These are the best workout routines for beginners.
So if you want to:
- Build real muscle.
- Begin your training based on your level.
- And become stronger than you've ever been.
Then you’ll love these 14 calisthenics beginner routines for Bar Brothers.
Let’s get started.
Introduction:
Preparing For Your Calisthenics Training
It doesn't matter if you are beginning your calisthenics journey...
...at home, at a park or in the gym...
When it comes to body weight training, your body is the BIGGEST tool.
But somehow a lot of beginners are afraid they will not build muscle.
Afraid that they NEED weights.
For example, a quick look at Reddit shows that most people are surprised that calisthenics training can build muscle:
And it's not the only place where people are afraid they will NOT get any results.
The same questions are asked on Quora:
So just to quickly remove your doubts...
...which you most likely will have as a beginner.
According to the well-respected Journal for Strength and Conditioning, calisthenics push-up training can increase muscle thickness and strength similar to weight training.
So:
"YES, you can build muscle with calisthenics."
Which also means you can get injured if you start too heavy.
Jumping into any of these routines can lead to pretty sore muscles.
(Which is a mistake we made back in the day.)
Instead, make sure:
- you warm up for your calisthenics training;
- bring plenty of water for better performance;
- and give yourself a few breaks if this is your first time.
Sorry about that, I know you came for the routines.
But I'm responsible for making sure you don't get injured.
So you can still do and enjoy calisthenics 10+ years from now.
Hopefully until you are old and grey.
(That is, if you aren't yet.)
Chapter 1:
Full Body Routines
Being a beginner doesn't mean that you shouldn't work hard.
But it means that you should work SMART.
Going from sitting on a couch or behind a computer to actually doing muscle ups is like shifting from riding your bike with training wheels to jumping into a racing car.
That's something you wouldn't recommend to any beginner.
Would you?
Let's take a good look at the routines first and design a plan that allows you to slowly transition from training wheels to racing speed.
The Routines
The Routines
The Routine
The Routines
The Routine
Chapter 6:
7 Day Workout Plans For Bar Brother Beginners
So what do you need to do now?
You have the routines.
But I'm sure you'd like to know when to use what routine and how to use them in a balanced way.
I've written a few 7 day plans based upon what you believe your current level of strength is right now.
But first a few questions:
Is this your first time starting calisthenics? Start at level 1.
Have you done Bar Brother training before? Start at level 2.
Have you done this type of workout before? And do you have an active life in general? Start at level 3.
Have you done this before? Do you have an active life? Are you crazy? Start at level 4.
In all honesty, I'd rather have you be a little conservative in your choice and feel like you could have done more after your first workout.
Than to have you lay on bed for the entire day, because you are completely destroyed.
As with everything, too much of a good thing can also be a bad thing.
It's all about the right dosages.
Don't be afraid to be a 'Rookie' or a 'Beginner', before you become a 'Master' or a 'Beast'.
Level 1: Bar Brother Rookie
You are new to this calisthenics thing.
You want to be a Bar Brother, but aren't sure yet about how to start.
You need a simple plan to begin in a safe and well constructed way.
You are willing and realize that training at least 3 days a week is necessary to make consistent progress.
Day | Routine |
|---|---|
Monday | No equipment |
Tuesday | Rest |
Wednesday | Leg Routine |
Thursday | Rest |
Friday | Let's Go |
Saturday | Rest |
Sunday | Rest |
Level 2: Bar Brother Beginner
You are just getting started, but want to challenge yourself with a bit of intensity.
Your rate of recovery requires you to have rest days in between workouts.
Motivation comes quite easily, but you need a bit of a jump start every now and then.
An extra day of cardio will help your overall recovery of the past week.
Keep in mind that on your body still needs time to adapt.
Day | Routine |
|---|---|
Monday | No equipment |
Tuesday | Rest |
Wednesday | Leg Routine |
Thursday | Rest |
Friday | Let's Go |
Saturday | Fat Removal |
Sunday | Rest |
Level 3: Bar Brother Master
You are beyond the level of a beginner, who has just dipped his feet into the water for the first time.
You are ready to jump in and submerge yourself into calisthenics.
You will need less rest, because the recovery rate of your body is significantly higher than that of a beginner due to a history of training.
6 days of training followed by 1 day of rest.
Day | Routine |
|---|---|
Monday | No equipment |
Tuesday | Leg Routine |
Wednesday | Let's Go |
Thursday | Leg Routine |
Friday | Let's Go |
Saturday | Fat Removal |
Sunday | Rest |
Level 4: Bar Brother BEAST
You don't make any concessions when it comes to training.
You like to lean beyond your edge and your friends probably think you are nuts for doing so.
You have a high drive and don't need to be motivated.
This plan will suit you well.
Just make sure you focus on your recovery.
Proper sleep for calisthenics and high quality calisthenics nutrition are essential.
6 days of hardcore training followed by 1 day of deep rest.
Day | Routine |
|---|---|
Monday | No Equipment |
Tuesday | Let's Go + Leg Routine |
Wednesday | Fat Removal |
Thursday | Let's Go + Leg Routine |
Friday | No Equipment |
Saturday | Let's Go + Leg Routine |
Sunday | Rest |
Bonus: Bar Brother Video Routines
While these routines and the subsequent plans are great, feel free to customize them to your own specific needs.
Want to use a certain routine instead of another?
Go for it!
View this plan as a blueprint of a house.
Stick to the foundation, but what you put into the house is up to you.
Beyond these 7 days you can transition into:
Be A Beginner With A Plan
You have a goal.
What do you think you need to have to make that goal a reality?
Riding your 'bike with training wheels' won't cut it.
You've tried and you know, that's why you came to this post in the first place.
Throw away the 'training wheels'. Start using a plan.
A plan with routines that are customized to your personal needs.
A plan that maintains its quality for longer than a day.
A plan that takes time to come to completion, but once completed leads to a complete transformation.
From plan to reality, it takes 6 months to build a Rolls Royce and only 13 hours to build a Toyota.
What plan would you rather have?
*Fist bump*
Now I’d like to hear from you:
Are you going to try any of these 14 routines?
Or maybe you have a question.
Either way, make sure you get your download and leave a quick comment below right now.
PS. Special thanks to www.madbarz.com for the high quality routines.
Hey Brothers,
Just a brief backstory, I have gone through 1 month of the beginner 6 month program and am now starting to do the Let’s Go Routine. During my first month of training I found the the given reps for 3 cycles to be a bit too low so I decided that I would go max reps on every exercise in my last cycle. I’m just curious if this is a good idea or if maybe it would be better to go for max reps every cycle (which might mean not being able to do the suggested reps on the last cycle).
Also, in the Let’s Go Routine straight bar dips are introduced. I don’t have a straight bar to do those on (my bar is one that goes in the doorway and my dip bar attaches to it) so I used my bathroom sink counter in my last workout. I’m just curious if this is a good idea or if maybe you could give me an alternative way to do the straight bar dips that I haven’t thought of.
Thank You and Good Training,
Lucas
Hey Lucas,
Welcome to the movement!
Well, it really depends on your goals. Maxing out isn’t always the most effective way to do things ;).
Instead of maxing out on something you can do, try moving on to the next month. This will not only mean you progress in terms of strength, but also in terms of skill, which is really what you want to happen.
Haha, that’s creative. If you don’t have a straight bar dip, think about putting 2 chairs next to each other. Just make sure both chairs are robust.
Keep it up!
Beast mode ON!
Thank you for the quick reply,
I will make sure to use my new found knowledge in my next training sessions
Beast mode ON!
Hi Good day Rich, I’m Mark from Philippines, I want to start to workout but I don’t know where to start, I’m little overweight. I really want to join Bar Brothers and want to change myself for a better person, I wish you can help me. Can you give a workout that can change myself?? I hope to your reply..
Hey Mark,
Welcome to the movement and great to receive your message!
Great question! There is a free e-book which contains all the information you need here: http://barbrothersgroningen.com
Read through it and you will know what to do.
If you have any other questions…ASK!
Beast mode ON!
ok thanks, but I already subscibe and what i do next???
just wait for the email??
Hey,
Id like to burn more calories to reduce my bodyfat. During the cardio workouts listed above, how many seconds rests should i take between the exercises?
In madbarz, i think we must set atleast 1 sec rest time and i have to press a button to start the next exercise, which is a bit uncomfortable during a cardio typed workout.
Tom
Hey Tom,
Good question!
Personally I’d recommend minimum time between exercises and 2-3 minutes between cycles.
Beast mode ON!
Thanks,
Beat/beast mode ON!
Hello guys, i´ve been in the gym for 3 month´s and im gonna follow your program and start doing calisthenics only.
For better results you guys recommend me full body routines our 1 muscle per day routine?
In the gym I used to train 5 days 1 muscle each and 2 separated rest days.
Hey Jorge,
It really depends on your goals and your current level of skill and strength.
For beginners I’d always recommend doing some kind of full body circuit to develop a balanced foundation.
Beast mode ON!
Hey I have heard of bar bros before and I’m looking to lose like 20lbs and get more lean muscles….I want to get started on a routine, and get a strict diet also any advice/help you can give me
Hey Thomas,
Great question!
I can recommend starting with the free starter guide! It contains all the information you need to get going ;).
Beast mode ON!
hey! got a question.
Can we buy The System between me and a friend??? I know its a weird question but I got curiosity
Thanks Bar Brothers, from heart
Greedings from Dominican Republic
Howdy gents. I’ve made the switch to calisthenics training 100% about 3 months ago and have fully gone and drank the koolaid. My work has me traveling all over the country and sometimes internationally so these workouts that I can do anywhere and everywhere are keeping me on track. I also lucked out and there’s a small park in my neighborhood that has a little section with a dip station, mixed bars, and a pull up station. At the oceanfront in Virginia Beach where I live, they just built a full on calisthenics park on the beach that rivals any park I’ve ever seen!
When I first got into this, I went and bought the 12 week workout and jumped right in. VERY quickly I checked my ego and realized I needed to take a step back and walk myself through the 6 month plan first. When home and I’m guaranteed access to a pull up and dip bars, I’m about at the level to where I can complete the Let’s Go and Full Body workouts back to back. My form is getting better and better and I’m starting to track progress with small videos of myself to improve.
I have plenty of questions but for now I just want to say I’m enjoying the challenge, the ups and downs (necessary dad joke right there), and overall journey. I’ve gotten a few buds to join me with these workouts and that’s made it all the better as well. Thanks for putting these together!
Hey Ryan,
First of all thank you for taking your time to leave such a positive comment!
Haha, I know the travelling lifestyle and calisthenics is great, because of the options it creates.
This experience with regard to the system is something I hear more often and it shows great character that you were willing to take a step back to go back to the basics. Happy to read that the 6 month plan has been giving you results and it will definitely prepare you for the system.
Haha true, definitely the dad joke (guess it rings true doesn’t it?). Anyways, hope to see you around more on the website and if you need any of those questions answered.
You know where to ask them.
Stay strong.
Beast mode ON!
Hey Rich,
Hope u r doing well.
I have started 6 months training and its my 1st month running. I am training daily without any off. Doing full routine every alternate days and rest days leg routine. Is it all ok if I train my body 7 days in a week and once in a day ??
Sick workouts man! Thank you so much! I struggle with hip mobility and low body flexibility which prevent me doing leg raises etc , do you maybe have some routines for me to work on this? cheers bro!
Hey Jake,
Thanks for the comment!
If you are on the list you actually should have received a flexibility guide by now! If you haven’t let me know!
Beast mode ON!
Hi Rich,
Made an ABS workout, that I like to share. It helps me a lot with grip strength and the passive hang as well.
Hanging knee raises 7reps
Flutterkicks 30secs
Hanging side raises 8 reps each Sude
Heel touch crunches 15 reps each side
Hanging leg raises 3 reps
Crunches 30 reps
Parallel bar leg raises 5 reps
Repeat 4 cycles 30secs between excercises and 90sec between cycles. Used madbarz for this.
Enjoy!
Hey Marc,
Great addition!
Thanks for the share. I’m happy to read that you are making some great progress.
Make sure you don’t forget to complement this with some lower back exercises.
Beast mode ON!