Welcome to /r/bodyweightfitness! 🏸

Im only 5 days in my work out. Every two days i get up at 7:30 and do a 20 mins jump rope with a 1.2kg weights each feet, then a couple of arm, shoulder, and back workout (4kg each arm) 6 exercises of upper bod in total.

Was 57.7kg on my first day and on my fifth im 58.2kg. Idk if im gaining muscle or what cause i really don’t get it considering that i follow a strict diet of fruits veggies, fish, beef, pork, and poultry. plus all my foods are either steamed or boiled. I don’t eat sugar and avoids sodium. And follow the 16:8 intermittent fasting

Ever since i started working out i noticed my body being kinda bloated specially my tummy. My waistline never got this big before. And i as well as my sis noticed that im kinda getting big. Where did it go wrong ?

For clarifications my sched is 2 days workout 1 day rest then repeat on my rest day i get up at 8:30-11:00 if i decided to sleep in.

I usually feel my diet and workout 2-3 days in. Usually i feel great. I do feel productive but can’t feel it in my body.

Please help im thinking of going back to starving myself if things don’t end up well😭

Hi all, I (27M) recently messed up my left wrist pretty badly. I may have a tfcc tear waiting on MRI currently.

I don't want to stop exercising altogether; it's been a week, and im getting restless.

I'm a beginner to intermediate with calisthenics. I know the basics and can make a decent routine for myself.

My question is this: Is there any way I can work the left side of my upper torso and left arm without aggravating my wrist? It's supposed to be an Ina splint all the time, pretty much. I cannot put any weight on it.

Any tips and advice in general are appreciated. Thank you!

For context: I'm a male with 24 years old and my current weight is 78kg and I'm 1,93 meters tall.

I was fat and for the past months I started a cut, it was a little violent but the past weeks I've been carefully increasing my calorie consumption in order to maintain this weight, which would be 2000 calories.

I bought gym equipment and I'll start doing home-weighted workouts. I got some dumbells and a gym bench, I wanna make full-body workouts.

My current protein intake is around 150g and now with the exercises I'll start doing, plus some bouldering I've been doing for the past months, my plan is to maintain my body fat while focusing on building lean muscle.

Is this possible and also does it seem like a good plan?

Hello, I've not found anything on the internet to discuss this, so I am asking a question here. I can do 22 push ups without any problem, but I've been struggling to do more lately. I thought that this maybe just some plateau, but everything changed today. I sort of tried to "grab" the ground with my fingers while spreading the fingers at the same time for one set and the push ups just felt way easier and way more stable somehow. Did I just have really bad technique in regards to the wrists until today or is this something that shouldn't be done?

Hello,

I started to train my upper body a few weeks ago with the recommanded routine. Especially, I bought a pull-ups bar and a few elastic bands. I can perform a couple of pull-ups with my own weight, and when assisted some good session like 3*7-8.

However, I cannot hang more than a few seconds to the bar with my straight arms, even when using elastics, as it hurts the back of my shoulder. Also, when I'm on the floor, I can't touch it with my arms stretched out behind my head.

Have someone experienced that? If so, how did you fixed that issue?

Welcome to the r/bodyweightfitness Daily Discussion! This is the place to post simple questions, anecdotes, achievements, or just about anything that's on your mind related to fitness!

Commonly asked questions about training and nutrition:

• Recommended Routine is the original full-body workout program of the subreddit.
• Fitness FAQ covers all questions related to nutrition - gaining muscle, losing weight, etc.
• BWF FAQ covers many of the commonly asked questions.
• Even though the rules are relaxed in this thread, asking for medical advice is still not allowed.

DISCORD SERVER:

Our Discord server is very active and is truly the heart of the community. It is not only a social space, but it is also a great place for live discussion on training and nutrition compared to the slow pace of reddit! Come say Hi!

---

If you'd like to look at previous Discussion threads, click here.

Haven’t seen this talked a lot in regards to sports and especially calisthenics, and it’s been on my mind recently. I always experimented with all kinds of different phyisical activities, ranging from calisthenics skill focused (hspu, MU, ring pullovers, front lever, vertical jumps…), to functional trainings, martial arts and pure cardio activities like running, swimming, and occasional volleyball and football. I love doing all of these, yet I find it very hard to dedicate myself to any. For the last 4 years I focused mostly on calisthenics, especially handstands which are now incredibly solid, achieved all BA presses, HSPUs and different shapes and a great posture. Yet I know I could do much more and couldve been now at a higher level if I focused almost entirely on it, for example trying to achieve straight arm press, one arm handstand or just improving HSPUs would require pure dedication. It’s a bit demotivating to see myself stagnating with skills, because now it seems like it’s time to decide whether I will put more effort and time into calisthenics, just sustain the skills or move on.

On one hand, I’m learning something new everyday, I’m having fun, my body is fit and healthy and I guess that’s the most important.

On the other hand, I fear feeling like I could’ve achieved more by not dedicating myself to one thing. It’s also exhausting to think and change plans so often.

So, specialists vs generalists, where do you stand and what’s your opinion?

Hello! I (15 F) have been working out daily for an hour - 2 hours for the past 23 days. I’ve watched my diet for my entire life and I’ve always been active (I’ve played tennis and volleyball for a decade). I‘m 140lbs at 5’4”. Recently, I’ve been trying to build muscle in every part of my body; I wanna be JACKED. Problem is with my abs. I can never feel them engaged in my exercises, which tells me that I’m doing something wrong. I just don’t know what. Any advice would be really great!

also, if you have any advice for the type of diet I should stick to or what exercises are best for me, pls tell me! I’m doing Bodyweight and kettlebell exercises

Here's a form vid: https://streamable.com/48kema

Could use some help as I've tried almost everything and can't seem to find a solution. Notice that as I move my legs away from my upper back becomes slightly hunched and I lose the straight line. Should I strengthen my retraction, maybe regressing to a tuck or is this something that gets better as I get stronger? I've seen contrasting opinions on the web and I'd love to hear your take. As reference here's some guy who's back is completely straight. https://youtube.com/shorts/yJHFRuACrwo

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I fell down some stairs a few weeks ago and injured myself so I had to have surgery in both hands and wrists.

I have had surgery in my left hand and wrist , currently rehabbing it, and when that is done somewhere around december, the right one will have the same surgery.

So, for the next 8 months or so I wont be able to lift more than 2 kgs in my hands.

I still want to be active though and have decided to comeplete a mammothwalk(100km/24 hours)

And for that I want to do more than just walking for traning, I want some weighttraining for my legs, back etc

So far I have thought of the following :

Legs:

Leg press

leg curl

leg extension

some form of hamstring exercise

Back. shoulders, chest, this is where you guys come in :)

Hyperextension aaaaaaaaand im lost :)

Hilfe :)

Thanks in advance.

So i have experience in going to gym for about 5months and ive been consistent to it but due to my schedule i can't go anymore so i decided that i will be doing home workouts. So this is my current upper routine and do you think that this is a good upper routine. I DO Upper - Lower split 4x a week. Im thinking of adding pike pushup should i? btw i do my core training in my lower day.

UPPER
-Pull ups
-Pushups
-Inverted Rows
-Decline Push ups
-Bicepcurl (DB)
-Single arm overhead tricep (DB)
-Lateral Raises (DB)

One of the questions that seems to plague beginners is whether or not they should start out with pull ups or chin ups, what are the pros and cons to each, or complaints about not being able to feel their lats, what have you. So I figured I'd make a post about what to take into consideration when choosing a vertical pulling variation.

The first thing to get out of the way is that all vertical pulling movements work the same broad muscles, the primary mover being the lats, with assistance coming from the upper back and the biceps. So in that respect, you're not going to be missing out or neglecting any muscles by choosing one over the other. The best practice is to rotate your grip between pronated overhand (classic pull up), neutral (hammer grip) and supinated underhand (chin up) every few weeks or months to get the best out of what each has to offer, while also taking into account goals and physical capabilities. Lets take a look at the benefits each style has to offer.

The classic overhand grip pull up is the most well known for a reason. When hanging from a bar, this is arguably the most comfortable and natural position for most folks. Not to mention, this is the hand position you will need to be proficient at for things like muscle ups and front levers, so it arguably has the most general carryover to other movements. As far as muscles worked, I think there's a lot of misconceptions about grip width. Most folks seem to think the wider the grip, the more lat involvement, but in reality this puts the lats in a mechanically disadvantaged and less stretched position. If anything, this grip, especially wider than shoulder width, recruits more from the upper back, while still involving the lats to a great extent. In this regard, the pull up is a great overall back builder. It does slightly neglect biceps though.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the chin up. Due to the internal rotation of the shoulders, the lats are placed in a more stretched and mechanically advantageous position, also thanks to the closer grip this affords. I'd make the argument that the chin up is a superior lat builder because of this. The chin ups main claim to fame of course is its biceps involvement. Thanks to the position of the lats and the contribution of biceps, the chin up tends to be slightly easier than pull ups for most folks. That being said, the chin up position can be tough on folks without proper mobility, and there is a lacking of contribution from the upper back.

In between we have the neutral grip. If you do have a way to perform it, you get the best of both worlds of pull ups and chin ups. You get a comfortable position that recruits lats, biceps, upper back as well as some extra forearm muscles. Certainly it won't be the best at anything, but if its one you find most comfortable and easy to come back to, you're going to make great gains off of it. This is an underrated variation in my opinion, and probably doesn't get enough love mostly because it can't be performed on a straight bar.

Another important thing to address is how this plays into the selection of complementary exercises. One could perform more than one of these in the same workout, perhaps all three. However, considering their similarity it would be wiser to choose other movements that better fill in the gaps. For example, a chin up is ideally paired with a row variation that biases the upper back with a pronated, wider grip. A wider grip pull up on the other hand would be well suited with neutral grip rows and some biceps isolation exercises. This way we can get a comprehensive workout in without too much redundancy by incorporating more variation.

I'm no biomechanics expert, and of course there will be exceptions and disagreements to the things I've stated, but please feel free to share your experiences whether they are in line with my post or not, whatever keeps the discussion going and leads to better understanding for all. Thanks.

So, I'm confused on which split to choose and how to divide each muscle group, like full body or upper/lower. I workout 3-4 days per week. My main goal is hypertrophy. The exercises I usually do for each muscle group are:

1. Chest: Weighted flat push-ups (3-4x5-8), Weighted decline push-ups (3x10-12)

2. Back: Weighted pull-ups (3-4x5-8), Db rows (3-4x10-12)

3. Shoulders: HSPUs (3x5-8), Lateral raises (4-5x12-15), Rear delt rows/Face pulls (4-5x12-15)

4. Legs: Weighted pistol squats (3-4x5-8); Bulgarian Split Squats (3-4x10-12); RDLs/Nordic curls (4x10-12); Weighted calf raises (5x15)

5. Biceps: Standard db curls (3-4x10-15), Hammer Curls (3-4x10-15)

6. Triceps: weighted decline close grip push-ups (3-4x10), skull crushers (3-4x10)

7. Abs: Ab wheel rollouts (3-4x10-12), weighted cannonball crunches (3-4x10-15).

Can someone please help me with this? I superset all of my exercises with the antagonist muscles and I do abs on a seperate day with small muscle groups like forearms, neck and calves.

I'm currently pondering which type of equipment I should invest in first. I know a pull-up bar would be very beneficial for pull-ups, of course, and dips. I found a pull-up station that has a bench where I could potentially incorporate a bit of weight-lifting exercises and do a little bit of a hybrid workout, but since my budget isn't that high, I am worried about how stable the station would be if I were to do pull-ups.

On the other hand, I was thinking of investing in a dip bar where I could still do pull-ups, progressing from assisted pull-ups using the ground or an elevated height for my legs directly to L-Sit pull-ups, and my core strength isn't the best but is something I'm working on. It does also have the bonus of having a few more variations, such as the L-Sit Pull-Ups, from my understanding.

What options seem like the best ones to start with? In terms of my current strength, I can do around 5 pull-ups with 10 kg of weight and around 5 dips with 15 kg of weight. Without weights, I can roughly do 10–12 pull-ups and 15-20 dips, and I weigh around 65 kg if that helps in choosing which equipment is more recommended.

These are the links below to the equipment I had been looking at if that helps. I'm from Australia so if there are any better options than the ones I've listed hopefully they can be shipped to Aus as well. Thank you guys in advance.

Edit: A lot of you guys are recommending I buy the rings that I plan to invest in the future but currently don't have anything to use to hold them up. If any cheaper options can be used to set them up will look into getting that but if not an option between the pull-up station or adjustable dip stand would be greatly appreciated or a better alternative that won't exceed the cost of $300 maximum. Thank you again for the help and thanks to the people who provided me with suggestions.

Edit2: thank you guys for the advice, planning to invest into a squat rack or using a foldable pull up stand with some of rings.

Pull Up Station:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Power-Tower-Chin-Pull-Multi-Grip-Station/dp/B08NTCZRP7

Adjustable Dip Stand:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Fitarc-Adjustable-Connector-Strength-Training/dp/B0B8NP4673/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_t_3?pd_rd_w=yKqDQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.38b9349b-43ae-4eeb-9700-faa454aeb243&pf_rd_p=38b9349b-43ae-4eeb-9700-faa454aeb243&pf_rd_r=35VFWQ71T6CCH9PJMZG0&pd_rd_wg=MZngX&pd_rd_r=98407eb8-79f2-41d3-9e2e-77f45fabe652&pd_rd_i=B0B8NP4673&th=1

Hi all, I've been doing calisthenics for almost a year now. I'm currently working towards planche and FL. My current level is Tuck Planche and Adv. Tuck FL on those progressions.

Since time is limited for me (don't have time to train for more than 2 hours) and my focus is on achieving those skills faster rather than hypertrophy, I was thinking of running this Push/Pull routine with BA/SA work split 6x a week. Any kind of critique would be very helpful and much appreciated.

Push 1 (Focus on SA) Planche Progression (hold as much as I can for as many sets) Planche Leans 4x max lean HSPU progression 4x8-10 reps (Elevated pike PU) Decline Pushups 4x12 Bodyweight skull crushers 4x12

Pull 1 (Focus on SA) FL work (statics + dynamics) Pullups 4-5 sets until failure

Push 2 (Focus on BA) HSPU progression (Wall HSPU) 4 sets until failure Tuck PL PU 3 sets until failure PPPU 4x6-8 reps (max lean) Decline Pushups 4x12 Bodyweight skull crushers 4x12

Pull 2 (Focus on BA) FL Progression holds 3x max time Weighted Pullups 4x3-5 reps (currently at 25 kg) Tuck FL rows 4x5 reps Pullups 7x6-8 reps

I work my legs on push days and core/V-sit on pull days. Motivation for splitting it this way being that I think both are equally important for progress, but focusing on Planche/FL Progression leaves me too tired to work on HSPU/Weighted pullup with the same intensity and vice versa.

Thank you!

Welcome to the r/bodyweightfitness Daily Discussion! This is the place to post simple questions, anecdotes, achievements, or just about anything that's on your mind related to fitness!

Commonly asked questions about training and nutrition:

• Recommended Routine is the original full-body workout program of the subreddit.
• Fitness FAQ covers all questions related to nutrition - gaining muscle, losing weight, etc.
• BWF FAQ covers many of the commonly asked questions.
• Even though the rules are relaxed in this thread, asking for medical advice is still not allowed.

DISCORD SERVER:

Our Discord server is very active and is truly the heart of the community. It is not only a social space, but it is also a great place for live discussion on training and nutrition compared to the slow pace of reddit! Come say Hi!

---

If you'd like to look at previous Discussion threads, click here.

I’d like to stick with a routine of push ups, pull ups, squats, and cardio for now to keep things simple. Goal is to get stronger and build endurance.

How would you program a routine like that, and why would choose your programming?

Additional info if it helps:

• female in my 40’s with a BMI of around 19

• no fitness background

• have been doing bodyweight exercises (push ups and pull ups) every other day consistently for a few months

• strength has been slowly progressing

• walking briskly at an incline (zone 2) for ~ 60 minutes on my non-push up/pull up days

• been following the Misty Posey pull up plan, and doing push ups per the same plan on the same days I do pull ups: https://officercandidatesschool.com/2020/11/05/the-misty-posey-pull-up-plan/

As of now I can do:

• Pull ups: 5 reps x 5 sets x 3 sessions = 75 pull ups/day

• Push ups: 8 reps x 6 sets x 3 sessions = 144 push ups/day

I would like to add squats to my routine, but I know nothing about effective programming, and I’m not sure if at some point the volume will mess with progress, so I’m hoping for pointers.

All helpful advice is much appreciated!

For some unknown reason there isn’t any pull-up bars or even anything remotely similar in my local parks (UK).

I’ve found one with a Resistance Shoulder Press. Looks like this, freshairfitness.co.uk/

And there’s a “leg press” thing too - and a body weight row machine.

Will any of these help my workout? At the moment I’m running 25k a week (2 10ks and one 5k) then 1 day full body.

3 set 5 handstand push-ups leaning on the wall Pull ups using a door - 3 set 5 Side staggered push-ups - 3 s 10 Rows with resistance band - 3 s 10 1 leg squats - 3 s 8 (both legs) Deadbug 3 s 10 Bird dog 3 s 10 Some sit-ups if I’m not too nakered.

Not sure where I got this routine from anymore (maybe here?) - was using dumbbells before but sold them when I moved.

Aim is just to get reasonably fit, hopefully do handstand push-ups and run faster.

I've always wanted to get fit and have attempted several times to make a workout routine and stick to it. It would start great every time but what always ended up happening is I'd eventually think "I really don't feel like doing this right now, I'll wait until later/do it tomorrow". Then when "later" became "now," I had the exact same thoughts and even though I truly wanted to improve and was willing to do hard work, my routines fell apart and my motivation plummeted. Earlier this year I decided to try something new: every time I enter my bedroom, I get on the floor and do one set of 10 push ups. No exceptions. Just doing one set is easy enough that I don't procrastinate, and I'll end up doing about 5-10 sets over the course of the day. This routine has worked incredibly well for me, I've seen a noticeable improvement in my upper body physique, I haven't missed a single set since I started, I've increased rep count and I've been slowly progressing into more difficult push up variations as they become easier. I'm still experimenting and of course I'd like to add more diverse exercises to target more muscles, without making it too overbearing to do every time I nip into my room to grab something.

Fellow procrastinators, have you used similar routines? How did they work out for you? I'm curious.

Watched FitnesFAQs video on pike PUs ( timestamped here https://youtu.be/Tq1nYz7U5os?feature=shared&t=242 ) and he said to perform them with depressed shoulders, and he also showed how he protracted his shoulders (although he never specifically mentioned protracting your shoulders)

Is this what you should be going for? I honestly think I have naturally been elevating my shoulders at the top, feels more natural to always push off instead of sinking down if that makes sense

No matter how much I try, I just can't seem to feel my lats or much of my back during pull-ups. I get tightness or soreness in my abs, forearms, biceps and I think in my rear deltoids (somewhere on the back side of my shoulders) but never in any major back muscles.

I also try to do the pull-ups with proper form: Hands on the bar slightly farther than shoulder-width apart, core as tight as possible, no swinging or leg movement during the pull-up, scapula depressed and retracted throughout the whole movement, and I don't shrug my shoulders at the top of the pull-up either. So what am I exactly doing wrong here? Are my lats so weak that other muscles just take over the work?

Basically the title

I’ve been trying to focus on building my biceps but I feel a lot of the chin up in my back - which is nice - but not my goal.

My chest is developed so getting my hands closer together doesn’t physically work well for me, and doesn’t shift the tension to my biceps effectively.

I do use a weight belt sometimes and I feel somewhat more tension but eventually my arms get exhausted first and the tensions shifts to my back.

Any tips on keeping the biceps engaged as a primary mover?

Hello, I started Training one year ago doing Push ups, dips and Pull ups. Now my upper Body is Well developed but i never trained legs. I don't have chicken legs but i am afraid getting inbalanced If i keep going.

How do you deal with the fact that you need heavy weights for your legs?

I thought the best idea could be to Go to the Gym during winter. Training my legs twice a week for 3-4 months. And than Go back Training only my upper Body and skipping Leg day. Any recommandation or should i train my legs all year around?

Couple of months ago I posted here about my frustration in building reps of chin-ups and pull-ups. I could do three, which was pathetic compared to what I used to do 7 years ago.

I'm 71 years old. When I was 64, I was doing three sets of 12 chin-ups. But then I broke my collarbone and a couple of ribs in a bike accident, and couldn't do a single pull-up for several years.

You guys told me, in addition to my exercise routine, to focus on protein. That's what I've been doing. It took me a while to figure out how to maintain my weight while taking in a lot of protein. But yogurt, cottage cheese and some supplements and protein bars did the trick.

I'm 172 lb, 6' 3", and as a result of the advice I received here, taking in about 130 g of protein a day. I know it's not a gram per pound. The perfect is the enemy of the good.

Up to nine pull-ups now, triple what I did two months ago. Twelve is just a matter of time. After that, pull-ups and wide grip pull-ups. Then, who knows? Maybe even a muscle up.

This forum is fantastic and I owe a lot of gratitude everyone who answered me. So thanks, guys.

I am going from 10th to 11th grade, and I want to increase my vertical for next years vb season(5,11 and I can graze rim). I have been consistently for 3 years and can squat 185 for one (with belt). I strength train legs 2 days a week. I can only spend an 45 mins at the gym, so I can't fully do plyos and strength train. Should I train plyos and strength at lower volume (time constraints) two days a week, train one each day per week, or do only plyos (jumping is priority but I don't want my legs to fall behind my upper body in my physique)

I'm very out of shape. Trying to follow work out routines, even beginner ones, is difficult for me. Yesterday I tried spreading it out over the day and actually completed the amount of reps, and more of what I would have done in the 30 minutes. I know that doing the exercises continuously is better health/fitness wise. But do I gain anything when it's spread out? I do want to eventually be able to complete a circuit.

Example: yesterday I did 20 pushups, once per hour for 5 hours(Edit: 100 total). Today I'm doing 20 crunches/1 minute plank once per hour for 5 hours.

hi, i'm a F 28, and work at a desk job. already walk around 1h a day fast pace, and I've been losing 1 ~ 0.5 kg each month, and so far, already lost around 6kg.

and as you can guess, i'm your typical "i hate sports" type of person.

i can't keep doing workout session (hiit, tabata, and other stuff found on youtube) at home as I just can't concentrate.

so I've been thinking if there's any exercises I could repeat while working. Searched a bit on the internet, but i don't want to do plank or push up at work.

something that is not too much noticeable. stomach vacuum on empty stomach ? engaging core while maintaining good posture ? lifting both legs from the floor ?

tried to find some stuff online but it's way too noticeable for me. I really, really, really don't want to do push up or a plank or something like that at work >_<

i'm already walking and using the stairs whenever possible and my diet is currently being followed by a dietician but i want to lose a bit more per month and also doing something i could achieve in the long run.

the gym and doing a certain sport isn't an option.

My goal is the bar muscle up. Clearly one of the biggest problems in my case is the lack of explosiveness, even when I try to be explosive I am quite slow. I can do 12 strict pullups. So now I want to focus on weighted + explosive.

Should I just completely stop doing sets for max reps (i.e. 10-12 in a set) and do shorter sets for power? I only have time for a couple of pull training sessions a week because I do other sports too. Feels wrong to only do these short sets of 2-3 reps. But if I try to do endurance and power in the same session I will just tire myself out.

I was starting to practice the lever but had to move. Now I cannot use the doorframe pressure bar I had anywhere. I was considering buying a power tower (Sportsroyals, Body Champ, or Bantong&LI) but I want to make sure that the middle bar for the abs exercices is optional (it is safe to remove and not use it to practice the lever) or that it is so low that it doesn't bother the lever anyways.

Also I was wondering if the second bar for the bottom (that hinders people's feet in some reviews) can also be removed safely.

Thank you!

I was starting to practice the lever but had to move. Now I cannot use the doorframe pressure bar I had anywhere. I was considering buying a power tower (Sportsroyals, Body Champ, or Bantong&LI) but I want to make sure that the middle bar for the abs exercices is optional (it is safe to remove and not use it to practice the lever) or that it is so low that it doesn't bother the lever anyways.

Also I was wondering if the second bar for the bottom (that hinders people's feet in some reviews) can also be remove safely.

Thank you!