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.
Hi, first of all thank you guys for this amazing website!
I hope you can help me with this question:
I’m a beginner in calisthenics and I don’t know how to structure a weekly plan since there are many different routines. My goal is to build muscle (my body fat is already low). I’m 1.82m and 75kg.
What would you suggest for me?
Thanks a lot!
Hey Luiz,
Welcome to the movement!
I can suggest you to start with the 7 day beast mode challenge and after that transition into the 6 month plan or the 12 week system.
Beast mode ON!
Helo guys just quick question. Are therere benefits to doing 1 exercsise after
another and doing cycles rather than doing 3×10 squat then 3×10 push up
then 3×10 pull up as an example hope yoy understand the questiom peace
Hey Benjahmin,
It both has it’s reasons. A cycle is primarily useful if you are hitting different muscle groups and will allow you to do more in less time.
Like let’s say doing 10 squats and then 10 push ups. These are completely different groups of muscles which you are hitting. It would save you more time to do 10 squats and then 10 push ups, alternating for 5 cycles for example. Not only will it save you time, but you will have a higher benefit in terms of cardiovascular improvements (cardio).
Still, there are always cases where cycles are less beneficial, but that’s something which you will become aware of later on.
As for now, the most important thing is to focus on developing some basic strength in addition to basic endurance and the ability to move on to more difficult progressions.
Goodluck and keep it up!
Beast mode ON!
Hi! First of all I just wanna say thank you., you guys are my inspiration right now., you guys are all great 😀
I want my crush to fall in-love with me., and I think these workouts gonna help me., what do you think? hehe
I just want her to be mine., please say something 😀
Hey Jefferson,
Haha, you are more than welcome!
Letting someone fall in love with you is a bit more complex than doing some exercises to build more muscle and get stronger.
First of all you need to let her know that you like her, grab your balls and tell her or write it on a piece of paper and give it to her (Never try, never know). In some cases, your crush also likes you, but because you never tell her…nothing happens. If she doesn’t like you, it wasn’t meant to be in the first place, but guess what..you had the balls to do something 99% of people never do and that’s to go for what you want.
So will these workouts help? Yes. Will actually telling her that you like her help? Yes, YES, YES!
Whatever happens, you are a winner.
Beast mode ON!
Hello
is there still a way to access the workouts? I read the site is offline?
Cheers
Nico
Hey Nico,
Good question!
Which exercises are you referring to?
Beast mode ON!
Hello guys,
I made the decision to gain some muscles, but the next gym is too far away. So i decieded to start with calisthenics 🙂 . What trainings plan can you recommend me? I’m 1.84m and 75kg.
Philipp
ps: thanks for this awsome website 🙂
Hey Philipp,
Welcome to the movement! And good choice 😀
Well, good question, you can find a free 6 month plan here: http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/calisthenics-workout-plan/
It’s a good place and plan to start off with. Make sure you read the free diet guide for more information and if you are really dedicated, try the free 7 days of beast mode.
Thanks for the positive message, I appreciate it.
Beast mode ON!
Hey,
I am just 15 years old and I’m in pretty good shape already. I started the 6 month program and I am 100% dedicated. The thing is that the Forster month is way too easy and the second month program is a little difficult. Is there anything I can do in between until I can do some stuff on the second month? Also, I have a pull up bar at home and its hard for my parents to drive me to the park because I live far from it and they work so how can I work on things like muscle ups and things like that with just a pull up bar that goes on the door?
Thanks for the help!!
BEATSTMDODEON!!!!!!!
Hey Jack,
Welcome to the movement!
Work on the first month ;), it means you haven’t mastered the basics enough.
For a muscle up, you need a pull up bar that will allow you to do so, there is no way around it unfortunately. You can work on strength, meaning explosive pulling power + the power to dip. The transition however is something you need a bar for.
Beast mode ON!
Hi guys:
First of all Id like to thank you for the great work you are doing.
I have one little question: Im actually starting with this type of trainning but its not like Im completly out of shape, id say Im in an Intermediate level, so If I pick any of this rutines or the other 16 mid level for how long should I stick with it before changing it? or can I mix them as I want ( you know one day work back, the next arms and so on…
and probably the most important one; Can I / should I …make more than one routine a day? lets say …chest and back or whatever tickles my fancy? hehe
Again thank you so much !
Regards from
Mexico.
Hey Carlos,
Great question!
I can highly recommend the 6 month plan! Check it out, it’s free ;).
Beast mode ON!
Hey bros,
I’m new to this site (started my full body workouts a week ago) and I’m a little confused. You seem to advocate a paleo diet but you also advocate the renegade diet which does not use the paleo diet. In fact it even says that a low carb diet is bad for muscle building and your energy. I was just hoping to get some clarification on whether it’s actually a good idea to start a paleo diet and restrict all forms of agriculture type food (grains and dairy).
Thanks for taking the time to respond bros
Lucas
Hey Lucas,
Welcome to the movement!
Great question!
It’s not exactly a black-and-white thing, especially not with regard to the paleo diet. There are different nuances which definitely apply to people looking to gain weight in addition to becoming healthier.
The paleo diet should be seen more as a perspective from which you should look at your food. So basically would I be eating this back in the paleolithical times? If not, place your question mark, but it does not mean you shouldn’t ever eat that type of food.
With regard to paleolithical eating 2 types of starches are generally accepted. 1 sweet potatoes/white potatoes (Less prefered) and 2 white rice. White rice is primarily recommended, because the inflammation causing outer layer has been removed. It is however an insulin spiking substance, BUT if you are doing serious training, you will burn off all the excessive glucose in your body.
With regard to the renegade diet, it’s definitely adopting a MUSCLE MASS approach, whereas the paleo approach more focuses on HEALTH, in that regard, taking some extra carbs such as white rice, can be very beneficial for overall mass, but perhaps at the cost of insulin sensitivity. There is always a trade-off and this is something you will need to individualize and optimize for yourself. When it comes to dieting, there is NO perfect answer for everyone, there are mainly perspectives and guidelines such as intermittent fasting (renegade) or eating real foods (paleo).
Both the renegade and paleo diet are not excluding each other. The one focuses more on ‘what you eat’ and the other more on ‘when you eat’, both are very important with regard to overall health. So it’s not one or the other, but more a combination of both, that’s why I recommend both :D.
Hope this clarifies things for you.
Beast mode ON!
Thank you for the quick reply!
So I am going to try to incorporate as much paleo diet as possible into my renegade version, call it a palegade diet if you will. I was just wondering if you know of a good service or website that might be able to give me a meal guide (what to cook) or even just a weekly shopping list. It’s a bit difficult for me to look at the shopping list provided by the renegade diet and come up with a bunch of meals to cook. Also with the amount of food on the shopping list I couldn’t possibly purchase everything on it and finish it before it goes bad. Obviously the spices and the meets aren’t a problem here because dry spices don’t tend to go bad and meets can be frozen but when it comes to the vegetables I’m at a loss because I don’t know how much I should purchase to last the week or two if it will last that long.
Thanks again,
Lucas
Hey Lucas,
HAha, I like the creativity, believe me it might become even weirder as you start optimizing your diet for your specific situation :P, but that’s something you will discover over time! But combining IF with a paleo diet will definitely give you a solid foundation. With regard to the paleo diet, you can find a link to a paleo cookbook in my diet plan. Other than that just google ‘paleo recipes’ ;).
For veggies, think about avocados (my favorite one), carrots, broccoli, all of those will stay good for at least a week and can be frozen ;).
Hope this helps.
Beast mode ON!
hey¡ got a question.
is this 14 routines a warm up BEFORE buying The System (12 weeks program)????
also, can you give us an explination or introduction about The Bar Brother programs????
Hey Daniel,
Great question!
No, these are simply beginner routines, which you can use for free.
With regard to the system check out this page: http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/the-system-bar-brothers/
Beast mode ON!
Hi bro. Thanks a lot cause sharing this routines. Actually, i want to ask you. If i do some of this routine, should i rest between 1 day ? Or just keep training 1 weeks ? Thank you 😀
Love Calisthetics so much
Hey Hasriansyah,
More than welcome and thanks for the positive comment!
It really depends on your current level of strength and your goals. For beginners my main advice would be to start doing 3 sessions a week with 1 rest day in between, this will allow your body to adapt while at the same time give you significant results.
As you progress however, you might want to increase the intensity, but that’s of future concern.
Beast mode ON!