The Case for Calisthenics

(Vladaar Malane) #1

Good Morning Ketoers,

So after much research on my part, I have decided to mostly give up free weights and go to a calisthenics approach. I’m not going to bash any other type work out, as anything is better than nothing. I’m just giving the reasons why I decided to go this route. Maybe we should have a calisthenics forum here? Maybe not if I’m the only one doing it.

With free weights, I’ve been there done that, got the t-shirt. Back in my young days I was a beast benching over 300 pounds. Then I got married, stopped working out kept eating like I fueling a beast and got fat.

So, I started exercising again while doing Keto at first just with the intention to build a toned body and not get size using free weights. So one day browsing old youtube, I happened upon a Stephen Amel interview the actor who plays the Arrow on CW and he was showing his workout and why he thinks body resistance and being able to manipulate your own body weight is more impressive then bench pressing huge amounts of weight.

Edited to give you that interview if your interested.

It made sense to me, I started to want functional strength, I wanted to be able to knock out 20 pullups, pushups, headstand push ups, etc. I know many friends that bench press over 300 pounds, but can’t do 10 dead hang pull ups. Am I going to totally give up free weights? No, I’ll still use them here and there, but 90% of my work out is calisthenics.

That’s when I happened upon Calisthenics. First I found the book convict conditioning by Paul Wade, which went over 6 core exercises to do for building up your strength, and then I found this guy on youtube again named Chris Heria who had a calisthenics organization called Thenx and a ton of how to videos. So after much experimenting, I’ll post the workout that I have adapted from the 2. I guess my title is misleading I have not made a huge case for calisthenics but rather just said why I am doing it.

If your interested though, Chris makes a pretty good case for it. He does use weights occasionally as well, but most of his workouts are just Calisthenics.

(Vladaar Malane) #2

My current routine

Day 1

Bench press ( free weights ) 3 sets of 6 no heavier than 225.
Explosive Pushups 4 sets of 15
Side to Side Pushups 4 sets of 20
Diamond Pushups 4 sets of 15
Leaning against bar body weight Skull Crushers 4 sets of 12
Plank Tricep Extensions - kneeling 4 sets 12
Dips 4 sets of failure

Day 2 - 45 minutes Elipitcal

Day 3
dumble side extensions 4 sets of 8
Single arm kettle bell snatch 4 sets of 10 per side
Elipitical whatever time remains|
Wall handstands 4 sets of 2 minutes
Handstand pushups 4 sets till failure|

Day 4 - 45 minutes Elipitcal

Day 5
pull ups 3 sets till failure
jump up pull ups single reps till exhaustion
Negative Muscle ups - Smith Machine 3 sets till failure
Australian pull ups 3 sets till failure
Australian Wide-grip pull ups 3 sets till failure
Australian Close-grip pull ups 3 sets till failure
Bar Dips - Smith Machine 3 sets till failure

Day 6
Lateral Box Jump 3 sets of 8
Full squats bodyweight only 2 sets of 10
Close squats bodyweight only 2 sets of 10
Uneven squats bodyweight only 2 sets of 10
1/2 One leg squats with a ball to balance 2 sets of 5

Day 7
Mountain climbers 4 sets of 30
V-ups 4 sets of 15
In and outs 4 sets of 30
Toe touches 4 sets of 15
Leg flutters 4 sets of 30
Star Crunches 4 sets of 15
Straight Bridges 2 sets of 20
Angled Bridges 2 sets of 15
Head Bridges 2 sets of 15

Can I do all that right this moment? I can’t claim that I can it’s the workout that I’m working into. I get very close and am improving towards getting there. Anyway, if anyone else is doing calisthenics here give a shout.

Thanks!

(Allie) #3

I think calisthenics is amazing as is anyone who can actually do it! so impressive to watch that combination of skill, strength, coordination and balance… :grinning:

(Pete A) #4

Good luck, sounds great, I’m a calisthenics enthusiast!

(Vladaar Malane) #5

@Shortstuff
Thanks I think people would be surprised at how many can actually do it though. What I like about Chris Heria’s Thenx how to youtube videos is he breaks down each technique into doable steps. Is it for everyone probably not, but I think the majority of people can do it if they follow the progressive steps and don’t get discouraged. I couldn’t do 1 pull up when I started exercising again. Now am up to 6 and hoping to work up to 20.

(Jessica) #6

I don’t know that this speaks to inferiority of weight lifting so much as the lack of a well rounded program on that person’s part. A combination of horizontal and vertical press and pull is important and this illustrates that.

(Justin Jordan) #7

It isn’t, really.

Or rather, more functional than what, and more functional for what?

I like to do calisthenics, and I like to lift. And it’s good to do stuff to fight the decline that comes from aging and/or not exercising. But for most people, most of the time, any exercise we do isn’t really functional.

Have you ever actually needed to do ten dead hang pull ups? Or a front lever? Or a 300 pound bench? Even people with highly physical jobs don’t need that level of strength. It’s cool to do and nice to have in reserve, but the functional tag always rubbed me the wrong way. Beyond a fairly low level of strength, we do these things because they’re fun.

(Vladaar Malane) #8

@Justin_Jordan
I see your point as in different people have different needs of function strength.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) defines functional strength training as “performing work against resistance in such a manner that the improvements in strength directly enhance the performance of movements so that an individual’s activities of daily living are easier to perform.”

For instance a computer programmer doesn’t often need that level of performance, however if he or she does and they are doing training such as this it’s there. I can tell you my job is mostly sitting at a desk typing away. But sometimes I need to lift seriously heavy stuff around the house or fix whatever and that strength is handy. I know when I didn’t have the strength it’s embarrassing. For instance before I started exercising again, I moved to my new house and a friend came over to help move a couch and I was so gassed that I know they lifted 90% of that couch. That is not the case anymore. If I could sum it up in a phrase I guess it just is a certain level of confidence in my strength to perform tasks that a man should be able to do.

Anyway, I do see your point I think in what is functional for one might not be for another.

(Adam Kirby) #9

I prefer calisthenics to weight training because it’s just a lot cooler. I don’t mind mixing in some barbell and weighted calisthenics work though. Something I’ve found after losing 30 lbs and getting stronger on low carb is that I could do exercises like the floor L-sit and tuck planche without having trained for them!

(Vladaar Malane) #10

Update to my Calisthenics workout from learning more and some improvements.

Day 1

Diamond Pushups 2 sets of 20 - Not quite hitting this yet, very difficult for me as I am trying these going down till my chest kisses the backs of my hands.
Regular Pushups 3 sets of MAX
Side to Side Pushups 3 sets of MAX
Leaning into bar standing Skull Crushers 3 sets of MAX
Plank Tricep Extensions - kneeling 3 sets of MAX
Dips 3 sets of MAX
Scapula hang exercises [ up, down, left, right, back and forward - just a few inches ]
// Purpose of that is to increase scapula muscles for improving pullups

Day 2 - 45 minutes Jump Rope [ invisible line, jogging, regular ]
/* Leaving elliptical behind for fat burning jump roping uses more compound movement - learning techniques from jump rope dudes on youtube */

Day 3
pull ups attempting to do 2 sets of 10, but building up to that by doing 25 reps total in 15 minutes regardless of how long rest and many sets.
Using Chart from https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/al-kavadlo-20-pull-up-challenge.html
Australian pull ups 3 sets of MAX - whatever left in tank prob normal, close, wide grips
Bar Dips - Smith Machine lean over

Day 4 - 45 minutes Jump Rope [ invisible line, jogging, regular ]

Day 5
Crow stands attempting to hold for 1 minute for balance of doing later handstands
Pike Pushup 3 sets of 10 [ when meet this goal start handstand pushups ]
Handstand wall walk up and down 3 sets of MAX
Jump Rope remaining time

Day 6
Close squats - no barbell 2 sets of 20 it’s a progression in Convict Conditioning book series that you do close squats prior to attempting single leg squats.
Scapula hang exercises [ up, down, left, right, back and forward - just a few inches ]
Jump Rope remaining time

Day 7
hanging frog leg raises 2 sets of 15
Mountain climbers 4 sets of 40
V-ups 4 sets of 12
Russian Twists 4 sets of 20
plank shoulder taps 4 sets of 15
Pull ups with dead hang last rep 1 set till MAX
Table Bridges 3 sets of 40 - used to do bridges in high school wrestling never gave another thought to it all these years, but it’s quite a workout for the lower back core muscles and is used by many in body weight resistance training as a replacement for deadlift of sorts. This is the progression I’m on, but working towards a full bridge from standing to bent over backwards and back up.

Anyway, anyone see something I might improve it on, or have a workout for calisthenics you’d like to add yourself please do.

Thanks!