Karate Training Guide PDF

Karate Training Guide:
How to build striking power on a shoestring budget

Authored and published by Owen Johnston
nekoashido@gmail.com
The book can be read online – feel free to share the link:
https://www.scribd.com/document/369668165/Karate-Training-Guide
The book can also be downloaded for free – short URL:

http://tiny.cc/karatepdf
“Karate cannot be adequately learned in a short space of time. Like a

torpid bull, regardless of how slowly it moves, it will eventually cover a thousand
miles. So too, for one who resolves to study Karate diligently two or three hours
every day. After three or four years of unremitting effort one’s body will undergo
a great transformation revealing the very essence of Karate.” – Anko Itosu, the
grandfather of modern Karate
Karate Training Guide by Owen Johnston – contact me: nekoashido@gmail.com
Book Information
Karate Training Guide
Fitness Instruction
Authored and published by: Owen Johnston
© Owen Johnston, 2017/2018.
Licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC
BY-NC-ND 4.0) License -
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
You are encouraged to share the book, print it out, and upload it to other sites.
Scribd link - https://www.scribd.com/document/369668165/Karate-Training-Guide
The book can also be downloaded for free – short URL: http://tiny.cc/karatepdf
“In the old days we trained Karate as a martial art, but now they train Karate as a
gymnastic sport. I think we must avoid treating Karate as a sport – it must be a martial art at
all times! Your fingers and the tips of your toes must be like arrows, your arms must be like
iron. You have to think that if you kick, you try to kick the enemy dead. If you punch, you must
thrust to kill. If you strike, then you strike to kill the enemy. This is the spirit you need in
order to progress in your training.” – Choshin Chibana (founder of Kobayashi Shorin-ryu
Karate)
Order prints
You can order a professionally printed edition of the book through Simple Print
Service. Visit the page below, upload a PDF, and follow the simple ordering process. I do not
make a single cent from orders made through this service.
www.simpleprintservice.com
About the author

I hold a black belt rank in Heiwado ryu Karate, the style of Japan International Karate
Center, and have over 10 years of teaching experience, including martial arts instruction,
strength coaching, and personal training. I have worked with many types of athletes,
including professional boxers, amateur wrestlers, karate students, and gymnasts of varying
levels of ability. More about Heiwado -
http://www.thefullwiki.org/JIKC
2
Disclaimer
This guide is intended for people of good health and physical condition. The training
methods and advice in this guide may not be for everyone. Always consult your physician
before starting a new exercise program. I am not a physician, and as such, nothing in this
guide should in any way be taken as medical advice or a substitute for medical advice. Also,
this guide should not be used to replace advice from your personal physician.
Physical activity always carries with it a risk of injury. When you practice the training
methods in this guide, always practice proper safety precaution, use proper technique, and
apply common sense. The author can not assume any responsibility for any injury, illness, loss
or damage that may result from following the training methods in this guide.
Lastly, this guide is not a replacement for formal instruction. Be sure to seek out a
competent, qualified instructor who may carefully observe your progress and provide
feedback. This guide is intended primarily to be a supplement to, not a replacement for,
formal training.
3
Table of Contents
Karate Approach to Calisthenics - 5

Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2 - 8
Hojo Undo - Supplementary training exercises for karate - 11
Hojo Undo project - wall mounted car tire makiwara board - 14
Car tire kicking setups - 20
Mental and spiritual training - 22
Karate Training Programs - 23
Abbreviated Calisthenics Programs - 46
Calisthenics Progression Charts - 55
Karate Training Progression Charts - 61
Bonus content:
Exercise tutorials for the calisthenics progressions - 63
Goals past the progressions - 72
Progressive Calisthenics – A Concise Explanation - 73
Miniature progressions in calisthenics - 75
Calisthenics style grip work - 76
Calisthenics training tactics (bodybuilding, strength, etc) - 78
Calisthenics exercises sorted by muscles worked - 81
An Essay on Flexibility - 82
Caveman Conditioning - 85
Street Workout - 87
Old Time Strongmen – Training and Resources - 93
Hand balancing for strength and skill – “quick start guide” - 94
My outline of a well rounded system - 95
Healthy food on a budget - 96
Recommended reading and YouTube channels - 97
4
A Karate Approach to Calisthenics
Like many of my generation, I grew up watching movies like The Karate Kid,
Kickboxer, Enter the Dragon, Drunken Master, and Rocky. The larger-than-life characters
from these films wowed us with their fighting skills and never-give-up attitudes.
A common theme they all share is that the main character is an underdog who must
train hard to become a better fighter and overcome his seemingly invincible opponents. The
training methods employed often include some tough calisthenics skills. I’m sure we all
remember seeing Rocky do uneven pull-ups in the second film, and dragon flags in the fourth.
The perseverance of our heroes, the amazing skills they learned, and the rigorous training
methods they endured inspired many of us to take up martial arts and training ourselves.
Bruce Lee popularized the dragon flag as well as other difficult bodyweight feats, like
his two finger push-ups. He espoused improving your athletic performance in order to
improve your martial performance, as well as to help fully express the human body. Certainly,
the martial-calisthenics connection is as old as man, yet Bruce was a great catalyst in the
popularization of martial arts in America, inspiring many to train hard like he did. He said,
“Life is never stagnation. It is constant movement…as well as constant change. Things live by
moving and gain strength as they go.”
I didn’t fully understand the implications of these words until I got into Progressive
Calisthenics. There are certainly comparisons to be made between learning progressive
calisthenics and martial arts. Coach Wade made some of these comparisons in “The Tao of
PCC”. He brought up some important similarities to martial arts. “…nobody can remember a
hundred techniques in a fight. What matters are the principles you absorb.” “You learn the
form, you absorb the form, you discard the form.”
Our training shouldn’t keep us stuck in a rigid form, but instead be directed to the
fullest expression of ourselves with utmost efficiency and simplicity. In Jackie Chan’s older
films, many of his characters often went through a transformation from a struggling student
to a graceful, efficient and powerful athlete. The training was generally harsh, but once he
absorbed the principles of his master’s art, he was ready to face the next challenge!
Like the progressive calisthenics approach, traditional power training and body
conditioning methods in Okinawan karate focus on bulletproofing the joints, improving
flexibility, and building holistic strength.
There are a number of progressive bodyweight movements taught in Okinawan karate,

including knuckle push-ups, fingertip push-ups and ultimately, wrist push-up variations. The
exercises have very direct benefits for “bunkai” or application of kata. Of course, these
exercises shouldn’t replace previous progressions, but supplement them. Also, don’t overdo it
with directly training the joints. Be sure to allow plenty of time for your connective tissues to
adapt.
5
A Karate Approach to Calisthenics continued
To regress any of these variations, you can practice them using an incline (wall,
chair etc) or you can simply create less demanding leverage by kneeling instead of
performing them from your toes. You could also adapt the Convict Conditioning push-up
progression to these variations. (Coach Wade has already covered this for fingertip pushups
in Convict Conditioning 2.)
Warm up your hands and forearms properly before working knuckle, fingertip or wrist
push-ups. Afterwards, shake your hands out, and stretch your fingers and wrists. Like most
push-up variations, knuckle push-ups strengthen most of the muscles used in straight
punches. Knuckle push-ups also strengthen the wrists and knuckles, and help toughen up the
skin. A course of fingertip push-ups, grip work, pull-ups, and proper use of a heavy bag will
help you punch as hard as Rocky Balboa!
Fingertip push-ups strengthen the finger extensor muscles. Naturally, they provide
direct benefits to strikes using extended fingers. Fingertip push-ups can be progressed by
doing push-ups on fewer fingers.
Wrist push-ups strengthen the wrists for various strikes, and have very specific
benefits for “ox jaw” and “crane” techniques. This push-up variation is done on the backs
of the hands. You can also regress this exercise (make it easier) by having one palm on
the training surface instead of having both on the backs of the hands. Practice this way on
both sides to maintain symmetry in training.
A stretch commonly done in gymnastics will be useful in preparing for a wrist push-up
progression. Sit in a kneeling position, look straight down at your knees, lean forward slightly
and place the back of your hands on the ground, directly in front of your knees. Naturally,
leaning forward will put some of your weight onto the backs of your hands, with the fingers
turned inward. Cautiously lean into your hands until you feel mild discomfort. Hold this
stretch for 10-30 seconds, then come up and shake your hands out.
Repeat 1-3 times.
There are “hidden steps” between this stretch and a wrist hold in the top position of a
kneeling push-up. First, gradually build strength and flexibility in the wrists with the stretch
until you can put moderate pressure onto the backs of your hands with little to no discomfort.
The next part of the progression is to move your hands a few inches forward from the starting
position and unfold your hips slightly as you start putting pressure on the backs of your
hands. Imagine that you are trying to move a little closer to perfect form for push-ups (hips
locked out, weight carried through arms and hands). Find the most difficult position that you
can hold for 10-15 seconds when you put mild to moderate pressure on your hands. Gradually
work towards the full kneeling push-up wrist hold.
6
A Karate Approach to Calisthenics continued
Wrist pushup progression Start with Build up to

Seated wrist hold 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Incline wrist push-up hold 10 seconds 2 sets of 15 seconds
Wall wrist push-ups 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Incline wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 12
Kneeling wrist push-up hold 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 10 seconds
Kneeling wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 7
Wrist push-up hold 5 seconds 2 sets of 10 seconds
Half wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Full wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 7
You can regress any of the exercises by performing them one palm on contact
surface and the back of the other hand on the contact surface. You can progress any of these
exercises by balling your hands up into fists as you ascend to lockout. Press through the backs
of the hands as you do this as you straighten your wrists out, squeeze your fingers, and make
fists. Pattern this movement from a seated wrist stretch on the backs of the hands (as done in
gymnastics), to get used to it.
Programming and volume for wrist pushups are straightforward. Since the joints
don’t adapt as quickly as the muscles, and the wrists can tend to be injury prone, be
conservative about volume. Practicing wrist push-ups once a week for low sets of low reps
is a good rule.
A few options for programming wrist training:

1) Adding it to an existing joint specialization session; see Convict Conditioning 2 for a
template
2) Doing some wrist stretches, holds and/or pushups as part of your warm-ups for
practice (whether karate or a sport that needs strong hands/wrists)
3) Doing some light stretches and other exercises as part of rehabilitating your wrists
(of course, this will depend on what exercises your physician recommends)
4) Training wrist holds after a session of pushups
5) There are many other possibilities depending on your own needs, goals, experience,
etc.
Martial arts and calisthenics can work hand-in-hand to develop all of the qualities
needed for the development of strength and technique. I hope that you, dear reader, find
my examples of this to be clear and useful. The Okinawan martial arts and the methods
that Coach Wade wrote about are ancient, but are still around because they work, and can
work well together!
7
A Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2
Getting to a high level in martial arts requires balance, power, flexibility, and strength.
In striking oriented arts such as karate, one’s joints and connective tissues must also be
directly trained. Lastly, the body must be trained holistically in order to develop the needed
coordination and power in techniques.
In the previous article, I discussed karate style training for the upper body. Now, I
would like to go into detail about specific calisthenics exercises that strengthen the lower body
and midsection. These exercises also help with balance, tension-flexibility, and coordination.
This helps to prepare the student for more advanced training methods, including power
training, which I will detail later.
Lastly, the exercises I detail will start with general strengthening exercises such as
squats, and gradually become more and more specific to karate techniques and stances. This
helps develop focus in one’s strikes as well as “rooting” and smooth transitions in stances and
footwork. Of course, it also helps develop coordinated, full body strength against resistance,
which sets the stage for training a makiwara board or heavy bag, and for power training.
Lower body exercises - quads, glutes, calves

Squats train not only the legs, but also the back to some degree when performed with
proper alignment. The importance of posture cannot be overstated for exercise, as well as for
combat. When training squats, look forward, keep your elbows in tight to the torso, and
visualize protecting your centerline from your opponent. Breathe deeply on the way down,
brace your abdomen, and slowly exhale on the way up. When breathing out, make sure to
keep your abdomen braced and engage it as fully as possible in exhalation. Imagine that you
are collecting energy on the way down and filling up your abdomen with it. Lastly, try pulling
both hands back into a karate “hikite” position (fists chambered at hips) as you lower and
inhale. As you stand and exhale, open your hands and slowly extend your arms in front of you
while rotating your fingers so that they point straight up. This is like performing a slow and
controlled palm strike with both arms.
Coach Wade’s amazing progressions for squats and bridges in Convict Conditioning, as
well as the calf raise progression Convict Conditioning 2, can give your lower body all the
strength it needs. Work up to the progression standard for squats (step 5), while performing
them “karate style” as detailed above. Also work up to the progression standard for short
bridges (step 1 of the bridge progression) and for standing calf raises (also step 1). These will
prepare you for the exercises to come. Of course, if you want a massive calves and a back made
of steel, aim for the master steps of calf raises and bridges! For now, let’s move on to
specialized karate-style calisthenics training for the lower body.
8
A Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2 continued
Glute and hamstring training

Many martial arts practitioners seem to forget the importance of paying attention to
this area of the body. The glutes act as the antagonist to the hip flexor muscle group, called the
Iliopsoas. It’s important to train both to maintain muscular balance and prevent injury. Both
muscle groups are incredibly important in stances and kicking. This goes back to the idea of
training for holistic strength. Below is a short progression of exercises to help develop the
glutes and hamstrings. All of these can be performed without a partner or any special
equipment.
Glute / hamstring progression Start with Build up to

Short bridge 1 set of 10 3 sets of 50
One leg short bridges 1 set of 10 each side 3 sets of 30 each side
Foot elevated short bridges 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Foot elev. one leg short bridges 1 set of 10 each side 3 sets of 20 each side
Hip thrusts 1 set of 7 2 sets of 12
One leg hip thrusts 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 12 each side
Foot elevated hip thrusts 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Foot elev. one leg hip thrusts 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Stance training
Now we’re ready to apply your strength to stances! These methods will drastically
improve your rooting, balance, and coordination. Also, the deeper you go with each of these
stances, the harder they become, and the more of a deep, isometric stretch you get. This helps
develop tension-flexibility, which is an integral part of the striking oriented arts, especially
kicks!
Even if you are strong at squats, don’t be afraid to work on wall sit along with squats to
start getting ready for the isometric work to come. After a tough lower body session, just put
your back to a wall and slide down while bending your knees until your hamstrings are at a 90
degree angle to your feet. Aim to hold this for 20-60 seconds, then take a short rest, and
perform the exercise once more. Build up to at least 2 minutes total time in wall sit.
This exercise is also useful as a remedial exercise if you’re coming off an injury and
your physician has cleared you for training. Just remember to ease into it slowly and practice
safely. Don’t let your knees go past your toes during wall sit, or go below a 90 degree bend at
the knees. Take deep breaths, brace your abdomen during the exercise, keep your heels
planted, and your back straight. If any pain develops, immediately stop the exercise.
9
Stance Training Progression Start with Build up to

Wall sit 30 second hold 2 minute hold
Horse stance 30 second hold 10 minute hold
Lunge / front stance 30 second hold 2 minute hold
Standing figure four pose 5 second hold per leg 30 second hold per leg
Cossack squat / back stance 1 set of 5 per leg 2 sets of 10 per leg
Power in techniques
Once you have built up the requisite foundation of strength in stances and movement,
it is time to work on power. To throw powerful strikes and kicks, one must be able to utilize
strength quickly and in a coordinated way. The bodyweight exercises given previously helped
to not only build strength, but coordination. What we need now is to work on acceleration!
Below is a progression of techniques that may be used to build power in kicks. It can be
modified to include roundhouse kicks instead of front kicks. Keep the sets high, but the
repetitions low to moderate. An exception can be made for bunny hops, if you would like to
build endurance. When practicing, remember to “block”. Blocking involves quickly pushing
off the floor in order to transfer your momentum upwards. Keep your knees pointed forward
when you’re in the air, and keep them bent when landing, so that they don’t absorb too much
of the shock.
You will be ready to move up to the next exercise in the progression when you are able
to consistently perform a skill with improved power, and little to no technical flaws. You can
gauge power with the height of each jump or hop, or use the Sargent Jump Test, which can be
found online. For the kicking exercises, technical progress involves the improvement of
chambering, snap, balance, and returning to a stable position after each kick. Power is
measured by how quickly you are able to perform the exercise and complete a front kick.
Every instructor teaches front kicks differently, but generally, you want to have a tight
“chamber” and “re-chamber”, as well as no “wobble” as you perform the kick.
Front Kick Power Progression

Straight jump
Bunny hop
Tuck jump
Front kick from squat
Front kick from lunge
Jumping front kick
Lunge to jumping front kick
10
Abdominal training and tension-flexibility

Karate also requires a strong core and the ability to contract your muscles throughout a
range of motion. Midsection holds and leg raises are incredibly helpful in developing
contractile tension in the muscles needed for kicking.
The side kick progression trains the sides of the abdomen (obliques) and develops
tension-flexibility in the legs. Before beginning the progression, build up your legs with squats
and your abdominals with midsection holds and/or leg raises. This will give you the holistic
strength needed.
Side Kick Progression Start with Build up to

Side plank 10 seconds each side 2 minute hold on each side
Side elbow plank 10 seconds each side 2 minute hold on each side
Side plank hip raises 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 on each side
Side leg raises 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 on each side
Standing side leg raises 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 on each side
Standing side leg hold 10 seconds each side 30 second holds on each leg
Side kick 10 per side 50 per side
11
Hojo Undo - Supplementary training exercises for karate
"Hojo Undo", or "supplementary exercises", is a Japanese term that refers to training

methods commonly used in traditional Okinawan karate. The exercises were designed to be
very specific to karate training and helped develop breathing, posture, coordination,
functional ambidextrous strength, and conditioning. The tools have traditionally been simple
and improvised with some creativity and materials that are affordable or readily found for free
- mostly wood, rope, straw, and stone.
Eli Elfassy on YouTube has uploaded some tutorials on constructing your own martial
arts training equipment, including Hojo Undo tools. Visit his playlist page and tap on “How to
Build Martial Arts Useful Equipment with Eli”.
https://www.youtube.com/user/SenseiEli/playlists
You can use creativity, determination, and repurposed materials to construct your own
DIY “Hojo Undo” tools. There is a surprising variety of equipment that can be put together on
a shoestring or non-budget. There are endless exercises you can do, as well, as long as you
know at least a few progressions and have gathered enough materials. If you want to ask
around about free stuff to repurpose, try searching for local groups on www.freecycle.org and
for free stuff on Facebook. Dumpster diving is another option, but check local dumpster
diving laws, and obey all “no trespassing” signs! Visit this site for more information -
http://trashwiki.org/en/Dumpster_diver
Now, I will list and shortly describe the Hojo Undo implements that I have personally
taught and worked with.
"Chi ishi" - weighted levers; aka "strength stones"
"Makiage kigu" - wrist rollers, normally a weight hung from a wooden handle via rope,
and used to develop the wrists and forearms.
“Tan” – it is like a modern barbell, and made from a wood post that has concrete
weights on each end. I used a steel barbell for the exercises recommended in 'The Art of Hojo
Undo.' It is also a good idea to train bojutsu (staff technique) movements with a barbell that is
light enough for you to use.
12
Hojo Undo - Supplementary training exercises for karate, continued
Impact Tools of Hojo Undo that I personally use:
Jari Bako - A bowl or bucket filled with sand, smooth stones, marbles, or even rice or
beans. It is used by striking your fingers into it, in order to condition your fingers and
fingertips.
"Makiwara" - Padded striking post. Traditionally, rope is used to bind a pad of rice
straw to the top to create a striking surface. (Maki = roll; Wara = straw.) Other materials such
as duct tape are suitable, however. Other traditional types of makiwara include age-makiwara
(hanging), ude-makiwara (round on all sides), tou-makiwara (bamboo stalks or cane). The
smaller and more commonly seen makiwara boards are usually made of a pad that is covered
with canvas and fixed to a board, then mounted to a wall. There are some variations, such as
clapper and portable makiwara.
My father and I have made some of our own hojo undo equipment. We put together
some “chi ishi” (strength stones) from materials we had in the tool shed. Both use a grind
stone as the weight. A pool stick was used for one “chi ishi” and an axe handle was used for
another. We made wrist rollers from dowel rods, electrical wire, old vacuum cleaner cords,
and rubber tarp straps with S hooks. Instead of wires or cords, you could use rope. Tie a knot
around a dowel rod, then make a knot on a weight plate or another object. Start with a light
weight plate if you’re a beginner (up to 5 pounds), or a milk or juice jug at least partially filled
with water. Make sure you wash the jug well before use. Tie the knot around the handle of the
jug. You could also pour some gravel or sand into the jug. Stones can also be used. Make sure
you use a wide stance when using a wrist roller.
“Hojo Undo” also includes the use of bag work. Old car tires may be taped together
(gorilla tape is recommended) and used as a replacement for a heavy bag. My father and I
constructed two of these at our studio and later moved them home. Auto repair shops usually
give car tires away for free if you ask nicely, since they otherwise have to pay for the tires be
hauled off. Check each tire to make sure there are no wires exposed.
We also constructed a wall mounted car tire makiwara board. It didn't cost us a cent to
put these together, except for the weight plates I use with the wrist rollers, and the gorilla
tape. The rest of the materials we already had, except for the car tires, which I obtained from
auto repair shops.
13
Hojo Undo project - wall mounted car tire makiwara board
This project is fairly simple and straightforward. It was inspired by the tutorial that Eli
Elfassy posted on his YouTube channel. The design is sturdy and resistant to water damage, as
well as very cost effective, as the materials can often be found at thrift shops and home
improvement stores. The tire provides a bit of "give", allowing the user to deliver powerful
blows without risk of injury to joints (as long as proper technique and caution are used). Auto
repair shops will usually give you old car tires for free if you ask nicely, since they will often be
throwing out old tires on a regular basis.
There are various types of makiwara that have historically been used in various karate
styles. Makiwara are Okinawan in origin and traditionally consisted of a wooden board or pole
padded with rice straw tied on with rope. Foam is an excellent alternative form of padding.
Duct tape, leather, and canvas work quite well as coverings, and are quite durable. The
makiwara can be free standing (via a pole placed in the ground or attached to something
heavy) or mounted to a wall. The primary purposes of the makiwara are to condition one's
striking tools and "kime", which in the context of karate, means focus of technique.
If you use canvas, make sure you have enough to fold around the foam and around to
the back of the board a few inches so that it can be stapled on.
You could also mount a makiwara directly onto the wall, or on a post or tree.
Check out Sensei Eli’s videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/SenseiEli
Our materials and tools:

3 feet of plyboard cut into two pieces with power saw
Pieces of foam from old flotation devices, trimmed down to fit the board (to provide
cushion)
Elmer's Glue ™ and Shoe Goo ™ to keep the foam in place and protect the board from
water damage. Shoe Goo ™ is sturdy enough to take a lot of beating.
Heavy weights to help flatten out the foam
Painting canvas wrapped around the wood and attached via staples to provide a
striking surface
Old car tire to mount the finished board on via screws
Wall to mount the tire on, using old wiring and screws
Pictures of the project start on the next page
14
15
16
17
18
We ended up nailing the board up to the sycamore tree behind our house.
19
Car tire kicking setups
My father and I constructed two of these at our studio and later moved them home. To
construct your own, you will need at least three old car tires and duct tape or gorilla tape.
Clean out the tires if needed, and stack three or four up. The tape is used to hold the tires
together. Wrap 3 or 4 layers of tape between each tire. Also make 3 or 4 layers vertically, going
around the tires, on at least three different places.For weather protection, you can use tarp
secured with bungee cords or rubber tarp straps with S hooks. You can add broomsticks,
wooden dowel rods, or even bamboo to a setup if you want to practice bunkai and arm
toughening. Bunkai is application of kata. Insert one end of a stick near a vertical layer of tape
and secure the stick to it with a few layers of more tape.
Auto repair shops usually give car tires away for free if you ask nicely, since they
otherwise have to pay for the tires be hauled off. Check each tire to make sure there are no
wires exposed.
20
21
Mental and spiritual training
The mental and spiritual aspects of karate practice fall outside of the scope of this
guide, but are the most important parts of your training. Of course, with respect to individual
beliefs, I cannot dictate how one should go about delving into these areas. Karate, much like
other Budo, is heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism. Zen may be practiced as a life philosophy,
a religion, or a toolkit that assists martial arts. However, practicing Zen is not necessary to
become adept at karate or martial arts in general. Karate itself can be purely a physical pursuit
if so desired.
Still, it must be said that the Zen concepts of mushin (no-mind), shoshin (beginner’s
mind), zanshin (remaining mind), and fudoshin (immovable mind) are invaluable to
becoming high level in karate and even in martial arts in general. Zen practices such as
mindfulness and shikantaza (simply sitting) are also quite beneficial for not just martial arts,
but everyday life. Paying attention to one’s breath and simply being present in the moment
are excellent practices in many situations we find ourselves in.
The mental aspects of training must also not be neglected. Look into visualization,
research various styles of karate and other martial arts, attend seminars, and basically learn as
much as you can. Of course, each karate organization has its own rules as to when students
are encouraged to cross train in other styles. Be sure to ask your instructors about materials
they would suggest, seminars, and when you can visit other schools.
Check out Jesse Enkamp’s excellent article about the four mindsets of karate.
http://www.karatebyjesse.com/zanshin-mushin-shoshin-fudoshin/
“There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden

shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as
passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the
beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This
understanding extends to everything.”
― Tsunetomo Yamamoto, The Hagakure: A code to the way of samurai
22
Karate Training Programs
“Studying the martial Way is like climbing a cliff: keep going forward without rest.
Resting is not permissible because it causes recessions to old adages of achievement.
Persevering day in, day out improves techniques, but resting one day causes lapses. This must
be prevented.” - Mas Oyama, founder of Kyokushin Karate
The goal of these programs is to make your karate powerful and effective. Of course, I
cannot emphasize enough the need for formal instruction and proper technique. Seek out a
qualified teacher as well as an experienced strength and conditioning coach to help with
learning the techniques and exercises.
Practice your kata, bunkai (application of kata), pad work, and/or sparring drills as
separate workouts, or as part of your workout. You may practice kata, bunkai, and sparring /
drills alone or with a partner. It is also recommended to add breakfalls, rolls, and other skill
work to your workouts or practice sessions.
Ideas for cardio: jogging, running in place, jumping jacks, animal moves such as bear
crawls, small space drills such as “mountain climbers” and burpees
Also practice deep breathing exercises to help develop your power in techniques, as
well as bracing in calisthenics and stances. If you are new to deep breathing, start with sitting
in seiza and slowly inhaling deeply enough to expand your abdomen outwards. Practice
contracting your abdomen to help you exhale. Most, if not all, karate styles, have deep
breathing methods.
Err on the side of caution when performing specialized pushups (on the knuckles, for
example) and working with impact tools (such as makiwara). Skin and joints take longer to
adapt than muscles, as a rule. If you break the skin performing knuckle pushups, makiwara
work, or any other exercise, clean it immediately after training. Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen
peroxide work well. Bandage as needed. Of course, none of this is meant to be taken as
medical advice, and refer to your physician if you have any health questions.
Makiwara work is intended to help you develop focus in your techniques, become
acclimated to performing techniques against resistance, and develop the joints of the hands.
Development of calluses is a side benefit, but not the primary goal. Be careful to not overtrain
with makiwara! Give the hands time to recover between sessions. If you feel that you need to
skip makiwara work for a few sessions to allow for recovery, that’s totally fine and encouraged.
If you’re into combat sports, or gearing up for a competition, you can integrate one or
more of the workouts into your training schedule. The workouts could also be modified to
include additional weight training, or you could add a day for weight training at the gym.
23
Karate Training Programs continued
Refer to the progression charts for easy reference. Print out the progressions to post on
a wall, or load this document onto your smartphone or other device for quick reference during
a workout. Keep in mind that you do not have to work with every exercise in a progression in
order to become proficient at that progression. I have included some notes on exercise
performance after the progression charts.
Francesco Vaccaro has uploaded tutorials for the “Big 6” progressions from Convict
Conditioning, which are similar to my calisthenics progressions. Visit his playlist page -
https://www.youtube.com/user/dragonflowyoga/playlists
Support Paul Wade, the author of Convict Conditioning, by purchasing a printed

edition or the ebook. It covers the progressions in full detail and also includes bodyweight-
only workout routines. Product page: http://www.convictconditioningworkout.com/
Recommended YouTube channels:

Yoga with Adriene – stretching and Yoga workouts
GKCGoju – tutorials on makiwara use, tutorials on knuckle pushups, and more
Take a deload week every month or two. Focus on mobility work as needed when
resting. Deload protocols include, but are not necessarily limited to: less volume (sets / reps),
less frequency (training days per week), less intensity (regressions of any kind), less variety
(less exercises), and active rest. Ideas for active rest include, but are not limited to, pickup
games of your favorite athletic sport, taking a Yoga class, getting in some light walking, and
yard work or household chores.
Scheduling around karate class:
There are two basic options for setting up a weekly schedule based on class times. If
you’re just starting out, you should perform workouts on days that you do not attend class. As
your strength and conditioning improve, you can perform workouts on class days. Use caution
and common sense when you train on class days, though – you don’t want to overtrain! Feel
free to leave out or replace certain exercises if you know you will be doing later in class. Of
course, ask your instructor for his or her expert feedback on setting up a training schedule.
Also feel free to integrate other “hojo undo” training methods into the workouts as desired.
24
Remedial Training Program

This program is intended for those who are coming in from a sedentary lifestyle, just
starting again after an injury, or new to calisthenics. Each workout consists of one exercise
progression. Always warm up and stretch for at least 10 minutes before a workout. A few
stretches I recommend to beginners are seal pose, camel pose, cat cow, butterfly, seated
forward fold, and child’s pose.
Start with the first exercise in each progression. Refer to the progression charts for set /
rep goals for each exercise. Try to add sets and/or reps each week. When you can perform the
progression standard for an exercise, move on to a harder exercise in the progression. Don’t
rush to add reps or hold time! Add a little each week and milk each exercise as much as
possible.
Training Schedules
Feel free to change the days you perform the workouts, depending on your schedule.
Light schedule:
Week 1
Monday – Pushup progression; Tuesday – off; Wednesday – walk
Thursday – Squat progression; Friday – off; Saturday – walk; Sunday - off
Week 2
Monday – Leg raise progression; Tuesday – off; Wednesday – walk
Thursday – Pullup progression; Friday – off; Saturday – walk
Sunday - off
Repeat this plan as needed until you have become accustomed to it.
Recommended weekly schedule:

Monday – Pushup progression; Tuesday – Squat progression; Wednesday – walk
Thursday – Leg raise progression; Friday – Pullup progression; Saturday – walk
Sunday – off
You will be ready to move on to the Beginner Karate Training Program when you have:
Built up to at least 1 mile or 15 minutes of walking, on at least 3 days a week
Worked up to the progression standards for shoulderstand squats, wall pushups, seated
knee tucks, and standing pulls
Francesco Vaccaro’s progression tutorial playlists and more:
25
Remedial Training Program 2
This program is intended for those who are coming in from a sedentary lifestyle, just
starting again after an injury, or new to calisthenics. Each workout consists of one exercise
progression. Always warm up and stretch for at least 10 minutes before a workout. A few
stretches I recommend to beginners are seal pose, camel pose, cat cow, butterfly, seated
forward fold, and child’s pose.
Where (Chart) is listed, refer to the progression charts for exercises and set / rep goals.
When you can perform the progression standard for an exercise, move to a harder exercise in
that progression. Don’t rush to add reps or hold time! Add a little each week and milk each
exercise as much as possible.
For intervals, start light with intervals of jogging and light walking. Gradually add time.
Training schedules
Feel free to change the days you perform the workout, depending on your schedule.
Add beginner’s classes or “all levels” classes to your weekly schedule when you feel you’re
ready. Ask friends if they have any experience with schools that look worthwhile. Visit a few
places and see if you can observe a class before making a decision.
Light schedule:
Week 1
Monday – workout; Tuesday – off; Wednesday – walk; Thursday – workout
Friday – off; Saturday – walk; Sunday – off
Week 2
Monday – Workout; Tuesday – off; Wednesday – walk; Thursday – workout
Friday – off; Saturday – walk; Sunday - off
Repeat this plan as needed until you have become accustomed to it.
Recommended weekly schedule:

Monday – workout; Tuesday – intervals; Wednesday – workout;
Thursday – intervals; Friday – workout; Saturday – intervals; Sunday – off
Built up to at least 1 mile or 15 minutes of light intervals (jogging / walking), on at least
3 days a week
Been attending at least 1 or 2 beginner classes each week for 1 month
Worked up to the progression standards for jackknife squats, incline pushups, flat knee
raises, and horizontal pullups
Francesco Vaccaro’s progression tutorial playlists and more:
Workout on the next page
26
Remedial Training Program 2
Workout
Cardio – at least 3 minutes of intervals; stretch each muscle group for 20-30 seconds
Warmup sets Perform

Early pushup progression 8-12 reps
Early pullup progression 6-10 reps
Early squat progression 6-10 reps
Working exercises Perform

Pushup progression (Chart)
Pullup progression (Chart)
Leg raise progression (Chart)
Squat progression (Chart)
27
Beginner Karate Training Program
The workout should be performed 2 or 3 times a week on non-consecutive days. Start

with once a week if necessary. Perform at least 5 minutes each of light walking or light cardio
and 5 minutes of stretching before each workout. Exercise selection and time spent on each
will depend on training goals. Perform light stretching of the muscles you worked after you
finish training. Take at least one rest day each week.
I recommend checking out tutorials on how to jump rope for boxing, and finding a local
boxing coach to learn from. Skipping rope helps immensely with conditioning, speed, and
footwork.
Worked up to at least 10 minutes of light interval training (walking / jogging)
Worked up to three 3-minute rounds of skipping rope
Worked up to three 3-minute rounds of shadowboxing
Worked up to the progression standards for lunge / front stance, incline pushups,
horizontal pullups, flat knee raises, and jackknife squats.
Workout
Cardio – at least 3 minutes; stretch each muscle group for 20-30 seconds
Warmup sets Perform

Early pushup progression 8-12 reps
Early pullup progression 6-10 reps
Early squat progression 6-10 reps

Skipping rope 1-3 rounds of 30 seconds to 3 minutes
Shadowboxing 1-3 rounds of 30 seconds to 3 minutes
Stance training progression (Chart)
Deep breathing exercises 3-5 repetitions per exercise
28
Intermediate Karate Training Program 1 – Full Body
The workout should be performed 2 or 3 times a week on non-consecutive days. Start

with once a week if necessary. Perform at least 5 minutes each of cardio and 5 minutes of
stretching before each workout. Exercise selection and time spent on each will depend on
training goals. Perform light stretching of the muscles you worked after you finish training.
Take at least one rest day each week.
For the stance training progression, start with the first exercise. For the pushup
progression, perform the exercises on your fists. Go back to an easier exercise if needed.
Plyometric exercises are explosive movements intended to build power and agility.
Examples include clapping pushups and squat jumps. For pushups, start at an incline, and
“pop up” at the top before descending again under control, then springing back up for the next
rep.
You are ready for the next program when you have:
Worked up to horse stance in the stance training progression
Worked up to full pushups on your knuckles, jackknife pullups, flat straight leg raises,
and full squats
Worked with this program for at least 2 months – to allow your knuckles and wrists
time to adapt
Workout on the next page
29
Intermediate Karate Training Program 1 – Full Body
Workout
Cardio and stretching – minimum 5 minutes each
Warmup sets Perform

Pushup progression 8-12 reps
Pullup progression 6-10 reps
Hold lunge 10-15 seconds each side

Skipping rope Three 3-minute rounds
Shadowboxing Three 3-minute rounds
Plyometric pushups and squats 5-6 sets of 3-5 per exercise
Pushup progression (perform on knuckles) (Chart)
30
Intermediate Karate Training Program 2 – Upper / Lower Split
Each workout should be performed 2 or 3 times a week on non-consecutive days. Start

with once a week if necessary. Perform at least 5 minutes each of cardio and 5 minutes of
Take at least one rest day each week. Start with the first exercise in each of the progressions
that you are new to.
Where (Chart) is listed, refer to the progression charts for set / rep goals. Move to a
harder exercise when you can perform the progression standard. The exceptions are the
plyometric pushups and the front kick power progression. You will be ready to move up to a
harder when you are able to consistently perform a skill with improved power, and little to no
technical flaws. You can gauge power with the height of each plyometric pushup, jump or hop.
For jumps, you can also use the Sargent Jump Test, which can be found online. Refer to your
instructor’s expert advice and feedback on your kicking technique and how to progress.
Rest 1 minute between rounds of skipping rope and shadowboxing. For exercises that
are performed for sets, rest up to 2 minutes between each set, except for pyramids. Rest up to
30 seconds between sprints. Add short breaks during other exercises as needed (up to 1 or 2
minutes).
To perform twisting knuckle pushups, start at the top of a knuckle pushup, with your
backs of your hands facing forward. As you bend your elbows, rotate your hands such that
your fingers and thumbs are facing each other. As you push back up, rotate your hands
outward again. Perform these on at least two inches of sand, or a folded up towel on the floor.
Start performing plyometric pushups at an incline, such as using a bench. Quickly push off the
bench before softly touching down on the bench again, then “rebounding” for the next rep.
You can perform calf raises on both feet, or on just one for added difficulty. You can
perform calf raises on the floor, or you can use a block or step, to allow for a deeper range of
motion, which makes it more difficult.
You can adapt the pushup progression to finger pushups. Perform these for less sets
and reps than you would when doing pushups on your palms. You can make finger pushups
tougher by performing them on less fingers.
Instead of using a heavy bag or a car tire kicking setup, you can ask a training partner
to hold a car tire. Kick it 10 times with each leg. Instead of makiwara work, you can also
practice strikes and/or punches on the tire. Wear work gloves, MMA gloves, or similar when
punching or striking. Switch roles every 10 kicks, punches, or strikes, so that your partner can
also practice. The person holding the tire should be in a deep stance.
31
Intermediate Karate Training Program 2 – Upper / Lower Split
Body Conditioning
I recommend using a shinai (bamboo practice sword) as a tapping stick, as it has some
give. Condition the forearms and shins, starting out very gently. Ude tanren involves partner
blocking drills intended to toughen the arms. For additional body conditioning, you can also
exchange strikes and kicks to the abdomen, ribcage, and/or shins.
Start light and go slowly when you first start any form of body conditioning. Do not go
hard enough to develop contusions. If bruising does occur, use an ice pack and allow that body
part to recover. GKCgoju has videos on ude tanren and much more in their strength and
conditioning playlist - https://www.youtube.com/user/GKCgoju/playlists
You are ready for the next program when you have:
Moved up to at least these exercises in the calisthenics progressions - close pushups,
full pullups, hanging knee raises, split squats, and angled bridge pushups.
Moved up at least one exercise in each of the other progressions - wrist pushups, stance
training, front kick power
Worked with this program for at least two months and improved power and technique
Become accustomed to light body conditioning
Workouts start on the next page
32
Intermediate Karate Training Program – Two day split
Day 1
Cardio and stretching – minimum of 5 minutes each
Warmup sets Perform


Plyometric pushups 5-6 sets of 3-5
Chi ishi work (2-5 exercises) 2-3 sets of 5-10 each side / exercise
Twisting knuckle pushups 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
Wrist pushup progression (Chart)
Hang grip work 2-3 sets of 10 seconds to 1 minute
Finger pushups 2-3 sets of 3-7 reps or
2-3 sets of 8-12 second holds
Wrist roller work 3-5 sets per grip
(underhand grip, overhand grip)
Makiwara work 20-50 strikes per technique
(at least 3 techniques, work both arms)
33
Intermediate Karate Training Program – Two day split
Day 2
Warmup sets Perform

Hold lunge 10-15 seconds each side

Bridging progression (Chart)
Front kick power progression (Chart)
Calf raise progression 2-4 sets of 15-100
Planks or midsection holds (such as L-sit) 3-5 sets of 10 seconds to 1 minute
Sprints 5-20 (depending on training area)
Bag work or kicking a tire setup 20-50 repetitions per kick
(choose 3 kicks, work both legs)
Body conditioning 10-20 taps to each side of forearms and
to shins using a tapping stick, and/or
Up to 10 minutes of ude tanren
and other conditioning
34
Advanced Karate Training Program – Three day split
Each workout should be performed once or twice a week on non-consecutive days.

Start with once a week if necessary. Perform at least 5 minutes each of cardio and 5 minutes of
Take at least one rest day each week. Start with the first exercise in each of the progressions
that you are new to.
Where (Chart) is listed, refer to the progression charts for set / rep goals. Move to a
harder exercise when you can perform the progression standard. The exceptions are the
plyometric pushups and the front kick power progression. You will be ready to move up to a
harder when you are able to consistently perform a skill with improved power, and little to no
technical flaws. You can gauge power with the height of each plyometric pushup, jump or hop.
For jumps, you can also use the Sargent Jump Test, which can be found online. Refer to your
instructor’s expert advice and feedback on your kicking technique and how to progress.
Rest 1 minute between rounds of skipping rope and shadowboxing. For exercises that
minutes).
To perform twisting knuckle pushups, start at the top of a knuckle pushup, with your
backs of your hands facing forward. As you bend your elbows, rotate your hands such that
your fingers and thumbs are facing each other. As you push back up, rotate your hands
outward again. Perform these on at least two inches of sand, or a folded up towel on the floor.
Start performing plyometric pushups at an incline, such as using a bench. Quickly push off the
bench before softly touching down on the bench again, then “rebounding” for the next rep.
You can perform calf raises on both feet, or on just one for added difficulty. You can
perform calf raises on the floor, or you can use a block or step, to allow for a deeper range of
motion, which makes it more difficult. You can adapt the pushup progression to finger
pushups. Perform these for less sets and reps than you would when doing pushups on your
palms. You can make finger pushups tougher by performing them on less fingers.
Instead of using a heavy bag or a car tire kicking setup, you can ask a training partner
to hold a car tire. Kick it 10 times with each leg. Instead of makiwara work, you can also
practice strikes and/or punches on the tire. Wear work gloves, MMA gloves, or similar when
punching or striking. Switch roles every 10 kicks, punches, or strikes, so that your partner can
also practice. The person holding the tire should be in a deep stance.
I recommend using a shinai (bamboo practice sword) as a tapping stick, as it has some
give. Condition the forearms and shins, starting out very gently. Ude tanren involves partner
blocking drills intended to toughen the arms. For additional body conditioning, you can also
exchange strikes and kicks to the abdomen, ribcage, and shins.
Start light and go slowly when you first start any form of body conditioning. Do not go
hard enough to develop contusions. If bruising does occur, use an ice pack and allow that body
part to recover. GKCgoju has videos on ude tanren and much more in their strength and
conditioning playlist - https://www.youtube.com/user/GKCgoju/playlists
35
Day 1
Warmup sets Perform


Plyometric pushups 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps
Pushup progression (performed on knuckles) (Chart)
Twisting knuckle pushups 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
Bridging progression (Chart)
Makiwara work 3-5 sets of 10-50 strikes per technique
Breathing exercises 3-5 repetitions per exercises
36
Day 2
Warmup sets Perform

Hold lunge 2-3 sets of 10-15 seconds each side
Bridging progression 8-12 reps

Bag work or kicking a tire setup 20-50 repetitions per kick
Glute / hamstring progression (Chart)
Front kick power progression (Chart)
Calf raises 2-4 sets of 15-100
Side kick progression (Chart)
Sprints 5-20 (depending on training area)
Lunges 5-20 or length of training area and back
37
Day 3
Warmup sets Perform

Pushups 2 sets of 8-12
Handstand pushup progression 8-12 reps

Handstand pushup progression (Chart)
Wrist roller work 3-5 sets per grip
(underhand grip, overhand grip)
Wrestler’s bridge 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps
Finger pushups 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps
38
“Shugyo” karate training program
This program is for athletes who have worked with the advanced program for 8 weeks
or more. While there are less exercises, the intensity has increased. Take a short rest between
exercises. Perform at least 5 minutes each of cardio and 5 minutes of stretching before each
workout. Exercise selection and time spent on each will depend on training goals. Perform
light stretching of the muscles you worked after you finish training.
Each workout should be performed 2 or 3 times a week on non-consecutive days. Start

with once a week if necessary. Take at least one rest day each week.
Rest 1 minute between rounds of skipping rope and shadow boxing. For exercises that
minutes).
A pyramid is a series of sets with decreasing numbers of repetitions. For example, you
might perform a set of 5, rest, then perform a set of 3, rest again, and finish with a set of 1.
Rest only as long as you need between sets in a pyramid. You can use the same exercise or
intensity across sets in a pyramid. You could instead increase difficulty at least once during
the pyramid by moving up in the progression, or staying with an exercise but making it more
intense. For example, you can make squats more intense by bringing your legs a little closer to
each other. A third option is to perform descending pyramids, in which you lower the intensity
each set. You could instead perform a reverse pyramid, in which you lower the intensity each
set, but perform more repetitions each set instead of less.
Exercise selection and the number of reps in each set of the pyramid will depend on
your desired intensity and goals. Higher intensity will generally dictate lower reps. Training
goals include, but are not limited to: strength, hypertrophy, and muscular endurance.
Example pyramids:
5/3/1; 5/4/3/2/1; 10/8/6/4/2; 20/16/12/8/4
For chi ishi work, always use a weight that will challenge you to complete a set with
good form. For wrist roller work, always use a load that will make it challenging to roll the
load all the way up and down two or three times. Do this with an overhand (pronated) grip
and again with an underhand (supinated) grip, to develop both sides of the forearm. This
completes a set of maximal effort. To exhaust the muscles further, add a drop set (perform the
same exercise again with less weight).
For added difficulty – add deep breathing exercises to certain exercises, such as stance
training.
Workouts start on next page
39
Day 1
Warmup sets Perform


Pushup progression Pyramid
Pullup progression Pyramid
Twisting knuckle pushups 2-3 sets of 5-10
Horizontal pullup progression Pyramid
Bunkai (solo or with a partner) 5-10 minutes
40
Day 2
Warmup sets Perform

Squat progression 8-12 reps

Glute / hamstring progression Pyramid
Squat progression Pyramid
Sprints 6-50 sprints (10-50 feet)
Leg raise progression Pyramid
Bag work or tire work 30-100 repetitions per kick
41
Day 3
Warmup sets Perform


Finger pushups 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps
Wrist roller work 2-3 sets of maximal effort
Front kick power progression 5-6 sets of 5-6
Side kick progression Pyramid
Kata practice with deep breathing methods 5-15 minutes
42
Alternate “Shugyo” karate training program – two day split
This program is for athletes who have worked with the advanced program for 8 weeks
or more. While there are less exercises, the intensity has increased. Take a short rest between
exercises. Perform at least 5 minutes each of cardio and 5 minutes of stretching before each
workout. Exercise selection and time spent on each will depend on training goals. Perform
light stretching of the muscles you worked after you finish training.
When you first start this program, perform each workout once a week on non-
consecutive days. Build up to performing this program twice each week. Take at least one rest
day each week.
Rest 1 minute between rounds of skipping rope and shadow boxing. For exercises that
minutes).
A pyramid is a series of sets with decreasing numbers of repetitions. For example, you
might perform a set of 5, rest, then perform a set of 3, rest again, and finish with a set of 1.
Rest only as long as you need between sets in a pyramid. You can use the same exercise or
intensity across sets in a pyramid. You could instead increase difficulty at least once during
the pyramid by moving up in the progression, or staying with an exercise but making it more
intense. For example, you can make squats more intense by bringing your legs a little closer to
each other. A third option is to perform descending pyramids, in which you lower the intensity
each set. You could instead perform a reverse pyramid, in which you lower the intensity each
set, but perform more repetitions each set instead of less.
Exercise selection and the number of reps in each set of the pyramid will depend on
your desired intensity and goals. Higher intensity will generally dictate lower reps. Training
goals include, but are not limited to: strength, hypertrophy, and muscular endurance.
Example pyramids:
5/3/1; 5/4/3/2/1; 10/8/6/4/2; 20/16/12/8/4
For chi ishi work, always use a weight that will challenge you to complete a set with
good form. For wrist roller work, always use a load that will make it challenging to roll the
load all the way up and down two or three times. Do this with an overhand (pronated) grip
and again with an underhand (supinated) grip, to develop both sides of the forearm. This
completes a set of maximal effort. To exhaust the muscles further, add a drop set (perform the
same exercise again with less weight).
For added difficulty – add deep breathing exercises to certain exercises, such as stance
training.
Workouts start on next page
43
Day 1
Day 1
Warmup sets Perform

Pushup progression on knuckles Pyramid
Pullup progression Pyramid
Wrist pushup progression 2-3 sets of 5-10
Horizontal pullup progression Pyramid
Wrist roller work 2-3 sets of maximal effort
Kata practice with deep breathing methods 5-15 minutes
44
Day 2
Squat progression 2 sets of 8-12 reps

Front kick power progression 5-6 sets of 5-6
Side kick progression 5-6 sets of 10-15 seconds or 8-12 reps
Glute / hamstring progression Pyramid
Squat progression Pyramid
Sprints 6-50 sprints (10-50 feet)
Leg raise progression Pyramid
Bunkai (solo or with a partner) 5-15 minutes
45
Abbreviated calisthenics programs
These programs are all relatively short and require no special equipment. The focus is
on simple, straightforward workouts, and linear progression. Athletes of any level can
experience gains, as they focus on maximum intensity and minimal training time. The
exercises can all be performed at home with common household objects, or at a park. Even if
you don’t have a pullup bar, you can use a door, sturdy tree branch, or other safe and sturdy
object overhead that you can get a grip on. Of course, make sure you can reach the object
safely.
Refer to the progression charts for easy reference. Print out the progressions to post on
a wall, or load this document onto your smartphone or other device for quick reference during
a workout. Keep in mind that you do not have to work with every exercise in a progression in
order to become proficient at that progression. I have included some notes on exercise
performance after the progression charts.
Francesco Vaccaro has uploaded tutorials for the “Big 6” progressions from Convict
Conditioning, which are similar to my calisthenics progressions. Visit his playlist page -
Support Paul Wade, the author of Convict Conditioning, by purchasing a printed

edition or the ebook. It covers the progressions in full detail and also includes bodyweight-
only workout routines. Product page: http://www.convictconditioningworkout.com/
Recommended YouTube channels:

Yoga with Adriene – stretching and Yoga workouts
Seven Gymnastics Girls – stretching, hand balancing, bar skills, and more
Barstarzz – front lever, back lever, various tricks, hand balancing, workouts, and more
Take a deload week every month or two. Focus on mobility work as needed when
resting. Deload protocols include, but are not necessarily limited to: less volume (sets / reps),
less frequency (training days per week), less intensity (regressions of any kind), less variety
(less exercises), and active rest. Ideas for active rest include, but are not limited to, pickup
games of your favorite athletic sport, taking a Yoga class, getting in some light walking, and
yard work or household chores.
46
Beginner Strength Training Program
Warm up and stretch for at least 5 minutes before a workout, then perform a warmup
set for each progression. Perform light stretching of the muscles you worked after you finish
training.
Perform the workouts on non-consecutive days. The other days may be used for sports
practice, or an activity of choice. If you make consistent progress for 4-8 weeks, you can (but
are not required to) perform the workouts 2 or 3 times each week. Take at least one rest day
each week. When you are working with intermediate exercises in each progression, you are
ready for the next training program.
Refer to the progression charts for the exercises and set / rep goals.
Day 1
Pushup progression
Pullup progression
Day 2
Leg raise progression
Squat progression
47
Intermediate Strength Training Program
training.
are not required to) perform the workouts twice each week. Take at least one rest day each
week. When you are working with intermediate exercises in the handstand pushup
progression and advanced exercises in the rest of the progressions, move on to the next
program.
Refer to the progression charts for the exercises and set / rep goals.
Day 1
Pushup progression
Pullup progression
Dipping progression
Day 2
Squat progression
Bridge progression
Day 3
Handstand pushup progression
Horizontal pullup progression
48
Advanced Strength Training Program
training.
are not required to) perform the workouts twice each week. Take at least one rest day each
week.
Where (Chart) is listed, refer to the progression charts for set / rep goals.
Day 1 Perform
Dipping progression (Chart)
Wrestler’s bridge 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps
Day 2 Perform
Bridge progression (Chart)
Calf raises 2-4 sets of 15-100 reps
Day 3 Perform
Handstand pushup progression (Chart)
Horizontal pullup progression (Chart)
Finger pushups 2-3 sets of 5-8
49
Beginner bodybuilding program
training. Start with a beginner or novice exercise from each progression. Work with an
exercise until you can perform the set and rep range given beside its progression, using good
technique. Move to a harder exercise in that progression, and repeat the process.
practice, or an activity of choice. If you make consistent progress for 4-8 weeks, you can
perform the workouts 2 or 3 times each week. Take at least one rest day each week.
When you are working with intermediate exercises in each progression, and performing the
workouts 2 or 3 times a week, you are ready for the next training program.
Day 1 Perform
Horizontal pullup progression 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Pushup progression 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2 Perform
Squat progression 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Leg raise progression 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps
50
Intermediate bodybuilding program
training. Work with an exercise until you can perform the set and rep range given beside its
progression, using good technique. Move to a harder exercise in that progression, and repeat
the process.
practice, or an activity of choice. If you make consistent progress for 4-8 weeks, you can
perform the workouts 2 or 3 times each week. Take at least one rest day each week.
When you are working with advanced exercises in each progression, and performing
the workouts 2 or 3 times a week, you are ready for the next training program.
Day 1 Perform
Pullup progression 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Pushup progression 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Leg raise progression 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Day 2 Perform
Squat progression 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
Bridge progression 2-3 sets of 10 second to 1 minute holds or
2-3 sets of 8-12 reps
Calf raises 2-4 sets of 20-30
Day 3 Perform
Handstand pushup progression 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Horizontal pullup progression 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
51
Advanced Bodybuilding Program
This program is for advanced athletes who have worked with at least one of the
previous advanced programs for 8 weeks or more. Start by performing the workouts on
nonconsecutive days. The other days may be used for calisthenics only, sports practice, or an
activity of choice. If you make consistent progress for 4-8 weeks, you can (but are not required
to) perform the workouts twice each week. Take at least one rest day each week.
Warm up and stretch before training, then perform a warmup set or two for each
progression. The workouts are all circuits. Completion of all exercises in a workout is one
circuit. Keep rest times between exercises as short as possible. When you complete one circuit,
rest up to 2 or 3 minutes, then perform another circuit. Build up to performing 3 circuits.
Perform light stretching of the muscles you worked after you finish training.
A drop set involves performing a set of an exercise, then performing an easier exercise
from that progression. To perform a flex hang, hold the top position of a pullup for time. A
negative is the lowering phase an exercise.
Biceps exercises include, but are not limited to, bodyweight biceps curls and close
pullups. Triceps exercises include bodyweight triceps extensions, Jack Lalanne pushups,
sphinx pushups, tiger bends, and bench dips. Hand balancing skills include variations of
elbow lever, planche, frog stand, crow stand, headstand, and handstand.
Selecting exercises from the progressions - choose the hardest exercises that you can
perform for reps, or hold for several seconds, with good form. When you can perform more
than the reps or hold time listed beside a progression, add tougheners or move on to a harder
exercise.
Workouts on next page
52
Advanced Bodybuilding Program
Day 1 Perform
Pushup progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Pullup progression with a drop set 5-8 reps each set
Dipping progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Pullup flex hangs and/or slow negatives 10-30 seconds each
Day 2 Perform
Squat progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Glutes / hamstring progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Calf raises with a drop set 20-30 reps each set
Leg raise progression with a drop set 10-15 reps each set
Side kick progression 10-20 seconds or 8-12 reps
Day 3 Perform
Handstand pushup progression with a drop set 12 reps each set
Sphinx pushups or bodyweight triceps extensions 8-12 reps
Another triceps exercise of choice 8-12 reps
Horizontal pullup progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Biceps exercise 8-12 reps
Hang grip work with a drop set 10-30 second holds each set
53
Daily Double Split Bodybuilding Program
This program is for advanced athletes. Warm up and stretch before training, then
perform a warmup set or two for each progression. The workouts are all circuits. Completion
of all exercises in a workout is one circuit. Keep rest times between exercises as short as
possible. When you complete one circuit, rest up to 2 or 3 minutes, then perform another
circuit. Build up to performing 3 circuits. Perform light stretching of the muscles you worked
after you finish training. A drop set involves performing a set of an exercise, then performing
an easier exercise.
Biceps exercises include, but are not limited to, bodyweight biceps curls and close
pullups. Triceps exercises include bodyweight triceps extensions, Jack Lalanne pushups,
sphinx pushups, tiger bends, and bench dips. Hand balancing skills include variations of
elbow lever, planche, frog stand, crow stand, headstand, and handstand. Flags and levers
include variations on dragon flag, clutch flag, and human flag. Levers include back levers and
front levers. Neck work includes wrestler’s bridge, front bridge, and head bridge. Choose one
to three exercises for neck work. Be careful and work up slowly – place a towel or other type of
cushioning under your head and build up your range of motion gradually.
Selecting exercises from the progressions - choose the hardest exercises that you can
perform for reps, or hold for several seconds, with good form. When you can perform more
than the reps or hold time listed beside a progression, add tougheners or move on to a harder
exercise.
Workouts on next page
54
Daily Double Split Bodybuilding Program
Exercises - days 1, 3, 5
Morning – chest and triceps Perform

Pushup progression with a drop set 8-12 reps
Dipping progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Triceps exercise with a drop set 6-10 reps each set
Neck work 15-60 seconds or 5-8 reps
Afternoon or evening - lower body Perform

Squat progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Glutes / hamstrings progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Lunges 8-12 reps
Calf raises with a drop set 20-30 reps each set
Sprints or jumps 4-6
Exercises - days 2, 4, 6
Morning - Back, biceps, forearms Perform

Pullup progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Horizontal pullup progression 8-12 reps each set
Hang grip work with a drop set 10-30 seconds each set
Biceps exercise 8-12 reps
Bridging progression with a drop set 6-10 reps each set
Afternoon or evening - shoulders and core Perform

Levers (choose 2 skills or progressions) 6-10 seconds or 8-12 reps each skill
Handstand pushup progression with a drop set 30-60 seconds or 8-12 reps each set
Leg raise progression with a drop set 8-12 reps each set
Side kick progression with a drop set 8-12 seconds or reps each set
Planks or midsection holds (such as L-sit) 10-20 seconds
55
Calisthenics Progression Charts

Pushup progression Beginner standard Progression standard
Wall pushups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 50
Incline pushups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 40
Kneeling pushups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Pushups (aka full pushups) 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
One leg pushups 1 set of 20 2 sets of 20
Close pushups 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Uneven pushups 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 each side
Lever pushups 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 each side
Archer pushups 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
One arm incline pushups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
One arm kneeling pushups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Straddle one arm pushups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Gecko pushups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Snake one arm pushups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Pullup progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Straight pullups (vertical pulls) 1 set of 10 3 sets of 50
Angled pullups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 40
Leg assisted pullups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Horizontal pullups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Leg elevated pullups (jackknife) 1 set of 10 3 sets of 20
Partner assisted pullups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Pullups (aka full pullups) 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Close grip pullups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Commando pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 9 each side
Diagonal (side to side) pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 9 each side
Round the worlds 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 9 each side
Uneven pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 9 each side
Archer pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
Leg assisted one arm pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
Leg elevated one arm pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
Partner one arm pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
Self assisted one arm pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
One arm pullups 1 set of 1 each side Elite: 2 sets of 5 each side
Equipment: You can use a doorknob for standing pullups. For angled pullups, wrap a
towel around each doorknob, and use the towel for the exercise. Poles, playground equipment,
and adjustable bars also work for these exercises. Hand rails and equalizers can be used for
horizontal pullups. Some parks also have pullup units.
Negatives: A negative is the lowering phase of an exercise. Perform negatives of an

exercise that you’re trying to build strength in, especially one arm flex hangs and negatives.
You can add a few repetitions of negatives at the end of a workout.
56
Leg raise progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Seated knee tucks 1 set of 10 3 sets of 40
Bicycles (lying on the floor) 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Flat knee raises 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Flat bent leg raises 1 set of 10 3 sets of 25
Flat straight leg raises (one leg) 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Flat straight leg raises 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Hanging bicycles 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Hanging knee raises 1 set of 7 2 sets of 15
Hanging frog raises 1 set of 5 2 sets of 12
Hanging leg raises 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Reverse frogs 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Hanging frog raise to pike lift 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Pike lifts 1 set of 5 2 sets of 7
Solid rollovers 1 set of 5 2 sets of 7
Pike lifts are leg raises performed for a full range of motion. Your toes or feet will touch the
bar at the top. This exercise is also known as “toes on” in gymnastics. Drill flexibility for this.
Solid rollovers are similar to dead hang pullovers in gymnastics.
Squat progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Shoulderstand squats 1 set of 10 3 sets of 50
Jackknife squats 1 set of 10 3 sets of 40
Partner squats 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Self-assisted squats (supported) 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Parallel squats 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Full squats 1 set of 10 2 sets of 30
Close squats 1 set of 10 2 sets of 10
Cossack squats 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 each side
Split squats 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 each side
Elevated split squats 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Shrimp squats 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Raised one leg squats 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Partner-assisted pistols 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Bench pistols 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Self-assisted pistols 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Press pistols 1 set of 7 each side 2 sets of 15 each side
Pistols 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Wushu pistols 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
“Pistols” is another name for one leg squats with the off leg in front.
57
Bridging progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Short bridge hold 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Short bridge 1 set of 10 3 sets of 50 reps
Table bridge (tabletop) 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Table bridge pushups 1 set of 10 reps 3 sets of 40 reps
Straight bridge (shoulder bridge) 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Straight bridge pushups 1 set of 10 reps 3 sets of 40 reps
Wall bridge 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Angled bridge 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Angled bridge pushups 1 set of 8 reps 3 sets of 30 reps
Head bridge 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Head bridge pushups 1 set of 10 reps 2 sets of 25 reps
Full bridge 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 15 seconds
Full bridge pushups 1 set of 7 reps 2 sets of 15 reps
One leg bridge 1 set of 7 seconds/side 2 sets of 10 seconds/side
One arm bridge 1 set of 5 seconds/side 2 sets of 10 seconds/side
Gecko bridge 1 set of 7 seconds/side 2 sets of 10 seconds/side
Wall walking 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 10 reps
Closing bridge (backbend) 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 10 reps
Stand-to-stand bridge 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 10 reps
58
Handstand pushup progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Wall headstand 10 seconds 2 minutes
Partner headstand 10 seconds 1 minute
Tripod headstand 10 seconds 1 minute
Frog stand Practice getting into position 5x 1 minute
Crow stand 10 seconds 1 minute
Handstand wall walking Get your body parallel to ground Full exercise 5 times
Wall handstand 10 seconds 2 minutes
Pike pushups 1 set of 10 reps 2 sets of 20 reps
Elevated pike pushups 1 set of 10 reps 2 sets of 20 reps
Decline pushups (chair or bench) 1 set of 10 reps 2 sets of 20 reps
Decline pushups (wall) 1 set of 7 reps 2 sets of 15 reps
Jackknife pushups (90°) 1 set of 10 reps 2 sets of 15 reps
Partner HSPU 1 set of 7 reps 2 sets of 15 reps
Wall supported HSPU 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 15 reps
Reverse HSPU 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 15 reps
Reverse HSPU with hands close 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 12 reps
Full pike pushups 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 10 reps
Full jackknife pushups 1 set of 5 reps 2 sets of 10 reps
Full HSPU 1 set of 3 reps 2 sets of 8 reps
HSPU stands for handstand pushups. “Full” means to perform the exercise at a full
range of motion, by using parallettes, two park benches, or two plyo boxes. Elevate your feet
as well during full pike pushups. Your back will be facing the wall in Wall handstand and Wall
supported HSPU. Perform these with your hands at shoulder width. Your abdomen faces the
wall in Handstand wall walking and Reverse HSPU. Also perform these with your hands at
shoulder width.
59
Horizontal pullup progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Standing pullups (aka vertical pulls) 1 set of 10 3 sets of 40
Angled pullups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 35
Horizontal pullups with bent legs 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Horizontal pullups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
One leg horizontal pullups 1 set of 10 3 sets of 20
Biceps curls 1 set of 7 2 sets of 15
Diagonal horizontal pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Archer horizontal pullups 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
One arm horizontal pullups (bent legs) 1 set of 3 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
One arm horizontal pullups 1 set of 3 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
Tuck front lever pullups 1 set of 3 each side 2 sets of 7 each side
Front lever pullups 1 set of 3 each side 2 sets of 5 each side
This progression includes only variations of horizontal pullups, also known as

bodyweight rows. These exercises help build the arms, shoulders, and upper back, although
the lats still get plenty of work. You can add this progression to the Karate Training programs,
or use it as a substitute for the previous pullup progression.
You can use poles or playground equipment for standing pullups. You can also use a
door for standing or angled pullups. The basic idea is to grip each doorknob, straddle the door
with your legs or feet, and perform the exercise. You can also wrap a towel around the
doorknobs, and perform the exercise with your hands gripping the towel. Using a towel lets
you put your body at a lower angle to the ground. Hand rails and equalizers can be used for
horizontal pullups. Some parks also have pullup units.
Dipping progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Bent dips (knees bent) 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Straight dips (knees straight) 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Feet-elevated dips 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Self-assisted parallel dips 1 set of 5 2 sets of 15
Partner-assisted parallel dips 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Parallel dips 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
V-dips (perpendicular dips) 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Straight bar dips (horizontal bar) 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Korean dips 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Use a low base for bent dips and straight dips. For feet-elevated dips, use a low base for
your hands, and a low base for your feet. For V-dips, you can use hand rails that form a “V”
shape. For parallel dips, you can use parallel bars, or a pair of plyo boxes or park benches.
Other safe and sturdy objects should suffice. Use objects that are about the same height.
60
Karate Training Progression Charts
Wrist pushup progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Seated wrist hold 10 seconds 2 sets of 30 seconds
Incline wrist push-up hold 10 seconds 2 sets of 15 seconds
Wall wrist push-ups 1 set of 10 2 sets of 20
Incline wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 12
Kneeling wrist push-up hold 1 set of 10 seconds 2 sets of 10 seconds
Kneeling wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 7
Wrist push-up hold 5 seconds 2 sets of 10 seconds
Half wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Full wrist push-ups 1 set of 5 2 sets of 7
Glute / hamstring progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Short bridge 1 set of 10 3 sets of 50
One leg short bridges 1 set of 10 each side 3 sets of 30 each side
Foot elevated short bridges 1 set of 10 3 sets of 30
Foot elev. one leg short bridges 1 set of 10 each side 3 sets of 20 each side
Hip thrusts 1 set of 7 2 sets of 12
One leg hip thrusts 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 12 each side
Foot elevated hip thrusts 1 set of 5 2 sets of 10
Foot elev. one leg hip thrusts 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 each side
Stance Training Progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Wall sit 30 second hold 2 minute hold
Horse stance 30 second hold 10 minute hold
Lunge / front stance 30 second hold 2 minute hold
Standing figure four pose 5 second hold per leg 30 second hold per leg
Cossack squat / back stance 1 set of 5 per leg 2 sets of 10 per leg
61
Karate Training Progression Charts continued
Side Kick Progression Beginner standard Progression standard

Side plank 10 seconds each side 2 minute hold on each side
Side elbow plank 10 seconds each side 2 minute hold on each side
Side plank hip raises 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 on each side
Side leg raises 1 set of 10 each side 2 sets of 20 on each side
Standing side leg raises 1 set of 5 each side 2 sets of 10 on each side
Standing side leg hold 10 seconds each side 30 second holds on each leg
Side kick 10 per side 50 per side
Front Kick Power Progression Perform Goal

Straight jump 5-6 sets of 3-5 Improved power and height
Bunny hop 5-6 sets of 3-5 Same
Tuck jump 5-6 sets of 3-5 Same
Front kick from squat 5-6 sets of 3-5 per side Improved power and technique
Front kick from lunge 5-6 sets of 3-5 per side Same
Jumping front kick 5-6 sets of 3-5 per side Same
Lunge to jumping front kick 5-6 sets of 3-5 per side Same
62
Exercise tutorials for the calisthenics progressions
I haven’t yet written out tutorials for every exercise, but the existing explanations
should be able to help you perfect your form.
Pushup progression
Wall pushups - Place your palms on the wall, with your hands at about the level of your
shoulders. Your arms should be straight and shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight
and your feet together. Bend your shoulders and elbow slowly until you are about an inch or
two from touching your forehead or chest to the wall. Push away from the wall, back to the
start position. Remember to perform repetitions at a slow cadence.
Incline pushups – Use a chair, bench, bed, solid fencing, work surface, or any other
safe object or furniture that will allow you a deeper range of motion. It should be solid enough
to hold you up during the exercise. A higher incline makes the exercise easier, and a lower
incline makes the exercise harder.
Start with your feet together and your body kept in a straight line as you practice this
exercise. To get into the start position, lean over and place your hands on the object. Your
arms should be straight and shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight and your feet
together. Bend your shoulders and elbow slowly until you are about an inch or two from
touching your forehead or chest to the object. Push away from it, back to the start position.
Uneven pushups - get into pushup position, then support yourself on one arm as you
put your other hand on a small, solid object or short elevation. Bricks, pushup handles, a
basketball, the first step of a porch, and so on work quite well. Make sure you have both arms
directly below your shoulders so that you are stable. Keep your weight evenly distributed
between both hands, and bend the elbows and shoulders until your chest touches the top of
the hand on the object. holding on to the basketball. Pause for a second, then push back up.
This is one repetition. Make sure to work both sides equally.
I recommend using a brick for this exercise. Once you build strength in this exercise,
you can add another brick to make it harder. Build up to using three bricks. Once you feel
strong enough in uneven pushups, start using a basketball, which makes it harder, since you
have to stabilize the ball during the exercise.
Archer pushups – stretch one arm out to the side and point the fingers out in that
direction. The positioning will look like lever pushups, but in this exercise, you are not
pressing down through an object, making the exercise harder.
Ultimate one arm pushup – legs together, as little “snaking out” as possible when
pushing up.
63
Exercise tutorials continued
Pullup progressions
Standing pullups
This exercise is also known as vertical pulls in Convict Conditioning. Start with an
overhand grip and imagine you're rowing a boat as you practice. The imagery isn't as
important as the mechanical principle you're trying to drill. The idea is that you're gripping
and "rowing the boat" into your armpits with each finger and the thumbs.
Activate the shoulders as you do this and try to get the entire chain of muscles involved
in the movement. Have someone put the fingers of one of his or her hands between your
shoulder blades to spot you. Try to squeeze his or her fingers with your shoulder blades as you
start a repetition of the exercise. Try to pull the bar into your sternum as you pull your elbows
into your armpits.
Also focus on gripping hard with the little fingers as you pull into the bar. Imagine that
you're trying to "corkscrew" your hands through the bar and turn your palms up (supination
of the wrists). This will help you recruit more muscles.
Keep the hips locked out and the midsection braced throughout the movement,
especially the negative portion. Take a deep breath in through the nose before pulling into the
bar (positive), hold the "flexed" position for 1 second (focus on bracing), and exhale from the
navel as you reverse the "corkscrew" motion and return from the bar (negative).
Remember to maintain bracing and muscular coordination at every part of the

movement. These basic tips will help you with the rest of the progression. The next exercise
involves you stepping your feet under the bar some and trying to get "hollowed out" at a 45
degree angle to the floor, or close enough. This makes the exercise harder. The closer you get
to fully horizontal and under the bar, the harder.
Angled pullups are done with your body at about a 45 degree angle to the ground. Aim
for at least a few reps in as hollow a position as you can.
Horizontal pullups are done with your body below the bar and hollowed out. Make the
exercise harder by getting parallel to the ground (you can use a block, folded up cheese or
similar to put your feet on) and/or by using a lower bar (perhaps lower a bar at gymnastics).
To make the exercise easier, use a higher bar (perhaps raise a bar at gymnastics) and/or bend
at the knees (this gives you a better position for pushing down through the legs to assist the
movement).
Once you become proficient with horizontal pullups, perform them with an underhand
grip and the hands next to each other. Perform them normally (elbows into armpits and so
forth) until you become proficient with this variation. This will help build up the biceps.
64
The next "toughener" is locking your elbows onto your ribcage, as if you are about to
perform biceps curls. You will essentially be performing "biceps curls horizontal pulls". It will
take some experimenting to figure out the best angle of the body of the floor for you to start
with. Feel free to bend at the knees at first so you can push a bit more with the feet, to help get
used to this variation.
Once you feel good about these, move on to harder exercises. Remember the same
lessons you learned about breathing, bracing, grip, and pulling into your armpits. Have
a partner assist you with pullups, or perform leg assisted pullups. Either variation will help
you strengthen and learn how to engage the lats. The key point to remember is to still pull
your elbows down into your armpits. Imagine you're trying to pull the bar into your chest.
With leg assisted pullups, use a bar low enough that you can at least partially squat
down while holding onto the bar. You will want your elbows and shoulders to be fully
extended. Stand straight up as you pull your elbows straight down into your armpits. As you
get stronger, pull more with your arms. Remember to not push away from the bar at any point
so that the exercise does not revert to a variation of horizontal pullups. The motion should be
strictly up and down.
Once you feel comfortable with this, move on to bent leg "jackknife" pullups. From a
leg assisted pullup position, keep your hands on the bar and move your feet forward. The
thighs should be parallel to the ground and the heels should be planted. Ideally, your shins
will be perpendicular (90 degree angle) to your thighs. Your legs can still assist with the
motion, but put more of the focus on pulling straight down through your arms.
Also feel free to ask a partner to give you a spot between the shoulders. If you are
having trouble with this exercise, even with a spot, try at least one of these: 1) ask for a heavier
spot; 2) go back to horizontal pullups and perform the reps very slowly, with a focus on
holding the "flexed" position at the top for a few seconds (train this with different hand
positions)
Once you feel proficient with this exercise, fully extend the knees. If the bar is low
enough, or you have something safe and sturdy to place your heels on, you can get your body
into a full "jackknife" position (hips are bent at a 90 degree angle). Using a higher bar will
make the exercise easier, as long as your feet are still in contact with the floor at the top (fully
flexed) portion of the movement. Not elevating your feet will also make the exercise easier,
since they are in a better position to assist, as you push through your heels.
Elevating the legs higher than horizontal makes the exercise harder, as the legs are not
in a good position to assist. You will have to focus even more on pulling down through your
lats. Using a lower bar can also make the exercise harder, as long as you are able to fully
extend the elbows and shoulders at the bottom position of the movement.
65
Start with your feet on the floor. At first, keep your feet in contact with the floor
throughout the entirety of this exercise. Try to fully master this exercise before adding the
next "toughener".
Again, make sure you do not push away from the bar when using your legs to assist. If
you are having trouble with this, and have a training partner or coach that you are very
comfortable with, you could ask him or her to spot you. What he or she will do is place a hand
on each side of your ribcage and help you stay vertical. He or she should cue you to pull
straight down and bring your elbows into your armpits. He or she could instead place one or
both hands on your back and give you the same cues as he or she pushes straight up.
The next "toughener" is to only push down through your heels during the bottom
portion of the upwards phase and allow the feet to hang down (if possible) or tuck the feet
under you as you ascend. This will make the exercise closer to a full pullup without self
assistance. A training partner or coach can give you a light or heavy spot behind your
shoulders or torso, or give you a spot under your ankles as you ascend. Build up to doing 2
sets of 10 repetitions this way.
Uneven pullups – grasp the bar tightly with one hand, and the off hand will will grasp
the wrist of the working arm. The elbow of the off hand will naturally be bent much more than
that of the working arm. The thumb of the supporting hand will be just below the opposite
palm, with the fingers below the back of the hanging hand. Both elbows will be out in front of
you. Use your off hand to help perform pullups this way. Make sure to perform the same
number of reps on each side. Because you are supporting your body weight from one hand
during uneven pullups, practicing them helps you to begin transitioning to one arm pullups. If
you find it hard to keep hold of the bar, go back a step in the progression, and build up your
sets and reps. I also recommend practicing some hanging grip work.
Self assisted one arm pullups - hold on to a vertical base with your free hand (such as
the vertical pole of a pullup unit). Keeping the assisting hand closer to you makes it easier to
push downwards, as does keeping it higher. You could instead use a towel looped over the bar.
As you get stronger at this exercise, lower the assisting arm and/or have it further away from
the working arm. Work up to only pushing through the concentric sticking point with the
assisting arm. Using a towel or rope for self assistance makes the exercise harder, as either
would be an unstable “base” to push downwards on. Another way to make the exercise harder
is keeping an L-hold position with the legs during the exercise.
66
A remedial exercise - if you're deconditioned, you may want to start with a static hold
called “six inches”, where you lay flat on your back, with legs extended and knees straight.
Then, lift your feet a few inches off the floor and hold for time. This will gently condition your
abdominals and get you used to the start position for leg raises.
Flat knee raises - lie back flat on the floor, put your legs together, and your arms down
by your side. Bend your knees at about 90 degrees, and keep the feet a few inches of the
ground. Press hard on the floor using your hands if needed, to keep your body stable. From
there, bring your knees up smoothly until they are over your hips, and exhale as you do this.
Pause briefly, slowly lower your feet to the start position, and make sure to inhale as you do
this. Keep your abdominals tight, and your knees at a 90 degree angle throughout the
exercise. If this is too hard at first, raise one knee at the time, then the other. Once you can
perform knee raises for 2 sets of 20, straighten your legs out a little each workout until you
can perform straight leg raises.
Hanging knee raises - Slowly raise your legs as far as you can. As your abs get stronger
you can increase your range of motion in this exercise, until you are doing full range of motion
leg raises (where you touch your feet or shins to the bar).
Reverse frogs - leg raise to L-hold, tuck knees in to the upper arms or elbows, reverse
Pike lifts - basically toes-ons / full range of motion leg lifts; drill flexibility for this
Solid rollover – this exercise is a harder variation of the chinup pullover and should be
completed as one smooth movement. Grab onto a high overhead bar, and from a dead hang,
perform a full range of motion leg raise, move into inverse front hang. From there, pull with
the arms until your hips are on the bar. Complete the exercise by bending at the hips, rolling
over the bar, and straightening up your upper body into front support position.
67
Squat progression
Shoulderstand squats are the first exercise in the squat progression, but it may be quite
difficult at first due to the position your body is in. Continue working on the shoulderstand
position and getting accustomed to it. Over time you will build flexibility and endurance in
shoulderstand squats.
Jackknife squats - Stand in front of a chair, table, or something similar that comes up
to about the level of your knees. Make sure it is safe and sturdy. Keep your legs straight and at
least shoulder width apart. Bend at the waist and lightly rest your palms on the object. This
will put some of the load onto your upper body, thus making the squats a bit easier on your
legs. It also helps maintain balance. As you perform squats from this starting position, try to
keep your torso parallel to the floor or ground. Bend your knees and hips until you cannot go
any further down. Your hamstrings and calves should reach each other. Your arms will
necessarily bend as well on the way down. From here, use combined leg and arm strength to
push back up to the start position.
Keep your heels planted, and don't bounce during the squats. This prevents injury and
stretches out your ankles. Having flexibility in that area will help you to master the lowest
position of a full squat. If you're having trouble making it out of the bottom position, don't
worry! Just try to get a little deeper each workout. Another way is to use a little more arm
strength to take some of the load off your legs as you come out of the bottom position. As you
build leg strength, you will rely less on your arms.
Once you feel comfortable working with this type of squat, start using a higher object –
such as a desk, back of a chair, or similar. Again, your legs should be straight and about
shoulder width apart, with your arms out straight, holding on to your object of choice. Keep
your back straight as you squat down for the deepest range of motion that you are comfortable
with. Gradually increase the depth of your squats as you build strength. Remember to keep
your heels flat on the floor.
Squats - Stand with your feet at shoulder width apart, and squat down as far as
possible, with your upper body aligned, then return to standing position. Make sure your
knees bend outwards and that your heels remain on the floor throughout the exercise.
Shrimp squats – one foot is tucked in behind you as you perform a squat on the other
leg. Bend at the hips and the knee of the standing leg until the other knee touches the ground.
To progress from split squats to shrimp squats, gradually press through the back foot less,
until you are performing squats with one leg.
Raised one leg squats – step onto a safe, sturdy object with one leg and stand straight
up on that leg, then bend at the hips and the knee of the standing leg until the back foot
touches the ground. Higher objects make the exercise harder.
68
Partner assisted pistols - have a training partner 'spot' you as you start working on
halfway down one leg squats. Keep the body aligned, with your arms straight out. Your
partner will stand beside you and place his or her palms under the arm on that side. Put one
foot out in front of you, at about the height of your other thigh. The raised leg should remain
locked, and held off the ground, throughout the exercise. Slowly bend at the hip and knee of
your standing leg, until the knee is at about a 90 degree angle. Pause briefly and push back up.
Your partner should help you maintain your balance, as well as give some assistance in
coming back up, by pulling up slightly with her or her hands.
Self-assisted pistols - stand straight and hold onto a sturdy, narrow base in front of you
(such as a vertical poles of a pullup unit) or onto a sturdy overhead bar. Press pistols involve
the use of an object or training apparatus beside the working leg. As you lower, “find” the
object with that same side's hand while maintaining good posture. That hand will help with
balance as well as at least a slight pushoff in the upwards phase of the squat. As you improve
at press pistols, gradually decrease pushoff with the assisting hand, and/or use progressively
lower objects.
Press pistols – these involve the use of an object or training apparatus beside the
working leg. As you lower, “find” the object with that same side's hand while maintaining
good posture. That hand will help with balance as well as at least a slight pushoff in the
upwards phase of the squat. As you improve, gradually decrease pushoff with the assisting
hand, and/or use progressively lower objects.
Bridging progression
If you’re having trouble with early steps, practice camel backbend and seal pose to help
open up the back and legs.
Wall bridge is useful in developing the spinal flexibility and movement patterns needed
for later steps. Stand just within arm’s reach of a wall, facing away from it. Reach your arms
over head, squeeze the glutes, and extend the hips. You should now have some backbend.
Allow your knees to bend as you do this. Arch your neck and look up at your hands, as you
place them on the wall with the fingers pointing down to the floor. Stay here for a few seconds
if it already uncomfortable, then push off with your hands and return to an upright position. If
it doesn’t feel like much of a stretch yet, move your hands one by one down the wall, but just a
few inches. Repeat this until you feel a deep stretch in your lumbar spine. Have a partner spot
you for this exercise as needed at first, especially when returning to an upright position.
69
“Wall walking” is basically a wall-supported closing bridge. Get into a wall bridge and
go deeper by walking your hands down towards the floor. Keep your back arched, stay
balanced, and follow your hands. Try to get deeper each time you practice, until you are able
to touch the floor. This may take a few months, but be patient! Once you can place both palms
on the floor, hold the bridge for at least a few seconds. Come down slowly to the floor or mat,
then stand back up for another repetition of wall walking down.
Once you feel proficient with wall walking down, start working on walking back up.
Walk down the wall with your hands, just as before, until you are in a bridge position. Place a
hand on the wall, and push down on it to start lifting yourself off the ground. Follow with the
other hand. Gradually walk your way up the wall until you can push off and rock forward into
a standing position.
The next step is closing bridge. You will ultimately want to teach your body to not rely
on support from the wall, but it is still helpful at first as you are learning the mechanics and
building flexibility. As you improve, gradually depend on the wall less and less. Once you feel
as if you barely need the wall, ask a strong spotter to spot you for a closing bridge. He or she
will put one arm under your shoulders and another under the small of your back. They should
also cue you to keep your back arched and follow your hands. If necessary, revisit the full
bridge. Try to deepen it by “walking” your hands a few inches closer to your feet. Perform your
reps very slowly with a focus on squeezing out a deep bridge every time in the top position.
Once you have the closing bridge, you can revisit wall walking to help learn the stand-
to-stand bridge. Get into a full bridge with your chest as close to the wall as you can get it, and
start walking up the wall with your hands. Try to take less steps with your hands each time
you practice this until you barely need the wall for support. Feel free to ask a training partner
to help you work on this. The key is learning how to shift your weight forwards while
contracting your abdomen while returning to an upright position.
Dipping progression
The beginner exercises – Benches, tables, and chairs work for these exercises. You can
also use an adjustable bar, porch, or a walkway. Sit with your back to the object of choice and
place your hands on it, with your fingers pointing to the front. Keep your back straight and
close to the object. Place your feet in front of you and plant your heels, while pointing your
toes up. To perform a repetition, bend at the elbows while staying close to the object, until
your elbows are bent at least 90 degrees. Next, push through your hands until your elbows are
locked out.
How much you straighten your knees will depend on how difficult you want to make
the exercise. Keeping your legs bent makes the exercise easier, as you can press through your
feet more. Straightening your legs out will make the exercise harder. Elevating your feet, such
as on another bench, table, or chair, will also make the exercise harder.
70
Partner assisted or self assisted dips - One idea for self assisted dips is to put a
gymnastics block or cheese under you while you're performing dips on parallel bars, so that
you can use it to force a lessened range of motion or to take some of the pressure off of your
upper body. If the bars are low enough, you can also use your legs to assist you in the upward
phase of the dips. The same idea can be used for dips performed between benches or other
sturdy objects.
Parallel dips - you can use parallel bars, or a pair of plyo boxes or park benches. Other
safe and sturdy objects should suffice. Use objects that are about the same height. Slowly bend
at the elbows, until they are lined up with your shoulders. From there, push yourself up until
your elbows are almost completely locked out.
V-dips – these are performed on perpendicular bars. Some hand rails at parks form
this angle.
71
Goals past the progressions
Pushups - Ultimate one arm pushups, decline one arm pushups, one arm fingertip
pushups on just the thumb and index finger, and one arm wrist pushups
Leg raises - Hanging dragon flag – hold for 15 seconds
Squats - Jumbo shrimp squats (standing on a chair for greater range of motion)
Bridging – Bridge kickover; back walkover; more difficult transitions from backbend
(such as backbend to handstand)
Handstand pushup progression -

Hand balancing skills and transitions rather than strength. This includes, but is not
limited to, goals such as planche, press handstand, hand walking up stairs, frog press to
handstand, one arm handstand, and the one arm elbow lever.
Exploring a combination of the handstand pushup progression and a handstand

progression, up to free standing Full HSPU or other high level goal
Pure strength development without the high requirements for balance, up to a wall-
supported one arm HSPU
Potential one arm HSPU progression after full ROM HSPU:

Uneven pike pushups – 1x5 reps each side; 2x12 reps each side
Uneven jackknife pushups – 1x5 reps each side; 2x12 reps each side
Uneven HSPU – 1x5 reps each side; 2x10 reps each side
Lever pike pushups – 1x5 reps each side; 2x10 reps each side
Lever jackknife pushups – 1x5 reps each side; 2x8 reps each side
Lever HSPU – 1x5 reps each side; 2x6 reps each side
Archer pike pushups – 1x5 reps each side; 2x9 reps each side
Archer jackknife pushups – 1x3 reps each side; 2x7 reps each side
Archer HSPU - 1x3 reps each side; 2x6 reps each side
One arm pike pushups – 1x3 reps each side; 2x4 each side
Partner assisted one arm HSPU - 1x5 reps each side; 2x5 reps each side
One arm HSPU – 1x5 reps each side is a highly elite goal
Wrist pushups – building up to one arm wrist pushups or Jackie Chan pushups
Dipping - muscleups
72
Progressive Calisthenics – A Concise Explanation
Progressive calisthenics is a strength oriented approach to bodyweight training. It also

focuses on minimalism – little to no equipment, but high rewards. Your body is its own very
versatile form of training equipment! Balance, agility, and coordination also gain a lot of
benefit. Popular examples of calisthenics exercises include pushups and pullups.
Exercises may be trained progressively by adjusting leverage, range of motion, hand

and/or foot positioning, and other such variables. With these in mind, body mechanics, and
movement, one may use progressive calisthenics to achieve very high levels of functional, full
body strength and coordination. This is primarily because calisthenics use natural movements
that act on multiple joints, and force many stabilizer muscles to be used. Lastly, calisthenics
help to improve posture, as well as build supple strength and tension in the tendons,
ligaments, and joints.
Naturally, it is also possible to make exercises easier. This is especially important if you
are working around an old injury, and want to build up your strength again in particular
joints. Making an exercise easier also useful when you want to work on your form.
The key thing to remember is that progressive calisthenics – like with weight training –
is that multiple methods of progression may be used. A common type is a double progression.
The first progression is building up your sets and reps in an exercise that you can work with
comfortably. The second progression is moving up to a harder variation of that exercise, but
only once you have built up enough strength in your muscles and joints. When you start on a
harder variation, you will generally not be able to perform as many to repetitions, and as such
you will return to the first type of progression.
Everyone is different – you have your own unique body type, goals, needs, metabolism,
and so forth. As such, feel free to use the progressive approach to calisthenics to help you
develop your own personalized routines. Remember the key concepts to the approach – using
a double or multiple progression method to build strength and skill in various types of
movement, while also collecting knowledge of body mechanics, kinesiology, and "intensity
variables" or "tougheners" to adjust leverage, range of motion, and positioning to make the
movements progressively harder or easier. There is a seemingly infinite number of ways to
adjust your techniques, and continue gaining strength from them for years and years to come.
As you practice your exercises, keep in mind that body weight training techniques can
be treated like martial arts techniques. At first, when you learn a new movement, it is
important to take it slowly while getting an understanding of the body mechanics behind the
exercise. Then, practice it repetitively to gain skill, strength, coordination, improved posture,
and balance in the required positions. From there, you can learn new variations of the body
weight exercise – just as in martial arts, when learning variations of different strikes or blocks.
Also, improved balance, coordination, and strength in postures help martial arts training. All
in all, progressive calisthenics for strength are very useful for everyone into not just martial
arts, but athletic sports in general.
73
Progressive Calisthenics – A Concise Explanation continued
I want to emphasize that, to achieve total fitness, calisthenics alone are not enough.
Keep in mind that you will want to make needed lifestyle changes in diet, nutrition, rest,
recovery, and so forth to help improving overall health in body, mind, and spirit. Scientific
research has helped to develop many useful therapeutic modalities. However, we should not
entirely discount or deny age old wisdom and practices. This includes yoga, meditation,
prayer, solitary hiking – anything that helps you to cope with day to day stress and strengthen
your spirit.
Mechanics of progression:
To understand the basic principles of progression, think of them in terms of intensity
variables.
Leverage, positioning (hands, feet), range of motion, speed, weight to limb ratio,
tension, tightening up technique, tension, alignment, emphasis / isolation, symmetry (one
hand or two, one foot or two, or even using a transitional position), self assistance, partner
assistance, angle / vector, points of contact, wide or narrow base, inter-set rest, volume,
frequency
Types of progression include, but are not limited to:

Linear - double, triple, etc
Non-linear - stepped, waved, etc
Training protocols include, but are not limited to:
Ladders
Pyramids
Circuit training
Interval training
Periodization (planning training cycles) includes, but is not limited to, these types:
Block periodization
Stepped
Waved
Daily undulating periodization
Other areas and factors that need to be kept in mind for success in training:
Kinesiology, body mechanics, physics, proper nutrition, recovery, lifestyle factors,
planning training goals, brief and intense workouts, motivation, consistency
74
Miniature progressions in calisthenics
The basic methods of progression in progressive calisthenics are 1) a double

progression, which involves building up reps in an exercise, then moving on to a harder one,
and 2) calibration, which involves making an exercise slightly harder (or easier, as needed)
through the use of intensity variables and “hidden steps”. Every exercise in a progression can
become the basis for its own progression using calibration, creativity and experience.
Intensity variables are used to create “hidden steps” between exercises in a

progression. An example is to move your hands an inch closer to each other every time you
work on pushups, until you are performing close / "diamond" pushups. This also serves as an
example of a miniature progression. There are endless possibilities for hidden steps that can
be used.
Another example is to create a miniature progression from step 8 (half one arm
pushups) of the Convict Conditioning pushup progression. If you have worked up to the
progression standard of step 7 (uneven pushups), but find step 8 too difficult, regress the
movement by practicing it at an incline or using a wall. The higher the incline, the easier, and
the lower, the harder. Find an incline that will allow you to perform the beginner standard
with good form on each side and gradually build up to the progression standard. Once you
reach it, use a lower incline the next time you work pushups, and aim for the intermediate
standard. Gradually build up to progression standard again. Repeat the process until you are
able to perform half one arm pushups on the floor.
75
Calisthenics style grip work
Below is all that you need:

1. Your own bodyweight - With some creativity and just your own bodyweight, you can
design your own workout basically no matter where you are
2. Something to hang from - pullup bar, handrails at a public park, monkey bars, tree,
etc.
3. Towels - may be used to increase the thickness of the bar, or looped over it and
gripped, etc.
4. Thick bars - these really work the grip! As noted above, a towel may be used, or one
may find a thick bar in say, a public park or some gyms.
5. Simple, progressive techniques - no fancy, hard to learn exercises.
Exercise List
Warmups -
Joint circling
Aikido and gymnastics stretches for the wrists
Eagle claw - stretch out your fingers, ball them up into a fist, and repeat at least several
more times to help warm up the hands
Grip work exercises -

Caution is strongly advised. The hands and wrists contain many small joints that can
easily be over-trained to injury. Progression should be slow and steady compared to training
the larger muscle groups.
Hang grip work progression - tougheners (intensity variables) specific to this

progression include adding hang time, using one or more towels in various ways, using less
fingers, and explosive grip work. Making use of tougheners helps you find “hidden steps”
between exercises in a designated progression. Here are a few uses of towels that make for
some intense tougheners:
1. Wrap a towel around the bar to make it an "improvised thick bar"
2. Loop a towel over the bar and:

a. Grip around the towel with one hand while the other hand holds onto the bar
b. Grip a side of the towel with one hand and the opposite side with the other
hand
c. Grip around the towel with both hands (one hand above the other) - hold for
time, switch hand positions and repeat
3. Fold the towel once then loop it over the bar to double the towel’s thickness
4. Loop two towels over the bar and grip one in each hand
5. Build up to using one hand to hang from a single towel looped over the bar
76
Calisthenics style grip work continued
Pullups using towels and/or thick bars - design your own progressions. Explore the
previous tougheners as well as tougheners for other pullup progressions.
Progressions for finger tip holds / pushups and wrist holds / pushups - for balanced
strength in the muscles and joints of the lower arms.
Just for the sake of completeness

Teens and adults may engage in these types of training if they want or need to take the
training of their extremities a step further. This list isn’t strictly calisthenics. The general idea
is old fashioned hard work!
Rope climbing
Rice bucket exercises
Wrist roller work
Sandbag training
Sled dragging
Farmer’s walk (using kettlebells, sandbags, barbells, etc.)
Strongman and/or karate style training with found objects (hammers, anvils, ceramic
jars)
Improvised gear (make a barbell out of a pipe or bar with a cement filled can or bucket
on each end; make your own wrist roller out of a wooden dowel rod, swivel hook, chain, and
weight plates or sandbag; etc.)
Manual labor (farm work, carpentry, steel mill work, blacksmithing, etc.)
77
Calisthenics Training Tactics
“Bodybuilding” tactics - hypertrophy with a focus on the muscles:
The goal is to exhaust the muscles with high reps of simple to moderate complexity
exercises that allow you to perform a moderate to full range of motion, and generate intense
muscle contractions. While the intensity should be kept high, it should also allow you to
perform enough sets and reps to exhaust the muscle(s). The sets you perform each exercise for
should be kept low to moderate, while the reps should be kept high, and the rest periods
between sets (inter-set rest) should be kept relatively short.
If you are a beginner, perform 1 or 2 beginner bodybuilding workouts on

nonconsecutive days, and build up to 3 non-consecutive training days. This allows your
muscles time to recover and become accustomed to training. Experienced bodybuilders may
train up to 6 days per week with a well designed program that targets different muscles each
day.
Useful tactics:
Ladders - sets of increasing reps.
Supersets – perform two exercises that work opposing muscle groups without stopping.
in a row without stopping. It is possible and often recommended to create one long superset
with multiple pairs of exercises.
Burner sets - do all of your work sets back to back with no rest.
Extended sets - use one or more of the following: eccentrics/negatives, isometric holds,
restpause sets, partial reps, forced reps, change of positioning (grip style, grip width, stance
change, etc) and/or drop sets.
Even higher reps than recommended in the bodybuilding workouts – use ladders, drop
sets, or other tactics as needed.
Very slow reps – up to 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down
Muscular exhaustion work – perform at the end of a workout, such as performing
lunges or duck walks after a leg workout
Emphasis on a muscle or muscle group – add specialization exercises
Going through a strength training cycle - stronger muscles can use higher loads and
generate more intense contractions.
78
Strength training tactics-

Hypertrophy with a focus on the nervous system:
The goal is to perform slightly high sets of low to moderate reps of the most difficult
compound (multi-joint) movements that you can do with good form in each rep. The rest
periods between sets should be just long enough to allow you to practice “fresh”. An example
number of sets and reps for strength training – 2-5 sets of 1-6. Training frequency can be built
up to a moderate amount. Multiple weekly sessions are viable since the muscles aren't being
worked to complete exhaustion.
As a rule, you are focusing on ingraining these intense movements into your nervous
system. Gradually tighten up form. Of course, it's still important to utilize high rep sets for
warmups to gradually prepare the mind, muscles, and nervous system for the hard work to
come.
Useful tactics: Pyramids (sets of decreasing reps), grease the groove, high intensity
interval training, skill work
Technique: Tension, bracing, breathing methods, laser focus, muscle synergy
Skill training tactics:

Aim for neuromuscular efficiency. Don't think of it as working out your muscles, but
working on technique. Take slightly longer rest periods between sets than you would during
strength training or bodybuilding, so that you can practice fresh. Aim for technical perfection
each rep. Remember that strength is a skill! Do not train to failure. Instead, train to improve
your neuromuscular efficiency.
Very useful tactic - “Grease the groove” (synaptic facilitation):
“Specificity + frequent practice = success”- Pavel Tsatsouline

The “grease the groove” approach involves frequent, fresh practice of an exercise or
skill for sub-maximal repetitions or intensity. Aim for multiple sets spaced out throughout the
day. Use this approach for one or two skills or exercises, at most, in the same training cycle (1
or 2 weeks).
79
Tactics for calibrating exercises and workouts
Tougheners include, but are not limited to:

Bodyweight triceps extensions – low incline, deeper range of motion, build up to
performing with one arm, hold the bottom position for time each rep
Horizontal pullups – asymmetry, lower bar, biceps emphasis, one leg
Hanging leg raises – full ROM (range of motion), combinations with front lever, lateral
movement
Pike handstand pushups – full ROM, feet elevated, alternate sides each rep
Handstand pushups – full ROM, alternate sides each rep, transitional work (working
towards one arm handstand pushups), freestanding handstand pushups
Dips – “L position” with legs, harder exercise in the progression
Pushups – hands closer together, transitional work (working towards one arm
pushups), performing pushups in a declined position, performing slow reps, harder exercise
in the progression
Pullups – hands closer together, transitional work (working towards one arm pullups),
performing slow reps, harder exercise in the progression
Regressions include, but are not limited to:
Bodyweight triceps extensions – higher incline, partial range of motion, perform an
easier triceps exercise (such as tiger bend pushups)
Incline pushups – higher incline, partial range of motion
Horizontal pullups – higher bar, get closer to standing, bent legs
Hanging leg raises – partial range of motion, perform “frog leg raises”, raise one leg at
a time (“swimming” the legs), easier exercise in the progression
Pike handstand pushups – partial range of motion, perform divebomber pushups,
perform Hindu pushups (aka Dands), hold top position for time, easier exercise in the
progression
Dips – less range of motion, easier exercise in the progression
Pushups – less range of motion, easier exercise in the progression, perform pushups
with hands on a safe, sturdy object (higher objects are easier, lower objects are harder)
Drop set ideas include, but are not limited to:
Bodyweight triceps extensions - perform the exercise at a higher incline, perform bench
dips, and perform multiple drop sets of pushups. Progressions – drop at least 1 level in the
progression and perform that exercise until form starts to break down.
Equipment:
To elevate the hands and/or feet, you could use a walkway, park benches, a step or
rung, a wall, a tree – experiment! For parallel dips, you could use two sturdy objects at a
height that will allow you to perform the exercise at a sufficient range of motion, or you could
use park benches.
80
Calisthenics exercises sorted by muscles worked
This list is intended to help you structure your own workouts.
Shoulders - hand balancing, Handstand pushups, Korean dips
Back - back extensions (aka superhero holds), back hyperextensions
Back and arms - pullup progression, back lever progression
Upper back and arms - horizontal pullup progression (inverted row)
Chest and triceps - pushup progression
Chest, triceps, and front shoulders - dipping progression
Chest - pushups on parallettes, parallel dips (leaning forward), perpendicular dips, horizontal
dips
Biceps - close pullups with underhand grip, asymmetrical pullups with underhand grip,
headbangers, biceps curls, horizontal pullups
Triceps - Sphinx pushups, Sphinx handstand pushups, triceps extensions, diamond pushups
(hands close, thumbs and pointer fingers touching)
Wrists, hands and forearms - wrist holds, fingertip holds, fist holds, wrist pushups, fingertip
pushups, fist pushups, hang grip work, finger pullups, towel pullups
Abdominals - planks, hollow body holds, side leg raises, side planks, sit-ups;
Progressions for leg raises, Dragon flag, front lever, midsection holds, clutch flag, human flag
Posterior chain - bridging progression
Lower body - sprints, squats, lunges
Glutes and hamstrings - short bridges, tabletops, hip thrusts, T lever touches and holds
Calves - calf raises
81
An Essay on Flexibility
As a martial artist with many years of experience, I have had the good fortune of
learning and testing out many kinds of stretching. I have found that it is important to have a
variety of “active flexibility” stretches where one uses muscular control to help affect the range
of motion of the stretching technique. Yoga and Pilates postures have been very effective for
me and my martial arts students in helping “open up” not only the hamstrings and shoulders,
but correct postural problems in our backs and help strengthen the back muscles while doing
so. This is very desirable for practicing martial arts, and for many types of resistance training.
I can imagine that performing many types of Olympic lifts would be greatly assisted by
improving one’s posture, back strength, and spinal health.
Static stretching, from my experience, is not conducive to resistance training, which is

supported by research. I have found that performing dynamic stretching – joint rotations and
so forth – form an integral part of any warmup routine. This is very important for warming up
the joints and muscles that are specific to the workout, and it also lubricates the joints with
synovial fluid, allowing for improved function of the joints.
This is necessary for skill work such as in martial arts, gymnastics and so forth, as well
as resistance training of almost any kind. As an example, before we train any Aikido
techniques, we carefully practice wrist rotations and wrist stretches. These help prevent injury
to the wrists when practicing the various wrist lock techniques, and the stretches also help us
to further ingrain the motions of the techniques. In this way, such stretches have “joint
specificity”. There are many examples of such joint specific stretches that assist in martial arts
techniques.
As far as resistance training goes, we have indeed found that it does contribute to
increased joint flexibility. I previously mentioned Yoga and Pilates. These disciplines do tend
to help build strength throughout the full range of motion of the exercises, as well as balance
and posture. Similarly, other disciplines of body weight movements have been very helpful in
not only building strength in “natural” movements, but balance, coordination, and agility.
Such movements include various pushing, pulling, and squatting exercises, and many more.
As an example, I generally start most new, untrained karate students with a short list of
Judo style stretches and kneeling pushups, or wall pushups if necessary. Such pushups are
fairly remedial exercises that allow students to learn the basic form, and help stretch out the
muscles and joints while using the muscles to stay in control of the motion. Developing
muscular control is a very important concept in both flexibility and martial arts. There are
remedial variations of almost any exercise one can imagine, especially in calisthenics. The
position, leverage, and range of motion may be adjusted in any calisthenics technique such
that it can be made more difficult (progressing the technique) or less difficult (regressing the
technique).
82
An Essay on Flexibility continued
Of course, during pushing movements, the antagonistic muscles hold some tension,
and the stabilizer muscles also get some training via holding correct posture and balance.
Once a set of pushing movements is completed, pulling movements are practiced to help
stretch out the muscles and joints on the other side. An example remedial exercise for pulling
is standing pulls, where one places one’s hands on either side of a pole, beam, or any other
sturdy object or piece of furniture that one can safely put one’s hands around.
As the student progresses in muscular control, his or her technique improves and will
be able to perform more “high quality” repetitions. Also, as the student continues practicing
these techniques, his or her range of motion will generally deepen, allowing him or her to
make the exercise more difficult, as well as improve his or her own active flexibility. An
example is performing wide stance body weight squats half way down at first. This functions
as not only a resistance exercise, but also a stretch for the quadriceps where most of the
muscles of the legs are involved in the exercise.
Another great exercise is body weight calf raises. These help stretch out the calf
muscles as well as the Achilles tendon. Any menu of squats and calf raises is greatly
supplemented by ankle rotations and “runner’s stretches” (similar to lunges). As flexibility
and muscular control improve in calf raises, one can practice them with one foot and / or off a
step. Of course, it takes time and dedication with squats and calf raises to build up balance,
and flexibility in the ankles. The key point is not to rush things and gradually develop the
flexibility needed to keep the heels planted in the bottom portion of squats. Calf raises and
ankle rotations help immensely with this.
Naturally, connective tissues will get stretched and strengthened by practicing such
techniques. Simply holding tension (via muscular control) will work the ligaments and
tendons. Also, going through the proper ranges of motion in these techniques stretches them
and helps one’s body learn correct movements and postures. As such, not only can one build
muscular control, posture, balance, general proprioception and kinesthesia, flexibility, and
skill, but joint integrity and strength in ligaments and tendons. This helps maintain joint
health and prevent injury.
Maintaining strength balances in the body allows one, also, to maintain natural ranges
of motion. Asking any gymnastics coach about building shoulder health and flexibility will
certainly yield much useful advice on the topic. It can be argued, especially from a gymnastics
perspective, that excellent upper body flexibility is required to learn more advanced body
weight techniques. Also, to quote an article by a gymnast, “Keeping the shoulders
(glenohumeral / scapular articulations) operating optimally is the key to bodyweight strength
success.”
Referenced article - “The Fundamentals of Bodyweight Strength Training” by Steven

Low, posted at the site below – http://www.eatmoveimprove.com
83
An Essay on Flexibility continued
Light, gentle stretching as a part of cool downs has helped me and my martial arts
students reduce post workout pain. This usually involves partner assisted stretching and
massage to help “detox” the affected joints and muscles of waste products and so forth.
So, as you can see by my approach to body weight training, calisthenics can be very
holistic in nature, help with flexibility, and provide light, moderate, and even very high levels
of intensity for strength training. My overall approach to strength and flexibility is based
around my years of experience in martial arts, progressive calisthenics, and gymnastics, as
well as experience and research into other disciplines (ballet, parkour, Yoga, Pilates, etc.), and
training with other instructors.
84
Caveman Conditioning: Uncivilized, Minimalist Training Methods
Caveman conditioning revolves around rather uncivilized and minimalist, but very
rewarding, strength training methods out in nature, whether it be the woods, the mountains,
wherever. Why bother with a gym or expensive equipment when you can get your strength
training for little to no money? Even if the closest thing to nature you have available to you is
a public park, you can still get a free but difficult workout by trying some of the ideas from
“caveman conditioning”! No matter where you go, you just need some creativity and
knowledge of proper exercise technique.
Please note – this article is not related in any way to the “Caveman Conditioning” of
Bodyforce. This is my own take on “primitive” training methods, and no copyright
infringement is intended in any way. Check out Bodyforce’s awesome Caveman Conditioning
page by visiting the blog below and clicking on “Caveman Conditioning” -
http://stuartdorrill.wordpress.com/
Precautions
Dress for safety and for the weather. Always have permission to use the land. (Unless
you, a close friend, or a family member owns it – in which case, knock yourself out. If you get
yourself in trouble though, “I told you so.”) Take all proper precautions before you go into the
woods, including hydration, sunblock, any needed equipment, hiking shoes, thick socks, and
bug repellent spray.
Caveman Conditioning – Strength Training Methods

Drag away dead trees by hand. Chop down a tree for firewood. Shovel some dirt. You’d
be surprised how great these are for training both strength AND endurance, until you’ve done
one of them steadily for an hour. Especially in hot weather.
You can use a relatively low but very sturdy tree branch for pullups, leg raises, various
gymnastics exercises, and so forth. You could also perform a burpee, jump up to the branch
explosively, do a pullup, drop, and repeat, for a full set.
Run through and navigate the natural obstacle course that the woods provide – this
includes jumping ditches. Climb trees for grip work and overall agility. Hang a rope from a
tree and learn some rope climbing exercises to train your grip and overall body strength even
more. Ropes are also useful in pullup variations and mud run style obstacles. Look into army
training and drills for ideas. Look online for the Army Field Manual 21-20 and read it
thoroughly.
Clear any straw and or leaves in a particularly shady and grassy area that could be used
for various calisthenics – just remember to wear long shirts and pants for this. Also make sure
that if you’re going to use the area and regularly, spray it for ticks using Permethrin or another
recommended pesticide. Anyway, some excellent calisthenics in such an area include using a
tree for support when practicing gymnastics backbends or various handstand exercises.
85
Caveman Conditioning continued
You could also wrap a length of heavy rope around a tree to use for striking practice.
Just make sure you get instruction from a qualified martial arts instructor before trying this
and wear hand protection, such as wrist wraps.
I recommend using rice bucket exercises to strengthen your wrists, and using other
such exercises to toughen the hands.
Sprint through an abandoned field – but make absolutely sure you clear a straight path
of anything that you could trip over or that could pierce shoes or skin, as well as wear
sweatpants and running shoes with excellent heel support. If the woods are in a particularly
hilly area, you can go for hill sprints, which are great for explosiveness!
Repurpose materials from abandoned properties out in the woods. This includes using
cinder blocks for biceps curls and other lifts. You could also use any old beams, chairs, heavy
duty rope, and bricks that are available. Old beams or planks of wood could be laid across a
ditch, or used as a calf raise step (put it next to a tree or wall that you can use to assist in
balance). Bricks can be used in some hand balancing exercises, and as support in one leg
squats. Old chairs can be used for an incredible variety of calisthenics. These include decline
pushups, chair dips, gymnastics L-sits, uneven or “lever” pushups (as they are called in the
first Convict Conditioning book, but using a chair instead of a basketball), and so forth. You
could push your car down a path through the woods, along a mountain path that is not highly
trafficked, and so forth. It is amazing for both cardio and giving you a whole body workout!
86
Street Workouts - minimalist training, anywhere!
My references for this article:

On Street Workout by Danny Kavadlo -
http://pccblog.dragondoor.com/on-street-workout/
Street workout – Wikipedia article - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_workout
Recommended pages:
World Street Workout - https://www.facebook.com/WSWCF/
Routines by StreetBarz - http://streetbarz.com/routines/
A “street workout” involves practicing minimalist calisthenics and athletics in outdoor

parks and public facilities. Street workouts can be very difficult and effective, without
requiring a single cent – your body is the only machine you need! Not only can it be healthy
and beneficial, it can also be done almost anywhere with some creativity and knowledge of the
principles of progression.
The modern fitness industry preaches isolated movements, useless gadgets, and
expensive machines, and ineffective training methodologies. Don’t fall into this trap! One does
not have to spend a cent on gadgets, machines, overpriced supplements, or gym
memberships. Also, instead of isolating muscles, such as leg extensions, learn to use them
together with compound movements that use the body as a cohesive unit, which is how it was
designed to work. By recruiting more muscles, you build greater overall strength and improve
neuromuscular efficiency, which is essential to athletics. Strength is a skill – just look at
gymnasts!
The artistry and freedom of personal expression in street workouts is another great,
and very satisfying, benefit. It’s gratifying and impressive to be able to pull off a human flag,
gymnastics style pullover, or other high skill / high strength moves almost anywhere! Street
workouts, while often very difficult and rewarding, are also a lot of fun! What’s better than
going outside and having a sense of play about your workout? Lastly, there is also a great
sense of community and kinship amongst street workout enthusiasts. It’s amazing and
rewarding to be able to share the adventure and creativity with your “bar brothers and
sisters”!
There is an endless variety of exercises one can practice in a street workout. It is only
limited by your imagination, knowledge of progression, and where you find yourself. There is
a lot in common with progressive calisthenics – many different dynamic movements (pullups,
dips, squats, etc.) and static holds (levers, bridges, etc.) are practiced.
87
Street Workout continued
Exercises
Calisthenics
Pulling exercises and other uses for bars
Hand rails, monkey bars, jungle gyms, parallel bars, and even overhead bars in batting
cages can be used for many, many exercises. These include grip training, various types of
pullups, pullovers, rollovers, dips on parallel bars or a horizontal bar, front lever and back
lever variations, variations of hanging leg raises, and other types of ab work.
Hand rails are great for horizontal pullups, aka Australian pullups, inverted rows, and
bodyweight rows. Hang grip holds can be practiced from any bar that you do pullups on.
Monkey bars are amazing for building a powerful, explosive grip as well as athletic skills,
especially for events like the Spartan Race. Check out the below video for some great
progressions. If you don’t have a ball like the one in the video, you can practice hanging leg
raise variations instead to strengthen the lateral chain.
Monkey bar work

Leg raise variations, including rollovers and skin the cat (a variation of back lever)
Muscle ups
Pullup variations
Check out the group Barstarzz for inspiration on bar exercises.

https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialBarstarzz
Various flags – clutch flag, human flag, dragon flag
Clutch flags and human flags can be practiced anywhere you can find a sturdy
horizontal base that you can wrap your arms or hands around, such as light poles, smaller
trees, playground equipment, and so forth. Dragon flags can be practiced anywhere you can
find a bench. Flags are amazing for building overall body strength, especially in the lateral
chain, shoulders, arms, and abs.
Pushing exercises
Dips, pushups, handstand pushups
Dips can be practiced on parallel bars, between two sturdy objects – such as park tables
or chairs, or using a single chair or table. There is a seemingly infinite number of pushup
variations. Some of my favorites are deep pushups, decline pushups, weighted pushups, one
arm pushups, and partner resisted pushups. A variation of decline pushups is called Marion
pushups, where you get into a pushup position with your feet against a wall. To make the
exercise harder, move your feet a little further up the wall.
88
Once you have built up strength in pushups, start exploring ways to move to unilateral
work (one arm pushups) and/or planches.
Work up to HSPUs (handstand pushups) by putting time into pushups and basic hand
balancing skills. Here is an example progression.
Close / diamond pushups – build up to 2 sets of 15-20 or 3 sets of 8-12

Frog stand – build up to 30 seconds
Tripod – build up to 30 seconds
Headstand against wall – build up to a minute
Pike handstand – build up to a minute
Pike handstand with feet elevated – build up to two minutes
Handstand against wall – build up to two minutes
One-half pike handstand pushups – build up to 2 sets of 15-20 or 3 sets of 8-12
Pike handstand pushups – same
Pike handstand pushups with feet elevated – build up to 2 sets of 12-15 or 3 sets of 8-12
One-half handstand pushups against wall – same as above
Perform HSPUs against the wall at first or with a spotter. Do them with hands at
shoulder width until you build up to at least 2 sets of 12 -15 or 3 sets of 8-12.
Hand balancing
Short list of ideas for hand balancing -
Frog stand, headstand, handstand, handstand to bridge, wall walking to handstand,
Lsit
Elbow levers -
You hold yourself parallel to the ground in elbow levers. Unlike the planche, though,
you use your elbows as support points for your body, making it much easier then the planche.
Any sturdy horizontal base or even hand rails or other bars can be used for practicing
exercises in an elbow lever progression. There isn’t a direct carryover of strength between the
elbow lever and planche, but practicing elbow levers does help a lot with improving balance
for planches. Elbow levers could also be used to help learn how to hold tension for flags.
Planches -
These require a great deal of upper body strength and balance. The idea is that you try
to hold your body parallel to the ground. You can use parallettes, parallel bars, any sturdy
horizontal base, hand rails, or even the ground!
Straight arm handstand presses and pseudo planche pushups are two exercises that are
useful in building strength for the planche.
There are many fun and impressive gymnastics skills beyond these, but they fall
outside the scope of this article. Check out the great YouTube channel below for ways to train,
and inspiration -
https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenGymnasticsGirls
89
The Naka Athletics YouTube channel also has a lot of amazing videos. They are
dedicated to “all action sports athletes across all skill levels—from professional athletes to
beginners trying to learn a new sport.” Visit their channel for a lot of great tutorials on skills,
strength training, how to coach, and more!
https://www.youtube.com/user/nakaathletics
The book Overcoming Gravity includes many more skills and progressions for
gymnastics style hand balancing! The book is available for sale -
http://www.eatmoveimprove.com
Ab work
L-sits, levers, leg raises (flat or hanging leg raises, knee tucks, partner resisted etc)
Leg work
Squats, lunges, plyometrics, sprints, hill sprints, car or truck pushing, partner resisted
exercises, park bench exercises, tire training, etc.
Bridging
Bridge curls, partner assistance, weighted bridges
Backbends, wall bridges, back walkover – have at least one spotter
This isn’t a comprehensive list of minimalist calisthenics, but hopefully it gives you a
lot of great ideas! Keep it progressive, safe, and fun!
90
Progressions
The Convict Conditioning books – authored by Paul Wade – have great body weight
only progressions, detailed explanations, plenty of pictures, and workout routines. The old
school Convict Conditioning approach and Al Kavadlo’s new school approach are what the
PCC curriculum is based on.
Franceso Vaccaro has created playlists for the “Big 6” Convict Conditioning playlists.
View them for free at the page below -
Athletics, lifting, and more
Sprints, hill sprints, sports / agility drills, partner work (wrestling style pummeling,
partner assisted or resisted exercises, etc.)
Found object / odd object lifting – park bench exercises, car or truck pushing, tire
training, hammer training, stone training, etc.
Zach Even Esh, founder of Underground Strength, teaches various odd object lifts,
strongman lifts, and exercises that can be done outdoors. His book, linked below, has some
tough beginner, intermediate, and advanced workout routines, as well as pictures and
explanations.
http://www.dragondoor.com/eb76/
Parkour
Parkour is a holistic discipline that inspired freerunning. Parkour can be practiced
anywhere, but usually in urban areas, and essentially treats the training area as an obstacle
course. The goal is to go from point a to point b in as efficient manner as possible. It requires
all around strength, agility, technique, and explosiveness. Fortunately, there are plenty of
great training drills as well as facilities that one can visit to receive competent instruction in
this art.
Reference: Wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour
Check out Urban Evolution’s YouTube channel for some amazing videos about
Parkour. I trained at their Alexandria, VA location back in July, 2014, when the PCC
workshop (progressive calisthenics certification) was held there. The facility is simply
amazing, with more variety in their equipment than I’ve ever seen! Of course, most of it
closely resembled urban environments. The instructors are also compassionate, friendly, and
very knowledgeable.
https://www.youtube.com/user/urbanevo/videos
91
“Where do I start?”
The first thing to do is set training goals. Do some research on the listed progressions
and select at least one goal each for pushing, pulling, legs, abs, and statics. Make sure that you
are consistent with your workouts, and that you have balance – at least one pushing exercise
and at least one pulling exercise, for instance. Beginners should keep workouts simple, and
train 1 or 2 times per week until endurance has improved. Full body workouts are
recommended. Find a competent instructor, personal trainer, or coach with experience in
calisthenics and/or gymnastics.
For a list of goals that one can train for, visit the site below and click “Skill Guidelines
for Building Strong, Useful, Adaptable Athletes” -
http://www.eatmoveimprove.com
Street Workout Routines
There is a potentially unlimited number of workouts you can put together, from
beginner to advanced. Here are just a few ideas to get you started. Take a short rest between
sets (1 to 2 minutes, or 2 to 3 minutes, depending on goals).
Park Bench Workouts – pushing / abdominals
Beginner:
Incline pushups (hands on bench) – 2 to 3 sets of 12-20
Flat knee raises or flat bent leg raises – 2 to 3 sets of 8-12
Straight / chair dips – 2 to 3 sets of 6-10
Leaning pseudo planche (on floor or ground) – 2 to 3 sets of 20-30 seconds
Intermediate:
Pushups (on floor or ground) – 2 to 3 sets of 8-12
Flat straight leg raises – 2 to 3 sets of 8-12
Parallel dips between two benches – 2 to 3 sets of 6-10
Leaning pseudo planche (feet up on bench) – 2 to 3 sets of 20-30 seconds
Tiger bend pushups – 2 to 3 sets of 8-12
Advanced:
Jowett pushups – 2 to 3 sets of 6-10
Flat straight leg raises – 2 to 3 sets of 8-12
Parallel dips between two benches – 2 to 3 sets of 6-10
Raised tuck planche (between two benches) - 2 to 3 sets of 6-10 seconds
Bodyweight triceps extensions – 2 to 3 sets of 8-12
92
Old Time Strongmen – Training and Resources
The old time strongmen from the 1800s and early 1900s were known for many
legendary feats of strength. Many of these feats have not been replicated since! They used
many kinds of training that are not commonly known, much less used, in "modern" gyms. The
old time strongmen tended to not let any part of the body slip behind in strength, either - they
trained the neck, forearms, calves, every muscle of the body. The benefits of this kind of
training include coordination and agility, "all over strength" - power from head to toe,
achieving a well balanced physique and a healthy body, building up insane grip strength and
bulletproof joints, and well - learning how to do some awesome strength feats!
Some of the types of training that strongmen took up included kettlebell work,
sprinting and overall endurance training, the art of hand balancing and other gymnastics style
training, lifting barrels, kegs, and sandbags; there were even mental training methods used.
Compound lifts such as deadlifts, presses, snatches and other such "big movements", many of
which are still used today, were also trained. The old time strongmen were indeed into many
different types of training that would benefit them in some way. They also understood the
importance of recovery and proper nutrition. They also understood that you don't necessarily
have to go through super long, protracted workouts every single day to become insanely
strong, or machines, or a gym. The most important things are to learn proper exercise
techniques to work each part of the body, how to work at enough intensity to force the body to
adapt, with enough frequency to produce lasting gains.
Of course, dedication to the training and a long term outlook are also among the most
important factors. Never rush your training - milk each exercise for all the strength gains you
can possibly get out of it before moving up in intensity or load. As you progress in your
training, whatever type of training you are into, remember to plan ahead. The more advanced
you become, the more important it is to adjust frequency (how often you train, or how often
you perform particular workouts), volume, exercise selection, intensity, and other factors.
Fortunately, the knowledge of training methods for these is still around. The below
webpage links out to articles that describe these feats.
http://legendarystrength.com/feats-of-strength/
Bill Hinbern sells reprints of courses by some of the old timers. I own an official print
edition of his book, Hand-Balancing for Muscular Development, and I highly recommend it.
http://superstrengthtraining.com/
Dinosaur Training: http://www.brookskubik.com/
Zach Even Esh teaches various odd object lifts, strongman lifts, and exercises that can
be done outdoors. His book has some tough beginner, intermediate, and advanced workout
routines, as well as pictures and explanations.
http://www.dragondoor.com/eb76/
93
Hand balancing for strength and skill – “quick start guide”
Mechanics and Variables

View the article “Progressive Calisthenics – A Concise Explanation” for other variables.
Alignment / posture
Points of contact
Wide or narrow base
Back arched or flat
With or without wall
Use of equipment or found objects
Partner assistance
Hand walking (on floor or up stairs)
Awareness of how your body is moving in space and relative to your environment
Shifting your center of gravity as needed for variations of exercises
Ways to get into and out of a handstand
Skill progressions, partner cues, and spotting are necessary in the learning stages.
Kick up
Straddle up
Pike up
Tripod up
On rings, parallettes, parallel bars
Pirouette out
Kick out
Back or forward roll out
Strength and Skill Progressions

Other progressions may be developed and/or used as needed.
Frog stand
Planche
Elbow lever
Pike handstand pushups
Handstand pushups
Partner cues
Use your own creativity, experience, and expertise to make up your own partner cues.
Imagine a straight line (placement of line will depend on variation)
Look at a certain point (wall, floor, toes, etc.)
Keep pushing through your hands
Keep your feet lined up with your hands (spot trainee and manually adjust technique)
94
My outline of a well rounded system

Karate - specialized training progressions, body shifting, Hojo Undo (includes impact
tools, and forearm toughening), Kata, Bunkai
Boxing - punches, defenses, body movements, pad work, partner work
Grappling / ground work - basic positions and defenses
Footwork – shuffling, spinning, wedging under
Sparring progression - shadow boxing, grappling / ground work basics, and pad work
should be included in every phase of a student's development. Bag work when appropriate
and available. Make sure students have conditioned the hands, arms and wrists before
starting bag work and know proper technique. Even advanced students who are engaging in
heavy contact sparring will still get benefits from drills and exercises, which can be adapted
for their own levels of skills and conditioning.
1. Early drills - footwork, combos and defenses with footwork, grappling / ground work
basics
2. Hojo Undo drills, exercises and equipment
3. One step sparring drills based on kata, light contact prearranged sparring (partners
agree to techniques)
4. Three step sparring drills, limited sparring (one to a few attack techniques allowed,
and light contact), light grappling and ground work
5. More advanced drilling of bunkai (introduce more grappling and redirection, etc),
medium contact sparring and sparring drills; gradually increase complexity of intensity of
sparring, but occasionally scaling back or not sparring to give students a break. Grappling and
ground work should be added to sparring at least occasionally. Students should also still be
learning more about grappling and ground work.
Strength - Calisthenics, karate tools, DIY equipment

Conditioning - high reps, circuit training, intervals, bag work
Calisthenics - joints, strength, endurance, skill, hypertrophy, rehab, flexibility, power
Agility – plyometrics; basic gymnastics or parkour
Mental toolkit - visualization, meditation, mindfulness, feedback (video, correction)
Purpose of karate training – to fight for peace, harmony and truth
The 5 precepts:
Effort
Character
Wisdom
Truth
Sincerity
95
Healthy food on a budget

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but here are some recommended staples that are
inexpensive. Also, please keep in mind that I am not a licensed nutritionist and that nothing I
say is a substitute for getting medical advice from your physician. Also, find foods that fit your
lifestyle and that you do not have allergies to.
Legumes – such as lentils, navy beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, etc
Canned tomatoes – useful for salsa base
Vegetables – such as spinach, broccoli, corn, etc
Fruits – apples, bananas, avocado, etc
Nuts and seeds – flax seed, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc
Grains – brown rice is recommended; quinoa usually isn’t as cheap as rice, but still
affordable
Budget ingredients for protein smoothies – milk (dairy, soy, almond, etc), seed butters,
nut butters, blueberries, bananas, etc
Check local fruit stands and farmers markets, as well as stores that specialize in foods
from other countries. You can often find good deals and ingredients you’ve never tried! Find
healthy recipes that you can fit into your schedule and budget. Here’s one place to start:
https://wellvegan.com/budget-vegan
96
Recommended reading and YouTube channels

Recommended article (FREE)
http://stevenlow.org/the-fundamentals-of-bodyweight-strength-training/
YouTube channels
Barstarzz - https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialBarstarzz
Seven Gymnastics Girls - https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenGymnasticsGirls
Francesco Vaccaro - https://www.youtube.com/user/dragonflowyoga
Books available at Amazon
The Inner Art of Karate
The Book of Five Rings
The Art of Hojo Undo
Karate-Do: My Way of Life
Books available at Super Strength Training
Chalk and Sweat
Dinosaur Training
Hand Balancing for Muscular Development
Feats of Strength and Dexterity
Visit the site for more information - http://superstrengthtraining.com/
Books available at Dragon Door
The Convict Conditioning series and C-Mass
Diamond-Cut Abs
Everybody Needs Training
Raising the Bar
Pushing the Limits!
The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning
Visit the site for more information – http://www.dragondoor.com
97
98
99
Karate Training Programs
Owen Johnston
E-Mail – nekoashido@gmail.com
Karate training equipment requires little to no financial investment if you construct
your own DIY area. You just need some creativity and repurposed materials! There are
endless exercises you can perform if you know at least a few progressions and have equipment
to work with.
You are encouraged to share the book, print it out, and upload it to other sites.
Scribd link - https://www.scribd.com/document/369668165/Karate-Training-Guide
The book can also be downloaded for free – short URL: http://tiny.cc/karatepdf
Contact me if you have any questions or just fancy a chat - nekoashido@gmail.com
You can order a professionally printed edition of the book through Simple Print
Service. Visit the page below, upload a PDF, and follow the simple ordering process. I do not
make a single cent from orders made through this service.
www.simpleprintservice.com
About the author

I hold a black belt rank in Heiwado ryu Karate, the style of Japan International Karate
Center, and have over 10 years of teaching experience, including martial arts instruction,
strength coaching, and personal training. I have worked with many types of athletes,
including professional boxers, amateur wrestlers, karate students, and gymnasts of varying
levels of ability. More about Heiwado -
http://www.thefullwiki.org/JIKC

Karate Training Guide PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Karate Training Guide PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Karate Training Guide PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Karate Training Guide:

How to build striking power on a shoestring budget

The book can also be downloaded for free – short URL:

“Karate cannot be adequately learned in a short space of time. Like a

Scribd link - https://www.scribd.com/document/369668165/Karate-Training-Guide

About the author

Karate Approach to Calisthenics - 5

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics

There are a number of progressive bodyweight movements taught in Okinawan karate,

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics continued

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics continued

Wrist pushup progression Start with Build up to

A few options for programming wrist training:

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2

Lower body exercises - quads, glutes, calves

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2 continued

Glute and hamstring training

Glute / hamstring progression Start with Build up to

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2 continued

Stance Training Progression Start with Build up to

Front Kick Power Progression

A Karate Approach to Calisthenics, part 2 continued

Abdominal training and tension-flexibility

Side Kick Progression Start with Build up to

Hojo Undo - Supplementary training exercises for karate

"Hojo Undo", or "supplementary exercises", is a Japanese term that refers to training

"Chi ishi" - weighted levers; aka "strength stones"

Hojo Undo - Supplementary training exercises for karate, continued

Impact Tools of Hojo Undo that I personally use:

Hojo Undo project - wall mounted car tire makiwara board

Check out Sensei Eli’s videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/SenseiEli

Our materials and tools:

Pictures of the project start on the next page

Car tire kicking setups

Mental and spiritual training

“There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden

Karate Training Programs

Karate Training Programs continued

Support Paul Wade, the author of Convict Conditioning, by purchasing a printed

Recommended YouTube channels:

Remedial Training Program

Recommended weekly schedule:

Remedial Training Program 2

Recommended weekly schedule:

Workout on the next page

Remedial Training Program 2

Warmup sets Perform

Working exercises Perform

Beginner Karate Training Program

The workout should be performed 2 or 3 times a week on non-consecutive days. Start

Warmup sets Perform

Working exercises Perform

Intermediate Karate Training Program 1 – Full Body

The workout should be performed 2 or 3 times a week on non-consecutive days. Start

Workout on the next page

Intermediate Karate Training Program 1 – Full Body

Cardio and stretching – minimum 5 minutes each

Warmup sets Perform