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 bar brothers,
im wondering about routines, should i change from routine every month, like when you do muscular routines? I mean as calisthenics main exercises are always the same, dont your muscles get used to it?
Last question is, i train 6 days a week for two hours, always the same routine, is it better to do 2 of your routines each day for some specific muscles, or one routine covering every muscle? My goal is getting bigger and stronger
Thank you very much!
Hey Mauro,
Great question!
What I usually advise is to incorporate the muscle up routine and do this routine at least 3 times a week, one of the first moves you should learn to become an official Bar Brother is the muscle up: http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Intermediate-Muscle-Up-Hunt.jpg
Make sure you do the muscle up routine at least 3 times, in addition to that you can add freestyle with the other routines. Whether your muscles get used to it depends on your execution:
http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/the-quick-guide-to-bar-brother-training-resistance/
You can add a lot of variety and if they are used to the training, start doing more difficult routines!
I started to make this exercises….. I would like to know if can i make everyday this exercises?
Hey Laerte,
If you are a beginner who doesn’t have any training experience, I would advise you to start off with training 3 times a week for at least 45 minutes.
Do 1 to 2 routines every training until you are able to do the muscle up routine: http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Intermediate-Muscle-Up-Hunt.jpg
Beast Mode ON!
Hey Khan!
I have a few questions I hope you can answer!!
– I am used to run after or before my workout… Should I keep running in addition to one of these routines? Or is the routine enough?
– And about the sets and reps… This routines have a # of sets and reps, should I follow those instructions or should I do “ALL OF THEM” (sets)
– Train 7 days a week? or Rest at least 1?
Thank you for your time
hey so I would like to know,if I’m starting to workout 4 times a week,can i do full body on each day?
Hey Adam,
Good question!
You can definitely workout 4 times a week and do a full body routine each day. If you are starting off however, I suggest you try to stick to training at least 3 days a week for a month. That’s a big enough challenge in itself. If you think however that you can easily do this, go for it by all means!
Beast Mode ON!
I salute you bar brothers!!
Hey Rich, I was wondering if you can answer me a question! (Its kinda long)
If I am at my beginner stage, and my goals is to loose like 6% body fat and start working on my lean muscle looks… Is training 7 days a week for a month with the 15 min beginner routine on the guide will help me get there?
Or should I add another routine to my workout besides that one?
Hey Gerard,
If you really want to take it far, you should start doing at least 45 minutes of training 3 days a week, so 7 days is great, just make sure you build it up according to your level of training.
What I would advise you to do if you want to lose body fat, is to make sure your diet helps you in achieving that goal.
Read this blog for more info:
http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/calistenics-nutrition-get-below-body-fat/
Start reading stuff about paleolitic eating and check out the renegade diet, those will surely help you in losing fat.
In addition to that to gain muscle you will have to start training on a consistent basis, use diet to lose fat and training to gain muscle.
My personal preference is training with two routines, of which 1 is a routine which I use for a more technical or difficult move such as a human flag or muscle up or front lever. I do this routine until I get the move. The second routine is usually one which I like doing or a challenging on to just shock my muscles into overdrive.
Read more about this here:
http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/the-quick-guide-to-bar-brother-training-resistance/
These two blogs should get you going!
Beast Mode ON!
Hey man !
If im to setup a routine for myself. Is there a chance to “fail” this such as i work 2 muscle groupes same time etc, so its not making the best results if u know what i mean?
Or can i just throw whatever routines in as i want.
And could u help me setup a routine for me? My 2 first goals is human flag and hand stand.
I want to build muscle to, i’m real skinny toand cannot aford much food, is that problem?
Hey Pontus,
First of all awesome that you are thinking like this already, this will help you to train more efficiently. Other than that, my advice would be to focus on the muscle up first.
You will need it to pass the exam and it will improve your human flag and push up strength (I think it is the best compound upper body exercise).
Here is what you can do:
Take two beginner routines, with one routine focusing on your upper body.
Do this for 2 months, when you have developed some strength, do the muscle up routine in combination with a beginner routine.
When you can do the muscle up, you can start focusing on the human flag and hand stand, but first focus on the muscle up.
For an answer to your question regarding food, I sent you an email. But to succinctly summarize, food is really important! You don’t need to eat a lot, just eat healthy, it will give you more energy and boost your results. You found a way to this website, so I’m sure you can find a way to get some healthy food into your body.
Beast Mode ON!
Hey man. I started doing the bar brothers routine 2 years ago after watching the videos from youtube. I was 3 weeks into the training and was getting results i could see so i got the big head and tried the handstand pushup b4 i was remotely ready and tore a tendon in my shoulder. Finally after a lot of biding my time for it to heal and recently having a baby im up for the challenge again. I have started the beginer routine and being 50lbs heavier than before is definately making things harder. I just wanted to share part of my story and jope to gain a lil support in finding my inner beast again. Thanks
Hey Mike!
Thanks for the inspiring story, that’s surely one worth telling.
Haha, I know what you mean, patience is really important (Although I’m impatient too every now and then).
Great man, I recently broke my wrist, so I’m also still recovering, but just see a setback as a setup for a comeback to become even stronger than you were before!
Make sure you take your time and with regard to your weight, I can advise you to check out the diet blogs I wrote. There is a lot of useful information in them.
Beast Mode ON!
Hi bro’s
Im a 15 years old girl Who wish a bar sister body, im doing the excercises 3 times a week (because school, job, girlfriend,etc.) and i Was a Little faty girl (With 1.76 xD) and is soohard to me do this, mi question is, i need something extra to gain muscle? Or gain Strong in My arms?
Hey Karyme,
Great to read that you are already aware of your health and what you can do to improve it.
Of course it’s hard, that’s what makes it worth it ;). What you can do is a push up progression!
Check out this blog, it will help you develop stronger arms…http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/5-bar-sister-routines-to-workout-in-60-minutes-push-up-progression/
Goodluck sis!
hey man! I will go to the army this september and I need to become really good in calisthenics. Do you think I can reach a good point at the end of six month? and how many time a week should I train to reach a good point?
sorry for my english
Hey Girard,
Try to train at least 3 days a week!
You can definitely increase you strength significantly within 6 months.
Follow the six month plan and you will find out for yourself: http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/the-essential-6-month-training-plan-for-bar-brother-beginners/
Beast Mode ON!
Muchas gracias!!!!
Hey bro,
Denada!
Beast Mode ON!
Fakt SUPER!! Díky moc 🙂
Thanks bro!