenyourwholeupper-body.

Abexercises–Therearenumerousbodyweightabdominalexercises.Havingastrongcoreisvitalforcalisthenics.

Thesewordsarevery familiar.The foundationof theseexercisesareactivitiesthatweallknow–implyingthatgettingstartedisn’tactuallydiscouragingatall!

One of the best things pertaining to calisthenics is that you don’t need anyapparatus to get started, even though there are three things you should bemindfulofbeforestarting:

It takes time.Don’texpect tobe transformed intoamusclemachineinstantaneously. Set short term goals constantly to keep youencouragedinthelongrun.Don’tmakeitashorttermcommitment,

makeitawayoflife!

Fullrangeofmotion!It’sbeyondbeliefhowmanypeopleclaimthatpush-upsareofnousetobuildmusclewhentheycan’tevendothemcorrectly. Performing all your repetitions in a skillfulway andwithfullrangeofmotion,allthewaydown,allthewayup,willmakeanenormous difference in whether you train to achieve a goal or justwasteyourtime.

Progressiveoverload: Inorder togetbiggerandbetter,youneed tobecometougher.

Formoreinformationwatch‘BeginnerHomeCalisthenicsFullBodyRoutine’.

WEIGHTTRAININGVSCALISTHENICS

Thereisalistofprosandcons,comparingcalisthenicstoweighttraining.Thetwoareoftencomparedside-by-sideinthiswaybecausepeopleoftenfavoroneortheother.Ofcourse,thechoiceisuptoyou,whicheverworkoutsuitsyoubestwill be the one to go for, but this list certainlymakes for interesting readingeitherway:

Weights

Pros

When training with the use of weights, you are exercising your body usingexternal resistance. The origin of this external resistance is from the weightssuchastheplates,dumbbellsandkettlebells.Oneofthemajoradvantageswiththisformoftrainingisthemanyisolationexercises thatyoucando.Isolationexercises areworkouts that lay emphasismainlyononemusclegroup.Weallknow that ourmuscles are connected and theywork hand in hand.Therefore,withisolationexercises,wehavetheaptitudetoshapeupor“sculpt”ourbodytoattainourdesiredlook-sincewecanemphasizeonindividualbodyparts,suchasbicepsortricepsetc.,wecanascertainwhichbodypartneedsmorework.

An additional advantage from weight training is that it ismuch simpler toincrease the resistance thatweplaceonourmuscles.The strongerweget, itbecomes essential to raise the strain that we place on our muscles so as tocontinuegrowingstronger.Withweight training, increasingresistance is justamatterofincreasingtheweight.

Cons

Weighttrainingmakesitsomucheasiertoemphasizeonindividualbodyparts,somany people have a tendency to neglect body parts that they feel are “notimportant” or that they find challenging to train.This can give rise tomuscleunevenness, which makes you look disproportionate and also affect youphysicallyasyougrowolder.

Another shortcoming of weight training is that you need to use external

equipment. Implying that you either have to become amember of a gym orpurchasethisequipment.Noteveryonemayhavethefundsforgoingtoagymonaregularbasisorhavethespaceathometobuildtheirownpersonal“minigym”.

Calisthenics

Pros

Calisthenics consists of trainingwith your own bodyweight by using naturalmovements such as pull ups, push-ups, squats, etc. There is no need for anexternal equipment. Calisthenics focuses mainly on compound exercises.Compoundexercisesareworkoutsthatincludedifferentmusclegroupsworkingtogether.Forexample,whenyoudoapullup,thegroupsofmusclesconcernedare the back (mainly the latissimus dorsi), biceps, forearms and the core. Thebenefitsof trainingwithcalisthenics is thatyouworkoutalmosteverymuscleon your body, which makes you grow proportionally and attaining overallmuscle strength,which is called functional strength - awhole body strengththatcan’tbecomparedtoanyothertypeofstrength.

Bodyweighttrainingisalsoeasieronjointsthanweighttraining.

Calisthenics is regarded as a high intensity workout. High intensity trainingplaces a lotof strainonyour lungs andheart. Inotherwords,yougetagoodcardiovascular workout from calisthenics too. High intensity training alsoburnsalotofcalories,keepingyouslenderallyearround(oraslongasyouareexercising).

Andofcourse,sincenoequipmentisrequired,youcantrainalmostanywhereatanytime.

Cons

Since you are working out with your own body weight, it is challenging toincreasetheresistanceasyougetstronger(eventhoughitisnotimpossibleasyoucanaddweightstoyourbodyweightbyeitherputtingonaweightvestorcarryingabackpackfilledwithweights).

It is alsodifficult to separate differentmuscle groups when you trainwithcalisthenics because calisthenics chiefly consists of compound exercises.Implyingthatitmightbemoredifficultormighttakealengthiertimeforyoutoshapeupormoldyourbodytorealizeyourdesiredphysique.

Thus, there are advantages anddisadvantages tobothworkouts.The style thatyou desire is adapted to your preferences, needs and requirements. So manyathletes actually conglomerate the two exercise methods for optimal results -which is another technique you could take into account, depending on youranticipatedoutcome.Oneofthethingsyoumaynotidentifyaboutcalisthenicsisyoucangetstrongerindaysratherthanweeks,makingtheshorttermgoalsyousetmuchmorerealizable!

Formoreinformationwatch‘WeightTrainingvs.Calisthenics’.

6SIMPLESTEPSTOABETTERSTART

People who enjoy calisthenics believe that there is a fundamental science togetting started.Oneof the theories states that it is enough for you to train foronly 12 minutes a week and here are the following 6 steps needed forpreparingyourselfuptowin:

Step 1: Decide How Much Time per Week You Can Truly Spend onExercising

Betruthful.Mostpeopleshootthemselvesdownwithtoomuchzeal.Don’tthinkintherealmof12hours,becausethisobviouslywillnotworkout inthelong-term.Remember,youarelookingforachangeinyourwayoflife.Does2hoursaweeksoundmorereasonable?

Step2:TakeYourAnswerfromStep1andDivideby10

Exactly!Dividethe2hours(120minutes)by10toobtainatotalof12minutesperweek.That’sit!Donotbecomecynical.Donottellyourself“thereisnoway12minutesissufficient”.Simplyholdontothefactthatthereisnowaythatyouwillbeincapableofsqueezing12minutesoutofyourweekandstartfromthere.

Step3:BeWillingToExerciseVeryHardThat12Minutes IsAllYouCanStand

Thisiswherethetricklies.If thisisproperlydone,12minuteswillbeallyoucan stand. The thought of lengthening this to 13 minutes will not cross yourmind. In fact, within the first 90 seconds you will start thinking “howmuchlongertillthisisover?”

TheexercisesyoushoulddowillbediscussedlateroninthisbookasindividualExercisesandWorkoutprograms.

Step4:DoNoOtherFormalExercisefortheRestoftheWeek

So that’s it for exercise, there can’t be anymore in theweek. If youwant toworkouttwiceaweek,thatis,butthisshouldbedoneintwo6minutesessions(theexercisesneedtobeveryhardthat6minutesisallyoucancontain).

In the earlyweeks, it is totally acceptable if youdonothingelse. In fact, it isencouraged…uptoapoint.After4to12weeks(dependentonyourstartinglevelof training) you will develop the uncontrollable itch to do something active.Whenthisoccurs,youshouldthoughtfullygooutanddosomething.Itcanbeasphysically challenging as you like, but it must not be formal exercise. Thisexercise should be practiced as play, even if others define it as functionalexercise.

Asyoubecomebetteraccustomed, theactivegenotypedeepwithinyourDNAwillwakeupandpushesyoutobemoreandmoreactive.Onceyouareatthislevel, keep doing your once a week workout with ever-increasing power,improvingyourstrengthandmetabolicconditionprogressively.

Step5:Rest,RecuperateandRepeat

You’llneedtounderstandthattheexerciseyouhavedonedoesnotdirectlyleadtoanyphysical changes.Somewhat, it simplyboostsyourbody toproduceanadaptation.Foryourbodytoyieldthephysicalchangeyouwantrestandtime.Waitforatleast5-7daysbeforeperformingyourworkoutagain.

Step6:DoNotFailToRecallWhatGotYouHere

By its very nature, functional exercise is of higher risk.The forces are higherandnotcontrolledverymuch.Theexercisethattakesplaceisasideeffectoftheactivity rather than its direct goal. Regardless of these realities, it is verytemptingtoforgetwhatbroughtyouhereandsimplyswitchpermanentlytothisformofexercise.Thisisnottherightthingtodo.Atthispointyouareactuallytough and very capable to bring about forces high enough to surpass yourboostedcapabilitiesandgetinjured.Regardlessofhowgoodyouthinkyouare,

itisalwaysbesttolivetoplayanotherday.Thebestwaytodothisistogoonwith a program that is fixated on conveyinghigh intensity and low force as awayofcontinuallyimprovingyourcondition.Bythecontinuationofaconditionprogram once every 7-10 days, you can be certain of utmost strength andconditioningso thatyoucanplayandparticipate in functionalmovementwiththehighestlevelofperformanceandlessenedriskofinjury.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToStartWorkingOut–Calisthenics’.

5IMPORTANTRULESFORSETSANDREPS

Nowthatyouknowwhattodotogetstarted,it’stimetolookatthesetsandrepsyou’ll want to consider. Below are 5 rules to help you out:

1.Goforlowrepetitions

Bodybuildersemphasizeonlowrecurrences.Theirobjectiveistodevelopsize,sotheyoverloadthemusclefaster,causingmicrotearslettingthemusclegrow.Ifyoudesire todevelopsizeusingcalisthenics the same thinghas tobedone.You can’t get into a rhythmic order ofmovement and crank out hundreds ofjumping jacks or squats in the rep ranges of 30-40. You have to drop thatnumber. You have to carry out rep ranges within about 8-12 formuscularhypertrophyorstrengthintensification.

Thesearetwomethodstoaidyouwiththisrule,achievingthemostoutofyourlowreps:

Method1:AngularTraining

AngularTrainingisbasicallyatechniqueofregulatingtheangleofyourbodytodo a more difficult exercise. For instance, if you want to perform a push upwhichismoredifficultyoucanplaceyourfeetonachair.Thispositionanglesyourbodydownwardandfocusesonyourupperpecs.Thereareseveralwaysofangling your body to render an exercise more challenging. Play around with

your body angle in the course of doing calisthenics tomake an exercisemorechallenging.

Method2:AdjustYourWeightDistribution

Weightdistribution is anexceptionallyeffectivewayof tiring themuscle fast.For instance, let’s use the push up illustration again. At a guess, you havereachedaparticularpointinyourpushupcapacityandcancrankout40-50inarow.That’sawesome.Theproblem is that ifyoukeepperforming thosemanyreps then you will not be attaining size. You’ll only be exercising towardmuscular strength. In place of keeping yourweight distribution 50/50 on botharmsshiftyourweighttoonesidesothatit’sabout70/30or80/20.Thenattemptyour push-ups.You’ll immediately and dramatically alter the difficulty of theexercise.Keepregulatingyourweightwhileyoudoyourpush-upsso thatyoufatigueinthe8-12reprange.Thenswitchsides.

Forendurancehoweveryoushouldemphasizeonalotofreps.

2.Domultiplesets

Another significant difference between customary body building andcalisthenics is the fact that body builders carry out more sets of the sameexercise.Theirobjectiveagainistotirethemuscleandteartissue.Tobeabletodo this you need to perform several sets of the same exercise. Most bodybuilding routines consist of at least 4 sets andmore. However, more sets arerequired for strength training than for mass building. Alternatively, if yourobjectiveistoworkonyourendurance,thenyoushoulddofewersets.

The reason why various sets are so vital for developingmuscle is because ittakestimetocompletelyfatiguethemuscle.Youneedtoconstantlybringthesamemuscletofatigueinordertotearmuscletissue.Notethatbecausemusclescanbeexhaustedveryquickly,thereforeitmightbesufficienttodoonlyoneortwosetsinrelationtosometheories.

3.Splityourworkoutplans

Asplitplaniswhereyoutrainonebodypartaday.Forinstance,youdoachestworkoutonMonday,BackworkoutonTuesday,Legsonthefollowingday,etc.

Thishelps tobringyourmuscle tofull fatigue; itwillneedmore thanoneday

off to recuperate. Be mindful that the muscle does not grow while you areworking out. Working out tears the muscle tissue.Growth occurs after theworkout when you are resting the muscle. The body is able to restore thedamageoveraperiodofacoupledaysandrebuildsitstrongerandbigger.

4.Isolateyourmuscles

Ifyouwant tobuildmuscle thenyouneed todomore isolationand target theparticular muscle. When you do your workouts allocate more time to eachmusclegroup.

5.Progressivelyoverload

Progressive Overload implies that your workout gets tougher and tougherovertime.Thewaytomakeit tougher is to intensifyoneofseveraldifferentfactors.Herearesomeofthem:

1. Numberofexercisestobedoneineachsession.Forexample,sayyouarecarryingoutachestworkout.YoucantackonextraXPushUpsatthecloseofyourworkout.

2. Numberofsetsforeachexercise.Insteadofundertaking3setsofpush-upsyoucoulddo4,5oreven6sets.Yourmuscleswillnotbefamiliarwithitsotheywillfatiguefaster.

3. Number ofworkouts perweek. Pay attention to this one becauseyouCANovertrain.Regulatingthenumberofworkoutseachweekcanbeaveryefficientmethodofgraduallyoverloadingthemuscle.If you are familiar with 4 workouts per week add a 5th or 6thworkouttoyourweek.

The number of reps and sets that you chose to do is personalized to yoursituationandendgoal.Youmustensurethatyouworkyourselfhardenoughtomakeadifference.

4SECRETMOTIVATIONALTECHNIQUES

Now that you know how to get started with calisthenics and bodyweightexercises,it’stimetolookathowtokeepyourselfmotivated.Wewilllookatthespecificexercisesyou’llbetakingpartinlateroninthisbook,fornowwe’regoingtoconcentrateonhowtokeepyouontherightpathtosuccess.

Economistsandpsychologistshavebeenstudyinghowtocrackthecodeofwhatcompels us to repeatedly do somethingwe don’t alwayswant to do.Here aresomeoftheirbeststrategies.

1.GiveYourselfaRealReward

Unquestionably, some people may be encouraged by elusive goals such as“betterhealth”or“weightcontrol.”Butif that’snotdoingitforyou,maketheprofitsofworkingoutmoretangible,suchastreatingyourselftoasmoothieoratreatlater.

With time, theencouragementbecomesintrinsic,as thebrainstartsassociatingsweatandpainwiththegushofendorphins-thosefeel-goodchemicalsreleasedinthebrainresponsibleforthat“I-feel-freaking-amazing”rushyougetafteranawesome gym session. Once you’ve taught your brain to recognize that theworkoutitselfisthereward,youwon’tevenwantthetreat.

2.SignaCommitmentContract

We can make promises to ourselves all through the day, but research showswe’remorelikelytofulfillpledgeswhenwemaketheminfrontoffriends.

Youcanrender thebetmorecrediblebysigningacontractapprovingtopayafriend$20everytimeyoumissaworkout.Saying“I’mgoingtomakeapledgetodosomethingforadefiniteamountoftime,forinstanceexercising30minutesthreetimesaweekfor12weeks.IfIdon’tdoit,I’mgoingtopaysomekindofprice,beitmonetaryortheembarrassmentofhavingfriendsknowIdidn’tliveuptomyword.”

3.RethinkPositiveThinking

People devoted to optimistic thinking have long promoted envisioning thebenefitsofabehaviorasamotivationaltactic.Forinstance,whendecidingiftogetoutofbedtogorunninginthemorning,itaidsyoutoimaginehowthesunwillfeelonyourfaceasyourunaroundthereservoir.Orhowdelightedyou’llbewhenyouseeyournewmusclesdeveloping.

Afterascertainingyourwishandenvisioningtheoutcome,youhavetoidentifywhat’sholdingyouback-atechniquecalled“mentalcontrasting.”Inasinglestudy of 51 female studentswho claimed theywanted to consume fewer junkfood snacks, researchers asked eachwoman to visualize the benefits of eatingbetter foods. Those who identified the trigger that made healthful snackingdifficultforthem-andcameupwithaplantoreachforfruitwhencravingshit-weremostfruitfulatstickingtotheirgoal.

Feel too tired tovisit thegymafterwork?After imagining thehindrance,youcanfigureoutwhatcanbedonetoovercomeitandmakeaplan.Forexample,you can switch to morning or lunchtime training or go straight to the gyminsteadoffirststoppingathome.

4.GetPaid

Stillstruggling?Itmaybetimetodiverttocold,hardcash.Researchlookingatmonetary motivations and exercise found that people who were paid $100 tovisit the gym doubled their rate of attendance. If you don’t have a generousbenefactor,checkouttheapplicationcalledPact,whereacommunityoffellowuserswillliterallypayyoutorespectyourschedule.

Formoreinformationwatch‘MotivationToWorkout’.

SETTINGGOALSFORBESTRESULTS

Settingachievabletargetsisanamazingwaytokeepyouontherighttrack.

When setting your fitness goals, you need to take into consideration threeseparate targets. The primary goal should be your weekly goal; this goalshouldincludethingslike,thenumberoftimesyouwanttoexerciseintheweek,the intensity of those workouts, and slight adjustments to your diet. Whenstartingforthefirsttime,youshouldbesuretosetgoalsthataren’tgoingtobevery tough, it isn’tpossibleyou’llbeable to jump intoworkingout2hoursaday,6daysaweek.Duringyourfirstweek,youshouldtryfor2or3daysintheweek,10to20minutesperday.Ifafterthefirstweekyounoticethistooeasy,adjust towhatyou thinkyoucoulddealwith,butdon’tattempt rushing into itbecauseyouwillbefarmorelikelytofail.

Your monthly goal should be the second goal. This involves somethingconnectedtoyourexercises,somethingphysicalyou’dliketoaccomplish,beitan increase in muscle size, or being able to do more reps, or being able toproperlyperformanewvariation.Thistypeofgoal isyourmonthlygoal.Youmightwanttowait toset thisgoalafteryourfirstweeksoyou’llhaveabetterideaofwhatyoucando,andwhatyoushouldbeabletodowithinonemonth.Remembertoberealistic,youarenotgoingtobeabletoperformpistolsquatsjustafteramonth,adecentgoalwouldbesomething like,beingable todo50push-ups,or15pull-upswithoutrest.Youwillbesurprisedthat,aslongasyouset a reachablegoal,youwillpossiblyachieve it sooner thanyouexpectedonyourfirstmonth,thisisusuallyreferredtoas“noobygains”,appreciatethem.

Lastly, the long-term goal. This goal would be the determining factor forwhether bodyweight training is okay for you. This goal should be thought ofpriortocommittingtoanyprogram/routine.Whatisitthatyouwanttoachievefromworkingout?Doyoujustwanttolookgoodinabathingsuitandfitinat-shirt? Or do you want to be able to go rock climbing, and do other extremesports.Doyouwanttobemoreflexibleandactivethanyouhavebeenbefore?Or do you want to be capable of lifting heavy things and compete in gymOlympics.Ifyoujustwanttolookgood,considersome“biotastic”workouts.IfyouwanttoliftheavythingsandcompeteingymOlympics,thenIsuggestyouconsiderasolidstrengthbuildingbarbellprogram.Ifyourlong-termobjectiveis

to break openmany of the “limits” of your body that you’ve lead yourself tobelievethenbodyweighttrainingisrightforyou.Onceyouknowwhattypeoftrainingisbestforyou,youshouldthenthink,“whatdoIwanttobecapableofdoing in 6months?”. Thiswill vastly differ for each person, but ask yourselfwhatyouwanttobecapableofdoing.Unlessyouareveryweighty,Idon’tthinkyour objective should be “lose 30 pounds” or whatever of the sort. If yourobjective is to achieve strength, then your goal should be something like, “beabletodoatleast5repsofpistolsquats”,or“beabletodonolessthan3one-handedpush-ups”.

Thiswill differ for everybody given their present physical condition and theirpersonal body.Youwon’t be able to find a universal answer ofwhat you arecapableofin6months.Ifyougetapersonalcoach,he/shecangiveyouagoodideaofwhatyoumaybe able to achieve foryourself, but that is totallyup tohowdevotedyouare,yourdiet,andyourgenetics.

Formoreinformationwatch‘GoalSettingExercises’.

7IMPORTANTREASONSTOKEEPALOG

Keepingaloghelpskeepyouontrack,inlinewiththegoalsyouhaveset.It’shighly recommended that you do this, no matter what exercise you take up.Writingdowneverythingthatyou’vedonemakesitmorereal,andismuchmorelikelytofuelyoutokeepitup,thanifyoudon’tdoit.

Ascalisthenics isaslowbuildingexerciseplan, it’sgoodtophysicallysee thedifferencethat’shappeningwithinyou–it’llensurethatyouneverwanttogiveup!

It is likely that your initial goalwill be to add on to your sets and reps on aweeklybasis–evena1% increasewillmakeamassivedifference toyouandcouldmorethandoubleyourstrengthinjusttwoyears.Youcanensurethatthisisbeingdoneifyou’relookingatit,andseeingwhat’shappening.

Beloware7verygoodreasonswhyyou shouldkeep trackof theworkoutyou’redoing.Theseshouldencourageyoutogettoworkrightaway:1.Itkeepsyouhonest.

Howmanytimeshaveyougonetothegymorcalisthenicsparkwithoutaclear

strategyofwhatyouwantedtodo?Didyoucompleteyourworkouteffectively?Or did youmiss out on some exercises and sets because you simply weren’t“feelingit”?Havingyourworkoutwrittenoutbefore timeinyourexercise loggetsridofthementalstrugglewetakepartin,theback-and-forthwherewetrytolegitimizewalkingoutearly.

2.You’llmakebettergoals.

The only thing worse than not setting goals is setting impractical goals.Generatinggo-gettinggoalsthatpushyoutoyourlimitsaregreat,buthugeandultimatelyunrealisticgoalsleadingyoutofallshortonlyhelptodiscourageanddemoralize. Seeing how rapidly (or alternatively, how slowly) you advance inyour workouts offers you the feedback essential to set fitness goals that arerealistic, and will keep you from discouraging and demoralizing yourself tooearly.

3.You’llgetinspired.

Oneofthemostworthwhileaspectsofkeepingtrackofyourworkoutsisbeingabletooccasionallyflipthroughandlookovertheworkyouhavedone.You’llrealizeresultswhereyouburstthroughplateaus,whereyouranlongerandfasterthanyoueverthoughtpossible,whereyoustrungtogether14successivedaysofworkouts.Theseachievements inyourfitnesspastwillfillyouwithasenseofpride and retell you just howcapableyou indeed are.More essentially, itwillgiveyouthatreminderoffireinyourbellytogetbackatit.

4.You’llfindpatterns.

Takingnoteofyourworkoutsandyourdiet, restandstress levelswill letyoufindpatterns forwhyyou feel likemonstrous somedays,while onother daysyoudragyour feet, barely interested in going for awalk, let alone exercising.Howmanytimeshaveyounotfeltfinestinthecourseofyourworkout,andnotreally concerned asking yourself why? Chances are you passed it off, andmarched along with your day, not bothering to consider why you felt off.Typically, the reasons aren’t completely obvious; a bad night’s rest, poornutrition the day before, and so on. Having all that information can let youestablishpatterns so inorder tomaximize thedayswhenyou feel like aboss,andminimize the oneswhere you don’t feel sowonderful. Think of it as theultimatefeedbackcircleforyourphysicalhealth.

5.You’llexerciseharder.

An aspect of possessing a workout journal that most people don’t essentiallythink about is theneed towrite out a goodworkout eachday.The thought ofhavingtowriteoutabadworkoutcanactuallykeepyoufromowningone.Riseandfallsinmotivationandfocuswillhappenattheworkoutplace,butregularlythe fear of detailing a less than stellar workout will claim superiority of theyearningtobounceearly.

6.You’llhaveaplanforyourgoals.

Notonlycanaworkout loghelpyou setbettergoals, it canalsobe thebattleplanforattainingthem.Whetherthegoalsareultra-shortterm(thatday),orbigdaringlongtermgoals,youcanmeasureandtrackallofthemwithintheleavesofanexerciselog.Yourlogdoesn’tneedstrictsetandcaloriecounts;itcanalsobeaplanforyourgoals.

7.It’llgiveyouachancetovent.

Trailyour fitness routine,and thenwriteouthowyou felt thatday,aswellasyourmood,anyadditional factors thataffectedyourworkout,oranythingelsethat is bouncing around that brain of yours.Yourworkout log provides you achance to vent, and offers a judgment-free sounding board for how you’refeeling.

Buthowdoyougoaboutsettingoutthisjournal?

Trackingyourworkoutsshouldaccomplish3goals:

1. Itshouldbequickandeasy,sothatyoucanspendtimeexercising.Yourtimeshouldnotbespentonrecordingworkbutondoingthework.

2. Itshouldbeofuse.Ourcurrentworldisoverflowingwithdataandmostofitisneveractedon.Abetterschemeisonethatrecordsthenecessaryinformationofwhatyouhavedone(soyoucanseeyourdevelopment), that decreases errorswhile you’reworking out (sothat you can bemore effectivewith your time), and thatwill aidyou inmaking informed decisions about what to do during yournextworkout.

3. It should be flexible. Even if you change yourworkout program,youshouldn’thavetoeditthewayyoulogit.

So,withthosegoalsinmind,hereisTheSystem.

STEP1:Writeyourweightandthedateatthetopofthepage.

Youcandothisjustbeforeyourpre-workout.Makeitapartofyourroutine.

STEP 2: Write your planned workout program for the day in the followingformat:[Exercise]–(Weight-optional)–[Sets]x[Reps]

Writeoutwhatyouexpecttodothatday.Thismaybechallengingatfirst,butwillbecomeeasierasyoubecomemoreusedtoyourworkout.Thisiswhereyouneed tobeginaddingon repsand sets asyouprogress.Sticking toexactly thesameallthetimewillgetyounowhere.

STEP3:Recordscoremarksasyoucompleteyourworksets.

Whenyou’re in themiddleofaworkout, itcanbeeasytoforgetwhatsetyoujustcompleted,soit’sbesttotallyasyougo.Makethisapartofyourroutine:

Dotheexercise.

Makeatallymark.

Startthestopwatchtorecordyourrestinterval.

Changetonextset.

Repeat.

STEP4:Varythisbasicstructureasrequiredforthetrainingsession.

Thebeautyofthissystemisthatit’sincrediblyversatilewhilestillbeingcleanand simple for any given workout. You can edit it to suit whatever activity

you’redoing:

Therearecertainlyafewathleteswhoaretooanalyticalabouttheirtraining.Alogbookcanbemessywithtoomuchanalysisanddetail.Becarefulofthis!Theclassicsaying,“Paralysisbyanalysis”istobecircumventedifpossible!Recalltheprimaryreasonyouaretrainingandrunningisforenjoymentandrelaxation,andofcourseforsomeresults.Use the journalwith theseprincipal feelings inmind,sothejournaldoesnotgetyouboggeddown.

30ESSENTIALEXERCISES

Sonowisthetimetolookatthetopcalisthenicsexercisesforyoutotryyourselfathome.1.PushUps

Hereisagreatstep-by-stepguidefordoingpushupscorrectly:Whenitcomestopushups,yourformisvital.Eachpushupneedstobedoneflawlesslysothatyourtotalrepsmeasuredfromworkouttoworkoutareonequalfooting.Ifyoudid thirty perfect pushups two days ago, and today you did sixty pushups bygoing down only halfway, sticking your ass up in the air, etc., it’s totallyimpossibletodetermineifyougotanystronger.

Here’showtogetsetuptodoapushup:

Whenon the ground, set your hands at a distance that is somewhatwider than shoulder-width apart. Depending on your forte and

experience,angleyourhandsinawaythatfeelscomfortabletoyou.Typically,yourhandsshouldbearrangedso thatyourmiddlefingerpointsstraightupandawayfromyou.Youcanalsoturnyourhandsslightlyinwardsifit’slessstressfulonyourwrists,oryoucandoyourpushupsonyourknuckles(aslongasyou’reonanalmostsoftsurfacelikegrassorcarpet).

Arrange your feet in away that feels right and comfortable to you.Forsome,itmightbeshoulderwidthapartandforothers,itmightbethat the feet are touching. In general, thewider apart your feet, thesteadier you’ll be for your pushups, and will make it easier tocomplete.

Regardyourbodyasonegiganticstraightline-fromthetopofyourheaddowntoyourheels.Yourbuttshouldnotbestickingwayupintheairordrooping.

If you have a problem getting the correct formwith your body, trythis: clampyourbutt together, and then tightenyourabs.Yourcorewillbeengaged,andyourbodyshouldbeinthatstraightline.Ifyouhavenotbeendoingpushupscorrectly,thismightbeabigalterationforyou.

Yourheadshouldbelookingslightlyaheadofyou,notstraightdown.Ifyou’redoingthemcorrectly,yourchinandnotyournoseshouldbethe first part of yourhead to touch the floor.Lookinguphelpsyoukeepyourbody in line,but feel free to lookdown if thathelpsyouconcentratemore.

At the topmost of your push up, your arms should be straight andsupportingyourweight.You’renowreadytodoapushup.

Ifyouaretoofeebletodothisstrictmarinepush-up,doitfromyourknees.Ifyouaretooweaktodoitfromyourknees,thendoonlytheloweringpart,loweringasslowlyaspossible.

Here’showtocompleteonerepetitionofapushup:

With your butt tightened, arms straight and abs braced, graduallylower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle or lesser.

Depending on your level of skill, age, and flexibility, 90 degreesmightbethelowestyou’reabletogo,butyoucangodownuntilyourchest(notface),touchesthefloor.Tomakeitmorecomplex,alwaysstart thefirst inchverygradually, taking3seconds tomovethefirstinchandthenkeepthesmoothmovementgoing.

Trynot to letyourelbowsgo flyingwayoutwitheachcycle.Keepthemmoderatelyclosetoyourbody,andtakenoteofwhentheystarttoflyoutwhenyougetexhausted.

When your chest touches the floor (or your arms go down to a 90degreeangle),pausea little and then slowlymoveyourselfbackupuntilyou’reback in the sameposition.Tomake it tougher,youcanshare themovement in halves.Do the first half (bottom position toelbowsbentat90degrees)untilcompleteexhaustion.Afteryouhaveexhaustedthebottomhalf,dothetophalf(elbowsfrom90degreestoalmostcompleteextension)untilcompletefatigue.

Congratulations, you just performed a correct push up. Recall - tenworthypushupsand5crappyonesarehardtoquantifyagainstelevengood pushups. If you can do only ten of something, record yourresults and target for11next time.Perfect formallowsyou tokeeptrackofyourdevelopmentsweekoverweek.

Ifyouwouldliketoreducejointstrainandengagemoremuscleswhiledoingapushup, take a close look at the Perfect Push Up. This is a very simple andinexpensivepieceofequipmentwhichisamusthaveforbodyweightexercises.

Formoreinformationwatch‘PushUpsTutorial’.

2.PullUps

Pullupsareoneofthemostchallengingcallisthenicexercisestodo.Pullupsandchin-upsaresometimesused interchangeably–somesay they’re thesameandsomesaythey’redifferent.

Theseveralformsofpullupsare:

Perpendicular pull ups - Palms facing each other on parallel bars(barsperpendiculartothetorso).Becertaintofindasuitablepieceofequipmentthatletsyoutodothisexercise.

Thumb-lessgrippullups -No thumbs in the courseofdoingpullups!

MixedGrip Pull ups - Utilizing a different grip for left and righthands.Forinstance,lefthandfacesyouandrighthandfacesaway.

Fat Bar Pull ups - Utilizing a “fat” bar aids gripping power andstrengthenstheforearmenormously.

Horizontal Pull ups - Lay your body parallel to the ground, back

facing the floor, by droopy from a support barwith your arms andusing support equipment to support your feet – your body will behorizontal.Dopullupswithyourarmswhileinthisposition.

TowelPullups-Usingatowelthrownoverasupportbar,yougriptheendsofthetowelanddothepullup.

Kipping Pull ups - “Kipping” consists of a hip snap that createsadditionalmomentum thatwill lift the bodywith slight upper bodypulling.Itisaneffectivetechniqueforgettingyourchinoverthebarbut isnot agood technique for isolatingor targeting themusclesoftheupperback.

One Arm pull up – Exactly, one arm only pull up! This is anextremely advanced callisthenic exercise demanding incrediblestrength.Itmaynotseempossible,butithasbeendone.Maybeyou’llnotbeabletodothisinyourlifetime,butthat’sokay!Thesubstituteis to grab the pull-up barwith one hand and have your other handhold the forearm of the arm holding the pull-up bar – also called asupportedorassistedonearmpullup.

Commonmistakeswithpullups:

As challenging as pull ups are, do not cheat yourself out of appropriatetechniqueandform.Somepeopledonotcompletetherangeofmotionessentialfordoingapullupandthusdonotprofitfromtheexercise.Themostcommonmistakesare:

Notgoingallthewaydownandstraighteningthearms.Goingallthewaydowntoa“deadhang”isthecorrectwaytodoafullpullup.

Avoid using your hips or legs to force yourself up (unless you’redoing kipping pull ups).Making use of only your upper body willtargetthecorrectmusclestobuildstrength.

Notpullingyourselfoverthebar.Ifyou’regettingonlyyourforeheador hair over the bar you are using to perform the pull up, you aredishonesttoyourself!Getyourentireheadoverthebar,orbetteryet,letthebartouchyourchest.

Breathing–Makesureyoubreath inwhilegoingupandbreathoutwhilegoingdown.

Okaymaybeit’sjusttootoughtofollowalltherules,bendthemonlyifyou’rereally having difficulty – but keep working in the direction of proper form!Don’tcontinueworkingupto10“halfpullups”whenyoureallycanonlydo5withpropertechnique.

It entails a lot of practice to level up the number of repetitionswith pull ups.Remember, this is a demanding calisthenics exercise so do not feel dispiritedbecauseyoucannotdomorethanacouple,orevennone.Practicemakesperfect.

Ifyoudiscoveryourselfunabletoperformapullup,youcanalwaysgettheIronGymTotalUpperbodyWorkoutBartopracticeathome.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsTutorialForBeginners–PullUps’.

3.Dip

Herearethefourdipsexercisesusedbycalisthenicsbeginners:Band-assisteddips:Loopeachendofaresistancebandaroundeachdipbarhandle.Supposetheinitialdipposition,witharmsextended,andputyourkneesagainsttheband.Loweryourbodyagainsttheresistancebandtillyourelbowsareat90degrees.Dipuptothestartingpositionuntilyourelbowsarestraight.Thisdipvariationmakes themovement easier at the bottom,with insignificant assistance at thetop.

Tip:Useweaker bands as you get sturdier to smoothly transition to full bodyweightdips.

Jumpingdipswithnegatives:Gripthedipbars,withyourfeetonthefloor(oron the dip station platform). Then jump to give your body just adequate

momentuminordertocompletethepositiverep.Emphasizeonthenegativebygraduallyloweringyourselfdown.

Assisted dip machine: Set the weight stack to the preferred level; the moreweight utilized, the more assistance provided. Grip the handles, spread yourarms and kneel on to the sliding platform.Lower your body by bending yourarms until your elbows are at 90 degrees before going back to the startingposition.

Benchdips

Grasptheedgeofthebench.

Keepyourfeettogetherandlegsstraight.

Lower your body straight down gradually and press back upforcefully.

Keepyourelbowspointingbackandbackstraight.

Variation:Feetupbenchdip:

Make the bench dip tougher by raising your feet. This will also grant you agreaterrangeofmovement.

Step1:Keepyourfeetatsamealtitudeasyourhips.

Step2:Keepafirmgrasponthebenchatalltimesoryoucouldfall.

Variation:Weightedbenchdip:

Layaweightplateonyourlap.

Variation:Benchdipwithleglift:

Step1:Asyoulower,liftonelegoffthefloor.

Step2:Alternatelegswitheachrep.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsTutorial–Dips’.

4.ToeTouchSitUps

Thisisapowerfulexerciseforyourabs.

Sitdownandrockbackpullingyourlegsintheair.

Then,raiseyourarmswrinklingyourelbowsslightly.

Lowerandpullyourlegsintheair,lettingyourarmstouchyourtoesascloseaspossible.Ifyoucanjusttouchtheanklesthatisfine.Youcan also lay your arms on the floor if raising them in the air is toomuchofataskforyou.Ifyouwant,youcanlayflatonthefloorandelevateyourarmstolegsasyousitup.

MusclesWorked:

Thiscrunchpreciselyaimsatthemiddleandupperrectusabdominis,generallyknownasthe“abs”,theexternaloblique,theoutermuscleoftheabdomenandthe internaloblique, themiddlemuscleof theabdomen.Rectusabdominis isamuscle that runsverticallyalong theanteriorwallof theabdomen.Apart fromaiming at these major abdominal muscles, this exercise also includes the hipflexors,agroupofmusclesthathelpstopullthelegsupward.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoTheToeTouch’.

5.Planks

Thisisoneofthemainexercisesforyourabs.Itisslightlyeasierthanholdingthebodyupwithjustthehands.

Lay the forearms on the ground with elbows aligned below theshouldersandarmsparalleltothebody

Squeezeyourgluteus

Keepyourbodyinastraight linefromthetopofyourheadthroughyourfeet

Tightenyourcore

Tuckyourchin

Trytoholdthisbodypositionforaslongasyoucan.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToPlank’.

6.Supermans

Tostart,liestraightandfacedownonthefloororworkoutmat.Yourarms should be completely stretched in front of you. This is thestartingposition.

At the same timeelevateyourarms, legs, andchestoffof the floorandholdthiscontractionfor2seconds.

Tip:Tightenyour lowerback togetoptimumresults fromthisworkout.Remembertobreatheoutduringthismovement.Note:Whenholdingthecontractedposition,youshouldlooklikesupermanwhenheisflying.

Graduallystartloweringyourarms,legsandchestbackdowntothestartingpositionwhilebreathingin.

Repeat for the suggested number of repetitions prescribed in yourprogram.

Variations:Youcanalsodo thisexercisemakinguseofonearmand legat atime.Simplyraiseyourleftleg,armandsideofyourchestanddothesamewiththerightside.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoSupermanExercises’.

7.Squats

Thesquatisoneofthesimplestbodyweightworkoutsyoucando.Theyareeasytodo,andthankstothenatureoftheexercise,itcanburncaloriesmorerapidlythanmostotherbodyweightexercises.Thisisbecausethesquatworksoutyourgluteusmaximus,thequadriceps,thehamstrings,andfinally,theerectorspinae.Among these largemusclegroups is thegluteusmaximus,which is the largestmuscleinyourbody,andbyexercisingthem,youstrainthemagainstallofyourupperbodyweight,repeatedly.

Let’sprogresstotheform.Asseeninthepictureabove,youbeginbystandingstraight,withyourfeetspreadaboutshoulderlengthapart.Asyoustartbendingyour knees, visualize yourself sitting on a chair, once your femur (big thighbone) is parallel to the ground, you should pause for one second, then slowlycome back up. Keep in mind that, when performing bodyweight training, orcalisthenics,youneedtotakeyourtime.Itmaybechallengingtogetusedtoat

firstbutonceyouareabletorelax,andfocusedontheexercise,takingyourtimewitheachandeveryrep,you’llcometoprefer it thatwayandyou’llworkthemusclesalotharder.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsBeginnerSeries–Squats’.

8.SingleArmPlank

The one-arm improved plank is a calisthenics and pilates exercise thatmostlytargetstheabsandtoalesserdegreealsotargetstheshouldersandhipflexors.

There are severaldifferentone-armmodifiedplankvariations thatyoucan tryoutthatmayneeddissimilartypesofone-armmodifiedplankequipmentormayevenrequirenoequipmentatall.

The one-armmodified plank is an exercise for thosewith a beginner level ofphysicalfitnessandexerciseexperience.

Step1:Getdownonyourhandsandkneesandmakeyourbodyintoastraightline.

Step2:Liftyourfeetupofftheground.

Step3:Takeyourrighthandoff thegroundsothatall theweightisonyourleftarm.

Step 4: Hold this position for the desired amount of time and thenswitchhands.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsOneArmPlankTutorial’.

9.Bridge

Whenmost people thinkofbridges, they thinkof a short bridge,which is themostcommon typeofbridgeand theone thatyou’llmostprobablyseeatanybasicgym.

Buteventhoughthisformofthebridgeisgreatforthosewithafeebleorinjuredlower back, it’s fairly non-taxing for anyone who has been working outextremelyforawhile,sotheyspeedilyskipoveranyotherformsoftheexercise,believingit’stooeasyforthem.

Buthere’sthething:halfbridgesarebynomeansthemostchallengingformofthe exercise.And if almost anyone, including thosewho regard themselves asprettystrong,didattempttheultimatebridge-thestandtostandbridge-they’dalmostbecertaintofallduetolackofstrengthofflexibility.

Practicingbridgesconsistentlywill:

Helpdisposeofbackpain triggeredby sittinghunchedover all daylong

Securethespineinpreparationforweightyorexplosivemovements

Strengthenyourspinalmuscles,whichcanstopslippeddiscs

Givethetotalfrontofyourbodyanincrediblestretch

Resultinextrastaminainsportsandlife

Traineverysinglemuscleinyourback-aswellasnearlyeveryothermuscleinyourbody

Beginwhereveryourcurrentlevelis,thenworkuptothetoughervariationsasyourstrengthandflexibilityincreases.Targettrainingbridges2-3timesaweek-butevenonceaweekwillmakeyoustrongerandmoreflexible.

Shortbridges

Shortbridgesareidealforbeginnersorpeoplewithformerbackinjuries.Theygraduallyworkyourback,butt,andhamstringmusclesandareanidyllicstartingplace.

Howtodothem:Layonyourbackwithyourkneesbent.Tightenyourbuttandabsandelevateyourbuttandhipsashighasyoucanwhile stillkeepingyour

shouldersontheground.Holdforonesecond,thenlowerdown.

Doit:Twosetsof20-25reps2-3timesaweek.

Straightbridges

Straightbridgesarethefollowingadvancementinthebridgeexercise,andwillbeginworkingyourshouldersaswellasyourback,buttandlegmuscles.

Howtodo them:Layonyourbackwithyour legsstraight.Putyourhandsonthe floor on the outside of your hips, pointing your fingers toward your toes.Pushyourselfupontoyourhands,raisingthehipsupandtighteningyourbuttasyoudoso.Holdforasecond,thenlowerbackdown.

Doit:Twosetsof20-25reps.

Elevatedbridges

Elevated bridges are the next step to aid you facilitate into doing completebridges.Thesereallystartworkingyourshouldersaswellasyourback,buttandlegmuscles.

Howtodothem:Locateabenchorelevatedsurfacethat’saboutkneeheightorhigher(makesure it’ssturdy)andsit infrontof it.Faceawayfromthebench,thenplaceyourhandsbyyourheadwithyourfingerspointingtowardyourfeet.Press through your hands and elevate your hips, arching your back andstretchingyourarms.Raiseyourhipsashighasyoucan,thenlowerbackdown.

Doit:Twosetsof15reps.

Fullbridges

Fullbridgesworkalmosteverymuscle inyourbody,andwillgetyouacrazy

strongandflexibleback.Plus,they’rejustfun.

Howtodothem:Layonyourbackonthefloorwithyourkneesbentandyourhands at the sides of your head, fingers pointing toward your toes. Push yourhipsup,roundingyourbackandtighteningyourbutt,absandlegmusclesasyoudo this. Push through your shoulders so everything gets a good stretch, anddeeplyrespire.Holdforonesecond,thenlowerbackdown.

Doit:Twosetsof15reps.

Bridgewalkdowns

Bridge walk downs are the primary step in the development toward stand tostand bridges.They can be a little scary at first, but you’ll soon learn to trustyourselfadequatelytoknowthatyouwon’tfall!

Howtodothem:Standafewfeetfromawallwithyourbackfacingthewall.Leanbackward,roundingyourbackandtighteningyourbuttuntilyourhandshitthe wall. Gradually walk your hands down the wall as far as you can. Your

objectiveshouldbetoreachthegroundtogetintoacompletebridge.Onceyoureachtheground,simplysitdown,standbackupanddoitagain.

Doit:Twosetsof10reps.

Bridgewalkups

Bridge walk ups are considerably tougher than walk downs, so don’t get toodiscouragedthefirsttimeoftrial.Walkupsareanessentialstepintrainingforstandtostandbridges.

Howtodothem:Standafewfeetfromawallwithyourbackfacingtowardthewall. Lean backward, rounding your back and squeezing your butt until yourhands hit the wall. Slowly walk your hands down the wall until you’re in acompletebridge.Makeuseofyourhands towalkbackup thewall, squeezingyourbuttandpushingyourhipsslightlyforwardtogetyouawayfromthewallandstandingupagain.That’sonerep.

Doit:Twosetsof8reps.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsBridgeSeries’.

10.LegRaise

Done properly, leg raises are the “go to” way to strengthen your core incalisthenics exercises.All of the followingmovements can also be performedwhilelyingontheground,butwithdecreasedmuscleuseinthelowerbackandarms.

KneeRaises:

As a good progression exercise, the knee raise develops the core strengthnecessaryinordertocompletethestandardlegraise.Toperformthismove,holdthebarinastandardpronatedgripandtenseyourcorewhileliftingyourkneesup to your chest. Focus on performing a slow and controlledmovement. Foradded difficulty, try to perform a pelvic tilt at the end to elevate your hipsslightlyhigher.Anothermodificationcouldbetorotatethetorsotoonesidetofocusmoreontheobliquemuscles.

LegRaises:

For those that do not have the flexibility for the 180 degree leg raise,intermediate leg raiseswill help develop the core, back, and forearm strengthrequired for the next progression. To do these, simply grip the bar like youwouldastandardpullupandbringyourlegstoa90degreeanglewhilebendingatthehip.Itisimportanttokeepyourlegsstraight,asdoingsowillgetthemostout of those lower abs.Focusonperforming a slowand controlledmovementwith no rocking back and forth. Also, resist arching your back, as it putsnegative stress on the low back. To prevent this, contract the entire corethroughouttheexercisesothatyourhipsremaininfrontofyourbody.

MusclesGroupsUsed:Abs,LowerBack,HipFlexors

Formoreinformationwatch‘LegRaiseTutorial’.

11.VSits

Begininaseatedpositionwithyourkneesbentandfeetoffthefloor.Your chest should be open and lifted. This is comparable to amodifiedBoatposeinyoga.

Withyourarmsbyyoursides,graduallyunfoldfromyourseatedvbyloweringyourtorsoandlegstowardthefloorat thesametime.Haltwhenyourlegsarearounda45-degreeangle,orwhenyoufeelyourlower back arch away from the floor.Be certain to keep your headandshouldersoffthefloorandyourlowerbackpressedintothemat.

Withyourcoretightandtucked,makeuseofyourabstoreturntotheinitialposition.

Repeatforoneminute.Keepyourabsengagedasyoudothismove,insteadofdependingongravity;ifitgetstoodifficult,thenkeepyourkneesbentasyoulowerdown.

This isnotasimpleabdominalmove,since it involves totalbodystrengthandcontrol.Thisexerciseshouldbedoneonlyafteryouhavewarmedup.Thekeyistoevadepushingoutyour stomachbyworkingyourdeepabsbypullingyournaveltoyourspine.Ifyoufindyourpostureweakening,keepyourkneesbent.

Formoreinformationwatch‘VSits’.

12.InAndOutSquatJumps

Squat jumps in and out increase lower body power and coordination. Themovementtargetsthequads,hamstrings,glutes,andcalves.

Standwithyour feet together,puttingyourhands in frontofyouonyourthighs.

Bendyourlegs,jump,andseparateyourfeetinmid-air.

Landwithfeetwiderthanshoulder-widthapart,loweringintoasquat.Jumpoutof the squatand landback in the initialposition,bringingyourfeettogetheronlanding.

Trainer’sTips:

Makesuretojumpashighaspossible.

Do not land with force. Use the balls of your feet to cushion theimpact.

Do not let your knees curve inward when jumping from the wider

posture.

Formoreinformationwatch‘InAndOutPowerSquatsTutorial’.

13.MountainClimbers

If you are fresh to mountain climbers do the knee to chest motion slow andsteady then build it up to a more rapid pace with practice. If you are moreadvancedtryplacingyourhandsonaraisedplatformsuchasastepasthiswillmakethemountainclimbermorechallenging.

Adoptapressuppositionsoyourhandsaredirectlyunderyourchestatshoulderwidthapartwithstretchedarms.

Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to yourankles.

Raiseyourrightfootoffthefloorandgraduallyelevateyourkneeasclosetoyourchestasyoucan.

Returntotheinitialpositionandrepeatwithyourleftleg.

Continueswitchingforthedesirednumberofrepsortime.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoMountainClimbersExercise’.

14.WideGripPullUps

Grip the pull-upbarwith your palms facing forwardmakinguse ofthewidegrip.Yourhandsneed tobespreadoutatadistancewiderthanyourshoulderwidth.

Asyouhavebotharmsstretchedinfrontofyouholdingthebaratthewidegripwidth,takeyourtorsobackaround30degreesorsowhileformingacurvatureonyourlowerbackandstickingyourchestout.Thisisyourbeginningposition.

Pullupyourtorsountilthebartouchesyourupperchestbydrawingtheshouldersandtheupperarmsdownandback.Breatheoutasyouperform this portion of the movement. Tip: Lay emphasis onsqueezing the back muscles once you attain the full contractedposition. The upper torso should remain motionless as it movesthroughspaceandonly thearmsshouldmove.The forearmsshoulddonoworkotherthanholdthebar.

After a second on the contracted position, start breathing out andslowlyloweryourtorsobacktothestartingpositionwhenyourarmsarecompletelyextendedandthelatsarefullystretched.

Variations:

Ifyouarenewtothisexerciseanddonothavetheabilitytoperformit,useachinsupportmachineifavailable.Thesemachinesuseweighttoaidyoupushyourbodyweight.

Orelse,aspotterholdingyourlegscanhelp.

Alternatively,moreimprovedlifterscanaddweighttotheexercisebyusingaweightbeltthatallowstheadditionofweightedplates.

Thebehindtheneckvariationisnotadvisedasitcanbehardontherotatorcuffasaresultof thehyperextensionformedbybringingthebarbehindtheneck.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowTo–WideGripPullUps’.

15.Crunches

The basic crunch is the perfect abdominal exercise in a strength-trainingprogram. Pay particular attention to your form when you do crunches,principallyifyouhavelower-backorneckproblems.

Layonyourbackwithyourkneesbentandfeetflatonthefloor,hip-widthapart.

Place your hands at the back of your head so that your thumbs arebehindyourears.

Don’tcordyourfingerstogether.

Holdyourelbowsouttothesidesbutroundedslightlyin.

Tilt your chin a little, allowinga few inchesof spacebetweenyourchinandyourchest.

Slightlypullyourabdominalsinward.

Curlupandforwardsothatyourhead,neck,andshoulderbladesareliftedoffthefloor.

Holdforamomentatthetopofthemovementandthenlowerslowlybackdown.

Tipsfordoingcrunches:

Keepyourabdominalspulledinsoyoufeelmoretautnessinyourabsandsoyoudon’toverarchyourlowerback.

Don’tpullonyourneckwithyourhandsordrawyourelbowsin.

Docurlaswellaslift.Inotherwords,don’ttugyourhead,neck,andshoulder blades off the floor: you also need to curl forward, as ifyou’redoublingover.Thinkofcarryingyourribstoyourpelvisandbreathe out as you crunch up; breathe in as you lower back down,keepingyournaveldrawnin.

Doslowandcontrolledcrunches,doing12reps.

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsAbsExercises’.

16.Lunge

Thelungeisacalisthenicsexercise(donewithoutweights)aimingatthegluts,quads, and hamstrings. Lunges will enhance definition to your legs whencorrectlydone,butwhenyouperformthemwronglytheycaninjureyourjoints.Rightformmakesanycalisthenicsexerciseefficientandsometimeschallenging,butitshouldnotcauseanypainorneedlessstressonyourjoints.

HowtoPerformaTraditionalBasicFullLunge:

Startbystandingwithfeetshoulder-widthapartandthenstepforward(oneitherleg).

First stepwithyourheel in order to support yourbody-weight.Thefootshouldpointforward.

Whenthefrontfootreachesadesireddistanceinfrontofyou,beginto“genuflect”thebackknee.

Thispromptsthefrontkneetobendandyourbackfootwillbeonitstoes.Take iteasyasyoumayneed tostabilizeyourselfwhilegoingdown.

Continue“genuflecting”until thebackkneeisinchesoffthegroundandthefrontkneeisat90degreesanddirectlyabovethetoes.Donotgoanyextrathan90degreesforthefrontleg.

Raiseyourselfbacktotheoriginalpositionusingbothlegsandrepeattheexercisefortheoppositeleg.

BemindfulthatyourbackandneckMUSTremainstraightandperpendiculartothegroundthroughoutthewholeexercise.Thearmsmaybeplacedatthesides,ornexttothehead,orheldstraightouttothesidesasanisometricexercisesolongasitdoesnothinderanyoftheformabove.

VariousFormsofLunges:

Thereareseveralformslungesforbothbeginnersandregularathletes.Wewillattempt to name the most popular and effective ones. Here are some starterlungeswhicharealsorelaxedontheknees:

Assisted Lunge - With the use of a chair to help you perform atraditional full lunge.You can also use awall or anything thatwillhelpyoukeepstable.Layemphasisonyourformandtechniquewiththis.

Half-Lunge -Adopt the same formand techniqueas the traditionallungebutyoudonotgoall thewaydownwithyourbackknee.Gohalfway!Liketheaidedlunge,usethistofocusonproperlungeform.

Attempt all the lunges above to get comfortable with the motion, form, andtechniqueofalungebeforeexecutingafulllunge.

VariousFull-Lunges:

LongLunge-Increasethespacebetweenyourfeet.Thisfocusesonthe gluts. However, remember to not go any extra than 90 degreeswiththatfrontleg!Youmaynotnoticeyou’refrontleggoingbeyond90degreessodon’tforget!

ShortLunge-Decreasespacebetweenyourfeet.Thisfocusesonthequadriceps.With thisexercise,youmayhaveaninclinationtobringthefrontkneetoofaroverthefronttoes,butdon’t!

ReverseLunge -Sameprinciples as traditionalbasic full lungebutyoustarttheexercisebysteppingbackwardswithaleg.

WalkingLunge -Sameprinciple as traditionalbasic lungebutyoucontinuetostepforwardeachtimeyoubringthefrontfootforward.

StraightLegLunge -Thiswillseemconversant tothoseinPilates.Stepforwardwithafootwithoutbendingthefrontkneemorethan90degrees, your back legwill stay totally straightwithout bending thekneetotheground.Yourbackwillbestraightenedwiththebackleg-implyingyouwillbeleaningforward.Youcanplaceyourarmsonthefloorforstabilityaslongasitdoesnotdisrupttheform.

ElevatedFrontFootLunge-Sameprocedureandskillastraditionallunge but the front foot is placed on a raised surface. It may seemsimplerthananormallunge,butit isabitmorechallenging.Thisisbestperformedonstairwaysorsteps. It issometimesreferredas theSplit-SquatLunge.Itistypicallydonewithoutalternatingthelegsforasetofreps.

ElevatedBackFootLunge-Thinkthereverseoftheelevatedfrontfoot lunge. Take note thatwith this exercise, since the back foot israised,clearly,thebackkneemaynotbecapableofgoingallthewaydowntoinchesoffthefloor.Don’tgotoofardown!Also,recallthefront foot does not bend more than 90 degrees! Also known as aReverseSplit-SquatLunge.

SlidingLunge-Youwillbe“sliding”yourfoottodoareverselungeinplaceoftakingastepback.Useatowelorpieceofcardboardetc.tocarryoutthisexercise.

Thereareseveralothertypesoflungesbutthesewillcertainlygiveyouagoodsolid workout. Keep in mind that form and technique are crucial with thiscalisthenicsexercise!

CommonmistakeswithLunges:

Twistingyourfrontknee“more”than90degrees–Don’t!Yourkneeshouldnotbeatanyacuteanglesmallerthan90degrees.Thisleadstoalotofstressonyourkneejoint.90degreesshouldbethemaximum

angleofyourfrontleg.

Frontkneespreadsoverthetoesofthesameleg–Thisgoestogetherwiththeaboveproblem.Yourfrontkneeshouldonlygodirectlyoveryourtoesatthebottomoftheexercise.

Backkneeshouldnotpointanywhereexceptstraightdown.Itmaybetough to stabilize yourself, but this is very significant so you don’tinjureyourknee.Ifyoumust,doassistedlungestowarmuporstartoutsoyoudon’tinjureyourself.

Leaning forward or bowing when stepping forward – You need tokeepyourbackverticaltothegroundforproperformthroughouttheexercise!(unlessnotedotherwise).

Lockingkneesatthetopoftheexercise(startposition)–theyshouldbe ever-so-slightly bent to keep the all the muscles in the workoutinvolvedthroughoutyourset.

Looking down – No! Look straight forward and keep your wholeneckdowntoyourthighsstraight.

Starting a lungewith your feet too close or toowide.Your perfectpositionwouldbeaboutshoulderwidthapart.

Back knee should be 1-2 inches off the groundwhen performing acorrectfulllunge(unlessnotedotherwise).

Don’tbestartledifyou’reglutsandquadsaresorethenextday!That’sagoodsign.YouwillfrequentlyseemorevariationsoflungesinPilatesorYogasobesuretodothemcorrectlysoyoudon’thurtyourself.Lungesareoneofthebestcalisthenicsexercisesforyour lowerbodysomakesureyou include themintoyourworkoutregime.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoLungesForCalisthenicsExercises’.

17.CalfRaises

The calves are made up of many muscles, but the two main workhorsesbodybuilders are concerned with are the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Thegastrocnemiusreceivesmorestimulationwiththekneesspreadout(standingcalfraise)andthesoleuswiththekneesbent(seatedcalfraise).Thatsaid,thesoleusstill receivessomestimulationduringacalfelevationevenwhenthekneesareextended.

Thesoleushasabetterslow-twitch(ST)musclefibrecomposition–upto88%,oneofthetopSTcompositionsinthehumanbody-andthus,morerepsshouldbeperformed.Most traditional calf training routines, however, fail togenerateadequatevolumeforthis“endurance”muscle.

Thisistoobad,asasignificantamountofvolumeatadecentforcecanresultinhypertrophy.Liftingasubstantial load, likeyourwholebodyweight,everyday

forahighnumberofrepswilldefinitelyputonmuscle.

Sinceyou’re notmakinguse of huge loads, this training canbe accomplishedeveryday,andit’stheregularitythatcoaxesyourbodytoadaptquickly.You’llbesoreatfirst,butitwon’tbethatbad.

Correct form is very important. Place your feet about shoulder-width apartand toes turned slightly out. Emphasize on raising the heels straight up as ifthey’repuppetstringsbeingpulledupbyGodhimself.

Ensurethatyoucontracthardatthetop-visualizeadoublebicepspose,butforthefactthatyou’resqueezingthehelloutofyourcalves.Don’tgrasponawallormachine for support. The idea is not to unload in anymanner, aswewantthosesmallstabilizerstogrowaswell.Justkeepyourarmsatyoursidesoryourhandsonyourhips.

Youmustbebarefooted(noshoes).Makesuretoelevateyourheelsashighaspossible, and mete out your weight evenly over all your toes. Hold the top,contractedpositionforafull2seconds.Itmustbeacertainstopatthetop,andyoumustfeelapeakcontractioninthecalves.

Following,controlthelowering-don’tjustdroplikeabomb!Ifyoufailtodothesetwostepscorrectly,therepisnotsignificant.It’sthateasy.Theremustbequality repetitions to optimally profit from this type of training. The primemuscleswillgethit,butsowillallthoselittlestabilizers,andinthelongrun,itwillmakeabigchangeintheoveralldevelopmentofyourcalves.

Formoreinformationwatch‘Howtobuildstrongcalves’.

18.WallSit

Thewallsitisacalisthenicsexercisethatmainlytargetsthequadsandtoalesserextentalsotargetsthecalves,gluteus,andhamstrings.

Theonlywallsitapparatusthatyoureallyneedisthewall.However,therearemanydifferentwallsitvariationsthatyoucanattemptthatmayrequirealternatetypesofwallsitequipmentormayevenrequirenoequipmentatall.

Thewallsitisanexerciseforthosewithanin-betweenlevelofphysicalfitnessandexerciseskill.

Step1:Standwithyourbackflatagainst thewallandyourfeetabout1-2feetawayfromthewall.

Step2:Placeyourarmsatyoursidesoracrossyourchest.

Step3:Bendatthekneesandloweryourselfuntilyourthighsareparalleltotheground.

Step4:Holdthispositionforthechosentime.

Tips:

Yourkneesshouldproducea90degreeanglebetweenyourupperandlowerleg.

Keepyourhandsatyoursideoracrossyourchest.Donotplacethemonyourknees.

Keepyourcoreandbacktensethroughoutthemovement.

Variations:

Placeyourfeetonabosuballanddothewallsit.

Place thebosuballbetweenyourbackand thewallwhendoing thewallsit.

Placeaweightplateonyourthighstointensifythedifficulty.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToWallSit’.

19.JumpingJacks

Thiscalisthenicsexerciseistoacertainextentplyometricinnatureasitrequiresoneto“jump,”orhopslightly,tothesidewithyourlegswhileraisingthearmsup.

Startbystandingwithyourfeetclosetogether,armsatyoursides,andlookingstraightforward.

Startbybendingyourkneesa littleandmakinguseof theballsandtoes of your feet, jump/hop outwardswith your legs landing to thesides-rightleggoesright,leftleggoesleftinauniformmotion.Gooutasfarasyouareateasewithyourlegs,butusuallytheexerciseisdonewithyourlegsgoingwiderthanshoulderwidth.

Withregardtoyourarms,asyoubeginjumping/hopping,raiseyourarms to thesidesandproceedupwards toperforma full180degreemotion.Whenyourarmsreach180degrees,yourhandsshouldclapat

thetopwhileyourfeethavejustfinishedthejump/hoptothesides.

Bend your knees and push off the balls and toes of your feet tojump/hopbacktotheoriginalposition.

Yourarmswillreturndowntothesideofyourbodyasyougetbacktotheoriginalposition.

Rinseandrepeat!

That’sit!

Variousformsofthejumpingjack:

Plank Jumping Jacks –This is not donewhile standing butwhileadopting a push up position. Your shoulders should be over yourwristsforgoodstabilityandbalanceforthisexercise.Yourfeetstarttogetherandyoujump/hopouttothesideswithyourlegsfurtherthanshoulderwidth.Landontheballsandtoesofyourfeet.Hopbacktooriginalposition.Involveyourabsforaddedeffect!Donotlockyourkneesorelbowswhileperformingthisworkout.

PowerJumpingJacks–Thisisamoretensejumpingjackthatwillentailmuchmoreathleticism.Itisusuallypracticedforspeedtrainingand muscle strength. Adopting most of the steps of a traditionaljumpingjack,theexceptionisthatitisdoneallintheairandyoudonot landonyour feetonceyou jump/hopout to the sides.Youmaybendyourkneesalittlefurtherwiththepowerjumpingjackthanthetraditional jumping jack so that once you are airborne, you spreadyourlegstothesideandbringthembacktotheoriginalpositionveryrapidly – all in the air. You extend your back and spinesimultaneously as you lift yourself into the air – also clappingyourhands at the end180degreemotionof your arms.Landon theballandtoesofyourfeettogetherandarmstotheside.

Commonmistakeswithjumpingjacks:

Locking the knees -Don’t!Knees should be bent just a littlewhileperformingtheexerciseinitsentirety.

Avoidroundingthebackandpoppingthekneesout.

Breathing-while jumpingupexhale,whilecomingback tooriginalpositioninhale.

Lookforward!

Youcangoasfastasyouwant!Justrecallform!

Jumpingjackshavealwaysbeenaneffectivecalisthenicsexercisereasonwhyitisalsostillusedinthemilitary!

For more information watch ‘Calisthenics Exercises How To Do JumpingJacks’.

20.JackKnife

Layflaton thefloor (orworkoutmat)onyourbackwithyourarmsstretched straight back behind your head and your legs extended aswell.Thiswillbeyourstartingposition.

Asyoubreatheout,bendatthewaistwhileraisingyourlegsandarmsatthesametimetomeetinajack-knifeposition.Tip:Thelegsshouldbe extended and raised at approximately a 35-45degree angle fromthe floorand thearmsshouldbeextendedandparallel toyour legs.Theuppertorsoshouldbeoffthefloor.

While breathing in, lower your arms and legs back to the startingposition.

Repeatforthesuggestednumberofrepetitions.

Variation:Ifyouarereallyadvancedyoucouldmakeuseofamedicineballforadditionalresistance.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoAJackKnife’.

21.Curls

Bicep curls can be done with or without weights based on your choice. Anyheavyobject that aids inproviding resistance canbeused as aweight for thispurpose.Resistance bands can also offer the necessary tension to increase thetoughnessofthisexercise.

Placeyour armsdownatyour sides, thencurl themup towardyou,bendingyourarmattheelbows.

Lowerthearmbacktothestartingpositionandrepeatasrequired.

Timeyourbreathing,breathinginwhenyouliftandbreathingoutasyouloweryourarmforbetterresults.

Formoreinformationwatch‘BodyweightBicepsWorkout’.

22.TuckJump

Thetuckjumpisaplyometricsandcalisthenicsworkoutthatprimarilyaimsatthequadsandtoalesserextentalsotargetsthecalves,gluteus,andhamstrings.

Step1:Standon flat surface that is softened (to lessen thewearonyourlegsandknees).Feetabouthip-widthapart.

Step2:Start theexercisebygettingdownintoahalfsquatpositionand explodingoff the groundwhile bringingyour knees as close toyour chest as possible. Swing arms upward as you blast off theground.

Step3:Attemptlandingsoftlyontheballsofyourfeetwithabendinyour knees and then explode back up straight away. Repeat this asmanytimesasprescribed.

Tips:

Besuretoexhaleasyouexplodeoffthegroundandinhaleonthewaydown.Itisimperativethatyourtakequickdeepbreathsduringthisexercise.

Trytolandontheballsofyourfeetandassoftlyaspossible.

Swingarmsupasyoujumptogiveyourselfmomentum.

Variations:

Performboxjumps.Setaboxabout6-inchesinfrontofyouandjumpuponthebox,landingonbothfeet.

Performwith one leg.However, landwith both feet on the ground,notone.

Wearaweightedvest.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoATuckJump’.

23.BearCrawl

Stance:Handsandtoesshouldtouchtheground,andhipsintheair.

Moveonelegandtheoppositearmforward.

Alternatebymovingyourotherlegandoppositearmforward.

Keepyourhipshighandbackflat.

Variation: Practice by just taking a step or two at a time, slowly adding anadditionalstepasthemovementbecomeseasier.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToBearCrawl’.

24.StepUp

Thissimple,butveryeffectiveexerciseisbestwhendonecorrectly.

The Step-Up for the legs is a great workout for leg development, single legtraining, improving proprioception, and enhancing first step acceleration forathletes.Essentially,itisrepeatingtheupphaseofasquatordeadliftbutonjustone leg. Single leg training can be very advantageous for the prevention ofinjuriesandasymmetrybetweenthetwolegs.Fornumerousindividualsthiscanbe listed as a basic workout for them. Unfortunately, it is done wrong manytimesorwithtooheavyofweightandlackofemphasis.

Step-UpTips:

Find a plyo box or steady surface that you can stand safely on andwhenyouhaveonefootonit,theheightmakesa90degreeangleintheknee.

You will stand in an erect postured position with the mid-sectioncontractedforgoodbalance.

Ifyouareholdingweightsinyourhands(suchasdumbbellsorkettlebells) slightly pull back your shoulders (scapular retraction-pull theshoulderbladestogetherintheupperback).

Whenholdingweightinyourhands,squeezehardyourgraspasthiswillhelpretaingoodpostureandlimitanypotentialformomentum.

Withonefootplacedtotallyonthebox,pressallyourweightintotheheelofthatfoot.

Asyoucomeupbecertain tomaintainanuprightpostureandkeepyourkneebackbehindyourtoesallthroughthemovement.

Standupon that footuntil the leg is straight.Simultaneously, drivetheotherkneeupinahighkneepositionsothatthekneeisabovethehip.

Maintaincontrolandstabilityandeitherbringyour legdown to thebox or bring back the non-weight bearing foot back down to theground.

You can repeat on the same leg for the recommended reps or untilformbreaksdown.Youcouldalsogointoswitchingrepsbybringingtheweightbearinglegdownandthenstep-upwiththeotherleg.

Thisisgreatforseveralpeopleasastandalonebodyweightworkoutbeforeanyadditional weight. A weighted vest also works great. For more variation anddifficultyuse abarbell across theupperback in aback squat position.This isadvanced and should only be donewhen you havemastered the step-upwithdumbbells.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoAStepUpCorrectly’.

25.DonkeyKick

Thedonkeykick trainsyour lowerback,core, legsandbottom.Witheach liftyouaretoningall3bottommuscleswhichmakesthisexerciseagreatsubstitutetothesquat.

Noequipmentrequiredforthedonkeykickjustsomefloorspaceandmaybeamatforyourknees.Itworksyourgluteusmaximus,rectusabdominis,latissimusdorsi.

Variations:

If you are not at easewith being on all fours then you can do thisstanding.

Placebothhandsonthewallinfrontofyouandonelegbackandupas before, keeping the knee bent, lower and repeat on the oppositeside.

DoingtheDonkeyKick:

Positiononallfourssothatyourhandsareshoulderwidthapartandyourkneesarestraightbelowyourhips.

Bracingyourabdominalsandkeepingyourkneebentraiseonelegupbehindyouuntilitisinlinewithyourbodyandyourfootisparallel

totheceiling.

Lowerbackdown to the initialpositionand replicatewith theotherleg.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoDonkeyKickExercise’.

26.AustralianChinUps

This variation on the chin up comprises hanging below a bar that is set justabove waist height while your heels touch the ground. You’ll wind up at ananglethat’sclosertohorizontalthanvertical.

It puts slightlymore focus on the rear delts and themuscles of yourmiddle-back; muscles that may not be getting totally and thoroughly worked withregularpull-upsonly.Forthosewhoaremoreadvanced,tryperformingthemasa superset right after a set of regular pull-ups. This is a great way to worktowardsincreasingmorerepstoyourpull-uptotal!

TheAustralianpull-upcanbeperformedonanybarthatisaboutwaistheightaslongasitisfirmlyinplace.TheSmithmachineisgreatforthisexercisesinceitisabletoberegulated(thehigherthebarthesimpleritwillbe-sostarthighifyou’refirstlearning)andsafe.Youcangetimaginativewithfindingcoolplacestopracticetheseandalltypesofpull-ups,juststayawareofyoursafety.

TrainerTip:

Thehigher up the bar, the better the leverage.Definitely, this is only true upuntilacertainpoint-oncethebaristoohigh,thenyou’rejustdoinganordinarypull-up!

UsingtheAustralianinaSuperset:

TheAustralianpull-upisagreatworkouttouseasasupersetwithpush-ups,astheytrainoppositemusclegroups.Youwillgetagreatdrivefromdoingthisanditalsoallowsyoutokeepyourheartrateup.Duetothefactthatyou’relettingcertain muscles to rest while you are using others, you can maintain thatincreasedheartratewithoutburningoutyourmusclestoorapidly.

TheAustralianpull-upcanalsobeusedasasupersetafterthenormalkindifyouaretryingtoaddyourrepsonpull-ups.

PlyometricAustralianPull-up:

You can transform the Australian pull-up into a plyometric exercise byalternatingbetweenoverhandandunderhandgripsonalternatingreps.Youcanalso changeback and forth fromawidegrip to a narrowgrip in an explosivefashiontomixupthisworkoutwithaplyometricspin.

TheOneArmAustralianPull-up:

An Australian can definitely be done with just one arm. This is anothertechnique to practice while building towards one arm pull-ups. The one armAustralian pull-up requires a ton of core strength and stability like any singlelimbmovement.Youcanaddanextrachallengebytryingitononelegalso!

Formoreinformationwatch‘AustralianChinUps’.

27.L-Sit

TheL-sitisaclassicisometricworkoutthatworksyourwholebody,focusingontheabdominalmuscles.TobeabletoperformanL-sit,you’llneedastrongcore,strongarmsandbetterthanaverageflexibilityinyourhamstrings.

It’sadvisedtolearntheL-sitbypracticingonparallelbarsorpush-upbars(eventhoughyoucanpracticethismovewithnoequipment).

Ifyouhavebars,startbyholdingyourselfupright,likeyouwouldatthetopofaparallelbardip.Thenstartraisingyourlegsstraightoutinfrontofyouuntiltheyare parallel to the ground.Your bodywillwindup looking like the letter “L”(hence“L-sit”).Ifyoucan’tgettothispositionimmediately,practicewithyourkneesbenttoworkyourwayuptothefullposition.

Workoutssuchasplanksandsideplanksarealsoagreatway tohelpdevelopcorestrength.WerecommendpracticingthemalongsideorasaprecursortotheL-sit. If your abs are strong andyou’re still havingdifficulties doing anL-sit,tighthamstringsmightbewhatisstoppingyou.Aregularstretchingregimencanprogressivelyloosenyourhamstrings,butitwillentailpatienceanddiligence.

If you don’t have bars or handles, you can attemptworking yourL-sit on theground.Keepinmindthatthisismoredifficultduetothefactthatyouhavelessfreedomtoliftintothehold.

Startwithyourpalmsflatortrybracingyourselfuponyourfingertips.OnceyoucanholdafullL-sitfor30seconds,youarepreparedtoadvancetotoughercoreexerciseslikefrontlevers,backleversandtheinfamoushumanflag.

MusclesUsed:TheL-sit isan isometricexercise,which implies it strengthensyourbodyeventhoughyou’renotmoving.TheL-sitworksavarietyofmusclesthroughoutyourbodybuttargetsyourabs,arms–particularlyyourtriceps–andhipflexors.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoAnLSit’.

28.RussianTwist

This exercise trains your oblique while most core exercises just work yourmidsection(abdominals)italsostrengthensyourbackwhichinturnhelpswithkeepinggoodposture.NoequipmentisneededfortheRussiantwistunlessyouwanttoaddaweightsotheycanbedonecheaplyandanywherethereisabitofspace.

Laydownon the floorputtingyour feeteitherundersomething thatwillnotmoveorbyhavingsomeoneholdthem.Yourlegsshouldbebentattheknees.

RaiseyourupperbodysothatitproducesanimaginaryV-shapewithyourthighs.Yourarmsshouldbecompletelyextendedinfrontofyouperpendicular to your torso andwith the hands clasped. This is thestartingposition.

Curlyourtorsototherightsideuntilyourarmsareparallelwiththefloorwhileexhaling.

Hold the tightening for a second and move back to the starting

position while exhaling. Now move to the opposite side doing thesametechniquesyouusedtotherightside.

Replicatefortherecommendednumberofrepetitions.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoARussianTwist’.

29.Bicycle

Youcandonormalcrunchesalldaylong,butthatgetsreallyboringforyouandyourabs.Agreatwaytotargettherectusabdominisandtheobliqueinoneeasyexerciseisthroughbicyclecrunches.Six-pack,hereyoucome!

Layflatonthefloorwithyourlowerbackpressedtotheground(pullyourbellybuttonintotargetyourdeepabsaswell).

Put your hands at the back your head, then bring your knees intowardsyourchestandraiseyourshoulderbladesofftheground,butbesurenottopullonyourneck.

Stretch out your right leg to about a 45-degree angle to the groundwhile turningyourupperbody to the left,bringingyour rightelbow

towards the leftknee.Makesureyour ribcage is inmotionandnotjustyourelbows.

Nowswapsidesanddothesamemotionontheothersidetocompleteonerep.

Speed isnot thenameof thegamehere:gogently toemphasizeonyourformandyourrespiration. It isunnecessary lettingyourelbowstouchyourkneesasthiscouldcausestraininyourneck.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoBicyclesForCalisthenicsExercise’.

30.ReverseCrunch

The reverse crunch is a simple core strengthening exercise that also increasesstabilitythroughoutthelowerback,hipsandspine.Bystartingthemovementinyour lowerbodyandbringingyourknees toyourchest,youprotectyourbackandcreateagreaterrangeofmotion,whichcanhelpputmoretensiononyourabdominalmuscles.

Laydownonthefloorwithyourlegsfullyextendedandarmstothesideofyour torsowith thepalmson thefloor.Yourarmsshouldbemotionlessfortheentireexercise.

Moveyourlegsupsothatyourthighsareperpendicular tothefloorand feet are together and parallel to the floor. This is the startingposition.

Whilebreathingin,moveyourlegstowardsthetorsoasyourollyourpelvisbackwardsandyouelevateyourhipsoffthefloor.Yourkneeswillbetouchingyourchestattheendofthismovement.

Hold the contraction for a second and move your legs back to thestartingpositionwhilebreathingout.

Repeatfortherecommendednumberofrepetitions.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoReverseCrunches’.

Nowyouhaveseen–andhopefullypracticed–asetofthebeginnerexercisesusedincalisthenicsworkouts, it’s timetolookat themorecomplexmovesforintermediateandexpertmoves.

Thereareafewonlineresourcesthatcanalsohelpyouwithgettingstartedthatyoumightwishtocheckoutatthisstage:FitBodyBuzz,BaristiWorkoutandCalisthenicsDailytonamejustafew.

Formoreinformationwatch‘Top30CalisthenicsExercises’.

CHOOSINGTHEBESTEXERCISEPLANFORYOU

Sohowdogoaboutpickingtherightexercisestoproducethebestresults?Thisis of course very personalized to you and your goals.What works for some,won’t suit another. Also, if you wish to lose weight, you aren’t going to beworking out the same as someone who wants to gain muscle. Workoutsincorporatingtheseexercisesarelookedatlaterinthisbook.

Thatbeingsaid,Bodybuilding.comhasrunacampaign,togetitsreaderstovoteontheirall-timefavouritecalisthenicsexercises–theonesthattheyfeltproducethebestresults,andhereiswhattheydiscoveredpeoplepreferred:

Pushups

Dips

Chinups

Squats

Lunges

Crunches

CalfRaises

Formoreinformationwatch‘BestBodyweightExercises’.

QUALITYVSQUANTITY

Thereisoftenadebateaboutexercise–whetherqualityorquantityisbetter.Asyouhaveprobablyguessedbynow,calisthenicsdefinitelyworksonthequalityside of things and there has been awhole lot of scientific research to supportthis,asshownbyFitnessByDr.Mercola:

Endorsedexerciserulestypicallybasetheirrecommendationsonthenumberofminutesorhoursyoushouldworkout.Butthelatestresearchsuggeststhisisanarchaicapproach.

Theefficiencyofyourfitnessprogramisn’tmeasuredbyhowlongyouexercise.It’smeasuredbythequalityofyourexercise. Inaccordancetoanout-of-datefitnessdoctrine,apersonwhojogsfor60minuteswouldbytheorybegettinga“better”workout than someonewhodoes a20-minuteworkout…but this is awrongover-generalization.

Researchnowdemonstratesthatsomeofthebestworkoutslastonly20minutes(or less), and that by including multi-dimensional movement, high-intensityexercise,recovery,andmoreintoyourroutine,youcangetasuperiorworkoutinafractionofthetime.

In fact, you can see by his research, calisthenics (or functional exercise) isactually the bestway towork out.He has conducted numerous studies on thesubject, including onewith divided overweight or obese individuals into threegroups.Thesegroups thenwent on to consume60gramsof proteinpowder aday.Onegroupremainedsedentary;onetookpartonintenseresistancetrainingandtheothermixedcardiowithstrengthtraining.

The final group, which used themost diverse range of exercises, showed themostimprovementtotheirweight.Theylostthemostweight(2.6percent)andfatmass (6.6percent)whilegaining the leanest bodymass (twopercent).Theothergroupsdidseeadifferencebutnowherenearassignificant.

The conclusion that Dr. Mercola drew from this is that functional exercises,whichhelpthebodyperformreallifeactivities,weretheonesthathadthemostimpact.Averyimportantlessonthatcalisthenicsathletestakeonboard.

Dr.Mercola’sstudiesalsogoontomakethefollowing,veryimportant,points:

Exercisingfortoolongcanactuallybackfire–Longperiodsofhighenduranceexercisecanputunnecessarystressonyourbodyandyourheart.

Increasingintensitysavestime–Itisalsomuchmoreeffective,asthelongerrecoverytimeallowsforgrowth.

Properrecoveryiscrucial–Youstressyourbodyoutwithexercise,soithastobereiteratedjusthowvitalrecoveryandresttimeis.Yourbodywillgiveyouclues intohow it’s feeling, andwhen it’s tellingyoutorest–listentoit.

Formoreinformationwatch‘Dr.Mercola’sVideo’.

4LITTLEKNOWNEXERCISETECHNIQUES

There are a few techniques that you’ll want to apply to your calisthenicsexercises to ensure that you’re getting the best quality out of them. Theseinclude:

Breathing

Gettingyourbreathrightwhilstperformingtheseexercisesisveryimportant.

When performing any exercise, there will bemuscles that do the bulk of thework, and ones that support this movement. Nomatter what it is that you’redoing,yourbreathisalwaysimportant,soit’sabsolutelyessentialthatyougetitright.

Thefollowingbulletpointsgiveyouexamplesofhowyoucanimprovethewayyoubreathe,alsoimprovingthewayyouexercise:

BellyBreathing–Yourdiaphragmisthepowerfulmuscleinsideyourbody that controls yourbreath.Proper activationof yourdiaphragmdrawsthebreathdeepfromwithinyourstomach,notyourchest.Topractice belly breathing, stand upright and place a hand on your

stomach. As you take a deep breath, expand your abdomen so thatyou can feel it.With enoughpractice, you’ll be able to take a deepbreathwithoutyourshouldersmoving.

Static Electricity –Once you havemastered belly breathing, you’llwant to train yourself to exhalewhile deeply contracting your corefromtheinside.Thisisalltodowithyourthroat.Thereisanopeninginthere,calledtheglottis.Thispreventsairfromexitingyourlungs,andcanbeusedtoseepairoutasnecessary.Dothis,whilsttighteningyour abdomen. In fact, the best way to practice this is whilstperformingstaticexercises.

Waiting toExhale –The valsalvamanoeuvre is often used to helpwithbodyweight exercises, andconsistsofusingyourdiaphragm tocreateabubbleofairinyourbelly,whichstabilizesthetrunkduringheavylifting.Justbecareful,aswaitingtoexhalecancausefaintingifnotdonecorrectly.

Tryingoutallofthesetechniquescanhelpyoubuildupyourbody’sstrength.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HandstandBreathingTutorial’.

Speed

Thespeedyouperformyourexerciseswillincreaseasyoudevelop.Youneedtobesurethatyouarepushingyourselftotheabsolutemaximuminthe20minutesexercisetime(orwhatevertimeyouhavepersonallyset)sotheyouneedtosettherightspeedforyou,whilstallowingyourselftoperformtheexercisefullytogetthemostoutofit.

As calisthenics is a high intensity exercise, you may wish to examine speedreps.

Speed training is comparable toplyometric training in that themovements aredonefastandexplosively.However,unlikeplyometric,youdonotgetairbornewhenyoudospeedreps.Infact,whenperformingspeedrepsonworkoutslikepull-ups and dips that involve gripping a bar, it is recommended holding ontightly!

Inaddition,itcanhelptothinkaboutdoingthenegativeportionoftherepasfastas possible, which will involve the antagonist muscles. This implies if I amdoingspeedpull-ups,Iwillthinkaboutpushingmyselfdownawayfromthebaratthetopofeachrep.

Beforetryingspeedrepsofanyexercise,besurethatyoucanfirstperformtheexerciseatanormaltempowithproperform.It’salsoagoodideatowarmupthoroughlybeforethistypeoftraining.

The main point to take from this is that getting the movement right, beforeworkingonthespeedthatyouperformthem,isutterlyessential.

Formoreinformationwatch‘SpeedReps’.

Movements

Getting the right movements is very important to calisthenics. The Exercisesguideinthisbookhasgivenyoustep-by-stepinstructionsonsomeofthemostcommonexercisesyouwillpartakein.

CalisthenicsMovementalsohasalotofgreatadviceforyou,whateverlevelofexpertiseyouare!

Formoreinformationwatch‘CalisthenicsMovementVideos’.

Focus

Focus can be considered to be the most essential principle for skillaccomplishment. Focus can also be one of the trickiest to implement. Forsimplerimplementation,focuscouldbecategorizedinto3distinctcategories:

1. ShortTermFocus–Remain100%focusedonthemovementsasyouperformthem.Don’tletyourmindwanderoffsomewhereelse.This also counts for in between workout, as you’ll want to bementallypreparedatalltimes.

2. MidtermFocus-Keepworkingtowardsasingleplanforabout3months.Thatway it’ll beverydifficult foryour focus to trail offsomewhereelse.It’slongenoughtobeagoal,butshortenoughnottogiveyoutimetogetdisheartened.

3. LongTermFocus–Yourendgoalneeds tobe inyourmindallthetime.Ifitisn’talwaysthere,buggingyou,you’llneverachievewhatitisthatyouwant.

Gettingridofdistractionsisagreatwaytokeepyoufocused.Therewillalwaysbe thingspoppingup,andgetting in theway.Itmightbeadvisable tocreatea‘WhatNotToDo’list,toensurethatyouknowexactlywhatmightcropup.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToStayFocusedWithShortExercise’.

MAINTAININGYOURPHYSIQUE

Onceyouhavedevelopedthephysiqueyouwantviacalisthenics,youwillwanttomaintainit.Thereisnopointinworkingsohardtogetwhatyoudesire,justtoloseitandhavetobeginalloveragain!

There have been some studies which suggest that keeping up some level ofexercise–evenonedayaweek–canhelpyoukeepupyourfitnesslevelsandmaintain your physique. As long as you are performing quality exercisescorrectly during that time, you will be fine. So it may be worth consideringcalisthenicsasalifestylechange,ratherthansimplyanotherexerciseplan!

Eatingabalanceddietwillalsocontributetothis,whichiswhythisbookhasanentireguideforyoureatinginalaterchapter.

Formoreinformationwatch‘MaintainingYourPhysique’.

MOVINGUPALEVEL

Onceyou’vemastered thebeginnercalisthenicsmoves, therewillcomea timethatyouwanttopushyourselfandtryharderthings.Thisisn’tsomethingtotakelightly;therearealotoffactorstoconsider.

PrinciplesofProgression

There are threemain principles of progression that you need to understand tomove forward. These are Deconstruction, Progressive Resistance andConsistency.Wewilllookattheseinmoredetail.

Deconstruction:

Deconstructionisoneofthemostimportantprinciplesofprogression.Itfocusesonexploringthecalisthenicsmove,thatyou’veperformed,fromstarttofinish,andseeingwhatyoucanlearnfromthat.

Aneasywaytodothisistogetsomeonetotakeaphotographofyouperformingamove,andcriticallyexaminingit.Beasattentiveaspossible.Eventhesmallestdetail canmakeabigdifference.Notewhatyouhavegottenexactly rightandwhatyouneedtoworkon.Perfectionistheendaim.

A great example of this, can be seen with this image of a planche. Todeconstructit,gofromthetoetotheheadandmakenotes:

1. Hisfeetarepointingawaywithtoes.

2. Hisbodyisinaperfectlystraightline,whichisvitalforthismove.

3. Hisshouldersarepushedallthewaytothefront.

4. Hisarmsarestraight,withhiselbowslocked.Thisisthebestwaytoperformthismove.

5. His fingers are pointed forward,whichmeans that he is standingmore on his fingers rather than on the full palm. They are alsoplacedrightunderhiscentreofgravity.

6. Helooksforwardasheperformstheplanche.

Thesearethekindofnotesthatyouneedtobemakingforyourdeconstruction.

ProgressiveResistance:

Progressive resistance is breaking down the difficult task ahead (for example,improving a move, or moving up a level) into severable manageable tasks.Sequencetheseinanorderthatmakessensetoyou–maybeeasiesttohardest.

Afteryouhavedeconstructedyourphotograph,andworkedoutwhatyouneedtodonext,thepartsthatyouneedtoworkon,andfigureoutexactlyhowyou’regoing to do that. You will also want to set a timeline ofwhen you want toachievethis.Ofcourse,asyou’retryingtoimprove,youwillgetintoacycleofdeconstructionandprogressiveresistance,untilyougetitright.

Consistency:

You will need to work at calisthenics moves consistently to get them right.Without the right amount of dedication, you’re setting yourself up for failure.Patiencewillworkalongsidethisconsistencyasnoteverythingwillbeeasy,allofthetime.

MethodsofProgressinginBodyweightExercises

Herearesomeotherveryusefultipsinprogressionwithcalisthenics:

Increaserangeofmotion–Whenamovestartstobecomeeasyforyou,changethewaythatyoudoit,tomakeitdifficultforyou–whensomethingdoesn’tchallengeyouanymore,chancesareitisn’tdoingalotforyou.

Addweight– Ifyoustruggle toadd time toamove,addweight tomakeitmoretaxing.

Change body position – If you can perform amove easily on thefloor,tryincludingobstacles.Doitoffthecouchorthewall,orfindsomethingthatworksforyou.

Combining difficult and easier exercises – If you’re struggling togettowhereyouwanttobe,rightaway,trymixingthehardwiththeeasy. You’ll progress without getting frustrated or causing yourselfanydamage.

Formoreinformationwatch‘ProgressiveCalisthenics’.

10INTERMEDIATEEXERCISES

Hereisaselectionofintermediatelevelexercisesforyoutotry(whenthetimeisrightforyou).1.DiamondPushUps

Thediamondpushupisanadvancedprogressionofthestandardpushupwhichincreasesthedemandsonthetricepsandshoulders.

Assume the standard push up position with your hands togetherdirectlybeneathyourchestsothatindexfingersandthumbstouchtoformatriangleor“diamond”shape.

Slowly lower your body to the ground keeping your core tight. Besure tokeepyourelbowstuckedinclosebyyoursides inorder thattheymakea45-degreeanglewithyourtorso.Withoutchangingyourhandplacement,haltandpushyourselfbacktothestartingposition.

Tips:

Donotplaceyourhandsveryfar infrontofyou.Yourchestshouldtouchthetriangleatthebottomofthepushup.

Avoidmovinghipsoutofposition.Instead,keepyourcoretightandbackflatthroughoutthemovement.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoADiamondPushUp’.

2.SupermanPushUp

The push up is part of the most versatile strength exercises because you cantweakyourhandandfeetplacementtointensifydifficultyandfocusonspecificmuscles.TheSupermanpushupisanextremelydifficultexercisethatrequiresahigh level of core andupperbody strength.The traditional pushupworks thechest, shoulders and triceps, but due to the different hand placement, theSupermanpushupworksdifferentmuscles.

GettingPrepared:

Thetraditionalpushupinvolvesplacingyourhandsonthefloorsothatthey’repositionedjustoutsideyourtorsoandlevelwithyourchest.TheSupermanpushup, however, entails you to lie on your stomach and stretch your arms out infront of you so that your hands areplacedbeyondyourhead and at shoulder-width apart.With your legs and arms fully extended, set your toes and palmsagainstthefloortopreparefortheexercise.

ExerciseExecution:

Liftyourtorsoandthighsoffthefloorbypushingyourpalmsandtoesintothefloor.Yourbodywillriseupnomorethan12inchesoffthefloor.Controlyourbodybacktothefloorandthengointothenextrepetition.Yourtorsoandthighsshould stay straight and your legs and arms should remain fully extendedthroughouttheentireexercise.

MusclesWorked:

TheSupermanpushupdoesn’tprimarilyworkyourchest,shouldersandtricepslikethetraditionalpushup.Instead,itchallengesyourlatissimusdorsi,whichisthe broadest muscle in your back. Your latissimus dorsi is responsible forextendingyour armsbehindyou.Asyoupushyourhands into the floor, yourlatsareattemptingtodriveyourarmsback.Thepectoralismajor inyourchestdoes contribute to shoulder extension. In addition, your abdominals, obliquesand hip flexors isometrically work to keep your torso in a straight line andpreventitfromcollapsingittothefloorasyouliftandloweryourbody.

Formoreinformationwatch‘SupermanPushUpTutorial’.

3.PullUpProgression

Therearealotofadvancedmovesinthepullupprogression.

Overview: Pull ups train themuscles inyourupperback (the latissimusdorsi,and the trapezius), in your shoulders (the anterior deltoids), and in your arms(thebicepsandbrachialis).Thecloser together thehandsareplaced, themorefocus is on the biceps. The further they are, the more emphasis on the lats.Definitely,pullupswillalsoexamineyourgripstrength.

Form:Pullupsaretypicallydonewithyourhandsfacingawayfromyou,whilechinupsarecarriedoutwithyourhandsfacingtowardsyou(andchinupsalsofocusonthebicepsmore).Betweenthetwo,chinupsaregenerallyregardedtobetheslightlyeasierversion.Seechinupsillustrationbelow.

Notes:Ifyoudonothaveapullupbar,thesefewalternativeswillallowyoutogetstarted.

Abouttheprogression:Changesbetweenthefirstfewvariationsaredifficultinthisprogression.However, thehorizontalpullsprogressionworks likemusclestopullups,andithasamuchgentlergradient.Thetwogreatlybenefitfromeachother.

Selectoneofthefollowingvariationsasastartpointanddo3setsofbetween4and8repetitionswithperiodsofbetween1and2minsofrestbetweeneachset.When you can perform 3 sets of 8, proceed to the next exercise in theprogression.

1.Legassistedpullups

Positionachairunderyourpullupbar,andsupportyourselfwithonelegasyoupullyourbodyup.Whatisofimportancehereisthatyoucontrolhowmuchhelpyougetfromyoursupportleg.Tryreducingthissupportwithtime.Thiscanbedonebyputtingjustthetipofyourtoesonthechairunderyou.

2.Jackknifepullups

Placeahighobjectinfrontandunderyourpullupbar(astrongchairorbetteryetatable).Placementisvitalforjackknifepullupstobeeffective:ideally,thetableorchairshouldbesufficientlyhighforyourlegstorestonitat90degreesorlesstoyourtorso,withyourwaistbent.Pushwithyourheelsintothechairortableandstraightenyourwaistwhiletakingyourchintothebar.

.

3.Eccentricpullups

Jump up in the pull up positionwith your chin above the bar, then graduallyloweryourselfdowntothecountof5seconds.

4.Halfpullups(tophalf)

Begin inmid-range,andpullupyourself throughhalf the rangeofmovement,until your chin clears the bar.At that point, lower yourself back tomid-range(elbowsbentat90degrees).

5.Pullups

Fromadeadhang,pullupyourselfuntilyourchinclearsthebar.

6.Closegrippullups

Similartopullup,butwithyourhandsclosetogether.Thisdisparitylaysaddedemphasisonyourbiceps.

7.Widegrippullups

Similar to pull up, butwith your handswider than shoulderwidth apart. Thisvariationlaysadditionalemphasisonyourlatissimusdorsi.

8.Archerpullups

Emphasizeonpullingwithonearm,withnegligiblesupportfromtheother.Theother arm should gently straighten over the bar in the course of the pullingmotion.Onlygoupto6oneacharm,interchangingeacharm,ratherthanthe8repsthebasicroutinecallsfor.Thisdiscrepancyofpullupsiscrucialtoworkingyourwaytoamuscleup.If4archerpullupsaretoomanytobeginwith,startwith3oneacharm.

9.Sternumpullups

Thismove diverts the focus away from the latissimus dorsi, but it is anotherimportantstepintheprogressiontowardsamuscleup.Doapullupuntilthebarisatchestlevel.Besureyourelbowsremainclosetoyourbodyallthroughthelaterpartofthemove,andthattheydrivebackpastyourshoulders.Thismoveisnottobemistookforthe‘girondasternumpullup’,throughwhichyourbackisarched.

10.Bellybuttonpullups

Similarasabove,butpullmoreforcefullyuntilyourbellybuttonisatthesamelevelwith the bar.Oncemore, your elbows should brush past your sides, anddrivebackpastyourshoulders.

11.Onearmtowel-assistedpullups

Theloweryourholdisonthetowel,thelesssupportyourotherarmwillactuallymake available. Also attempt modifying your grip on the towel to lessen theassistance(holdwithonly2fingersforexample).Onlygoupto6repsoneacharm,interchangingeacharm,ratherthanthe8repsthebasicroutinecallsfor.

12.Onearmtowel-assistedpullupsandeccentrics

Releasethetowelonceyourchinclearsthebar,andloweryourselfoveracountof5seconds.Onlygoupto6repsoneacharm,interchangingeacharm,ratherthanthe8repsthebasicroutinecallsfor.

13.Halfonearmpullups(tophalf)

Begin inmid-range,andpullyourselfup throughhalf therangeofmotion, tillyourchinclearsthebar.Thenloweryourselfbacktomid-range(elbowsbentat90degrees)

.

14.Onearmpullups

Pullyourselfupthroughtheentirerangeofmotionfromadeadend.

Formoreinformationwatch’35BestPullUpExercises’.

4.KipUp

Inthekipup,youlayonyourbackandproducesufficientforcewithyourlowerbody(alongwithsomeaidfromyourhands)toblastupwardandlandonyourfeet.Youwillrequirewristflexibility,healthyjoints,andcorestrengthforthistobeaccomplished,andawell-paddedsurfacetopracticeon.

Therearethreebasiccomponentsofthekipup.Youshouldpracticeeachoneinseparatedrillsbeforestringingthemalltogether:

Placeyourpalmsonthegroundandrollyourhipsupquickly.Yourkneeswillbejustinchesfromyourforehead.Thisgivesyouroomtobeabletoacceleratetheexplosivemotion.

Pushyour legsupwardwithexplosivepower.Yourhips should rise

evenhigher,andyourlowerbackshouldleavetheground,too.Thisgivesyouafeelforhowmuchforceyoumustcreatetoachieveakipup,andhelpsyoulearnthemotorpattern.

Landsafelyonyour feet and standup from there.Only theballsofyourfeetshouldtouchtheground,andthereshouldbeastraightlinefromyourkneestoyourchest.

Beforetryingtogetyourwholebodymomentarilyairborne,practicelandinginabridge after pushing your legs upward. This is how you land in the actualmovement,butyouwillusemomentumtohelpyoustandup.

Itcanbefrustratingtolearnthekipup,butyoumustpersistandexperimentwithit.Don’t be afraid tomess up or even devise alternatives thatwork better foryou.Thepayoff isgreat, andyou’llbeable togetup strongwhen lifeknocksyoudown.

Formoreinformationwatch‘KipUpTutorial’.

5.PistolSquats

PhaseOne

Start by sitting on a bench with one foot flat on the ground and the otherstretched out in front of you. Stretch forward your arms and at the same timepress your foot into thegroundwhile tighteningyour abs.Don’t let your heelleave the ground. If you have adequate strength, you should be able to liftyourself off the bench. Once you attain a standing position, try to graduallylower yourself and repeat.Youwill probably lose control during the loweringphaseandwindupploppingdownontothebenchatthebottom.That’sokayfornow.Withtimeyourcontrolwillimprovetothepointwhereyounolongerneedtositonthebench.

PhaseTwo

Standon a benchwith one foot hangingoff the edge. Squat down so that theopposite legdropsbelow the levelof thebench.Becertainyoustickoutyourhipsandbutt,andslightlyleanforward.Ifyouarehavingahardtimeattainingstability,holdontosomethingtosupportyou.Abroomhandleworkswellifyouaredoingtheseathome.Ifyouhaveatrainingcompanion,havethemhelpyoubyeitherholdingyourhandorstandingnearyousoyoucanhold themifyouloseyourbalance.

PhaseThree

Godownintoadeepsquatwithyourtwofeetflatontheground.Trytoreachonelegoutinfrontofyouwhilebalancingontheother.You’representlyatthebottompositionofapistolsquat.Getateasewithyourbalancehere;itwillcomeeasier to some than to others. The moment you can balance in the bottomposition,trytostandup.It’sfinetousesupportuntilyoucanperformthemoveself-reliantly.Withpractice,youwillbuildtherequiredstrengthandstabilitytoperform the pistolwith confidence - then you canmove onto advanced pistolsquats!

Muscles Used: These squats work similar primary muscle groups used forrunning,includingthehips,hamstrings,quadriceps,gluteusmaximusandcalves.Hamstringsarefoundatthebackoftheupperlegandquadricepsareinthefrontpartof theupper leg.Gluteusmaximusmuscles, also calledbuttocksmuscles,attach to your hamstrings from above. Calves consist of the soleus and thegastrocnemiusmusclesandarefoundatthebackofyourlowerlegs.Supportivemusclesusedduringone-leggedsquatsincludetheupperandlowerabdominalsandbiceps.

Formoreinformationwatch’Calisthenics–HowToDoAPistolSquat’.

6.HandstandPushUps

This guide focuses at developing the handstand push up against thewall.Thefirststepistoclearlythrowyourselfupagainstthewallintoahandstand.Ifthisisalreadytoogreatastep,trybeginningwiththeheadstanduntilyoufeelateaseupside-down.

Youshouldbecapacitatedtoholdthishandstandpositionagainstthewallforaminimumof15secondsbeforeyoustartworkingtowardthepushup.

Whenyoucanholdthestatichandstandpositionforenoughtime,throwapillowonthegroundbetweenyourhands.You’llnowwanttograduallyloweryourselftotheground.Pleasedon’tdiveheadfirstthroughyourfloor!Whenyoureachthegroundputyourfeetdown,thenkickbackupintoahandstandandrepeat.

Thesenegative repetitionswill help tobuild the essential pressing strength. Incourse of these negative reps, you can work on stopping yourself in variouspositionsalongtheway,aswellaspushingbackuponlyacoupleinches,insteadofthewholeway.

Sotooutline,thethreemethodsforbuildingpushupstrength:

Lowerdownslowly

Haltandholdyourselfatvariouspoints

Attemptpushingupshortdistances

Keepingthereplicationslowandassigningacoupleminutesofrestinbetweenyoursetswillhelptodevelopyourshoulderstrength.Youmaychoosetoworkthis training into your schedule differently though. With practice, you’ll getenough strength to lower down completely to the ground and press back up.Congratulations,there’sahandstandpushup.

ProgressiveExercises:

Ifyou’relookingforanexerciseapartfromhandstandpushupnegatives,therearenumerousothersthatcanhelpyoubuildupyourshoulderstrength.Nothingtoorevolutionary,justalternativewaysofworkingoutyourarmsandshoulders.

Thefirstexerciseissimplytostartliftingyourfeetinthepushupposition.Youcanbeginbyliftingyourfeetwithachair,andworkyourwayuptoadeskorsomethinghigher.Thehigheryourfeet,themorestressonyourshoulders.

It’s also suggested attemptingpushupswithyourhandsbyyour sides, leaningforward over your hands.Youwill experience that this places a great deal ofstressonthetricepsandshoulders.Thisisalsoanexcellentpushupvariationtohelpyourplanche.Youcanworkonliftingyourfeetforthisexerciseaswell.

Thelastexerciseisoftencalleda“tigerpushup”.Beginwithyourheelsagainstthewall,thengodownwithyourhandsandputthemonthegroundacouplefeetinfrontofyourfeet.Youshouldlooklikeanopposite“V”.

You’llnotice thatyourupperbodyis inaposition towork theshoulders.Youcannowdopushupsinthisposition,whichwillworkyourshouldersbutapplylessstressonthemthanfull-onhandstandpushups.Worktoraisethefeetinthisexerciseaswelltoaddmorebodyweighttothepressandintensifydifficulty.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoAHandstandPushUps’.

7.DragonFlags

ThedragonflagmadefamousbyBruceLeeisamongthethreebestabdominalexercisesthatyoucando(theothertwobeingthefullhanginglegraiseandtheabswheelrollout).Thisexercisecansolelybuildamazinglystronganddefinedabsaswellasgreatoverallcorestrengthsoitisamustdoexerciseforanyonewantingamasteryofthemostdifficultbodyweightexercises,saidthat,itshouldonlybeattemptedbypeoplewhohavetrainedforsometimeandalreadyownagood degree of overall body strength as it has a high risk injury factor if youattemptitbeforeyouareready.

Methodofprogression:Thefirststageofprogressionis to laywithyourbackflatagainstabench,yourarmsplacedbehindyourheadandyourhandsgraspingtheedgeofthebench.Thereafter,bringyourkneesintoyourwaistsothatyourthighsareat90degreesandinonesynchronizedeffortpullupwithyourhandskeeping yourwhole body rigid until it rises up and your torso points directlytowardstheceiling.Oncethere,remaininthatpositionforasecondortwoandthen lower your body back down under control until your buttocks are just acoupleofinchesfromthebench.

Note,asyourbodyrisestobegintherep,graduallyexhaleandkeepyourwholebodytensed,asyoubegintodescendagain,graduallyinhalewiththeabdomenandrepeatthesequence.

Ifyounoticethatevenwithyourlegsbentyoucannotliftyourselfoffthebenchundercontrolyoucansimplydopartialnegativesbyloweringyourselffromthe

end of themovement until you reach as low as you can securely go and thenpullingyourbodybackup.

Thenextphaseofprogression is tograduallyextend the legsoveraperiodoftimeasyougetstrongeruntilyoucanfinallydothedragonflagwithyourlegscompletelystraight.

Advice:

Besureyourshouldersandheadareincontactwiththebenchatalltimes.

Pointingyourtoeshelpstokeepyourbodyproperlyaligned.

Propermuscular coordination is essential todo thedragon flag soagoodtoolistostandinfrontofamirrorandpracticetensingasmanymusclesaspossiblesimultaneously.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoTheDragonFlagsTutorial’.

8.JumpMuscleUps

Simplyskipthepull-upphasebyjumpingandeithercatchabovetheringsorinsupport.Themainpointofthisistogetapracticalfeelforthetechniquethatisrequiredwithoutanyrealeffortonyourbehalf.Ifyoucatchinsupportbecarefultocontrolthejumpastoomuchslackfromabigjumpcomingdownonlockedoutelbowscanbedangerous.Ifyouplanoncatchinginthe‘dipped’positionbesureyourshouldersarereadyforthestretch.

Formoreinformationwatch‘JumpingMuscleUpTutorial’.

9.Handstands

Thehandstandiseffortlesslyoneofthemostimpressivestrengthfeatsoutthere.There’sonlyonefeatthatisbetterthanhandstand–TheOne-ArmHandstand.

Handstand can be different. There are several alterations of it.; for example,straddle, tuck, pike and regular version.However, form is themost important.Handstandcanbestraightandarched.Straightistougher.Itneedsgoodshoulderflexibility,handstrengthandcorestrength.Butit’sstress-freetolearnone-arm

handstandfromstraightversionratherthanfromarched.

Inaccordancetosomesources,it’snotquitepossibletolearn“one-armer”fromarchedor “banana”handstand.Therefore it’sbetter to learn straightversionatinitialstage.Nonetheless,youmightnotbeabletolearnitrightawaybecauseitistoodemanding(especiallyifyourbodyweightis80kgandmoreandyoulackshoulderandhipflexibility).Don’tgetdiscouraged.Learnarchedversionfirst,thereafter, learn the straight one. Learning straight version is concerned withunderstandinghollowbodyposition. Itwouldbe agreat idea to allocate some

time learningandresearching thisposition todo itperfectlywhilestandingonyour hands. Furthermore, you need to work on your shoulder mobility andflexibilitybigtime.That’smuchmoredifficultthanitsounds.Lackofflexibilitymaybethesinglemost importantproblemyouneedtofixinquestforstraighthandstand.

Herearethe10TopTips:

1. Push through fingers. We can’t stress more on this. The key toholdingahandstandispushingthroughyourfingers.Belowaretwophotos:

First one – no finger pressure, second – finger pressure. You shouldalwaysusethismethodwhileholdingahandstand.Oncemore,thisisthecrucialtofindingabalance.

2. Workonhandstandpush-ups.I’veseenmarveloushelpintrainingfree-standinghandstandfromfullrangeofmotionhandstandpush-ups.You’lldeveloprequiredstrengthinshouldersandtricepswith

thisdynamicmovement.Soyoucanemphasizeonbalancemore.

3. Youneedtodiscoverthat“sweetspot”.You’llquicklyfindoutthatyoucanholdafree-standinghandstandforcoupleofsecondswithease when you find that position where the centre of mass isroughlyaboveyourknuckles.

4. Use spotter when possible. The rapid way to learn free-standinghandstand is topractice itwith spotter.Heor sheshouldgive therightquantityofsupportforyounottofalloutofbalance.Thisisperhapsthemostbeneficialwaytopracticehandstandasyoulearnproperpositionfromthestart.

5. Practicekick-ups.Itcanbestress-freeforyoutoholdahandstand,butyoumightnotbeabletokick-upinitallthetime.Nobigdeal.Workonkick-ups.Kickup,hold it forasecondor two,and thenrepeat.

6. Usehigh-frequency.Handstand trainingentailsa lotof repetition.Soitwouldbegoodideatopracticeitonadailybasis.Butnottofailure.Andifyoufeel thatyoujustcan’thold it todaynomatterwhatyoudo,then,it’sdefinitelytimeforsomerest.Withpracticeyou’ll discover when it’s time to train handstand and when it’sbetter to rest.And,of course,with increasing intensityorvolumeyou’llneedtoslightlycutfrequency.

7. Don’tskipstepsinprogression.Itwillbetemptingtoholdafree-standing handstand immediately, some “coaches”will tell you todo that. But that’s not right. Principles of progressive resistanceworkhereaswell.Youneedtoholdwall-supportedhandstandforat least several sets of 30 secbeforemoving tonext intermediatestep–wall-spottedhandstand.Thenworktosetsofatleast20secof that. Thereafter youmay play with free-standing form. That’sjust rudimentary progression. Some individuals will need moresteps,some-less.

8. Workonbothwall-assistedhandstandversions. It is important towork on back-to-wall and front-to-wall handstands aswell. Theyboth have their advantages and disadvantages and perfectly

complementeachother.

9. Overcomethefearoffalling.Therewillbeanxietyoffallingfirstcouple of times. Don’t fear, you will fall. You will fall severaltimes if you’re into this hand balancing thing. It’s part of thedevelopment.Ofcourse,learnsomewaystogetoutofhandstandifsomethinggoesoffbeam.Thiswilladdsomeself-assurancetoyou.Butthebestandquickestwaytocombatfearoffallingisjusttodothatdamnhandstandoverandover.Untilyouhavetheconfidence.Andagainspotterwillbeofuseinthissituation.

10. Practicemore.There’snothingbetter thanpractice for acquiringaskill.Sopractice,practice,practiceandthenpracticesomemore.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HandstandTutorial’.

10.90DegreePushUp

Whenyou’vemasteredthefloorpush-upandthepikepush-up,youmaywanttomove onto something even more challenging that can help you train for themotherofallpushups:handstandpushups.Togetthere,startwiththe90degreepush-up, inwhich your feet are elevated to create a 90-degree angle betweenyour upper and lower body. Any typical push-up requires a good deal ofshoulderstrength,butthe90degreepush-upentailsmorethanmost.

Step1:Placeabench,highchair,woodenboxoranotherkindof solidobjectwithaflatsurfaceonthefloor,leavingatleast4feetofopenspaceonallsides.Thebenchshouldberoughlyhalfyourheight.Ifyoufall,you’llwantplentyofroomsothatyouwon’tlandonsomethingorknockoverthebenchandpossiblysustainaseriousinjury.

Step 2: Stand with your body facing away from the bench, placing yourselfabout3feetfromthebench.

Step3:Placeyourhandsflatontheflooraboutshoulder-widthapart.

Step 4: Place your feet on the bench, and then walk your feet and handsbackwardtopositionyourtrunkperpendiculartothefloor,withyourhipsabove

yourhead,yourheadbetweenyourhandsandyourlegsatapproximatelya90-degreeanglefromyourtrunk.Itmayhelptohaveafriendlookatyourpositionandensureyourbodyisatanapproximately90-degreeangle.

Step5:Keepyourkneesstretchedandyour toespressinginto thebench.Pushintoyourhandstostraightenyourtrunk.

Step 6: Lower your head gradually, making sure you stay in control of yourbody,untilyourheadtouchesthefloororyourhairscratchesit.Worktopointyourelbowsintowardthebenchslightly,insteadofflaringthemouttothesides.Ifyouflarethemout,theexercisebecomesmoreofamilitarypress.That’sstillagoodworkoutforyourshoulders,butitwon’tdomuchtohelpyoupracticethestabilityyou’llneedtoperformafullhandstandpush-up.

Step7:Press into the floorwithyourhandsand thenuse the strengthofyourshoulders and core tomove back to the starting position. If you can performanotherrepetitionsafely,doso;thegoalistobeabletorepeattheentiremove8to12times.

ThingsNeeded:Benchorchair

Tip:Don’t try thisexercise ifyouhaven’tmasteredperformingsetsofat least10 to 20 standard, on-the-floor pushups. Not having the upper body strengthrequiredforthisexerciseislikelytoresultinseriousinjury.Ifyouneedanothertypeofprogressionbetweenthe90degreepush-upandthestandardpush-up,trypikesonthefloor.Startwithyourlegsonthefloorina90-degreepikeposition,similar to the “downward dog” in yoga. Then lower your body until yourforeheadnearlytouchesthefloorandpushbackuptothestartingposition.

Warning:Whatevertypeofbenchorsupportyouuse,makesureit’sstableandweighsa significantamount; lightweightchairswillbemore likely to tipoverwhenyoustartmovingaround,whichalsocanleadtoseriousinjury.

MusclesUsed: This exercise also aims at themuscles of the chest, arms, andshoulders, support needed from other muscles results in a wider range ofmuscles integrated into the exercise. This includes; abdominals, deltoid,pectoralis,tricepsbrachii.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDo90DegreePushUps’.

Belowisadiagramtoillustrateaprogressionofpushups.

Sothishasintroducedyoutotheintermediatecalisthenicsexercises.Ofcourse,therearemanymore,butnowwewillmoveontothemoreadvancedmoves.

Formoreinformationwatch‘IntermediateCalisthenicsWorkouts’.

10ADVANCEDEXERCISES

Whenyouarereadytomoveontomoreadvancedcalisthenicsexercises,hereisaselectionforyoutotry:

1.OneHandedSupermanPushUp

Setup:Adoptthepushuppositionwithfeetshoulderwidthapart.

Action:Descend into thebottomof thepushup.Asyou rise to the topof themovement, liftoutyourrightarminfrontofyourbody,while liftingyour leftlegoff the floorat thesame timeso it’s inastraight linewithyour rightarm.Pauseatthetoppositionforonesecond.That’sonerep.Dropbackintothepushupandreplicatethesameactionontheotherside.

Tips:

Donotletyourtorsotorotateatthetop.

Keepyour torso straight all through themovement.Donot let yourhipsorheadtosagtowardtheflooratanypoint.

Keep your legs straight through thismovement and do not let yourkneestobend.

MusclesWorked:

While the push-up principally targets the muscles of the chest, arms, andshoulders, support needed from other muscles results in a wider range ofmuscles assimilated into the exercise. This includes; abdominals, deltoid,pectoralis,tricepsbrachii.

Formoreinformationwatch‘OneHandedSupermanPushUps’.

2.2FingerPushUps

SinceBruceLeepubliclydemonstratedtwo-fingerpush-upsin1964,othershaveattemptedtoemulatethefeat,whichrequiresabundantwillpowerandstrength.But nomatter how big a Lee fan youmay be, the two-finger push up is notsuggested for beginners. If you haven’t done anything more exotic than astandard push up,work yourway through some basic steps before you try toamazeyourfriendswithyourpushupexpertise.

Step1:Stretchoutfacedownonthefloororaworkoutmat.Stretchyourlegsandspreadthemaswideasyoucomfortablycan.

Step 2: Place one arm palm-down on the floor, underneath your shoulder orslightlytotheoutside.Assumeathree-pointposition,balancingyourselfonyourtoesandhand.Placeyourotherhandbehindyourbackandkeepyourbodyasstraight as possible.Do push-upswith one arm, breathing out as you rise andbreathinginwhenyouloweryourselftothefloor.

Step 3: Adopt the same position as a one-arm push up, but balance on yourfingertipsinplaceofaflatpalm.Whenyousucceedatfive-fingertippush-ups,do push-ups by gradually removing fingers from the floor, starting with yourpinkie,thenyourringfinger,andsubsequentlythemiddlefinger.

Step4:Performtwo-fingerpush-upswithonlyyourthumbandindexfingeronthefloor,spreadwide,withtheupperjointofbothfingersflatonthefloor.Placeyourmiddle fingerbesideyour index finger–but off the floor– togiveyourindexfingeraddedsupport.

Tip:Analternativewaytobuildfingerstrengthandworkyourwayuptotwo-fingerpush-upsistostartwithstandardtwo-armpush-ups,thenadvancetotwo-armfingertippush-ups,thenstartremovingfingersuntilyou’reperformingtwo-arm, two-finger push-ups. From there, proceed to one-arm push-ups on twofingers.Itcantakeseveralmonthsofworkbeforeyouarecapableofperformingtwo-fingerpush-ups.

MusclesUsed:You can alternate fingertip and regular push-ups to gainmorebenefits for particularmuscles. To give your chest amore extensiveworkout,positionyourhandswiderthanshoulder-widthapart.Toworkyourtricepsmorevigorously,putyourhandsclosertogether,withthetipsofyourthumbandfirstfingertouchingtoformatriangle.Putyourfeetonastairoraledgeandexecutethepush-uptoworkyourshouldersharder.Toemphasizeonstrengtheningyourwrists,doknucklepush-upsinstead,keepingyourwristbeneathyourelbow.Asyour fingers, hands and wrists get stronger, try doing push-ups with fewerfingerstouchingtheground.

Formoreinformationwatch‘2FingerPushUps’.

3.HumanFlag

The human flag is debatably themost visually impressive bodyweight feat ofstrengthanyone’seyescomeupwith.Anytimesomeoneperformsahumanflag,itunavoidablyattractsattention.Ittakessubstantialstrengthandlotsofpracticeto do the human flag. You have to be very strong, but you also must workspecificallytowardsthisskill.

Before embarking on the long, slow journeywhich is human flag training, bemindfulthatlikeallbodyweightexercises,ahighstrengthtomassratioisvitaltoperformingahumanflag.Whenitcomestotheflag,you’reonlyasstrongasyouarelean,soyoushouldn’ttrytogainweightifyouwanttoexcelthismove.Thatsaid,youcanabsolutelystilldevelopstrengththroughhumanflagtraining.

Thebestway topractice thehuman flag is touse a strongvertical pole that’sapproximatelyaninchindiameter(thickerpoleswillposemoreofadifficulty).

The tophand is typicallyplaced inanoverhandgripwhile thebottomhand issupinated.Gripthepoletightandtrytokeepbotharmsasstraightaspossible.

Themainmusclesinvolvedinthismovearethedelts,lats,andoblique.You’llneedagoodbaseofstrength fromexercises likepull-upsandhandstandpush-ups(orbarbellpresses)tobegintrainingtheflag.Yourbottomarmisgoingtobepressed into thepole to supportyouroutstretchedbodywhileyour toparmwillbepullingyouup.Ontheotherhand,bothyourlatsanddeltsonbothsidesmustengagetoaccomplishthis.

The extreme balance required for this move demands synchronicity betweenantagonistmusclegroups.Onceyourbaseissolidwithpull-upsandpresses,youcan get stronger through building up to the full human flag by gradualprogression.

The answer is to practice similar positionswhere you’ll have better leverage.Makesuretoevenlytrainbothsides.

TheVerticalFlag:

Part of what makes the full human flag so difficult is that you’re using acomparatively short lever (your arm) to hold up a much longer object (yourbody).Sinceyoucan’tmakeyourarmsanylonger,youneedtodevicewaystomakeyourbodyshortertomaketheflagmorepracticable.

Begin by trying a variation with your body closer to being vertical thanhorizontal (with your feet high in the air), almost like a crooked handstand(handstands, by the way, are a great way to complement your human flagtraining).

Asidefrombeingeasieronyourarms,thisputslessstressontheobliques,lowerback,andabdominalmuscles,lettingyoutogetafeelforhavingyourbodyupintheairwhileyoubuildupthestrengthtofullystretchyourlegshorizontally.

TopDown:

Once you can achieve the vertical flag, practice towards lowering your hipsdownwithyourlegsstillup.Fromhereyoucanadvancetoputtingoutoneleg,andovertime,bothlegs.

Practicingwithyourkneesbentoryourlegsinastraddlestancealsoworkswellas apathway to attaining the fullhuman flag.Recall, thecloseryour legs andtorsoaretothepole,thebetteryourleveragewillbe.

Anyadjustment that givesyoubetter leverage is agoodway towork towardsthistechnique.Theimportantthingisconstantpractice.Asarule,workuptoaminimumoften-secondholdontheeasiervariationsbeforemovingontomoredifficultones.

BottomsUp:

Themoment you can hold a full human flag for a few seconds, you can starttrying toget inposition from thebottomup.Pressing into the flag is ahardertask than lowering from the vertical position. It’s like the difference betweenstoppinghalfwaydownonanegativeonearmpush-up,andpressingyourselftothatpositionfromtheground.

Tips:

Feel free to get imaginative with your flag training. Any sturdysurfacethatpermitsyoutogetagoodgripwithyourarmsfarenoughapartisfairgame.

Different objects will pose their own unique challenges. Exercisingandstrengtheningyourbody isseriousbusiness,but itcanstillbealotoffun!

Thushowlongwillittaketolearntoperformahumanflag?Whileit’snormaltoaskthisquestion,it’ssuggestedthatyouapproachtheflagwithrestraintandpatience - don’t think about the end result. It’s a long journey to get to thehuman flag and those who go in imagining a quick fix will likely bedisappointed.

Ittakesalotofpractice–evenifyouarefitalready.Ontheotherhand,ifyouemphasizeon theprocess rather than the result, you’ll find it amoreprofitingexperience.

Thatsaid,somepeoplecangetabriefholdafterjustafewweeksofpracticing,otherscantakemuchlongertogetoffthegroundforevenasecond.Itvariesforeveryone,butifyouputinthework,induecourseyourtimewillcome.

WatchthisvideoforHumanFlagMusclesworkedanimation

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoAHumanFlagTutorialTraining’.

4.OneHandedHandstand

The one-handed handstand is a feat of strength, swiftness and balance. Yourbodyisupsidedowninaverticalstance,asinanormalhandstand,butyouhavejust one hand in contact with the ground. Many people relate this style ofgymnastics with circus acts or street entertainers. You don’t have to be aparticipantofCirqueduSoleiltoperformaone-handedhandstand.Nonetheless,itwilltakealotofpracticeandpatiencetoperfectthisfeat.

Step1:Practicearegularhandstandpriortoattemptingtheone-handedversion.You should be able to hold a regular handstand effortlessly for at least 30secondsbeforemovingtothisadvancedhandstand.

Step 2:Kick into the handstand. Standwith your dominant leg a step behindyournon-dominantleg.Liftyourarmsstraightintheair.Putyourhandsonthefloorandpropelyourfeetintotheair.Yourbacklegandarmsshouldmoveatasimilarspeed.Thisisaforceful,quickmotion.

MusclesWorked:

Alonglistofmusclesarestrengthenedwhileholdingahandstandposition.Yourshoulders,back,armsandchestmusclescarrymostofyourweightwhileyouareupsidedown,butyourwholebodymustbemuch tensedwhilestretchingyourtoes toward the ceiling. The main shoulder and chest muscles utilized in ahandstand are your anterior andmedial deltoid, andyour pectoralismajor andminor.Themainmusclesofyourbackinvolvedareasfollows:serratusanterior,erector spinae, trapezius, latissimus dorsi and quadratus lumborum. Activemusclesofyourarmsaretricepsbrachiiandcoracobrachialis.Majormusclesofyour abdomen are transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis and obliquusexternus. All your four quadricepsmuscles, inner thigh, hamstrings, buttocks,calf, foot, forearm,handandneckmusclesmustbesqueezedvery tightoryouwillfallover.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoAOneArmHandstand’.

5.Manna

The manna progression is additional of the gymnastic-based exercises withincalisthenics. There is no other exercise progression which requires so muchstabilityandcorestrengthtobedeveloped.Bodyflexibilityisalsoavitalpartoftheprogressionastheachievementofthefinalexerciserequiresyoutodisplayabodypositionwhichmayappearcompletelyimpossible.

Step1–FootSupportedLSit

Thiscanbeperformedeitheronthefloororwiththeuseofsomeelevatedbars.Liftyourbacksideoffthegroundwithyourhands.Stretchyourfeetstraightoutin front of you and utilize them to help assist you in this position. Try toemphasizeonextendingyourscapulaetowardsthefloor.

Step2–AdvancedTuckLSit

The second phase of themanna progression includes the same hand position.Themodification is your leg position.This timebendyour legs until they aretuckedwithyour feetarounda footandahalf fromyourhands.Foryour firstfew stabs youmaywant to attempt the exercisewith your feet assisting yourweightonthefloor,butbeforemovingtothefollowingstepmakeeffortsandbeabletobalanceonyourhandswithyourfeetraised.

Step3–StraddleLSit

Balanceonyour handsusing the floor or elevatedbars again and spreadyourlegseithersideofyourarmsandextendthemoutinfrontofyou.Bytheendofthisyouwillbefamiliarwiththesensationofbalancingonyourhandsonly.

Step4–VSit

Thereare2positionstoassumeinthisexercise.Thegoalhereis tostrengthenyour core so that youwill be capable of holding the final position. Begin bysittingonthefloorandextendingyourlegstogetherintheairabouta45degreeangletothefloor.Leanbacktokeepbalanceandputyourarmsoutparalleltoyourlegs.Holdingthispositionwillstrainyourcoremusclesandgiveyougreatcorebalance.Fromthisyoushouldtryholdingthepositionwhilebalancingonyourhands.Thisisthebesttrainingforthemannaexercise.

Youmay be fascinated to see someV sit eccentrics if you find this exercisedifficult.

Step5–Manna

The final step of this progression.Balanceonyour hands andbringyour legstogetherinfrontofyouinanLsitposture.StartbringingyourlegsupuntilyouareintheVsitandbegingoingfurtheruntilyourbackisnearlyparallelwiththefloor and your shins are almost touching your face. This is an awesomeprogressioninstrength,flexibility,mobilityandbalance.

MusclesUsed:Thisexerciseisafullbodyworkout.Ittargetslegs,arms,core,etc.

Formoreinformationwatch‘LearnGymnastics–Manna’.

6.Planche

The planche is an important gymnastics technique in which the body is heldparallel to the ground, reinforced only by the hands and arms (with the feetraised).Thisneedsanincredibleamountofstrengthandbalance.

Youwillfrequentlyseetheplanchefeaturedincompetitivegymnasticsbutit’salsoacommonexerciseforrecreationalathletesinbodyweightandcalisthenicsmovements.

Thebodypositioningfortheplancheisoutlinedinbelow:

Hands

Handpostureisdowntopersonalpreference.Herearethecommondistinctions:

Fingersforward

Fingersontheside

Fingertipshold

Flathand

Practicewithyourhandspositioningandfindthegripthatworksbestforyou.

Arms

Armsshouldbestretched,withtheelbowslockedout.

Torso

Musclesengagedformingastraightlinedownthebody,paralleltotheground.

Hipsandlegs

Hold the hips level with the shoulders. Bring the legs close together for acompleteplanche.

Unlessyou’reaskilledgymnastorhavebeentrainingdevotedlyfortheplancheskills it’s improbable that you’re going to be able to perform the holdimmediately.Youneedtoworkthroughtheplancheprogressionstobuilduptheneededstrengthandskills.

It’svitalthatyouapproachplanchetrainingwiththepropermindsetelseyou’redestined for frustration. Learning the planche is characteristically not a quickprocessandinmostcasesyou’relookingtoatleastof6monthstraining,butthisdiffers considerably depending on the person in question and their currentabilities,andcanoftentakelonger.

Aswithmostprogressivebodyweightexercisesthetwomostimportantfacetsofyour training are patience and commitment. Improvementswill come steadily,butincrementally.

Plancheprogressions

Therearefourmajorprogressionexercisesrecommendedfortheplanche,theseare; the frog stand, tuckplanche, advanced tuckplanche, straddleplanche andfinallyontothefullplanche.

Trainingnotes

Hold each progression for as long as you are at ease and in goodform.

Combine each set until you have 60 seconds of total hold time

(howevermanysetsthismaytake!).

Haveamasteryofeachprogressionbeforemovingontothenext(60secondconsecutivehold)andrepeattheprocess.

Plancheprogressionexercises:

Theprogressionsbelowareadoptingabaseleveloffitnessandyoushouldhaveasolidphysicalbasethroughplanks,push-ups,pull-upsanddipsbeforedelvingintotheprogressions.

Frog stand -This is the starting point of planche training.Adopt a full squatposition and place your hands on the ground, in front of the feet.Your kneesshould be resting against the elbows for support. Lean forward, takingweightontothehands.Withpracticeyouwillbeabletoremovethefeettotallyfromtheground. Practice this position until you hit your 60 second hold time prior tomovingtothenextprogressingasdescribedinthetrainingnotesabove.

Tuckplanche -A comparable position to the frog stand except theknees arepressed into the chest so your straight arms are totally supporting your bodyweight. Practice constantly, targeting at lift your hips to shoulder height.Progress to theadvanced tuckplanchewhenyoucansustain thestandardholdfor60secondswithraisedhipsandstraightarms.

Advanced tuck planche - The main modification with the advanced tuckplanche is back positioning. The advanced tuck planche is practiced with astraight back whereas the standard tuck planche is performed with a curvedback.Extendthehipsupandbehindyouuntilthebackstraightensoutandmoveonewhenyoucanwithstandthestraightbackholdfor60seconds.

Straddleplanche-Thestraddleplancheimprovesonthetuckplanchepositionbyextendingthelegsout,heldstraightfromthebody.Wheninthetuckplancheposition,graduallymovethelegsoutfromthechestbehindyou(youwillneedtolearnforwardtocounterbalancetheshift inweight).Thewider thelegstheeasieritistobalance,struggletobringthelegsclosertogetherasyouadvance.Target for ten second holds with the straddle planche due to the increaseddifficulty.

Once you’ve fully had a mastery of the static strength planche you can starttraining for some dynamic movement to the exercise and introduce planche

push-upsforadditionalintensity.

Planchetips:

Trytoholdthehipslevelwiththeshoulders.

Makesureelbowsarestraight(bentarmplancheswilldeterprogressbylesseningtheintensity).

Be constant. Train the static progression holds every day formaximumeffect.

Bepatient.Makesmall,incrementalprogress.

With eachworkout, endeavour to increasepositionhold timeor theextensionoftheposition.

Even minute changes in body position can extremely increase thedifficultyoftheexercise.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToPlanche’.

7.Levers

Attainingafrontleverentailsseriousbackstrengthaswellastotalbodycontrol.Thesearethevarietiesaccessibletoyou.

TuckFrontLever

Thesimplestvariationonthefrontleveristhetuckfrontlever.Suspendfromapull-upbarandsqueezeyour legs intoyourchestwhile rollingyourhipsbackuntilyour torso isparallel to theground.Trystayingupandhold thispositionforaslongasyoucan.

Moreimprovedvariationscanincludeextendingonelegwhilekeepingtheothertucked or keeping both legs in a half-tuck position. There are many steps inbetweenthetuckfrontleverandthefullposition.

StraddleFrontLever

Byopeningyourlegsinacourseofafrontlever,you’renotonlychangingthebalance,you’realsoshorteningthelever,bothofwhichmakethismovealittleeasierthanafullfrontlever(thoughstillharderthanthetucklever).You’llneedbetterthanaveragehipmobilitytopulloffagoodstraddlefrontlever,somakesureyou’restretchingfrequently.

FrontLeversforReps

Whenbuildinguptoafrontleverhold,doingfrontleversforrepscanbeaverybeneficial tool. Keep your entire body tight as you use your lats to pull yourbodyintotheleverstance,thenlowerbackdowntoadeadhangandrepeat.Themovement pattern is alike to a dumbbell pullover, apart from you’re movingyourentirebodyinsteadofonlyadumbbell!

Whenyour formbreaksdown,switch tosuspending leg raises.Thiscanmakeforaverychallengingsuperset.

FrontLevertoMuscle-up

The front lever to muscle-up is an excellent way to work towards improvingyourfrontleverhold,aswellasacomplexmoveinitsownright.It’ssimplertodo the muscle-up first, then lower yourself into the lever, keeping total bodytensionthewholetime.Holdtheleverposition,thenpullyourselfbackoverthebarandrepeat.Tryusingafalsegripforthisexercise.

Practice,Practice,Practice

Workingyourwayuptoafrontleverholdcantakeanextremelylongtime.Bepatientandslowlybuildtoseveralsecondsoneachsteppriortomovingontothenextone.Ifyoudiscoveryourselfgettingstagnantinyourdevelopment, takeabreak from front lever training while you continue to work the fundamentals(pull-ups, push-ups, etc.) then come back to it after a few weeks. In the bigpicture,alittletimeoffcansometimesgiveyouanewfocus.

Formoreinformationwatch‘FrontLevelsTutorial’.

8.TypewriterPullUps

This move will upsurge the challenge to your muscles in a number of ways.Each rep, comprising of a shift to both sides, will take longer than acharacteristic pull-up, and also place more tension on the muscles whenmaintainingthetopposition.

Begin in a pull-up positionwith your palms facing away from you, shoulder-width apart. Go to the top normally with your chin even with the bar. In acontrolledmanner,moveyourbodytotheleftsothatyourchinisevenwiththebackofyourlefthand.Thisposturewilloverworktheleftsideofyourbackasyoulowerintothebottomposition.Returntothemiddleandthistimemovetothe right and lower accordingly. Think of the shift as the move an outdatedtypewritermakeswhenitneedstobereset.

Yourlats,traps,deltoids,forearmsandbicepswillbestrainedtothemaxwhenonesideoryourbackmustsupport90%ofyourbodyweightduringtheloweringphaseoftherep.

Onceyouhaveamasteryofit...

ProgressionI:Escalateyourreps(withperfectform)tosix

ProgressionII:Holdthetoppositionforafulltwoseconds

Progression III: Extend the lowering phase to last six seconds andincludeaweightbelt.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowTo–TypewriterPullUps’.

9.ClappingPullUps

The clapping pull up is the thing to do if youwant to advance your sportingperformance, endurance and upper body strength. Although it is verycomparabletothestandardexercise,thespeedofmovementrequiredtorisehighabovethebar,removeyourhands,clapandthenplaceyourhandsbacktotheirinitialpositiondevelopsamazingexplosivepowerthatiswellworthearning.

Method:

Thisexerciseentailsyoutodothecompletereverseofwhatyouwouldusuallydo for pull ups because unlike the standard version were you perform theexerciseslowandundercontrolthesecretofthisoneisspeedofmovement.Toachieve theheightnecessary to clap inmidairyourbodyneeds tomoveveryfast which also eases the building of the explosive power mentioned earlier.However, due to the nature of this workout do not attempt it until you havealreadymastered the standardexerciseand feelyouhave thecoordinationandstrengthneededtoattemptitsafely.

Before starting always ensure you have warmed up properly and adopt thenormalpullupposition.Fromthereyouneedtopullupyourselfasfastasyoucansothatyourchinriseswellabovethebar,rapidlytakeyourhandsaway,clapandthenreturnthemtotheiroriginalposition.Alsokeepinmindthatbecauseofthecoordinationneededthisisanexercisewerepracticemakesperfectsodonotbethwartedifittakesyouawhiletonailit.

Tips:

Besuretothrustyourchestforwardandleanbackalittleasyoustarteachrepsothatyourchinisawayfromthebar.

Try topractice thisexerciseonabar thatyoucanreachonyour tiptoessothatyoudonothavetodropfarifyougetitwrong.

Recall speed is the key, the faster you move the more chance ofsuccessyouhave.

Ensure there are no dangerous hindrances in your path in case youdropbacktotheground.

Inhalebeforethestartofeachrepandtrytoimagineyourbodybeingaslightaspossible.

Exhale the air powerfully as you go upwards (This will help todeveloppower comparable to that displayedbymartial artistswhentheyperformbreakingtechniques).

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoClapPullUps’.

10.MuscleUps

Belowisagreattechniqueforgettingyourfirstmuscleup:

Nosinglebodyweightexerciseworksyourentireupperbodyasscrupulouslyasamuscleup. It is truly the king of bodyweight exercises. This guide has beenproducedfortowardsaccomplishingyourfirstmuscleuponastraightbar.

Before you can achieve amuscleupon a straight bar, youmust be capable ofcomfortablyperformingpull-upsanddips,butthereisnosetruleforhowmanyrepsarerequiredasaprerequisite.Somepeoplewhocanonlydealwithsixorsevenpull-upscandoamuscleup,otherswhocancomplete twentydeadhangpull-upsstillrepeatedlyfailatgettingthroughthestickingpoint;themuscleupisanexceptionalchallengeandmustbetreatedassuch.

Beforeyouarereadytodoamuscleup,youshouldrehearsedoingpull-upswithanoverstated rangeofmotion. Insteadof stoppingwhen thebar isunderyourchin,pullitallthewaydownpastyourchest.Getasfaroverthebarasyoucan!

Itcanbebeneficialtopracticeanimprovedmuscleuponabarthatisaboutchestheightsoyoucanutilizeyourlegstohelpjumpintoit.(Ifyoucan’tfindalowbar, bring a step or a bench up to a high bar.) This will permit you get anexperienceforthetransitionfrombeingunderthebartogettingontopwithouthavingtoovercomeyourfullbodyweight.Withpractice,you’lllearntodependlessonyourlegsanddomostoftheworkwithyourupperbody.Onceyou’vegottenthehangofjumpingintoamuscleup,you’rereadytotrytherealone.

Whenyouarelearningtodoamuscleup,it’susefultouseyourhipsandlegstoproduceadditionalpowertogetyourchestbeyondthebar.Doallthatittakestogetyourself up andover–nobody’s firstmuscleup looks flawlessly clean.Asyougetstrongerandmoreateasewiththemovementpattern,youcanbegintoworkcleaningupyourmuscleuptechnique,aswellasworkingonothertypesofimprovedmuscleups.

Similar to all bodyweight exercises, core strength plays a big part in doing amuscleup.AlwaysrehearseyourplanksandL-sitstokeepyourabsstrong.

Novicesmightfindithelpfultouseafalsegripwhendoingamuscleuponabar.This involves bending your wrists over the bar so that your palms are facingtowardtheground.

Justlikewhenyouareworkingongettingyourfirstpull-up,itcanbeusefultorehearsenegativesandusemanualaidwhile learning todoamuscleup.Ifyouaregoingtospotsomeoneonamuscleup,Irecommendgivingthemaboostbyholdingthemunderoneorbothheels,asifyouwerehelpingthemoverafence.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToDoMuscleUps’.

Hopefully now you know how to progress your exercises to suit your abilitylevel – which will increase as you workout. The more you do, the moreresourcesyou’llfindtoassistyou.

Formoreinformationwatch‘AdvancedCalisthenicsWorkout’.

TOPTRAININGPROGRAMS

Nowthatyou’vehadalookat–andtried–alotofcalisthenicsexercises, it’stimetolookatworkoutprograms.Hereisaselection,designedfordifferentendgoals.

BeginnerCircuitWorkout

Perform 3 cycles. 30 second rest period between exercises, and 3minute restperiodbetweencycles.Thereare8exercises:

10pullups

10chinups

20dips

25jumpsquats

20pushups

50crunches

10burpees

30secondjumprope

IntermediateCircuitWorkout

Do2cycles,30secondrestbetweenexercisesand3minuterestbetweeneachcycle.Thereare8exercises.

5muscleups

50pushups

25jumpsquats

15burpees

15pullups

1minutelegflutters

10pullups

30secondsprintnonstop

AdvancedCircuitWorkout

Do1cycle,norestbetweenexercises;Eachexerciseis30secondslong.Thereare10exercises.

Holdahandstandfor30seconds

Jumpsquats

Wallpushups

Kickuppushups

Squatpositionmovesidetoside

Planks

Dips

Jumpinglunges

SingleLegHops

Pullups

ExtremeCircuitWorkout

Do3cycles,30secondrestbetweenexercisesandnorestbetweencycles.Therewillbe8exercises.

10secondbackleverhold

7secondhumanflaghold

5secondfrontleverhold

15secondbentarmplanchehold

30secondhandstandhold

3veryslowmuscleups

10slowdips

Pullupholdpositionfor30seconds

Formoreinformationwatch‘HighIntensiveCircuitWorkout’.

MassBuildingProgram

Week1:

Monday

ChestWorkout:4Sets

15RegularPushUps

5DiamondPushUps

10Dips

10ArchingPushUps

10DeclinePushUps

10DipsonStraightBar

Restfor2minutesthengothroughallofthemagainuntilyoufinish4sets.

AfteryouaredonewithyourChestthenmoveontoBackexercisesbelow.

BackWorkout:3Cycles

10WidePullUps

5CloseGripPullUps

5WideGripBehindNeckPullUps

5ShoulderWidthBehindNeckPullUps

5UpsideDownPullUps

Tuesday

ArmsWorkout:5Sets

10ShoulderWidthChinUps

20WideGripAustralianChinUps

10Dips

20BenchDips

10CloseGripChinUps

20CloseGripAustralianChinUps

10DipsonStraightBar

20BenchDips

Wednesday

LegsWorkout:5Cycles

10PistolSquatsoneachleg

20HannibalSquats(byputtingyourfeettogetherwhenyousquat)

15PyramidCalfRaises(do15calfraises,restfor2seconds,thendo14,andsoon)

20In&OutSquatJumps

20LungeWalks

1minWallSit

Thursday

ChestWorkout:4Sets

15RegularPushUps

5DiamondPushUps

10Dips

10ArchingPushUps(yourhipswillbelowtothegroundandyourchestwillbeup)

10DeclinePushUps

10DipsonStraightBar

Restfor2minutes;thengothroughallofthemagainuntilyoufinish4sets.

BackWorkout:3Cycles

10WidePullUps

5CloseGripPullUps

5WideGripBehindNeckPullUps

5ShoulderWidthBehindNeckPullUps

5UpsideDownPullUps

Friday

ArmsWorkout:5Sets

10ShoulderWidthChinUps

20WideGripAustralianChinUps

10Dips

20BenchDips

10CloseGripChinUps

20CloseGripAustralianChinUps

10DipsonStraightBar

20BenchDips

Saturday

LegsWorkout:5Cycles

10PistolSquatsoneachleg

20HannibalSquats

15PyramidCalfRaises(15,14,13…)

20In&OutSquatJumps

20LungeWalks

1minWallSit

Follow the same routine for the rest 3 weeks. Try to decrease your rest timebetweenexercisesandsetsoverthecourseof4weeks.

Formoreinformationwatch‘GetBiggerWithOnlyCalisthenics’.

WeightLoss

You can choose to repeat each cycle for 30minutes or 5 sets.Complete eachcyclewith little tono restbetweenexercisesand rest for1-2minutesbetweensets.

Beginner

15JumpingJacks

10Squats

10Stationarylungesforeachleg

5KneePushups

15JumpingJacks

10Alternatingforwardlungesforeachleg

10Squats

5Inclinepushups

15JumpingJacks

Intermediate

25JumpingJacks

20Squats

15Stationarylungesforeachleg

10Inclinepushups

25JumpingJacks

15Alternatingforwardlungesforeachleg

15JumpSquats

5Pushups

25JumpingJacks

Advanced

50JumpingJacks

20JumpSquats

10Jumplungesforeachleg

15Pushups

50JumpingJacks

10Alternatingforwardthenreverselungesforeachleg

20JumpSquats

15Pushups

50JumpingJacks

Youcanmakeeachexercisemoredifficultbyaddingajumptoit.

Herearesomemoreoptionsforworkoutroutines.

LowerBody/CardioRoutine:

Repeat4-5times

Hereisafastandchallengingtrainingtobuildbothlegspeedandendurance.

Runorbike3minutes

20Squats

15Lungesforeachleg

25Calfraises

Upper/LowerBackBalanceCycle:

Repeat2-3times

Soas tobalanceoutdoing several setsofpushupsorotherpushingexercises,addinthebelowexercisesfor2-3setsattheendoftheworkouttoavoidinternal

rotationoftheshouldergirdle.

25ReversePushUps

25Birds

1minPlankpose

Push/PullUpperBodyCycle:

Repeat4-5times

To completely work the upper body, balance out the pushingmuscles (chest,shouldersandtriceps)withthepullingmuscles(biceps,forearms,back)

PushUps-maxreps

20ReversePushUps

PullUps-maxreps

20Birds

Absofchoice–50

AbdominalCycle:

Performthis2-3timesinthecourseoftheworkoutand4-5timesaweek.Itisfinetodoabdominalsandcardioexercisesseveraldaysaweek.

25Crunches

25ReverseCrunches

25DoubleCrunches

25LeftCrunches

25RightCrunches

25BicycleCrunches

1minPlankpose

Formoreinformationwatch‘TotalBodyWeightLossWorkout’.

6MonthBeginnerPlan

Hereisaworkoutplantohelpbeginnersgetstarted:

Month1FullBodyRoutine

Thisistobedoneatleastthreedaysaweek.

Month2UpperBodyRoutine

Thisisalsotobedoneatleastthreedaysaweek.

Month3

Inmonth3,completebothroutines(theFullBodyandtheUpperBody)shownaboveforatleastthreedaysaweek.Combinetheseroutinesonthesameday.

Forthelastweekofthismonth,workonly50percentageofyourusualload.

Month4MuscleUpHunt

Monday–MuscleUpHunt+FullBodyRoutine

Wednesday–UpperBodyRoutine+FullBodyRoutine

Friday–MuscleUpHunt+FullBodyRoutine

Ontheadditionaldaysdolegdominantroutines.

Tip: Always aim for at least 5 reps for each exercise if possible. If you areunabletoperform1repofgivenexercise, thenyoushouldregresstoaneasierprogression.

Month5Forthismonth,youneedtodotheMuscleUpProgression.Thisis:

Explosivepullups5reps

Explosivepullupswithhandrotation5reps

Jumpingintothemuscleupandgobackintoanegativepullup5reps

Hereistheroutineforthemonth:

Monday–MuscleUpProgression+MuscleUpHunt

Wednesday–MuscleUpProgression+FullBodyRoutine

Friday–MuscleUpProgression+MuscleUpHunt

Addlegroutineonadditionaldays.

Fordetailsofthe‘MuscleUpProgression’watch‘MuscleUpTutorial’.

Month6

Thisisthechallenge,toseehowfaryou’vecome.

Formoreinformationwatch‘TychoBarBrothersGroningenExamen’.

Youhave3minutestodothefollowingroutine:

4muscleups

15dips

20pushups

10jumpingsquats

10legraises

4muscleups

Formoreinformationwatch‘BeginnerCalisthenicsFullBodyRoutine’.

WarmUpRoutine

Ifyouarenotrunningtotheparkoryourworkoutarea,it isveryimportanttoincludeawarm-upseriesbeforeyoustartyourworkoutoftheday.Awarm-upcirculatesbloodtothemusclesandmakesthemreadyforthevigorousactivitiesto comeand shouldbedone for aminimumof10minutesbeforeall exerciseroutinesyoudo.Consequently, the followingdynamic stretchesdefinedbelowwillhelpyouincreaseyourrangeofmotion,achievekinestheticconsciousnessoftheitemsaroundyou,andbeessentialtoinjuryprevention.

Lightjog

A little bit of cardio is necessary to starting a good warm-up. It is alwayssuggestedtotakealightjogtoyourplaceofexercise.Ontheotherhand,ifthisisn’tanoptionforyou,makesureyoujogaminimumof300yards(3footballfields)towarm-up.Alightjoggetsthebloodcirculatingthroughoutthebodysotherequiredmaterialsforperformanceareaccessibletoyourmuscles.

TotalTime=1-2min

JumpingJacks

Afteryourlightjog,yourheartrateshouldbealittlebitelevatedandyoushouldhaveadequatebloodsupplytothemuscles.Jumpingjacksareagreatdynamicstretch that prepares the lats, shoulders and upper back for the exercise. Theyshould also withstand an elevated heart rate so blood is constantly beingdeliveredtothesemuscles.

TotalTime=1min

Armcircleseries

Now that you are sweating a little bit and feeling warm, your muscles arepreparedtoholdbackalittlestress,butnothingtoostrenuous.Withyourarmsheldout,rotatethemforwardinsmallcircles.Ensurethatyourpalmsaredown.Next,swapdirectionsandrotateyourarmsbackwardswithyourpalmsup.Toconclude,replicate thesemotionsoncemorebutrotatinginbigcircles.Sustaineachsectionoftheworkoutforoneminuteeach.

TotalTime=4min

Huggers

Timetorelax!FakebeingMichaelPhelpsandswingyourarmsatthesametimearound your body hugging yourself. Then repel your arms straight away backuntiltheyfullyextendbehindyourback.Recall,keepmoving!Thisshouldmakeallthemusclesinyourchestanduppertomidbackpreparedforaction.

TotalTime=1min

BentOverHuggers

Next,performthesamemotionbutinabentoverposturewithyourlegswidelyspread. This should offer a stretch to the low back and hamstrings whilecontinuingtoloosenupyourchestandback.

TotalTime=1min

DanglingArmCircles

Finally,cooldownalittlebydanglingoneofyourarmsinabentoverposturewithyourlegswidespread.Then,startrotatingthatarmclockwise.Carryonthismotion for thirty seconds and then swap directions rotating counter-clockwisefor an extra thirty seconds. Repeat this with the other arm for another thirtysecondsforeachdirection.Withtheaidofgravitythisdynamicstretchcoolsyoudownandcirculatesbloodtotheupperextremities.

TotalTime=2min

Shakeitout

Shake it all out and prepare yourselfmentally to be pushed. It’s time for theworkout!

Formoreinformationwatch‘WarmUpFullBodyRoutine’.

CoolDownRoutine

Thisisacooldownroutinethatcanbedoneafteranytypeofexercise.

CoolDownStretches:

ToeTouch–30sec

InsideThigh-30secforeachside

WideToeTouch–30sec

StandingQuadriceps–30secforeachleg

HipFlexorandArmCrossPull–30secforeachside

OverheadTriceps–30seceachhand

DownwardDog–30sec

DownwardDog–LegLift/HipOpeners–30sec

PlankCalfStretch–30seconeachside

ModifiedPigeon–30seconeachside

Cobra–30sec

Child’sPose–30sec

DeepGluteStretch–30seconeachside

LyingTorsoTwist–30seconeachside

FullBodyStretch–30sec

Utilizesmoothandskillfulmotionstogothrougheachoneofthesemovements.Youdon’twanttobounceorforcearangeofmotionthatishurting,asthiscouldendup doing farmore harm than good, and even causing injury.As you can,pushtherangeofmotion,verygraduallyandverygently,butnevertothepointofpain.

Formoreinformationwatch‘HowToCoolDownAfterExercise’.

LOOKINGATYOURDIET

When looking at calisthenics, another important area to consider isyourdiet.Gettingyoureatingplanrightisveryimportantforgainingandmaintainingthephysiqueyoudesire.

Diet and nutrition are a crucial component to accomplishing your fitnessobjectives,whatever theymightbe.A“diet”doesnot implyyouaregoingonAtkinsorJennyCraigorothers.Ifyouareeatingfood,youareonadiet.Yourdiet is just what you are taking into your body. You are amachine; you useenergyfromwhatyoueat.Adiet is toapersonaspetrol is toyourcar.Manypeoplegivetheimpressionthattheyareafraidoftheword“diet”,almostlikeit’sdisgraceful.Whatisshameful-isdoingnothingaboutyoursituation.Ifyouare

weightyrightnowandyouwanttogethealthy,it’sshamefultodonothingaboutit.Ifyouareoverweightandarecontentedwithit,goodforyou!Theshameisnotinbeingoverweight,theshameiswhenyoudon’twanttobeoverweightandaren’ttakinganyaction.

Ifyourfitnessgoalsaretoachievemusclemass,thereisanexcellentchanceyouare going to need to change your diet to ingestmore healthy calories. If yourfitnessgoalsaretoloseexcessivefat,youmaynotneedtoconsumelesscalories;youjustneedstopeatingjunk,startconsuminghealthyfoods,andgetphysical.

Asamachine,youneedtotakecareofyourself.McDonald’sfivetimesaweekis not taking care of yourself. It is necessary to put in cleanhealthynutrients.Let’sreasonthisoutforaminute,ifyou’veeverattemptedgrowinganyfruitsorvegetables,you’llrealizethatyouneedtomakesuretheplantisbeingprovidedwiththerightquantityofnutrients.Excessiveandtheywon’tgrow,andiftheydo, theywillgrowbadand theproducewon’tbewhatyouhadexpected.Youneed toput in the rightquantitiesof the right things to“run” thewayyouaresupposedto.

Allthismeansisthat,youcan’tbeconsuminggreasyfoodsandhighlyrefinedcomplexcarbohydratesintoyourbody:itisn’twhatyourbodywasintendedtorun on. In place of eating Bonbon’s and Cheerrio’s, snack on some NoriSeaweedoranApple.InplaceofeatingaburgeratMcDonald’s,cookyourselfadeliciousmarinatedchickenbreast.Ifyoulacktime,makethetime,wherethereisawillthereisaway.Youdon’tneedtoconsumethingsyouhate,ifyoudo,youmostlikelywon’tsucceed.Allittakesisbeingcommittedtoyourself,wakeup earlier and cook all your meals for the day, or cook your meals for thefollowingdayatnight.

Yourlifeisn’tgoingtochangejustbecauseyouwantitto.It’sgoingtochangebecauseyoutookadecisionandmadeitchange.Nobodyisgoingtochangeyourlifeforyou,keepthatinmind.

3SAMPLEDIETSFORALLNEEDS

Youwillneed toconcentrateonwhatyou’reeatingasmuchasyourexercise.Youwillneedtocombinetherightworkoutplanwithsmartfoodchoicesforthebesteffect.

LeanandMeanDietPlan

Thisdietfollowsfourmainprinciples:

Principleone:Cutoutjunkfood.

Principletwo:Eatorganic.

Principlethree:Consumeprotein,andlotsofit!

Principlefour:Don’tforgetgrainsanddairy.

CutOutJunk

Due to bad diet, an estimated 70% of all adults in the United States areoverweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention.Thisbecauseofall thefatandsugarfoundinourfoods–andthatincludesalotofsupposeddietfoods.

Ifyouwanttoachievetheright,healthybodyyouwillneedtoensurethatyouread all the labels of everything you eat. You’ll want to know exactly whatyou’reputtinginyourbodyattimes.

EatOrganic

Fruitandvegetablesarecompletelyloadedwithallsortsofimportantvitaminsand minerals your body needs not only to build quality muscle, but to alsocontrolitseveryfunction.Wecaneatasmanyoftheseaswewantwithanydiet,becausealltheydoishelpus!

These organic items are easy to get hold of, and simple to include in oureverydaydiet.Hopefully,theyaresomethingthatyoueatalotofalready,sothechangewon’tbetoodramatic!

ConsumeProtein,andlotsofit!

It’simportanttolookatwhereourfoodissourced,becausealotofanimalsarefed unhealthy grains and given antibiotics to cope with their awful livingenvironments,sotheendresultissomethingnotsopleasant.

Stickingwithorganicproductscanhelptonegatethis,becausetheseanimalsareraisedasnatureintended.

Don’tForgetGrainsandDairy

Eliminatinggrainsanddairyfromyourdietcanhaveadisadvantageousimpactonyourhealth.Withthis,youmerelyneedtogetthebalanceright.

Eatfresh,eatnatural,eatwhole,andyou’recertaintoseeremarkableresultsinyourfitnessandall-aroundhealth.

Tip:KeepaFoodDiary

Keepingafooddiaryisagreatwaytokeeptrackofexactlyhowmanycaloriesyou are consuming. As long as you are honest – after all, you will only befoolingyourself!Thismaygiveyouan ideaofwhereyouaregoingwrong(ifanywhere)andthevisualreminderwillhelpkeepyouontrack.

Formoreinformationwatch‘FatBurningAndMuscleDietPlan’.

MuscleMassDietPlan

WorkoutDayMealPlan

Breakfast(Meal1)

1.5cupsoatmeal(120g),measureduncooked

1cupeggwhites

2omega-3wholeeggs

1tbspall-naturalpeanutbutter

Mid-morning(Meal2)

2cupslow-fatcottagecheese

1cupberryofchoice(strawberries,blueberries,raspberries)

Lunch(Meal3)

2slicesEzekiel4:9bread

6ozturkeybreast(delisliced,notpackaged)

Largeleafspinach,unlimited

halftomato,medium

Mustard,unlimited

1smallsweetpotato(150g),measureduncooked

Midday(Meal4)

Pre-workout

halfoflargebanana

4smallstrawberries

1scoopwheyisolateproteinofchoice

Post-workout

50g fast-digesting carb (e.g. white baked potato, white rice, instantoatmeal,ricecakes,whitebread,bagels,cereals)

1.5scoopswheyisolateproteinofchoice

Dinner(Meal5)

8ozlean-fattrimmedporkchop

1tbsporganicvirgincoconutoil

400gacornsquash,measureduncooked

340g (usually one steambag) greenveggie of choice (e.g. broccoli,asparagus,greenbeans,cauliflower)

EveningSnack(Meal6)

8oznonfatOikosGreekyogurt,vanillaorplain

1tbspall-naturalpeanutbutter

1tbspsugar-freechocolatesyrup

10almonds,crushed

NutrientBreakdown

Calories:3,040

Carbs:323g

Fiber:60g

Protein:271g

TotalFat:78g

Sat.Fat:28g

RestDayMealPlan

Breakfast(Meal1)

1cupoatmeal(80g),measureduncooked

3/4cupeggwhites

4omega-3wholeeggs

1tbspvirgincoconutoil

Mid-morning(Meal2)

2cupslow-fatcottagecheese

4tbspsalsa

1scoopwheyproteinisolateofchoice

Lunch(Meal3)

2slicesEzekiel4:9bread

6ozturkeybreast(delisliced,notpackaged)

Largeleafspinach,unlimited

Halftomato,medium

Mustard,unlimited

Midday(Meal4)

2mozzarellasticks

6ozdelichickenorturkeybreast(delisliced,notpackaged),wrappedaroundcheese

Dinner(Meal5)

8ozsalmon,filletorpackaged

1tbspextra-virginoliveoil

16ozCaliforniaMedleyMix,onelargefrozenbag

75gsweetpotato,measureduncooked

EveningSnack(Meal6)

10oznonfatOikosGreekyogurt,vanillaorplain

1tbspall-naturalpeanutbutter

1tbspsugar-freechocolatesyrup

10almonds,crushed

NutrientBreakdown:

Calories:3,000

Carbs:210g

Fiber:35g

Protein:305gtotal

Fat:112g

Sat:Fat40g

Formoreinformationwatch‘EatingforMuscleGrowth’.

FemaleDietPlan

The calorie allowance for men and women is different, which is below is asuitablesampledietforarounda125-poundfemale:Breakfast:

5EggWhites

Oatmeal1/2cup

MorningSnack:

ProteinShake1servingwithwater

1mediumapple

Lunch:

LeanMeat(poultry,beef,fish,etc.)4ounces

BrownRice1/3cup

GreenVeggies1cup

Post-Workout:

ProteinShake

Nuts1ounce

1banana

Dinner:

LeanMeat(poultry,beef,fish,etc.)4ounces

GreenVeggies1cup

1/3avocado

Snack:

ProteinShake

PeanutButterorAlmondButter1tablespoon

Formoreinformationwatch‘NutritionForBeginners–Calisthenics’.

6BIGGESTDIETFLAWS

Somedietflawscanreallybringourentireexerciseandnutritionprogramdown,soit’sveryimportanttobeawareofthem,sothatwecanavoidthematallcosts!

Sugar

Thisisoneofthebiggestflawsinanydiet.Manyhealthproblemsderivefromit,includingdiabetes.Thesafestthingyoucandoiscutitoutcompletely.

Ultra-LowCalorieDiet

Eating almost nothing is a bad idea. For one thing, it slows yourmetabolismrightdownmeaningthatyourfatlossiscombinedwithmuscleloss.Secondly,everyone returns to their dreadful eating habits eventually – this diet isunsustainable.

Highly-ProcessedFoods

Processedfoodsdon’tsatiateyouatall,andyourbodydoesn’tabsorbthemwell.Nature intended that we should be eating raw food, or at the very least,minimallyprocessed,andsothatiswhatweshouldaimfor.

WrongAmountofCalories

Thecaloriesthatweconsumeneedtobelessthanthecaloriesburned.Consumethe wrong amount of calories for your goal, and you will fail. So havingknowledgeaboutthenumberofcaloriesneededisvital.

Forexample,ifyourgoalistogainmuscle,thenadd200-500caloriesperday.Ifyour goal is to lose fat, then subtract 200-500 calories per day. It really is assimpleasthat.

WrongMacronutrients

Protein is thebestmacronutrientofall,butyoualsoneed toeatcarbohydratesand fats.Getting the ratios right is vital. The chart below gives a generalizedexampleoftheamountofeachfoodgroupthatweneedtoconsumedailytostay

healthy:

RelyingonSupplements

Supplementswerecreated to supplementyour traininganddiet,not to replacethem.Usethemonlyforconvenience.

WEIGHTMANAGEMENTTIPS

Gaining an overall better relationshipwith food ismuchmore successful thanyoyodieting.Hereisaselectionoftipstohelpyouwiththis:

Avoid faddy diets. They leave you feeling deprived and areunhealthy.Anyweightyoulosewon’tstayoff.

Putastoptoemotionaleating.Don’teatwhenyou’rebored,stressedorunhappy.Findotherwaystodistractyourself.

Eat in a more mindful way. Mindfulness studies show that payingattentionwhile you eat, instead of watching TV or looking at yourphone,meansthatyoueattherightamount.

Fill up on fruit and vegetables instead of empty calories. The highwater and fibre content in most fresh fruits and vegetables makesthemtoughtoovereat.You’llfeelfulllongbeforeyou’veoverdoneitonthecalories.

Don’tdenyyourselfanything.Youcaneattreats,butinmoderation.

Drinkwater tohelpyoufillup.Making thehealthy lifestylechangemightbedifficulttostartwith,butwillsoonbecomehabit.

Sleepwell.Lackofsleepcanhaveaverynegativeeffectonyourdiet.Don’tletthatbeyourdownfall!

Trainyourbrain.Wearen’tbornwith an inborncraving forFrenchfries and donuts or an aversion to broccoli and whole grains. Thisconditioning happens over time as we’re exposed to more andunhealthierfoodchoices.Youjustneedtospendsometimeretrainingyourmind.

It’s essential to remember that it isn’t just about the amount ofcalories that you eat. Each type of food reactswith each individualdifferently,sopayattentiontowhatyourbodyistellingyou.

It takes time. This is the most important lesson. You won’t loseweightallinonego,sodon’tgiveup,evenwhenitdoesn’tseemlikeyou’lleverreachyourgoal.Stickatitandyouwill.

5SUPPLEMENTSTOCONSIDER

Manycalisthenicsathletesdonottakesupplements,buttheyaresomethingyoumightliketoconsider.Herearethetop5foryoutothinkabout.

Although supplements cannot replace proper nutrition, they can help you hityourfitnessgoalsfaster.Regardlessofwhatyourtraininggoalsare,thepropersupplementscanhelpimproveyourhealth,performanceandphysique.

Protein

Proteinsupplementsworkfastandallowyoutoeasilyandaffordablymeetyourdailyproteinobjectives,evenwhenyou’rebusyatwork.Becausewheyproteinisdigestedquicklyandeasily,it’stheidealafter-workoutproteinsource.

FishOil

Fishoil’snumerousbenefitscomefromitshigh levelsofomega-3 fattyacids.

Omega-3sareconsideredessentialfattyacids.Thisimpliesthey’reessentialforhumanhealth,butarenotmadebythebody.Fishoilisanessentialsupplement,whetheryou’reattemptingtodevelopmuscle,burnfat,orboostoverallhealth.

BranchedChainAminoAcids

When consumed during training,BCAAs can advance prolonged performanceandpromoterecovery.BCAAsmayalsoreducemusclebreakdown(catabolism),potentiallyleadingtomoretotalmusclegrowth.

Glutamine

Glutamineisanadaptogenicaminoacidinprotein.It’sthemostplentifulaminoacid in skeletal muscle, and also plays an important role in immune systemhealthandthewellbeingofthewholebody.Insupplementform,glutaminecanproduceadditionalbenefitstohelpbuildmusclemass.

Creatine

Creatineisoneofthemost-well-studiedsupplementsonthemarket.Ithasbeenproventoimprovesprinttimesandboosttheperformanceofathletesinvolvedinhigh-intensityactivity,suchasweightliftingandstrengthtraining.

Formoreinformationwatch‘BeginnersGuideToSupplements’.

10SAFETYTIPSYOUSHOULDNEVERIGNORE

1. Alwaystake5to10minutestowarmupandcooldownproperly.

2. Plan to startgraduallyandboostyouractivity level slowlyunlessyouarealreadyexercisingregularlyandvigorously.

3. Take note that training too hard or too often can cause overuseinjuries like stress fractures, stiff or sore joints andmuscles, andinflamed tendonsand ligaments.Sportsprovoking repetitivewearandtearoncertainpartsofyourbody-likeswimming(shoulders),jogging (knees, ankles, and feet), and tennis (elbows) - arefrequently overuse culprits, too. A mix of different types ofactivitiesandadequaterestissafer.

4. Beattentive toyourbody.Keepoffonexercisewhenyou’resickorfeelingverytired.Cutbackifyoucannotcompleteanexercisesession, feel faint after exercise or tired during the day, or sufferpersistentachesandpainsinjointsafterexercising.

5. Ifyoubreakexercising forawhile,dropback toa lower levelofexerciseinitially.Ifyou’redoingstrengthexercise,forexample,dofewerrepsorsets.

6. Formany people, just drinking plenty ofwater is enough.But ifyou’re working out particularly hard or doing a marathon ortriathlon,pickdrinksthatreplacefluidsplusessentialelectrolytes.

7. Select clothes and shoes designed for your type of exercise.Replaceshoeseverysixmonthsascushioningwearsout.

8. Forstrengthexercise,goodformisvital.Initiallyusenoweight,orvery light additional weights, when learning the exercises. Don’tsacrificegoodformbyhurryingtofinishrepsorsets,orstrugglingtouseextraweights.

9. Training vigorously in hot, humid conditions can lead to severeoverheating and dehydration. Reduce your pace when thetemperature rises above 70°F. On days when the temperature isanticipated to reach80°F, trainduring coolermorningor eveninghours or at an air-conditioned location. Lookout for signs ofoverheating,likeheadache,dizziness,nausea,faintness,cramps,orpalpitations.

10. Dress appropriately for cold-weather workouts to circumventhypothermia. Depending on the temperature, wear layers you canpeeloffasyouwarmup.Don’tforgetgloves.

Delayedmusclesorenessthatarises12to24hoursafteraworkoutandgraduallysubsides is anormal response to taxingyourmuscles.Bycontrast, insistentorintense muscle pain that begins during a workout or right after, or musclesorenessthatpersistsmorethanonetotwoweeks,deservesacalltoyourdoctorforadvice.

Formoreinformationwatch‘SafeExerciseStarterPlan’.

20TIPSTRAINERSWISHYOUKNEWABOUTYOURWORKOUT

Here are some interesting facts you didn’t know about exercising and yourbody.

Thehumanbodyconsistsofover600individualmuscles.

Astonishingly,ifyougetallyourmusclesworkingtogether,youcanroughlyliftcloseto50,000pounds!

FrequentexercisecanreducethesignsandsymptomsofPMS.

Peoplewhocross-trainwithadiversityofexercises,areoverallmorefit,healthyandlesspronetoinjury.

For every 25 pounds of excess weight, your body needs to pumpblood through an extra 5,000miles of blood vessels. If you’re 100

poundsoverweightthatwouldbe500000miles.

Ittakes70musclesforyoutoutterasingleword.

Toensure thatyou reapallof thebenefits fromtheexercise, followthese toptips.

1.Embracereps

Don’tbeafraid tosetsofhigh reps. Ifyouwant tobuildmuscle,more reps iswhatyouneed.

2.WorkHard

Youneedtokeepgoingnomatterwhat.Whenyouwant toquit…don’t!Keepyourendgoalinmindatalltimes.Pushthroughthepain.

3.UseSimple,CompoundExercises

Sticktoexercisesthatyoucando,butthathelpyouworkyourmuscles.Simpledoesn’tnecessarilymeaneasy.Forexample,focuson:

Pullups

BodyweightSquats,pistolsandshrimpsquats

Pushups

AustralianPullupvariations

Dips

Bridges

Handstandpushups(againstawall–lowerskill,moreeffort)

Legraises

Andprogressfromthere.

4.LimitSets

Calisthenicsisallabouthighintensityinashortperiodoftime.Don’truinthatbyincreasingthesets.It’lljusthavenegativeconsequences.

5.FocusonProgressandUtilizeaTrainingJournal

Keepa journal to ensure thatyoudon’t get stuck.Constantprogress is key tocalisthenics.

6.HavePlentyofRest-YouGrowWhenYouRest

Restisvital.That’swhenyourmusclesgrow,sodon’tforgetit.

7.QuitEating“Clean”theWholeTime!

Ensurethatyourdietisbalanced.Moderation,notdenial.

8.SleepMore

Whenyousleep:

YourbrainproducesGrowthHormone.

Thebrainproducesnaturalmelatonin–probably themost powerfulhealingimmunitycompoundknowntoscience.

When you sleep, you brain produces Luteinizing Hormone, whichpowerfully stimulates the interstitial cells to produce testosterone –thenumber-onebodybuildingchemicalpowerhouse.

9.TraintheMindAlongWiththeBody

Yourmindsetisabsolutelyvitaltokeepyourselfgoing.Ifyougointoitwiththewrongattitude,you’resettingyourselfupforfailure.

10.GetStrong

Ifyoudesire togainasmuchmuscleasyourgeneticpotentialwill allow, justexercisingyourmuscleswon’tcutit.Youneedtotrainyournervoussystemtoo.

11.BeConsistent

Workconstantly,sticktoaroutineandkeepitup!

12.FollowanEffectiveExerciseRoutine

Findoutwhatexercisesworkforyou,andincorporatethemintoyourroutine.

13.SetRealisticGoals

Havingsomethingtoaimfor,keepsyougoing.Justdon’tsetunattainablegoalsoryouwontstickatit.

14.UsetheBuddySystem

Havingsomeonetoworkoutalongsidewillkeepyougoingmuchlongerthanifyou’redoingitalone.

15.MakeYourPlanFitYourLife

The great thing about calisthenics is that you can fit it in alongside a busylifestyle.Ifyou’rededicatedenough,findingtimefortheshortworkoutswon’tbetoodifficult.

16.BeHappy

Enjoywhat you’re doing. Choosing exercises you like is essential to keepinggoing.

17.WatchtheClock

Watchyourbodyclockandworkoutthetimeofdaythatyouhavemostenergy.Usethattoyouradvantage.

18.CallInthePros

If you’re just getting started, having a professional help you can be verybeneficial.

19.GetInspired

Someonewillinspireyou.Usethattohelpyou!

20.BePatient

Itwon’thappenovernight,butkeepinggoingisvitaltosuccess.

Formoreinformationwatch‘Top10WorkoutTips’.

19COMMONMISTAKESTHATAREKILLINGYOURRESULTS

1.ImproperGrip

This has got to be one of the most hotly contested subjects within theCalisthenics&StreetWorkoutCommunity.Whichgrip isproperandwhich isincorrect. We were taught to put thumb aligned on the same side with yourfingers.Butthepropergripiswhatensuresyouthemostpossibleleverage,andthatmeanswrapping your thumb around the bar. There are obvious pros andconstoeach,suchaswristgripstrength,butwouldn’tyouwantthemostsecuregripinanythingyoudo?

2.SquatForm

Deep squats are by far one of the staples of Calisthenics and good form isessential.ExRx.nethasaguidefortheproperformondeepsquats.

3.NotFullRangeofMotionPullUpsorOtherExerciseMovements

As utilized in the biomedical andweightlifting communities, range ofmotionreferstothedistanceanddirectionajointcanmovebetweentheflexedpositionandtheextendedposition.Theactofattemptingtoincreasethisdistancethroughtherapeutic exercises (range of motion therapy – stretching from flexion toextension for physiological gain) is also sometimes called rangeofmotion. Inotherwordsfullrangeofmotionmeansfullyextending.

Manypeople cut short literally their rangeofmotion and as a result cut shorttheiropportunitiesforgrowth.

4.ElbowsFlareOut

Thisshouldneverhappenforexerciseslikedipsorpushups.

5.Dips–TooLoworNotTooLow

6.TooManyRepsorSets

Doing too many reps or set and not having enough rest will result in overtraining.

7.NeglectLegs

Somesimplyskiplegsfortheirroutinewhichresultsinbodydisproportion.

8.NoRestDays(Overtraining)

Doingtoomuch,thinkingmoreisbetter

9.OverdevelopedAnteriorDeltoids

ThishappensbecauseofLatsPatternOverload

10.KippingMuscleUpsIsNotStrictMuscleUp

11.NotThinkingAboutWhatYouAreDoing

Alwaysknowwhatyouaredoing,haveaplanandknowhowtoimproveyourknowledgeforeachexerciseyoupractice.

12.ComparingYourselftoOthers

Yourphysiologyandabilitiesareunique.Trytonotlookatothers,insteadstrivetobebetterthanyouwereyesterday.

13.FocusingonStrengths,FavouriteExercisesandBodyParts

Neverneglectyourweaknessanddon’tconcentratetoomuchonyourfavouriteexercises.Focusonthehardestexerciseinstead.

14.NotCompletelyFocusingonWorkout

Trytoavoiddistractionsbyallmeansandhaveatotalfocusonyourworkout.

15.SettingUnrealisticGoals

16.RestingTooMuch

Restingtoomuchwillmakeyourbodycooldownwhichwillincreaseachanceofinjury.

17.NotWarmingUpProperly

Makesuretoalwayswarmupforatleast5to10minutestogetyourselfreadyfortheheavytraining.

18.StickingtotheSameOldRoutine

PrincipleofAdaptionstatesthatyourbodyadaptstothephysicalchallengeandifyoudon’tprogress,yourbodywon’tmakeanystronger.

19.QualityversusQuantity

Putallofyourefforttoqualityandnevertoquantity.

Formoreinformationwatch‘Top10CalisthenicsMistakes–WhyNotCorrect

Them?’

FAQ

1.Arecalisthenicsenoughforweighttraining?

Yes, and this is because it improves your functional strength, as shown byCollective Evolution, as long as you find the best workout for yourself.Everyonehasindividualneeds.

2.Whatisbest,CalisthenicsorWeightLifting?

This is examined indetails in theCalisthenics chapter of this book.There areprosandcons toeachworkout, andonlyyoucandecidewhichonesuitsyourindividualneedsandlifestylebest.

3.Cancalisthenicsbeusedforstrength,enduranceandmusclebuilding?

In short, yes. Depending on what workout you go for, calisthenics can betailoredtoyourpersonalizedrequirements.

Formore informationwatch ‘CalisthenicsExercises -BuildMuscle, Strength,andEndurance’.

4.Docalisthenicsbuildmusclemass?

Youcanusecalisthenicspurelytobuildmusclemassdependingontheexercisesyou chose to do.The threemost important exercises for building strength andmusclearepushups,pullupsandsquats.

5.Howdoyoubuildbulkmusclebydoingcalisthenics?

Buildingmuscle with calisthenics is done by selecting the right workouts foryou.ThishasbeenexaminedindetailintheExerciseschapterofthisguide.Thetrickhereistoconstantlychallengeyourselftoincreaserepssoyoucanprogresstoharderexercise.Trytofindvariationsthatwouldcauseyoufatigueataround10-15 reps and perform 3 or 4 sets of each exercise. Perform two of thefollowingmovementsinyourworkout:pushing,pullingandsquatting.

Formoreinformationwatch‘RulesToMuscleBuildingWithCalisthenics’.

6.Cancalisthenicshelpyoubuildyourstamina?

Calisthenics is brilliant at helping you build stamina and endurance. This isanother sector that has more detail in the Exercises segment of the book.Livestrongalsohasalotofinformationonthetopic.

7.Cancalisthenicsgetyouripped?

It is commonly believed that only weight lifting will get you ripped, but asdemonstratedbythisbook,andthisarticlefromBodybuilding,calisthenicscanbejustaseffective.

For more information watch ‘3 Calisthenics Exercises That Will Get YouRipped’.

8.Whatarethebestforearmcalisthenicsexercises?

Thereareawidenumberofgreatforearmcalisthenicsexercises,aslookedatinthe Exercises chapter of this book.Most of the upper body exercises involveforearms.Therearealsosomeadditionalexercisesyoucanperformwithsomeextraweights:

Flex and stretch all fingers, while making a complete fist for 30seconds. Next, open and close your fingers do 2 sets of each for a

totalofaminute.

Flex yourwrist and hold inmaximum flex for 30 secondswith theelbowstraightbutnotlocked.

Extendyourwristwith theelbowstraight for30seconds.Do2setsforatotalof2minutes.

These first three stretching exercises will get you ready for the morecomplexandmoreintenseweight-bearingexercisestoimprovemusculardevelopmentandthestrengthoftheforearm.

SeatedWristHammer Curls - In a seated positionwith your backstraight, put your forearmon your thighswith your thumbs pointedupward.Usea5-,10-,or20lbweightinahammerpositionandraiseit back and forth gradually for 3 sets of 20 repetitions. This willmatureyourbrachioradialismuscle,whichinsertsatthedistalaspectoftheforearmatthewrist.Betterhypertrophyofthismusclewillgivemoredefinitionandbalanceoftheforearm.

SeatedWristStraightCurls-Thisistoimproveyourflexormuscles.In a seated posture, with your forearms on your thighs and palmsfacingupward,witha5-,10-,oreven20lbweightinhand,flexyourwristupward.Keep theforearmswellplacedagainstyour thighsforgreater balance and isolation of the wrist and forearmmusculature.Ensuretoplacethewrist threetofourinchesawayfromthekneetoallowthefullrangeofmotion.Do3setsof20repetitions.

Seated Reverse Wrist Curls - This is to improve your extensormusclesandisalsoperformedinaseatedpositionwithyourforearmson your thigh, palms facing downward,with thewrist three to fourinches away from the knees. Grip the weight and fully extend thewrist.Dothisfor3setsof20andtakenotenottolifttheelbowsfromthethighswhenextendingthewrists.Keepthepalmsdown.

FingerCurls-Thisisasimpleworkouttoperformandwillimprovefinger and hand strength. Simply sit and hold a 5-, 10-, or 15lb inweight your hand. Turn your hand with the palm upward with theback of yourwrist on your thigh.Let theweight to roll down yourfingers, and now curl your fingers back holding the weight safely.

Remember to keep the back of your wrist against your thighthroughout theexecutionof theexercise.Useweightwhichyoucanefficientlycontrolandexecutetheexercisesproperly.

9.What are some calisthenics exercises that can exercise every (ormost) ofyourmuscles?

AbMachineGuideisagreatresourceofinformationforcalisthenicsexercisesandwhatmuscles theyworkout.A lotof theexercisesare tailored tospecificmuscles,butyoucanusetheWorkoutsinthisguidetotargetyourwholebody.

10.Iscalisthenicsthegreateststrengthandenduranceexercise?

Everyoneisdifferent,whichmeansthateveryone’sresultswillbepersonalizedtothem.However,researchshowsthatpeoplehavethemostsuccessinbuildingstrengthandendurancebyfollowingacalisthenicsworkoutprogram.

11.HowlongshouldIdocalisthenics?

This depends on your end goal and the subsequentworkout plan you choose.Someworkoutplansaremerelyforafewweeks,someareforsixmonths.Itcanevenbealifestylechangeandsomethingthatyoukeepupforever.

12.What’sthedifferencebetweencalisthenicsandbodyweightexercises?

Theyareverysimilar,withvaryingdegreesofdifficulty.

Calisthenics are a form of exercise consisting of a variety of exercises, oftenrhythmicalmovements, generallywithout using equipment or apparatus, usingonlyone’sbodyweightforresistance.

Bodyweight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require freeweights;thepractitioner’sownweightprovidestheresistanceforthemovement.

13.Whydoesthemilitaryusecalisthenicsmorethanusingweights?

Whileweightliftingisausefulformoftraining–particularlyforthemilitary–itusesalotofequipment,whichcanbelogisticallyproblematic.Therearealsofeweraccidentsassociatedwithcalisthenics.YoucanreadmoreaboutthisattheMilitarywebsite.

14.HowlongshouldyourestbetweenCalisthenicssets?

Thisisdependentontheworkoutprogramyouareusing,andtheresultsyou’reaimingfor.Restisessentialbecausethat’swhenyougrowandforbeginners3daysaweekrest isrecommended.ThechapterwiththeWorkouts in thisbookwillgiveyouanideaaboutrest.

15.Isitoktodocalisthenicsorbodyweightexercisesdaily?

Your recovery time is extremely important to your workout andmust not beignored or forgotten about. If you intend to do it daily, you should split yourworkouttimebetweenthesedays,asdescribedintheGettingStartedchapterofthisbook.

16.Candoingintensecalisthenics3daysaweekbeaformidableworkout?

Combined with the right diet and lifestyle, 3 days a week can certainly besufficientasaworkout,particularlyforbeginners.Anylessisn’trecommended.

17. How many sets and reps of bodyweight exercises is best for buildingmuscleandstrength?

Thisisdependentonyourskilllevel.TheWorkoutchapterofthisbookcoversabeginner muscle building plan which gives details for this. You just need toensurethatyoupushyourselftoyourlimit.

18.WhatworkoutsshouldIdotogainmuscleusingbodyweight?

TheExerciseschapterofthisbookwillgiveyouaselectionofworkoutstogetyou started. You will need to do full body Workouts to ensure all of yourmusclesaretargeted.

19.Whatkindofexerciseisrecommendedtoloseweightwithoutequipment?

There are a whole range of exercises you can do at home to help you loseweight,asshownbytheweightlossworkoutprogramintheTrainingchapterofthisbook.

20.HowcanIgetstrongerwithbodyweightexercises?

Getting stronger with bodyweight exercises is all about picking the rightworkoutforyou.Takea lookat the intermediateoradvancedexercises,whichwilldefinitelyhelpyougainstrength.

CONCLUSION

Sonowthatyou’veseenexactlywhyyoushouldgetstartedandhow tobegin,you’ll have no issues in turning your life around! This book has coveredeverythingyou’llneedtoknowincludingexercises,workoutplansandtoptips.

Herearethebenefitsofcalisthenics,justasareminder:

1)Exerciseathomewithnoequipment

Themost apparent benefit of calisthenics is that you virtually don’t need anyequipmentoralotofspacetoworkout.Inotherwords,youdon’thavetoleavehome.Andthisbringsotherprofits: in termsof timeefficacy, this impliesyoudon’thavetospendtimetotraveltothegym,andthenbackhome;inmonetaryterms,youdon’thavetopayforthegymmembership.

Performing calisthenics, you can (but you don’t have to) use a pull-up bar, ajumping rope,ora resistancebandorTRX,whichareverycheapandmaybeeasilyinstalledinyourhouse.

2)Strengthenthewholebody

Manycalisthenicsexercisesinvolvemorethanonemusclegroup.Takeatypicalpush-ups, for example: you essentially work your chest (or the triceps,depending on the push-up’s variation); yet to do a good push-up you have tobracethewholebodyaswellasthequads,thegluteus,thecoreandabs.Whatismore, thesemuscles have towork in concord and tone in the rightmoment –whichbringsustothenextadvantageofcalisthenics–coordination.

3)Developcoordination

It’s not just strength that you improve doing calisthenics, but it’s alsocoordination.Withoutthecollaborationofvariousbodyparts, thecorrectorderandrhythmofmovements,youwouldn’tbeabletodoasinglerepofburpees,jump rope, or pull up on the bar. Performing calisthenics, you increase yourbody’smotricityasawhole–mindyouthatstrengthisnottheonlycomponentoffitness.

4)Developflexibility

Anothercharacteristicofphysicalcapabilitywhichcanbeestablishedthankstocalisthenics is flexibility.Most of body-weight workouts include an extendedmovementamplitude– themovements arewhollyextended–which results inbuilding strengthwithout loss in flexibility.That doesn’t imply, however, thatyoudon’thavetostretchifyoudocrunches,lunges,orsquats.

Youshoulddosomedynamicstretchingattheendofyourwarm-up,andstaticstretchingattheendofyourexercisesession.Thisworksinakindofacircle–themoreflexibleyouare,thebroadertherangeofmovementsinyourworkout–and thus the greater the effectiveness of exercises. The wider the range ofmovementsintheexercises,thebetterforyourflexibility.

5)Developendurance

Lastly,ifthecalisthenicsexercisesareproperlydoneintheadjustednumberofrepsandsets,theycanreallyboostyourbody’sendurance.Especiallygreatforthemuscles’endurancearebody-weightexerciseswhichrequireholdingstillaposition for some amount of time. Great examples are plank (in differentvariations)orv-sit.

6)Losefateffectively

Ifyourobjectiveisburningfat,calisthenicsshouldbeyourbestfriend.Butforcardio, your workout should also include some strength exercises to buildmuscles and lose weight more efficiently shaping up your figure at the sametime.Thecalisthenicscanbecarefullydonewithhighintensity,andthat’swhythey are really great for fat fighters.Make sure you look upHIIT andTabataworkout to find out somemore about harmless and effectiveways forweightloss.

7)Avoidmonotony

HIITandTabataregimensareonlytwowaysforestablishingyourcallisthenicexercises.Youmayalsoattemptcircuitsorpyramidstodocalisthenicswiththebesteffectivenessandtimeefficiency.Ifyoudoworkoutonthegymwithloads,youmayalsoaccompanimentyourworkoutplanwithsomecalisthenics–justtodosomethingdiversefromtimetotime.Themorediversityinyourworkout,thegreatertheencouragementtokeepgoing.

Formoreinformationwatch‘TheBenefitsOfCalisthenics’.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

JohnCooperwasbornintheUnitedStates,butasanarmybrat,spentmostofhischildhoodtravelingtheworldwithhisfamily.Itwashisownserviceinthemilitary that first sparkedhis interest in fitness and, eventually in calisthenics.Hisdrivetolearnasmuchashecouldaboutthistypeofbodyweightexercisesledhimtotraininghisfellowsoldiers.

Afterbeingdischargedfromthemilitary,Cooperbecameapersonaltrainer.Hebeganworkingwithclientstohelpthemloseweight,buildmuscle,andachievetheir goals. It was during this time that he really began to develop his owntrainingprograms-forbeginners,intermediates,andforexperts.

Theseprogramsbecamethefoundationforhisbook.Overhisyearsofmilitaryservice and working with clients, he has learned everything there is to knowaboutcalisthenicsandhasfoundthemosteffectiveandmostvaluableworkoutsfor those at every level and for both men and women, no matter what theirfitnessgoals are.Hisprogramandphilosophyhave left clients fitter than theyhaveeverbeenbefore,andnowCooperisbringingthatknowledgetotheworld!