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How you look is a byproduct of how you train.

A body built working will look different than by calisthenics which will look different than the gym which will look different than by sports, etc, etc, etc.

Many don’t consider this, particularly girls (whom are misled by gym culture to do stuff not in their best interests).

A few times in my life, on both the East Coast and West Coast I’ve been mistaken for an ex-con.

Factoring in my buzz cut, my (usual) beard, how in the past I ate ridiculous numbers of ramen packs (chicken sodium pack bro, chicken) and tuna cans, and a “look” built by a million pushups this actually makes sense.

I had the diet and training down pat via being broke with the right general look.

That was years ago.

I’m not eating like a convict now, though the training…yep.

A calisthenic built body looks more “sleak”. More lumps of mass here and there, than separation between muscles. You have no isolation exercises, everything is compound. You move better, calisthenics don’t wear the body down like lifting often seems to.

Lifting is the quicker path to being built like an animal, to looking like a beast.

An Example :

Giant (arguably overdeveloped) traps practically require some heavy ass heaving strapped up (Spud Inc straps ← my recommendation) shrugs inside the power rack.

Pushups, and jump rope will build your traps, just not to the touch your ear gorilla trap size.

Jump Rope :

The jump rope is highly underrated.

With a similar cardio effect to running and the ability to vary the intensity from “long slow distance” to “sprint”, the jump rope does not give wear and tear like running does, nor is it a muscle waster.

In 2015 I made frequent use of pushup & jump rope supersets. I was all the better for it.

For a couple weeks now I’ve been getting in 500+ revolutions of the rope daily. Over the last 3 days I’ve taught myself the “Mike Tyson squat jump rope” trick, which hilariously amazed a kid that happened to witness it.

(Kids in awe, nods from those jogging or riding bikes, and even a thumbs up from some big dude in his SUV seeing me skip are all possibilities. I’m usually either skipping in the street or at a playground.)

People don’t realize the muscular effects of the jump rope :

•Calves – It builds their size.
•Thighs/Glutes – It gives a sleek, springy athleticism.
•Lats/Traps – Some size depending on form.
•Biceps – Size from form with arms locked to sides around a 90° angle, and with fast revolutions.
•Forearm – You can really get the wrist into it by back choking the hands high up on the handle, and rotating them like so (the handle will be only between thumb, pointer, middle, and possibly the ring finger).
•Triceps – By flexing them while going for speed revolutions.

Jump Rope mixed with calisthenics only heighten the muscular effect of the calisthenic.

Yep, the jump rope builds muscle.

I picked up labor work again. On (at least most) days off I’ll be deadlifting mostly light with PERFECT FORM as a way to keep activity up.

I have this apparently rare knack for never losing strength.

(Hush hush secret…I always train even if it’s down to naught but pushups.)

My calisthenic experience over the years says to me that light not only will maintain strength, but will BUILD IT.

I had this thought a while back that a daily set of squatting 20 reps with 135-185 would be a really quick way for one in the gym to always have decent legs in a general fitness kind of way, always maintaining enough work capacity as a reasonable jump off point.

(I’d scale this to 95-135 for females and make the same statement. When I thought it I had males in mind, those who don’t give a shit for any gym clique, but who wanted a good solid base at all times in their pocket.)

My non labor day deadlift idea is an experiment in my eyes…

I’ve been thinking for a while that a bunch of reps in light deadlifts via either many perfect smooth Pavel approved sets and reps or very high reps (not Pavel approved) would end up building my deadlift quite well.

Just every so often jump 20 lbs or so of bar weight. You’ll never even need to go past 60% 1rm.

(Maybe come winter I won’t be working labor and will experiment with this alone 4-7+ x weekly.)

Anyone else ever thought it strange that girevoy sport is high rep olys/weightlifting with a kettlebell, but high reps on barbell olympic variants is considered a no no?

My (imaginary) Uncle Vladdy takes issue with this. In my imagination he taught me high rep olys in his back yard when I was 12, warning me of the dire consequences that would befall me should I hit his not yet running Trans-Am with the bar as he critiqued me in a mix of Russian and English while drinking his vodka and Pepsi (from separate bottles, never mixed, nor in containers other than the bottle, the vodka was in his left always… ALWAYS) and occasionally stupifying me by lifting cold high rep sets loaded with significantly high amounts of weight while himself mostly disinterested in the lifting of weights. He was not even trying.

(That vodka stipulation may say that he did all his lifting right hand only.)

I respond extraordinarily well to building up my work capacity. My strongest is always at when I’m capable of doing the most work.

Bodyweight Military Press :

I insist on pressing off of a clean…
(Everyone should, it’s better that way.)

The clean though ugly is a given. I can still hit 255 after a layoff, the clean is a given.

I’m going to quite possibly hit this goal soon while NOT TRAINING FOR IT!

Handstand pushups…I’m working on handstand pushups. Get to reps touching head, then throw cinder blocks into the mix to get (actually past) full military press range of motion.

The clean is a given.

I’m likely still good for 205 which I once tripled or even 215 which I’ve either hit or calculated as a max.
6 months ago I felt close to 225.

I’m now working labor…which SERIOUSLY strengthens the grip.
(Labor the #1 way to build hand strength. Hand strength…how the necessary clean is a given.) And labor, which tends to have me lose weight…

I may very well press bodyweight (probably over bodyweight) because of labor related weight loss and progressing on handstand pushups.

I feel I won’t even need to be doing handstand pushup reps from cinder blocks to press bodyweight. I catch cleans almost at jaw height, and the press sticking point is in the forehead to top of skull area…top of skull is regular handstand pushup height, and strength carries over further than the exact trained joint angles.

Outdoor > indoor
ALWAYS! I’d love to open an open air weight room facility. Fuck canned air conditioning air!

My favorite pullup variation isn’t! A long flexed arm hang held arms at roughly 90°. It often ends up solid ab work too.

I like frequency, but get variety by changing what exercise(s) that I do daily.

Pushups have been done daily for nearly 3 years since the last missed day.

Labor is about as masculine an environment you can get.

Masculine environments and being around attractive females both shoot your testosterone levels sky high.

Relatedly ; erections are a sign of all being right in the world.

When debating Natty or Not always choose NATTY!

Choose to have the best genetics, and you will.

So many people choose to be sad physically, as if injury and shitty recovery is a definite thing. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I don’t feel like finding a picture of Nelson to put here.

Mental weakness causes physical weakness (mostly).

Mental strength will correct physical weakness eventually.

“I’m Not A Certified Personal Trainer”….THANK GOD!
(This’ll be hilarious if I post it, see below.)

I’ve never uploaded video of this, but I can Cossack dance. I’ve been able to for years.

If “gym knowledge” says it’s crazy/impossible/negative buzzword here DO IT, prove gym knowledge wrong.

Short range of motion can be quite beneficial.

Fat grip is superior to normal barbell skinniness.

Callouses can become smaller while one lifts outdoors in winter gloves!

You may see a lot of this repeated on here eventually, some of the topics here already have unpublished articles fully written, some topics are just being dumped on “paper”. This is that kinda post.
I felt like publishing something.

Persistence & Tenacity

Psyche! No music link. And since I wrote this yesterday, it’s dated yesterday. It’s not a typo.

It’s unreasonable to go sprint 100% all out when you haven’t in a while.
Sprinting all out after a layoff is something of a no no.

Tight and/or weak hamstrings combined with the all out dash are what hamstring pulls are made of.

There is a reasonable way however, a way berift of such potential issues. This is how you start off when you get back into sprinting.

If you haven’t sprinted in a long while, are a big guy, an older guy, or some combination of these here’s what you do :

Flying 40s

Flying 40s are a drill I ripped out of some college football programs off season workout program.

You start at an endzone, and slowly run/jog 30 yards. Now you kick into gear for 40 yards. Many will controlled sprint this when coming in from a layoff. Use your head. I find it unlikely to run at 100% when it’s been a while. It takes a little time to relearn proper sprint mechanics. You jog out the last 30, and are now at the opposite endzone.

Now like my wrestling prep during preseason nights, I’m not on a football field. I use the street, it doesn’t have to be the exact distances, it’s the ease-controlled or all out-ease principle behind the drill.

When you start sprinting after a layoff use the principle of the flying 40.

Also use a slight incline if possible. This makes it even safer.

Go forth and sprint. It feels amazing.

Persistence & Tenacity

For a week or so I’d been thinking “what if I reverse curled daily” so I’m going with it.

50 reps with the bar as a minimum, more reps and/or heavier allowed…reverse curls (generally thumbless). Everything else is extra credit.

It’s a good idea to at least do one easy set of pullups each day, but I’m not going to be rigid on this, as I said reverse curls the minimum, everything else is extra credit.

The lower body will naturally follow upper body gains so as to stay proportionate. I’m not worried in the least about “dont skip leg day bro”.

This will be the third time or so around that I’ve done “arms every day”, it always surprises me how quickly the ability moves up, and oddly this time I’m in an alright mental state…likely the fresh air, and freedom from gym dues.

(I’ve actually had people see me curling and ask what’s wrong as it’s so out of my norm. Not a thing that’s going to happen in the backyard.)

Bro time! I figure this will help with pullups, and add some size to my arms. It’s strange how I’m going bro lifting alone in the yard. Yet, “bro” feels damn right right now. My inner narcissist decided that it’s grow some forearm and bicep time…

Curls for the girls amuses me right now, as does the idea of 135 for reps.

The reps aren’t fully cheat or super strict, though it could slip either way. So far I’ve got 25 reps strict, 30 with some momentum, both thumbless, with the bar.

At the end of the month I’ll update as to PRs.

I want 50-100+ reps empty bar, would like 95lb+ for 15-20. 135+ would be very strong arms.

Aside from the pullup carryover, and arm size, I assume I’ll see carryover to my clean.

After you’ve pumped up with pushups stretch the chest hard for a while, and then flex/cramp the triceps as hard as you can.

Add this on top of nightly pushups, on top of military presses, and you’re a strong presser.

Persistence & Tenacity

Bill Starr mentions this in his York exhibition articles :

Clean & jerk, then drop the bar into a 10 rep set of back squats, then obviously back over the head, and lowered nicely.

This obviously necessitates good control and lifting within your means.

It doesn’t need a squat rack.

It’d be pretty badass hitting this with good #s (better yet with a power clean and power jerk, that’s my style).

I do have access to 500lbs. How high can I go?

The power clean and behind the neck jerk under fatigue would be my limiting factors.

Go be awesome.

Persistence & Tenacity

P.S. (Cold Air Barbell Club – Fall 2022) I’m now doing this as a power clean and press into back squats

Crack!

As I lower, twisting towards my hand, the spine cracks.

It feels great, so much tension gone, just like that.

Since finding myself capable of one arm pushups in January 2015 nothing has worked as well for relieving tension in my spine.

For me it’s a good twist.

Persistence & Tenacity

Firstly to use a neck harness you must have one. I suggest a leather one, mine is branded Harbinger, and thus far it has done well over 8 or 9 years of usage. I bought nice unintentionally going with the old school style, and likely will never need to buy twice.

(The Spud Inc neck harness is often lauded online, I don’t like it. Spud straps? They’re the bomb. Spud neck harness? Go get an old school leather one instead.)

Now starting weight :

If you have never used a neck harness or worse you’ve never trained your neck (anyone who’s ever wrestled would be disgusted at you for being a pencil neck geek) I suggest starting with a 2½lb plate for 1 set of 25.

Build that up to 4×25 at a minimum, 4×50-100 being cool too, and then add weight.

When you’re strong enough to nod 20-25lbs x 50+ at all times I’d suggest just starting at a set of 50 and progressing until you’ve got a set of 100+ at that weight.

(I’ve done sets into the 300+ reps before.)

I’ll do the counted reps in the normal nodding manner, then let the weight swing front to back (like a kettlebell swing, but using the neck harness as the point of contact), and end with a static hold spine straight, and parallel to the ground as “extra credit”.

To keep from getting too stiff from the harness work :

1. If starting out gradually build into it.
2. Always do range of motion work after. I like using the front bridge from the knees going front to back, side to side, and “around the world”

Also, frequency is best for the neck. Train it daily or near so. However I’ll allow a rank stack of dimes sad excuse of a neck beginner to start 3x weekly or every other day as long as they build up the frequency as they become more developed of neck.

Persistence & Tenacity

Often I feel that the biggest benefit of calisthenics is the cardio effect.

You get the “runner’s high” like euphoria in a way that’s building you up physically.

(I’ve been liking this aspect of my pushups and squats lately.)

Running wouldn’t have the muscular benefits of the calisthenics, and lifting doesn’t allow you to do the necessary density of work in as short a period to really get the cardio effect going. Calisthenics being strength-endurance combine the two nicely.

Calisthenics pushed (and better yet superset) becomes an enjoyable strength building cardio.

Don’t have a gym? If you work you’ll be surprised just how far the calisthenics will take you. Add in jump roping, and isometrics, then it’s “oh boy” where you’ll end up.

A note : at ~215lbs I could run well, play full court basketball without issue off of…10×100 pushup and jump rope supersets. Pumping short range of motion pushups, and making sure I got 100 revolutions in a row, always ending with a crossover and double under. Those sessions often ended up at ~1500 skips due to that perfection requirement and fatigue.

That’s the style of training best for losing weight :

Cardio Calisthenics

Persistence & Tenacity

(The link was either going to be this or “our song”.)

Blood flow to an area speeds recovery. Blood flow to an extremity causes blood to flow through points higher up the chain.

If something hurts or is injured higher up the chain working the extremity past it will speed up the healing process.

Wrist and/or ankle work speeds up your recovery, it improves your ability to heal.

This is a generally unknown reason to train your forearms and calves… healing pumps.

However take note that training the muscles and the joints are not exactly the same thing. The mobility and stability of those extremity joints are also important.

Keeping them healthy will allow you to keep the rest of you healthy as well.

Your best and most developed bodypart is going to be the one that you trained :

1. While young.
2. With the highest reps/most total volume consistently.

My chest is far bigger than it ought to be. I never did much for it other than loads of pushups, and at least some daily. I started at 14, and I’m still doing them each and every day now about a decade later.

You want to develop a certain bodypart? It’s best to have done consistent volume for it starting a long while ago. The next best thing is to give it consistent volume starting right now.

I know I can bring anything up with a period of work capacity building effort. You could too, but it’ll take a period of doing what others say won’t work.

Dive into the deep end, and do a lot daily for what you want to build up.

There was a point where I was squatting to a daily heavy single, getting near 5×20 @ bodyweight (225) in backoffs, and volume leg pressing on a near daily basis.

Periods of what others say is madness allow for you to slack off for periods of time while retaining your capabilities relatively well.

However the difference between my chest and my legs is the consistency for the former, and the off and on periods of training the latter. Both are developed well, but chest never had time off, it’s better developed overall, and just does not tire.

The lesson is :

Work harder & Do more.

I see my physical potential now.

Persistence & Tenacity