Progressive and

Weighted Calisthenics
 Text Copyright © 2022 Matthew John Schifferle
All Rights Reserved
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Dedicated to Nicki Bent, the rock upon which the
Red Delta Project was built.
 Table of Contents

I Was Wrong About Everything

Chapter 1 What “They” Don’t Understand About Calisthenics
Chapter 2 Beginner Principles For Success
Chapter 3 Push Chain Exercises
Chapter 4 Pull Chain Exercises
Chapter 5 Squat Chain Exercises
Chapter 6 Extension Chain Exercises
Chapter 7 Flexion Chain Exercises
Chapter 8 Lateral Chain Exercises
Chapter 9 Weighted Calisthenics
Chapter 10 The Grind Style Approach to Weighted and Progressive
Calisthenics
Chapter 11 Common Calisthenics Questions and Answers
Helpful Resources
 I Was Wrong About Everything
It’s hard to believe, but here it is, the tenth book in the Red Delta
Project Library. This text is also the fourth and final volume in the Grind
Style Calisthenics Series.

You would think a book on basic calisthenics training would be the

first volume for someone who’s made bodyweight training the foundation
of their training career. And yet, here we are, It’s been over ten years
since I started the R.D.P. and I’m now comfortable enough to write a
book on basic calisthenics training. So why did it take so long to create
it? Well, to be honest, I never thought I would write a book on basic
bodyweight training.

Part of the reason is that I figured other experts have already written
better books than I could ever hope. Authors like Paul Wade and Al
Kavadlo came out with fantastic training manuals on bodyweight training
years ago, so what could I contribute? I figured the best way I could help
the calisthenics community was to write books that built upon those
works with different approaches and exercises.

Trying to reinvent the wheel is seldom a path to success, but I spent

far too long trying to do that. I also spent far too much time making the
following mistakes.

#1 Far too many exercises

I originally thought the world of calisthenics was restrictive and limited

in scope. I came from a background where any decent program
“attacked” a muscle from every angle with various exercises. Most of
those variations required a plethora of machines and fancy gadgets.
Some of my workouts included half a dozen exercises for every muscle
group, and yes, I did each in every workout.

Unfortunately, all of the fancy gadgets and endless machines started

to take a toll on my body, and I started to look at more natural ways to
exercise. At this time, I started learning about calisthenics training and
applied the same attitude to bodyweight training.

My workouts included many push-up and pull-up variations. At one

point, I had an app on my phone that included over three hundred types
of push-ups! I was never satisfied and always looked for fun and new
variations in everything I did. I thought all of these variations gave me a
massive toolbox to work from, but all it did was make my workouts
watered down and less structured.

#2 Bloated workouts

I remember my first full calisthenics workout because it was so

efficient and short. I had just completed one of the sample workouts from
Convict Conditioning, and I remember thinking, “that was too short to be
effective.”

Granted, my initial workout still took me about 35 minutes, but I was

used to workouts that were at least ninety minutes in length. I didn’t have
the knowledge or proficiency to understand that I had potentially just
created a stronger stimulus in that 35 minutes than any of the workouts I
had beforehand. Nevertheless, I felt I needed more work and quickly
found ways to do my workouts for as long as possible.

Adding the endless exercise variations was part of that strategy, but
so was performing countless sets of high repetition calisthenics. It wasn’t
long before my calisthenics workouts lasted at least an hour and a half,
and I felt I was getting more done, or so I thought.

#3 Too many toys

I’ve always been obsessed with exercise equipment. I started in the

fitness industry, building and selling home gyms, and developed a
fascination for the latest gadgets and toys.

You would think that a discipline as simple as bodyweight training

wouldn’t use much equipment, but that was certainly not the case for me.
I invested loads of time and money in all kinds of tools that I thought
would bring my training to the next level.
 If I didn’t find what I wanted, I would apply my creativity at the local
hardware store and invent countless DIY equipment in my basement.
Some evenings I would go into my basement for a workout and spend
the entire time tinkering around with some new invention.

There’s nothing wrong with using equipment that elevates your

training. I still have a decent collection of suspension trainers, bars, and
handles, but I seldom use most of them. Physical training is about how
well you use your body, rather than the latest equipment.

#4 Getting caught In the calisthenics rut

While I did practice a wide variety of bodyweight exercises, I also

severely limited my ability to progress by getting caught in what I came to
call the calisthenics training rut.

The calisthenics training rut is when we believe there’s one primary or

standard way to do an exercise. Think of the standard military push-ups,
pull-ups, and bodyweight squats. Those exercises are effective in their
own right, but they can limit your progress if you focus too much on
them, as I did.

Progressive calisthenics is just like weightlifting and follows the same

principles, including the need for progressive resistance. Unlike adding
weight to a bar, you add weight to your working muscles using more
advanced techniques. Unfortunately, I thought those advanced moves
were somewhat unorthodox, so I seldom practiced them. As a result, my
training progress quickly stalled matter how hard I worked.

#5 Going lone wolf

One of the most attractive aspects of calisthenics training was the

freedom and independence it afforded me. I no longer had to depend on
a gym or fancy equipment, and I could get my workout anywhere I
wanted.

This mindset of independence was liberating, but I also used it to

distract myself from fellow coaches and advice. I saw myself as a lone
wolf who would train and learn independently, and I balked at having
anyone help me.

It’s certainly possible to learn how to be successful on your own, but

it’s a lot harder and takes a lot more time and effort. If I could go back, I
would have certainly invested more into coaching than trinkets and
equipment.

As I put the finishing touches on this book, I’m thinking back on all the
lessons I’ve learned and the mistakes I’ve made. I wish I hadn’t wasted
so much time doing long workouts with unwarranted variation and
volume. Using all those toys was fun, but I wish I had spent more time
hanging from a simple straight bar or on the floor. Most importantly, I
wish I had invested more in proper coaching. In other words, I wish I had
understood the lessons you’re about to learn in the following pages.

I never thought I would bother writing a book like this because I had
so much more to write about than the most basic ways to practice
bodyweight training. However, the beauty of this book isn’t about what’s
in it but what isn’t in it. These lessons are the boiled-down essence of
what I wish I had known about calisthenics training all those years ago.
It’s an all-killer-no-filler approach with only the most effective exercises
and progressions to stimulate more muscle and growth in your training.

So I welcome you to turn the next page and enjoy this 10th book in
the Red Delta Project Library and the final addition to the Grind Style
Calisthenics series.

Be fit, live free,

- Matt Schifferle
 Chapter 1
What “They” Don’t Understand About Calisthenics
Since I can remember, I’ve always imagined making bodyweight
training the core focus of my strength and conditioning. I even used to
daydream about being able to stay in shape without needing a gym or
fancy equipment.

Like many kids with a dream, I shared my vision with friends and
mentors in the hope they could help make it a reality. And like much
wide-eyed youth, I was told to be realistic and keep my head out of the
clouds. Coaches told me it was impossible to build real muscle and
strength without weights. Friends made fun of me for doing push-ups
when we went camping. Eventually, their beliefs became mine, and I
became one of “them” while giving up on my dreams.

Thankfully, I eventually stumbled across the writings of Paul Wade

and the Kavadlo brothers. Those coaches encouraged me to pursue my
passion and make my vision of bodyweight-based strength training come
true.

I don’t blame my mentors for discouraging me. I used to hold those

beliefs myself. It’s an understandable perspective, but it’s also incorrect.
It comes from some key misunderstandings about bodyweight training,
which I want to address.

#1 Bodyweight training is still weight lifting

Calisthenics may not use weights in the traditional sense, but it still is
a physical discipline that conditions the body by lifting a unit of mass
against the pull of gravity. Unlike bands, isometrics, or springs, you’re still
generating resistance by moving a unit of mass against the Earth’s
gravity. The only difference is that you are the weight you lift rather than
moving an external object.

#2 You still progress by adding weight

 I was always told calisthenics wasn’t effective because you can’t add
weight like with free weights or machines. Using progressive resistance
is essential in any strength training program. So if you don’t lift more
weight, how can it be effective beyond a basic level? This claim may
seem true at first glance, but it’s completely false. It’s often easier to add
weight with progressive calisthenics than external weights!

Some folks will point to a potential change in body weight as a means

to change resistance. While changing your weight can work, it’s not a
reliable or practical way to achieve progressive training. Others use a
weight vest to add weight or use bands to reduce their body weight.

Both options can work, but there’s yet a third way to add weight to the
muscles you want to work. What I’m referring to is a quick and easy way
to change the weight you’re lifting with nothing more than your static
body weight. Maybe “changing weight” isn’t the right term to use.
Instead, you’re adding weight by shifting it from one area of your body to
the next.

There are three primary ways we’ll be exploring how you can add
weight with progressive calisthenics. The first is to shift your body weight
between your upper and lower body. A common example of this is the
traditional incline push-up progression. Push-ups on an inclined surface,
like a kitchen countertop, place most of your weight on your feet, so
there’s relatively little weight on your hands.

Placing your hands on lower support, like a step stool, further

transfers weight from your feet to your hands. So, you’re adding weight
to your hands, producing more resistance, just like lifting a heavier
weight.
 Changing the angle of your body to gravity can shift weight between your upper and lower
body.

The second way to add weight is to shift weight from one side of your
body to the other. This strategy is more common with unilateral exercises
where one arm or leg does more work than the other.

Shifting your weight from one side or the other places more resistance on one arm or leg.

The final way to add weight is to extend the limbs of the body to add
weight away from your center of support. This technique uses leverage,
just like holding onto the very end of a baseball bat makes it more
difficult to lift the end instead of choking up on the handle.
 Extending the limbs can use leverage to increase the resistance on stabilizing muscles, like
the abs, shoulders, hips, and back.

All three progressive strategies make it possible to add or subtract

the weight from your working muscles by shifting your body position. You
don’t need to adjust any plates on a bar or change a weight machine. A
subtle shift is all that’s necessary.

#3 Progress doesn’t happen in steps

Many progressive calisthenics strategies outline progression in a

series of steps from easy to most challenging. Using steps makes it easy
to show the progression on paper, but this is not always the most
practical way to progress in practical application.

As the saying goes, many paths lead to the top of the mountain. Not
only are there many ways to progress in calisthenics, but everyone has
unique skills, strengths, and challenges along their journey. What you
need to do to achieve a single-leg squat may be very different from what
someone else needs to do. Following a cookie-cutter program can push
you into workouts that aren’t right for you while also neglecting several
key variables holding you back.

That’s why I’ve outlined the progressions in this book in phases rather
than steps. Each phase has a general starting point with an introductory
exercise and an end goal that you’re working to achieve. This phase-
style approach gives you the structure you need to progress, but it also
affords you a lot of flexibility to dial your technique to the perfect level.

#4 Calisthenics workout routines should be different from

weight lifting routines

I’ve known several people who take up calisthenic training, and it’s
almost as if they find themselves in an alternative universe.
Programming methods that would have been silly and foolish in the gym
can become accepted and even cool regarding calisthenics.

Doing 100-reps with an empty bar on the bench press might seem
silly in the gym, yet that 100-rep goal seems badass when it comes to
push-ups. The same folks who laughed at people doing lightweight
dumbbell circuits brag on social media about how they completed a
bodyweight met-con in record time.

Fundamentally, nothing changes when you swap out the bench press
for push-ups. Everything about programming and workout structure
should be the same; rep-for-rep and set-for-set. While using a different
strength training method, you should still use your muscles the same
way. If you were doing five sets of 5 reps under a barbell but then strived
to do 200 push-ups daily, don’t be surprised when your results are
different. It’s not because you swapped weights for calisthenics, but
instead, the fact that you made massive changes to your programming.

#5 Calisthenics training is all about doing…

When I started calisthenics, people in the gym would assume that I

was doing a lot of jumping jacks, crunches, burpees, and other high-
repetition exercises. These days, when I tell people I do calisthenics,
they think I’m doing backflips and acrobatics on a bar in a park.
 Both of these approaches to calisthenics training are legitimate, and
it’s understandable why people would jump to that conclusion, seeing as
that’s what they see people doing in the media at the time.

Calisthenics can include a wide variety of training styles. I much prefer to focus on
approaches based on building muscle and strength.

But like any method, calisthenics training encompasses various

exercises and applications. Just like the genre of rock ‘n’ roll can
encompass everything from Buddy Holly to Marilyn Manson, Calisthenics
includes has a wide range of attributes. It’s too diverse a discipline to fit
into any conceptual box.

I’ve always used bodyweight training in a Grind Style Approach. I use

techniques and programming to work the body in a very similar fashion
to bodybuilding and powerlifting. The techniques require little skill to
create the most direct stimulus for building muscle and strength.

The techniques and methods in this book fit my Grind Style Approach
and are far from a comprehensive approach to bodyweight training.
There are plenty of other ways to use calisthenics beyond what you find
on these pages, and I encourage you to pursue other styles if you like.

#6 Calisthenics isn’t better or safer because it’s “more natural.”

 This belief promotes the idea that bodyweight training is somehow
more “paleo” or primal and is, therefore, superior to less natural
methods. This belief often includes the idea that it’s more functional and
safer.

But let’s make one simple fact very clear; the very practice of working
out or exercising is not natural. Engaging in a repetitive movement to
stress the body is a relatively modern concept. The fundamental idea of
proactively conditioning the body with physical movement is modern and
even could be considered artificial. Calisthenics training may be one of
the oldest methods of engaging in such physical conditioning, but it is no
more natural than drinking bottled water.

As they say, the only zen you’ll find at the top of the mountain is the
zen you bring up there. Conversely, whatever functional qualities, safety,
or effectiveness you’re looking for depends on what you bring to your
training.

I mention these five misunderstandings to hopefully break down any

artificial barriers that may prevent you from gaining the most benefit from
your training. On the one hand, bodyweight training is nothing special,
unique, or even more effective than any other method. The good news is
that it’s also no less effective when you know how to use it properly and
include it in your workouts as you see fit.

I will be discussing what to do for you and your needs later on, but
let’s jump in and explore some key principles you want to keep in mind to
ensure your success.
 Chapter 2
Beginner Principles For Success
If there is one big lesson I’ve learned as a personal trainer over the
years, it’s this;

We, humans, love to be told what rules to follow for success. The
most popular YouTube videos are the ones that tell people how many
grams of protein they need and the precise number of push-ups to do to
build muscle. The more we know the details, the more we feel in control
of our bodies.

Using such approaches would be fine if those rules fulfilled that

promise of control, but they seldom do. Sometimes, strictly obeying
those rules can handicap you from making the best choices for your
circumstances. Following the rules can take control away and replace it
with the illusion of the very control you seek.
 Every rule has its reach. It has a time and place where it’s the best
thing to do. Other times, it’s fine to follow that rule, but other options may
exist. Sometimes a hard-set rule may be counterproductive. If you want
the best chance of success, you’ll need to understand when these times
come up to make adjustments.

One of the best ways to reach this understanding is to focus on the

most important principles to your success. These principles act like a
compass needle showing you which direction to go. You are then free to
adopt, discard, and modify any rules necessary to fit your situation. Let’s
explore these principles now.

Principle #1 Plan for consistency

Your training success depends largely on adopting training habits you

can maintain for months at a time with as little effort as possible. The
more you struggle to stick to your workout habits, the more you put your
success at risk.

It’s common for beginners to push their habits to the limit to make as
much progress as possible, but this is a mistake. No one can invest
100% of their effort all the time. There may even be times when 50% will
be a stretch, and that’s fine. It’s far more important to maintain your
regular habits, no matter how small or trivial they may seem at the time.
Even the most optimized plan will produce the same results as a bad
plan if you can’t execute it regularly.

The calisthenics advantage

Bodyweight training is one of the most efficient forms of physical

exercise available. You don’t need a gym, costly workout gear, or space-
hogging equipment to practice it. You don’t need much time as you can
work in a couple of sets when you find a moment throughout the day.

This efficiency is why many people find they can stick to their
bodyweight routine far more easily than any other high-maintenance
workout program.

Principle #2 You gain that which you challenge

 You can exercise your body in countless ways, but only a few
exercises and workout methods will help you achieve what you want.
Most options will probably be a waste of your time and energy. Some
may even distract you and become an obstacle to what you want.

So how can you know if something will flop or fly? Simple; your body
adapts to accommodate the specific functional demands you place upon
it. Or, to put it another way, you gain that which you challenge.

Practically speaking, if you want to get stronger, use exercises that

challenge your strength. If you want endurance, challenge your stamina.
If you want ankle stability, grip strength, or even better posture, you just
need to use techniques and methods that challenge those abilities.

As a beginner, it’s easy to get lost in the maze of fitness information,

especially on the internet, with people telling you what you should and
should not do. You can cut through all of that noise by simply
contemplating if an exercise or workout will be an adequate challenge for
the abilities you want to develop.

The calisthenics advantage

Bodyweight training is both holistic and endlessly customizable. You

can adjust your training to place almost any demand on your body to
train any capability you want.

While you can emphasize any available quality, calisthenics training

will also require a holistic recipe of functional ingredients. You may be
doing archer push-ups to build pushing strength, but you’re also
challenging your core strength, scapular stability, wrist mobility, and
lateral control. You may not care too much about those abilities, but the
exercise will include them as a bonus just to ensure you have a full tool
kit to handle what life throws at you.

Principle #3 Progress from where you are now

Progression is all about expanding your current physical abilities. So

the first thing to do is consider what you can do right now. It doesn’t
matter if you struggle to stand up from a chair or can do a perfect single-
leg squat. Simply start by doing whatever you can.

I’m not a believer in issuing general advice for beginners. In my

twenty years of coaching experience, I’ve never met a standard
beginner. Some people start off being able to bang out push-ups like
they just came out of basic training. Others consider themselves
seasoned veterans, yet they struggle to do a decent set of lunges. No
two people start their calisthenics journey from the same place, so it
makes little sense to issue the same cookie-cutter advice to everyone.

So start doing whatever you can do. You can even hold back and not
push too hard at first to build some momentum if you like. The key is to
move forward at your own pace to make the progress you want.

The calisthenics advantage

Fundamentally, there are no true beginners to the world of

bodyweight training. All bodyweight exercises are just moving through
space, and you’ve probably been doing that since you were a toddler.
You’ve been using bodyweight exercises your whole life. The exercises
in this book will refine and structure that movement to further challenge
your physical fitness.

You can adjust calisthenics exercises from very easy to insanely

difficult. All you have to do is start with some of the variations you feel
you can practice and progress from there.

Principle #4 Be flexible and change

The idea of linear progress is comforting, but it seldom survives

contact with real life. There are many twists and turns, not to mention
setbacks, on the way to any destination you wish to reach.
Understanding this simple lesson can make it easier to handle inevitable
challenges when they happen. It also makes adjusting your plans to fit
your situation easier.

Don’t be afraid to change your plan whenever you see fit. Change up
the exercises you do or the number of sets and reps. Alter the training
frequency or your split routines. Try out full-body training if you are
working on a four-way split. If you worked out in the morning, try working
out in the evening.

There is no such thing as a best or optimized workout plan that you

have to force yourself to stick with in all situations. Most of your success
depends on being able to do almost anything at all, and being flexible in
your approach goes a long way towards making that happen.

The calisthenics advantage

Calisthenics training is one of the most flexible and versatile exercise

methods. You can plan to work out from a few minutes to hours at a time.
You can adjust and adapt almost any exercise to suit your resources and
circumstances. Plus, the lack of dependence on a gym or fancy
equipment means you can be physically active wherever and whenever
you find yourself. There’s no need to force yourself to stick to a strict
calisthenics program that doesn’t bend and be flexible when the
discipline inherently affords a great deal of flexibility.

Principle #5 Align your environment for success

No matter how motivated and disciplined you are, there’s no getting

around the fact that everybody is a product of their environment. While
you may be able to fight against environmental factors, like bad weather
or having too much junk food in the house, sooner or later, we are all
either propelled or held back by our environment.

Try cultivating your environment as much as possible to align with the

behaviors you want to promote in your life. If you want to eat healthily,
make sure you have healthy food choices that are easy to prepare while
minimizing unhealthy ones. If you want to be more active, keep your
kettlebell where you can easily grab it rather than tucked away in the
corner of a dark basement.

Of course, you won’t be able to control everything about your

environment. You may even find yourself with very little environmental
control, depending on where you find yourself. If this is the case, it’s
even more important to be proactive about the few things you may be
able to control. Even little things like keeping your workout clothes clean
and ready to go or your kitchen clean can go a long way towards making
a habit easier to maintain.

The calisthenics advantage

Calisthenics works in almost any environment. It’s also fairly easy to

set up a personal calisthenics home gym. Even something as simple as
placing a pull-up bar in the doorway and ensuring your floors are clean is
all you need to promote regular exercise.

Principle #6 You’ll get there when you get there

There is seldom a reliable timeline for achieving a particular goal,

especially regarding health and fitness. I’ve known people to achieve
seemingly long-term objectives within a few weeks. I’ve also seen some
people struggle to reach even basic milestones after several years of
training.

Quite a few people quit because they feel they aren’t making
progress fast enough or have been working longer than they should
achieve their goal. They feel frustrated even though they are making
steady progress and will surely achieve their goals eventually. So do
what you can with what you have, and you will achieve your results in
time.

And there you have the five rock-solid principles for helping you
achieve what you want from fitness and working out. They may seem
vague and not specific, but they must be general. Everyone achieves
success on their own by fulfilling these principles with different
techniques and methods. If you contemplate these five principles and
look for ways to fulfill them in your life, you’ll find the specifics that will
work best for you.

Now that we’ve laid the philosophical foundations for success in

training, let’s get into the real nitty gritty and explore the fundamental
exercises and progressions.
 Chapter 3
Push Chain Exercises
We begin exploring basic progressive calisthenics exercises with your
push chain movements. These exercises will engage your chest,
shoulders, and triceps. Many of these exercises will also work your back,
abdominals, and the back of your neck for secondary support.
 Before we jump into the primary exercises, I wanted to mention a few
important technical factors to keep in mind to ensure these exercises are
safe and effective.

#1 Control your shoulder blades

Your scapular control will make or break most of your upper body
exercises. This principle applies even more so to your pushing
techniques. Many common issues, from sore joints to poor muscle
activation, are rooted in poor scapular stability.

It would be incorrect to recommend a single general rule to best

move your shoulders. Advice like “keep the shoulders back” would only
work sometimes, so be sure to read the notes section for each exercise
for the details on shoulder motion.

I recommend warming up with simple scapular push-ups before each

push chain workout. You can practice this in a classic push-up position or
even against a wall, but I prefer this technique on the floor in a classic
plank position.
 Scapular push-ups are about scapular protraction (top) and retraction (bottom) to improve
scapular stability and mobility.

The trick to scapular push-ups is to elevate and depress the shoulder

blades and protract and retract them. The most useful way to do this is to
slightly elevate the shoulders as you protract them while you push
yourself up. Then depress your shoulders as if you’re pulling them away
from your ears as you retract them.

Scapular protraction and retraction also involve slight elevation (left) and depression (right).
 Scapular push-ups are also an effective exercise for fixing a stubborn
winged scapula. Just keep in mind that you’re not only using your
serratus anterior to push your shoulders forward but also using your
traps to pull your shoulder blades together at the bottom.

Scapular push-ups strengthen your serratus anterior while using the rest of your back
muscles to prevent scapular winging.

Don’t worry about how many sets and reps you should do while
warming up. You’re just practicing the movement, so use as many reps
as you like.

I also recommend practicing some scapular depressions where you

can practice forcefully depressing your shoulders down and back. You
can practice this on a standard set of dip bars or even on the edge of a
couch. The objective is to maintain your scapular retraction as you move
up and down in a vertical motion.

You can practice scapular dips with your full body weight on a set of dip bars or seated with
your hands on a bench or stable piece of furniture.
 #2 Maintain proper body alignment

One of the best things about calisthenics pushing exercises is you

don’t have supportive pads so you can strengthen more muscles. The
downside is you don’t have such supportive equipment, so it’s easier to
lose proper alignment while doing pushing exercises.

Keep your core tight and prevent your head from reaching forward.
Don’t let the hips sag or push the face closer to the floor to feel like you
are using more range of motion. I like to picture moving my collar bones
up and down rather than trying to get my face closer to the floor.

#3 Avoid elbow winging

Elbow winging is when your elbows stick out to the side. It’s a
technique that usually makes push chain exercises easier so you can
perform more reps.
 Winging reduces the tension in the working muscles, so the exercise
is easier, plus it can place more stress on the shoulders, elbows, and
wrists. So do your best to align your hands and elbows for most
exercises. It may help to think of tracking the elbows directly behind your
fingertips, much like you would track your knees over your toes when
doing lunges or squats.

The more your elbow tracks with the direction of your fingers, the less stress there will be on
your joints.

With your progressive push chain exercises, I encourage you to keep

these three tips in mind. Usually, when someone struggles to progress
with these techniques, it’s due to the breakdown of one of these three
technical rules.

So now that we’ve addressed those, let’s explore the primary first-
level push-chain exercises of progressive calisthenics.
 Chapter 4
Pull Chain Exercises
Now that we’ve covered the basic push chain exercises, it’s time to
balance things out with the pull chain. Naturally, these exercises will
involve all of the muscles in the back, biceps, and grip muscles in the
forearm. You’ll also work the front of the neck and your posterior chain
muscles, like hamstrings and spinal erectors, as secondary support
muscles.
 Once again, here are several key points to keep in mind to ensure the
safety and success of your pull chain exercises.

#1 Don’t reach with your chin

Just as with push chain exercises, reaching with the chin is one of the
more common challenges people face when doing pull chain exercises.
Pushing your head forward pulls the eyes closer to the hands or brings
your attention over a bar which gives the feeling of pulling yourself higher
than you are.
 This tip is why I don’t use the term “chin-up” in pull chain exercises. I
don’t want to encourage folks to focus on getting their chin over the bar
or between their hands. Instead, aim to get your chest to your hands or
even higher. Emphasizing this range of motion will make your pulling
exercises more difficult, but it will be more effective.

#2 Stabilize your shoulders

Once again, keeping the shoulders stable is key for pulling exercises.
I recommend using a similar scapular warm-up I suggested with the push
chain; only this time will you apply resistance in the opposite motion.

Scapular pull-ups (top) and rows (bottom) help to build the upper body control and stability
necessary for safe and effective pull chain training.

Both scapular rows and pull-ups move your shoulders the same way
as the push chain variations. Strive to move with as much range as
possible, but maintain tension in the muscles rather than letting them
release and dead hang. The dead hang can be a therapeutic stretch, but
you’re using this exercise for control and stability. Relaxing into a dead
hang can compromise such control because you’re essentially giving up
the tension in the muscle.

#3 Use your entire pull chain for all variations

Pull chain work often has many variations, especially in pull-up

training. Changing your hand widths and positions can offer variety and
alter the flavor of the exercise, but don’t make the mistake of greatly
changing what muscles you use with each variation.

The pull-up bar in my local gym has many different handles to change the “flavor” of the
exercise, but I always engage my full pull chain when using them.

Feeling your muscles work differently from one variation doesn’t

necessarily mean you’re working certain muscles more. It usually means
you’re working the other muscles less. It’s great that you feel your biceps
or lats working with one variation, but those muscles should always work
no matter what variation you use. It’s also fine to emphasize one muscle
or the other, but do your best to use your whole back and most of your
arm muscles to at least some degree.

These simple tips will help you gain the most from the first-level pull-
chain exercises, so let’s dive right in and check them out.
 Chapter 5
Squat Chain Exercises
The squat chain is the last of the three primary movement chains
we’ll explore in this book. These exercises effectively work all of the
muscles in your lower body, including your hamstrings, quads, hips, and
calves.
 Some variations may emphasize the hips or quads, but do your best
to include as much of your lower body musculature as possible with each
exercise.

Here are three tips to help you gain the most from this book’s primary
squat chain exercises.

#1 Use as much range in your ankle, knee, and hips as possible

Many squat chain imbalances occur because of a lack of range of

motion in the ankle, knee, or hips. Ideally, all three joints should
contribute to the exercise’s movement. However, stress on two joints can
occur when one or more joints become stiff or locked up.

Tight hips and ankles prevent you from achieving a deep squat. Stiffness also increases the
stress on your knees and lower back.

Thankfully, the squatting movement pattern is one of the most

efficient and effective ways to improve lower body mobility in all three
joints. The downside is it can be challenging to work on that mobility
while doing intense strength training. The more challenging the exercise
is, the more your nervous system will try to maintain a tight range of
motion to protect yourself.

One of the best ways to overcome this neural handicap is to move

through a big range of motion with only a modest amount of resistance
on your legs. You can start by placing one leg on an elevated platform
like a bench or stool and moving through a large range of motion. You
can also practice deep squatting while placing some of your body weight
on your hands. This technique will also reduce the weight on your feet
and allow you to practice a deep squat motion.

Supporting some weight on your non-squatting leg, or on your arms, is an effective way to
manage the resistance, and instability of progressive leg workouts.

I encourage you to practice “shift work” in the deep squat position.

Shifting essentially uses slow and smooth movements to feel more
stable and secure in the deep squat position. It’s also ideal to improve
your ankle and hip mobility while promoting stability.

Start using light and easy squat variations to become more confident
in the deep squat position. You can move on to progressive deep
squatting warm-up exercises that increase muscle tension as you
become more stable and comfortable.

#2 Use upper body support

 One of the most common criticisms of lower body progressive
calisthenics is that some techniques are more of a balance or skill-based
exercise rather than a strength exercise.

It’s a valid point, especially when people find they are tipping and
wobbling all over the place as they attempt single-leg squats. The more
unstable you are, the less you can effectively create a stimulus for
building muscle and strength. So it’s a very valid concern. When a
technique feels like a balance exercise rather than a strength exercise,
chances are, it’s exactly that.

Some say you should keep working on the challenging exercise until
your stability improves, but I’ve rarely found success with this approach.
You may spend several months or even years tipping and wobbling
around until you can sufficiently challenge the strength and endurance of
your leg muscles. Meanwhile, you’ve compromised your lower body
conditioning all that time.

The best solution is to use the basic premise of progressive

calisthenics and spread your body weight toward other limbs. In this
case, using the upper body for support may be ideal, as placing even a
small amount of weight on your hands can greatly improve your stability.
This technique can make your squat chain exercise more of a strength
exercise than a balance one. You can easily adjust the amount of
support you receive from your arms by grabbing with a lighter grip and
using only one arm for support. This progression strategy makes it
possible to still work on your stability while ensuring a lack of balance
won’t compromise your strength training.
 Changing the amount of upper body assistance is an effective way to progress lower body
calisthenics. Start with a wide grip and progress to a more narrow grip. Then use only one hand.

#3 Pull your hips to your heels

Proper squat techniques can quickly become complicated, but I like

to keep things simple. My single technical recommendation is to imagine
driving your hip to your heel as your squat down. It helps to use your
hamstrings and think about almost doing a hamstring curl as you squat
down. You won’t always be able to get your hips to your heels, and that’s
fine. Using your hamstrings to pull your hip down and forward while
keeping your foot flat on the floor, you’ll have the most natural squat
technique for your body type and size.

Don’t worry too much about the perfect or correct way to use your
upper body for stability or how much your knee moves over your toes.
Explore how you can move and use the following first-level squat chain
exercises to learn what you need to know from experience.
 Chapter 6
Extension Chain Exercises
Now that we’ve covered the primary movement chain exercises, it’s
time to address the three support chains starting with the extension
chain.

The extension chain is one of the most important muscle groups you
can work for your health and performance. It comprises all of the
muscles along your backside, including your hamstrings, glutes, calves,
and spinal erectors. You’ll also use your lats, traps, and shoulders as
secondary support muscle groups.
 These muscles play a vital role in helping you maintain a strong
posture, which can influence every aspect of your health and
performance. These are also some of the most deconditioned muscles in
the body due to several lifestyle factors.

Chronic sitting habits are the biggest detrimental influence on the

extension chain we modern humans experience. Even serious exercise
enthusiasts often sit for hours daily, which erodes the extension chain
muscles’ strength and activation.

Not sitting isn’t a solution to the problem. You can use a standing
desk at work, throw away every chair in your house, and still suffer a
weak extension chain. The only way to solve chronic sitting issues is to
condition your extension chain regularly. Progressive calisthenics is one
of the safest and most effective ways to do that.

The second issue with these muscles is that they may not seem all
that sexy at first glance. They aren’t something you’ll notice in the mirror,
which is why they seldom receive much attention in the gym. People will
work on their arms, abs, and shoulders all day long but hardly spend a
few moments working on what they don’t see in the mirror.

The irony is that your extension chain may be one of the most
important muscle groups for improving your physical appearance. Few
things portray a strong and sexy confidence level like good posture.
Furthermore, the extension chain plays a vital role in the proper
alignment of almost every other exercise you practice. The stronger your
extension chain is, the more you will gain from the exercises that work
those mirror muscles that are so fun to show off.

A strong extension chain is essential for bodyweight rows, push-ups, and squats.

I do hope I’m making a strong case for extension chain work. Few
exercises will upgrade your health, performance, and appearance like
the exercises in this chapter. But before we dive in, let’s get to the three
power tips for the extension chain.

#1 Don’t pinch your lower back

 Many of these exercises are mistaken for “lower back” exercises.
This perception is usually because people feel stress in their lower back
while practicing them.

Feeling these moves in the lower back might seem good, but it’s not.
Claiming these techniques stress your lower back is like saying squats
are working your knees. You should feel an exercise working the primary
muscles in your tension chain and not in pressure points. Ideally, you
should feel your lower back as little as possible.

It’s not that extension chain work doesn’t work your lower back; it
does. However, your lumber region is more like a joint than a muscle
group. In addition, there are very few lower back muscles. The primary
one is the quadratus lumborum, a relatively small muscle that is too
small to handle heavy loads in isolation. The second muscle is the
iliocostalis, which technically runs along your spine’s full length but
includes several muscle bellies in the lumbar region.

The Illiocostalis (left) and the Quadratus Lumborum (right) are the primary “lower back”
muscles.
 Most of the strength of your lower back comes from the muscles that
run along most of your extension chain. These include your hamstrings
and spinal erectors but can also include your lats which provide a lot of
support to your lumbar spine. These muscles work synergistically with
your hips to effectively transfer force through your lower back rather than
into it. Feeling stress in your lower back is usually a sign that some
muscles are not working as they should.

Not keeping tension along the backside makes stress “pool” into the lower back.

Using your entire extension chain should help prevent that stress
from pooling into your lower back. If you do an exercise and hardly feel it
in the lumber region, that’s a sign that it works correctly.
 #2 Squeeze the floor between your hands and feet

Extension chain exercises are primarily pulling exercises. It can be

tempting to focus on pushing your body up off the floor, but this is not
where you want to place most of your effort. Focus on using your
extension chain to pull your hands and feet together as if you’re
squeezing the floor.

#3 Practice these moves both dynamically and isometrically

Calisthenics extension chain techniques are a staple of disciplines

like yoga that use the extension chain within an isometric pose.
Practicing these techniques isometrically is fine, and you probably should
if you’re struggling with muscle activation and control. However, these
exercises are like any other strength training method, where you can
receive many benefits by practicing them for reps.

It’s not that dynamic or isometric training is always superior, but you’ll
gain more if you don’t limit yourself to one or the other. So if you’re
interested in isometrics, try doing these techniques for dynamic reps or
vice versa.
 Chapter 7
Flexion Chain Exercises

Oh boy! It’s time to look at some of the progressive calisthenics

exercises for the flexion chain. This chain includes most muscles along
the front of the body, including the quads, hip flexors, and the front of the
neck. But let’s be honest, we use these techniques to work the abs to
achieve that coveted six-pack. You’ll also use your lats and other back
muscles for secondary support.
 Calisthenics and core work seem to be made for each other. Even
hardcore weight lifters often turn to leg raises and sit-ups when working
the abs. Yet, despite the natural affinity for bodyweight core training, it
seldom produces the outcomes people want.

The lack of success is largely due to programming and sometimes a

lack of technical proficiency. Most calisthenics abdominal exercises look
simple at first glance, but there’s much more to understand about these
moves than just picking up your legs in front of you. Apply these three
power tips to make the most of your flexion chain exercises.

#1 Work that pelvic tilt

 Many bodyweight flexion exercises involve a lot of motion at the hip.
Leg raises and sit-ups are very effective, but your abdominals play little
role in hip flexion. When you look at the structure of the abdominals,
you’ll notice their origin point is the pubis, and the insertion points are up
by the coastal ridge of the ribs and the xiphoid process.
 Your abs don’t cross your hip joint, so they don’t play a role in flexing
the hip. Instead, their primary job is to flex and stabilize your lumbar
spine. This basic anatomy lesson highlights that the role of the abs isn’t
to perform most of the movement in a sit-up or leg raise but to create or
control a posterior pelvic tilt.

Unfortunately, many people struggle with the strength and

coordination to create such a pelvic tilt. This weakness leads to
lackluster results no matter what exercises they do or how many reps
they force themselves through. The good news is improving your pelvic
tilt proficiency will make any core exercises you do much more effective.
Controlling your pelvic tilt also reduces stress on your lower back by
balancing out the pulling force of your psoas.

One of the best ways to improve your pelvic tilt is to warm up with the
classic cat-cow exercise from yoga. I like to coach a simplified variation
of this exercise where you only move from an anterior to posterior pelvic
tilt. I keep the shoulders and thoracic spine fairly stable so you can focus
on just that pelvic tilt.

The cat-cow exercise helps you practice using your abs to create a posterior pelvic tilt.

Do your best to contract your abdominals while pulling your pubis up.
Squeezing your glutes is also helpful as those muscles synergistically
work with your abs to create that posterior tilt.

#2 Integrate don’t isolate

These exercises may seem like abdominal exercises but are still full-
body techniques. You’ll still be working your hip flexors, shoulders, back,
quads, and a host of other muscles simultaneously. This full-body
integration is only natural since your midsection is a mid-transfer point for
force as it flows between your upper and lower body.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to reduce the tension in these other
muscles to isolate the abdominals. Such isolation is futile and can also
reduce the total amount of tension in your abs and compromise the
effectiveness of the exercise.

#3 Program for strength

Building a stronger core is no different than building any other muscle

group. You still want to work the muscles progressively harder with more
challenging exercises over time. This approach will naturally keep your
repetitions and training volume relatively low since you’ll be using such
difficult exercises.

You don’t want to make the mistake of using easy exercises that you
can perform for hundreds of repetitions. Holding a plank for five minutes
may be impressive on social media, but it also means holding yourself
back by using such an easy exercise. So use these progressions to work
the muscles hard and fast. You’ll stimulate a lot more strength, plus you
can avoid those mind-numbingly boring sets that go on forever.
 Chapter 8
Lateral Chain Exercises
The lateral chain is technically part of the core since it works the
obliques and the lateral hips. However, the lateral chain also covers far
more anatomical real estate, including the lats, spinal erectors,
shoulders, lateral quads, and hamstrings.
 You certainly work these muscles when training the other five chains,
but these exercises serve a unique purpose. They help you learn how to
coordinate those muscles so you can use them as a single cohesive unit.
Getting the muscles to work together helps glue the other five chains
together so your body can handle any functional life demands better.

These techniques may look simple, and they are, but the devil is in
the details. Here are the three power tips for your lateral chain to ensure
you get what you want from them.

#1 Squeeze your upper and lower body together

Pulling your arm and feet together as if you’re squeezing the floor will
create stability and more tension in your target muscles. These
techniques are easier if you feel like pushing your hands and feet apart,
but doing things easy is not the Grind Style Calisthenics way.

#2 Use scapular retraction

It’s common to feel like you want to hunch the shoulders and slightly
lean forward when doing many side plank variations. Keeping your
shoulders retracted will help you maintain your upper body stability while
also helping you work your upper back.
 #3 Extend your hips

Folding at the hips is another common mistake with lateral chain

training. Folding is a way to make exercise easier, which is why I don’t
recommend it. Keeping your hips extended will make your lateral chain
exercises stronger and more effective.
 Chapter 9
Weighted Calisthenics
Until now, I’ve been writing about the art and science of progressive
calisthenics training. Progressive bodyweight training is the foundation
for building muscle and strength with just your body weight. It should
always occupy a good deal of any calisthenics training program.

It’s inevitable for bodyweight athletes to get curious about adding

weight to their training. It seems simple enough to do; you just strap on a
weight vest or dip belt, and presto, you’ve added resistance to your basic
exercises. Weighted calisthenics may seem simple, but here are several
key things to understand about the discipline.

What is weighted calisthenics?

To start, let’s get clear about what I mean by weighted calisthenics.

On the surface, it’s nothing more than just adding or subtracting weight
from your body to change the resistance of an exercise.

Weighted calisthenics isn’t always about adding weight to the body, sometimes, it’s about
making the body lighter to reduce resistance.
 Fundamentally, it’s not any different than progressive calisthenics
since you’re still doing the same thing: changing the weight you apply to
your working limbs. The only real difference is how you go about making
that change happen. With progressive calisthenics, your body weight
remains the same while you adjust your technique. With weighted
calisthenics, you maintain the same technique while adjusting the weight.
It’s still fundamentally weight training, and you’re still adjusting the weight
on your working limbs to adjust the amount of tension in the working
muscles. You’re just using a different method for making that happen.

What are the pros and cons of weighted calisthenics?

One of the biggest advantages of adjusting your body weight is that

you don’t have to develop a higher level of skill or stability to change your
resistance. With progressive calisthenics, you can add weight, but it does
take a certain degree of skill to access those higher levels of resistance.
Weighted calisthenics doesn’t require as much skill, so you may find it
easier to challenge your muscles.

Of course, this advantage is simultaneously a disadvantage. You

don’t need to improve your skillful proficiency with weighted calisthenics
as with progressive techniques. This difference is why many people find
qualities like mobility and coordination may not improve as much with
weighted calisthenics.

In addition, progressive calisthenics can be a great assessment tool

for weaknesses and imbalances. Advanced techniques can highlight
hidden issues, like if your left shoulder blade is a little less stable or if
your left hip is stronger than your right. Relying too much on weighted
calisthenics can allow slight imbalances to remain hidden and
exacerbate over time.

Lastly, weighted calisthenics can require more equipment resources

than progressive calisthenics. You’ll need some form of weight, like
dumbbells, kettlebells, weight plates, or even weight machines. You’ll
also need a way to attach those weights, like weight vests or dip belts. I
am an equipment junkie at heart, so I enjoy having all sorts of toys to
play with, but such equipment demands can limit the simplicity and
freedom that calisthenics training is known for providing.

When you look at it, though, the pros of weighted calisthenics

complement the cons of progressive calisthenics and vice versa. Neither
is the superior option in all circumstances, but having access to both
gives you the best chance of having an effective workout.

The most important lesson for weighted calisthenics training

If there’s one essential lesson to understand about weighted

calisthenics, it’s this:
 I wish I had understood this concept before spending years blindly
lifting more weight while suffering several injuries. It’s an easy enough
mistake to make, but there’s much more to proper training than weight
and reps.

Well, not technically. Yes, it is true that muscles only understand time
and tension, so initially, it may seem like training just boils down to
weight and reps. The technique is also important for how hard and long a
muscle can work. The technical side of training can make all the
difference.

Like many ego-driven young guys, I believed lifting more weight was
the be-all-end-all goal in my workouts. Therefore, I resorted to technical
shortcuts to continue lifting more weight. I would use a reduced range of
motion and move to increase my numbers. It’s a wonder I escaped with
only a few aches and pains.

Everything changed when I started to practice progressive

calisthenics. Whereas before, I was making exercises easier to add
weight and reps; my focus shifted to doing my exercises “the hard way.”
Not only did this approach reduce the stress on my joints, but it also
made it far easier to create a strong stimulus in my muscles with each
workout.

So when I returned to weighted calisthenics, my priorities shifted from

lifting more weight to using that weight to challenge my technique. If I
added 25# to my pull-ups, I wasn’t thinking, “let’s see if I can lift 25#”; it
was, “let’s see if I can still get my chest to the bar while wearing this
weight vest.” It was through trying to maintain the best technique
possible that my muscles would work harder than ever.

There’s a time and place for everything, and you may not always
need the best technique you can use. I was once in a little gym
competition to see who could complete five pull-ups with the most
weight. I came out on top by doing it with 70#, but I’m glad there’s no
video proof of my reps. They were far from pretty and nothing I would
consider worthwhile in a normal workout. Still, they were good enough to
win the competition, so I wasn’t too worried about it. Sometimes, it pays
to cut some technical corners to achieve an objective. Just remember
that such an approach is usually not the best way to go about specific
strength and muscle-building workouts.

Tools of the trade

Now that I’ve done my best to share the best mindset for approaching
weighted calisthenics let’s explore the practical application side. We’ll
start with some of my favorite tools and then finish with my favorite
weighted exercises.

Weight vests

I must confess that I’ve never been a big fan of weight vests. I usually
find them uncomfortable, and I’ve used several that felt like they inhibited
my breathing. Some models also placed a load on my lumbar spine
when doing push-ups.

I’ve also found it difficult to adjust the weight on many vests,

especially if they used a lot of little 1-pound bags of shot or iron weights.
Going from 20 to 50 pounds would be so tedious it was easier to always
stick to one weight and seldom change it. That also depends on whether
you can adjust the weight, which isn’t even possible with some vests.

Despite these shortcomings, the simple weight vest is one of the

most versatile ways to load extra weight on the body. They allow you to
securely fasten the weight to your torso so it can remain in a stable and
secure place even as you move your body through space. This benefit
can make weight vests superior for circuit training and horizontal
exercises like push-ups and rows.
 The best vests I’ve used load the weight closer to your chest and
upper back. Not only does this position make it easier to breathe, but it
also places the weight in a more stable position for horizontal exercises.
It also affords more room for your thighs if you’re doing deep squats.

High-load vests (left) typically keep the vest’s weight higher on the torso, which improves
comfort and control. Low-load vests (right) can bring the weight closer to the hips.

If possible, see if you can get a vest you can adjust easily. Look for
pockets that are easy to open and remove relatively large weights.
Opening a lot of small velcro pockets and handling many small weights
can be a tedious process. Storing many unused weights can create a lot
of clutter in a small home gym.

My favorite weight vest is the Kensui EZ Vest which uses regular

weight plates. It’s one of the most comfortable and easiest vests to
adjust, plus you can just use whatever plates you have on hand. It’s
essentially the best way to turn your body into a plate-loaded barbell.
 What about a weighted backpack?

If you don’t have a weight vest, it can make sense to just throw some
weights or other heavy objects into a backpack and use that instead.

This option can work, but it’s not something I recommend doing.
Standard backpacks aren’t designed to handle heavy objects securely,
and the weight can shift while exercising. I’ve been knocked in the back
of the head a few times by a weight plate sliding up my back while doing
push-ups, and the bag can shift to one side or the other. Cheap,
lightweight packs can also get damaged by holding more weight than
they are designed to carry.

Dip belts

In my opinion, the dip belt is king for weighted upper body

calisthenics. It’s not as versatile as a vest, but it’s by far the easiest and
most comfortable way to load pull-ups and dips. Dip belts are also easy
to adjust and place the load on your hips instead of your torso.

Classic gym dip belts with a chain and a wide padded strap are best,
but you can even DIY your own with a nylon strap or sturdy length of
rope. I’ve long used such devices for relatively light loads, and they can
work great.

Ankle weights, sandbags, and chains

 You can load almost any bodyweight exercise with extra weight, but it
sometimes requires creativity. I’ve found that ankle weights, sandbags,
and chains can be useful ways to load the body for exercises like leg
raises and table bridges.

While such tools can work, I’ve generally steered clear of using them
for such purposes. I’ve seldom used them with much success and have
always had better success through progressive techniques. Be creative
and have fun, but just remember that loading more weight onto an
exercise isn’t always the most effective way to add resistance.

Hand weights and weight plates

We can’t talk about weighted calisthenics without exploring the actual

weights. This item is pretty straightforward, but various options have pros
and cons. You’ll probably have access to anything you need in a well-
equipped commercial gym, but if you’re building your own, here are
some things to consider.

I typically encourage folks to pick up a set of adjustable dumbbells,

like the ones you can use to load weight plates. Quick-adjust dumbbells
can also work depending on how well they can sit in a dip belt.
Kettlebells are also a good option, but you’ll have to buy several weights
if you can’t find an adjustable one. Either way, hand weights are some of
the easiest to load on a dip belt or hold onto for weighed leg training. You
also have the bonus of using the hand weights as another strength
training option to get more versatility from them.
 Weight plates are a compact and often more affordable option, but
they are harder to use for other exercises. They are easy to load on a dip
belt and work perfectly with the Kensui weight vest. A good weight
selection is 1X25#, 2x10#, 1x5#, and maybe a 1x2.5# plate. This
selection will give you a weight range from 2.5#-50# or so, which may be
sufficient in most cases for dips and pull-ups. You can also add another
25# plate to have close to 80# if necessary.

Assistance machines and bands

Weighted calisthenics can also include methods that make your body
lighter rather than heavier. Assistance bands or machines can make
exercises like pull-ups and dips accessible for those who don’t want to
use their full body weight. Look for a simple chin/dip machine at your
local gym, or you can use a heavy band to assist you up on a standard
pull-up and dip bar.

Weighted calisthenics exercises

 You can load almost any bodyweight exercise, giving you many
options for weighted calisthenics training. However, like with progressive
calisthenics, you will be better at focusing on some of the most basic
fundamental exercises. Here are my top recommendations.
 Weighted Pistol Squat

Many people will hold a weight in front of them with straight arms
when doing weighted pistol squats. That technique is fine, but loading
the very front of your body can reduce the exercise’s resistance since the
weight slightly pulls you forward.

I hold the weight close to my chest, like in the photo above, or wear a
weight vest when doing weighted pistols. As usual, I use a single arm for
stability to ensure the exercise is a strength-based exercise instead of a
balance and stability exercise.

Flexion Chain
Weighted Sit-Up
 One of the best things about weighted sit-ups is the ease of
adjustability that comes with holding the weight in different positions.
Holding the weight closer to your hips reduces resistance, while shifting it
closer to your chin increases it.

Moving the weight throughout the rep allows you to dial in the perfect
amount of resistance you need to complete the rep. Most people hold the
weight lower at the start of the rep and move it higher as they finish
sitting up. Some people even press the weight overhead at the top of the
rep for extra shoulder strength and mobility.

Weighted Leg Raise

 Ankle weights are a popular tool for weighted leg raises, but you can
pinch a light dumbbell between your feet. I’ve even wrapped a chain
around my ankles to get the job done. I don’t recommend doing weighted
lying leg raises on the off chance that the weight might release from your
feet and hit your face.

As with regular leg raises, it’s easy to “kick” your legs up, so you use
a lot of momentum to lift them. Try to lift your legs in a smooth motion
and put a slight pause at the top of each rep.

Weighted Plank
 The weighted plank is not the most practical weighted flexion chain
exercise. Placing weight on your lower back can be awkward, and it may
shift or slide around. It’s easier to set up if you have a partner gently
place the weight on your back while you hold a plank position. You’ll
need to do these on your elbows to hold your body in a flat position.

As with the bodyweight plank, remember that your objective is to

create, and maintain, a strong pelvic tilt. Be sure to keep your glutes tight
and still focus on squeezing the floor together.
 Extension Chain

Weighed Hip Bridge

Weighted hip bridges have increased in popularity over the years as

an effective “booty blaster,” and for a good reason. It’s a potent hip
extension exercise that can place a lot of resistance against the glutes
and hamstrings.

You often find people doing these with a heavy barbell on their lap,
but I much prefer to use a more progressive technique. Keeping the feet
close together or using just one leg can make this exercise a lot more
challenging with a light dumbbell or sandbag.

Remember that hip bridges are more challenging when you pull into
your heels as you extend your hip. Do your best not to push into your
toes to place more emphasis on your hamstrings rather than your quads.
 Weighted Hamstring Curl

Weighted hamstring curls are very similar to weighted hip bridges,

only you flex your knees to lift your hips instead of extending your hips.
Just place a dumbbell or sandbag on your hips and keep your body
straight as you pull your heels toward you with your hamstrings.

You won’t need a lot of weight to add a lot of resistance to this

exercise. In fact, I recommend just placing your hands on your lap to
initially add more resistance. Doing so will add a bit of weight from your
arms, but it will also remove the assistance your arms may have been
providing by pushing down into the floor.
 Lateral Chain

Weighted Side Plank

The weighted side plank is a pretty simple technique. Just perform a

usual side plank, either isometrically or for dynamic reps, while holding a
weight on your hip. The trick is to still pull the floor together between your
arm and feet. It can be helpful to focus on pushing the bottom foot into
the floor to activate your lateral hip more to provide stability.

Weighted Russian Twist

 Weighted Russian twists are the exercise that makes my chiropractor
cringe. Loading the spine and then twisting it back and forth is hardly the
safest technique for your back, especially if you lock your legs on an ab
bench and hold really heavy weight.

So keep your feet free and do these on the floor with no more than 5-
10 pounds. Be sure to move in a smooth and controlled motion and have
a solid pause at the end of the twist. Slow and controlled is the way to go
here.
 Chapter 10
The Grind Style Approach to Weighted and Progressive
Calisthenics
I created my Grind Style Calisthenics method as the simplest and
most direct path to building muscle and strength with bodyweight
training. Like all things, it’s been a work in progress with new lessons
and discoveries over the years. If you share my passion for bodyweight
strength training, this chapter will highlight some of the biggest lessons
I’ve learned to help you get the most out of your calisthenics training.

#1 It’s all about creating an effective stimulus

All forms of physical exercise work because your body has evolved to
adapt to environmental stimuli. Everything from the weather to your daily
habits constantly impacts your environmental influence. Your body
adapts to accommodate the functional demands you experience from
your environment to maintain a homeostatic balance state.
 You’re always in the process of adapting to stimuli at every moment
of your life. It’s a process that’s happening entirely on autopilot and not
something you have much control over. However, you can influence the
direction of your adaptation with exercise and other proactive habits.

Understanding this simple physiological principle is the most

important lesson in exercise science. Your success doesn’t depend
exclusively on your exercises or how you structure your workout
program. It depends on understanding what stimuli you’re trying to create
and then using whichever exercises and workouts are the best way for
you to create that stimulus.

So what kind of stimuli should you create?

 There are countless types of training stimuli you can create. You can
stimulate speed, power, stability, or even being able to walk on rough
surfaces without hurting your feet. But let’s keep things simple. If building
muscle and strength are your priority, you only need to consider two
basic variables; time and tension.

You can use your muscles for various applications, but fundamentally,
your muscles only understand how much tension they need to hold and
how long they need to hold that tension. All exercise and programming
variables are merely ways to influence those two variables.

Strength is all about how much tension is in the muscle. I like to think
of your muscles like they are containers for tension. Contracting a
muscle, for any reason, is putting tension into the container.

The other variable, endurance, is about the time you can endure that
tension. Tension stamina is also commonly referred to as muscular
endurance and is often measured in how long you can perform an
exercise. The most common method is to count reps, but don’t forget
that what you’re measuring is time. Muscles don’t count reps; they don’t
know the difference between doing five and 100 push-ups. They
understand that 100 push-ups require you to hold the tension for a longer
period relative to performing five reps.
 So the stimuli you’re after come from manipulating those two
variables. Naturally, time and tension are inversely proportional to one
another. You can hold a lot of tension in your muscle, like during a heavy
pull-up, but you can’t hold that tension for a long period. On the other
hand, you can do easier exercises for longer periods because they don’t
require as much tension.

So what do you want your muscles to do? Do you want them to hold
a lot of tension in the name of strength, or do you want them to go the
distance in pursuit of endurance? Maybe you want something in between
and get a little of both? Every workout, set, and rep you do will place a
functional demand on your muscle, telling it how much tension it should
hold and how long. All you need is to find a way to make your muscle
hold more tension if you want to stimulate strength or work longer to
stimulate endurance.

But what about building muscle?

Creating stimuli for strength and endurance is pretty straightforward

because the training process is primarily about adapting to
accommodate a functional demand. Using exercise to influence the
aesthetic qualities of the body, however, is a different kettle of fish. While
it’s 100% certain your body will adapt to accommodate a functional
demand, trying to create an aesthetic demand is not quite as reliable.

Part of the reason is that there are many more influences on your
body’s appearance than the functional demand you experience during
training. Your age, physical build, hormones, genetics, training history,
diet, stress, sleep, and even your emotional state while training all play a
big role in your potential to change how you look in the mirror. There’s a
lot more to the size of your biceps than what you do in your workout.

In addition, the muscle growth stimuli may not come from one factor
but many. In the past, I was taught that muscle growth depended on
single variables, like how many reps I did or if I pushed my muscles to
failure. Variables like these correlate to muscle growth, but scientists
have repeatedly failed to produce reliable muscle growth from any single
variable. Athletes often tear their muscles down yet struggle to grow. The
same thing is true for other variables like going to failure, staying within a
certain rep range, or choking down specific branched-chain amino acids.

Despite the mystery around muscle growth, it undoubtedly does

occur. Seeing someone with massive biceps is a bit like looking at the
great pyramids in Egypt. There’s still a lot we don’t understand, yet they
are undeniable proof that it is possible to build such wonders.

So I’m not going to claim that if you do a certain workout or exercise,

you’ll build muscle; because such certainly would be misleading.
However, several things can greatly increase your chances of making the
gains you want.

I’ve covered most of those principles in my first chapter. Things like

being able to work your muscles are crucial. Progression is the other key
factor. You have to make your muscles work harder.

Does working a muscle harder mean you need to build strength

or endurance?

I’ve known people to build muscle either way. Some people finally
build muscle when they train lighter and push their muscular endurance.
Others find the opposite when they give up the high-rep training and start
going heavy. You can probably go either way, and I’ve certainly been
successful with both approaches myself.

The best chance is to pursue some combination of strength and

endurance. We’ll get to programming in a second, but know that you can
pursue both objectives however you like. I include strength and
endurance phases in the classic Grind Style Calisthenics format in every
workout. Others prefer a traditional periodization approach where you
train heavier for a while and then change your routine with lighter high-
rep training. Changing your rep ranges helps ensure you’re covering
your bases more thoroughly. If anything, you’re probably leaving some
potential muscle growth on the table if you make only strength or
endurance the focal point of your training.

Lastly, the scientific evidence at this point suggests that pushing your
muscular work capacity may be heavily correlated to creating a stimulus
for muscle growth. This approach is a fancy way of saying, “push those
reps!” You want to work a muscle long enough so that it becomes
challenging to continue to do the exercise. Some call these “hard sets” or
“pushing to failure.”

Once again, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. I’ve had plenty
of experience with always pushing to failure and remaining frustrated
with the results. I believe this is mostly due to a lack of progression.
Pushing three sets of 10 pull-ups to failure every workout probably won’t
do much if you’re still doing three sets of 10 pull-ups to failure six months
from now.

Embrace the mystery

The idea that building muscle is a mysterious phenomenon can be an

unsettling concept. Humans like to feel certain about things we care
about, and feeling unsure can be uncomfortable. This discomfort can
make anyone vulnerable to scams, dogmas, and charlatans who promise
us the “truth,” even when it’s just more false claims and misdirection.

I’ve noticed that successful folks have learned to embrace the

mysteries of success. Those who are 100% sure about what to do are
often the ones who get left behind. Their certainly can close them off to
new ideas and potential growth. So work hard, stay consistent, and strive
for progression in your workouts. That may not be the full answer for
building muscle, but it’s a heck of a lot better than getting stuck in any
stagnant dogmatic approach.

#2 Make it easier to work a muscle harder

Understanding the fundamental process of physical training is the key

to creating an effective training stimulus. The quest for muscle and
strength boils down to working the muscles progressively harder over
time. Working a muscle harder may seem simple enough, but it’s a pretty
challenging thing to do. It can become especially challenging as you
progress in your training career. When you start, putting a fair bit of effort
into any strength training will probably create the stimulus you want.
However, the climb for progress can become increasingly steep as you
advance. The further you go, the harder it becomes to continue to
advance your training.

Still, it’s always possible to work hard yet fail to create a strong
training stimulus due to several factors. Thankfully the G.S.C. approach
is all about overcoming these handicaps.

Challenge #1 Training discomfort

Comfort is often a vilified concept in fitness. Many experts talk about

getting outside of their comfort zone and how comfort is the enemy. But
comfort does play a crucial role in your success. The more comfortable
you are during an exercise, the more effort you can invest in pushing
your muscles harder.

The comfortable nature of calisthenics was something I immediately

enjoyed when I first started training. I no longer felt like I had to struggle
to handle a heavy weight or play a game of chicken between the stress
in my muscles and the pressure in my joints. I found I could push myself
harder when I switched to calisthenics for these reasons.

Do not underestimate the value of reducing even minor and

unnecessary discomforts. Wear the most comfortable clothing you can
while training. Don’t feel like you need to settle for footwear that’s too big
or small for your feet. Prioritizing comfort also goes for your equipment
and training surfaces. Keep your floor clean, and maybe invest in a mat
to give yourself the perfect texture and stable grip.

It also pays to invest in the handles and grips you enjoy using the
most. Become a connoisseur of pull-up grips and dip bars. The more
comfortable you are with your equipment, the less it will distract your
effort in each set.

Challenge #2 Seeking technical efficiency

Making it easier to work your muscles harder also extends to your

exercise technique. The whole point of using a progressive variation or
wearing a weight vest is to make your exercises less efficient. The less
efficient the exercise is, the easier it will be to push your muscles to the
next level. That idea may seem obvious, but it’s an approach that’s rarely
applied successfully. It’s more common to cut technical corners to make
training easier so you can lift more weight or perform more reps.

One of the most common ways to make an exercise easier is to

shorten your range of motion. A loss of range of motion can be so subtle
that you hardly even notice it until you end up being the one using far too
much weight or doing too many reps while only moving a few inches
during each repetition.

The second sign of technical erosion is using a very wide hand or foot
position. A wide hand position can be a more challenging and viable
technique, but this isn’t always the case. Going very wide can reduce
your range of motion. Still, it can also limit your mobility giving you the
false impression that you’re using the full range available for the muscle.

Two of the most common examples of technical erosion are using a shorter range of motion
and a wider hand or foot position.

I almost always employ a fairly narrow hand and foot position. Going
narrow makes most techniques much more challenging by reducing
stability, increasing range of motion, and generally reducing mechanical
leverage to make the exercise harder.

Changing body position is another subtle form of technical erosion.

Even a slight shift in your position, like flaring out your elbows or leaning
your body, can change how much weight is on your working limbs. Other
variations can include sagging at your midsection or twisting your body to
reduce resistance.
 “Squirming and worming” is a common form of technical erosion where you twist, shift, and
contort your body position to force some extra reps.

The final form of technical erosion is to use an easier speed or

tempo. Efficiency through speed can be tricky to spot because going
faster and slower can make your technique easier or more challenging,
depending on the situation.

Be on the lookout for any excessive momentum and bouncing that

can momentarily reduce the resistance of your muscles. I often coach
clients to move smoothly rather than speed up or slow down. Working to
move as smoothly as possible can help maintain a lot of resistance on
the muscle while also affording you the freedom to use a wide range of
speeds.

#3 Program for consistency and progression

There are a million ways you can plan your workout routine. Most
people don’t need a complicated or highly detailed plan. You just need to
ensure you’re covering a couple of basic requirements.

The first of these two necessities is consistency. As I addressed at

the beginning of the book, all exercise success depends on repeatedly
subjecting your body to a stimulus. Therefore, a lot of workout
programming is about working around your resources and circumstances
so you can repeatedly create that stimulus. If you have trouble working
out six days a week, cut back to exercising only two or three days a
week. If that’s too tough, cut back even more. If you have trouble getting
motivated for an hour-long workout, try planning a workout that’s thirty or
even ten minutes.

The second important characteristic is the ability to create a strong

stimulus to increase your chances of progression. This variable largely
comes down to the balance between how much you exercise and how
much you recover.

There is no standard work-to-rest ratio that works for everyone. Many

variables can influence how much work you can do and how much you
will need to recover. These include sleep, diet, training experience,
intensity, age, technique, training volume, life stress, and a whole host of
other variables. The amount of work and stress you can handle depends
on your physical, mental, and emotional state. Someone suffering from
depression may only be able to handle a fraction of the workload that
someone in a much better mental and emotional place may be.

So don’t worry about finding the perfect work-to-rest formula. Instead,

let your experience guide you in whether you need more or less time
between workouts. Your goal is to come into each workout feeling as
strong as possible. Creating a strong stimulus requires bringing as much
energy, focus, and motivation as possible to your training. Forcing
yourself to slog through a workout when you’re physically, mentally, and
emotionally burned out decreases your chance of creating such a
stimulus. You’ll create some sort of a stimulus with a forced workout, as
you always do, but you’ll probably create a much stronger one if you give
yourself a bit more rest.

And if you’re ready to rock and roll after a short recovery period, go
for it. There’s no need to hold yourself back and neglect your pull-up bar
for another few days if you crave another pull-up workout.

The common misconception is that programming your workouts is an

exact science you have to get just right. You risk over or under-training if
you’re off by even a small amount. You can program a wide range of
volume, frequency, and intensity and still have an effective plan.
 So, where should you start?
If you’re just starting out

You can start doing almost anything you like, especially if you’re new
to exercise. I recommend writing out a simple weekly plan on which
chains you may want to work on and on which days. Start basing your
plan on what you think you can stick to and what appeals to you. Don’t
worry about getting it right, your only objective right now is to get going.
So just ballpark on what you think you want to do and what you can
realistically accomplish.

Your next step is to spend the rest of your life adjusting and modifying
your workouts based on your experience. If you find yourself burned out
and tired doing full-body workouts five days a week, bring it down to
three days a week. If you feel full-body is too much, try an upper/lower
split. If you struggle to complete a workout with three exercises per
tension chain, try focusing on just one exercise. However, if you feel one
exercise is not enough, add another.

If you’re coming to calisthenics with some experience

Programming calisthenics is no different than any other form of

strength training. Fundamentally, you’re still progressing your muscles
with basic movement patterns, like on weight machines or free weights.

So if you have experience with what sort of programs and workout

plans have worked for you in the past, then use those same programs.
All you do is swap out the free weight or machine exercise with the
calisthenics exercise that offers you roughly the same challenge. You
can take any classic strength training routine and apply calisthenics to it.
You don’t need any sort of special calisthenics routines or programming
because you’re still fundamentally doing the same thing.

You may discover that your body responds differently to bodyweight

training than weights. Some people find they can recover faster or
practice more volume since the training isn’t always quite as punishing. If
that’s the case, feel free to make any adjustments. Add in a few more
sets if you like, or practice those single-leg hip extensions three days a
week instead of once.

As I’ve always said, your results don’t depend on having a good

workout program. They depend on creating a progressive stimulus. All
your workout program is supposed to do is provide some structure so
you can train consistently and come to each workout prepared to create
that stimulus. You can’t ask any more than that from your program. And if
you have trouble making those two things happen, make whatever
changes you feel are necessary. Be creative and have fun planning out
your workouts. You don’t have to get every detail perfectly dialed in and
correct, so don’t overthink it.
 Chapter 11
Common Calisthenics Questions and Answers

Where should I start if I’m a beginner?

It’s difficult to know where someone should start. I’ve trained

beginners who could bang out pull-ups like a seasoned Marine. I’ve also
met people who struggled to get into a deep bodyweight squat. There is
no such thing as a standard beginner, so it’s difficult to know where most
people should start.

Many beginners feel they need to dial everything in just right to get
results, but the opposite is true. The great thing about being a beginner
is that you can create a progressive stimulus by doing almost anything
because almost anything will be a progression from what you were doing
before you started.

So start doing whatever exercises in this book are within your range
of ability and go from there. However, a common mistake is doing too
much and pushing too hard. I know you’re full of enthusiasm and
motivation at first, but remember you have to play the long game here.
No one ever won a race by going as fast as they could off the start line.
However, loads of people have lost races by doing just that and burning
themselves out.

Chances are, the results you want are further down the road than you
think. So just make consistency and building strong habits your top
priority for the first few weeks or months of your training. Experiment and
learn what you can from your experience. That’s the best way to ensure
you’ll reach your goals.

Is calisthenics suitable for older folks?

 Calisthenics has always been a method that adapts very well to
whatever physical condition and capabilities people bring to it, no matter
their age. The only catch is you need to understand how to adjust your
training to fit your abilities which is why I wrote this book. So start out
using whatever exercises seem to suit your current abilities.

If possible, I highly recommend hiring a coach or trainer. Age typically

brings a host of imbalances and habitual movement patterns, which can
be hard to notice. A qualified coach can spot such imbalances and
prevent problems down the line.

If you don’t have a coach, you can record a video of yourself doing an
exercise. It’s amazing how much you can notice watching yourself
perform an exercise. How you feel like you’re moving and how you are
can be very different. Understanding this difference can do wonders for
keeping your workouts safe and effective.

Is Calisthenics training enough?

The adequacy of a training method has little to do with that method

itself and everything to do with your ability to create the stimulus you
want. If you can create that stimulus with just calisthenics, then sure, it’s
enough. However, it won’t be enough if you don’t know how to create
that stimulus (usually due to a lack of understanding of how to progress
calisthenics).

Fitness always has been and always will be an open-source platform.

There’s no reason to be a purist who confines themselves to a dogmatic
prison. So adopt and discard any exercises and forms of strength
training you like. The goal is to create an effective stimulus, not to
become an exercise purist. If you enjoy using only calisthenics, then
that’s great. If you want to mix in other forms of training, that’s good too.
The stimulus will be the same regardless of which method you use.

How to combine calisthenics with weight lifting

Remember that calisthenics is a form of weight lifting. So I integrate

calisthenics the same way you might integrate using free weights and
machines.
 The simplest way is just to swap one form of training for the other.
One workout, you might work your chest with a dumbbell bench press;
the next, you do weighted push-ups. You could practice pull-ups in one
workout and then swap that out for lat pull-downs.

Ideally, your muscles shouldn’t feel all that different from one method
to the next. Remember that exercises don’t work muscles, but you use
muscles to perform an exercise. If one exercise method feels very
different from the next, that’s the perfect time to learn how you use your
muscles differently.

How about calisthenics cardio?

Some of the most effective cardiovascular training on Earth is

calisthenics-based. Naturally, running is one of the most popular forms of
bodyweight cardio, but hiking and skipping rope are also popular options.
I find nothing beats trekking up steep hills, whether it’s just a long
staircase or a 14,000-foot mountain.

What if you want some quick cardio indoors? One of the simplest
ways to get the heart pumping is to program your normal strength
workouts into a circuit. Circuit training not only can get your heart racing,
but it’s also a great time saver as it cuts down on your rest periods. You
can also work in quick-cardio activities like skipping rope, jumping jacks,
and burpees to supplement the strength exercises.

You can program your circuits however you wish. I like to set a timer
for each exercise station where I’ll set about 20-30 seconds for strength
exercises and 60-90 seconds for quick cardio exercises. Time each
station break for about 10-15 seconds, depending on how much you
want to push your stamina. As a general rule, shorter rest periods will
make the circuit more of a cardio challenge, and longer ones will allow
you to push harder on the strength exercises. Perform the circuit for as
many rounds as you like, and 2-3 rounds are a good place to start.

Programing advice for those on the road

I’ve learned that few people can stick to a strict routine or diet when
they travel. There are just too many disruptions to your resources and
daily routine that it’s often impractical to stick to the same routine you
use at home. That’s why I advise clients to adopt a more flexible
freestyle approach to training when they travel.

This strategy essentially boils down to doing what you can with what
you have daily. If you can spare an hour and kill a workout in a well-
equipped hotel gym, then great. But if time and energy are low from a
day at the theme park, you can do a few light sets of push-ups with
bridges and call it a day.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a break from training while on

vacation, especially if you feel the need to recover. You may want a little
activity to maintain momentum, especially for trips that take a week or
longer. Plus, getting in a bit of exercise can help blow off the stress of
travel and make your trip more enjoyable. However, you can create
unnecessary stress if you force yourself to cram a full workout into a
hectic travel schedule or give up any training plans entirely.

Why aren’t super advanced exercises or skills like muscle-ups in

this book?

I’ve always used calisthenics training with the singular goal of

creating a stimulus for building muscle and strength. Over the years, I’ve
learned that the best way to do that is to focus on exercises that require
relatively little skill.

All forms of exercise will challenge your body, but the trick is to
challenge it correctly to create the stimulus you want. When building
muscle and strength, you want to challenge how much tension you place
in your muscles and how long you can work, i.e., strength and
endurance. You can certainly do that with calisthenics skills, but it can be
much more difficult if you don’t already have a high degree of training
proficiency. It’s hard to push your quads to their limit when you’re
struggling to balance on one leg.

I also don’t practice such skills very much, so I’m not the best teacher
of them. There are a lot of other coaches out there who can help you
more than I can if you want to explore those options. I highly recommend
the excellent tutorials at Calimovement.com, Fitnessfaqs.com, and
GMB.io.

And besides, the path to the fanciest calisthenics skills is to master

the basic exercises in this book.

Should I use rings or suspension straps?

I love using rings and suspension straps; I wrote a book titled

Suspension Calisthenics.

Suspension equipment can amplify your calisthenics training in

several ways. It can give you more adjustability compared to traditional
floor and car calisthenics exercises. Suspension straps also give you
access to traditional bodybuilding exercises like chest and rear deltoid
flys. A lightweight suspension strap system, like the NOSSK Home
Trainer, is essentially a portable weight machine so that it can be the
perfect travel companion.

However, like all equipment, suspension equipment isn’t necessary.

You don’t have to lug around a set of rings in your travel bag if you don’t
want to.

Are back squats a weighted calisthenics exercise?

This question is usually coming from the wrong place. Usually, when
people ask me this, they ask, “should I, or is it okay if I do back squats?”
Essentially, they ask which dogmatic box the exercise fits into so they
know if they can’t or have to do it. The real question is if the back squat
is right for you.

If you have the itch to hit the back squat, then rock out. Who cares
what definition it fits under; all that matters is that stimulus. If you don’t
like the back squat, don’t worry about it. There are many ways to build
strong legs, so why force yourself to use something that’s not right for
you?

Train according to your needs and preferences, not dogmatic labels

and definitions.
 Can I combine progressive elements like one-arm incline push-
ups?

There are so many ways you can approach progressive calisthenics,

and there’s no one best or correct way that works for everyone.

Some people prefer to work on single-arm push-ups and rows on a

steep incline instead of doing them on the floor. It’s an approach that
helps you build the stability and control required to do the exercise earlier
in your training career.

The incline one-arm push-up involves reducing the weight on your upper body while
increasing the weight on one arm.
 Be creative and mix and match various progressive strategies. Don’t
limit yourself to any particular progression strategy if you’re having
trouble implementing it. If you find a better approach, then use that. You
still abide by the same principles of adjusting your technique to load your
muscles at the right level.

Dealing with injury and joint issues

Calisthenics is often touted as a safer training form than lifting

external weights. While it may be less risky to do push-ups than to get
stuck under a barbell on a bench press, it still poses risks to your joints
and tissues.

The internet is a poor place to deal with issues. Anything you find on
Google will be an estimate. Nothing can replace an in-person diagnosis
with a qualified health professional. Make an appointment to get a
diagnosis if the issue is not getting better.

Another mistake is to blame the exercise you’re doing when you feel
the pain. It’s easy to blame the lunges for the knee pain or those dips for
the stress in the shoulder. You may even find some relief by
discontinuing the exercise, but this is rarely the best solution. Most of the
time, the exercise isn’t causing the problem, but exposing the imbalance
or misalignment is the real issue. Stopping the exercise brings temporary
relief, but it usually fails to address the real issue, which worsens over
time.

Once again, it helps to seek professional guidance. Someone with a

trained eye can diagnose the real issue and get you back to form.
Ironically, you’ll probably use the same exercise that was causing your
pain to overcome the problem and heal stronger than ever.

What about nordic curls?

My experience with nordic curls is quite limited, so I didn’t include

them in this book as I wouldn’t portray them as well as possible. I have
experimented with them but have long found the hamstring curls on
towels or suspension straps to be much easier to use and progress,
which is why I’ve included those instead.
 If you want to learn more about nordic curls, I recommend the
instructions from my friend Philip Chubb over at mindfulmover.com.

What about exercises to focus on areas like the upper chest or

middle deltoid?

I get this question a lot from folks who have a bodybuilding

background. Using exercises to focus on every square inch of the body
is a key part of preparing the body to look as good as possible when you
step on stage. However, such approaches are usually unnecessary for
folks with no interest in bodybuilding.

There are some exercises coaches recommend to target specific

areas. Incline push-ups and using various hand positions while doing
pike push-ups come to mind. These exercises are fine to experiment
with, but my experience has been they don’t do much beyond normal
exercises. This discrepancy is mostly because the best way to make a
specific area of a muscle bigger is to make the entire muscle bigger.

What about periodization and deload weeks?

Fundamentally, periodization is simply organizing your training in

blocks so you can emphasize functional qualities like strength or
endurance. It helps expose your muscles to a broader range of stimuli
rather than limiting you to one training style. You can program a
periodization program in many different ways, but don’t make things
more complicated than necessary.

You should be able to apply calisthenics to any standard periodization

plan. You can even create your own to fit your needs and preferences.
The most common approach is to spend several weeks emphasizing
heavier lifting and lower reps. Then you change things up and use a
lighter technique for higher reps for a while after that. Feel free to use
any period for the training blocks you like. The goal is to work your
muscles in a few different ways so your training doesn’t get stale.

I’ve never been a fan of deload weeks. The idea of a deload week is
popular with athletes pushing very hard and essentially playing a game
of chicken with how much stress their body can handle before it breaks.
A scheduled week or two off helps the body recover, decreasing the
chance of burnout and injury.

In my experience, most recreational lifters don’t need a deload week.

However, there’s nothing wrong with taking a week off or doing just some
light activity for a bit if you’re feeling beat up and burned out.

Is there a way to work the back without a pull-up bar?

A place to hang is one of the few equipment requirements in

calisthenics, especially when working the pull chain. So what do you do if
you don’t have a place to hang?

Usually, people find they lack a decent pull-up bar when traveling. Not
having a pull-up bar isn’t much of a problem, especially if you are only
going to be away for about a week. You can certainly forego pull chain
training for several days and be fine.

Some floor exercises still make use of your back muscles. Bridge
work uses your back to some degree, plus you use your back for stability
during push chain exercises like push-ups.

But what if you find yourself without a pull-up bar for an extended
period, and push-ups and bridges aren’t going to cut it? In that case, the
answer is simple; get a pull-up bar!

You can first look for a decent place to hang near you. One of my
favorite things to do in a new city is to open the maps app on my phone
to scan for local parks and recreation areas. These areas often have
some sort of playground or fitness trail nearby with a suitable place to
hang out. It’s also a great way to explore a new area city.

A simple suspension trainer can be a great option as these are

portable pull-up handles you can hang from a sturdy tree limb or
overhead beam. Most suspension straps also have a door anchor, so
you can perform progressive rows and curls in hotel rooms.

The final option is to invest in a simple pull-up bar. You can pick up a
pretty affordable doorway pull-up unit in most sporting goods stores or go
higher-end with a free-standing unit.

There are many options to get a pull-up bar, but the point is you’re not
going to find an adequate substitution without a place to hang. While
proper hanging support may not be as easy to come by as open floor
space, it’s not impossible to find either.
 Helpful Resources
Well, my friend, we’ve reached the end of yet another edition of the
Red Delta Project Library. But before I sign off, I wanted to offer some
additional resources to help you beyond the information on these pages.

Equipment Resources

NOSSK suspension equipment. (Nossk.com)

Don’t let the affordable prices fool you; Nossk suspension equipment
is some of the best-designed equipment for the home gym and practicing
calisthenics on the road.

Duonamic doorway equipment (Duonamic.com)

 Duonamic makes some of the highest quality doorway pull-up handle
on the market. They are also more portable and adjustable than
contemporary doorway pull-up bars. Their specially designed rings can
help you build a complete calisthenics and suspension gym in almost
any doorway.

Kensui weight vests and accessories (Kensuifitness.com)

You simply can’t go wrong with the Kensui plate-loaded weight vest.
This company also makes an ever-expanding line of calisthenics training
accessories to enhance your training.

Pull-updip.com calisthenics equipment (Pullup-dip.com)

 Pull-updip.com is best known for its modular pull-up and dip station
that can attach to a post or tree and on a sturdy wall. They also supply
various calisthenics training accessories like rings, bands, and chalk.

Coaching Resources
Mindfulmover.com

Coaches Philip and Martina Chubb bring a real-world application to

effective bodyweight training and fitness. Their approach is ideal for
those looking for a challenging low-volume approach to their training.

Oldschoolcalisthenics.com
 Adorian Moldovan is the man for those who prefer a high-volume
approach to calisthenics; if banging out loads of reps and sets is your
thing, check out his videos and unique approach to building quite the
impressive physique.

SchoolofCalisthenics.com

These guys are some of the best in taking you beyond the basic
calisthenics exercises in this book. Tim and Jacko will help you redefine
your impossible with fun and pragmatic approach to training.

GMB.io

Nothing beats feeling more in control over your physical body and its
movement. That control is one of the best things about bodyweight
training, and few understand how to achieve such control like the team at
G.M.B Fitness. Andy, Ryan, and Jarlo have probably forgotten more
ways to get the most out of your body than I will ever learn. I highly
recommend using their Elements program for warm-ups and filling in the
gaps that regular progressive calisthenics can fail to address.

Calimove.com

Sven and Alex are true masters in conveying what you need to know
about bodyweight training in the programs and videos. Their YouTube
videos are fantastic for delivering a steady stream of tips and pointers to
help you advance your fundamental exercises.

Hybridcalisthenics.com

There’s more to a healthy life than sets and reps, and few people
understand this more than “Brother Hampton.” He also produces some of
the best short-form fitness videos that deliver meaty content, so look him
up on YouTube, Tik Tok, and Instagram. It’s the best way to upgrade your
fitness know-how sixty seconds at a time.

Fitnessfaqs.com

Coach Daniel Vadnal has long been setting the standard for quality
calisthenics programs and instructional videos. His programs are
especially helpful for those who weren’t born doing handstands and pull-
ups and will perfectly fit your current ability level from absolute beginner
to high-level expert.

Other R.D.P Resources

This book is the fourth of four volumes in the Grind Style Calisthenics
series and book ten in the full R.D.P Library. Several other books and
resources can help you along your calisthenics journey.

The rest of the Grind Style Calisthenics series

This book covers two of the four disciplines that make up G.S.C.:
progressive and weighted calisthenics. The other two disciplines,
suspension calisthenics and overcoming isometrics, are also valuable for
expanding your training score.
 Suspension Calisthenics uses suspension straps or rings to increase
exercise variation with easier resistance adjustment than progressive
calisthenics. Overcoming Isometrics focuses on rapidly improving your
neuromuscular proficiency, which is the foundation of all successful
strength training. Overcoming isometrics training is also a great warm-up
and very joint-friendly. Each book is sufficient on its own, and the title
Grind Style Calisthenics shows you how to assemble all four disciplines
into a comprehensive system for building muscle and strength.

Other books in the R.D.P Library

 With bodyweight training, I created the Grind Style Calisthenics series
as the most practical approach to building muscle and strength. So if
muscle and strength are your goals, then there’s little need for any of the
other books in the R.D.P Library. Some titles may be of interest if you
want to use this information in a specific way. Bodyweight Training for
Martial Arts applies progressive calisthenics to develop some qualities a
martial artist needs, like power and static strength. Bodyweight Training
for Cycling is a simple, progressive calisthenics program for endurance
athletes. Micro Workouts is my ultra-focused approach to workout
programming to cut out the fluff and help you get more from less in any
form of training.

I wrote Smart Bodyweight Training intending to create a complete

resource for my approach to bodyweight training. It’s not as simple as
this book, but if you want a broader approach to bodyweight training,
that’s a good place to start.
 Lastly, Fitness Independence is the first book I wrote, and it’s much
more of a manifesto of sorts to help make this whole fitness thing more
straightforward. It’s also my attempt to cut through the B.S. in fitness and
focus on the essence of what makes fitness work.

Don’t forget about the rest of the free resources of the Red Delta
Project, namely the R.D.P. Podcast and YouTube channel, where I pour
out loads of free information. The R.D.P. podcast is also a live feed
session on the YouTube channel where you can come and ask me
anything you like and get an answer in real-time. Be sure to follow me on
Instagram @red.delta.project for updates on when future episodes.

The world of calisthenics training is vast and deep. There is so much

to explore and grow from, so I will leave you to continue your strength,
health, and progress journey.

Be fit & live free,

-Matt Schifferle 2022

 About the Author

- Matt Schifferle is the founder of the Red Delta Project, an online resource dedicated
to helping you maximize your results through minimalist fitness strategies.

- You can learn more at https://www.reddeltaproject.com and discover more on the

Red Delta Project YouTube channel. You can also search for the Red Delta Project
Podcast in your favorite podcast directory.

- Feel free to reach out to Matt through email (reddeltaproject@gmail.com) or you

can DM him on Instagram @red.delta.project.