by Hannes Calisthenics
Complete beginner's guide to calisthenics with progression tree covering push, pull, leg exercises and training plan
A comprehensive guide to starting calisthenics training. Covers fundamental push, pull, and leg exercises with progressions, warm-up techniques, and a sample training plan for building a strong foundation.
Take at least 10 minutes before training to warm up. For upper body, focus on shoulders (circles, dislocates), elbows (rotations), and wrists (rotations, finger raises, palm raises). For lower body, warm up knees, hips, and ankles with rotations and stretches.
Begin with wall push-ups, progress to chair push-ups, then standard push-ups. Focus on form: keep body in a straight line, elbows close to body, protract shoulders at top.
Start with bench/chair dips (bent knees), progress to straight legs, then negative dips. Maintain shoulder depression and slight chest forward tilt. Keep elbows close to body.
After mastering standard push-ups, start with hand-elevated pike push-ups. Focus on hip pike, locked arms at top, elevated shoulders, head in front of arms.
Use a bar or creative setup (chairs + broomstick). Focus on retracted shoulders at top, protected shoulders at bottom. Control the negative phase. Higher bar = easier, lower bar = harder.
Progress through: dead hang → active hang → leg-assisted pull-ups → negative pull-ups → band-assisted pull-ups → first pull-up. Pull chest to bar and retract shoulder blades at top.
Add core work: sit-ups → hollow body holds → knee raises → leg raises. For legs: bodyweight squats → Cossack squats → pistol squats. Add calf raises and hip thrusts for complete development.
Apply three key principles: consistency (3-6 sessions per week), progressive overload (increase difficulty over time), and rest/recovery (allow muscle repair between sessions).
Start with 3 sets of 5-7 reps for each exercise. Once all sets are completed, increase sets to 4, then 5. When 5x7 is achieved, increase reps to 3x8. Progress to harder exercise variations when benchmarks are met.
