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A ll my workouts involve one thing: calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises. I do all

my workouts on parallel bars, pullup bars, or on the ground.

I used to be into heavy powerlifting, but recently moved to a purely bodyweight
training regimen.
I noticed a big change in both my physique and strength.

I actually felt a difference in my body; doing my unique exercises opened up a totally

new door.

I noticed I was using muscles that I had never even used before.

Believe it or not, all my workouts involve calisthenics circuit routines now. In a circuit,
you move from one exercise to the next with little or no rest between moves.

Circuit training doesn’t allow your heart to rest or slow down. It keeps it up consistently
throughout your workout allowing you to burn more calories and build conditioning.

I do hundreds of different calisthenics circuits and I never touch the weights. I’ve lost 37
pounds of fat in six months doing my exercises. I went from 202 pounds to a lean 165
pounds.

I get at least 50 messages a day just on my transformation and how I did it.

The best part is, anyone can do it themselves with hard work and dedication.

I’m going to share four of my circuit workouts with you. One is for beginners and can be
done at home. Two are for intermediate and advanced exercisers, and one is only for
extreme athletes.

Find the workout that’s best for you and, if you stick to it, you will see results in less than
two months.
How Long Should You Train For In a
Calisthenics Workout?

The At-Home (beginner level), Intermediate, and Extreme Athlete routines shown here
should all take 30 minutes or less to complete. The Advanced workout may take as long
as 45 minutes. In general, you can save time by trying to move at a brisk pace between
exercises and circuits, but give yourself enough rest time so that you can complete your
exercises safely and with good form. You can work on reducing rest periods as your
conditioning improves over time. Have a timer handy to track the length of your sets and
your rest periods; you’ll need one for the Advanced and Extreme Athlete workouts.

How Long Should You Recover After A

Calisthenics Workout?
Each of these workouts can be performed up to four times per week on non-consecutive
days. Three to four workouts per week is enough. For example, Monday, Wednesday,
Friday, and Sunday. You can also combine them, performing the At-Home workout one
day, the Intermediate on another, and the Advanced (if you dare!) on a third day. If you
feel extra sore or run down on a day you had planned to train, take another day’s rest
before your next workout (or perform light exercise or aerobic activity, such as
walking/jogging, cycling, yoga, mobility work, etc.).

Calisthenics Vs. Weight Training

The term calisthenics refers to training that uses primarily bodyweight to develop
strength, endurance, mobility, and coordination. It’s the kind of exercise that gymnasts
and martial artists have done for eons, and while it develops muscle mass too, that’s
more of a byproduct. You can expect to get very strong relative to your bodyweight
when you do calisthenics training, and master your control of your body in various
positions and movements. I.e., you’ll become stable and athletic.
Weight training uses external loads—free weights, cables, machines—to strengthen the
body, and while it can develop the same qualities that calisthenics can, it’s better-suited
for those who want to build maximum muscle mass, power, and absolute strength. This
makes it a potentially better choice for athletes in sports like football, baseball, and track
and field. A gymnast will usually be able to do more pullups and pushups than a
bodybuilder or powerlifter, but the one who lifts heavy weights can probably move more
overall load and will look bigger and stronger. Neither kind of training is superior to the
other—both have their advantages, depending on your goals.

For the best, most well-rounded results, include both calisthenics and weight training in
your regimen. You can alternate the two styles, spending a few weeks working on one
and then switch to the other, or you can combine both in the same workout. For
instance, you can start with weight training exercises to peak your power and strength,
and then finish your routine with bodyweight training that works more on endurance and
movement skills.

How To Stretch For A Calisthenics Circuit

Workout
Follow the video below for a routine to warm up your entire body before the calisthenics
workouts offered here. For more tips on mobility and stretching, follow Onnit-certified
Durability Coach Brian Butz (aka @themobilemammoth on Instagram).
How to Stretch for a Calisthenics Workout | @themobilemammoth8245
1. Lateral Squat to T-Spine Rotation
Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10
[See 00:58 in the video above]
Lunge out to your left side and lower your body until your left leg is bent about 90
degrees and your trailing leg is straight. Hold for a moment, and then reverse the
motion, twisting your body to get into a lunge position on the right leg, facing that
direction.

Plant your left hand on the floor and twist your torso to the right, reaching your right
hand overhead.

Repeat the entire movement on the opposite side.

2. Adductor to T-Spine Rotation

Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10
[See 01:30 in the video]
Get on all fours and extend your right leg to the side. Use your hands to gently push
your hips back so your feel a stretch on the inner side of your right thigh. Allow your foot
to roll backward and point upward.

Push your hips forward again and twist your torso to the right, reaching your
right arm overhead. Complete your reps and then repeat on the opposite side.
3. Mountain Climber to Hip Flexor Stretch
Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10
[See 02:00 in the video]
Get on all fours, and then step your left foot forward, planting your foot outside your left
hand. Try to straighten your back so that it’s flat from your head to your pelvis. Relax,
and reach back to grasp the top of your right foot.
Gently pull it forward so you feel a stretch on your right thigh and hip. At the same time,
extend your back and use your left hand to push on your left knee so you end up in a
tall kneeling position.

Hold the stretch for a moment, and then let your right foot go. Repeat the movement on
the opposite side. Avoid hyperextending your lower back when you pull on your foot.

4. Shinbox to Hip Extension

Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10
[See 03:06 in the video]
Sit on the floor with your left leg bent in front of you and your right leg bent behind you.
Press your hands into the floor and push your chest up and out. Now rotate your right
leg up off the floor as you rotate your left leg up and to the right, so your body turns and
you end up in the same starting position but with your legs opposite. From there, extend
your hips so you rise to a tall kneeling position.

Lower your hips back to the floor, plant your hands, and repeat the movement to the
other side.
Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each in sequence.
Rest 60 seconds between exercises, and repeat the circuit for 3 total rounds.
Except where otherwise noted, do as many reps as possible for each
exercise, but stop one short of failure—that means when you feel your form is
about to break down. For example, if you’re doing chinups and you get to the
eighth rep and feel like you’re slowing down and won’t get a ninth rep with
good form, stop the set there.

1. Chinup
Reps: As many as possible
[See 00:49 in the video above]
Use a shoulder-width grip and turn your palms to face you. If you can’t get at
least 5 reps on your own, attach an elastic exercise band around the bar and
stand in the open loop to unload some of your bodyweight.

2. Dip
Reps: As many as possible
[See 01:00 in the video]
Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. If you can’t get
at least 5 reps on your own, attach an elastic exercise band to the dip bars
and stand (or kneel) in the open loop to unload some of your bodyweight. If
you don’t have dip bars, you can use the backs of two chairs.
3. Jump Squat
Reps: As many as possible
[See 01:15 in the video]
Stand with feet between hip and shoulder-width and quickly lower your body
until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Explode upward as high as you can.
Land softly, and reset yourself before you begin the next rep.

4. Pushup
Reps: As many as possible
[See 01:28 in the video]
Place your hands just outside shoulder width and lower your body until your
chest is about an inch above the floor. Keep your body in a straight line with
your core braced. Your lower back shouldn’t arch and your elbows should
point 45 degrees from your torso.

5. Crunch
Reps: As many as possible
[See 02:08 in the video]
Raise your torso until your shoulder blades are off the floor.
6. Mountain Climber
Reps: Go for 30 seconds
[See 02:19 in the video]
Stand with feet shoulder width and squat down to place your hands on the
floor. Now shoot your legs behind you fast so you end up in the top position of
a pushup. Jump your legs back up so they land between your hands and then
stand up quickly.

BONUS: Jump Rope

Reps: Jump for 30 seconds
[See 02:26 in the video]
If you have a jump rope, jump for 30 seconds, landing on the balls of your
feet. Any type of jump is OK, or mix a few together.