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Stage 1: Preparation

Restore movement and condition your body.

Introduction

To perform bodyweight exercises, even something as simple as push-ups, your joints and connective tissue need the capacity to do so. Therefore, conditioning, rehabilitation, and injury prevention should be your first priority.

Goals

Preparation stage has these main goals.

Goal 1: Address weaknesses

Any pain or discomfort in your body which prevents you from performing bodyweight exercises. For example, wrist pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain, or any other pain.

Bad posture. This can range from a mildly rounded upper back to more severe neck protrusion.

Muscle imbalances. A good example is scapular winging.

Range of motion imbalances. For example, when one of your shoulders has more internal rotation than the other.

Don't ignore these

All these weaknesses greatly increase the risk of injury.

Goal 2: Condition connective tissue

Tendons adapt much slower than muscles. So even if you can do pull-ups from day one, you can still hurt yourself.

Golfer's elbow and tennis elbow are two examples of this, and they are very common in calisthenics. The best prevention is conditioning and volume management.

Goal 3: Learn correct movement technique

To get the most out of strength training, you need to learn correct movement techniques.

For example, it is not worth doing push-ups with bad form. Instead, you can first learn correct muscle engagement by mastering a plank, and then transfer the same technique to the push-up.

Goal 4: Increase mobility

Every bodyweight exercise has a range of motion requirement. If you don't have the range, you will not be able to perform it. And if you try, other areas will compensate, and this leads to injuries.

So increasing your range of motion of each joint to a minimum baseline is a must.

Goal 5: Strengthen your core

People who go to the gym for years may have huge muscles but a weak core. That's because they don't train it.

You should start training your core immediately, because you don't want to try a handstand and have your core give out before the muscles doing the work.

Programming

There are many ways to program this stage. My suggestion is to go through the assessment list. Find your weaknesses and start there.

Alternatively, you can structure your workout around these exercises:

Exercises

Plank progression which leads to push-ups.

Compression progression which leads to L-sit.

DSH (Dip Support Hold) progression which leads to dips.

Pike progression which leads to handstand and pike push-ups.

Row hang progression which leads to inverted rows.

Hang progression which leads to pull-ups.

Deep squat progression which leads to pistol squats.

Volume

Do this workout

times per week. Start with

sets and build up to

. In a moderate rep range of

8-12

For isometrics, if it is high intensity do

10-30s

hold, if it is moderate intensity or stretching

30-60s

Warm-up

Warm up with 2 sets of jumping jacks for 30s. For the general principles, see how to warm up.

Then do the following:

Wrist warm-up. Make sure you are progressing towards advanced versions.

Straight arm. You don't have to do all the exercises. Select the Zanetti hold and crucifix hold for 2 sets.

Mobility workouts

On your days off, 2 times a week you also have to include mobility drills for:

Shoulders - required, focus on your weaknesses.

Hips - required, focus on your weaknesses.

Ankles - required, focus on your weaknesses.

Posterior chain - required to keep muscle balance, but you can pick a few exercises rather than doing the whole workout.

Optional

Forearms - if you have wrist pain then it is a must, otherwise optional.

Neck - only if you have bad posture, otherwise optional.

Lower back - only if you have back pain or bad posture, otherwise optional.

Anterior chain - use it as inspiration for exercises, otherwise optional.

Cardio

I suggest including some sort of cardio once per week.

Example week

Here is one way to fit it all together. Adjust it to your own schedule and recovery.

Day

Training

Extras

Monday

Main workout

Wrist and straight-arm warm-up first, optional mobility

Tuesday

Mobility drills

Shoulders, plus any optional work

Wednesday

Main workout

Wrist and straight-arm warm-up first, optional mobility

Thursday

Mobility drills

Hips, plus any optional work

Friday

Main workout

Wrist and straight-arm warm-up first, optional mobility

Saturday

Rest

Cardio, if you want

Sunday

Rest

None

Listen to your body

This is a template, not a rule. If you are still sore or tired, move a workout or take an extra rest day.

Assessment

Standard for well rounded body

This assessment is for people who want to develop a well-rounded, strong, mobile, and resilient body, not merely the minimum capacity required to begin exercising.

Use these tests to check your mobility and conditioning. If you pass a test, that area needs little extra work. If you fail it, make that area your main priority.

Fingers & Wrist

60s active hang with engaged scapulae

- for grip and scapular endurance

30s plank with about 70-degree wrist extension

- for loaded wrist extension tolerance

Shoulders

Strict back-to-wall shoulder flexion

- to pass, touch the wall with the back of your hands

Strict back-to-wall shoulder external rotation at 90° abduction

- for shoulder external-rotation mobility and side-to-side symmetry

Strict shoulder internal rotation at 90° abduction

- to pass, rotate until the forearm is about 30° from the wall without compensating

Strict front-to-wall shoulder extension

- elbows 90°, shoulder-width grip, reach about 60° without compensation.

Scapulae

12 controlled dolphin presses

- for scapular protraction, upward rotation and serratus anterior strength

30s straight-arm row hold with retracted scapulae

- for scapular-retraction strength

30s dip support hold with depressed scapulae

- for scapular-depression strength in a support position

60s strict wall handstand with elevated scapulae

- for scapular elevation, upward rotation and overhead stability

Compression & spine

30s seated pike leg lift hold

- core compression (spinal flextion) and hamstring mobility

30s active cobra hold

- for spinal-extension strength-endurance and mobility

Half-kneeling wall rotation per side

- with a yoga block between the outside knee and wall, rotate until both scapulae, elbows and hands touch the wall.

Anti-Movements

30s hollow body hold

- for anti-extension strength-endurance

30s side plank

- for anti-lateral flextion strength-endurance

30s straddle one-arm plank hold per side

- for anti-rotation strength, trunk control and unilateral shoulder stability

30s reverse plank

- for shoulder extension mobility and anti-flextion strength-endurance

Hips

30s single-leg glute-bridge hold per side

- for hip-extension strength and pelvic control

8 controlled 90/90 transitions per side without touching the hands

- for active hip internal and external rotation mobility

8 controlled single-leg RDLs per side

- for hip-hinge control, posterior-chain strength and unilateral stability

Legs

Palms-to-floor pike test

- to pass, fully straighten the knees while keeping both palms flat on the floor

60s deep-squat hold

- for deep-squat strength, mobility, and positional endurance

8 Cossack-squats per side

- for unilateral leg strength, hip mobility, and adductor flexibility

30s long lunge hold per side

- for unilateral leg strength, hip-extension mobility and positional control

Ankles

10cm knee-to-wall test per side

- for ankle-dorsiflexion mobility

If you can pass all the tests without any pain or discomfort, you know that you have sufficient mobility and conditioning to move to the next stage.

Assessment is not exhaustive

I am still developing this assessment, so the tests and standards may change.

These benchmarks have not been scientifically validated. Treat them as practical guidelines rather than definitive medical or performance standards.

FAQ

Before you dig in. Read this.

Can I skip this stage?

I understand that corrective exercises can feel boring. But done correctly, they will give you much more benefit in the long run than just doing dips, for example.

Don't skip this stage

I strongly encourage you not to skip this stage. Instead, go through my own list of injuries from my first year of calisthenics, so you can avoid making the same mistakes I did.

The exception is if you already have fitness experience, for example years of going to the gym or an active lifestyle, and you feel you have enough strength and mobility. In that case, go through the assessment first to know for sure.

Do I need to pass every test before doing basic exercises?

No. You can practise push-ups, rows, squats, and other suitable exercises while completing Stage 1.

However, Stage 1 should remain your main priority until you can pass the full assessment without pain or compensation.

Why must I pass the whole assessment?

Without a complete standard, people tend to progress through their strengths and ignore their weaknesses.

Someone might begin advanced planche training while still lacking basic hip mobility or being unable to hold a deep squat.

Stages prevent early specialisation before the whole body is prepared.

You can't over-prepare

You can begin the next stage too early, but you cannot spend too long building a stronger foundation.

Why start straight-arm training immediately?

Straight-arm strength is essential for support holds, handstands, L-sits, planches, levers, rings, and many other skills.

For this reason, straight-arm conditioning begins in Stage 1.

Overview

These are the playlists:

Individual parts of the body

Wrists and forearms - how to strengthen wrists and forearms, manage pain, and prevent elbow issues.

Shoulders - shoulder strength, control, and posture to improve movement quality and reduce injury risk.

Neck - posture and neck strength, which affect your overall alignment and movement quality.

Hips - hip mobility and strength through every direction of movement, important for squats, skills, and lower back health.

Ankles & Knees - ankle mobility, knee strength, and lower-body control for squats, balance, and resilient movement.

Lower back - spinal mobility, control, and back strength for pain-free bending, lifting, and resilient movement.

Core - spinal stability and lower back health, not just abs.

Exercises

Planks - the foundational core exercise: stability and full-body alignment under load.

DSH (Dip Support Hold) - vertical pushing strength and scapular depression.

Pike - the starting position for overhead pushing, builds scapular elevation and upward rotation.

Row hang - the foundation of horizontal pulling and scapular retraction.

Hang - the foundation of vertical pulling and scapular depression.

Deep squat - the foundational lower body exercise to build strength and mobility.

General

Mobility - range of motion, preparing joints for exercises that require flexibility.

Cardio - endurance and overall training capacity.

Wrists and forearms

By the nature of the sport, you use your arms a lot for gripping, pulling, and holding. This places significant stress on the wrists and elbows, which often become a weak link.

I can almost guarantee that if you do not take care of them, you will run into wrist issues at some point.

How to deal with wrist pain?

Wrist pain can be annoying. I have it in my right hand, and it comes and goes.

It is frustrating, but you can still train by modifying exercises or using alternatives.

Wrist warm-up routine

Add to your warm-up

Include these four exercises as part of your warm-up.

Whether you are doing handstands or pull-ups, warming up your wrists is always a good idea.

Advanced warm-up routine

This is a more advanced version of the wrist warm-up.

First, build up to holding each plank variation for 30 seconds. Then, use the combos as part of your wrist warm-up.

Forearm workout

Wrist mobility drills are useful, especially early on. But they do not build strength. For that, you need to train your forearms directly.

You might wonder,

"Doesn't calisthenics already build a strong grip?"

Fair question. It does, but only if your tendons already have the capacity to handle the load, for example if you have been doing pull-ups for years.

If not, there is a high chance you will develop issues like golfer's elbow or other forms of tendinopathy.

The best prevention is to manage your training load and strengthen your forearms.

Include direct forearm training

I personally train mine twice per week,

sets of

reps each. I strongly suggest including some form of this in your program.

Straight-arm workout

Big biceps do not mean strong arms, at least not for calisthenics.

In the fitness community there is often a fear of locking the elbows and loading them in that position. Because of this, many people never develop straight-arm strength.

In calisthenics, straight-arm strength is crucial, which is why conditioning drills like this matter.

Volume

Do this

times a week for

sets each.

You can also reduce the number of exercises.

Shoulders

Shoulders are one of the most commonly injured areas in calisthenics, due to the high demands of overhead work and joint stress. It is crucial to condition them through strength, control, and mobility.

Shoulders mobility workout

This workout mainly strengthens your shoulders within your existing range of motion, which is where most injuries happen.

If your range of motion is very limited, also include some stretches.

Adjust volume accordingly

If you are just starting out, or you have pain or other shoulder issues, do this workout

times per week.

Otherwise, once per week or every two weeks is enough.

Handstand mobility workout

Here is another shoulder-dedicated workout which specifically focuses on the shoulder flexion needed for a handstand.

Prone YTW technique

The prone YTW builds shoulder strength and stability by moving your arms through three positions, while lying face down.

It targets the lower traps and upper back, strengthening your shoulders with no equipment needed.

I have changed many shoulder exercises over time. However, I always keep the prone YTW in my workout.

You can skip the W

The W position is basically a face-pull hold, so if you are already doing face pulls, you can skip the W.

Serratus wall slides technique

For most people, the serratus anterior provides shoulder stability in overhead positions. But for calisthenics, it plays an even bigger role. I can't name a single upper body bodyweight exercise where the serratus isn't engaged.

Therefore, it is important to start working on this muscle.

Applies to any push exercise

Please note that the first technique, wall scapular push-ups, can be applied to any pushing exercise: from planks, to handstands, to dips, and so on.

Therefore, mastering the muscle engagement shown in this video will help you with any push exercise.

Shoulder external rotation

Shoulder external rotation is important for shoulder strength, stability, and mobility, especially during overhead movements and support holds.

There are four ways to train it:

Stabilisation

– resist unwanted rotation and maintain shoulder control.

Strengthening

– build external rotator strength through resistance exercises.

Mobility

– improve your available range of external rotation.

Closed-chain

– develop shoulder control while supporting your body weight.

Choose based on your weaknesses

You don't need all four. Pick

1–2

exercises based on your needs and include them in your shoulder workout.

Neck

"Neck? Seriously? For calisthenics?"

It sounds strange, but there is a good reason.

First, like any body part, the neck can be trained and even used in calisthenics. Neck hangs are one example.

More importantly, neck strength affects posture. Weak neck muscles can contribute to slouching, which is linked to a stiff upper back and poor scapular control. All of this makes calisthenics movements harder and less efficient.

Neck workout

As someone who dealt with years of slouching and forward head posture, these exercises made a big difference. But the question is,

"Do I have to do them too?"

Optional but useful

If you have neck pain, poor posture, or issues like sleep apnea, I recommend these

times per week. Do

sets of

reps for a couple of months, or until you start seeing improvement.

Once the issue is resolved, switch to maintenance and do them once per week.

Hips

The hips are one of the most overlooked areas in calisthenics, yet they matter for almost every lower body movement and many skills. Tight or weak hips limit your squat depth, restrict skills like the pistol squat, and can contribute to lower back pain.

Hip mobility workout

This routine targets every direction of hip movement to build real, active mobility rather than passive flexibility.

Volume

Choose variations that are challenging but controlled. Do

sets per exercise,

times per week until your mobility improves.

Hip internal rotation

Hip internal rotation plays critical role in lower-body and back mobility. So, it is important to have enough range of motion and strength.

Be careful with squat!

The squat variation shown in the video is a very advanced exercise that puts a lot of stress on the knees. Please make sure you do it responsibly and take extra precautions if you have had a previous knee injury.

Glute bridge technique

A lot of people do not know how to do glute bridges properly. But just like planks, done with correct technique they build strong glutes. You might ask,

"Why would I need strong glutes for calisthenics?"

Two main reasons:

First,

body alignment

. In advanced exercises like the front lever, planche, or dragon flag, you contract your glutes to keep your body rigid. Otherwise your legs sag, so strong glutes directly improve performance.

Second,

lower back health

. Weak glutes are often a contributing factor in lower back pain, so strengthening them reduces that risk.

For these two reasons, I believe every program should include glute-focused exercises.

Progress to harder variations

Glute bridge is the first exercise you should do for glutes, but once it becomes easy you can move to long lunge holds and eventually middle splits.

Ankles & Knees

Strong, mobile ankles and resilient knees are essential for building a capable lower body. They influence how you squat, jump, land, balance, and absorb force, making them a key foundation for both performance and long-term joint health.

Workout for ankles

If you've never done any exercises for your ankles, I suggest starting with these exercises.

Volume

Choose an appropriate progression for your current level and do them for

sets of

8-12

reps,

2-3

times a week if you have limited mobility.

Otherwise, once a week or once every two weeks is enough.

Ankle dorsiflextion

Ankle dorsiflexion is your ability to bring the knee forward over the foot while keeping the heel on the ground.

Limited dorsiflexion can restrict squat depth, make movements like pistol squats harder, and force other joints to compensate.

Improving it requires not only stretching the calf, but also strengthening and controlling the ankle through its available range.

Lower back

The lower back plays an important role in almost every movement, especially when lifting, bending, or stabilising your body.

Weakness, stiffness, or poor control in this area can limit your movement and contribute to pain. That is why it is important to develop both mobility and strength while learning to control your spine under load.

Lower back warm-up

This is a great lower back mobility drill. It can be used as a warm-up before heavy lifts or in the morning to reduce stiffness.

Be careful!

If you have pain or previous injuries, you can still perform these movements slowly and with control. However, never move through significant pain.

Lower back workout

As someone who suffered from lower back pain for years, it took me a while to find a workout that actually worked for me.

But just because it worked for me does not mean it will work for you. The lower back is complex, with many different stages and conditions.

That said, wherever you are on your journey, I believe this workout can help. It may not fix everything, but it should not make things worse, as long as you manage the load.

Only train pain-free

Only do these if your pain is at most 2 out of 10. Mild discomfort is acceptable, real pain is not.

If you have no lower back pain, you can still do this to strengthen the area.

Spine maxxing

Here is another great workout for the spine. Basically, I took the exercises from the lower back warm-up and added some resistance.

I like it because it includes just five exercises and covers all the main movements of the spine.

Thoracic extension

Thoracic extension is the ability to extend your upper spine, rather than relying on your lower back to do all the work.

But having enough mobility is only part of it. You also need strength to actively control that movement.

In this video, I cover different ways to develop thoracic extension, starting with simple stretches and progressing to active and loaded exercises.

Combine mobility and strength

Choose one stretching and one strengthening progression that match your level.

Core

When people hear

"core"

, they immediately think of abs. The abs are part of the core, and although they do several things, their main job is spinal flexion.

But the core is much more than that. It plays a crucial role both during exercise and in lower back health.

That is why this course spends a lot of time on the core.

What are anti-movements?

The core's main job is stabilisation, in other words resisting movement. That is why these are called anti-movements.

In calisthenics, exercises like the plank, hollow body hold, planche, and front lever are anti-movements, mainly anti-extension (your core resists your lower back arching).

You do not have to perform every exercise in the video. Instead, go through each exercise in your program and ask:

"Is this an anti-movement? Does it work my core?"

If yes, that part is covered.

In some cases it will not be. For example, anti-lateral flexion (resisting your trunk bending to the side). If you do not have something like the human flag in your workout, you should include side planks or lateral back extensions to cover that.

Anterior chain core workout

When I started, I barely did any core work. It was mostly push-ups, pull-ups, and similar. But little by little I added planks and leg raises to my warm-up.

With more research, my core training grew so much that I had to separate it from the warm-up into its own workouts. At one point I was doing four core workouts per week. It sounds ridiculous, but I did build a very strong core.

Posterior chain core workout

In general, the posterior chain (the back of your body) is neglected in many programs. Exercises like planks, leg raises, and push-ups mostly work the anterior chain (the front).

For a healthy, balanced body you need a strong posterior chain too. This matters even more if you have lower back issues.

One of the best ways to address this is to set the back bridge as a goal. To perform a proper bridge, you have to develop your posterior chain significantly.

Pallof hold technique

If you watched my anti-movement video, you know comprehensive core training needs a lot of different movements.

The problem is there are not many pure anti-rotation exercises, especially for beginners.

That is why I like the Pallof hold. It is perfect for starting anti-rotation strength.

I strongly suggest including it as part of your core training.

Planks

I cannot count how many times in the calisthenics community I have heard that planks are a waste of time. But done correctly, they are one of the best exercises for building a strong core. The plank is your foundational core exercise.

My motto

If the universe starts with the Big Bang, then calisthenics starts with a plank.

Plank variations

There are many plank variations, but most fall into three groups:

Anterior chain

- standard planks and variations like one-arm, extended, and superman planks.

Lateral chain

- side planks and Copenhagen planks, which target the obliques and inner thighs.

Posterior chain

- reverse planks and variations, which target the glutes, hamstrings, and shoulder extension.

Cover all three groups

Include at least one plank from each group in your program.

Plank technique

When I started, my core training was only planks. Partly from lack of knowledge, partly because of my weight, and partly because of lower back pain, I could not do exercises like leg raises.

So the plank was the only core exercise I did. After a couple of weeks it became easy, so I started adding resistance with elastic bands.

Once I reached a 30 second hold, instead of just stopping there, I kept making it harder by adding resistance so the hold stayed challenging.

Eventually my core, at least for anti-extension, became quite strong. When I first tried ab rollouts, I could already do them.

Because of this, I believe you can build a very strong core with simple planks plus added resistance.

Plank as push-up top position

"Did you know that high plank exercise is the same as push-up starting position?"

That's why mastering plank is so important.

Ignore push-up references

The following few videos will show how to position your hands, feet, etc. during push-ups. But all this information can be applied to planks and other exercises.

Plank hand position

Your hands, and to some degree your feet, are crucial in calisthenics, because they are your main contact points with the ground.

They are also the first surfaces where force enters or leaves the body. So how you place your fingers, how you align your wrists with your shoulders, and similar details matter a lot.

Done right, exercises become more efficient. Done wrong, you add unnecessary stress to your joints, which can eventually cause injuries.

Plank feet position

You have 4 contact points with the ground during push-ups: 2 hands and 2 feet.

So your feet are just as important as your hands.

Mind your foot position

Some exercises, like the pike, require your feet to be in plantarflexion (toes pointed).

How to grip bars?

How you grip the bars is just as important as how you place your hands on the floor.

These principles apply to all bar-based exercises, including push-ups, dips, L-sits, and similar movements.

Weighted planks

As I mentioned earlier, I built my main core strength just by doing planks. Actually, this specific variation of the plank.

By wrapping bands around parallettes you can create a high-resistance core exercise.

Ab rollouts technique

Ab rollouts are nothing more than a superman plank progression. Once you master the plank, then the superman plank, move on to ab rollouts.

Start with the kneeling version, then move to the full version.

Don't round the back

Make sure to keep your core braced during the full movement. Rounding the back can seriously hurt it.

Side plank technique

I never gave side planks proper attention. I thought,

"Why do them? Normal planks should be enough."

I was wrong.

While attempting the human flag, I heard a popping sound somewhere around my obliques. If you have ever strained that area, you know it is not fun, especially when you sneeze.

It was a lesson to strengthen the lateral side.

A side plank is not a plank

A normal plank is different from a side plank. They work very different muscles.

Copenhagen plank progression

Once you have mastered the side plank, it is time to level up.

The Copenhagen plank is a great next step. It is usually prescribed as an adductor (inner thigh) exercise, but it trains the core more than anything else, which is why it belongs in the plank series.

Protect your knees

For the deficit variation, use rings if possible. This reduces stress on the knees.

Reverse plank progression

Reverse plank is the final piece in the plank series.

Together with the side plank and standard plank, it helps cover the whole body.

It is 100% worth including in the program.

Compression

Compression is the ability to actively pull your legs toward your torso.

It is an important position in calisthenics because it builds the hip flexor and core strength needed for exercises such as the L-sit, leg raises and toes-to-bar.

Unlike passive flexibility, compression requires you to actively use your muscles to create and hold the position.

Compression workout

Here is the compression workout to start with.

Lying leg rises mistakes

Lying leg rises is a progression of hollow body hold, and hollow body hold is progression of the plank. So, once those exercise become easy, move to leg rises. It is a skill worth mastering.

DSH (Dip Support Hold)

The starting position for push-ups is a plank. The starting position for pull-ups is an active hang. For dips, it is the

Dip Support Hold (DSH)

DSH not only helps you unlock dips, but also builds strong scapular depression.

Depression is very important, because all support holds depend on it. If you cannot properly support yourself on bars, you will struggle to progress to movements like ring dips or even L-sit.

DSH progression

You can progress towards DSH using assisted versions of the exercise.

Pike

The pike is a position similar to the plank - your body folded at the hips while you perform a movement.

Pike is the first progression towards the handstand, handstand push-up, 90-degree push-up, and any other inverted body exercise.

Scapular elevations technique

When your body is inverted, like in a handstand, you need to elevate your scapulae. Otherwise your shoulders sag and the position becomes hard to hold.

This is where scapular elevations come in. They are the first progression for building shoulder and scapular strength for the handstand.

They are also relatively easy compared to pike push-ups, so they can go in a beginner program.

Handstand strength workout

Next step after the pike

Once you have mastered pike position move into wall supported handstand position and perform same movements.

The biggest mistake beginners make is jumping straight into balance training without building enough strength first.

It is hard to balance a handstand when your shoulders sag or your wrists hurt.

So first, make sure you can hold at least a 1 minute wall handstand with proper shoulder and scapula mechanics before you start balance training.

Row hang

Many different exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and dips have their own names for the starting position, but inverted rows don't.

So this is my attempt to standardise the name. I hope it makes sense :)

There are two main exercises in this position: the hold itself and scapular retractions.

Both of these movements will help you to unlock inverted rows and eventually front lever.

Scapular retractions technique

Scapular retractions are a great progression to start building horizontal pulling strength and to learn how to retract your scapulae properly.

Even if rows are easy for you, I recommend including this exercise.

Hang

The hang is the foundational position for vertical pulling. Pull-ups, muscle-ups, skin the cat, and many other exercises all start from the hang.

So mastering it is essential.

Hang technique

There is a common debate in the fitness community about how to perform pull-ups:

"Should you depress your scapulae before pulling or not?"

Some say yes, others disagree.

The real issue is that scapular depression and engagement is a multi-step process, which is where the confusion comes from. Here are three starting positions for pull-ups:

Dead hang

- everything is relaxed and nothing is engaged. Most people agree this is the worst position to start from, since neither your scapulae nor your lats are active.

Active hang

- you engage your lats by externally rotating your shoulders. This naturally causes slight scapular depression. This is the position you want to start your pull-up from.

Depressed hang

- you go beyond the active hang and fully depress, and slightly retract, your scapulae. If you start here, your shoulders may shrug during the movement.

Basically, people confuse the

active hang

, which already involves some scapular depression, with a fully depressed hang where you force maximal depression.

One-arm dead hang progression

This is the next progression for the dead hang.

Watch the load

Be careful, it places a lot of stress on your forearm tendons. If the load is not managed well, you can develop tendinitis.

Only do this once you can hold at least 60s active hang.

Scapular pull-ups technique

Scapular pull-ups are the first progression for pull-ups, just like scapular retractions are for inverted rows.

Even if you can do many pull-ups, if you have never done scapular pull-ups I strongly suggest including them. They teach you how to properly depress your scapulae and engage your lats.

Legs

At this stage your main focus is to build a foundation you can later add skills to. Consider this analogy:

Legs are important

Just as you cannot build a lasting house on a weak foundation, you cannot build lasting skills without a solid base.

The house will crumble, and your front lever may lead to injuries.

Legs are part of that foundation.

Once you reach an advanced stage, you can pay less attention to legs, unless you are working on leg-focused skills like the dragon squat.

Beginner leg exercises

Once you are comfortable with bodyweight squats, you do not need to keep adding more and more reps.

Instead, you can progress by increasing range of motion, changing your stance and gradually shifting more load onto one leg.

Hamstring flexibility

Hamastring flexibility is crucial for many advanced skills in calisthenics. And to improve it is not that hard, it just takes time and patience.

Deep squat

The deep squat is one of the most important beginner exercises. It improves mobility in your ankles, knees and hips while building strength, control and stability through a deep range of motion.

It also helps you become comfortable in the bottom position and creates a strong foundation for exercises such as weighted squats, Cossack squats and pistol squats.

Deep squat progression

If you are lacking the mobility to get into position, here are some alternatives.

Deep squat hold workout

Once you can get into a deep squat, here's the workout to solidify it.

Volume

Do these exercises every second day. For weighted exercises,

seconds is enough; for non-weighted ones, go for

seconds.

sets each.

Get comfortable in deep squat

Make sure to become comfortable in this position before you start doing any other leg exercises. This is because a lack of mobility can lead to injuries.

Narrow deep squat

The next progression after mastering the deep squat is to reduce the width between your feet. This is called a narrow deep squat. It is an intermediate progression towards the pistol squat bottom hold.

How to make deep squat harder?

The narrow deep squat is just one way to make this exercise harder. This video shows other ways to do so.

You don’t have to do every exercise. Choose a few of them and incorporate them into your warm-up, mobility, or strength training.

Mobility

Calisthenics is not like yoga, where flexibility is a strict requirement. But some skills do require enough flexibility to perform. The pistol squat, for example, needs enough ankle dorsiflexion.

Mobility also reduces injury risk.

Morning mobility routine

Mobility is one of the most important habits you can build. That's why I do this routine every morning, working through each joint from the wrists down to the hips.

You don't have to copy it exactly. Keep circle-type exercises for every joint, then add a few that target your weaknesses or a specific goal.

Volume

set per exercise, every morning. Move slowly, with control, and go through the end range.

Full body mobility workout

This is my older full-body mobility workout. It goes through each joint and covers every possible movement for it.

I keep it here only as a library of exercise examples. Pick from it when you want to work on a specific joint or movement.

Prefer the morning routine

This workout is no longer what I recommend. It is too long, and it is closer to flexibility training than mobility, so you end up tired after it.

Mobility work should leave you feeling better, not tired. Follow the morning mobility routine instead.

Cardio

Cardio is not only about weight loss, which is driven mainly by a calorie deficit. For example, I have done calisthenics for a year and have not lost weight at all.

Better endurance also supports your overall calisthenics training, so I strongly suggest including some form of cardio.

Core circuit

It is a Tabata-style workout: six plank variations held for 30 seconds each, with 30 seconds of rest between them. It takes about 3 minutes.

You can do three rounds a couple of times a week.

It does not have to be this exact workout. You can swap the exercises, or do something simpler like jogging.

Volume

A good starting point for cardio is

min short sessions,

times per week.

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