How I Built Muscle with Calisthenics

What’s up guys!

In this video

I'd like to show

how I build muscle and strength

with calisthenics

using this super effective beginner

workout plan.

But before I start,

let's look back at my own journey.

When I started with fitness

more than ten years ago as a skinny guy,

I entered the gym for the first time.

Of course, to become bigger

and more muscular,

and I knew nothing about training

and gaining muscle mass,

so I thought I had to follow the standard

path of weight

training to gain muscle mass

and to get bigger.

So that's what I did for the first

1 to 2 years.

And I saw progress,

but in my opinion, not enough.

I also found the exercises

getting a little bit

boring and repetitive, and I felt myself

getting stiffer over time.

Then calisthenics came on my path online.

I got inspired

by all these athletes

with extremely impressive skills

and at the same time they all had

these extremely well-trained,

athletic bodies.

that's exactly what I wanted

But the thing is,

I was just so afraid of losing

like the little muscle

that I had built up in a gym.

And I thought I couldn't

build more muscle with just calisthenics.

But anyway, like,

after lots of doubting,

I just decided to focus entirely

on calisthenics.

And now, eight years later,

this has been the best choice of my life.

I have built up a lot of lean muscle mass

over the years,

and I actually achieved

that athletic dream body.

And I can do

most of these impressive exercises

that once looked impossible to me.

So with this video, guys,

I just really want to let you guys know

that you can build muscle

with calisthenics

and achieve those skills

that might look impossible right now.

Because when I started,

I also couldn't do a handstand

or not even a pullup So today

I want to show you

my program that I used

a lot in the beginning

to really help you kick

start your journey

because I'm 100% certain

that it works for you

as it did for me,

but also for hundreds of people

that already followed this plan.

I'll show you

which bodyweight exercises

we're most effective

for me to build muscle,

I'll show you different

training methods that I used a lot

and even how many sets and reps

you should do per workout

to get the fastest results

and at the end of the video,

I also show you a complete overview

of the complete workout plan

that I cover in this video,

which you can download as a free PDF.

But please

guys, for your own sake,

don't just jump straight to the end

to get the program

because you really need

to watch the video first

to understand the program

and also to find our hidden

gift way in this video.

Let's start with some important

training principles

that you should know

when trying to build muscle

with calisthenics.

Number one.

Training each muscle group

twice a week is most optimal

for muscle growth.

Number two,

you need to take

at least 48 hours

of rest for optimal recovery.

Because when you take rest,

your muscle starts to grow.

Not when you train.

Number three,

you need to stimulate muscle growth

by progressive overload,

which means with each workout

you need to make it a little harder.

And normally in the gym,

this is done by adding more weight.

But with calisthenics, body

weight training.

This can also be done in various

other ways.

For example,

by doing more volume,

so doing more reps

and sets,

doing, for example, paused

reps or isometric holds

to get more time under tension,

or taking less resting time

and making the exercise

intensity harder,

And finally, what I found,

but also what research shows

is that a three times

full body workout

split is most effective

and most injury

friendly for beginners

who start out with calisthenics

or with fitness in general.

So with these principles in mind,

let's dive

into the beginner

calisthenics workout routine

that I did

in the beginning for muscle growth.

The first day that you get to the gym

or get to your training disposal,

it's time

for the first full body workout.

And this first training

you'll start with pushing

movements, followed by pulling movements,

then core and finally legs.

This is what it looks like.

You first start with incline

push ups to target the chest

and shoulder muscles.

can start out

with a higher elevation and over time

make it harder by using a lower box.

Second, are the straight bar jumps

for the purpose of already

working your muscles

in an explosive way,

which enhances your fast

twitch muscle fibers.

Next are the pulling exercises.

The first one on the list

is the assisted Chin up to primarily

target the muscles

in the back and biceps.

First, start with a thick band

and then slowly move on to a thinner one.

Aim for five reps before

moving on to the next band.

The next one is the Australian

Pull up hold,

which works your back

muscles in an isometric way,

creating tension in the targeted muscles

for an extended period of time,

leading to increased

muscle fiber recruitment

Next up are the core exercises.

The first one is to crunch,

which primarily works

upper abdominal region in a dynamic way,

and second is a straight arm plank,

which is super effective

for overall core strength

and shoulder stabilization.

And at last, it's time for your legs.

first one is the assisted pistol squat.

This is a challenging unilateral exercise

that enhances your lower body

strength, and particularly

targeting the quadriceps,

your hamstrings and glutes.

You can start with a thick band

and move on to a thinner one.

The last exercise of the workout

is the alternating lunge next

to building leg strength and muscle.

This one also helps

to improve coordination Alright guys,

that was the first workout.

But gaining

muscle is not only about training, right?

You also need to get

the right nutrition in.

So make sure you get enough protein in.

aim for around two grams of protein

per kilogram of body weight.

So if you weigh around 75 KG’s, aim

for 150 grams of protein

throughout the day.

And of course

also make sure you get enough sleep

and because your muscles grow the most

when you're sleeping,

so aim for 8 hours of sleep per night.

All right, guys.

So now the next day

when you wake up, it's time

for a mandatory rest day.

Yes, guys,

you must also take rest

because remember, your muscles

grow during recovery.

So the next day

you can just lay down on the couch

all day

waiting for the next training

Just kidding.

You can boost your recovery

by actually staying

active and getting,

for example,

enough steps

in aim for 8000

to 10000 steps per day,

especially on rest days.

I also would recommend

to work on your mobility

and flexibility,

which is key to progress in calisthenics.

If you'd like to get more into the skill

part in a later stage,

A simple stretching routine

that I did a lot

and I actually still do

is just a combination of the exercises.

The cat to cow

the child's pose stretch, the Y wall stretch

butterfly stretches,

seated forward folds,

and finally the downward facing dog.

Just do this for 30 seconds, stretch

and do every stretch three times.

And you have a very good mobility

workout session right there.

So after another night of good sleep

and having at least 48 hours of rest

after the first training day,

it's time for your second

full body workout.

with this workout,

we first

start with the pulling exercises,

then pushing, then core, and finally legs

First up is the assisted pull up.

We are always starting

with the harder exercises

first with relatively lower reps.

Again, aim for five repetitions

before moving on to a ten hour band.

speaking of bands,

this is exactly what I'm going

to give away in this video. how to win?

Make sure to follow these steps

right here

and I will announce

the winner in the next video.

this is the winner of the last giveaway.

Congrats.

So next up is the Australian pull up.

Now we're doing this

exercise in a dynamic way.

Aim for higher reps, up to 15 repetitions

to force your muscles to grow.

next up is the bar tricep extension.

In the first workout.

We haven't isolated the triceps,

so that is what we're going

to do in this workout

as your first pushing exercise.

First start on a higher bar

and you can move on to a lower bar

to make it harder.

Aim for a minimum of ten repetitions.

Then the incline push up

hold is on the list.

Instead of training dynamically,

you're now doing this exercise

in a static way,

which is great for muscle

and strength adaptation.

Aim for 30 seconds per

hold until you might can do them

without a box.

For the core exercises,

we start with Superman Pulses,

which is a great exercise

to strengthen the lower back,

but make sure

you don't arch your lower back

too much on this one.

Next is the duct hollow body hold.

One of my personal favorite exercises

to improve core strength

and build strong abs

With this exercise,

Make sure you keep your lower

back on the floor.

Finally, for legs.

We're doing assisted squats,

which you can do with a band or on a box.

aim for high reps.

And at last you're doing this side

launch hold. This one is a real killer.

At least your quads and glutes

super sore the next day. Alright, guys.

So after this second workout,

you will repeat the cycle

of eating enough protein

and going to bed early again,

but also making sure you drink

and of water

because water is crucial

for optimal recovery too.

aim for at least four three

liters of water per day.

The next day is a

mandatory rest day again.

So just make sure

you get your daily steps in

and do your mobility work.

And also, of course, guys,

make sure you get enough calories in,

first of all,

to recover your sore muscles,

but also to fuel them

with enough energy for the next workout.

I always try to eat in a slight

caloric surplus,

so I still get enough calories

in to gain muscle and strength,

but not too many calories

because with calisthenics, guys,

you don't want to get like

super bulked up and feel heavy

because in the end of the day,

you're still training

with your own body weight.

So my recommendation

and what I've always done

is eating in a like

200 to 300 caloric surplus, All right.

It's time for your last full body

workout of your training week

with this last workout.

We start with push first,

then pull core,

and finally legs the first.

And in my opinion,

the most important push

exercise is the incline bike push up.

This vertical movement

primarily targets your shoulders,

and this exercise tends

to be difficult for most beginners.

That's why we recommend

starting on an incline

to work the full range of motion

of this exercise.

Gradually,

you can lower the incline or do it

without Next up are bench dips.

This one is great

for building your chest and triceps.

And the benefit of this exercise

is that you can really fatigue

your muscles in a simple way.

For pulling you

start with the assisted pullup.

Hold Like with the incline.

Push up, hold.

This one is super effective

for building strength

for the regular pullup

and growing your back

muscles in an isometric way.

Next is the Australian chin up, meaning

you're using a supinated grip

on the bar targeting the biceps more.

Make sure you do higher reps to fatigue

and grow your biceps.

For the core, we're doing floor

leg raises,

which is a great dynamic

beginner exercise to train the lower ABS

Next is the elbow plank,

one of the greatest exercises

to improve overall core strength.

finally, for legs.

We're doing the stationary lunge

in which we're really focused

on fatiquing one leg per time.

And as a finisher we're doing

assisted squat holds to strengthen

the quads, hamstrings and glutes,

but also to get a final

good burn in those legs.

Okay, guys.

So this is the workout plan

that I used a lot in the beginning

to grow my muscles

and to get stronger and calisthenics.

So I really want you to give this a try.

And that's why

I created this full program

as a PDF that you can just

simply download for free

and get started with The PDF program

includes more information

such as resting times,

important exercise notes,

and a simple way to log your progress.

So make sure to check that out.

Click the first link in description

next to the PDF file.

We have also incorporated

this workout plan

in our calisthenics workout app,

which you can follow

and download for free.

Check the link in the description.

I hope this video was valuable for you.

if you want to learn

how to achieve your very first pull

up, click this video.

Start to journey. Join the family.