Calisthenics Training Guide
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I
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- How to progress in calisthenics without beginner mistakes -
BY
CALISTHENICS FAMILY
This eBook is available at https: / / calisthenics - family.com
E - book design : Yannick Woerdman
Photography: Calisthenics Family
© Calisthenics Family V.O.F. Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Copyrights
This ebook: The Calisthenics Training Guide is the property of Calisthenics Family V.O.F. All images, information, layout and
designs belong to Calisthenics Family V.O.F. No part of this publication may be shared, reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, other electronic methods, without the prior
written permission of Calisthenics Family V.O.F.
Disclaimer
This disclaimer governs the use of this eBook. By using this eBook, you accept this disclaimer in full. We will ask you to
agree to this disclaimer before you can access the eBook. The advice of a medical professional should be sought before
participating in any physical activity or exercise program. Participation in physical exercise or training activities outlined in
this eBook, you do so entirely at your own risk. The author and publisher shall inno event be held liable to any party for any
direct, indirect, punitive special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this
material, which is provided as is and without warranties.
Physical exercise can be strenuous and subject to risk of serious injury ( including but not limited to musculoskeletal injury,
spinal injuries, abnormal blood pressures, and rare instances heart attack or death) it is urged thatyou obtain physical
examination from a doctor before using ant exercise equipment or participating in any exercise activity. Any recommendation
for changes in diet including the use of food supplements are your responsibility and you should consult a physician prior to
undergoing dietary or food supplement changes. Results will vary. Exercise and proper diet are necessary to achieve and
maintain weight loss and muscle definition.
The author and publisher of this eBook and the accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing this eBook .
The author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or
completeness of the contents of this eBook. The information contained in this eBook is strictly for educational purposes.
Therefore, if you wish you apply ideas contained in this eBook, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. The author
and publisher disclaim any warranties ( express or implied), merchantability, or fitness for any particular purposes. No part
of this eBook may be copied, shared, or changed in any format, sold or used in any way under any circumstances.
CONTENTS
I. Introduction
4
2 About Calisthenics Family
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3 W h a t is Calisthenics
7
4 W h y Calisthenics
9
5 Training M e t h o d Explained
11
6 E x a m p l e Training Routines
14
7. 10 Crucial Training Principles
18
8 Calisthenics M y t h s & The A n s w e r s
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9 Nutrition & Calisthenics
23
10 . Workout P r o g r a m s
30
I I . Equipment & A p p a r e l
37
12 . Words o f E n c o u r a g e m e n t
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Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Calisthenics Family
We are glad that you are willing to start the best sport on earth.
A lot of people have already joined the Calisthenics Family by starting their journey! Now it ' s time
for you to start as well. With this "Calisthenics Training Guide ” we want to give you all the necessary
information that you need before starting Calisthenics.
Why are we giving this information for free?
Well, we often hear that people find it difficult to start with Calisthenics. Finding a well- structured
program with calisthenics seems to be quite difficult because there are so many different skills to
train and exercises to do. It can be very frustrating if you're willing to put in the work but don’t
know how to start ( we have experienced this as well). Some skills seems impossible to achieve,
think about the Human Flag. You are asking your body to move in directions and angles that it has
never done before and therefore it seems impossible. But it ’s not!
We as former "fitnessers” also found it difficult, we didn't know how to start when we switched to
calisthenics training only. It took us a lot of unnecessary time, trial and errors in the first years to
create a training method that works. With this guide we want to prevent wasting your time so you
can get started the right way from the first day!
We are confident that we can support anyone in achieving their calisthenics or fitness goals! If you
apply what we are going to teach you in this guide, you will achieve great calisthenics skills, a nice
physique and full body control!
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ABOUT CALISTHENICS FAMILY
Calisthenics Family was founded in 2017 by the brothers Michael & Yannick. However, their passion
for fitness and calisthenics began years ago. In the first few years the focus was mainly
bodybuilding and weight lifting. During this period they have gained a lot of knowledge and
experience about fitness, nutrition and the functions of the body. At the beginning of 2016 their
passion for calisthenics started and they switched from fitness to the sport calisthenics.
.
In the first year they had to learn and discover about the sport calisthenics After many trials, errors
and trying out different training methods, they have managed to create a good structure to learn
calisthenics properly and systematically. After achieving various calisthenics skills on their own
such as the muscle - up, the handstand, the backlever and the human flag, they have decided to help
and coach other people in achieving these goals as well. This is how " Calisthenics Family " is
founded.
2.1 The Mission of Calisthenics Family
Our mission is to show all the benefits of calisthenics to as many people as possible, and make
them part of the family where progressing together is the main objective.
Calisthenics Family expresses its mission specifically on two aspects; learning impressive
calisthenics skills WHILE getting a muscular athletic physique. Why ? Without a muscular / athletic
body, a skill looks much less " impressive"! It is the combination of a proper muscled athletic body
and the capacity to perform a nice set of skills that makes Michael & Yannick unique and also
everyone connected to the Calisthenics Family. If you cannot find yourself in this mission, that is
totally fine, but it ’s a waste of time to read any further. If you do want to learn skills while becoming
muscular, then keep on reading.
2.2
How Calisthenics Family Realizes Its Mission
To accomplish this mission, Michael & Yannick first gained additional knowledge by following a
specific calisthenics trainer course at the Calisthenics Training Institute ( “ hetCOI” ), based in
Amsterdam. During this course they have learned the most important aspects of training and
coaching specifically in the field of calisthenics. They have learned about the anatomy and
physiology of the body, the principles of training and adaption of the body such as progressive
overload, reversibility, didactic training approaches of the physical capacity, the principles of
teaching and coaching, injury prevention and the importance of nutrition in combination with
calisthenics.
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After extensive experience in training, coaching and giving weekly group training sessions,
Calisthenics Family now organizes workshops throughout the country and provides online coaching
that has already helped over hundreds of people around the world by achieving their calisthenics
goals.
Our Passion
Helping people to achieve the things that often seem impossible is what Michael & Yannick are
passionate about and gives them new energy every day. Calisthenics Family is based on the
principle that everyone can achieve their calisthenics goals by applying the right training method
and the mind - set that fits within this sport. Therefore, they have developed an unique training
method that you will learn about in this training guide. This will help you to start from scratch all
the way to becoming a master of your own bodyweight.
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WHAT IS CALISTHENICS?
Before we dive deeper into the training method, we think it ' s important that you first know what
Calisthenics is and where it comes from.
3.1 The origins of Calisthenics
The sport has its origins in Greece. Here the name " Calisthenics" was formed from the Greek words
" Kalos" meaning " beauty" and " Sth é nos" meaning " power ". So calisthenics stands for " Beautiful
power "!
Calisthenics contains any form of strength training where you mainly use your own bodyweight and
is often referred to “ bodyweight training". The main goal with calisthenics is to control your own
body and create beautiful power ( like the name says). However, we do not see calisthenics just as
beautiful power, but as a great personal adventure in which you can discover yourself. It is so much
more than just strength training like gym exercises. Calisthenics challenge you both mentally and
physically to get the best out of yourself.
.
For a long period, calisthenics was only referred to basic exercises such as push ups and pull ups
This has changed considerably in recent times. Nowadays basic exercises, also known as basics, are
one of the three training aspects within calisthenics. The powermoves, also called skills and
freestyle are two other aspects that can no longer be ignored when speaking about calisthenics.
3.2
Basics
With the basics we mean the exercises as push ups, pull ups, dips and squats. Before you start with
calisthenics, it is essential that you get the basics well under control. Even if you have more
experience with calisthenics, the basics always remain an important element of your training.
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3.3
Powermoves
/ Skills
Powermoves or skills are mostly exercises where you hold the body in a certain angle for a certain
.
amount of time You can think of the handstand, the frontlever, the backlever, the human flag or the
planche. These exercises are also called ' holds' and therefore require a lot of static power. This
means that the body is held at an anglewhere the body does not move but has to provide a lot of
force to counteract gravity. These skills can be learned through training a number of steps and
progressions until the final progression is reached, which is the skill itself.
.
However, not all skills are holds and statics Some skills consists out the the movement from a
certain postition into another postition. Take for example the L- sit to Handstand. These are 2 holds
that overflow in each other through a dynamic movement. More examples are the Muscle Up,
Handstand Push ups and the Impossible Dip. Such skills are often called ‘dynamics'.
3.4
Freestyle
Freestyle is a free form of exercising all kinds of calisthenics exercises. You can see this as an
act / choreochraphy where everything is allowed. Freestyle is often where calisthenics competitions
are based on. Within a few minutes you need to show your coolest set of skills. One aspect that
makes freestyle unique are the explosive dynamic movements in combination with the static
exercises. Examples of real eal freestyle exercises are the 360 Muscle up, the Shrimpflip and the
Switschblade.
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WHY CALISTHENICS?
There are many benefits why you should start with calisthenics. In this paragraph we explain the 5
most important reasons in our opinion.
4.1 Learn Impressive Skills
.
One of the coolest things about calisthenics is that you can learn epic skills This is due to the fact
that you train with your own body weight. Therefore, instead of addingextra weights, like people do
in the gym, you have to play with gravity to increase the load of the exercise. This ultimately results,
for example, in a frontlever, a backlever or even a human flag!
4.2 Develop Real Functional Strength
With calisthenics you build real power. Why are we talking about real power ? This is because with
calisthenics you will learn to control your own bodyweight first before you start training with extra
weights. In comparison with the gym, it ' s the complete opposite. In the gym you often you see
big / muscular guys pushing a lot of weights but if you ask them to make a muscle up or do an
exercise with their own bodyweight, they often have troubles doing that. Note that we don't have
anything against this, in fact, that is how we started as well. But when we noticed the difference, it
seemed more logical to us: first bodyweight, then extra weight.
In addition to this, with calisthenics you stimulate every small muscle fibres with all the compound
bodyweight exercises, such as a handstand push up. As a result, your muscles will not become stiff
due to isolated exercises, but they get super functional.
4.3
Get a Sixpack Fast
Like we said before, by doing calisthenics you are
constantly doing compound exercises. With these
exercises there is a lot of coordination involved
that requires a large capacity of your core. Think
about a handstand or other static exercises like
the front lever. Even with basic exercises like a
push up you need to tighten your abs to stay in
the right horizontal position. Therefore, with
calisthenics the core is the most important part
of your body. Without realizing it, you always train
your abdominal muscles. A nice advantage of this
is that you’ll get a sixpack relatively quick without
specifically training for it!
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4.4
Get a Lean & Athletic Physique
By doing calisthenics you develop a lean ( low fat)
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and athletic body, also known as a " beach body".
This is because you are constantly moving and
never really sit on a bench like gym machines. In
addition, you work multiple muscle groups at the
same time because of the compound movements.
These two aspects provide a high intensity of the
training. And the higher the intensity, the more
fat will be burned, so the leaner you will become.
f
Calisthenics also has many different types of
training, such as static training, dynamic training,
explosive training and circuit training for
endurance. By applying all these different types
of training, the muscles get loaded in different
ways which stimulates muscle growth. People
often think that you can’t get muscular by training
with your own bodyweight. That is a myth and
complete nonsense!
4.5
)
Get Super Flexible
By doing calisthenics you will become a lot more
flexible. At the beginner stage of calisthenics, a
high level of flexibility is not required for the
basic exercises such as the push up or pull up.
However, when time passes and you become more
advanced, you will need strive for full body
control. Think about a straight handstand, an L- sit
to handstand or a straddle backlever ( a backlever
with spread legs). These exercises require a lot of
flexibility in your legs to straighten or spread
them. Stretching helps to get stronger and
healthier muscles. It is very important to stretch
your muscles regularly to create a greater
capacity of movement. If you do not stretch your
muscles, they will become tense which makes it
difficult to use them completely.
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TRAINING M E T H O D EXPLAINED
In this section we will explain how our training method is defined in 4 different aspects, how you
can structure a training week and we will give you an example training routine.
5.1 Our Training Method Defined
.
We define calisthenics in 4 aspects; Strength, Skills, Flexibility and Mobility Every part is crucial to
progress with calisthenics and has a positive influence on one another. In a model we can visualize
this as as follows:
Skills
Flexibility
PROGRESS
Mobility
Strength
From Michael & Yannick ' s own training experience and the application of this methodology to their
online clients and group training sessions, it turned out that a development in these 4 aspects
works best for both beginners and advanced. Because of the the importance of each aspect, we will
dive deeper into them in the following paragraphs.
5.2 Skills (Straight Arms)
The skills mainly involve static exercises such as the handstand, the frontlever, the backlever, the
human flag and the planche. The reason why " straight arms" is in brackets is because these
exercises are all held with straight arms. During these exercises the body is held at a specific angle
where the body does not move but has to provide a lot of force to counteract gravity. As we
described before, these skills can be learned through training a number of steps and progressions
until the final progression is reached.
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5.3
Strength ( Bent Arms )
With the strength exercises we mean dynamic bodyweight exercises such as a muscle up, a
handstand push up or even a one arm push - or pull up. The reason why " bent arms" is in brackets is
because these exercises are performed with bent arms where there is muscle contraction
(tightening / contracting of muscle tissue ).
5.4
Flexibility
Flexibility refers to the degree of stretch of the muscles. Also called agility of the muscles. The
flexibility depends on the individual muscle length and can be influenced by stretching exercises.
With calisthenics, a large muscle length (flexibility ) is essential for certain exercises. For example, a
straight handstand, an L- sit to a handstand or a straddle frontlever where the legs are spread out.
5.5 Mobility
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Mobility refers to the movement capacity of the joints.
The mobility of a joint determines in which direction the
joint can move. The more mobile the joint is the further
the bones can move. A large mobility is essential for
calisthenics because you ask your body to move in
unknown positions. For example, think of a “ Skin the Cat ”
where your complete body hangs upside down on your
shoulder capsule.
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Often flexibility and mobility get confused. The flexibility
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of the body is thus determined by the muscles and the
mobility determines the movement capacity of the joints.
5.6 Structure in Your Calisthenics Training
Now that we know which 4 aspects are important while training calisthenics, it is important to know
how you can best implement these in your weekly training routine. There are endless possibilities
that you can think of and that Michael & Yannick have tried. Consider, for example, a split routine
where you train each muscle group separately, a push - pull- leg routine or an upper - lowerbody
routine. We all know them.From experience and also from scientific research it appears that
frequency and thus the number of times you target a particular muscle group is important to learn
a certain skill. Think for example of piano playing. The more often you do it ( not the longer ), the
faster you learn it. This also works with learning a handstand, frontlever or muscle - up. Remember,
therefore: "Frequency is key ". This means that it ' s better to train a bit shorter and then do the same
kind of exercises on another day.
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5.7 Strength & Skill Routine
With the knowledge that frequency is important, we recommend a training method that is based on
a split into strength training ( bent - arm) and skill training ( straight - arm ). This would look as follows:
Day 1
Skill /
Straight Arm
Day 2
Rest
/
Flexibility
Day 3
Strength /
Bent Arm
Day 4
Rest
/
Mobility
Day 5
Skill /
Straight Arm
Day 6
Rest
/
Flexibility
Day 7
Strength /
Bent Arm
Why a split into strength and skill training? As we mentioned: "frequency is key". By distinguishing
these 2 training types you ensure that you train both the skill exercises and the strength exercises
at least twice a week. In addition, you will actually target the skills that you ' re trying to learn 4
times per week since the workouts have a positive influence on each other. Mainly the strength
training contributes to the skill training. By alternating between a day of training and a day of rest,
you also make sure that your muscles get enough time to recover ( 48 hours). It is important to give
your muscles enough rest, since you always train multiple muscle groups at the same time
( shoulders, back, chest, core & arms).
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EXAMPLE TRAINING ROUTINES
Now that you know the most suitable training method for calisthenics, it is now important to know
.
how you can actually start and implement this In this section we will show you a number of
routines based on the above training method, but we will also give a few examples of other training
methods so you which other methods are common with calisthenics training.
6.1 Strength & Skill Training Routine Example
The first example continues on the training method that we have just explained. Now that you know
on which days you can do which training, we will now describe which exercises you can do on each
training day. We are giving you an example of a handstand ( & HSPU), backlever and muscle up
routine.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Skill
Flexibility
Strength
Mobility
Skill
Flexibility
Strength
Exc. 1
Handstand
Forward
Folds
Muscle
Shoulder
Handstand
Muscle
Ups
Mobility
Hold
Fowards
Folds
Exc. 2
Backlever
Back
Bending
Handstand
Wrist
Mobility
Backlever
Back
Bending
Handstand
Exc. 3
Wall
Hold
Hold
Pushups
Wall
Dips
Handstand
Exc. 4
Backlever
Exc. 5
Hollow
Holds
Push Ups
Exc. 6
Superman
Holds
Squats
Hold
Handstand
Backlever
Pull Ups
Drops
Ups
Pushups
Dips
Pull Ups
Drops
Hollow
Push Ups
Holds
Superman
Holds
Squats
In the video below, Michael explains how he applied this training method, to train for
the frontlever and the planche at the same time.
Frontlever Training method explained!
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6.2 Split Training Routine example
In the split workout routine, each week is divided into training days based on different muscle
groups. This routine works well for beginners to build basic strength. However, we do not
recommend this routine for non - beginner calisthenics athletes since the frequency of the exercises
/ muscle groups is very low. In addition, it is almost impossible to train all muscle groups
separately, because with bodyweight exercises you often activate several muscle groups at the same
time. Think about a “ Muscle - up ” that works the back, the shoulders and arms.
A typical Calisthenics split routine looks as follows:
Day 1
Exc. 1
Exc. 2
Exc. 3
...
6.3
Day 2
Day 3
Chest
Back
Legs & Core
Archer
Pullups
Pistol
Pushups
Deep Ring
Day 4
Arms
Handstand
Pushups
Dips
Lunges
Pike
Pushups
Tricep
Extensions
Leg Raises
Tigerbend
Pushups
Pelican
...
...
Pushups
Incline
Australian
Pushups
Pullups
...
...
Day 6
Shoulders
Rest
Squats
Chin ups
Day 5
...
Day 7
Rest
Curls
Push, Pull & Legs Routine Example
The push, pull, legs routine is a routine that is widely used in the gym, but also by calisthenics
athletes. The advantage of this routine is that you train every muscle group at least twice a week.
The disadvantage is the distinction in push & pull. With calisthenics you often activate your back
muscles as well as your chest and shoulders during bodyweight exercises, so that makes it hard to
divide workouts in push and pull. An example a calisthenics push, pull, legs routine looks like this:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Push
Pull
Legs
Ring
Pullups
Bar Pistol
Aus. Ring
Walking
Pullups
Lunges
Ring
Pushups
Pelican
Deep
Curls
Squats
...
...
...
Push
Pull
Legs
Handstand
Wide grip
Pistol
Pushups
Pullups
Squats
Pike
Pushups
Exc. 2
Dips
Chin ups
Lunges
Ring Dips
Exc. 3
Pushups
...
...
Exc. 1
Australian
Box Jumps
Pullups
...
Rest
...
Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
Day 7
Squats
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6.4 Greasing the Groove
The greasing the groove training method is a method where you do a certain exerciseseceral times a
day at a low intensity. The main advantage is that it activates your brain and nervous system so your
body gets used to the exercise. The disadvantage is that you never can train maximally. Therefore
this method is often combined with an other workout routine. Combining this method with the
skill / strength workout routine works very well. We have personally applied this ourselves to learn
the handstand, and at the moment of writing we are still applying this method by doing daily hollow
body holds ( core) or tucked frontlever holds ( frontlever ). As shown in the routine below you could
choose 2 exercises that you can do during the day.
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Exc. 1
Handstand
Handstand
Handstand
Handstand
Handstand
Handstand
Handstand
Hold
Hold
Hold
Hold
Hold
Hold
Hold
Exc. 2
Tucked
Tucked
Tucked
Tucked
Tucked
Tucked
Frontlever
Frontlever
Frontlever
Frontlever
Frontlever
Frontlever
Tucked
Frontlever
Day 1
6.5 Circuit Training
In addition to the above routines, there is another way of training: Circuit training. This is a useful
way of training if you have limited time, but still want to do a good workout in. With this way of
training, you do a number of exercises immediately after eachother in a certain sequence. This
increases the intensity of the training which will also contribute to muscle endurance ( condition). It
is useful to apply this training if you are on a vacation or only have half an hour to workout.
We will give you 2 examples of circuit training.
.
6.5 1 Chest Circuit
The circuit on the next page shows a chest
routine that you can perform at both advanced
and beginner level. During a circuit training it is
important that you try to add as much variation
as possible. In the routine showed below there
is focus on different parts of the chest and also
on different training types such as dynamic
training ( reps) and static training ( seconds).
Implementing these different elements is
essential for optimal training results. In the
following example routine Michael had limited
time because he was a day at the beach, but
still wanted to have a quick workout.
Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
*
3
16
Round 1 (Advanced)
.
R o u n d 2 ( B e g i n n e r s)
Reps
Target Muscles
Reps
Target Muscles
10
Lower Chest
Exc. 1
Deep Ring Dips
10
Lower Chest
10
Lower Chest
Exc. 2
Small Grip Pushups
10
Middle Chest
.
Incline Pushups
10
Lower Chest
.
Pushup Hold
20 sec
Full Chest
Exc 1
Deep Ring Dips
Exc. 2
Deep Straight
Exc. 3
Archer Pushups
10
Full Chest
Exc 3
Elbow Planche
20 sec
Lower Chest
Exc 4
.
Exc 4
Bar Dips
6.2.2 Core Circuit
The video below shows a core workout that can
be performed at both advanced and beginner
level. This routine also focuses on different parts
of the core. Dynamic and static training are
implemented as well. It is important that you
always approach your circuit training in this way
for optimal results. Michael followed the workout
below when he was at home and only had half an
hour to train.
Beginners Circuit
Advanced Circuit
Round 1 (Dynamic)
.
I
Reps
Target Muscles
Round 1 (Dynamic)
.
Reps
Target Muscles
Exc 1
Dragon Fly's
8
Lower abs + back
Exc 1
Dragon Fly's
8
Lower abs + back
Exc . 2
Windshield Wipers
8
Obliques + lower abs
Exc . 2
Windshield Wipers
8
Obliques + lower abs
Exc . 3
V- Ups
8
Upper abs
Exc . 3
V- Ups
8
Upper abs
Reps
Target Muscles
Reps
Target Muscles
Round 2 (Static )
.
Round 2 (Static )
.
Exc 1
Dragon Flag
Max
Lower abs + back
Exc 1
Dragon Flag
Max
Lower abs + back
Exc . 2
Hanging L-sit
Max
Lower abs
Exc . 2
Hanging L-sit
Max
Lower abs
Exc . 3
Hollow Body Hold
Max
Lower abs
Exc . 3
Hollow Body Hold
Max
Lower abs
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10 CRUCIAL TRAINING PRINCIPLES
You should implement all these principles to progress optimally!
Before you start implementing one of the previous training routines or a self - made calisthenics
program, we first want to give you some important training principles. Below is an overview of the
most important rules regarding adaptation; the process that is needed to make progress. For each
principle we will show you how to apply this with calisthenics.
7.1
Consistency
.
You will only see results if you train consistently for months or even years Not if you stop your
training schedule after a few weeks or if you change too fast. For the development of muscles,
strength and endurance the following rule applies: Consistency is key. If you train for several
consecutive years without skipping for long intervals, you achieve the best results. Many people
pause for too long in between, so they quickly fall back to their old level and never really make
progress. Especially with calisthenics consistency is extremely important. Learning a certain skill
can sometimes take months or even years (think about a straight - line handstand or the planche). So
never get distracted and keep the focus on the ( long-term) goals that you have set for yourself.
7.2 Set Goals For Yourself
.
When you do calisthenics it is often difficult to set specific goals for yourself There are countless
skills and exercises that you want to learn. Flowever, it is extremely important to not focus on all of
them at the same time. This is a big pitfall for many people. By focussing on too many different
things at the same time, you can only move forward a little bit with everything. Unfortunately, this is
not enough to properly master a certain exercise such as a backlever or handstand push ups. So
focus on a maximum of 2 to 3 skills and a number of strength exercises for a certain period. Also, a
goal gives you direction and focus. It will give you extra motivation to continue training as you get
closer to your goal. Therefore, the programs of Calisthenics Family always work to a number of
predetermined goals.
7.3
Train Systematically
In order to work towards your goals, it is essential to use a systematic training approach. This means
that you have to train according a logical pattern and gradual steps. That is why it is crucial to follow
a training program where the exercises are geared to each other in such a way that they all contribute
.
to achieving your goals Consider training for the Muscle up. This exercise consists of both a ' push '
.
.
and ' pull' movement In addition, there is a lot of explosive power in this exercise It is therefore
important to implement all these elements in the program so there will be a systematical approach
to the set goals. Let's take another example, the front lever. This skill does not only require a lot of
strength from the back, but also the scapula ( shoulder belt ) and the core ( abdominals and lower
back ) play a major role. All theseelements must be incorporated in the program.
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18
Next to this, systematical training also means that the program must be designed in such a way that
there will be worked towards interim goals. For example, if you can hold the tucked front lever for
20 seconds, it is not wise to work up to a 60 second hold. It is more efficient to give the body a new
training stimulus by training the advanced tucked front lever ( supercompensation , see principle 10 ).
This principle literally goes for every calisthenics exercise you want to achieve. Therefore,
Calisthenics Family has applied this principle in all their training programs, such as the Full Journey
Program, where you work with different levels per exercise.
7.4 Track Your Progress
To achieve progress in the most optimal way, it is important to measure your progress. You can do
this by keeping your results in a logbook. By tracking your results every week, you know what your
current records are. When you start a new training, you know exactly what you need to do to
improve your results. An example: During the first training you manage to hold a tucked frontlever
of 10 seconds. So at the second training, your goal is to beat those 10 seconds and make them 12
seconds, then 15 seconds, then 20 seconds until you can continue to the advanced tucked
frontlever. With this method, you keep moving forward with small steps every week, which will
eventually result in a new progression / level. By stressing your muscles just a little bit more at each
workout, you are giving your body a signal that it needs to adapt so that you will be stronger for the
next training ( principle of progressive overload, see principle 7). To make this very simple,
Calisthenics Family has applied this principle in all their training programs by adding clear digital
logbooks where the progress can be tracked for each level of a particular exercise.
7.5
Bodybuilding mind - set
A proper mind - set is essential when you practice calisthenics. This has to do with the fact that a
certain skill can sometimes take a long time to achieve. That is why it is important to always think in
the big picture. We personally see calisthenics training as a big puzzle that you try to put together.
Every step that you make in a certain skill or exercise ( puzzle piece that you submit) will contribute
to the bigger picture. A few examples: if you get better in the handstand, this will also contribute to
the planche. If you become stronger in your dips, that will contribute to your handstand push - ups.
If you get more flexible in your hamstrings, this will contribute to a straight backlever. So just keep
in mind: there is always a connection between all different facets of calisthenics training.
In addition, it is important that you have the bodybuilding mindset. By this we do not mean that you
only have to eat protein and go to the gym 6 times a week to get more muscle mass. But you should
defenitely not see calisthenics as playing outside and fluttering around in a park without following
a structured workout plan. This is a common mistake of calisthenics athletes. With this approach
you won 't achieve many results. So make sure that you work disciplined by using a schedule and try
like bodybuilders do in the gym. We as calisthenics athletes do
exactly the same, but with our own body weight! Finally, we want to emphasize that you must always
try to stay positive and enjoy the adventure. Calisthenics is just about falling and getting up and you
will have to accept that!
to break your results every week just
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7.6 Specificity
The body adjusts itself in the direction of load, this means that only the trained direction improves.
Training only core stability does not provide a correct baclever. If you want to perform a correct
backlever, it will have to be trained in that exact form. This means that you specifically have to
practice the backlever. In addition, the core can be trained for faster progress. This of course does
not only apply to the backlever, but for all calisthenics
exercises such as the handstand, the front
lever, the human flag or the planche. A big pitfall that many athletes make is training a variety of
different exercises, without directly practicing the desired skill or the other way around: only
training the skill directly without additional beneficial exercises. For this reason, Calisthenics Family
has structured all its programs in such a way that they work directly on the desired skill in
combination with many additional beneficial exercises for that specific skill.
7.7 Overload
The principle of overload can be described in one sentence as: giving the body a training stimulus
that has a higher intensity than the stimulus from the previous training sessions. Theis extra load
that you give the will increase your standards. The body adapts to the higher load so they will be
prepared for the same load in the future and thus your muscles become stronger. For this reason,
each training program must involve the principle of overload for optimal results. That is why
Calisthenics Family works with multiple progressions per exercise and a logbook so you can beat
your current results (standards) every single training.
7.8
Reversibility
Reversibility means that training results are lost as quick as they are built up. When you don't train
for a certain period of time, the body regains the condition of its old level. Skills and strength
reduce faster than flexibility and mobility. However, it’s not a problem to rest for one week after a
period of 8 weeks because his often stimulates your recovery. But make sure you that you don ’t stop
training for more than 2 weeks, unless you are dealing with an injury.
7.9
Decreased Surplus Yield
Decreased surplus yield means that an athlete responds quickly and sharply to a training stimulus
in the beginning, but over time this decreases more and more until anatural plateau is slowly
reached. This principle is shown in the on the next page. Here you can see that progress is made
relatively quick in the beginning, but at a later stage there is barely progress visible. This is very
common with calisthenics training. An example is learning the handstand. The first few seconds are
relatively easy to learn. However, mastering the exercise to a perfect straight - line handstand is
something that you won’t achieve this quick. Chances are high that you reach a plateau while
practising. To combat this problem , it is important to work in training periods of 8 to 12 weeks. When
you don’t make any more progress, it ' s wise to add new exercises which brings us to the next
principle; supercompenstion.
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/V
Physical state
Time
7.10 Supercompensation
Supercompensation is the phase where the body prepares for a new load of the same size as it had
in the previous training. This process is extremely important for constant progress in your
calisthenics journey. We have already discussed the principle of overload; giving the body a higher
training load each training. But at some point you ’ll reach a training plateau due to the decreased
surplus yield principle. Therefore it is important to not only give the body a higher load but also a
different load after a certain period. As an example we just gave the point where you no longer go
forward with the handstand. This problem can be solved by training the handstand in a different
way after 8 weeks, for example by doing the handstand with the belly towards the wall instead of
the back against the wall. By doing this, your body will adapt to the straighter state of your body
that you have when you do a handstand with the belly against the wall ( reverse wall handstand).
This is the principle of supercompensation. This gives your body a whole new training stimulus and
the plateau that you ran into is broken. For this reason, Calisthenics Family has put together the Full
Journey program where 4 different programs are linked to each other which will breaks plateaus
every time after a certain period of training.
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CALISTHENICS MYTHS & THE ANSWERS
8.1 Can you make muscles with calisthenics?
This is probably the most frequent asked question we receive on a daily basis. Many people think
that it is difficult to become muscular when you only train with your own body weight instead of
training with extra weights like in the gym. The answer to the question is very simple. Yes it is
possible to become more muscular with calisthenics. Calisthenics gives you not only a nice
muscular athletic body, but also " real" muscles that actually work to create full body control. With
calisthenics exercises, multiple muscle groups are triggered at the same time beceause of the
compound movements. Therefore you 'll get a nice and proportioned muscular body because each
muscle willadapt according to its importance compared to other muscles. This means that you get
a much more complete " look" like a beach body instead of a blown - up bodybuilding look. Since we
started calisthenics we have seen a big change in our physiques because of this!
8.2
What are the best stretch exercises?
Being flexible is very important and brings many benefits with calisthencs. The most important
stretch exercises that we do and recommend are forward fold - and backbending exercises. We
advice to do a 15 -30 minute stretching routine for 2 -3 times per week. This will highly increase the
straightness of exercises such as a the l- sit, handstand, frontlever & backlever.
8.3
Can you combine calisthenics with the gym ?
Yes you can! In fact, we started like this! In the beginning we combined gym exercises such as bench
press and lat pull downs with calisthenics exercises. However, it depends on what your goal is. After
a while we found out that if you really want to get good at calisthenics, it is important to do this
more often ( frequency = key). A skill takes a long time to master. That is why we made the choice to
.
only focus on calisthenics. Note that this does not mean that we don’t do any weighted exercises
8.4
Should I do weighted calisthenics?
Absolutely! It is highly recommended to work with extra weights. However, you can only do this if
you have mastered the basics first. If it's easy for you to do 10 regular pull ups, you could use extra
weight. But only use extra weight with bodyweight exercises such as weighted pull ups, weighted
dips or weighted push ups. The goal with these weighted exercises is to make your own bodyweight
feel light as a feather!
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8.5
Should I watch my food when doing calisthenics?
Yes, definitely! This is sometimes a forgotten aspect among calisthenics athletes! Some people see
calisthenics as " playing outside " and hoping to learn a skill or even a good body. This is not very
effective and is probably not going to work. It is essential that you ensure that you have a low
amount of body fat. This makes you weigh less which makes bodyweight exercises much easier. With
calisthenics it ' s often important to not just train more but also eat healthier!
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NUTRITION & CALISTHENICS
In this section we explain the most important aspects of nutrition and how this affects this sports
.
performances As discussed earlier, it is essential to pay close attention to your diet if you want to
.
learn a particular skill, but also if you want to become more muscular or want to lose weight
9.1
Why is nutrition so important?
Good nutrition helps athletes to achieve the sport performances and is applicable in the
preparation for, participation in and recovery after sports. Here are some reasons why nutrition is
important:
> Helping the athlete to combat fatigue, dehydration and poor performance;
> Increase the energy level of the
athlete;
Provide the athlete with the necessary basic nutrients;
> Achieve and maintain a good body and fat composition;
> Helps with optimal recovery after exercise.
>
9.2
Nutrition & Calisthenics: 2 Important principles
Good nutrition is of course always important, depending on what kind of sport you do. However, we
.
want to give you some important nutrition principles that specifically affect the sport calisthenics
Lower your fat percentage!
The very first thing you have to do is bringing down your fat percentage if you want to start
calisthenics seriously. Why ? You train with your own body weight. So the heavier this is, the harder
exercises are. An example: Imagine you want to learn a frontlever, but you weigh + 5 kg too much. It
is therefore more efficient to first lose the 5 kg and then pick up the frontlever again. This goes for
every exercise with calisthenics.
How do you know if your bodyfat percentage is too high ? You could have your body fat percentage
measured. For men, a percentage above 15 is too much. Ideally is a fat percentage between 8 and 12
For women, bodyfat above 25 % is too much. Ideally should be a fat percentage between 12 and 17.
Don't bulk!
Bulking means consuming far more calories than your daily needs. Bodybuilders do this to gain
extra weight and muscle mass. But this is actually the biggest mistake you can make as a
calisthenics athlete. The goal of calisthenics is not to become as big and muscular as possible, but
to get an athletic physique which you use to train with your own bodyweight. When you start to bulk
up, you make it very difficult for yourself as the exercises will become harder because of the extra
weight. This does not mean that you should not consume more calories than your daily needs.
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After you have first reduced your fat percentage ( as discussed above ), we advise you to consume
.
10% to 20 % above your caloric needs In this way you keep your fat percentage low, while you still
gain muscle mass and have enough energy for your training. This is also called clean bulking. With
this intake you also ensure that you are muscular and lean ( with little fat) throughout the year and
keep progressing in your exercises.
9.3 Calories
The most important aspect of nutrition is the number of calories you consume every day. The
amount of energy in food is calculated in calories. Your body uses the energy of the calories in two
ways: for your primary physical processes and for your physical activities. The more physical
activities you do, the more calories you need to maintain your bodyweight.
Losing weight vs gaining weight
It is pretty simple. If you want to lose weight, it means you have to consume fewer calories than
your maintainance amount. If you want to gain weight you will have to consume more calories than
your maintainance amount. Remember: it is important that you consume the right calories if you
want to gain weight. This means healthy food! To determine how many calories you need to
consume more or less, you can use a calculater and enter a number of statistics of yourself. You can
use the following calculator for example: https: / / manytools.org / handy / bmr - calculator /
9.4 Macronutrients
Macronutrients are nutrients that deliver calories or energy to the body. The body needs nutrients
for growth, metabolism and other functions. There are 3 main macronutrients that contains its own
amount of calories per gram.
> Carbohydrates: 4kcal
/ gram
Protein: 4 kcal / gram
> Fats: 9 kcal / gram
>
9.4 .1 Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars, starches or fibers. Carbohydrates are the most important energy source
for humans. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose is the supply of energy in your
muscles. Carbs therefore give directly energy to the muscles. That is why it is an incredibly
important nutrient for athletes. Athletes and thus calisthenics athletes should get 50 % to 70% of
our energy from carbohydrates. However, the amount depends on the number of training hours per
day ( but also your weight and your goal). See the on the next page for a quick overview.
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Training hours per day
Daily carb intake
( p e r k g o f b o d y w e i g h t)
Less than 1 hour
3 - 4 grams
1 to 2 hours
4 - 6 grams
2 hours or more
6 -10 grams
Simple and Complex carbohydrates
There is a difference in simple ( fast) and complex ( slow ) carbohydrates. Sugars for example are
simple carbohydrates. These are carbs that are quickly absorbed into your blood. Therefore, you can
quickly supply your muscles with energy. Fibers and starches are complex carbohydrates. These are
digested slower by your body than simple carbs. The advantage of slow carbohydrates is that your
body can use these for a longer period of time and releases the energy more gradually. It is
therefore recommended to eat mostly complex carbohydrates and less simple carbohydrates.
Simple Carb
Products
9.4.2
Carbohydrates
(per 100g)
Complex Carb Carbohydrates
(per 100g)
Products
Candy
70
Brown Rice
Biscuits
60
Whole Grain Pasta 65
Chocolate
55
Oats
62
Ice Cream
21
Whole Wheat
Bread
44
Fruits (avg.)
14
Corn
23
Soda
11
Beans ( Avg.)
19
Milk
5
Potatoes
17
Vegetables (avg.)
3
Peas
9
75
Proteins
Proteins are the building blocks of our body. Our body - and muscle cells are made out of proteins.
Why proteins play such an important role in calisthenics is mainly related to repairing and building
muscle tissue. This contributes to the increasement of your muscle mass and muscle strength.
How many proteins do you need as calisthenics athlete ?
Endurance athletes need about 1.25 grams to 1.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If
you do weight training or bodybuilding, your protein requirement is 1.75 to 2.25 grams of protein per
kilogram of body weight. For calisthenics athletes, we recommended 2 grams per kilogram of
bodyweight. We personally have always applied this amount ourselves and this seems really
sufficient. In the table below you can see an overview of how many proteins you should consume at
a certain weight.
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Bodyweight ( KGs)
Minimum protein intake Maximum protein intake
( when losing weight )
(when gaining weight )
60
105
135
65
114
146
70
123
158
75
131
169
80
140
180
85
149
191
90
158
203
95
166
214
100
175
225
What is protein - rich food ?
The following two tables provide an overview of protein - rich foods subdivided into animal foods
and vegetarian foods.
Animal Protein
Protein (perlOOg)
Fish
Protein (perlOOg)
Dairy
Protein (perlOOg)
Beef
24
Tuna
25
Cheese
25
Chicken
23
Salmon
20
Quark
10
Pork
23
Whitefish
18
Yoghurt
4
Eggs
13
Mackerel
18
Milk
4
Meat
/ Eggs
Vegetarian Protein
Meat substitute
Protein ( perlOOg)
Cereals & Nuts
Protein (perlOOg)
Soy
Veg. Chopped Meat
18
Nuts ( Avg.)
15
Soybeans
37
Veg. Chicken
14
Oats
13
Tofu / Tahoe
12
Whole grain pasta
12
Kidney beans
8
9.4.3
Protein (perlOOg)
/ Beans
Fats
.
Fats, together with carbohydrates and proteins, are essential nutrients for the body However, you
.
must pay close attention to fats. 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories That is twice as much as 1 gram of
carbohydrates or proteins. So when you eat a lot of high - fat products you will gain weight a lot
sooner which is not desirable when you do calisthenics.
How many fats do you need on a day?
The Health Council states that fat may be about 20 -35% of the daily amount of calories. This is
approximately a maximum of 80 grams for women and 120 grams for men per day.
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27
What kind of fats should you consume ?
Try to extract the number of fats you consume from unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats.
Saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It increases your cholesterol level so
your blood vessels can become clogged and your body can deliver less energy during a workout.
Unsaturated fats on the other hand contain essential acids that your body can not make itself, so
you must extract these from food sources. You can see an overview of healthy and unhealthy fats
below.
Unsaturated Fats (Healthy)
Saturated Fats (Unhealthy)
Nuts
Fat Meat ( Hamburger, Salami)
Plant - based Oil
Full Dairy Product, 48 + Cheese
Fish (Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines)
Chocolate, Cookies, Pastries
9.5
Vitamins & Minerals
Whether you ' re doing sports or not, vitamins and minerals are important for everyone. But which
vitamins and minerals are good for your sports performance ?
>
>
>
Vitamin B: B2, B 3, B 5, B 6, B11 and B12. These reduce fatigue and help you feel fit.
Vitamin C: Also reduces fatigue. Vitamin C provides extra energy. You can find them in vegetables,
fruit and potatoes. In addition, it supports the iron absorption.
Vitamin D: This vitamin is mainly taken from the sun, which can be difficult in the winter. Vitamin
D ensures proper functioning of your muscles, strong bones and good resistance. This vitamin is
very important for athletes to use as a supplement
9.6 Hydration
In addition to food, it is also important to drink enough water. Water is also a kind of fuel for your
muscles. It is recommended to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day if you are an average, healthy
adult. However, this number is higher for athletes. If you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of fluid. If your
muscles do not have enough fluid, they become tired. By drinking more water, you get more fluid in
your muscles and less muscular fatigue so you perform better during training. For athletes drinking
.
water therefore is extra important
How much water do we need as an athlete ?
If you do intensive sports, you lose about one liter of
I PA
extra fluid per hour of training. So if you train 2 hours
per day intensively you lose a total of 2 liters of fluid
that needs to be supplemented. Therefore, athletes are
advised to drink up to 3 to 4 liters of water per day.
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28
9.7
Supplements
Within the calisthenics community there seems to be a some kind of unwritten law that calisthenics
athletes should not use supplements because calisthenics should be purely natural. This means
only training with your own body weight without any supplements such as protein shakes or vitamin
pills. However, this is complete nonsense as far as we are concerned. Dietary supplements can
definitely have a positive influence on your health and thereby improve your results. In addition,
nutritional supplements are sometimes a convenient and easy alternative to get the right nutrients
into your system.
However, if you follow a varied and healthy diet, you will get enough nutrients, vitamins and
minerals. Therefore we recommend that supplements should never be seen as replacements on
natural food sources, but as an addition to your healthy diet.
9.8
Example Nutrition Plans
This is an example of an eating schedule that we use where we alternate between two
different days for some variation in food intake. For a personal made meal plan pleasehave a look
at our website at https: / / calisthenics - family.com / meal - plan
Day 7
Meal
Consumption
12:00 Breakfast
Milk, Brinta, Apple, Raisins, Whey Protein, Sandwich with Jam
15:00 Pre - Workout Meal
Brown Rice, Mixed Vegetables, Veg. Chicken, Pasta Sauce
18:00 Post- Workout Smoothie
Milk, Banana, Protein Powder
19:00 Dinner
Potatoes, Fish, Green Beans
22:00 Snack
Quark, Oats, Almonds
Day 2
Meal
Consumption
12:00 Breakfast
Milk, Brinta, Apple, Raisins, Whey Protein, Sandwich with Apple Syrup
15:00 Pre - Workout Meal
Whole Grain Pasta, Veg. Meatballs, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Pesto
18:00 Post- Workout Smoothie
Milk, Blueberries, Whey Protein
19:00 Dinner
Brown Beans, Brown Rice, Veg. Minced Meat, Mixed Vegetables, Sauce
22:00 Snack
Greek Yoghurt, Oats, Walnuts
9.9
Apply The 80 / 20 Rule
At last, we would advice you to not be too strict and use the 80 / 20 rule. This rule means that you
consume healthy products for about 80% of your diet and 20% from less healthy products. We
apply this by paying close attention to our food during the week, for example by following one of
diets above. In the weekend it may be a bit looser and you may reward yourself a bit and even
consciously eat some unhealthy products. This gives you the motivation on monday to pick up the
healthy diet.
Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
29
OUR PROGRAMS
As described in our mission, our goal is to help as many people as possible in achieving their
calisthenics goals. In order to achieve this we have made this free calisthenics training guide. In
addition, we also offer programs on our website where all the knowledge and information that you
have just read is implemented. In this section we give a little overview on the programs that we
.
offer
10.1 The Beginner Program
The beginner program is the ultimate guide for beginners who wants to start their Calisthenics
Journey seriously without any mistakes from the very beginning. The Program includes essential
beginner information such as tricks and tips that you need to know as a beginner The beginner
program includes:
.
week focussed on skills such as the handstand and bodyweight strength!
> Information about optimal training methods ( dynamic vs statics and strength vs skill approaches).
> Information about the optimal amount of reps, sets and rest periods.
> 40 + Instructional Video’s!
> All Crucial Training- principles.
> The optimal mindset & many more info!
> Exercise Logbook & Program Goals!
> 4 workouts per
BEGINNER
*
CALISTHENICS PROGRAM
Requirements
Becoming a master of your own bodyweight
takes time, but it all starts with the basics.
We want to help as many people as we can,
so therefore we made an entry level that is
accessible for EVERYONE ( men & women).
This means that the requirements are zero.
Many people ask us if calisthenics is not
too hard for them, but NO. We started
from zero, so you can too.
VUlt
THE FULL JDURNEY
BY
CALISTHENICS FAMILY
Start Your Journey Now!
We just really want to make sure that you can start Calisthenics without the mistakes that
we had in the beginning which really slowed down our progress...
Therefore we made a special dicount code for this program, so you can get started the right way.
Use Code ‘BEGINNER 25 * For 25 % Off
r
L
Start Now
^J
Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
30
10.2 The Full Journey Program
The Full Journey is the ultimate lifechanging calisthenics program for anyone who wants to start
their calisthenics adventure seriously without any beginner mistakes.
The problem with many people is that they often want to see short -term and quick results.
Unfortunately, that does not work with calisthenics. If you are such a person you may try a different
.
.
sport but not calisthenics If you are a long-term thinker, like us, please read on
For the above reason, the Full Journey is not just one program that you can use for a certain period
like most programs. Instead, you can see the Full Journey as lifetime plan consisting out of 4
different programs that you can use each for a period of 8 to 16 weeks. These four programs are:
>
Beginner Calisthenics Program
THE FULL JOURNEY
>
Intermediate Calisthenics Program
>
Advanced Calisthenics Program
>
Progessional Calisthenics Program
“ The Ultimate Lifechanging Calisthenics Program”
Id
I
Ü
mk
CALISTHENICS FAMILY
When added up, this means training material for more than 1 year! Can you imagine how much you
can achieve in this period of time with consistent training by following a structured program that
incorporates all the knowledge and information that we just discussed above ? We genuinly wish
that we had such a program when we started! That would save is a lot of time and wrong efforts.
Think smart, think long- term .
What do you learn in the program ?
In this program you learn how to become a master of your own body weight. This program literally
takes you to the impossible. Why the impossible ? Because at this moment you ( probably) do not
yet realize what you are capable of with your own bodyweight, both physically and mentally. The
program takes you on an adventure where you learn to discover yourself through movement and
adaptation. The unique thing about the program is that it works on the basis of a personal timeline.
Through this timeline you track and watch the progression of your calisthenics adventure. You will
get a much more clear idea of what you have already achieved, but more importantly: what else you
can achieve and " unlock ".
Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
31
Every time you reach a certain goal, you unlock a new progression, a new exercise or even a new
program until you finally have the complete program " UNLOCKED". In this way you always train in a
challenging and motivating way! Down below you can see the timeline and thus all the goals you can
work up to with each individual program. Note: besides the full journey program, each program can
also be purchased separately from our website.
THE FULL JOURNEY TIMELINE
Handstand
Human Flag
Frontlever
Backlever
HS Push Up
Muscle Up
Advanced Push
Advanced Pull
Legs
-
L sit to Handstand
Wall Handstand
Frog Stand
10 s H a n d s t a n d
30s Handstand
Press to Handstand
V e r t i c a l Down Hold
V e r t i c a l U p Hold
Tucked Human Flag
O n e l e g Human Flag
Full Human Flag
Dragon Fly
Tucked Frontlever
A d v. T u c k e d F r o n t l e v e r
Straddle Frontlever
Full F r o n t l e v e r
Tucked Backlever
O n e Leg Backlever
Adv Tucked Backlever
S t r a d d l e Backlever
Full Backlever
Pike P u s h u p s
W a l l HS Pushups
R e v e r s e W a l l HS P u s h u p s
F r e e Hs P u s h u p s
S t r a i g h t Bar D i p s
M u s c l e Ups ( k i p p i n g )
Ring M u s c l e Ups
S t r i c t Form M u s c l e Ups
Pushups
C l a p Pushups
Archer Pushups
Dips
Russian D i p s
Weighted Dips (30% BW )
Chin ups
P u l l u p Hold
Wide Crip Pullups
.
SATRRAIGMH
Pullups
Assisted P i s t o l S g u a t
BEGINNER
W e i g h t e d Dips (6 0% BW )
Typerwriter Pullups
Archer P u l l u p s
E x p l o s i v e P u l l u p s W e i g h t e d P u l l u p s ( 2 0 % BW ) W e i g h t e d P u l l u p s ( 4 0 % BW )
Pistol Squat
INTERMEDIATE
ARM
-
Weighted Pistol Squat
Weighted Low Bar P Squat
Low Bar Pistol Squat
High Bar pistol Squat
ADVANCED
BENT
PROFESSIONAL
Become a Master of Your Own Bodyweight
For us, it took quite a long time to unlock all the skills that you learn in this program,
that’s because we only discovered the right training technique in the last few months.
We just want to make sure that you can apply this techique too. Therefore we made
a special discount code so you won’t waste your time ... like we did.
Use Code ‘FULUOURIMEY 25’ to Get 25 % Off
Get The Program
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10.3 30 Day Fat- burn Program
Our 30 Day Fat Burn Program is a program wich also includes personal diet plan. This Program
focusses 100 % on losing bodyfat. The program is for everybody at any level and will challenge you to
lose as much bodyfat is possible within 30 - days.
We made this program after our own succesful 30 - day body transformation. We lost 5,5 Kg and 7,7 Kg
in just 30 days. After this, we got a lot of questions about what we exactly did to get these results.
That ’s when we decided to make a full program with in depth information about the training routines
and the diet that we followed.
30 - Day Fat Burn
Bodyweight Program + Diet Plan
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So what does the program include ?
> 8 + Follow Along Workout Routines
( For Beginners & Intermediate)
For who is this program ?
> You want to lose redundant fat fast
> You want to get a shredded and athletic look
> Customized Nutrition Plan ( unique )
> you are complete new to bodyweight training
( Beginner Level)
> Over 50 Exercise Examples + Video Explanation
> Workout & Nutrition Logbooks
> You already have some training experience
(Intermediate Level)
Start Your Body Transformation!
We just want to convince you that our approach to losing fat will give you the results guaranteed.
Not only with us, but plenty of others have lost 5 Kg+ in just 30 days of following this program.
To stimulate you to achieve your fat- loss goals, we have a special discount for this program.
Use Code ‘BURNFAT 25’ For 25 % Off the Program
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Transform Now
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10.4 Custom Calisthenics Program
In addition to the Full Journey and the 4 separate programs that are incorporated, we also offer
customized training programs. This program is very useful when you are hitting a plateau ( principle
of reduced yield, see page 20 ). We can help you break that plateau by creating a personal schedule
based on your current level, your goals and personal living conditions.
Here are some situations when a customized program might be useful for you:
skills such as the muscle - up, the l- sit to handstand,
the frontlever, the backlever or a human flag. For this we make a skill program adapted to your
> You want to learn one or more specific
level.
> You are already doing fitness, but you would also like to do some calisthenics. This can be done
through a combination program: Fitness & Calisthenics. (This is how we started ourselves)
> You want to develop muscle mass
while learning calisthenics skills at the same time, but you don't
know how to optimally structure a program for this.
> You are a complete beginner ( male or female ) and would like a custom - made training program
based on your current level and goals.
> You want to lose weight drastically and burn fat so you can start training for calisthenics skills
properly. For this we can make a customized weight - loss program.
Each program focuses specifically on your personal goals and circumstances!
In addition to the custom program, you will also receive e - mail and instagram support throughout
your program period to keep up with your progress!
CUSTOM
WORKOUT PROGRAM
Are you
interested in a custom made program ? Read everything about it
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More Info
^
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10.5
Personal Meal Plan
In addition to the training programs, we also offer a custom - made meal plan. Nutrition is the most
important factor to progress besides training. Research shows that your progress depends for 80%
on external factors such as nutrition, rest and sleep and only 20% depends on your actual training.
That is also quite logical when you consider that you only train about 5% of your time the other 95%
are busy with other things in life. That is why it is crucial that you do not underestimate the value of
the other 95% and make it a serious business. A structured personalized diet plan can help with this.
Below you can find some situations when a personalized meal plan is useful:
> You consider yourself too ' fat ' or weigh too much and want to lose weight as quickly as possible.
> You consider yourself too ‘skinny ’ and want to gain weight as quickly as possible with the goal of
developing muscle mass.
> You want to lose that bit of extra body fat without losing muscle mass so you will reach your
calisthenics goals faster because of the lighter bodyweight.
> You want to develop lean muscle mass without increasing your fat percentage.
With the custom meal plan we use a step - by - step approach. This means that we give you different
calorie goals every week. Research shows that it is more effective to slowly change the eating
pattern instead of one big sudden change. This gives the body time to adjust and prevents you from
falling back in your current ( unhealthy ) diet ( yo - yo effect). Next to the meal plan, you will receive
E - mail and Instagram support, just like the training programs, where you can ask all your questions.
In this way we ensure the best results.
V
PERSONAL
MEAL PLAN
Are you
interested in a personalized meal plan? Read everything about it
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L
More Info
^
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10.6
Online Coaching
With every program that we offer, it is also possible to add online coaching. For example you can
choose to get online coaching while following the full journey or a custom program. Online coaching
means that we have weekly personal contact via skype or chat for 8 weeks where we dicuss your
progress, support you and you’ll be able to ask all questions you have. See below a number of
services that you will receive with online coaching:
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Weekly 30 minutes 1-to -1 Skype session
Weekly feedback on your submitted videos
Weekly feedback on your results in your log
Weekly possibility to adjust your program
"Our customers have experienced the weekly feedback & constant motivation
the biggest factor to their success!"
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Are you
interested in a online personal coaching? Read everything about it
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More Info
^
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36
OUR PRODUCTS
On our website we also offer a number of products specifically aimed at the sport calisthenics. You
can find a brief desciption of our products below.
11.1
Parallettes with optimal grip
.
We offer parallettes specifically made for the Calisthenics sport These parallettes are unique, more
functional and are from a higher quality than regular parallels that you can buy online. This has to
do with the thicker size of the wood ( diameter ) so that you have a better grip which makes a
handstand or a handstand push up is easier and more save. The wood contains the highest quality
( pruce & pine - wood) making the product very sustainable and long lasting and light as no other!
The Benefits
> Good looking design made from the highest quality wood;
> Thicker diameter that gives you more grip so that the wrist is less stressed and prevents injuries.
> Thicker diameter that gives you more push surface, making push movements easier ( e.g.
handstand push - ups).
parallettes that makes hand positions easier mroe comfortable.
> Lightweight and perfect length making it easy to take the parallettes in a sports bag or even in a
> Low height of the
regular bag.
Review Quotes
“ I improve quicker in skills
- Koen Janssen
“ A must have for Calisthenics Athletes
CALISTHENICS
FAMILY
- Lars M ö ller
“
Very stable during exercises and do not
slip on any surface - Richard Derks
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Get Your Handstand Quicker !
Get our parallettes with optimal grip
More Info
Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
37
11.2 Tanktops
-
Styled Logo & Original Logo
This is the most comfortable clothing during a calisthenics workout. With calisthenics you are
moving in all sorts of ways, from explosive muscle ups to handstand push ups or even upside down
during a backlever. Therefore it is nice if you can move smoothly in your t - shirt / tanktop. A nice
loose piece of clothing is therefore a must!
The Benefits
> Perfect fit where the tanktop falls neatl y on the shoulders.
> Nice loose tank top. It ’s not tight so you can move easy and free.
Unique Calisthenics Family logo on the styled tanktop where learning together to long term goals
is depicted (2 people working towards a planche & frontlever ).
> Calisthenics is an outdoor sport so your arms will get a nice tan when you train in the sun with
this tank top!
>
!
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Rock Your Workouts in Style!
Get one of our tanktops!
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More Info
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Calisthenics Family | Calisthenics Training Guide
38
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
We hope that this free calisthenics guide has helped you and provided you with valuable
information so that you can start with calisthenics without any beginner mistakes. We also hope
that you found it a pleasant E - book to read.
Before we close this E - book we want to give you some last important personal tips: Make sure that
you always keep track of your progress by using logbooks! Always try to get the most out of your
workout. By that we mean: breaking results compared to the previous work out!
Remember: there are no limits within the sport calisthenics. This makes the sport so fun and
challenging, but sometimes a little frustrating. However, if you are aware of this and are positive
about it, it will be all right.
Always keep the big picture in mind and think about your long-term goals!
We wish you all the luck with your Calisthenics Journey!
Best,
Michael & Yannick
Calisthenics Family
'
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