5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW When I Started Calisthenics

Summary

In this video, the creator shares five key lessons he wishes he'd known when starting calisthenics, which would have accelerated his progress. These include mastering the basics with high repetitions, focusing on perfect form, building grip strength, incorporating negative exercises, and staying consistent with clear goals. He demonstrates how to integrate these principles into a workout routine with push-ups, grip exercises, muscle-ups, and negatives. The video aims to help viewers achieve better results in calisthenics and includes an invitation to a live workshop in Toronto.

Takeaways

• 💪 Master the basics with high repetitions to build a strong foundation for calisthenics.
• 🧘‍♂️ Focus on perfect form in every exercise, prioritizing quality over quantity.
• 🤲 Improve grip strength as it's crucial for endurance and control in exercises.
• 🔄 Incorporate negative exercises to advance towards the positive versions of those movements.
• 🎯 Set clear goals and consistently challenge yourself to reach them to track progress effectively.
• 🔍 Mastering high repetitions in basics like pushups, pull-ups, dips, and squats will enhance overall performance.
• 🤸 Handstand training should begin with solid wall holds to build balance and reduce stress during progression.
• ✋ Proper gripping technique on the bar is essential for effective calisthenics, ensuring full-hand engagement.
• 🧗‍♂️ Practice negative muscle-ups using pull-overs to slowly progress towards complete muscle-ups.
• 🚀 Consistency in training and setting small, achievable milestones are key to long-term success in calisthenics.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video focuses on five key things the speaker wishes they knew when starting calisthenics, which would have helped them progress faster and reach a higher fitness level sooner.

Why does the speaker emphasize sticking to the basics in calisthenics?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of mastering the basics, like pushups and pull-ups, with high repetitions to build a strong foundation. This leads to improved strength and better technique in more advanced exercises.

What is the significance of perfect form in calisthenics according to the speaker?

Perfect form is crucial because it ensures that each movement is effective and reduces the risk of injury. Quality over quantity helps build strength more efficiently than performing many repetitions with bad form.

Why does the speaker focus on grip strength as a key factor for improvement?

Grip strength is the first point of contact in many calisthenics exercises, and having a strong grip improves endurance, increases repetitions, and boosts overall performance in pulling and lifting movements.

How does the speaker suggest using negative movements to advance in calisthenics?

The speaker recommends incorporating negative exercises (slow, controlled descents) to build strength and eventually achieve the positive motion. For example, doing negative muscle-ups will help you master the full muscle-up over time.

What role does consistency play in calisthenics progress?

Consistency is key to making progress. The speaker emphasizes setting goals, consistently challenging oneself, and breaking larger goals into smaller, achievable milestones to stay motivated and track improvement.

What is the recommended approach for learning the handstand according to the speaker?

The speaker advises beginners to focus on holding the handstand against the wall before attempting freestanding handstands. This helps build a solid foundation so the act of balancing does not cause stress, allowing for a focus on technique and form.

How does grip technique affect calisthenics performance?

The speaker explains that using an over-grip (where callouses form higher on the hand) instead of a standard grip improves control and strength. This is especially important in exercises like pull-ups and muscle-ups.

What advice does the speaker give for pushup progression?

The speaker suggests starting with a goal, such as 50 diamond pushups with perfect form. Once you can do 50, aim for more the next day, continually challenging yourself to increase reps.

What is the purpose of the workshop mentioned in the video?

The speaker announces an upcoming calisthenics workshop in Toronto, Canada, as part of a tour. The workshop aims to provide hands-on training, helping attendees improve their calisthenics skills through direct coaching.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Master the Basics and High Reps

The speaker discusses the importance of sticking to basic calisthenics movements like push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and squats, emphasizing mastering the technique and incorporating high repetitions. They highlight how performing large numbers of reps (e.g., 100 push-ups or pull-ups) helps build strength and comfort with these exercises. The goal is to focus on technique and avoid rushing into more advanced moves without a solid foundation. Mastering basic movements, like handstands against the wall, sets a strong foundation for future progress.

05:01

💯 Perfect Form for Faster Progress

The second key point is achieving perfect form in every exercise. The speaker stresses that proper form is more valuable than the number of reps, advising that quality is better than quantity. They explain how focusing on perfect form leads to faster progress, reduces the need for corrections later, and builds strength more efficiently. Personal experience is shared about the benefits of reprogramming sloppy form into precise movements, underlining that good form equals better gains.

10:02

🖐️ Improve Grip Strength for Enhanced Performance

Grip strength is highlighted as a critical factor in almost all exercises. The speaker recounts their initial difficulty with simple hangs and one-arm hangs, which were painful and challenging. By improving grip strength, they were able to progress to advanced exercises like one-arm hangs with ease. The improvement in grip strength transfers across all movements, from hanging exercises to handstands, leading to increased endurance, repetitions, and overall performance.

⏬ Mastering Negatives for Progression

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the value of negative exercises, where the focus is on the controlled downward phase of movements. They explain how doing negative muscle-ups and front lever negatives helped them achieve the positive versions of these exercises. Mastering the negative portion of a movement builds strength and control, leading to quicker progress toward the full exercise. This technique is recommended as a tool for advancing to more challenging exercises.

🎯 Consistency and Goal Setting for Success

The final tip stresses the importance of setting clear goals and being consistent. Without specific targets, progress is hard to track, and motivation dwindles. The speaker suggests breaking large goals into smaller, achievable milestones to maintain momentum and motivation. Constantly challenging oneself by setting weekly goals keeps the individual progressing and moving forward. The speaker shares their own method of setting goals to continuously improve in calisthenics.

💪 Workout Routine to Apply These Tips

The speaker transitions into demonstrating a workout routine that incorporates the five principles: mastering basics, perfect form, grip strength, negatives, and consistency. They begin with diamond push-ups, focusing on high reps with perfect form, setting a goal of 50 push-ups. Next, they work on grip strength by hanging from the bar with added weight. This is followed by muscle-ups with attention to perfect form. They then demonstrate negative muscle-ups using pull-overs. Finally, the speaker challenges themselves with the advanced hefestos exercise, using a resistance band for support.

📅 Announcing Upcoming Workshops and Future Content

The speaker wraps up by thanking viewers and announcing upcoming content, including a personal story of how they started calisthenics and advice on nutrition. They also promote an upcoming calisthenics workshop in Toronto, encouraging viewers to sign up due to limited space. They tease future content, asking viewers for suggestions in the comments section and promising more engaging videos, including possibly making a song together. The video concludes with the speaker signing off with excitement for future projects.

Keywords

💡Calisthenics

Calisthenics refers to a form of exercise consisting mainly of rhythmic movements, involving minimal equipment, with the body bearing its own weight as resistance. In the context of the video, the host emphasizes the importance of mastering calisthenics basics to build a solid foundation for more advanced movements. The script mentions exercises like pushups, pull-ups, and dips as examples of calisthenics.

💡High Repetitions

High repetitions in exercise refer to performing a large number of repetitions of a particular exercise to increase endurance and strength. The video suggests that achieving a high number of repetitions in basic exercises like pushups and pull-ups is crucial for mastering the movement and building strength, as exemplified by the goal of doing 100 pushups in a row.

💡Mastering Basics

Mastering the basics in the context of the video means thoroughly understanding and being proficient in fundamental calisthenics exercises. The host stresses the importance of not rushing to advanced exercises but instead focusing on perfecting the basics to ensure a solid foundation, which is illustrated by the example of achieving 100 consecutive pushups or pull-ups.

💡Form

Form in exercise refers to the correct way of performing an exercise to maximize effectiveness and minimize the risk of injury. The video emphasizes the importance of maintaining perfect form in every exercise to ensure quality over quantity, as indicated by the advice of doing five perfect pull-ups rather than 15 with poor form.

💡Grip Strength

Grip strength is the force that is applied by the grip of the hand. In the video, the host points out that having a strong grip is essential for calisthenics as it affects the endurance and overall strength in exercises that require hanging or lifting. The script illustrates this by mentioning the difficulty of hanging from a bar when starting out and how improving grip strength can lead to better performance in exercises like handstands.

💡Negatives

Negatives in exercise refer to the lowering or eccentric phase of a movement, which is typically done in a controlled and slow manner to build strength. The video suggests that practicing the negative part of exercises, like negative muscle-ups, can help achieve the full exercise, as it conditions the muscles for the strength required to perform the movement, as demonstrated by the host's progression from front lever negatives to achieving the front lever.

💡Consistency

Consistency in the context of the video means maintaining a regular workout routine and continuously challenging oneself to improve. The host advises setting goals and consistently working towards them, which is crucial for progress in calisthenics. An example from the script is setting a goal to do 50 diamond pushups and then increasing it to 60 the next day.

💡Goal Setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying and defining specific objectives for one's training. The video underscores the importance of having clear goals to motivate progress and measure improvement. The host suggests creating smaller milestones towards a larger goal to stay motivated, as illustrated by the incremental increase in the number of pushups from 50 to 60.

💡Quality over Quantity

Quality over quantity in exercise suggests that performing a few exercises with proper form is more beneficial than doing many with poor form. The video stresses this concept by advocating for perfect form in exercises over getting through a higher number of repetitions with poor form, as mentioned in the advice of doing five perfect pull-ups over 15 with poor form.

💡Progression

Progression in exercise refers to the systematic increase in the difficulty or intensity of exercises over time to continue challenging the body and promote growth. The video mentions the importance of not rushing progressions but instead building a solid foundation with basics, as seen in the advice to focus on mastering the hold of a handstand against the wall before attempting freestanding handstands.

💡Workout Routine

A workout routine is a planned sequence of exercises designed to achieve specific fitness goals. The video provides an example of a workout routine that incorporates the discussed principles, such as doing high repetitions of diamond pushups, hanging from the bar to improve grip strength, and practicing negative muscle-ups to build towards the full exercise.

Highlights

Five key things to know for starting calisthenics.

Mastering basics and incorporating high repetitions for strength.

Importance of technique over mere repetition.

Advantages of high repetitions in basic exercises like push-ups and pull-ups.

Building a solid foundation with basic exercises.

Perfect form is crucial for excelling in calisthenics.

Quality of repetitions over quantity.

The significance of grip strength in calisthenics.

How to improve grip strength for better performance.

Incorporating negatives to achieve positive results in exercises.

The role of consistency and setting goals in calisthenics progress.

Creating milestones to track progress and stay motivated.

A workout routine incorporating the five key points.

Diamond push-ups for high repetitions and perfect form.

Grip strength exercises with added weight.

Practicing muscle-ups with an emphasis on form.

Negative muscle-ups using pull-overs for controlled descent.

Advanced exercise - Hefestos with resistance band.

Upcoming workshop information and how to sign up.

Invitation for feedback on what the next video should be about.

Transcripts

(electronic music)

- Woo, what's up guys?

Today I'm gonna show you five things I wish I knew

when I first started calisthenics.

If I would have known these five things

I would've gotten to this fitness level

a whole lot sooner and progressed a whole lot faster

if I would have stuck to these five things

from the very, very beginning.

So if you're just starting calisthenics

and even if you're not

you're gonna be a whole lot better off than I was

when I first started

and you're gonna be making major gains and excelling

through calisthenics.

So the first thing that I wanna share with you guys

is basics, sticking to the basics,

and incorporating high, high repetitions into those basics

which means that you would have mastered that basic.

For example, if you can do 100 pushups in a row,

you're pretty solid in your pushing game.

If you can do 100 pull-ups in a row,

you're super solid in your pulling game.

When I first started, I really don't remember

really trying to achieve reps higher than 25

so it's really important that you guys

really master these movements

not just rep them out

but really get good at the technique of that motion.

Pulling is not just engaging your muscles

and getting you stronger to be able to do this motion

but the actual practice of pulling

is gonna get you a whole lot better

at using those muscles in combination

which is gonna advance your pulling technique

which is gonna get you into a whole lot harder exercises.

And get really, really high reps in your basics

so you're gonna be more comfortable with it.

Pull-ups pushups, dips, squats.

Even the basics in other techniques, for example,

the handstand, really get good at just holding a handstand

against the wall.

That's a lot of people's fault when they're first starting

is they wanna quickly advance

to the next progression, next progression,

because they can already do it,

you wanna build that solid foundation.

If you were to really focus

on getting that hold against the wall

then when you go on to trying to learn how to handstand,

the actual act of handstanding

is not gonna give you any stress

so you're gonna be able to completely focus

on your technique and your form while you're doing this,

you're gonna advance a lot faster

versus someone that is just still struggling

to just hold the handstand and on the floor

because they hadn't put in the work for the basics.

Now the second thing is gonna be perfect form, alright?

Perfect form in every single thing that you do.

You're not trying to just get through the exercise,

if you're just trying to get through the exercise

you're never gonna excel.

You need to be consciously putting in effort

towards trying to do it as perfect as possible.

The key to this is quality over quantity.

You're way better off doing five perfect pull-ups

than doing even 15 really shitty pull-ups.

You need to start clean form from the very beginning

and that's gonna make a huge difference,

and I'm telling you,

I've been there with the sloppy pull-ups

and I've also had to reprogram my training

and start to learn everything all over again

with perfect form, and let me tell you,

you're gonna feel way stronger

when you're putting in quality repetitions,

which brings us to number three,

something I wish I focused on at the very beginning

would be grip strength.

In most exercises your grip is the first point of contact

to every single exercise.

Having a really strong grip

automatically increases your endurance,

the amount of repetitions that you can achieve,

and your overall strength.

I remember when I first started calisthenics

just hanging on to the bar was really difficult,

I remember my arms were like burning from that

and when I was just learning how to hang with one arm

I remember that that was actually painful

just to hang with one arm.

And of course now I look back

and hanging out with one arm that's like a joke now.

So imagine the amount of strength and control

you're gonna achieve

from barely being able to hang on with two arms

to comfortably being hanging on with one arm.

That type of strength is gonna transfer over

into everything, into your handstands,

all exercises from the hanging position,

all exercises from the lifting position.

Your overall endurance, repetitions, and performance

is gonna increase by just simply

increasing that grip strength,

which brings us to number four.

Negatives, doing the negative of any exercise

will eventually give you the positive of that exercise.

Doing a lot of negative muscle-ups

will eventually result you in a muscle-up.

I actually ended up achieving the front lever

from a front lever negative.

When I first started doing front lever negatives

I would start from the top and I would come down really fast

but eventually I was able to come down slower,

and slower, and slower, and if you keep that form

while you're coming down, eventually,

you'll be able to come down as slow and controlled

and be able to stop flat into that front lever position.

That's why incorporating negative exercises,

especially from the very beginning is gonna excel you

really, really quickly.

What's gonna have you reach your goals

is the four things we just talked about,

mastering the basics, getting very comfortable with them,

which is why you're gonna be doing them

for high repetitions, to build that time under tension,

utilizing perfect form in every single exercise

and every single motion that you do.

Having an extremely solid grip

and incorporating negative exercises

to quickly excel you into harder exercises and progressions.

Which brings us to our fifth and last thing

that I wish I knew when I first started calisthenics,

and that is consistency and having a goal

and consistently challenging yourself to reach that goal.

Without a goal, no matter how big or small,

it's gonna be hard to calculate and motivate your progress.

If you're not constantly

trying to improve on what you're working on

then chances are you're gonna have little to no progress.

But the very act of having a goal is half of it,

you need to create milestones for yourself

to make sure and ensure you're moving

in a forward, upward projected.

We, as human beings, like to be constantly rewarded

and that motivates us to go further

so having a really far goal is fine

but you need smaller consistent goals

to keep you going, to keep you progressing, and,

you need to be consistently challenging yourself

in order to reach those goals.

So the way that I stay progressing

is to choose something that currently challenges me

and consistently work at it

and set a goal for myself by the end of the week

that I must achieve within that.

So now we're gonna get into a workout routine,

I'm gonna show you guys how to incorporate

these five things into your workout regimen.

Alright, so the first exercise we're gonna go with

is some pushups.

Like I said, we need to be drilling the basics

and we're gonna go for high reps, so for these pushups,

let's go for some diamond pushups,

let's go 50 times with perfect form,

so you see we just set a goal, 50, no matter what,

we're gonna kill these 50, even if you stop,

just keep going, stop, and keep going.

Let's go.

(electronic music)

There you go, 50 diamond pushups, now,

if that was the first time you've ever done 50 in a row,

there's your first goal, now we gotta do 60 tomorrow.

Alright, so the next exercise we're gonna get into,

hang from the bar,

we're gonna be working on that grip,

and I'm gonna challenge myself,

I'm gonna add some extra weight.

(electronic music)

There you go.

Quick little grip.

So if you guys are strictly working on this,

you do this for a lot more reps

and either go up in weight or go up in time,

go down in weight.

Alright, so next,

we're gonna go into perfect form muscle-ups, alright?

Keep that perfect form, here we go.

(electronic music)

Alright, there we go.

Couple quick reps.

Now if you've been working on your basics, high reps,

and that grip strength, this should be a piece of cake.

And speaking of that grip strength,

knowing how to grip

the bar correctly is gonna also make a huge difference.

Having more of an over grip

than just hanging right underneath, this is...

You're gonna have no grip like that.

You wanna over grip it like this.

Your callouses should be coming out right over here

not just up here and here,

you need to be using your whole hand to grip that bar.

That was a huge thing when I first started.

Alright, so the next move we're gonna go into now

is actually a negative move.

Remember, practicing the negatives

is gonna help you accomplish the positive of that exercise.

We're gonna go into negative muscle-ups

by using pull-overs.

So we're gonna do a pull-over,

we get to the top of the muscle-up,

we're gonna come down slow.

Alright, let's rep it out.

(electronic music)

Alright, moving on to the last exercise.

I'm really gonna challenge myself, guys.

Here we go, we're gonna go for hefestos.

(electronic music)

So I'm gonna add this resistance band

so we can put some reps on top,

this is an advanced move, guys.

Let's do as many as we can, here we go.

(electronic music)

Woo.

Damn.

Alright, I wanted to do more, but,

that's all I got for today.

There you guys go,

those are the five things I wish I knew

when I first started calisthenics, and,

that's how you incorporate 'em into your workout routines.

Thank you guys so much for watching,

I'm gonna see you guys next time,

I'm gonna tell you guys how I started calisthenics,

hopefully that helps you guys on your journey

when you get started.

We're right about to go back on tour,

right before we go back on tour,

we're gonna be in Toronto, Canada, for a workshop June 24th,

so go on to thenx.com/blog/events to sign up right now

if you haven't already.

Space is extremely limited

so if you wanna attend one of our workshops,

make sure you sign on right now, thenx.com/blog/events.

Find the city near you and I'll see you guys there.

Thank you guys so much watching,

I'll see you guys next Thursday

with how I started calisthenics.

We'll also add in some nutrition, and,

maybe we'll make a song together or something like that,

let me know what you want the next video to be about

in the comments section down below.

Mad love, peace out, guys.

(electronic music)

Smash that like button, guys.