Calisthenics Session + Q&A w/ Gaggi Yatarov

Hey guys, today we have a special guest, Gaggi!

Question & Answer today!

Christian, we can start

Is it possible to start Calisthenics at 30 years old?

Gaggi: Just like that? Yes.

I think it's possible...wait let me answer ahahah

I think it's possible, if you like that type of training, why not?

It all depends by your final goal, if you want to take part to competitions it would be harder.

So, is it possible to start Calisthenics at 30 years old?

Gaggi: Of course you can start Calisthenics at 30 years old, as Andrea already said, if you want to compete it would be harder,

but if your goal is to have a nice body and stay fit, you can do it.

I think you should do it if you have passion about this type of training.

Current goals?

Gaggi: I have short terms goals and long terms ones

When I have competitions I do prepare for the tournament

At the moment I'm just trying to keep my skills

Because I do think I have already achieved the best from my body.

When you are at that level it's not easy.

Chri: What about other goals?

Gaggi: I'd like to open an E-commerce in the future, but I'm not sure yet.

I think we can always improve, but maybe it's just not worth the effort

To keep training hard every year is not easy, especially because we don't have much financial support from the agencies

I'm able to keep training and record videos thanks to the support of the sponsors

So I think it's useless to push the body to the limit and risking an injury.

The most important thing is to stay healthy at the moment, so I can keep inspiring the people who supports me.

Chri: This answer is very professional.

Do you think that Calisthenics will keep growing?

If nothing changes, I think that it won't grow much as a "Sport" in Italy.

In 2016-2018 there were many more people watching the competitions.

Probably because the organizations are always changing the code points

I think there isn't that "spark" anymore, so there isn't much public.

A sport without people watching it is like it doesn't exist...

this is why it's just a method of "training" in my opinion.

It's a super cool type of training to see and practice, but in competitions there is no way to show it right now.

Many people started Calisthenics Workouts during the Covid (in 2020-2021)

because many gyms were closed, but right now I don't see much interest

Now it's definitely more known than 6-7 years ago, people now stop us in the street to shake our hands, take a selfie or similar,

But I don't know if it will keep growing in Italy, because competitions aren't much interesting

Gaggi: I do agree with Andrea, the best times were up to 2019

It looks like there is a decline of interest right now in Italy.

Also because at a National level the athletes all does the same skills over and over, and it becomes kind of boring after once or twice.

Gaggi: You can't remove the "entertainment" from the competitions

Even though the skills are always the same, if you have an active social you can help the Calisthenics community to grow,

this is why the "entertainment" is important, otherwise nobody will watch that.

This is why I'm recording the reaction of the people while I do train, because it's "entertainment"

But in competitions there isn't much entertainment, I hope it will get better in the future.

Chri: So are you saying that Calisthenics as a type of training it will keeps growing, but not in competitions?

Gaggi: Yes, I hope the interest will grow in competitions too.

We aren't many people in Italy to promote this type of discipline on social medias

But if we keep recording videos the discipline will get much more recognition in the future.

But we are getting older, so we will stop one day

Chri: There is also me

Gaggi: There is also Chri that is getting older ahahah

Chri: Have you ever faced dark times? Which period was the most difficult?

We all have bad times, not only in our job, but in very aspect of life.

About Calisthenics, we do the same Skills over and over to stay active on social medias and as years goes by it becomes harder.

When I have bad times I just accept that and keep pushing

Gaggi: I do agree with Andrea.

When I have bad times I do "force myself" to keep training, even If I'm not motivated

I have had many bad times, so I don't know which was the most difficult one

Andrea: as years goes by it becomes easier to get injured or to have bad times because the workout sessions becomes harder

This is why the workout planning is important, but since I do a lot videos/photos etc I can't always stay on track with my workout program.

Chri: Next question, when have you realized that you could do this as a job?

At first my goal was just to training, then I discovered the National Tournament and I changed my workout to being able to take part at one of those competitions.

Then casually someone started inviting me to do some Calisthenics exhibitions and everything felt into place.

Gaggi: At that time you were already training?

When I wanted to take part to the National Championship I have already been doing Calisthenics for 1 year I think.

But I have never seen it as a "job opportunity", it was just a goal of mine to being able to compete at a national level.

Gaggi: I met Andrea in 2015 at Rimini when I was 20 years old and you were 19.

Chri: So when have you realized that you could do this as a job?

Gaggi: I realized in 2017, when I was 22 or 23 years old, I don't know exactly, I'm not good in Mathematics ahahah

Chri: Let's remember to people that you are now 30 years old.

Gaggi: No ahah I'm 27!

Chri: No, you are 30! ahah

Gaggi: Ok.

So I realized I could make money when I started doing coaching online and Calisthenics exhibitions.

I didn't earn much, so my mom was saying to me to find a real job, but I kept believing in myself, and after 1 year I was able to make a living with Calisthenics.

Chri: Let's keep going since we have many questions, how many days a week to you train?

I do usually train 4-5 per week at the moment,

Chri: Do you still training?

A little bit, not much in the last period ahahah

But I should train 4-5 times per week including 1 leg day,

But sometimes I stop training legs because I feel them heavy, so I'm not really consistent.

*Christian complaining about the cold*

Gaggi: 4-5 times per week including 1 Arm Wrestling Session.

We do the same sessions ahahah

Gaggi: But you do 1 leg day, while I do 1 Arm Wrestling Session per week.

Chri: Why do you keep training in Calisthenics?

It's just my job!

Chri: Business!

Gaggi: The money!

Chri: I got the money! ~

Gaggi: Also the passion! But it's a job, it's like asking to someone "why you keep going to work?"

Chri: How do I learn the muscle up?

Start with pull ups, then Explosive Pull ups, then study the swing and movement of the Muscle up with an elastic band, also some negatives can helps.

Gaggi: Same!

Chri: Which was the thing that motivated the most at the beginning?

I have casually found on Youtube some guys training with their own bodyweight

they had a very good physique, so I said "why not? let's give it a try".

When I used to do Kickboxing sometimes we were running near the parks, so I started with some calisthenics exercises.

Gaggi: I found some YT videos from Denis Minin and Hannibal for King at the beginning,

then I have found some Russians doing statics skills like Maltese and Planches,

then I joined the Italian Calisthenics Community in Milan

Chri: How many cheat meals per week?

When I feel like, sometimes I don't have cheat meals for like 2 weeks and then I do 2 cheat meals on friday and saturday when I'm out with my friends.

Do you follow a diet?

Not at the moment, maybe you can see it (I'm not 100% in shape)

When it becomes a way of life, you don't really need to change much, maybe you can have a better result with a specific diet, but that's it.

Chri: So you are just following along the line of your old diet, but not in a specific way.

Chri: What about you?

Gaggi: I do usually have 1 or 2 cheat meals per week.

I'm not following a diet right now, but when I have competitions I do.

For competitions I do usually cut 3-4kg with a specific diet the weeks before the tournament.

But it's mostly water.

I don't have much fat to cut.

Chri: I don't see a 6-pack right now!

Gaggi: It's not my best shape! ahahah

But It's important to enjoy life too, you can't always stay 24/7 focused on diet.

Maybe 1 beer every once in a while is okay, just don't lose the control!

Chri: Simple things are the best!

Chri: Have you ever had shoulders injury?

This is a generic question, but yes, I think shoulders can be a problem in many different sports.

Recovery time could be 4-5 days for a light injury or 3-4 weeks for a serious one.

Gaggi: When you said "have you ever had problems on your shoulders" I thought you were meaning behind my back

Chri: Are you scared of someone who could hit you from the back? ahahah

Gaggi: Anyway, yes I had many injuries, expecially when I was a Gymnast, the Vaulting on Rings were the most painful

Sometimes I couldn't even raise my arm more than this.

Then I started with Calisthenics exercises and now it's better.

Chri: Last question for today, how can you increase the strength that much?

Chri: It's a generic question but I would ask you how can you become that strong in Calisthenics?

Gaggi: The answer is "just train the strength" with specific exercises.

But it all depends by which exercises are you already able to do.

For example if you want to increase your Planche power, I'd suggest Eccentrics, Handstand Push ups etc.

the question is too generic for a proper answer.

It depends by what the guy means with "strength", I suppose that he refers to the Specific Strength of Calisthenics Skills like Planche, Front Lever and similar.

All you need is time and the right propaedeutics, you can find many tutorials on our youtube channels.

Patience is the key.

Chri: So what makes the difference is the consistency.

Yes, as everything in life, you just need to keep working and wait. One day you will reach your goal.

Gaggi: we all have difficult times while learning a new skill, but the difference is in the mindset, you need to stay strong.

If you keep working one day you could wake up and being able to do the skill!

Chri: Final words!

I just want to thanks Gaggi and Christian for this Q&A, if you want to greet anyway it's up to you.

Gaggi: Hi Mom!

Chri: Hi Satanino! I miss you! (his cat)

See you soon!

What about this? Huh?! Are you able to do it?! Huh?!!

Chri: Good, keeps breathing, just 4 more seconds!

Chri: 3...2...1...stop!

They don't pay me enough to keep doing these things ahah