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Calisthenics course
Master calisthenics from the ground up.
Check with your doctor first
This course is educational, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, older, pregnant, recovering from an injury, or have any heart, blood pressure, joint, or other medical condition, talk to a doctor before you start.
Start here
This is a structured calisthenics course for beginners.
The goal is to build strength, learn correct movement mechanics, and condition your joints so you can train without unnecessary setbacks.
The course is free and available on three platforms:
Instagram - lessons are grouped by topic and saved as highlights
YouTube - playlists are organised by level and movement category
TikTok - short videos grouped into playlists for quick navigation
None of these platforms give you a clear learning order, so it is hard to know where to start.
This page fixes that. It organises all the videos into a step-by-step sequence.
Course stages
The course is divided into three stages:
Preparation - fix your weaknesses and condition your body so it can handle training.
Basics - build strength and master the fundamental bodyweight exercises.
Advanced - unlock advanced skills like the handstand push-up, planche, and front lever.
They mirror your journey as a calisthenics athlete.
Alongside the stages, the Foundation section covers the theory behind the training: how to program, how to progress, and what equipment helps.
Stage 1: Preparation
No matter which sport you choose, you first have to prepare your body for the stress to come.
This is where preparation stage comes in. It has these main goals:
Address any existing imbalances and weaknesses
- for example, bad posture, wrist or shoulder pain, scapular winging, and similar.Condition connective tissue
- this reduces risk of injury down the line.Increase mobility
- bodyweight exercises require a good range of motion, otherwise you will not be able to perform them.Strengthen your core
- the core is very important in calisthenics - the sooner you start training it, the better your results will be.Assessment
You are ready to move on to the next stage when you pass the basic fitness tests:
60s active hang with engaged scapulae
30s plank with about 70-degree wrist extension
30s hollow body hold
60s deep squat hold
30s side plank hold
Palms-to-floor pike test
And many others...
If you can pass all the tests without any pain or discomfort, you know that you have sufficient mobility and conditioning to move to strength training.
Duration
This stage can last anywhere from
3
to 6
months, depending on your fitness level and circumstances.Stage 2: Basics
Once you have enough mobility and conditioning to perform basic exercises, it is time to start building strength,
the main attribute that unlocks more advanced skills. This stage has these main goals:
Build strength in 4 main movement patterns
- push, pull, legs, and core.Master the basic exercises
- such as push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and so on.Learn the handstand
- a foundational skill in calisthenics.Maintain mobility and conditioning
- you can't have enough mobility for calisthenics.Assessment
You are ready for the final stage once you can perform the basic exercises with good control and technique, for example:
20 strict push-ups
12 strict pull-ups
30s freestanding handstand
10 pistol squats per leg
30s L-sit hold on hands
And many others...
Duration
This stage can last anywhere from
1
month to 2
years or even more. It depends on your own circumstances.Stage 3: Advanced
Advanced stage is where all the fun happens. This is where you move from the basic exercises
to more advanced skills like the handstand push-up, planche, front lever, and so on. This stage has these main goals:
Acquire new skills
Maintain your existing skills
Explore different styles of calisthenics
Duration
This stage can last anywhere from
2
to 10
or more years.FAQ
Before you start, read these. They are important.
Is this course complete?
This course is still in development
It is not complete, and some sections and details will change as the content evolves.
That said, the current content is already enough to begin training.
How to watch it?
The videos are grouped into playlists, and playlists into pages.
Each video is about 1 to 3 minutes long.
If you are unsure where to start, follow the playlists in order.
If you already know what you need, you can jump to specific playlists based on your goal, such as strength, mobility, or a particular exercise.
Watch or read?
Both. The videos show you how to do each exercise, and the text explains the rest and is always kept up to date.
I can't edit a video once it's published, so some of them will get out of date. If a video and the text say different things, go with the text.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to improve their strength and mobility using their own bodyweight.
Although, I designed this specifically for those who want to get into calisthenics, it can be used by anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
Especially if you haven't done any sports before and aren't familiar with the basics.
How much does it cost?
It costs nothing but your time - you do have to watch the videos to learn it.
What do I need to start?
No equipment is mandatory. You can begin with just your bodyweight and the floor.
That said, a pull-up bar and a pair of parallettes open up a lot of exercises and make many of them more comfortable. For what helps and why, see equipment.
Can I do calisthenics if I am overweight?
Yes, there is no weight limit to start calisthenics training.
In fact, I designed this course specifically for those who are overweight, sedentary,
middle-aged or older, and have little or no prior training experience.
Risk of injury
Sadly, no matter your background, you have to be mindful about your training so that you can avoid injuries.
When should I progress?
The progression section covers this in detail, but in general,
progress when you can perform your current exercise with good control and technique.
Volume
A common guideline is around
8
clean reps (or a 30
-second hold), for 2
sets.If your technique is not stable, stay at the same level and keep refining it.
What is mandatory?
At first, the most important part is addressing existing issues like back pain, wrist pain, postural problems, shoulder discomfort, you name it.
These are often the main limiting factors in your progress and, if ignored, can slow you down or lead to injuries.
Beginners are more likely to develop muscle imbalances, so training all four ensures a balanced foundation.
Health comes first
A healthy body is the first and most important goal. No skill or strength goal should compromise it.
Mobility and conditioning are a must too, because without them you cannot perform the exercises safely. Beyond that, the rest depends on your goals.
Course vs. Program
I often use terms "Course" and a "Program". These are not interchangeable.
Program
is the set of exercises you follow day by day to achieve a fitness goal.Course
is the teaching material that guides you through a topic. In this case, calisthenics.Not a personal plan
Each stage includes a general program. Adjust it to your level and schedule,
or use Foundation to build your own.
Training questions
Key terms
This course is for true beginners, so here are the words that appear most often. Read this once, then come back whenever something is unclear.
Movement patterns
Push
- pushing weight away from you (push-ups, dips, pike push-ups).Pull
- pulling weight toward you (rows, pull-ups).Legs
- lower body work: squats, single-leg work and hinges
(bending at the hips, like a deadlift).Core
- the muscles around your trunk that keep your body rigid (planks, L-sit, and more).The scapula
The
scapula
(plural: scapulae
) is your shoulder blade. A huge part of calisthenics is controlling how it moves, and there are six directions to know.Protraction
- spreading the shoulder blades apart, away from the spine (the top of a push-up).Retraction
- squeezing the shoulder blades together, toward the spine (the top of a row).Depression
- pulling the shoulder blades down, away from your ears (holding yourself up on dip bars).Elevation
- lifting the shoulder blades up toward your ears (shrugging, or pushing tall in a handstand).Upward rotation
- turning the shoulder blade so its socket points up, letting you reach overhead (a handstand or pike push-up).Downward rotation
- the reverse, turning the socket back down as you lower your arms.The word
scapular
is just the adjective form, as in "scapular retraction."Lats
The
lats
are the large back muscles below your armpits that you use to pull.Starting positions
Most basic exercises start from a position you first learn to hold. These are covered in preparation:
Plank
- a straight body supported on your hands and toes. The starting position of the push-up.Pike
- like a plank, but with your hips raised so your body folds at the hips. The starting position of the pike push-up and the first step towards the handstand.DSH (dip support hold)
- holding yourself up on straight arms above the bars. The starting position of the dip.Row hang
- hanging under a low bar on straight arms, body straight and heels on the floor. The starting position of the inverted row.Active hang
- hanging from a bar with your lats engaged and shoulders slightly pulled down. The starting position of the pull-up. A dead hang
is the same, but fully relaxed.Deep squat
- sitting all the way down with your heels on the floor. The foundation for the pistol squat.Training terms
Conditioning
- gradually building the tolerance of your joints, tendons, and connective tissue so they can handle load without getting injured.Straight-arm vs bent-arm strength
- strength with your elbows locked out (support holds, levers, planche) versus strength with your elbows bending (push-ups, pull-ups). Calisthenics needs both.Compression
- actively pulling your legs up toward your torso using your hip flexors and abs (needed for the L-sit, see compression).Volume
- the total amount of work you do. This course usually counts it as hard sets per movement pattern per week.Deload
- a planned easier period, usually a week or a single workout, that lets fatigue clear while you keep training (see deload).Compensation
- cheating a movement by using the wrong muscles or breaking form, often because you lack the strength or mobility to do it cleanly.Compound vs isolation
- compound exercises work several joints and muscles at once (push-ups, pull-ups, squats); isolation exercises target one (bicep curls).Prehab
- light exercises that strengthen joints and small stabilising muscles to prevent injury (face pulls, shoulder rotations).Progression / regression / variation
- a variation
is a different version of an exercise; a progression
is a harder one, a regression
an easier one.Support hold
- holding yourself up on straight arms, as in a DSH, L-sit or planche.Hollow body
- a position where you lie on your back, press your lower back into the floor, and lift your arms and legs slightly, keeping the whole body tight.Mobility vs flexibility
- flexibility
is how far a joint can be moved passively; mobility
is how far you can move and control it with your own strength. Calisthenics wants mobility (see mobility).Reps, sets, intensity, and failure
A
rep
(repetition) is one full movement. A set
is a group of reps done back to back.Failure
is the point where you cannot do another clean rep with good form. Stopping 2 reps short of failure
means you could have done 2 more.Tension
is how hard a muscle contracts. This course uses three levels: activation, engagement and squeeze.Bracing
is creating pressure and tension in your trunk to keep your spine stable during an exercise (see bracing).An
isometric
exercise, or hold
, is one where you hold a position without moving (a plank).Tempo
is how fast or slow you move through each rep.A
negative
(also called an eccentric
) is the lowering phase of a movement, done slowly.Splits (how you organise your week)
A
split
is how you divide your training across the week.A
full-body
split trains push, pull, legs, and core in every session.A
PPL
split stands for Push, Pull, Legs
. Each day focuses on one category. PPL + Core
simply adds a dedicated core day.A few joint and trunk terms
Range of motion (ROM)
- how far you move through an exercise.Dorsiflexion
- flexing the ankle so the toes come toward the shin (needed for a deep squat, see ankle dorsiflexion).Plantarflexion
- pointing the toes away (needed in some push-up variations).Anti-movements
- exercises where the core works to resist movement rather than create it. A plank is anti-extension
(resisting your lower back arching), a side plank is anti-lateral flexion
(resisting your trunk bending sideways), and a Pallof hold is anti-rotation
(resisting your trunk twisting). See anti-movements.The chains
- the anterior chain
is the muscles on the front of your body, the posterior chain
the muscles on the back, and the lateral chain
the muscles down each side. A balanced program trains all three.Skills
Advanced skills you will see mentioned. You do not need these yet, but they come up as goals:
Front lever
- holding your body horizontal while hanging from a bar, facing up.Planche
- holding your body horizontal while supported only by your hands on the floor.Human flag
- holding your body sideways while gripping a vertical pole.Enjoying the course?
This course is free and has no ads. If it helped you, you can support it with a coffee.
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