Anybody else doing calisthenics?

[gareth h]

I’ve been doing a 5 x 5 session a couple of times a week, but managed to injure my back squatting and a few years back did the same thing dead lifting (an old wear and tear injury).
I’ve decided to give callisthenics a try as it avoids loading up my back, pull ups, dips, press ups, hanging leg raises and pistol squats (assisted with a TRX) and will add Bulgarian squats and step ups too.
Any advice on other exercises to add? I’m missing shoulders and don’t think I’ll manage handstand presses so may do some light lateral raise supersets.

[Carlososos]

You tube is your best friend. Follow the most relevant people and learn as you go. I did fancy that but I’m just to heavy at 100kg so I stick to cardio and powerlifting.

[MC Bodge]

https://antranik.org/bodyweight-training/



https://www.madbarz.com/

Madbarz workouts without the app

I did quite a bit of this for a while, and still do (mostly during circuit training), but I also use clubs, maces, kettlebells and sandbags, which are brilliant for all-round strength, mobility and conditioning. Kettlebell swings done properly are a great exercise, as are mace 360s. Picking up sandbags in various ways and carrying them are as fundamental as it gets.

ps. Don't forget to do pulling exercises, it's easy to neglect them when pressup variations are so accessible.

Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 26th August 16:54

[Ashfordian]

gareth h said:

I’ve been doing a 5 x 5 session a couple of times a week, but managed to injure my back squatting and a few years back did the same thing dead lifting (an old wear and tear injury).
I’ve decided to give callisthenics a try as it avoids loading up my back, pull ups, dips, press ups, hanging leg raises and pistol squats (assisted with a TRX) and will add Bulgarian squats and step ups too.
Any advice on other exercises to add? I’m missing shoulders and don’t think I’ll manage handstand presses so may do some light lateral raise supersets.

While you don't have shoulders as the primary muscle, the first few of the exercises you list will have shoulders as a secondary muscle group. Direct shoulders could be done via the pike push-up and to increase the difficulty, have your feet on a box while doing the pike push-up. You could also try wall handstand presses or (and I don't know the name of this exercise) start in a plank position with your feet against a wall and walk your feet up the wall, moving your hands closers to the wall as you go until you are in a vertical position

[gregs656]

I have been doing calisthenics since last 2017, and still love it.

Over the pandemic I did much less weighted work and focused on doing more challenging progressions instead, which was great. Recently I have decided to change it up a bit and do some weighted stuff just for a change. There is huge scope for variety, which I like.

[popeyewhite]

gareth said:

Any advice on other exercises to add? I’m missing shoulders and don’t think I’ll manage handstand presses so may do some light lateral raise supersets.

Pike pressups, feet on floor. Pike pressups feet raised knee height. Pike pressups knees raised hip height. These are the handstand pushup progressions, you obviously don't need to do handstand pushups. Look up the technique on YT. Strictly done 3x10 pike pushups feet raised knee height is equivalent to a couple of handstand pushups (proper ones, chest facing wall). Someone did the calcs a couple of years ago on dragondoor or gymnastic bodies or somesuch IIRC.

[Snow and Rocks]

Carlososos said:

You tube is your best friend. Follow the most relevant people and learn as you go. I did fancy that but I’m just to heavy at 100kg so I stick to cardio and powerlifting.

Don't discount it for that reason - i was 110kg+ when I started and have been really impressed with the results. It definitely wasn't graceful at first but i've made a lot of progress over the past year or so.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Can recommend this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....

A few free basic moves and some advanced ones which you'd need to pay for, but it's fantastic, definitely made my gym sessions more exciting than just the same old boring exercises that everyone does. But yes, YouTube is best.

[gareth h]

[quote=gareth h]I’ve been doing a 5 x 5 session a couple of times a week, but managed to injure my back squatting and a few years back did the same thing dead lifting (an old wear and tear injury).
I’ve decided to give callisthenics a try as it avoids loading up my back, pull ups, dips, press ups, hanging leg raises and pistol squats (assisted with a TRX) and will add Bulgarian squats and step ups too.
Any advice on other exercises to add? I’m missing shoulders and don’t think I’ll manage handstand presses so may do some light lateral raise supersets.[/quote

Well that didn’t go well, a combination of pull ups and dips seems to have aggravated a rotator cuff injury, getting old is st!

[bing]

Yep been doing rings for the last 18 months, one thing I’d say with the Cali work Vs weights is to stretch and warm up properly.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

bing said:

Yep been doing rings for the last 18 months, one thing I’d say with the Cali work Vs weights is to stretch and warm up properly.

Yes definitely. Not just 30 seconds stretching each leg and each arm etc. Should spend at least good 15mins on a mat stretching in everyway you possibly can, don't rush it.

[Snow and Rocks]

Koyaanisqatsi said:

Yes definitely. Not just 30 seconds stretching each leg and each arm etc. Should spend at least good 15mins on a mat stretching in everyway you possibly can, don't rush it.

The stretches are actually one of the things I think has made the most difference to how I feel. More flexible now at 37 than I was as a teenager and much less prone to injury doing sports etc.