This is a complete guide on how to start with your calisthenics training as a beginner.
In today’s ultimate guide you’ll learn:
- How to get started
- How to get more chin ups and pull ups
- How to improve your diet
- How to transform yourself
In short: if you want better results, less injuries and faster progress, you'll love this new guide.
Chapter 1:
Calisthenics Fundamentals
In this chapter we're going to cover the basics of calisthenics training.
(Including what it is, why it works and why it is EXTREMELY important)
So if you are completely new - or looking to get the edge - you found the right place.
I'll also show you how you can start using calisthenics to transform your body and mind.
What is Calisthenics?
Calisthenics is a form of body weight training aimed at achieving a strong and functional body with minimum equipment.
In most cases, it is used by people looking to develop both muscular strength, but also skills such as:
- balance;
- agility;
- and coordination.
The #1 thing that makes calisthenics more accessible than going to the gym is that you can do it anywhere.
For example, look at this calisthenics park near a forrest:
Or a park on the beach:
Even better...
...your own park:
All you need:
a bar and a body.
But with all those fancy new gym machines, does old school body weight training still work?
Let’s find out…
The benefits of calisthenics training?
In this age of technology and desk work, does training your body still matter?
In one word: yes.
For example here are some of the benefits of calisthenics:
And there are more:
- Have a group of people to train with
- Increased physical and psychological well-being
- More time spent outdoors
In other words: calisthenics can improve nearly all areas of your life.
This obviously includes your health:
- Longevity
- Blood circulation
- Body fat percentage
- Muscle mass
What does an average calisthenics beginner do?
Needless to say, a calisthenics beginner spends time working on the basics and building a solid foundation.
In fact, like anything...
...becoming strong takes time.
A beginner understands that training and nutrition are two sides of the same coin.
Beginners also invest time in finding more people to support them.
And most of all beginner should spend time on 1 major thing:
If you’ve already done a calisthenics training at a busy park, you probably noticed that it’s about helping and supporting each other.
So your job is to learn the basics and to train consistently.
Just show up.
That way you will progress more than you can imagine.
And a proper warming up routine:
Then you need to make sure you have a solid workout routine for beginners:
And of course you need to know that you DON'T need gloves for calisthenics:
(Didn't expect that did you.)
Ooh...before I forget....
...a bottle of water can be the difference between a good or bad workout.
And if you feel bad and are postponing your first training, make sure you check out the 9 science-based facts for calisthenics against depression.
Pretty useful, right?
Chapter 2:
Your First Calisthenics Workout Plan
The first step to going anywhere is knowing where to go.
In this chapter I'm going to share ALL the workout routines on this website for beginners.
Chest. Triceps. Biceps. Legs.
You name it, it's there.
In fact:
You'll get more than 51+ body weight training circuits that you can use NOW.
Let's go!
What Is A Calisthenics Routine?
A routine is a workout plan that is designed to give you:
- the maximum amount of results;
- in the shortest amount of time.
Calisthenics routines are generally 'circuit' type workouts.
You move from one exercise to the next with a certain amount of rest depending on your level and experience.
For example, A could be a push up, B could be dip and C could be a squat.
Most routines have multiple goals and several sets.
One set is a sequence of A-B-C.
(Which is the most basic setup, as you probably already guessed).
For example, the 14 fast beginner routines are divided into goals and muscle groups:
In fact, when it comes to routines this website is a GOLDMINE.
Here’s why:
There are more workout routines if you are at an intermediate level.
On top of that, you can also just focus on either your calisthenics chest workout or calisthenics back workout.
If you are more interested in developing skills in addition to muscle, the essential 6 month workout plan is what you are looking for.
And if you are serious about calisthenics you should definitely work on your handstand.
It's a SUPER hard skill to develop, but will teach you a lot about how you can learn something new.
And what it really takes.
Finally, like any beginner, you probably need guidance and the 12-week workout system can help you.
Simply, because you will have step-by-step video breakdowns.
No need to reinvent the wheel.
Just learn from the BEST.
The Workout Plans
- The Bar Brother Starter Guide For Absolute Beginners
- 14 Bar Brother Beginner Routines
- The Essential 6 Month Calisthenics Workout Plan For Bar Brother Beginners
- 20 Killer Calisthenics Chest Workouts For Beginners
- 16 Killer Intermediate Calisthenics Workouts
- The Short Guide To Start Your Handstand Training
- The 5 Essential Steps For Handstand Mastery
- 12-Week Video Workout System By The Official Bar Brothers
Chapter 3:
How To Increase Your Pull Ups By 128%
Now it's time to show how to get your first chin up or pull up.
Specifically, I'm going to share different proven methods.
Including one that got Charles Lewis Armstrong to 1,435 repetitions.
These techniques and methods are specifically designed to help you crank out more pull ups than you have ever done.
So if you're ready to INCREASE your pull ups by 128%, this chapter is for you.
Chapter 4:
Build Muscle At 100% And Get Below 10% Body Fat
Your diet only WORKS if you can stick to it.
In this chapter I'm going to walk you through the basics of a calisthenics diet for beginners.
Including:
- How much protein you need for 100% muscle construction
- What you need to know to get below 10% body fat
- And how you can maintain your diet for the coming 5+ years.
Let's jump right in!
The Nutrition Tips
- The 1 Principle Diet Ebook For Beginners
- Calisthenics Diet 2021: The Definitive Guide To A Killer Body
- Your Guide To Protein Intake For 100% Muscle Construction
- 30 Of The Most Nutrient Dense Foods And How To Use Them
- 3 Healthy Foods For Hardgainers
- The Pre-Workout Booster For Healthy And Happy Gains
- 3 Nutritional And Simple Recipes
Chapter 5:
Healthy Habits To Supercharge Your Results
Long-term habits are like a lego castle.
(Yes, you read that correctly.)
You build them one piece at a time and if you do it long enough you'll have something AMAZING.
And even better:
it will take you 0% effort to maintain.
Now it's time for me to show you how to create powerful habits.
Specifically, habits that will:
- Boost your motivation
- Kickstart your day
- Stay lean year round
Let's check out the posts.
Chapter 6:
The Ancient Keys To Recovery And Injury Prevention
Everything is about the DOSAGE.
You can die from doing push ups (if you do too many).
But you can also get SUPER strong from doing push ups.
The same goes for anything.
Too much is bad. Too little is bad.
So you are looking for what works best for you.
In this chapter you'll learn to deal with injuries, how you can speed up your recovery and the most effective tools against sore muscles.
Sounds interesting, right?
The Recovery Tips
- How To Prevent And Cure Shoulder Injuries
- 3 Powerful Steps To Cure Elbow Pain
- 1 Quick Wrist Pain Treatment
- 2 Potent Roots To Supercharge Your Recovery
- How To Become Stronger Through Extra Rest
- 5 Dynamic Exercises To Bulletproof Your Wrists
- The Most Effective Tool Against Sore Muscles
- 1 Easy Test To Check Your Recovery
Go Out There And Test These Calisthenics Tips!
Calisthenics is a great activity.
You Fail. You Learn. You grow.
It's something we all need more of. You'll discover soon enough.
But what is absolutely essential?
What you really need to know beyond the rules, the tricks and the fundamentals?
Test your limits. Defy the obstacles. Enjoy the ride.
*Fist Bump*
Now I’d like to hear from you:
Did you like the tips in this massive post?
Which ones are you going to use?
Or maybe you have a question.
Either way, leave a quick comment below right now.
Hello. I have a question about food. What are grains and what are dairy? And also what kind off food are vegetables, seeds and gress fed ? Can i eat pasta?
And sorry for the many questions :). And meat is that good for me and what kind of meat?
Hey Lowie,
Great question.
Read the free diet guide. It contains all you need to know on dieting.
Beast mode ON!
Started my journey yesterday with my boys learning beside me. I’m 36 years old, 172 cm and 111 kg, so I have a lot of weight to lose, been really sedentary and eat horribly(my biggest vice being soda) but saw some bar brothers videos the other day and was amazed at the body attained with this method of training. Love the fact that only body weight and willpower is needed. I’m starting slowly doing the no equipment beginner workout until i can get my pull up bar setup in my basement, and attach my dip bar to my home gym downstairs. My body is telling me how out of shape I am today but will get back out there again tomorrow, will keep updating in the future thanks for all the advice and tips on your terrific website!
Hey John,
First of all! You can be proud of yourself and on how honest you are with where you are at this point.
That’s definitely the first ‘leap’. For parents it’s usually also to set an example, so their kids don’t make the same mistake.
There are many stories which I’ve had the privilege to read fortunately. So there are a lot of people who started where you are :D.
I can highly recommend you to read David’s story:
http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/bar-brothers-transformation/
Keep up the good work and thanks once again for sharing your story. Whatever you need, I’m here to support you.
Beast mode ON!
Is it okay to do calisthenics training as beginner right after jumping outta bed? I’ve kind of tough schedule and I have no other time to train then first thing in the morning. What should I do? please help me out
Hey Dave,
Great question.
This is definitely something you always do. Essentially, walking is calisthenics too ;). But considering what you are actually referring to are push ups, pull ups etc. I’d say, only after warming up properly. When you wake up your body is everything, but ready for high intensity training. It can be ready after a proper warming up, but if you are not willing to warm up it will be a short story ending in tendonitis down the road.
Warm up first, then do your stuff.
Beast mode ON!
How do I know once it’s time for me to move on to an intermediate workout plan, and what plan/workouts could I do?
Hey Nick,
Great question.
When you are not progressing, it’s a clear indication to change things.
You can find links to the 6 month plan and the official 12 week system.
Beast mode ON!
If a workout routine consists of 2 cycles for example, the cycles must be done continuesly or one can be done in the morning and the other in the evening?
Hey Argy,
Great question!
Preferably in one session, this has multiple benefits. However if splitting them up works much better for you, do it that way.
Beast mode ON!
Thx for a beautiful collection of essential knowledge!
Hey Serge,
A huge honour to receive such a great comment!
Thanks, I hope this information provides you with some valuable insights on your journey.
Beast mode ON!
How can I get a Bar Brothers book on nutrition and coaching?
Hey Ljubisa,
Great question!
You can find it in this guide ;).
Beast mode ON!
hi all , In your e-book you put circuits training method , the circuits training method is good for Strength , Because I read somewhere that “And although circuits (or rounds) work just fine for muscle and strength gains, they are best used in endurance training approaches” Hope to clarify me more thank you Because I want to build functional strength to improve the performance of martial arts thank you
Hey Amine,
Great question.
Not completely true, it’s not a black-or-white answer here. It depends on many more vectors.
Including repetitions and sets. Circuits are completely fine for beginners. I can give you 1001 reasons why, but it will take me too much time to explain ;).
If you rather do something else, go for it!
Beast mode ON!
Hi!Thanks for your guide,I just finished reading it.So,my question,I started calisthenics 2 months ago,I build my routine and I saw little results,for example now i can do 60 push ups without rest,before it was 25-30,I want to follow bar brothers routine now,so,should i start with the begginer guide or intermediate?P.S:I cant buy the SYSTEM…..
Hey Dan,
Great question!
That’s really up to you!
It’s never a bad idea to work on your basics.
Beast mode ON!