Calisthenics


Throughout high school, I started each morning by going down to the basement to lift weights for an hour. But this routine fell apart as my schedule became more hectic during and after college, and eventually I stopped exercising altogether. Six years later, after losing all my strength and muscle mass, I set out to recover it.

While it wasn't feasible to recreate the old environment of a basement gym, I identified the key factors that led to success in that environment, and realized that they could be accomplished in a bedroom with gymnastic rings hanging from a pull-up bar.

Initially I focused on simply getting back into shape: getting ripped and then building mass.

physique transformation


Then I started taking things more seriously, trying to maximize performance on various calisthenics. I've started posting personal record videos to document progress, inspect form, and maintain momentum (it really helps to celebrate small wins and see video evidence of those small wins compounding into massive long-term gains in progress).

While my main goal is just to have fun staying fit, I do want to see how far I can go with exercises that feel like they're in my natural wheelhouse.


Current Routine


Daily morning workouts alternating between the following. Each exercise consists of 1 set taken to 100% failure unless otherwise indicated.

  • Chest / Shoulders / Triceps Focus: 14 sets x (0.5 minute activity + 2 minutes rest) per set = 35 minutes
    1. [2 sets, filmed] planche on rings
    2. [2 sets, filmed] planche pushup on rings
    3. [2 sets, filmed] bent-arm maltese on rings
    4. [2 sets, filmed] iron cross
    5. [2 sets, film PRs only] supinated back lever
    6. [2 sets, film PRs only] supinated back lever kick
    7. [2 sets, film PRs only] low dip

  • Back / Legs / Biceps Focus: 12 sets x (1 minute activity + 2 minutes rest) per set = 36 minutes
    1. [film PRs only] L-sit
    2. [film PRs only] pullups
    3. [film PRs only] close-grip chinups
    4. [3 sets] front lever kick
    5. [3 sets] 80-lb weighted sumo front squat thrusts
    6. [3 sets] bicep curls


Planche Pushup


Maltese


Iron Cross


Back Lever


Planche


L-Sit


Pullups


Dips


The following exercises were a part of my routine in the past but have been dropped in favor of focusing on the exercises above.

Front Lever


One-Arm Chinup

These are extremely taxing; if I am even mildly fatigued in any way then my one-arm chinup performance suffers massively. I've been a bit sore from other exercises I'm focusing on, but I don't want to sacrifice progress on those, so I'm taking a break from one-arm chinups.


90 Degree Pushup

Balance is not my forte. I'm focusing on exercises that are more naturally in my wheelhouse for now, but I might revisit this in the future.


One-Arm Pushup

I've gotten to the point where building explosiveness is necessary for further improvements, and I'm not so interested in training explosiveness. Maybe I'll revisit in the future.


Muscle-Up

I need to build more explosiveness to make progress here, but I'm not so interested in training explosiveness. Maybe I'll revisit in the future.


No-Leg Inverted Row

I'm focusing on front lever more directly now.


No-Leg Dive-Bomber Pushup

I've hit a plateau here. I want to eventually get to an advanced dive-bomber that combines planche pushup with 90-degree pushup, but I'm not going to get there from vanilla dive-bombers. I need to focus on planche pushup and 90-degree pushup in isolation, and then combine them afterwards.


Straight-Arm Side Plank

These might not look too crazy, but many are they are brutal! They're making my shoulders so sore that it's cutting into my progress on other taxing exercises that look cooler. I'll put these back in the routine when I'm away from my rings and need an equipment-free substitute for an iron cross.