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Stage 2: Basics
Build foundational strength through the basics.
Introduction
After completing the preparation stage you should have sufficient mobility and conditioning
to start building strength.
Goals
Because strength is the main attribute which unlocks more advanced skills. This stage has 4 main goals:
Build strength in 4 main movement patterns
There are thousands of movements the human body can perform, but most calisthenics skills fall into four main categories:
Push
- pushing strength, mainly using the chest, shoulders, and triceps.Pull
- pulling strength, mainly using the back, biceps, and forearms.Legs
- lower body strength, balance, and mobility.Core
- compression, spinal control, and trunk strength.Every skill builds on top of the previous one. The stronger you are in these patterns, the easier it is to unlock new skills.
Master the basic exercises
It is not enough to be strong in pushing movements; you also need to know how to perform them properly.
That's because all the techniques you learn while performing basic exercises will transfer to advanced skills.
Technique matters!
I could bench 6 plates, but I still would not know how to properly do a push-up if I had never trained for it.
Learn handstand
You can do 100 push-ups or heavy dips, but only once you learn a handstand can you call yourself a calisthenics athlete :)
Of course, I am joking.
But the handstand is a foundational exercise in calisthenics, the same way as pull-ups, dips, and others.
The sooner you learn it, the better.
Maintain mobility and conditioning
This might be obvious, but it is worth mentioning that all the extra range of motion you gained in the preparation stage you should
keep, and not lose.
You can do that by reducing volume and doing conditioning workouts once per week, or by making them part of your warm-up.
Maintenance is easy
Once you gain strength or range of motion it takes very little to maintain it. At best you can perform an exercise
once per week, and at worst once per month.
Do that, and you won't lose your gains.
Exercises
No matter your level, if you are new to calisthenics you need to master these fundamental movements.
Even if you can already do many reps, they are worth practising, because they teach proper scapular mechanics and body alignment.
Don't skip the basics
Without these, it is like trying to learn calculus without algebra. It will be much harder.
The foundational exercises, grouped by the four categories:
Push
Push-ups - horizontal pushing strength and scapular protraction.
Dips - vertical pushing strength and scapular depression.
Pike push-ups - vertical pushing strength and scapular upward rotation.
Handstand - balance, coordination, and overhead strength.
Pull
Inverted rows - horizontal pulling strength and scapular retraction.
Pull-ups - vertical pulling strength.
Legs
Pistol squats - lower body strength and mobility.
RDL (Romanian deadlift)
- posterior-chain strength (hamstrings and glutes).Core
L-sit - compression and core strength.
Back bridge
- spinal-extension mobility, posterior-chain strength and shoulder stability.Back bridge and Romanian deadlift
The back bridge and Romanian deadlift do not have dedicated sections yet.
For now, treat the back bridge as a long-term goal and build toward it with the posterior-chain work. For the RDL, use the hinge and hamstring exercises shown in the lower body workout.
Dedicated progressions for both exercises are coming.
Programming
Best split for beginners is a full-body split.
Choose either one push-up or dips progression
Pike push-up progression
Inverted row progression
Pull-up progression
Pistol squat progression
RDL progression
L-sit progression
Back bridge progression
Volume
Perform each exercise 3 times a week for
2
sets. 4
to 8
reps, or 10
to 30
second hold.
1-2
reps short of failure.Total training volume is
48
sets per week.Handstand
At this stage, you should have enough strength to hold 60s wall handstand. If you can, then you should start training for
the actual thing.
Handstand requires frequent exposure
The best way to train handstand is to dedicate
10
minutes twice per day or
20
minutes every day and do handstand balance drills.Assessment
These are aspirational
This is a high bar. A 30-second freestanding handstand or 12 strict pull-ups can each take a long time on their own, so most people spend a long time in this stage - and that is exactly right. It is not a sign you are failing. A strong base is what keeps you injury-free once you reach the advanced skills.
You will know you have built enough strength to move to the next stage when you can perform these exercises with good control and technique.
20 strict push-ups
12 strict full-depth dips
30s dip support hold
10 proper pike push-ups
30s freestanding handstand
20 controlled inverted rows
12 strict pull-ups
10 pistol squats per leg
30s L-sit hold on hands
10 strict toes-to-bar
30s hanging leg raise hold
30s full bridge hold
If you can do all of these exercises without compensation, then you can move to the final stage.
Duration
This stage can last anywhere from
1
month to 2
years or even more. It depends on your own circumstances.FAQ
Before you dig in. Read this.
These exercises are too easy for me
We have 9 basic exercises, and each of them has many variations, which are sometimes referred to as progressions.
Have a look at the specific playlists and workouts to find one that is challenging enough.
Choose an exercise that is hard
You do not need to perform these exact exercises, choose variation where you can do between
4
to 8
repetitions
or 10
to 30
second hold.What if I have shoulder pain or something else?
Well that was the whole point of completing preparation stage. So that you don't have
to worry about these things.
However, accidents happen, and besides you still have to at least maintain or even better continue improving your mobility and conditioning.
You can include this work on your days off or as an extra workout that day.
Why can't I do both dips and push-ups?
You can, but you would end up with 18 sets per week for push, while only 12 sets for pull movement, which creates imbalance.
You could potentially swap out pike push-ups, but that would be a mistake, because pike push-ups are the main exercise
to build shoulder pressing strength, which you're gonna need if you want to unlock the handstand push-up.
So, the best thing to do is just master push-ups, then swap them for dips.
Why don't the workout videos follow the recommended program?
It took me more than a year to create this course, obviously some information in the videos will get outdated.
Personally, I never did a full-body split, I did a PPL split, with lots of volume, over 150 sets per week.
Initially, I made good progress, but eventually got injured. That's why I don't recommend training every day. It is not worth it.
Use videos as inspiration
Use the workout videos as inspiration to find different types of exercise variations, instead of following them blindly.
Push-ups
When I used to go to the gym, my favourite exercise was the bench press. It was
the
exercise for me. I saw people doing push-ups, but I never took them seriously.In my mind, push-ups were just a warm-up exercise, something you do for high reps.
If you think like I did, then
"stop"
. It is a mistake.Done properly, push-ups can be harder than the bench press, because they are a full-body movement while the bench press mainly works the upper body.
Push-ups prerequisites
Before you start working on push-ups make sure you have:
But most importantly, you have mastered the plank, because it is the starting position of the push-up.
Push-up selection
You can go very far with regular push-ups, but if they become too easy you can add resistance or elevate your feet.
The main thing to watch is explosive push-ups. They place far more stress on your joints than other variations, so leave them as a last option.
Beginner push-up workout
If you cannot do a single push-up yet, here is a workout to help you get there. As always, you do not have to do every exercise.
If I had to choose, I would pick two:
knee push-ups
and push-up negatives
.
Those two are more than enough to build the strength for your first push-up.First push-up progressions
Another video showing all the push-up progressions to help you unlock your first rep.
Intermediate push-up workout
If you can already do many push-ups and want them harder, here is a workout to help you progress.
Some exercises might be too advanced, so feel free to use easier variations.
Knee push-up technique
As I said earlier, technique is everything. Whatever exercise you do, always aim for the best technique possible.
But do not try to apply everything at once. Technique is a skill, and you improve it with practice.
Pick a few key points from the video, apply them, and learn them well. Once they become automatic, add more, and keep building from there.
You will get better and better.
Push-up technique
The thing about push-ups, and most bodyweight movements, is that once you learn and master one variation, you can apply the same technique to the others.
Whether you are doing beginner knee push-ups or an advanced superman push-up, the technique is almost the same.
Tempo for push-ups
This video covers push-up tempo in detail.
Different tempos train different attributes. For optimal strength gains, you want your reps slow and controlled.
Range of motion for push-ups
There is no bad range of motion. Even partial reps have their place in calisthenics.
Just make sure you use an appropriate range for your goal.
Wide and narrow push-ups
Narrow and wide push-ups can be your first progressions once you can do at least 8 standard push-ups.
They are the first step toward archer and diamond push-ups.
Diamond push-up progression
If you bring your hands so close together that they touch, you get diamond push-ups.
They feel harder than regular push-ups because of the increased demand on the triceps. They are a great progression toward more advanced variations like sphinx or Russian push-ups.
Condition wrists and elbows
Diamond push-ups place a lot of pressure on the wrists and elbows, so make sure you have conditioned them before doing these consistently.
Diamond push-up technique
Diamond push-ups and regular push-ups are very similar in terms of technique.
Just focus on scapular depression, protraction, keeping your elbows close to your sides, and maintaining core engagement.
Sphinx push-up progression
Sphinx push-ups are the next progression after diamond push-ups, with an even greater emphasis on the triceps.
They’re like doing triceps extensions using your own body weight.
Dips
Dips are a crucial exercise in calisthenics. They build vertical pushing strength, which transfers to almost all pushing movements.
Mastering dips creates a strong foundation for more advanced skills, such as muscle-ups, straight-bar dips, and the L-sit.
Dips prerequisites
Before you start working on dips, make sure you have:
Sufficient strength and conditioning in your wrists, elbows, and shoulders, especially for straight arms.
Dips require even more shoulder extension than push-ups, so make sure you have enough mobility in the shoulders.
But most importantly, you have mastered the DSH (Dip Support Hold),
which is the starting position of the dip.
First dip progressions
You can unlock dips by doing assisted, partial or negative versions of the exercise.
Pike push-ups
Contrary to popular belief, the pike push-up is very different from a standard push-up.
Push-ups mainly build scapular protraction, while pike variations build scapular elevation.
These are very different patterns. For this reason, pike push-ups belong to the handstand progression rather than push-up training,
even though both fall under the broader push category.
Pike push-ups prerequisites
Before working on pike push-ups, make sure you have:
Pike push-up progression
Pike push-ups, done properly, are a very hard exercise. So take the time to learn them.
Pike push-up technique
Most people underestimate pike push-ups, including me. I always thought of them as a push-up progression, probably because of the unfortunate name.
Because of that misunderstanding, my first pike push-ups had very poor technique.
The real goal of pike push-ups is to build the shoulder strength needed to progress to handstand push-ups. But they are easy to do wrong, so be careful not to make the same mistake I did.
Handstand
Handstand is one of the main reasons people get into calisthenics. Pull-ups and push-ups are great, but they rarely impress others. A handstand does.
That's because a handstand requires more balance and control than pure strength, which takes more practice to master.
Handstand prerequisites
Before you start working on handstand, make sure you have:
Introduction to handstand
Handstand is a complex skill. It combines strength, coordination, balance, control, and mobility.
If any of these are lacking, you will struggle to learn it.
That is not entirely true, though, because in theory enough strength can compensate for a lack of mobility. Yes, I am talking about the banana handstand (a curved, banana-shaped handstand held through strength rather than clean alignment).
That is fine to start with, but as I said, the goal in calisthenics is to master skills, so always aim to improve it.
Handstand balance workout
Once you have enough strength and mobility, you can start balance drills.
The problem is that balance training is still niche in the fitness world. There is plenty of information on building bigger muscles, some on strength in the powerlifting community, but much less on balance and coordination.
As long as you approach balance training like any other type of training, you will be fine.
Handstand alignment
Alignment in a handstand is critical, because it makes the position efficient, stable, and safe.
When your body is stacked in a straight line, your weight is supported by your structure instead of just your muscles. This makes the handstand easier to hold and less tiring.
It is one of the reasons I, at 300 lb, can hold a handstand.
The two main joints to consider for alignment are the hips and the shoulders.
Handstand hip alignment
Like most people, I tried to learn the handstand by just kicking up and finding balance. It took me 5 months just to hold it for a few seconds, which was a waste of time.
With proper training, I have no doubt I could have unlocked it in a month or less.
One of the biggest breakthroughs was learning to control my hips. Once that clicked, balance followed almost instantly.
Inverted rows
Inverted rows and their progressions are one of the first beginner exercises for building pulling strength. With rows we have two main goals:
Build horizontal pulling strength.
Build strong scapular retraction.
This lays the foundation for advanced skills like the front lever.
"Can I skip rows if I am already doing pull-ups?"
No, pull-ups do not fully replace rows. Vertical and horizontal pulling are different movement patterns.
They partly carry over to each other, but they are not interchangeable.
Inverted rows prerequisites
Before you start working on inverted rows, make sure you have:
Inverted rows workout
Use as inspiration
This is an older example, so use it as inspiration for row progressions rather than a workout to copy. Do not do eight exercises for three sets, that is too much volume.
Pull-ups
Another critical exercise for pulling strength is the pull-up.
Even if you cannot do a single rep yet, include its progressions, such as assisted pull-ups or negatives, in your program.
And no, lat pulldowns are not a replacement. I would not even call them a proper progression, as there are better alternatives.
Pull-ups prerequisites
Before you start working on pull-ups, make sure you have:
First pull-up progression
This is an example pull-up workout if you cannot do a single rep yet.
Pull-up workout
This is another example pull-up workout.
The interesting part: even though I can already do 3 pull-ups, I still include exercises like scapular pull-ups and hangs with resistance.
The same principle applies to all exercises.
Keep doing easier variations
Unlocking a new skill does not mean you should stop doing its progressions.
Easier progressions are incredibly useful for continuing to build grip, core, and other strength.
L-sit
Up to this point, all the foundational exercises we covered were mainly strength-focused. If you have enough strength, you can perform them, whether it is a push-up, pull-up, or dip.
The L-sit is the first bodyweight exercise where strength might not be the only limiting factor. You also need enough hamstring mobility and hip flexor strength.
Because of this, it is the first one where you will likely need some mobility drills to unlock it.
Like pull-ups and dips, the L-sit is a fundamental exercise, so do not skip it.
L-sit prerequisites
Before you start working on the L-sit, make sure you have:
Good core compression.
Beginner L-sit workout
This is the workout that helped me unlock the L-sit.
To be fair, most people's limiting factor for the L-sit is compression strength.
In my case, because of my build, the limiter was scapular depression.
Holding 300 lb with straight arms is not an easy task.
Pistol squats
Calisthenics is notoriously weak when it comes to legs. People think there aren't many challenging exercises for legs.
But that's not the case. We have pistol squats, dragon squats, sissy squats, splits and more.
Pistol squats are the first on the list.
Pistol squats prerequisites
Before you start on pistol squats, make sure you have:
Enough mobility in the ankles.
Lower body workout
Once you are comfortable in the deep squat position, you can start adding more variety to your workout.
You do not have to do these exact exercises, but you should not remove one without finding a proper replacement.
For example, you can do deadlifts instead of RDLs (Romanian deadlifts), or barbell squats instead of pistol squats.
But you should not remove an exercise like Nordic curls without replacing it with something that trains the same function.