I don't understand how this channel has not blown up to be honest , the man is putting out some serious quality information and I'm soaking it all up !
@@baz9653 Thank you! Maybe one day it will catch on! Either way, I love doing this so I'll keep the content coming. Keep in mind I make stuff in response to you guys, so if you ever have more questions, let me know.
@@Kboges Same here! Love the way you explain the content. It's clear and concise. I do have a question though, if you want to read it. Since I love to move - and I want to do it everyday - over time, I found myself upgrading my daily routine, so that I can train every muscles, at least twice a week - and at best - three times a week. Now, it looks like this: a) pullups or muscleups, handstand pushups, situps, squats; b) chinups, pushups, toes-to-bars, lunges. I run for 1/1.5k before and after the workout. (still designing the core section) I do these exercises in sequence, resting as little as I want to, doing as many sets as I like (usually 4-6, as long as I hit a specific number - for example, if I've done 35 pullups the previous day, I aim to do at least 36 or even more). Despite the fact that I LIKE to train like this, and that this is my driving force, do you think that - in the long term - this will help increasing strength and muscle mass (nutrition apart)?
I’ve just been following you for about a week now, and you’ve instantly become my favorite fitness guru, Kyle. Being 60, I have had to learn to make adjustments to my training to avoid injury and lengthy recovery. In a sense, I have come full circle as I started out serious training with special forces units while I was in the service. All of the programs were calisthenics-based. Your straightforward, common-sense approach has underscored my need to increase my calisthenics over weightlifting in my daily routine. Immensely helpful. Keep up the great work!
Man this video is spot on. I made this exact mistake when covid started and I started calisthenics. Except I had a muscular base from 10+ years of lifting. So I ended up trying to do all my volume with more advanced strength progression movements that I had the base strength for, but my joints and mobility weren't used to those movements. Ended up with nagging injuries and losing gains a bit because I was spinning my wheels like you described. Getting intensity that stresses the joints but not enough volume to stress the muscles. I've found with calisthenics that gym lifting, numbers focused mindset isn't really compatible. At least not at this point in my life at 32. Maybe if you're 19 just starting out with calisthenics you could get away with it more.
I really love your crystal clear way of explaining concepts like this, and you seem to have a genuine desire to help people progress from whatever stage they're at. Keep at it!
The thing about you that stands out to me.... among many other amazing things... Is that you have an amazing body, which most teenagers will KILL to have, natty training wise... but that ain't it.... It's the fact that you, preach calisthenics with great confidence and belief, an experience you have gained from years of actual natty training. You do know and understand, what contribution the proper execution technique of a rep, be it with just bodyweight or external resistance, would have on your muscle growth results. And brother, I really do respect that. You have the mind of a true sports scientist. Who doesn't just look at scientific studies, or just at anecdotal experiences. But combines both, in the most logical and scientifically approved method. I dearly wish to God that more people come in touch with your amazing channel and contents. I would like if I may to keep asking you some fundamental training questions, from time to time.
@@Kboges hi,I'm Chris from UK.have been training this way for some time.i was 18 stone and trimmed down to a gd 12 stone.6 stone loss.i carry a little loose skin around abs but i do have semi visible abs.have you got any advice on the fat under the loose skin?also I seem to have slowed growth now.i would like to grow my arms,what's the best way with calisthenics for bicep and tricep and rear delts growth with reps and sets?I'm currently trying push pull legs.i have come away from weight training and prefere to be in the elements with outside training in parks.also what's your views on carb timing as I have noticed from other vids you seem to eat alot of vegetables and fruits and meats.do you stick with these rather than the rice bread pastas.im getting a little low and disheartened with the loose skin around belly now and just wondered how I should go about with exercises trying to tighten it up.sk many questions I have for you as you physique is incredible.i would appreciate response if you can.many thanks if you read this.
@@singhsingh6210 Already am. Wasn't that clear enough? It's about the fact that we are both equally interested in and passionate about the science of working out. A field that has immense scope for improvement but due to a lack of funding it remains unexplored.
I am so happy I stumbled upon your channel early in my journey! I am building a muscular base for the first time. In the past I would rush into movements with impatient abandon and inevitably end up injured. This time it’s a long game, and a couple months in I already feel stronger like never before. Thank you for your no nonsense approach!
Excellent post. A good example of this is people trying to work a few reps of really hard dips when they have yet to build the supporting muscle mass and strength that comes from mastering high rep sets of proper, well controlled pushups.
Thanks Carlos. That's exactly it. Way too many people want to jump into advanced training without ever having mastered the basics. It's not a good idea. Thanks for the support and the feedback!
Man. Your videos are right up my alley, and things I have wished to see from other workout channels. I'm still a beginner, but the biggest thing I have learned is take the time to perfect movements and advance slowly. This is lifelong. A good idea for some more videos is to show beginners how to start out from scratch with modified techniques. Like doing pushups starting at countertop level. I'm not even sure where to begin with pullups. I think they are called Australian pullups. Thank you very much for your great content. Really enjoying your videos.
I commited this mistake when I started for around 2 years (yeah, way too much time). I wanted to focus on strength, rather than first building muscle and conditioning my body for those movements. This last 5 months I've improved a ton my physique, way more than those two years. I'm not joking when I say that I've been struggling to even get my first pull up because of that mistake. If you add my poor diet, not eating enough, that was a big problem.
Doing higher rep work can also help with movement efficiency and training the cns within the movement which can lead to a strength increase. This goes further into the discussion of hypertrophy of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
I think all movements can be performed with varying degrees of intent depending on the awareness of one's own body. It involves a degree of self exploration and creativity as well. The pushing through the ball of the back foot from the bottom of a lunge is worth exploring more. It may help ensure that the hip flexors are fully extended at the top of a lunge and that the glutes are really engaged. And it may also help impart more tension overall. If your back knee is barely touching the ground at the bottom of a lunge and you pushed through the ball of your back foot without actually moving forward or up, you would feel an increased tension when followed by a counter pushing from the front foot. This may require a more mindful and slower execution (on ascending slope possibly). Perhaps someone could help me formulate the argument better.
Another great video, everyone wants to do a front lever and planche but don't want to put some time in building their base. I personally have no interest in skills and am focussed only on recomp/hypertrophy. Baby update: she's up once or twice in the night at the moment which is really much better than I thought it would be haha. With the training I've been doing 30 min sessions, fullbody for the most part but rotate the focus, so I might do weighted pushups as a focus and then accessory rows and lunges, next day would be weighted pulls and then accessory for the other two movement planes. I'm really enjoying it so far. One thing I have noticed is that I've dropped 2lbs in a week which is very unusual for me considering I consistently eat 3k calories a day. I'm actually doing less time per week exercising but the sessions are more intense due to time restrictions.
Marcus! that's awesome dude! Up once or twice a night is amazing. Maybe she's naturally a good sleeper. I'm glad to hear things are going well. Your program structure sounds pretty ideal. The short sessions add up to a good amount of weekly volume with a lower time commitment. Keep crushing it and keep me updated on progress and new dad life. Congrats again, brother!
@@Kboges thanks man, we're counting our blessings at the minute and hopefully it will continue haha. Will do for sure, appreciate the words as always my man. Speak soon.
Love the content. In regards to volume, if I’m doing 5 sets everyday of inverted rows with feet flat, at which point should I consider transitioning to legs straight? 20-30 quality reps per set?
Experiment. I don't really have standards to achieve before progressing. When you feel strong, give them a shot. If you can do them successfully, then maybe a few days per week use that as a row variation for the day. As you get stronger, more variations become possible, for instance, you can start elevating your feet. Experiment with it, pick variations you like and help move you toward your goals, and train them. Think long term. So, in like 6 years, when you are hammering out chins by the dozens, it won't really matter at what point you progressed to different row variations. As long as you have the major pieces in play, and aren't afraid to experiment, stay consistent, you will be fine, and when that time comes, you are going to have a ton of training knowledge and experience.
Very helpful and very well put. This is actually a philosophy I applied to mastering my one arm pullup without knowing it. In order to master it I worked out the primary (bicep) and surrounding muscle, in all sorts of ways. Rope climbing, curls, pullup variations, negatives, and so on. Now I've moved on to weighted one arms pullups and regular ones are too easy 😎.
@@deansamuels2247 @Dean Samuels Do you mean one arms or regular pullups? It can vary depending on the workout. Sometimes I'll go light with a 20lb vest and do stuff like clapping pull-ups and high reps. Other times I'll do a max weight with a belt like 125lbs. My current max, 1 set is 150lbs, my own body weight. For one arms I'll change it up a lot. Sometimes I just do holds for time, holds for time with weight, slow one arm negatives on ropes (can be with or without a weight vest), drop sets with 25lbs, 20lbs, 15lb, and so on. Hope that info helps. I find that it's key to really focus on perfecting the one move you want to master and working that muscle group in a variety of ways
Yea I have to echo what everyone else has said. Thank you. I appreciate the no-nonsense information given combined with a relaxing to watch and study technique. Please keep it up!
I have a question: I am aware that strength and hypertrophy are two different things, and you can have strength and not size and size with less strength than what's anticipated for someone of whatever mass you may be. So I want to know how lacking some size can impede results dramatically? I am 220lbs and I have been training with calisthenics for 2+ years! About a year and 6 months ago, I started working on achieving pull-ups of 3x5. To this day, I am only able to do about 4-5 reps max before my body gives cannot do anymore. Knowing this, I've recently been doing 2(3x10s)x5 and I, while I feel that I am getting somewhere, I don't think that I need to point out that it has been incredibly slow.
Personally, not my cup of tea. I tend to look at the training process very differently. My personal preference is for using higher training volumes, prioritizing body composition over skill development since it is more transferable, and selecting exercises that are accessible to most people, carry a low risk of injury, and are an efficient use of time. This really comes down to mastering the basics. That being said, I have no problem with people doing the RR, and if you like it, then keep at it, because the thing I'm most concerned about is that people enjoy their training and stick with it, whatever it is! The power of training is really doing anything for a long time. I just think that for most people, who want to look good, be healthy, and be physically prepared for a wide variety of challenges, there are more efficient and productive ways to get there than the RR.
@@Ash-fm6ym Working on something right now! I always have plans to get stuff out sooner, but real life happens and it always takes me longer than anticipated. Hold tight and I'll have something out soon.
1.Full body - ring pull up, normal push up, squat 2.Upper - body weight row, reverse push up, rear delt 3.Lower - lunges, hip thrust, calf 4.Push - push up diamond, side lateral 5.Pull - chin up, trap raise, band pull apart 6.Legs - sissy squat, calf 2-3 sets to failure per move. Is this more good than full body every day push,pull,legs?
Neither better nor worse. So much of what is optimal depends on the individual. There are a few basic principles, and as long as you adhere to those, you have unlimited options that can be used to serve you for different stages of your development or preferences.
What do you think about the following: I do 1 set of push ups, lunges and rows in the morning. Besides that i train full body every other day with a push, pull and leg exercise. This may seems a weird structure but i like doing something active in the morning before I sit all day.
I want to build endurance, strength, and muscle. My routine is now an upper/lower body split. Upper day 5 pull ups (chin ups, commandos, narrow variations for variety) 10 push ups (or narrow/diamond. Variety) Lower day 15 squats 20 lunges (Repeat for 20 rounds) If I add in 3 extra rounds dedicated to reps close to or to failure will I achieve muscle gain? The high reps building endurance, failure rounds for strength/muscle gain. Will this work? Thanks for the content!
Probably, but it's hard to know exactly how intense your circuit is. What are your maxes? I typically don't program like this... I usually like dedicated days to either max work or work capacity. I don't prefer to blend them together.
This makes a lot of sense but at the same time we see people that are the exception to this rule. One example I'm thinking of is elite rock climbers, who have incredible strength but at the same time are extremely lean without a huge amount of muscle mass.
one thing is noticed learning pull-ups (from zero pre-lockdown to 8 with good form now, including weighted variations) is that other back exercises just become so easy like a 132 LBS Lat pulldown literally feels like nothing
Hey Kyle, which are better for developing strength to do my first chin up, negatives or isometric holds at the top. I am doing a mass cycle where i want to do chin ups so what is the fastest way to achieve them? You should do a video about it since beginners have issues with chin ups. This starting strength video recommends a mixture of both. What would you recommend. I do not have rings for rows so will have to depend on my pull up bar.
Rows are going to be your best bet. Build muscle first, then add strength to it. Strength training is most effective when you have a muscular base. So get really good at rows first, get leaner if you are carrying around a bit more body fat, and as you build your back and arm muscles with rows, you will probably get the chin up for free. If not, you can start to do a mix of isometrics and negatives. But in reality, the inability to do pull ups is usually just a matter of body composition. Being lean and muscular makes pull ups easy even without pull up training. Negatives and isometrics are not great for building muscle. Rows are superior for this at this stage of your development.
Just stumbled on these videos. I agree with everything I have heard so far, 4 videos in. May I ask what country you live in? BEAUTIFUL backyard. I am looking at snow and -16
Dear K boges, might I bother you to make a comprehensive "from scratch" bodyweight-for-the-whole-body guide/programme for beginners in a youtube video format? Sorry if you've already done it, I'm new to your channel, just a guy trying to get back in shape. Many thanks and best regards.
Hi there, first of all, thanks for the content you are putting out: extremely valuable. I am considering starting the "Pull up Mastery Program" but I have a question: what is the rest time between a series of sets (ladder 1, rest, ladder 2, rest, etc.)? Thanks a lot
What do you think about Pike Push ups and Handstand Push ups with feet on the wall? Could those be good choice as primary pushing movements? For what I see if you only do push ups and dips you can develop pretty much all the pushing chain, what if I mostly do vertical pressing?
You will be fine if you only do, or prioritize, the overhead press movement. I like pike push ups for hitting the traps and shoulders. They have less ROM so I typically use them as a light day workout but I don't train them too often. HSPU also suffers from less ROM, but I think the movement is fine, it just really hurts my wrists, but I did them for years when I was younger. Be cautious approaching failure with them though.
You do know your thumbnails is the reason why we stop and taking your videos hoping one day will look like you if we listen to you , all hail the king.✨👑✨🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
I think it was the OG 5x5 guy he said, if one wishes to build muscle one must first get stronger. One must be able to do the work. Sounds simply complex.
Hey Kevin. Mostly, but not getting injured. Find what exercises are sustainable for you, and get REALLY good at them. You don't need a ton of volume, and you don't need anything complicated. Most older guys do better with maybe 9-12 sets per week. Just stay consistent so that when you are 66, you have a year of training under your belt. Do that with a good diet and you will be on track!
Training for strength optimization actually requires less recovery time than hypertrophy optimization. However the logic behind this video is super sound, thanks for the awesome content.
Your logic is faulty. You are confusing what the drug addicts do in the way of a workout vs a natural trainer. The steroid boys who do 20 sets actually are not building anything. The drug cycle they are on is building it. You cannot build a bicep as big as Ronnie Coleman or Dorian Yates. HIT builds both strength and muscle because you are working in a brief amount of time. Bodyweight exercises are fine as this chap is doing but not very effecient and will give you diminishing results and not useful for every body type. (His legs in particular are under developed.) Depending on your bodytype using 1 set with a weight reaching momentary muscular fatique 8-12 reps is all you need. Example: Biceps Incline dumbell curl. (elbows back) 30 lbs 1 set 8-12 reps (good form) Followed immediately by 1 set Underhand chinup max reps . Thats it. Once you hit 12 reps on the curls increase the weight. Do as many chins as you can but if your first set of curls were intense you should not be able to do a large number. 1 minute rest between exercises and then stop. You are depleting stored energy in the muscle, but leaving stored energy in the liver to recover.
@@gopherstate777 He was simply saying that focusing on hypertrophy will give you more muscle to work with when you transition to strength optimization. His advice can be applied to weight training or calisthenics and the logic is sound. Strength training is focused on tendon strength, mind muscle connection, and efficiency of movement. Hypertrophy is focused on growth. Although the two are related they require different rep ranges and intensity whether you use calisthenics or weights. 8-12 reps is hypertrophy focused typically. 3-5 reps optimizes for strength and power at a higher percentage of your one rep max. You will however gain both strength and muscle in both cases the focus is merely shifted.
Yo! Great video but I have a question. How do I get lean and muscular, I'm skinny and not very strong so how do I build muscle or the body necessary enough to do calisthenics exercises?
Can you talk a bit about spreading sets across the day. With Covid, many of us are working from home. It’s hard for me to do 1 to 1.5 hour workout sessions, but can easily take a few minutes to knockout sets, even 10-15 times a day. Obviously grease the grove fits the bill, but I’d prefer guidance for a more structured, full body plan.
This is a great question, and something I want to make a video on shortly. If you like full body, and need to keep the time short, you have a few options. You can lower the volume all the way down to 1 set per exercise. Push, rest 2-4 minutes, pull, rest 2-4 minutes, leg and you are done. If you have time for more training, add an additional round to this. This can be done in the same session, or later in the day. I consulted with a client that had a very long commute, which left no time for training. But, he had a set of rings in his garage, so in the AM before he left for work, he did a set of push ups, squats, and before he got in his car, a set of chin ups. When he got home, first thing he did when he got out of his car was a set of chin ups, then he hit the push ups and the squats. He did this 5x per week, which gave him 10 hard sets, and on the weekends he had a normal workout. This is plenty enough volume to make solid gains on. Remember, anything between 10 and 20 hard sets per week is going to work really well for most people.
@@Kboges thanks for the response and would love a video! If one is working at home, instead of “rest periods” being a few minutes, they can be an hour or two. You can still do as many sets as needed, just spread out throughout the day. Does this mean we can do even more sets than one would do if the workout was limited to a contiguous block of time? Anyway, look forward to the video.
@@noclaf78 Possible. What it does ensure is that your volume remains high quality and is less likely to be compromised by fatigue. Many times though, what determines the overall amount of weekly volume you can recover from is joint stress, and your tolerance for this won't really be affected by the volume distribution.
You have a lot of really good advice but this might be the most important. Muscle and strength are not exactly the same thing and it's preferable to build muscle before strength.
Earlier this year I began training for planche, I made it to the advanced tuck but hit a plateau only being able to hold it for a couple of seconds. I switched to frog holds to build more of a foundation of strength. I have been seeing progress in the frog hold, but like you say here it is too slow. (I can hold the frog for 35 sec on parallettes and 18 sec without). Would I be better off switching this drill for a dynamic exercise to increase muscle mass, thus giving me more a maximum strength potential?
Hi! I would like to make a question 😃 I'm a total beginner. I can't do push ups and, obviously, can't do pull ups either, but I bought a Super Band that allowed me to do a chin up rep with full range of motion. Also, I'm training push ups with books under my chest, so I can control my range of motion, increasing it over time. The thing is: I'm not doing a workout, I'm actually greasing the Grove to increase the reps faster, until I can manage to do a real push and a real pull up. I intend to plan a workout only when I manage to do the real movement. Do you think it will work? I'm asking this because, as you said, muscle is important, and you need to go near failure to build muscle. GTG uses 50% of your max, so it doesn't build muscle, I think. I'm thinking about adding high rep sets of rows, three times a week, along with GTG, to build muscle for standard pull ups. Will this be too much? Thanks 😁
Your method will work, but it's likely to be very slow. I think you will be better off, long term, following a structured program intended to build muscle. GTG is about neural efficiency and excellent for intermediates that have built some muscle mass but still have neural gains to develop. Think of GTG as putting the edge on a blade, but your hypertrophy work is actually forging the sword. GTG without a base is like sharpening a weak blade. The fastest way to get good at pull ups and push ups is to get lean and muscular. When you are lean and muscular, you will get them for free.
Just wanted to say a massive thank you for the content you put out. Your method of training really resonates with me. Thanks once again.
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words.
I don't understand how this channel has not blown up to be honest , the man is putting out some serious quality information and I'm soaking it all up !
@@baz9653 Thank you! Maybe one day it will catch on! Either way, I love doing this so I'll keep the content coming. Keep in mind I make stuff in response to you guys, so if you ever have more questions, let me know.
@@Kboges Same here, thank you! 🤩
@@Kboges Same here! Love the way you explain the content. It's clear and concise.
I do have a question though, if you want to read it.
Since I love to move - and I want to do it everyday - over time, I found myself upgrading my daily routine, so that I can train every muscles, at least twice a week - and at best - three times a week.
Now, it looks like this: a) pullups or muscleups, handstand pushups, situps, squats; b) chinups, pushups, toes-to-bars, lunges. I run for 1/1.5k before and after the workout.
(still designing the core section)
I do these exercises in sequence, resting as little as I want to, doing as many sets as I like (usually 4-6, as long as I hit a specific number - for example, if I've done 35 pullups the previous day, I aim to do at least 36 or even more).
Despite the fact that I LIKE to train like this, and that this is my driving force, do you think that - in the long term - this will help increasing strength and muscle mass (nutrition apart)?
I’ve just been following you for about a week now, and you’ve instantly become my favorite fitness guru, Kyle. Being 60, I have had to learn to make adjustments to my training to avoid injury and lengthy recovery. In a sense, I have come full circle as I started out serious training with special forces units while I was in the service. All of the programs were calisthenics-based. Your straightforward, common-sense approach has underscored my need to increase my calisthenics over weightlifting in my daily routine. Immensely helpful. Keep up the great work!
Same thing
I would greatly appreciate, whether you could tell me, what kind of exercises and training regiment you followed, while being in the service.
@@hekkrjs2698 pushups and pullups every day 💪
I’m so glad I found this channel. Info is always top notch and i think the channel’s gonna blow up real soon. Great work man!
Thanks dude! Much appreciated. I hope it does!
Agreed !
It's absolutely blowing up right now lmao
Man this video is spot on. I made this exact mistake when covid started and I started calisthenics. Except I had a muscular base from 10+ years of lifting. So I ended up trying to do all my volume with more advanced strength progression movements that I had the base strength for, but my joints and mobility weren't used to those movements. Ended up with nagging injuries and losing gains a bit because I was spinning my wheels like you described. Getting intensity that stresses the joints but not enough volume to stress the muscles.
I've found with calisthenics that gym lifting, numbers focused mindset isn't really compatible. At least not at this point in my life at 32. Maybe if you're 19 just starting out with calisthenics you could get away with it more.
Another truly excellent and knowledge-packed video. This channel is pure gold.
Thanks Stephen. I always appreciate your feedback!
Been watching your content for a year now. This background always fascinates me.
Thanks, Audiobook! I appreciate the support. This is in San Diego
perfectly explained as always.!!!! basics are ageless. i mean i see you doing nothing but basics and you already have my dream body.... :)
Thanks BAR! You are too kind!
I really love your crystal clear way of explaining concepts like this, and you seem to have a genuine desire to help people progress from whatever stage they're at. Keep at it!
The thing about you that stands out to me.... among many other amazing things...
Is that you have an amazing body, which most teenagers will KILL to have, natty training wise... but that ain't it....
It's the fact that you, preach calisthenics with great confidence and belief, an experience you have gained from years of actual natty training.
You do know and understand, what contribution the proper execution technique of a rep, be it with just bodyweight or external resistance, would have on your muscle growth results.
And brother, I really do respect that. You have the mind of a true sports scientist.
Who doesn't just look at scientific studies, or just at anecdotal experiences. But combines both, in the most logical and scientifically approved method.
I dearly wish to God that more people come in touch with your amazing channel and contents.
I would like if I may to keep asking you some fundamental training questions, from time to time.
Wow dude! This is one of the nicest comments I've received. That is incredibly kind of you and I appreciate such thoughtful feedback. Thank you!
@@Kboges hi,I'm Chris from UK.have been training this way for some time.i was 18 stone and trimmed down to a gd 12 stone.6 stone loss.i carry a little loose skin around abs but i do have semi visible abs.have you got any advice on the fat under the loose skin?also I seem to have slowed growth now.i would like to grow my arms,what's the best way with calisthenics for bicep and tricep and rear delts growth with reps and sets?I'm currently trying push pull legs.i have come away from weight training and prefere to be in the elements with outside training in parks.also what's your views on carb timing as I have noticed from other vids you seem to eat alot of vegetables and fruits and meats.do you stick with these rather than the rice bread pastas.im getting a little low and disheartened with the loose skin around belly now and just wondered how I should go about with exercises trying to tighten it up.sk many questions I have for you as you physique is incredible.i would appreciate response if you can.many thanks if you read this.
Bhakt bn ja iska...
@@singhsingh6210 Already am. Wasn't that clear enough?
It's about the fact that we are both equally interested in and passionate about the science of working out. A field that has immense scope for improvement but due to a lack of funding it remains unexplored.
I am so happy I stumbled upon your channel early in my journey! I am building a muscular base for the first time. In the past I would rush into movements with impatient abandon and inevitably end up injured. This time it’s a long game, and a couple months in I already feel stronger like never before. Thank you for your no nonsense approach!
Excellent post. A good example of this is people trying to work a few reps of really hard dips when they have yet to build the supporting muscle mass and strength that comes from mastering high rep sets of proper, well controlled pushups.
Agreed!
The comment I didn't know I needed 👍
I am a chiropractor and I find this channel to be the best training channel on RUclips
Thank you, Dr.! That is a HUGE compliment and I'm enormously grateful for the endorsement and the support!
Much appreciated!🙏
Even though I'm not interested in skills, you still delivered a valuable information in this video, thanks!
Thank you!
Great video. This is a good reminder to always master the fundamentals of calisthenics 💪
Thanks Carlos. That's exactly it. Way too many people want to jump into advanced training without ever having mastered the basics. It's not a good idea.
Thanks for the support and the feedback!
Man. Your videos are right up my alley, and things I have wished to see from other workout channels. I'm still a beginner, but the biggest thing I have learned is take the time to perfect movements and advance slowly. This is lifelong. A good idea for some more videos is to show beginners how to start out from scratch with modified techniques. Like doing pushups starting at countertop level. I'm not even sure where to begin with pullups. I think they are called Australian pullups. Thank you very much for your great content. Really enjoying your videos.
i love the hardware vs software upgrade analogy! and thank you for another very informative video.
Thanks, Paolo!
@@Kboges I've heard lots of analogies, but I like yours the best!
This is one of the best videos regarding training methods I have seen
Thank you, Zam! I'm happy you enjoyed.
thanks for covering all these variables with patience & sincerity!! 🤙🏾🕉
Thank you, djj!
High rep high volume bw lunges are the bomb, really really good stuff
Agreed. Definitely a great all-around conditioning exercise and killer for the legs.
Thanks. You convinced me of going back to the basics and improve from there. Have a good day!
Awesome. Good luck and keep me posted!
I commited this mistake when I started for around 2 years (yeah, way too much time). I wanted to focus on strength, rather than first building muscle and conditioning my body for those movements. This last 5 months I've improved a ton my physique, way more than those two years. I'm not joking when I say that I've been struggling to even get my first pull up because of that mistake. If you add my poor diet, not eating enough, that was a big problem.
Great video!
Fantastic analogy!
Thanks, Collin!
So true, i agree completely!
Subbed since a while. Thanks for keeping up your channel - you're doing a great work!
Thank you for the support!
The landscape is gorgeous.
Thanks, nocantry!
Doing higher rep work can also help with movement efficiency and training the cns within the movement which can lead to a strength increase. This goes further into the discussion of hypertrophy of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
Always keeping it real
.....Concept well explained and understood - although I was waiting to the 'how to/execution" component, which never came!
Ahh yeah I need to get some more "how to's". I'm primarily focused on concepts.
Noted, Chris!
thanks brother
Solid information….!!!!
This is pure gold, thank you man.
Yes, that made sense. Thank you.
Great content dude
Great content as always.
Thanks, Robert!
IT MAKES ABSOLUT SENCE. THANK YOU!!!!!!
My pleasure!
I think all movements can be performed with varying degrees of intent depending on the awareness of one's own body. It involves a degree of self exploration and creativity as well. The pushing through the ball of the back foot from the bottom of a lunge is worth exploring more. It may help ensure that the hip flexors are fully extended at the top of a lunge and that the glutes are really engaged. And it may also help impart more tension overall. If your back knee is barely touching the ground at the bottom of a lunge and you pushed through the ball of your back foot without actually moving forward or up, you would feel an increased tension when followed by a counter pushing from the front foot. This may require a more mindful and slower execution (on ascending slope possibly). Perhaps someone could help me formulate the argument better.
Nice breakdown
Thank you!
Another great video, everyone wants to do a front lever and planche but don't want to put some time in building their base. I personally have no interest in skills and am focussed only on recomp/hypertrophy. Baby update: she's up once or twice in the night at the moment which is really much better than I thought it would be haha. With the training I've been doing 30 min sessions, fullbody for the most part but rotate the focus, so I might do weighted pushups as a focus and then accessory rows and lunges, next day would be weighted pulls and then accessory for the other two movement planes. I'm really enjoying it so far. One thing I have noticed is that I've dropped 2lbs in a week which is very unusual for me considering I consistently eat 3k calories a day. I'm actually doing less time per week exercising but the sessions are more intense due to time restrictions.
Marcus! that's awesome dude! Up once or twice a night is amazing. Maybe she's naturally a good sleeper. I'm glad to hear things are going well.
Your program structure sounds pretty ideal. The short sessions add up to a good amount of weekly volume with a lower time commitment. Keep crushing it and keep me updated on progress and new dad life. Congrats again, brother!
@@Kboges thanks man, we're counting our blessings at the minute and hopefully it will continue haha. Will do for sure, appreciate the words as always my man. Speak soon.
Great content! Much love and thanks for keeping it short and simple!
Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate that!
Love the content. In regards to volume, if I’m doing 5 sets everyday of inverted rows with feet flat, at which point should I consider transitioning to legs straight? 20-30 quality reps per set?
Experiment. I don't really have standards to achieve before progressing. When you feel strong, give them a shot. If you can do them successfully, then maybe a few days per week use that as a row variation for the day. As you get stronger, more variations become possible, for instance, you can start elevating your feet. Experiment with it, pick variations you like and help move you toward your goals, and train them.
Think long term. So, in like 6 years, when you are hammering out chins by the dozens, it won't really matter at what point you progressed to different row variations. As long as you have the major pieces in play, and aren't afraid to experiment, stay consistent, you will be fine, and when that time comes, you are going to have a ton of training knowledge and experience.
Amazing as always.
Great video Thanks
Very helpful and very well put. This is actually a philosophy I applied to mastering my one arm pullup without knowing it. In order to master it I worked out the primary (bicep) and surrounding muscle, in all sorts of ways. Rope climbing, curls, pullup variations, negatives, and so on. Now I've moved on to weighted one arms pullups and regular ones are too easy 😎.
how many weighted pulls up do you normally do and what's the amount of weight you use?
@@deansamuels2247 @Dean Samuels Do you mean one arms or regular pullups? It can vary depending on the workout. Sometimes I'll go light with a 20lb vest and do stuff like clapping pull-ups and high reps. Other times I'll do a max weight with a belt like 125lbs. My current max, 1 set is 150lbs, my own body weight. For one arms I'll change it up a lot. Sometimes I just do holds for time, holds for time with weight, slow one arm negatives on ropes (can be with or without a weight vest), drop sets with 25lbs, 20lbs, 15lb, and so on. Hope that info helps. I find that it's key to really focus on perfecting the one move you want to master and working that muscle group in a variety of ways
@@V5804V Thank you so much!!
Powerful tips, love your channel. Thank you!!
Thank you so much!
Great insights and content overall. Thank you sir!
Thank you very much! It's my pleasure.
thank you
I needed this video
this is my new favorite fitness channel. Can you do a video on how to incorporate weights and calisthenics? thanks K boges!
Thanks Gorgy. I actually have a barbell and calisthenics plan. Free, btw. Check out the website.
Yea I have to echo what everyone else has said. Thank you. I appreciate the no-nonsense information given combined with a relaxing to watch and study technique. Please keep it up!
Awesome video man! Will be trying to implement your template.
Sounds good! Let me know if you have any questions.
Makes perfect sense. very well explained - thanks
Thanks!
My pleasure!
EYE opening.
great content
Thanks, Michael.
Had to go through twice, roger that captain!
I have a question: I am aware that strength and hypertrophy are two different things, and you can have strength and not size and size with less strength than what's anticipated for someone of whatever mass you may be. So I want to know how lacking some size can impede results dramatically? I am 220lbs and I have been training with calisthenics for 2+ years! About a year and 6 months ago, I started working on achieving pull-ups of 3x5. To this day, I am only able to do about 4-5 reps max before my body gives cannot do anymore. Knowing this, I've recently been doing 2(3x10s)x5 and I, while I feel that I am getting somewhere, I don't think that I need to point out that it has been incredibly slow.
Awesome info
Thank you!
What are you thoughts on the famous Recommended Routine on the Bodyweightfitness reddit ?
Great videos btw
Personally, not my cup of tea. I tend to look at the training process very differently. My personal preference is for using higher training volumes, prioritizing body composition over skill development since it is more transferable, and selecting exercises that are accessible to most people, carry a low risk of injury, and are an efficient use of time. This really comes down to mastering the basics. That being said, I have no problem with people doing the RR, and if you like it, then keep at it, because the thing I'm most concerned about is that people enjoy their training and stick with it, whatever it is! The power of training is really doing anything for a long time. I just think that for most people, who want to look good, be healthy, and be physically prepared for a wide variety of challenges, there are more efficient and productive ways to get there than the RR.
@@Kboges thanks for the informed opinion, I agree with you completely :D Cant wait to see what new videos you have planned, if any
@@Ash-fm6ym Working on something right now! I always have plans to get stuff out sooner, but real life happens and it always takes me longer than anticipated. Hold tight and I'll have something out soon.
Just stumbled upon your Channel really great content new subscriber here good job bro
Thanks for the kind words and the support, Ken!
Wish I would have been doing all this before my shoulder injuries. Can’t wait to get back after the surgery here in the future
Thanks Brother.
Thank you, bro!
1.Full body - ring pull up, normal push up, squat
2.Upper - body weight row, reverse push up, rear delt
3.Lower - lunges, hip thrust, calf
4.Push - push up diamond, side lateral
5.Pull - chin up, trap raise, band pull apart
6.Legs - sissy squat, calf
2-3 sets to failure per move. Is this more good than full body every day push,pull,legs?
Neither better nor worse. So much of what is optimal depends on the individual. There are a few basic principles, and as long as you adhere to those, you have unlimited options that can be used to serve you for different stages of your development or preferences.
What do you think about the following: I do 1 set of push ups, lunges and rows in the morning. Besides that i train full body every other day with a push, pull and leg exercise. This may seems a weird structure but i like doing something active in the morning before I sit all day.
On a practical note, buying a pull up assist has allowed me to build up the back and biceps without letting quick fatigue stop me.
Excellent tip!
I want to build endurance, strength, and muscle. My routine is now an upper/lower body split.
Upper day
5 pull ups (chin ups, commandos, narrow variations for variety)
10 push ups (or narrow/diamond. Variety)
Lower day
15 squats
20 lunges
(Repeat for 20 rounds)
If I add in 3 extra rounds dedicated to reps close to or to failure will I achieve muscle gain? The high reps building endurance, failure rounds for strength/muscle gain. Will this work? Thanks for the content!
Probably, but it's hard to know exactly how intense your circuit is. What are your maxes? I typically don't program like this... I usually like dedicated days to either max work or work capacity. I don't prefer to blend them together.
My favorite channel! Do you have a school or training facility?
This makes a lot of sense but at the same time we see people that are the exception to this rule. One example I'm thinking of is elite rock climbers, who have incredible strength but at the same time are extremely lean without a huge amount of muscle mass.
one thing is noticed learning pull-ups (from zero pre-lockdown to 8 with good form now, including weighted variations) is that other back exercises just become so easy like a 132 LBS Lat pulldown literally feels like nothing
Exactly! The muscle they build is highly transferable.
The lounge workout looks like a loading screen
Lol
Hey Kyle, which are better for developing strength to do my first chin up, negatives or isometric holds at the top.
I am doing a mass cycle where i want to do chin ups so what is the fastest way to achieve them?
You should do a video about it since beginners have issues with chin ups.
This starting strength video recommends a mixture of both. What would you recommend. I do not have rings for rows so will have to depend on my pull up bar.
Rows are going to be your best bet. Build muscle first, then add strength to it. Strength training is most effective when you have a muscular base. So get really good at rows first, get leaner if you are carrying around a bit more body fat, and as you build your back and arm muscles with rows, you will probably get the chin up for free. If not, you can start to do a mix of isometrics and negatives. But in reality, the inability to do pull ups is usually just a matter of body composition. Being lean and muscular makes pull ups easy even without pull up training. Negatives and isometrics are not great for building muscle. Rows are superior for this at this stage of your development.
Just stumbled on these videos. I agree with everything I have heard so far, 4 videos in. May I ask what country you live in? BEAUTIFUL backyard. I am looking at snow and -16
Thanks Mike! Glad you find the content useful. I'm in San Diego. What part of the world are you in?
Dear K boges, might I bother you to make a comprehensive "from scratch" bodyweight-for-the-whole-body guide/programme for beginners in a youtube video format? Sorry if you've already done it, I'm new to your channel, just a guy trying to get back in shape. Many thanks and best regards.
Good information
Thanks man!
This makes a lot of sense and I haven't heard this before. So should beginners prioritize resistance training to gain some muscle mass first?
Yeah. Prioritize exercises that build muscle if you are under muscled. You can do it with basic calisthenics.
Amazing
Hi there, first of all, thanks for the content you are putting out: extremely valuable. I am considering starting the "Pull up Mastery Program" but I have a question: what is the rest time between a series of sets (ladder 1, rest, ladder 2, rest, etc.)? Thanks a lot
Enough rest that the previous set does not interfere with the next
30 seconds of rest
What do you think about Pike Push ups and Handstand Push ups with feet on the wall? Could those be good choice as primary pushing movements?
For what I see if you only do push ups and dips you can develop pretty much all the pushing chain, what if I mostly do vertical pressing?
You will be fine if you only do, or prioritize, the overhead press movement. I like pike push ups for hitting the traps and shoulders. They have less ROM so I typically use them as a light day workout but I don't train them too often. HSPU also suffers from less ROM, but I think the movement is fine, it just really hurts my wrists, but I did them for years when I was younger. Be cautious approaching failure with them though.
@@Kboges thank you 🙌
@@salvador97730 Of course!
good stuff, do you have any video covering exercises/approach for someone recovering from a lengthy golfers elbow issue?
I do not. Great topic though! I appreciate the feedback.
try high rep wall pushups from the convict conditioning book. sets of 25-50.
Amazing 🙏💛🤳
dont go to fast to quick build up the basics first like pushups diamonds, and light pull work before you do pullups
also caloric surplus and bulking is key to add mass and strength with this...
Spot on! Build that foundation first!
You do know your thumbnails is the reason why we stop and taking your videos hoping one day will look like you if we listen to you , all hail the king.✨👑✨🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
HAHAHA thanks, Michael! I appreciate the support!
gr8 content
Thank you!
I think it was the OG 5x5 guy he said, if one wishes to build muscle one must first get stronger. One must be able to do the work. Sounds simply complex.
Thanks for the great video! Sorry if you’ve answered this before in another video, what’s the best way to build muscle mass for older guys? I’m 65.
Hey Kevin. Mostly, but not getting injured. Find what exercises are sustainable for you, and get REALLY good at them. You don't need a ton of volume, and you don't need anything complicated. Most older guys do better with maybe 9-12 sets per week. Just stay consistent so that when you are 66, you have a year of training under your belt. Do that with a good diet and you will be on track!
@@Kboges Super, greatly appreciate your prompt reply!
Training for strength optimization actually requires less recovery time than hypertrophy optimization. However the logic behind this video is super sound, thanks for the awesome content.
Your logic is faulty.
You are confusing what the drug addicts do in the way of a workout vs a natural trainer.
The steroid boys who do 20 sets actually are not building anything. The drug cycle they are on is building it. You cannot build a bicep as big as Ronnie Coleman or Dorian Yates.
HIT builds both strength and muscle because you are working in a brief amount of time.
Bodyweight exercises are fine as this chap is doing but not very effecient and will give you diminishing results and not useful for every body type. (His legs in particular are under developed.)
Depending on your bodytype using 1 set with a weight reaching momentary muscular fatique 8-12 reps is all you need.
Example: Biceps
Incline dumbell curl. (elbows back)
30 lbs 1 set 8-12 reps (good form)
Followed immediately by
1 set Underhand chinup max reps .
Thats it.
Once you hit 12 reps on the curls increase the weight. Do as many chins as you can but if your first set of curls were intense you should not be able to do a large number. 1 minute rest between exercises and then stop. You are depleting stored energy in the muscle, but leaving stored energy in the liver to recover.
@@gopherstate777 He was simply saying that focusing on hypertrophy will give you more muscle to work with when you transition to strength optimization. His advice can be applied to weight training or calisthenics and the logic is sound. Strength training is focused on tendon strength, mind muscle connection, and efficiency of movement. Hypertrophy is focused on growth. Although the two are related they require different rep ranges and intensity whether you use calisthenics or weights. 8-12 reps is hypertrophy focused typically. 3-5 reps optimizes for strength and power at a higher percentage of your one rep max. You will however gain both strength and muscle in both cases the focus is merely shifted.
Yo! Great video but I have a question.
How do I get lean and muscular, I'm skinny and not very strong so how do I build muscle or the body necessary enough to do calisthenics exercises?
You probably need to gain some weight and train for a while. I'll make a video on this in the future. It's a great topic.
To strengthen tendons what kind of things should I do? Diet/exercises?
Can you talk a bit about spreading sets across the day. With Covid, many of us are working from home. It’s hard for me to do 1 to 1.5 hour workout sessions, but can easily take a few minutes to knockout sets, even 10-15 times a day. Obviously grease the grove fits the bill, but I’d prefer guidance for a more structured, full body plan.
This is a great question, and something I want to make a video on shortly. If you like full body, and need to keep the time short, you have a few options. You can lower the volume all the way down to 1 set per exercise. Push, rest 2-4 minutes, pull, rest 2-4 minutes, leg and you are done. If you have time for more training, add an additional round to this. This can be done in the same session, or later in the day. I consulted with a client that had a very long commute, which left no time for training. But, he had a set of rings in his garage, so in the AM before he left for work, he did a set of push ups, squats, and before he got in his car, a set of chin ups. When he got home, first thing he did when he got out of his car was a set of chin ups, then he hit the push ups and the squats. He did this 5x per week, which gave him 10 hard sets, and on the weekends he had a normal workout. This is plenty enough volume to make solid gains on. Remember, anything between 10 and 20 hard sets per week is going to work really well for most people.
@@Kboges thanks for the response and would love a video! If one is working at home, instead of “rest periods” being a few minutes, they can be an hour or two. You can still do as many sets as needed, just spread out throughout the day. Does this mean we can do even more sets than one would do if the workout was limited to a contiguous block of time? Anyway, look forward to the video.
@@noclaf78 Possible. What it does ensure is that your volume remains high quality and is less likely to be compromised by fatigue. Many times though, what determines the overall amount of weekly volume you can recover from is joint stress, and your tolerance for this won't really be affected by the volume distribution.
Is high rep good? I've seen ironwolf but those numbers look crazy. Surely a recipe for joint and tendon injury?
i wish i had a yard like that
This is unrelated to the content but where do you live? the sky is so clear and the weather seems nice.
San Diego. The weather is amazing in SD.
Hi, have you ever talked about warming up before daily training? I can't find any information out there.
Now we talking
💪💪
You have a lot of really good advice but this might be the most important. Muscle and strength are not exactly the same thing and it's preferable to build muscle before strength.
Exactly!
Hi , I am hearing impaired. Please put the captions in English too so I can know what you are saying. Thanks
Earlier this year I began training for planche, I made it to the advanced tuck but hit a plateau only being able to hold it for a couple of seconds. I switched to frog holds to build more of a foundation of strength. I have been seeing progress in the frog hold, but like you say here it is too slow. (I can hold the frog for 35 sec on parallettes and 18 sec without). Would I be better off switching this drill for a dynamic exercise to increase muscle mass, thus giving me more a maximum strength potential?
You look like a buff vsauce
Hi! I would like to make a question 😃
I'm a total beginner. I can't do push ups and, obviously, can't do pull ups either, but I bought a Super Band that allowed me to do a chin up rep with full range of motion.
Also, I'm training push ups with books under my chest, so I can control my range of motion, increasing it over time.
The thing is: I'm not doing a workout, I'm actually greasing the Grove to increase the reps faster, until I can manage to do a real push and a real pull up. I intend to plan a workout only when I manage to do the real movement.
Do you think it will work?
I'm asking this because, as you said, muscle is important, and you need to go near failure to build muscle. GTG uses 50% of your max, so it doesn't build muscle, I think.
I'm thinking about adding high rep sets of rows, three times a week, along with GTG, to build muscle for standard pull ups. Will this be too much?
Thanks 😁
Your method will work, but it's likely to be very slow. I think you will be better off, long term, following a structured program intended to build muscle. GTG is about neural efficiency and excellent for intermediates that have built some muscle mass but still have neural gains to develop. Think of GTG as putting the edge on a blade, but your hypertrophy work is actually forging the sword. GTG without a base is like sharpening a weak blade. The fastest way to get good at pull ups and push ups is to get lean and muscular. When you are lean and muscular, you will get them for free.
another cool guy who doesnt talk about his diet
good points but then why do strength athletes usually have lower muscle mass and engage more myofibular hypertrophy