Why I Teach Low-Skill Calisthenics Exercises for Building Muscle

Summary

The speaker shares his journey into calisthenics, aiming to replicate the muscle and strength gains from bodybuilding with bodyweight exercises. He acknowledges the impressive feats of advanced calisthenics but emphasizes the importance of focusing on exercises with lower skill requirements for efficient muscle growth and strength development. The speaker introduces his 'Grind Style Calisthenics' program, which prioritizes tension and stability to maximize workout effectiveness, and invites viewers to explore his book and free workout program for more insights.

Takeaways

• 🏋️ The speaker started calisthenics with the goal of replicating the physical benefits of weightlifting in a more free and autonomous manner.
• 🕰️ Calisthenics exercises like the front lever, muscle up, and planche were not mainstream or well-known on social media 12-13 years ago.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The speaker finds advanced calisthenics movements impressive but admits they are not their focus due to their lower skill requirement preference.
• 💪 The primary goal for the speaker is to build raw muscle and strength efficiently, which they believe is best achieved with exercises that require less skill.
• 🔁 The speaker emphasizes the importance of work capacity, which involves increasing muscle tension and duration to build strength and endurance respectively.
• 🚫 When stability or coordination is the limiting factor, it becomes harder to challenge muscle strength, endurance, or work capacity effectively.
• 🤸‍♂️ Skill-based exercises are acknowledged as effective for muscle and strength building, but they are not the primary focus for the speaker's training philosophy.
• 🏋️‍♀️ The speaker suggests that advanced calisthenic skills are often built upon a foundation of strength and endurance, rather than being the starting point.
• 📚 The speaker promotes a 'low skill' approach to calisthenics for efficiency in muscle and strength building, as showcased in their 'Grind Style Calisthenics' program.
• 🌐 The 'Grind Style Calisthenics' program includes a warm-up phase focused on tension and stability to set up for successful workouts and improve skills.
• 📘 Resources such as the speaker's book and free workout program are available for those interested in learning more about this approach to calisthenics training.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial goal when they started calisthenics?

The speaker's initial goal was to replicate the physical stimulus they were getting from free weights and machines in bodybuilding, but with the freedom and autonomy of calisthenics.

Why were exercises like the front lever, muscle up, and planche not well-known at the time the speaker started calisthenics?

These exercises were not well-known because they were not part of mainstream fitness or a significant part of social media at that time.

How did the speaker's perspective on skill-based exercises evolve over time?

The speaker dabbled with skill-based exercises but found them not to be in their wheelhouse. They found these exercises impressive but not as efficient for building raw muscle and strength.

What are the two variables the speaker focuses on when trying to build muscle and strength?

The speaker focuses on the amount of tension in the muscle and the duration of that tension to build muscle and strength.

Why does the speaker believe that exercises with low skill requirements are more efficient for muscle and strength building?

Low skill requirement exercises allow for a greater focus on pushing the work capacity of the muscles, which is essential for building strength and endurance.

How does the speaker view the role of skill work in muscle and strength building?

The speaker acknowledges that skill work can be effective for muscle and strength building but emphasizes that it is often built upon a foundation of muscular work capacity.

What is the speaker's approach to calisthenics training in terms of skill level?

The speaker prefers a relatively low skill approach to calisthenics training to ensure they can adequately create the desired stimulus for muscle and strength building in every workout.

What does the speaker suggest for someone who wants to build muscle and strength using bodyweight training?

The speaker suggests avoiding exercises that require a lot of skill and focusing on exercises that tax the muscles effectively without the need for high levels of coordination or stability.

Why does the speaker include a tension and stability phase in the grind style calisthenics program?

The tension and stability phase is included to warm up and improve skills, setting up individuals for success in the workout and ensuring that skills do not hinder their ability to maximize strength and hypertrophy.

What resources does the speaker offer for those interested in learning more about their approach to calisthenics?

The speaker offers a book called 'Grind Style Calisthenics' and a free workout program on their YouTube channel and website, redeltaproject.com.

How does the speaker encourage viewers to engage with their content?

The speaker invites viewers to check out the resources mentioned, and they express a desire to hear thoughts and feedback in the comment section.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Transition to Calisthenics and its Evolution

The speaker discusses their introduction to calisthenics around 12 to 13 years ago, with the goal of replicating the physical benefits of bodybuilding using bodyweight exercises. They note that advanced calisthenics moves like the front lever, muscle up, and planche were not mainstream or widely recognized at the time. The speaker admits that despite finding these exercises impressive, they were not their focus, as they prioritized building muscle and strength efficiently. They argue that exercises with lower skill requirements are more effective for muscle growth and strength development because they allow for a greater focus on muscle tension and work capacity, which are key for hypertrophy and endurance.

Keywords

💡Calisthenics

Calisthenics refers to a form of exercise that typically involves movements using one's body weight, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups, to improve strength and flexibility. In the video, the speaker discusses how they entered the world of calisthenics with the goal of replicating the physical benefits of bodybuilding using bodyweight exercises.

💡Free Weights

Free weights are a type of exercise equipment that allows for the full range of motion and natural movement patterns. They include dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. The speaker mentions using free weights in a bodybuilding format as a comparison to the calisthenics they later adopted.

💡Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is a sport that involves the development of muscle mass and aesthetic proportions through intensive weight training and nutrition. The script contrasts the speaker's initial bodybuilding experience with their later calisthenics practice, highlighting the shift in their fitness approach.

💡Front Lever

The front lever is an advanced calisthenics exercise that requires the body to be held horizontally in a straight line while supporting oneself with the arms locked in a pull-up position. The speaker notes that this exercise, along with others like the muscle-up and planche, was not well-known in mainstream fitness at the time they began calisthenics.

💡Muscle-Up

A muscle-up is a calisthenics movement that combines a pull-up and a dip into one fluid motion, typically performed on parallel bars or a similar setup. It is mentioned in the script as one of the advanced exercises that were not part of the mainstream fitness landscape when the speaker started.

💡Planche

The planche is a calisthenics exercise where the body is held in a horizontal position with the arms fully extended and supporting the body's weight. It is used in the script to illustrate the advanced level of skill and strength required in some calisthenics movements.

💡Skill Requirement

Skill requirement refers to the level of expertise needed to perform an exercise or movement effectively. The speaker explains that exercises with a lower skill requirement are preferable for building muscle and strength efficiently, as they allow for a greater focus on muscle tension and work capacity.

💡Work Capacity

Work capacity is the measure of how much work an individual can perform, often related to strength and endurance. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses the importance of work capacity in building muscle and strength, emphasizing the need to focus on muscle tension and duration of tension.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle cell size, leading to an increase in overall muscle size. The script discusses hypertrophy in relation to calisthenics, explaining how exercises that balance muscle tension and endurance can create a stimulus for muscle growth.

💡Grind Style Calisthenics

Grind style calisthenics is a program mentioned by the speaker that emphasizes a tension and stability phase in warm-ups to set up for success in workouts and improve skills. It is designed to maximize strength and hypertrophy without relying heavily on high-skill exercises.

💡Tension

Tension in the context of exercise refers to the stress or force applied to the muscles during an activity. The speaker explains that focusing on increasing muscle tension can lead to greater strength, which is a key component of their calisthenics training approach.

💡Endurance

Endurance is the ability of a muscle or a group of muscles to perform repeated contractions over a period of time without fatigue. The script discusses building endurance as part of the calisthenics training, which can be achieved by focusing on longer durations of muscle tension.

Highlights

Introduction to calisthenics 12-13 years ago with a goal to replicate bodybuilding's physical stimulus with calisthenics' freedom and autonomy.

Front lever, muscle up, and planche were not mainstream fitness concepts at the time.

The speaker's progression in training with calisthenics exercises remaining on the periphery.

Impressive but not the speaker's focus due to the high skill requirement of advanced calisthenics exercises.

The importance of exercises with low skill requirements for building raw muscle and strength efficiently.

Explanation of the two variables in muscle building: tension and duration.

The role of stability and coordination in muscle work capacity and their impact on strength and endurance.

Skill work's effectiveness in muscle and strength building, but not the primary focus for the speaker.

The foundational importance of muscular work capacity before skill development in calisthenics.

Recommendation against skill-intensive exercises for those seeking muscle and strength with bodyweight training.

The design philosophy of the Grand Style Calisthenics program, avoiding high-skill exercises.

The necessity of a tension and stability warm-up phase in the Grind Style Calisthenics program.

The balance between skill improvement and muscle work capacity in the Grind Style Calisthenics program.

The goal of maximizing strength and hypertrophy in every workout by covering all bases.

The speaker's preference for a low-skill approach to calisthenics to ensure effective muscle stimulus.

Promotion of the Grind Style Calisthenics book and free workout program for further learning.

Invitation for viewers to share thoughts in the comment section and a closing thank you.

Transcripts

i got into the world of calisthenics

about 12 13 years ago and when i did i

came to it with the single solitary goal

to basically bring the same kind of

experience and physical stimulus that i

was getting from using free weights and

machines in a bodybuilding format and do

the same thing with the freedom and

autonomy with calisthenics and at the

time if you ask me or the average joe on

the street what a front lever was or a

muscle up or a planche and stuff we

couldn't have told you because it just

wasn't part of mainstream fitness at

that point and certainly wasn't really a

big part of social media but nonetheless

as i progressed to my training career

those exercises always remain kind of on

the periphery and i dabble with them a

little bit but they never just seem to

be so much in my wheelhouse and

consequently i never really did them a

whole lot and honestly i find that stuff

to be incredibly impressive

very very awe-inspiring i mean those are

amazing athletes but it's just never

been quite my thing because i've noticed

over the years that when it comes to

trying to just build raw muscle and

strength in the easiest most efficient

way possible

you want exercises that are relatively

low on the skill requirement end of the

spectrum and the reason is very simple

if we're trying to build our muscles to

be bigger or want them to be stronger or

more endurance we want to focus on

pushing their work capacity in other

words there's two variables we're always

working with it's how much tension is in

the muscle and how long is it there for

you focus on putting in more tension you

get stronger you focus on longer

durations you build endurance and as far

as creating a hypertrophy stimulus we're

kind of trying to level both of these up

when our stability or coordination is

the weak link in what we're trying to do

it doesn't make it nearly as easy to

adequately challenge the strength

endurance or overall work capacity of

the muscles and that's certainly not to

say that skill work isn't effective for

building muscle and strength it

certainly is i'm sure there's going to

be lots of people in the comments

section going wait this guy's jacked

he's awesome and he's huge and he does

all this skill work absolutely but i

would counter that it wasn't the skill

work that got him that physique because

a lot of times when we're trying to

build such calisthenic skills it's built

upon a foundation of first building up

that muscular work capacity aka strength

and or endurance and then you build the

skills on top of it if you came to me

saying matt i just want to build

muscle and strength but i like the

efficiency and freedom of body weight

training then i wouldn't give you stuff

that would require a lot of skill that's

why in grand style calisthenics we

barely even do unsupported single leg

exercises because the less skill you

need to adequately tax the muscle the

better

and of course that's not to say that

there's still some degree of skill and

even the most basic quote low skill

strength and muscle building exercises

even doing dips here on a set of

gymnastics rings requires a certain

degree of control coordination and

stability and that is why i designed the

grind style calisthenics program to

always warm up with a tension and

stability phase so that way we're

setting ourselves up for success in the

workout but we're also improving those

skills so that way they're not a

hindrance to your ability to then

maximize your strength and your

hypertrophy or the endurance phases of

the workout that way we're covering all

of our bases and there's nothing holding

you back from potentially creating the

strongest stimulus in your body

to build muscle and strength in every

single workout and so that's why i keep

a relatively low skill approach to all

of my calisthenics training i just

simply want to put the odds in my favor

of adequately creating the stimulus i

want in every workout to challenge

either the amount of tension in the

muscle the endurance of the muscle or a

combination of the two if you want to

learn more check out my book grind style

calisthenics down below as well as the

completely free grind style calisthenics

workout program here on the youtube

channel and over at

redeltaproject.com and thank you very

much for watching as always love to hear

your thoughts down below in the comment

section be fit live free