HOW TO GET BETTER AT CALISTHENICS
#1 HAND PLACEMENT
This modification is often overlooked, even in my own calisthenics training! It is also one of the easiest things to implement!
Change your hand/foot placement to make a movement easier or harder. Have you been performing your squats, push ups, handstands and push ups with the same hand placement?! If so, you are missing out on some strength gains! Try changing where you normally put your hands and/or feet in your regular exercises.
Examples:
-Narrow squats vs wide squats
-Narrow pull ups vs wide pull ups
-Narrow push ups vs wide push ups
CHANGE HAND/FOOT WIDTH IN ANY MOVEMENT TO MAKE IT EASIER OR HARDER!
#2 INCREASE OR DECREASE ROM (RANGE OF MOTION)
For more over all strength gains increase the range of motion of the movement.
Example: Extended range of motion push ups will make your push-ups more difficult. To make a movement easier decrease the range of motion. This can be done by placing a yoga block under your chest so you are only lowering/pushing half of the regular push up height.
Examples:
-Performing a regular pull up (easier) vs a pull up from a dead hang to chest to bar (instead of nose to bar)
-Push up on the floor vs elevating your hands to perform a deeper, larger ROM push up
ADJUST RANGE OF MOTION TO MAKE AN EXERCISE EASIER OR HARDER FOR CALISTHENICS!
#4 PAUSES
If you have exercised before you’ve probably performed an isometric hold without realizing it. An isometric hold is when a position is held without changing the length of the muscle or the joint angle. A basic example is holding a plank.
Lots of advanced calisthenics moves are isometric holds. Examples being a planche, a front lever, a back lever..etc.
How do you incorporate isometric holds into your workout? Simply take a move that you are working on and pause in the difficult portion and hold for a set period of time.
Example: To strengthen my HSPU (handstand push ups) I hold the eccentric 90 degree position for 3-5 seconds, I then lower and hold the bottom portion of the movement as well. This helps me to build up strength in those difficult “sticking points” of the movement.
Pulling Example: Add in a hold at the top portion of your pull up, add in a hold at the middle portion of your pull up.
ADD IN PAUSES TO GET STRONGER IN CALISTHENICS
#5 PERFORM NEGATIVES
Negatives are a fantastic way of developing strength for a difficult movement! I use negatives to increase my strength in many many skills such as pull ups, HSPU (handstand push ups), handstand presses..etc.
If there is an advanced skill you cannot do, try to do the eccenctric portion to build up the strength.
Examples:
Take a Handstand Push Ups for example, you could perform the lowering portion as it is easier than the concentric portion (the push up part).
Pull Ups - you could jump up to the bar to remove the concentric portion (the difficult part) then lower yourself down slowly. This, in my opinion is the best way to increase pull up strength.
Handstand Press - Get up to your handstand and then lower yourself so as to perform the negative portion,/eccentric portion.
#6 ELEVATION
Change the height of your feet or hands to make any calisthenics exercise easier or harder.
Examples:
-Push ups on the ground (harder) or push ups against a wall or box (easier)
-Rows performed on a TRX body parallel with the ground (harder) or standing (easier)
-Push ups too easy? Then elevate your feet to increase the load on your upper body.
#7 TIME UNDER TENSION (TUT)
Increase the time spent in the engaged portion of the movement.
This is a common practice in bodybuilding/hypertrophy training! A weight lifting example would be performing bicep curls without allowing your muscles to reach a relaxed position - aka spending more time in the difficult, or fully contracted position.
An easy way to understand this is by setting a timer and performing a pull up as slow as possible with constant slow movement. I aim for 1 minute to complete 1 full, chest to bar pull up.
This can easily be achieved with push ups by preforming your reps just shy of full range of motion so you remain in that fully engaged state. This is great for building muscle size.
#8 UNILATERAL OR UNBALANCED
Perform the movement on one side of the body, or unbalanced.
Examples:
-Single arm pull ups (assist with a band, use negatives..etc)
-Pistol Squats - check out my pistol squat progression tutorial
-Single arm push ups, or single arm scapular push ups
#9 EXPLOSIVE
Take any movement and perform it with a different speed! Try explosive push ups or pull ups or squats.
Examples:
-Explosive push ups
-Explosive pull ups
-Explosive squats
DON’T FORGET TO ADD IN CALISTHENICS ISOMETRICS INTO YOUR TRAINING (HOLDS)!
----------
Follow me on Instagram for unique fitness inspiration. @summerfunfitness_ / summerfunfi. .
#Calisthenics
Body Building 💪🏼
#handstands🤸🏽♀️
& more 🏋🏽♀️🧘🏽♀️🧗🏽♀️
#calisthenicsforbeginners
7 июл 2024
