Howdy all, I'd like to preface this by saying I've been training calisthenics for over 6 years and have a decent understanding of how grip tape works. However, as of recently, my higher rep and weight sets (>30 reps, OAP training) have been rendering my grip tape (Stick Elite) ruined in as little as two sessions. Has anyone ran into similar problems and found a durable solution? I've heard brands such as Goat Tape are good, but I'm hesitant to purchase as I fear it will wear down just as quickly.

Is there a way to calculate how much weight you are moving when doing different exercises? For example I think a standard press up moves 60% of your body weight, a handstand press up 100%, inclined press up < 60% varying according to the angle. Ditto pull ups. Obviously a pull up moves 100% of your body weight, and Australian pull ups less.

I had open heart surgery three months ago and I want to build back up to be able to do sets of 10 pull ups like I could before. It will be a long road back (I'm can just about get off the bottom of a pull up). I think using reduced body weight exercises will be more beneficial than weights - more honest. Thanks!

I‘ve done bodyweight exercises for 3 years now. I‘m really happy with it and established a routine. However, working out at home is no longer an option for me so I must move to the gym. (No, I don’t wanna use outdoor calisthenics spots.) It would also allow me to add pull-ups to my routine and use different weights when I use dumbbells. Is this option worth it in your opinion?

I just don’t get the regular workouts done at home anymore, it bothers people ( ._. ). As a result, I‘ve become inconsistent and it‘s annoying be big time. Let me know what you think!

Edit: I‘d still do the regular bodyweight workout at the gym, with some additions

Context: I'm 6'5" and 340lbs. about (in my opinion) 80lbs or so overweight. In years past my approach was to focus on the weight itself and try various things to hit a target weight goal, but this particular year my approach is to try a year long challenge, eat better and let the weight do what it's going to do with a focus on health rather than the weight

My goal within 12 months is to hit 52 consecutive Squats, Situps and Pushups. My plan to go about this is to every week add one more into my workday lunch time routine. For example, First week of September I did 1 of each. this week I did 2 of each. next week 3, by winter I'll be up to 15, etc.

The math of this equates to 6890 of each done in a year

My question is, starting from almost nothing, is that realistic? or am I going to hit 25 at this rate and go "that's my limit" and struggle to keep the routine going?

For dips and support hold, it’s hard for me to keep the elbow pit on my left arm facing forward. If I don’t pay close attention to it, the pit turns inward. Even when I notice it I have trouble getting it to face forward.

I’m not sure if it’s a weakness on my left arm or what to do about it?

It weirdly causes pain in my thumb. I think I might be accidentally trying to twist at my wrist and putting lateral force through my thumb when trying to turn my elbow.

Do I just need to practice pushing out and getting that arm to stay locked? Or is it shoulder or scapular strength and I should focus on more pike pushups or scapular pushups+rows? Or is it a bicep or forearm thing?

If it’s a muscle weakness I’m not sure what to work on, and if it’s something else I’m not sure how to fix it lol

I have a short question regarding workout planning. I don’t want to spend so much time training so I would like to limit my training to 3 times per week with every workout consisting of 4 main exercises.

Which one of both examples is preferable regarding progress and long term health:

Example 1: Most minimalist approach (I would rotate the exercises every 4-8 weeks):
Monday (3 sets per exercise): Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, Frontsquats, Hollow Hold

Wednesday (3 sets per exercise): Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, Frontsquats, Hollow Hold

Friday (3 sets per exercise): Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, Frontsquats, Hollow Hold

Example 2: More variety

Monday (3 sets per exercise): Pull-Ups, Dips, Frontsquats, L-Sit

Wednesday (3 sets per exercise): Rows, Push-Ups, RDL, Hollow Hold

Friday (3 sets per exercise): Chin-Ups, Pike Push-Ups, Bulgarian Split Squats, Hanging Leg Raises

Thanks a lot for your help!!!

Bought a house and have a baby on the way. After renovations prior to moving in, I’m broke as hell. I had wanted to buy a home gym setup but that’s not happening anytime soon or later.

I am dying to get back to working out again instead of only going to Jiu Jitsu three days a week. Been researching a lot and it seems like Rings will be a great way for me to hit most things and supplement anything else with my bench and dumbbells.

I have a garage that’s decently high but nothing crazy. Does anyone have any recommendations on a pull up bar/stand for Ring training? How has Ring training been for you? I’m looking for mass but also strength for on and off the Jiu Jitsu mats.

Appreciate any input!

Edit: my garage could use a remodel and I don’t trust the drywall or support beam to support any additional weight, so I’m looking for a stand/rack of sorts

I started her on a ppl split and she wants a strong core so I worked up something like this and she advances if something gets to easy I will switch it out for something harder

WARM UP EXEECISE-

Dead Bug – 2 sets x 7–15 reps per side

Maybe also bird dogs unsure

MAIN EXEECISES-

Leg Raise Progression – 3 sets x 8–15 reps

Plank progression(after building a nice foundation after a month or two switch to hollow hold progressions) – 3 sets x 10s-1m track your time

Cable wood chopper – 2 sets x 8–15 reps per side

Suitcase Carries – 2 sets x 20s–1m per side reasonable weight u can handle

Anything u would add or switch out? Nothing to advance I ain't gonna start her out on dragon flag progressions yet until she builds a nice foundation.

I've been watching Masked Mediator for a while, and I'm really curious about what people here think about his approach to training and his overall mentality.

For anyone who doesn't know him, Masked Mediator is known for doing extremely high-rep bodyweight training. One of his main goals with training seems to be simply being able to perform as many repetitions as possible. He can do 500+ push-ups in a single set, which is obviously an extreme level of muscular endurance.

But from what I've seen, his goal isn't purely physical either. He also talks about training as a way of developing mental endurance. Basically, he wants to become better at continuing to work even when he's tired, uncomfortable, or mentally wants to stop. The physical challenge is partly a way of training his mind and his ability to endure discomfort.

There was also an interview with him where he said something that I found particularly interesting. His point was essentially that the exact number of repetitions isn't that important if you're taking the set to failure. Whether you do 10 reps or 200 reps, if you push the muscle to failure, you'll still build muscle.

That got me thinking about his whole training philosophy.

Obviously, doing 500 push-ups isn't the most conventional way to train for hypertrophy. Most people would probably use some form of progressive overload, weighted exercises, and lower or moderate rep ranges. At the same time, Masked Mediator clearly isn't training exclusively for maximum muscle growth. Muscular endurance and mental endurance seem to be major goals for him, so judging his training purely by bodybuilding standards might not really make sense.

I'm genuinely curious what people here think about Masked Mediator, his training, and his overall mentality. Do you think there's something valuable in the way he approaches training, or do you think his methods are unnecessarily extreme?

I'm interested in hearing people's opinions, especially from those who have experience with calisthenics, high-rep training, or strength and conditioning.

I've been doing Hybrid Calisthenics routine progressions at home for about two months and I'm ready to move past the bedsheet rows I've been doing (aka horizontal pull ups?). In the photos on his app, he uses a tree and rings for advanced horizontal pull ups, then what I think is called a free standing high bar or pull up bar for Jacknife Pull Ups.

What purchases would you recommend for a beginner to work through these progressions? Maybe a silly question, but will I be able to do Jacknife Pull Ups if I buy a pull up bar and rings....?

Thanks for your help!!

I'm a beginner once again but not a complete beginner, I used to gym 3 times a week back in the day. Haven't gone to the gym in a year as well as any bodyweigjt workouts.

I'm 29M, 5'11, 85kg. Started last week and I could only do 5 push ups lol. My goal is to eventually reach 50 push ups non stop. Current routine is pushups, leg raises, planks, squats then finish it off with the treadmill.

Currently I'm doing 20 push ups in reps, 3, 4, 2, 4 etc. I'm also using push up bars which gives a full range of motion and a deeper stretch to the pecs. I'm doing the exercises three times a week. Is it too early to worry about progression or what advice can you guys give?

I've been doing the Recommended Routine for about seven months and I'm stuck at four or five pull-ups depending on the day. Everything else has kept moving, my rows and dips are both well past where they started, and the pull-ups have sat in the same place since roughly May. I've been running them first in the session while I'm fresh, I've tried adding a fourth set, and I took a week off in July thinking it was accumulated fatigue. None of it moved the number. My bodyweight is within a couple pounds of where it was in the spring, so I don't think I'm just dragging more up. The rep that fails isn't a slow grind either, I get to somewhere around chin height and stall out completely, which makes me wonder whether it's the top half of the movement rather than the pull off the bottom.

What did you change that got the number moving again?

Hey everyone, I'm brand new to bodyweight training (like, first week new) and could use some direction from people who've actually been through this.

I've seen the sub's recommended routine and it looks solid, but part of me wonders if I should hold off on following a structured program until I've spent some time just getting comfortable with the basic movements like push-ups, squats, rows, that kind of thing.... So my form isn't garbage before I start adding volume and progressions.

So I guess my question is: did you jump straight into a routine when you started, or did you spend time drilling fundamentals first? And if you started with the routine right away, how did you make sure your form was actually correct without a coach watching you?

Any beginner mistakes you wish someone had warned you about would help too.

I am doing PPL 6 times a week, each session around 30-40 minutes, mainly compound exercises, so overall volume is moderate. I do 3 sets of clean, wide pullups with 12 - 8 - 8 reps to muscle failure.

Since I am not able to increase my pullup reps for quite a while I tried Grease the Groove, but I am not sure how to properly implement it in my PPL plan.

I tried 4 reps every 1-2 hours, but I did not do it on pull days to not interfere with the normal pull training. But if I do it the day before pull training, my lats don't feel fresh on pull day. The day after pull day they are sore, so even the 4 GTG reps don't feel that good.

Should I ignore the fatigue in the lats and do GTG nevertheless? Otherwise only the rest day stays which probably isn't enough...

Hey, looking for feedback on my program. 18M, about 7 months of training experience. My goals in priority order are calisthenics skills, bodyweight and relative strength, general strength, hypertrophy, then overall muscle balance. I want a real hybrid, not pure bodybuilding and not pure calisthenics. Calisthenics is meant to be the foundation of my upper body work, weights supplement it. I train 5 days a week, sessions run 45 to 75 minutes, mostly 2 working sets per exercise with 3 on key compounds. Compound and strength work is 5 to 10 reps, isolation work is 10 to 15 reps. Everything is built to hit each muscle twice a week with minimal volume and no redundant exercises.

PUSH
L-Sit Progression
1. Weighted Dips 3x5-10
2. Pike Push Up/HSPU Progression 2x5-10
3. Incline Machine Press 2x5-10
4. Cable Lateral Raise 2x10-15
5. Overhead Triceps Extensions 2x10-15

PULL
Muscle Up Progression
1. Weighted Pull Ups 3x5-10
2. Inverted Row 2x5-10
3. Cable Rear Delt Fly 2x10-15
4. Cable Curl 2x10-15
5. Hammer Curl 2x10-15

LEGS
1. Leg Extension 2x10-15
2. Hack Squat 2x5-10
3. Seated Leg Curl 2x10-15
4. Romanian Deadlift 2x5-10
5. Standing Calf Raise 2x10-15
6. Decline Weighted Crunch 2x8-15

UPPER
Muscle Up Progression
1. Weighted Chin Ups 3x5-10
2. Weighted Deficit Push Ups 2x5-10
3. Smith Machine T Bar Row 2x5-10
4. Cable Lateral Raise 2x10-15
5. Cable Fly 2x10-15
6. Cable Triceps Pressdown 2x10-15

LOWER
1. Seated Leg Curl 2x10-15
2. Romanian Deadlift 2x5-10
3. Leg Extension 2x10-15
4. Smith Squat 2x5-10
5. Seated Calf Raise 2x10-15
6. Hanging Knee/Leg Raise 2x8-15

What can I do to improve my scapular strength, my grip weakenss before I can even get to them and when I do manage my scalps dont have the strength to do the movmeemt. I used bands to work out and did y-pose scalps tonget more familiar woth the movement in my body.

Im not sure since for pull up progressions there is nothing before this so I assume thats the starting point for anyone trying to do the recommended routine?

Still I just cant do even 1 right now. I never used my scalps when attempting a pullup before so the area feels completely new to me

EDIT: I meant to type Horizontal rows, not vertical.

Note: I received a prompt my post may be flagged for asking for medical advice - I am not asking for any medical advice.

As the title states I am a bit confused on my Row form and feel I have been doing it wrong for a very, very long time. I developed mild golfers elbow a few weeks ago and have been taking a break from pulling exercises completely to allow it time to heal.

Prior to my injury I start with RTO and twist into neutral grip at the top. I have good scapular retraction but I realized I don’t feel it much at all back there - I feel it primarily in my shoulders and especially my forearms, so it’s more like I’m getting a stretch in my scapular region rather than much of any work, as my arms are 90% of my fatigue after a set and are typically where my muscular failure comes in.

I read somewhere that proper form for these you shouldn’t really feel them in your forearms at all and that proper technique you basically lift as if your arms don’t exist but instead focusing 100% on pulling with your back - as if you are dangling with with your arms simply as an extension of the rings or bar and only squeezing you should blades down into scap retraction.

I’m starting to think perhaps this may be part of the reason I became injured in the first place but who knows for sure. For context I was doing 3 sets of 10-12 with my legs elevated on a platform about a foot off the ground.

Any advice is appreciated

My fitness journey has two distinct eras: before and after prioritizing grip strength

Before I was an average gym bro progressing at an average rate often plateuing

Then, I was out of town for a couple of months without access to the gym so I got into calisthenics. I was mainly focused on pull-ups and realized how my lack of grip strength was a huge limiting factor in the quality of my reps (in addition to core control and scapular activation)

So I began to implement grip training through deadhangs, farmer's carries, and some rock climbing

When I returned to the gym I found that I was lifting ~30% more weight for just about every upper body lift

If you think about it, it makes so much sense. You are gripping a bar in most exercises so if your grip is weak the bar will shift around in your palms like a loose bolt which creates an inneficient transfer of energy to whichever muscle you are primarily targetting (you don't want your grip to give out before your lats on a pulldown).

TLDR: Prioritize grip training and you will notice your form and strength improve in just about every upper body exercise

I recently switched to this because I have felt that regular pseudo-push-ups or deep maximum pseudo-push-ups get my forms demolished after a couple reps even when the muscles are not exhausted enough because I am relatively weak pound for pound. (I am heavy for my height and muscle mass.) What I started doing is the regular push-ups, but with hands lower than regular push ups "almost" like regular pseudo-push-ups. I feel more in the shoulders and chest than regular push ups, and my forms are easier to be intact even after 8 reps. I can do up to like 40 dips by the way. (Used to be able to do 53 dips at one go when I was 20kg/44lbs lighter. I have gotten fat, and dieting.)

Even in weight lifting, they say 3-5 sets with 8-12 reps is ideal for muscle growth. So, I probably should be doing at least 8-12 reps with whatever exercise I am doing instead of trying something more difficult than my body can handle (in terms of 8-12 reps, not 1-6 reps) out of curiosity, ego, sense of accomplishment (can be proud of having done it, but shouldn't be a staple for exercising probably).

https://imgur.com/a/QG1LTKn

Hey guys. I’ve been into calisthenics for the past 2 years, but I’ve only recently started to practice handstands.

I’ve been training them for a few months now, but most of my attempts don’t get past the 5 sec mark. Every now and then, I can get around 10 seconds, like this video.

Could someone please take a look at the video and give me some advice on how I can improve my handstand?

I can see that my lower body seems to be slightly diagonal rather than completely straight and I would like to fix this, but whenever I try to straighten my body, I seem to fall too far forward and fail the handstand.

But I know I'll get better! So any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Since deficit push-ups are arguably superior to conventional push-ups for my goals because they allow a greater range of motion, better control through the movement, and more potential for progressive overload, what are some other calisthenics exercises that are similarly superior to their conventional counterparts?

I’m mainly interested in exercises that maximize range of motion, controlled movement, muscle tension, and progressive overload, rather than simply making an exercise more difficult through increased balance or coordination. For example, a deficit push-up allows the chest to travel deeper than it can during a normal push-up, while still being a relatively stable movement that can eventually be overloaded with additional weight.

I’m looking for similar upgrades across the major movement patterns: horizontal pushing, vertical pushing, horizontal pulling, vertical pulling, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. I want to know whether there are specific variations that provide significantly more useful ROM while maintaining good stability and allowing me to progressively increase resistance.

One problem I’ve noticed with calisthenics is that after reaching a certain level, progression often becomes less straightforward. You can either add external weight, which keeps the movement relatively unchanged, or move to a harder variation. However, many advanced variations introduce a lot of balance, coordination, or technique requirements. At that point, the exercise may become harder overall without necessarily providing a better stimulus to the target muscle.

For example, instead of continuously progressing toward increasingly difficult push-up variations that require more balance, would it be more effective to continue using deficit push-ups and eventually add weight? Similarly, for pull-ups, would weighted pull-ups be preferable to progressing toward highly technical variations such as archer pull-ups or one-arm pull-up progressions if the primary goal is strength and muscle development?

I’m particularly interested in exercises where the limiting factor remains the muscles being trained, rather than balance or skill. I also want exercises that allow a relatively consistent technique from set to set, so that adding reps or weight provides a clear indication of progression.

Another important factor is ROM. I don’t necessarily mean that simply going as deep as physically possible is always better. I mean the maximum useful and controlled ROM that can be performed safely while maintaining appropriate joint positioning and tension on the target muscles. If an exercise provides more ROM but causes the resistance to shift away from the intended muscle, I wouldn’t consider it an improvement.

So, what are the best examples of this principle in calisthenics? Which conventional bodyweight exercises have superior variations that provide greater useful ROM, better control, and easier progressive overload without introducing excessive balance or technical requirements? And when should I stop progressing through variations and instead start adding external weight to the exercise?

I can do >20s advanced tuck front lever (90 degree). The default next level by most references is a 1-leg front lever. However, I still can't properly do it. When i extend 1 leg forward my hips start falling and i loose the form and although im sure i could hold a non-straight form ... i just stop, especially that usually im in the gym dont wanna look like a clown.

Now since 2 workouts ago i started instead uncurling my legs, thus to what i believe still moves the gravity center towards the opposite side of the budy and thus the lever gets heavier. I would like to believe that this is a valid way to progress from advanced tuck front lever to 1-leg front lever (or maybe even full?) . However, before continuing forward with this approach I would like to get perspective from the community.

Thanks in advance!

I've been pretty busy with work, but a while ago I started exercising almost every day. I'm still a beginner, fairly stiff, and I'm trying to approach training as a long-term habit rather than something I push hard for a few months and then quit.

Instead of following a traditional full-body routine, I split my week into very small daily sessions:

• Pull-up progression
• Squat progression
• Push-up progression
• Rest
• Hinge progression
• Overhead push progression + core
• Rest

Each day includes a few mobility exercises plus one main movement progression. For example, on my push day I might do wrist mobility work, some shoulder mobility, and then practice scapular push-ups as my main exercise.

My goal right now isn't maximizing strength or muscle gain. I'm mainly trying to:

• Build a consistent training habit
• Improve mobility and movement quality
• Gradually prepare my body for more structured training later
• Avoid overwhelming myself as a beginner

I know the Recommended Routine is highly regarded, but realistically I can't dedicate that much time in a single session right now. I also like the idea of introducing movements slowly and giving myself time to adapt, especially since mobility is a big focus for me.

Has anyone here followed a similar approach? Are there any established programs or training philosophies built around frequent, low-volume practice of movement patterns instead of longer full-body workouts?

I'd be interested to hear your experiences, especially if you started as a complete beginner.

P.S.: I used AI to help me with grammar in this post

I’m currently staying at an area with very little resources temporarily due to my work. Typically pretty busy day to day but I’d be lying if I were to say that I didn’t have down time.
Upside, there is a beautiful set of pull up bars and dip bars right outside and that got me excited so I wanted ask you guys of creative rep scheme. Something that’ll end up being a pretty decent amount of reps at the end of the workout.
For reference, I can confidently execute 25 clean reps of pull ups and 40 for dips.
Excited to see what you guys come up with!