So once you had mastered the art of calisthenics and could perform basic moves such as push-ups and pull-ups with ease, you might think you’d hit a plateau and not be able to push yourself further. Well, grab hold of your chin-up bar and think again! Because Advanced Calisthenics can dramatically raise the bar.
The challenges of Advanced Calisthenics include not only strength, but also improved balance, movement and control. This article introduces you to some of the best Advanced Calisthenics techniques, including a progression routine that will guide you through building these skills.
Contents
1. Muscle-Ups
The muscle-up is a total upper-body exercise – basically, a pull-up leading into a dip – that, to be accomplished properly, requires both explosive strength and strict control to bring the body back to a suspended hang above the rings. It mainly develops the back, chest, shoulders and arms.
How to Progress to Muscle-Ups:
- Begin with strict pull-ups and dips to build foundational strength.
- Practice explosive pull-ups, aiming to get your chest above the bar.
- Transition into the dip phase at the top by pushing yourself over the bar.
Muscle-ups make an appearance on the majority of apps that feature calisthenics exercises (and in the evening, when they are not as difficult). You will find step-by-step progressions for them in many of the apps reviewed here; check out the 9 Best Calisthenics Apps for Workout Plans if you struggle with planned training.
2. Pistol Squats
Pistol squats are challenging one-legged squats that enhance leg strength, balance and mobility, as well as stabiliser muscles of the lower body. The quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes are largely the muscles in play, but each squat can be adapted by adding dumbbells or balance discs to intensify the workout.
How to Progress to Pistol Squats:
- Begin with assisted pistol squats (holding on to a bar or even doing them off a box or bench).
- Focus on improving your balance by practicing single-leg Romanian deadlifts.
- Squat even a full pistol squat.
Supplement your progress with these lower-body movements. Want more calisthenics leg exercises? We’ve got 8 Calisthenics Leg Exercises For Bulging Quads That Will Get You Ready For Extremes Exercises Like The Pistol Squat.
3. Front Lever
The front lever is a gymnastic move that requires significant core and back strength. It involves hanging from a bar with your body parallel to the ground, making it one of the most challenging static holds in calisthenics.
How to Progress to Front Lever:
- Start with tuck front levers that require bent knees and a closer position.
- Gradually extend one leg while keeping the other bent (one-legged front lever).
- Progress to a full front lever by extending both legs fully while maintaining control.
If you’re wondering how to include front lever progressions in your routine or whether an overall properly structured workout is something you’d want to include front lever progressions for, keep reading, as I’ll explain it all!
Others have created app-based routines – tools that you can use unforgettably as well Sound completely foreign to the idea of creating a balanced workout? Worried that attaching ‘advanced moves’ to your routine will only leave you empty on other muscle groups, completely drained, or lacking structure?
Don’t fret: I have previously written about customising your routine using technology. Go ahead and read Creating a Calisthenics Routine Using Apps.
4. Handstand Push-ups
The handstand push-up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that trains the shoulders, triceps and upper chest. This advanced move requires a combination of balance and strength and is one goal that advanced calisthenics athletes are after.
How to Progress to Handstand Push-ups:
- Start with wall-assisted handstands to build stability and shoulder strength.
- Practice partial range-of-motion handstand push-ups by lowering yourself halfway.
- Progress to full range-of-motion handstand push-ups as you gain more strength and control.
And for more advice on how to get the most out of your handstand push-up progression and calisthenics workouts in general, check out How to Maximise Your Calisthenics Workouts with Apps.
It’ll cover everything from how to keep track of your progress with mobile apps, to how to ramp up or down the intensity of your workouts for greater results.
5. One-Arm Push-up
The one-arm push-up is an advancement of the classic exercise that places an emphasis on chest, shoulder and triceps strength, and also demands a high level of core stability.
How to Progress to One-Arm Push-ups:
- Start with regular push-ups, then transition to archer push-ups (where one arm assists minimally).
- Slowly wean off support from the working arm by moving the non-working arm further away.
- Practice negatives, lowering yourself with one arm and pushing up with both arms.
Make sure to incorporate these new techniques into your workout regimen at the appropriate time and use an app that is suitable for your level and progression goal. If you are unsure which app you should use, read How to Choose the Right Calisthenics App For You, and find one for yourself.
6. Planche
The planché is arguably the most impressive, and certainly one of the hardest, static holds (where you hold a position without moving) in calisthenics; it’s as if there’s a mountain range at your throat, and you must use every ounce of your core, shoulder and arm strength to flip and hold your body parallel to the floor, with your feet not touching the ground.
How to Progress to Planche:
- Start with planche leans (plank leans), increasing the lean angle until the majority of your body weight rests on your arms.
- Practice tuck planche holds to build core and shoulder strength.
- Then progress into a short tuck planche, and then a straddle planche, until you are ultimately able to do a full planche.
If you’re a beginner looking to progress towards these higher-level moves, make sure your basics are sorted first with some nice, simple and useful exercises. Take a look at our guide on Effective Calisthenics Exercises for Beginners to make sure you’ve got the required strength and technique down for the more challenging progressions.
Conclusion
Progressive overload apart, basic calisthenics such as the muscle-up and planche can also be achieved with advanced techniques like isometrics, slow negatives, eccentrics, and time under tension (TUT).
To perform the muscle-up and other advanced skills like the front lever and planche take a little longer and more time, as well as a proper progression, patience, and tenacity. Be diligent, be smart, and have fun with your journey to become a calisthenics hero! the right progression exercise are crucial.
As with any calisthenics skill, starting and uploading exercises onto your customised training apps will go a long way to creating an efficient calisthenics training paradigm. Yes, with all sorts of training you can become skilled without training log apps: you can just wing it with no plan at all. But with a little foresight and a track record, training apps powered by the 5A method will track your workouts, formulae, generate data, and record your achievements or failures.
For your own calisthenics encyclopaedia, foundational moves should be your building blocks and a nice solid foundation to start out with. Once you are there and you need something beyond bodyweight or any progressive-overloading training, then improve your training efficiency with a suitable foundational calisthenics app.
No matter where you are in your practice of this masterful ancient art, don’t forget to use all the resources of modern technology to guide you on your way and help increase your gains! If you’re working on the handstand push-up, then our site and our e-book are there for you. If it’s the planche you’re after, then please see below for some apps that we uploaded to help you find your path!
Leave a Reply