5 things I wish I knew before I started calisthenics

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares five crucial tips for beginners embarking on a calisthenics journey. They discuss the importance of training less frequently to allow for adequate recovery, the significance of rest periods between sets, and the value of taking deload weeks. The speaker emphasizes the need for mobility training to prevent muscle tightness and the benefits of incorporating weight training into calisthenics routines. Lastly, they stress the importance of mastering the basics before attempting advanced moves, ensuring proper form and technique for steady progress.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♂️ Train Less: Overtraining can hinder recovery and slow down progress. Aim for 10 to 20 sets per muscle group per week.
• 💪 Recovery is Key: Ensure adequate rest between sets and consider taking a deload week to allow muscles and tendons to recover fully.
• 🧘‍♂️ Mobility Matters: Incorporate stretching and mobility exercises to prevent muscle tightness and enhance workout effectiveness.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Weight Training Complements Calisthenics: Adding weight training can boost strength and physique, complementing bodyweight exercises.
• 👶 Master the Basics: Focus on mastering fundamental exercises with proper form before attempting advanced calisthenics moves.
• 🚫 Avoid Overtraining: Recognize the signs of overtraining to prevent diminishing returns and potential injuries.
• ⏰ Rest Periods: Understand the importance of rest periods between sets to maximize performance and recovery.
• 🔁 Deload Weeks: Implement deload weeks in your routine to prevent overtraining and allow for optimal recovery.
• 🌱 Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the intensity or volume of your workouts to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains.
• 🤸‍♂️ Incorporate Mobility: Add specific mobility moves or exercises to your routine to improve flexibility and prevent injuries.

Q & A

What are the five key things the speaker wishes they knew before starting calisthenics?

The five key things are: 1) Train less frequently to allow for better recovery. 2) Rest more between sets and take deload weeks for recovery. 3) Implement mobility training to prevent muscle tightness. 4) Incorporate weight training to complement calisthenics. 5) Master the basics and fundamental exercises before moving on to more complex moves.

Why does the speaker recommend training less frequently?

Training less frequently allows for better recovery, as doing too many sets per muscle group per week can lead to excessive fatigue and hinder progress.

What is the recommended number of sets per muscle group per week according to the speaker?

The recommended number of sets per muscle group per week lies between 10 and 20 sets.

How does the speaker suggest resting between sets during workouts?

The speaker suggests resting between 2 to 3 minutes on average between sets to allow the body to recover and perform optimally.

What is the purpose of taking a deload week in a workout routine?

A deload week is taken to allow muscles and tendons to recover fully, preventing accumulated fatigue and potential injuries.

How does the speaker recommend implementing mobility training into a workout routine?

The speaker recommends doing stretches after workouts, incorporating mobility-based exercises like deficit push-ups or pike squats, and adding specific mobility moves if time allows.

Why does the speaker suggest incorporating weight training into a calisthenics routine?

Incorporating weight training can boost overall strength and physique, and help with areas where calisthenics might be limiting, such as leg exercises.

What is the importance of mastering the basics in calisthenics according to the speaker?

Mastering the basics ensures proper form and technique, which is crucial for making progress and avoiding injuries.

What are some examples of fundamental exercises in calisthenics mentioned by the speaker?

Examples include pull-ups, push-ups, squats, Pikes, and chin-ups.

How does the speaker use anime analogies to explain calisthenics concepts?

The speaker uses anime characters and their abilities to illustrate the importance of training intensity, recovery, and the balance between strength and mobility.

What resources does the speaker offer for beginners looking to start calisthenics?

The speaker offers an in-depth beginners guide on their school group and a more general guide on how to start calisthenics.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Training Less for Better Calisthenics Progress

The speaker shares their early mistakes in calisthenics, emphasizing the importance of training less frequently to allow for better recovery and progress. They explain how excessive training volume led to fatigue and slow progress. The ideal number of sets per muscle group per week is suggested to be between 10 and 20. An analogy to the anime 'One Punch Man' is used to illustrate the concept of overexertion and the need for controlled effort to avoid injury and maximize gains.

05:03

🔄 Importance of Rest and Mobility in Calisthenics

The speaker discusses the necessity of rest and mobility training in calisthenics to prevent muscle tightness and enhance gains. They share personal experiences of muscle tightness and the importance of stretching post-workout. The speaker also suggests incorporating mobility-based exercises like deficit push-ups and CC squats to stretch while building strength. They recommend taking a deload week for recovery and use an analogy from 'One Piece' to illustrate the concept of stretching to reach greater goals.

Keywords

💡Calisthenics

Calisthenics refers to a form of exercise that primarily uses one's body weight for resistance, typically performed without the use of equipment. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of calisthenics in building strength and physique, and shares personal experiences and advice on how to progress effectively in this form of exercise.

💡Training Mistakes

Training mistakes are errors or inefficient practices in one's exercise routine that can hinder progress or lead to injury. The video discusses common mistakes the speaker made in their calisthenics journey, such as overtraining and improper rest, which are crucial to avoid for optimal results.

💡Volume

In the context of exercise, volume refers to the total amount of work done during a training session or period, often measured in sets and repetitions. The video explains that there is an optimal volume for muscle gains and recovery, and exceeding this can lead to diminishing returns and increased fatigue.

💡Recovery

Recovery in exercise is the process of rest and repair that occurs after a workout, allowing the body to rebuild and grow stronger. The speaker highlights the importance of adequate rest between sets and taking deload weeks to maximize recovery and prevent overtraining.

💡Mobility Training

Mobility training involves exercises that improve the range of motion and flexibility of the body. The video stresses the need for mobility work in calisthenics to counteract muscle tightness and to enhance overall performance and injury prevention.

💡Weight Training

Weight training is a form of strength training that uses weights to increase muscle strength and size. Although the video focuses on calisthenics, the speaker suggests incorporating weight training to complement and enhance calisthenics progress, particularly for areas like the legs where calisthenics might be limiting.

💡Mastering the Basics

Mastering the basics in exercise refers to becoming proficient in fundamental movements and exercises before progressing to more complex ones. The video emphasizes the importance of patience and focusing on foundational calisthenics exercises like pull-ups and push-ups to build a strong base for more advanced movements.

💡Progressions

Progressions are a series of exercises that gradually increase in difficulty, allowing one to build up to more advanced movements safely. The speaker advises against jumping into complex calisthenics moves without first mastering the progressions to ensure proper form and prevent injury.

💡Ego

In the context of fitness, ego refers to the tendency to push oneself too hard or attempt exercises beyond one's current ability level due to pride or impatience. The video discusses the need to leave ego at the door and focus on mastering exercises at one's own pace to ensure safe and effective progress.

💡Deload Week

A deload week is a period of reduced training volume or intensity, designed to allow the body to recover and adapt to the stress of training. The video suggests taking a deload week as a strategy to prevent overtraining and to enhance long-term progress in calisthenics.

💡Fatigue

Fatigue in exercise refers to the physical and mental exhaustion that can result from overtraining or insufficient rest. The video explains that while there is a limit to the gains one can make from a workout, there is no cap on the fatigue that can accumulate, which can hinder progress if not managed properly.

Highlights

Beginner calisthenics enthusiasts can benefit from the speaker's experience and mistakes to avoid common pitfalls.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of training less frequently to allow for adequate recovery and progress.

Overtraining with high volumes can lead to slow progress due to hindered recovery.

The optimal number of sets per muscle group per week is between 10 and 20.

An analogy of One For All from 'My Hero Academia' is used to illustrate the concept of training volume and recovery.

Rest between sets is crucial for optimal performance and to prevent injury.

The speaker recommends resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets for effective recovery.

Taking a deload week can be beneficial for recovery and preventing overtraining.

Mobility training is essential to prevent muscle tightness and enhance gains.

Incorporating mobility exercises like deficit push-ups can aid in stretching and strength building.

The speaker advises on the importance of mastering the basics before attempting advanced calisthenics moves.

Weight training can complement calisthenics and enhance overall strength and physique.

Weighted calisthenics, isolation exercises, and leg exercises are recommended for a well-rounded routine.

The speaker shares an analogy of Scar from 'Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood' to explain the benefits of embracing different training methods.

Mastering fundamental exercises is key to a strong calisthenics foundation.

The speaker offers resources for beginners to learn basic calisthenics exercises and structuring workouts.

Transcripts

if you're a beginner just starting your

calisthenics journey and you find

yourself confused and don't know how to

start don't worry cuz I've definitely

been there before and I've made tons of

mistakes on my journey so I'm going to

save you guys some headache and give you

five things that I wish I knew before I

started calisthenics I'll be sharing

with you some of the training mistakes

I've made in the past and how you can

correct them and in sharing these five

things hopefully you guys can make

faster progress and reach where I am

sooner than I did and I'll even throw in

some anime analogies because well I'm a

nerd like that and I like to Pander now

of all of the mistakes I've made and

I've made quite a lot why these five for

one these five in particular are what I

think hindered my cisic progress the

most especially number four on this list

which might actually surprise you guys

and in my experience before I fixed

these five things I found myself getting

frustrated with the results being

confused on how to actually progress and

honestly it just made myself a worse off

athlete some of these mistakes still

affect me to this day and I've been

trying trying to correct them as best as

I can I found after fixing these five

steps I was making steadier progress

maximizing gains and just feeling better

overall so without further Ado we'll go

on to the first one and you guys already

saw it in the thumbnail and that's

actually to train less well I I know

that sounds counterintuitive but just

let me explain when I first started

working out I trained pretty much every

day and for a really long time I

remember doing countless sets of just

everything and not really following a

structure and early on like year 1 year

two I was probably doing five or six

exercises per muscle group every single

day which I thought was good right but

at the same time I found myself a lot

more tired a lot more sore and my

progress was actually pretty slow and

the reason for this was because I was

doing about 30 sets per muscle group

every single week which is just way too

much and it completely hindered my

recovery so how much volume is enough

volume or too much volume well it's

actually pretty easy to explain there's

three things you really need to consider

the volume the amount of gains you're

going to make and your level of fatigue

as training volume goes up you

accumulate both potential gains and

fatigue while there is a minimum

threshold for your gains to actually

appear there is actually a maximum cap

as to how much you can gain from a

workout however there isn't actually a

cap to how much fatigue you can

accumulate and this can actually give

you some diminishing returns or make

your gains worse well I mean technically

there is a cap to the amount of fatigue

you can get but you probably don't want

to reach that Studies have shown that

the minimum maximum number of sets lies

between 10 and 20 sets per muscle group

per week and keep in mind these should

be good hard sets so training to failure

if not close enough to failure if I were

to come up with like an anime analogy

for this it would be like if midoria

uses one for all for the first time and

he's going all out and using up 100% of

the energy and it's just breaking his

bones when he starts to actually hold

back a bit and control the amount that

he can exert then and he doesn't break

his bones and experiences less damage

does that make a sense at all well I

don't know because it's about to get

worse in a similar vein to the last

point you want to be able to maximize

your recovery during and after your

workout so to do that you are going to

need to rest more and there's actually

two ways you can implement this the

first way it sounds obvious but I was an

idiot when I first started working out I

love the feeling of being sore and like

pushing my limits but that was a mistake

see I never rested for less than a

minute because I felt us you didn't need

to rest that long I mean it felt great I

was feeling that soreness but each set

that I did was suboptimal at best

especially for the hard skills that I

was trying to train for your body needs

time to recover between sets otherwise

you won't perform optimally and you will

likely hurt yourself if you don't have

proper form it really depends on what

exercises you choose to do but I like to

rest between 2 to 3 minutes on average

the second way you can implement this is

something that most new gym goers are

pretty afraid to do see muscles recover

pretty quickly taking roughly like 48

hours to actually repair but tendons on

the other hand need a much longer time

and this is because they don't have as

much blood flow and if you're training

intensely for a few weeks then it

doesn't matter if you're in the optimal

set range you're still going to

accumulate fatigue over time so what the

hell do you do the answer is to take a D

Lo week either having your total volume

or just do nothing which is also totally

fine a lot of beginners think they're

going to lose all of their gains if they

take a week off of training but it

actually takes a lot longer for your

muscles to start shrinking and losing

strength for me personally I like to do

yoga you know when s Jin Wu does his

like one punch man workout and then he

has to do a like a full recovery before

he can do it again that doesn't make any

sense because he can do it instantly it

doesn't take like I'm a week to do it

and instant recovery isn't real I don't

understand what this doesn't make any or

when Baki he was poisoned and he had to

recover by eating food and drinking

sugar water and that doesn't make any

sense either I mean he got he got

stronger after he rested right that's

that's that's the point it okay let's

move on the third thing that I wish I

knew before I started cisic is actually

something that still affects me to this

day see cisic can make you strong very

strong but a consequence of that is your

muscles will start to shrink and they

will actually get tighter this is a

problem I have personally I struggle to

stretch out my chest my chest has become

very tight and I can barely move my arms

behind my back which is why now more

than ever do you really need to

implement Mobility training now you

don't need to worry about adding extra

minutes to your workout or restructuring

everything there's actually some simple

ways that you can implement it for one

and most obviously just do some

stretches after your workout not only is

it going to minimize that muscle

shortage but it's actually going to help

you make more gains by opening up those

micro tears that you made during your

workout and secondly just doing mobility

based exercises can really save you some

time and help you stretch out those

muscles things like deficit push-ups or

even CC squats that help you stretch the

hamstrings exercises like these can help

you passively stretch while you are

building strength at the same time and

of course thirdly you can add specific

Mobility moves to the end of your

workout but only if you have the time

and you actually enjoy it okay anime

analogy uh when Luffy is on his pirate

ship and he says it's stretching time

and then he stretches all the way to the

one piece and it gets the one

piece I'm losing my mind can you tell us

I've never seen one piece I'm so cringe

the fourth thing on this list which is

kind of a shocking Epiphany that I've

had myself for the longest time when I

started calisthenics I was a purist that

helped me with mastering my body weight

but it was very limiting to the gains

that I was actually making and the

reason for this was I was just

neglecting weight training now this may

come to you as a surprise as a

calisthenics channel right and while yes

you can achieve an amazing physique with

just body weight training in

incorporating some weight training

exercises can be super beneficial to

your overall strength and physique now I

understand if you don't have access to a

gym don't have access to weights

calisthenics is all you have but if you

have access to using weights you could

just use the weights it's totally fine

and these calisthenics workouts that I

post aren't there to tell you to only do

calisthenics but it's there to show you

that there are other options besides

weight training especially to those who

can only do calenic and you can still

focus on calisthenics training because

if you incorporate some weight training

into your routine it can actually boost

your calisthenics progress and my three

favorite ways to do this is weighted

calisthenics because they're op they

make you bigger they make you stronger

isolation exercises of course that's

where calisthenics is kind of limited

and doing dumbbell curls tricep

extensions all that's great and of

course the legs because when it comes to

calisthenics were not known for our legs

so doing barbell squats using dumbbells

to exercise is going to be pretty good

it's going to help you make those leg

gains so you don't end up with damn

chicken legs okay analogy oh you know

how um Scar from Full Metal ala's

Brotherhood he only used like I don't

know was right or left hand

but like he would only use his

destroying hand and that limitation

almost got him killed only when he

actually embraced the other side of

alchemy which was creation not only did

he beat wrath but he built a new future

for his people damn that one was

actually pretty good the fifth thing

that I think really hindered my cis's

progress is just not mastering the

basics now I say this a lot but what

does this actually mean if you're

anything like me and you've seen a bunch

of cool calisthenics moves online you

want to do those things and that

ambition made me very impatient I was

trying to perform moves that were way

out of my level and I was doing them

with poor form poor technique and I

wasn't making any progress cuz I wasn't

doing him right it's only when I

actually started to slow down and

actually do progressions that my body

was capable of that I actually started

to progress slowly to perform those cool

calisthenics moves so do yourself a

favor and leave your ego at the door but

it doesn't just stop there to master the

basics also means to master the

fundamental exercises things like

pull-ups push-ups squats

Pikes chinups Pike push-ups you name it

the basics and if that's something you

guys are looking for then I've developed

an indepth beginners guide on my school

group where I can show you all of the

basic calisthenics exercises that you

can do as well as how to actually

structure your own workout and create an

optimal routine for yourself or if you

want you can check out my more general

guide on how to start calisthenics right

up here