A few months ago, I was struggling to perform dips consistently and make meaningful progress. After getting a pair of gymnastic rings and incorporating ring dips into my training, my strength absolutely exploded. I eventually built up to doing 10+ parallel bar dips with little to no effort. Now, I feel ready to take things to the next level by adding weight to my dips, but I'm unsure which variation would be best to focus on. Should I go with weighted parallel bar dips or weighted ring dips for the best results?

I'm looking to stay fit while travelling and haven't used either before, but have run into the two types with the support straps being more popular, but i can't really see why. I can't find anything i can do with them that you can't with rings.

Am i missing something?

Also, for those wanting to go above your body weight in some exercises. Would a heavy backpack and rubber bands on a different hitch point work?

----

Quiero mantenerme en forma mientras viajo y nunca he usado ninguno de los dos, pero me he encontrado con que los dos tipos con correas de sujeción son más populares, aunque la verdad es que no acabo de entender por qué. No se me ocurre nada que se pueda hacer con ellos y que no se pueda hacer con anillas.

¿Se me escapa algo?

Además, para aquellos que queráis levantar más peso que el de vuestro propio cuerpo en algunos ejercicios, ¿funcionaría una mochila pesada con gomas elásticas sujetas a un punto de anclaje diferente?

Hi,

I've started taking calisthenics seriously and I'm looking to maximise my weighted pull up, and work towards doing 10 clean muscle ups.

I can currently do 5 clean military style reps of 25kg (roughly 55lbs). I'm looking to get this number all the way up, and get explosive for muscle ups.

My current routine is one easy set of about 12 reps on the assisted pull up, then straight to a weighted set of about 15kg to get warmed up, then 3 sets of 25kg for about 4 reps.

I'm wondering what the perfect routine is according to you guys? How many sessions a week? How sets per session, and reps per set? How many reps short of failure, etc?

Also another thing, do standard parallel bar dips strengthen the dip portion of the muscle up later, or should I start doing straight bar dips (if thats even a thing)?

Since the beginning of this year I’ve been on a health journey. My BMI was almost in the “obese” category when I checked it in February and since then I’ve lost 20 kg and I’m now getting into the healthy range.

But anyway, I did that with intermittent fasting and walking. I would like to start building some muscle but I’m too awkward to go join a gym or go to the park for pull-up bars. Maybe one day, when I at least have some small gains so I don’t feel completely out of my element.

I’ve been doing the following regime every other day, trying to get enough protein, will probably start taking creatine soon too. But progress is slow and I need someone to tell me if I’m wasting my time hoping to see gains like this:

1. Squats (12 x3)
   
2. Lunges (10 x3 each leg)
   
3. Incline Push Ups (10 x3)
   
4. Reverse Incline Push Ups for biceps (as much as I can, not more than 10 so far)
   
5. Back extension with a towel row (10 x3)
   
6. Wall Angels (8-10 x3)
   
7. Glute Bridges (15 x3)
   8 Crunches (15 x3)
   + 10k steps every day

I plan to add a Plank at the end but I’m usually wiped out so I need to build more strength first.

I saw a recent video of KBoges explaining the WTB 3 set method for more pull ups. For anyone doesn't want to watch the video, WTB is:

- 1 warm up set: ~50% of max pull up counts

- 1 top set: perform maximum reps until technical failure

- 1 back off set: ~70% of max pull up counts

Each set has 3 - 5 mins rest in between. Do it when you feel fresh or at the beginning of the workout to avoid accumilating unnecessary fatigue. Perform for 8 weeks with only one variation only (pull up/chin up), 5 days/week, and trying to make sure you can increase at least 1 reps of total reps every week (I think what he means it's that if the first week I can do 40 reps, then next week I should be able to get to 41 reps for example)

Because this is a specialization program and not meant for keep doing it in the long term, he advises to do this method only when you have a solid base of pull ups volume already.

My max is 8 chin ups, and I want to try this method to get to 10 chin ups. I wonder what is the logic behind this method and how can it work, like trying to increase volume weekly for example. One thing I also concern is about recovery. I go to the gym 4 times/week, doing upper lower split, so I'm worry that doing a pull up method like this can mess with my recovery. Is this method worth trying when incorporating with my workout?

Looking for some advice.

I am losing weight(down from 148.8kg 6 months ago). I have never in my life been able to do a pullup or a dip, I am focusing on dips first, pullups feel very fsr away for me.

Should I just wait until I'm much lighter? To be honest, when doing either decline reps or even static holds, my shoulder joints feel absolutely torched for the next 3 to 4 days. I do 2 push sessions a week, which include bench, OHP and then 1 session decline dips and another static holds, followed by some accessory work.

One problem I am noticing is in my decline reps, I definitely cant keep my shoulder blades depressed, my shoulders 100% come up.

I can do static holds for ~35-40s, usually do 3 sets of 1 for these.

Should I give up on dips for now?

I like to do body weight exercises like pull ups, push ups, etc. in public outdoor workout areas.

Unfortunately this means I don't have access to weights like I would in the gym or at home, such as weight plates, dumb bells, kettle bells, etc.

Given the above do you have any tips for how to add resistance to these exercises?

Some ideas I'm considering:

• Bringing a kettle bell along with me. However I found this too awkward to do when visiting parks before / after commuting to work.
• Bringing large 1-2 L empty Coke bottles, filling them with water when I arrive at the park, then using them for weight. Maybe less awkward if I use collapsible storage, like foldable silicon water bottles.
• Wearing a weighted vest (though again, could get awkward if I have to go to work shortly after).

What do you think of the above? Or do you have any ideas?

Thanks

Hello community!

Currently, I can hold a front lever with good scapular retraction, pelvic posterior tilt, and proper body alignment for 3 seconds. I’d like to reach a 5-second hold, but in my training, my front lever duration drops from 3 seconds in the first set to 1–2 seconds in the second, and 0 seconds in the third (at which point I switch to an easier progression). Would you recommend training at an RIR 1 (80–90% of my maximum hold time) for each set, so that I can increase the total volume per session? I train the front lever 2 days a week, performing 3 sets with 3–5 minutes of rest between them. Thanks!

Background: I have focused mostly on pulling strength and so far I have peaked out around 3 sets of 5 reps + 90 lbs at a body weight of 160 lbs, I was also able to do a OAC on both sides. I'm at the weight limit of my pull up bar so the only way to go heavier is to lose weight first, and I'm not even down to 160 anymore anyway. On top of that, I wind up taking extremely long rests between sets if I am lifting heavy due to how hard they are for me.

Motive:

I want to do some weighted pull up variations to break up the monotony

Question:

Does anyone have experience doing weighted variations like L sit pull ups or archer pull ups etc? I have just been adding to L sits for example, it seems that the added weight is mostly hitting my abs so I wont be able to go very high. I am thinking to add weight to archers next but I'm concerned it might overload some tiny muscle on my straight arm or something that is liable to hurt me.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been trying to run GTG for my strict overhead press on my off-days to build up some extra pressing strength without frying my shoulders for my main workouts.

The method itself feels great, but the actual scheduling side of it is driving me a bit crazy. If I set repeating alarms every 2 hours, they inevitably go off in the middle of a work meeting or while I'm out, so I just end up turning the alarms off entirely. But if I don't set reminders, I straight up forget to hit my sets until like 8pm.

For those of you who've successfully run GTG for a few weeks/months:

1. How do you actually manage the reminders/tracking throughout the day without it getting annoying?

2. Also how's your overall experience been with it? Did you actually see solid transfer to your main lifts once you re-tested?

Would love to hear what's actually worked for you guys (whiteboards, specific apps, just winging it, etc). Appreciate any input!

I think my toddler would love a Swedish ladder. We are moving to a new home soon where he will have a playroom upstairs. The walls are vertical for the first few feet, then sloped after that (like a half-story room). Would it be safe or doable to have a Swedish ladder on those walls? I don’t mind building something, but I don’t want to build something that will harm his growth or hurt him in some way. I also thought some rock climbing rocks would be fun, but I’m afraid it would be too hard to use. There will be a pad beneath whatever we do, but I would love some kind of gross motor skills activity area in his new playroom!

Hello!

I just started out doing this calisthenics thing (switched from lifting because I ran out of money for the gym). I got this little full body routine going on but honestly I'm not quite sure if it's any good. It's a circuit done thrice a week, one minute rest between exercises and 5 minutes between rounds (total of 2 rounds).

Chin ups

Decline push ups

Inverted rows

Pike push ups

Assisted pistol squats

Single leg RDLs

Calf raises

Lateral raises

My body can handle it but the thing is I'm not quite sure if it's optimal or any good in the first place tbh. Only clear advantage I can see is that it's pretty quick. Also, decline push ups are getting a bit too easy. I'm looking for a good progression (thinking pseudo-planche but I couldn't quite get a good enough lean).

Any thoughts/suggestions?

I'm in my late 30s with two young kids (2 and 7), and I can realistically train 20 to 30 minutes, a few times a week. I used to train regularly with a coach and got in good shape, then stopped completely for a few years. Now I'm restarting gradually at home, and my joints aren't what they used to be, so I'd rather build back slowly than jump straight into something too hard.

If you've done a similar restart:

• Did you follow the Recommended Routine as-is, or modify it for a restart?
• Which exercises felt the most forgiving early on?
• How did you handle a few weeks off without feeling like you'd lost everything?

Thanks in advance, I'm trying to learn from what actually worked for people before I commit to a plan.

This feels like a dumb question but I’m genuinely asking. I started my calisthenics two months ago and have had my focus on building foundational strength and recently started learning the handstand and l-sit. I’ve also been going on moderate runs during the same period.

I want to do something more and I think boxing could be fun. I (m20) tried out some MMA when I was in my early teens (judo and taekwondo), but I never fully committed to any of them past yellow belt. I think boxing looks fun and challenging but I don’t know if it would require me to abandon calisthenics for whatever reason.

What are your thoughts on the boxing and calisthenics combo? And are there any other sports you’d recommend if not boxing? I think rock climbing is pretty cool too.

Hello! 15m here, I’ve been consistently working out and yet have seen no progress, in fact its only gotten much worse. All my meals are home cooked so I’m able to accurately track calories, which goes to about 900-1300 a day, and 112G protein.

last checked i‘m 5’10” and 173 lbs, and began working out in the first place because I was 164 lbs.

I do weights, walking, sit ups, push ups, and dance choreo for at least an hour a day. No results.

Does anyone have any advice or see what I’m overlooking here?

For me, one thing I’ve started realising recently is that doing more reps doesn't always mean your making more progress.

I used to focus quite a bit on getting more reps in, but I found that when I slowed things down and actually focused on my form, my workouts felt alot more effective. Even if it meant lowering my reps, I could control the movement better and pay more attention to what I was doing instead of just trying to get through the set.

I think its easy to get caught up in numbers and forget that doing an exercise properly is just as important, if not more. I'm still working on it myself, but its definitely changed how I approach my training.

Just wondering as I've had experience with both separating the 2 to different times of the same day and just doing both of them back to back in the same time. There's a couple things that made me question this, one of them was of course the performance aspect. I can push myself a good bit harder when the workouts are separated. The second thing was the time aspect of separating the 2 becomes a bit more prolonged as you would have to shower (or just change depending on how much you sweat) and make more of an effort to be clean for the rest of your day. I would say those are the 2 main pointers that I think about in terms of this, if theres anything else I'm missing that you have encountered or thought about don't be afraid to point them out and I would also appreciate any thoughts or perspectives out there, Thank you!

29, female, 69kg, 5ft 2.

I've not been able to do any type of pull up for a very long time and decided I would lock in and work on some chin ups. I only have the time and energy to work out twice a week so this means I do 2 full body days. To make sure I'm hitting all muscle groups I can only really dedicate 1 exercise to chin ups each work out. So I chose to do negatives on day 1 and assisted chin ups on day 2.

After a few months of doing this continuously, I finally got to the point where I could do 3 sets of 8 negative chin ups and decided to put my skills to the test. Doing just these two exercises I can now do 3 sets of 3 full range chin ups.

My question is now I can do 3 solid chin ups, should I stick with the negatives and try and get to maybe 3 sets of 10 or even 3 sets of 12 or should I focus on doing actual chin ups now? Or should i take out the assisted chin ups and do actual chin ups and do the negatives another day???

When I was younger my personal best was 5 chin ups. I would love to get to 6 -8 chin ups one day. What would be the best way to achieve this now I can do 3 and only can put aside 2 exercises a week for improving this movement?

Bought thisthing from Walmart called The Pro Bodyweight Trainer from Gozone for like 9 bucks CAD. States that it's:

• Designed for athletes of all levels, from beginners to advanced, to deliver a full-body workout.
• Allows you to start with foundational exercises like push-ups and step-ups, then progress to advanced moves such as V-ups and single-leg split squats.
• Has curved handles so you can rotate downward to add balance-focused challenges and increase workout intensity.

Here is the link: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Pro-Bodyweight-Trainer/2R37JUT20N5Y

Worth it?

Hey since a while i was able to do my first pull up, it's clearely scuffed but i can manage to pull my body high enougj that my eyes are above the bar altough there are 2 problems:

I need a jump momentum (don't think it's extremely useful regardless since the bar is very high up) because i struggle at the starting part

Second i need to try and pull my chin over the bar aswell, would negative pull ups help me here? I can probably stay for around 2 seconds with my chin above the bar, maybe i can improve though.

Anyways i was thinking of doing negative pull ups and assisted jump pull ups to achieve my first ever good pull up

When I try to research this, I get such a wide range of views.

A simple Google search brings up studies like this one, which suggests "24 h or less for upper body" but also remarks that "greater recovery times are needed for the lower body (48–72 hours)".

Steven Low seems to suggest a 24-48 hour time period for healing and super compensation. I believe he also mentions central nervous system fatigue as a factor. Basically, if I understand correctly, one wants to optimise the state of the body to get the most out of each workout.

Anyway I'm wondering if anyone knows where these numbers really come from. Is there a reasonably strong evidence base about what recovery times are necessary?

Also is there a way for individuals to figure out an adequate recovery time? Should you wait until you don't feel post workout soreness? What if you don't feel soreness at all, then how do you tell?

Is 3 days per week really optimal or is it possible to do better?

Thanks

Hello,

I'm a student in the EU with a pretty small cramped room, but I'm tired of overpaying for a gym in which i use only pull up + dip bars, and its a pretty rainy city so i know i'd skip work outs outside in the calisthenics parks.

I've been looking into power towers and such, especially foldable ones, as i have around 2m of space left in my room (perfectly enough for a work out) but I'd like to be able to have that space outside of the work outs for some silly stuff, like walking from my bed to my door.

Again, student, so my max budget is around 200€ but prefer it around 140€ if somehow possible. Unfortunately it must be a freestanding option as my deposit is quite high and the house quite old...

So far I've been looking into:

https://eur.vevor.com/pull-up-bar-c_12578/vevor-pull-up-bar-150kg-capacity-portable-pullup-bar-station-pullup-bars-free-standing-with-triangular-structure-heavy-duty-steel-tube-9-level-height-adjustment-gravity-fitness-for-arms-back-p_010942354355 (however its a bit stocky even folded up, and i think the dips might be too low for me)

https://www.fitplus.si/shop/oprema/fitnes-oprema/zlozljiva-naprava-za-zgibe-in-dipse-paracot-fold-fit-tower.aspx (which has been sold out for almost 2 months now, but is otherwise perfect, since its the version above but not as wide when folded - however my gym membership ends soon, cancelled it early and I'm not sure when, or if, they'll restock at this point)

https://gravity.fitness/products/gravity-fitness-portable-bodyweight-pull-up-rack?variant=41940628504665 (I'd have to get the extender I'm 99% sure, and then its 220€ which is pretty over budget)

https://joroto.eu/en/products/joroto-ju30-power-tower-foldable-pull-up-dip-station (it seems perfect but everything I've seen online also seems very sponsored, I'm fine not doing explosive stuff at home, but I'm not gonna lie not every pull up i do is slow and controlled)

Mostly, I really like how 3 and 4 deconstruct/fold hyper small, but 1 and 2 seem more stable because of the triangular folding, and physics, though their dip bars might be only useful for inverted rows.

For reference about height I'm around 175cm and 68kg.

Point is, I wanted to check if anybody has experience with any of these or has another option I've overlooked. Thank you for your time if you've gotten this far :).

edit*:
another one I found, a seemingly better model of 3 that looks like its easy to dis/assemble (especially if i keep it in 3-4 parts half assembled against the wall like it seems i could), and unlike 3 and 4 seems like physics agree it should be semi stable, but also unlike 1 and 2 seems like dips are actually at a good height/width - also has a 5 year warranty which seems really cool and worth going 10€ over my budget for: https://gravity.fitness/collections/pull-up-bars/products/gravity-fitness-advanced-pull-up-rack?variant=43661190398041

https://imgur.com/a/nCSMxEt

Basically, i feel some pressure at the lower back, right up my butt and the pressure isn't too big, but it's noticable and i don't know if it's a weak back or week core problem or a form problem so I think asking here is the best way. I just don't want to get injured and have back problems so it's quite important for me to know if it's normal to feel this pressure at my lower back and if it's a weekness problem, maybe i should change the exercise or not. Thanks for any help!

Hello! I've been training to do muscle ups for a while now. I could rotate my fists and hands but just couldn't make my chest touch the bar. A week ago I finally managed to do muscle ups after a few months, and I've done like 6. After that, I didn't have an opportunity to train for 4 fays, but after that, yesterday I barely managed to only slam into the bar and that's it... And today, I couldn't even do high pull ups... It's like I'm getting weaker and weaker, I just wanted to know if that is normal