I would argue Calisthenics with a component of minimalist Bar lifts. Deads and Overhead Press. Cost and Space being far greater limiting factors post Globalism. Most equipment is made in China.
Weighted calisthenics YES! Noone says you are not allowed to add weight to your Dips and Pullups. It get's you jacked fast I'm at 27,5 kg added Dips and have the best results in my life.
When i was in the military,I used to do push ups all the time because there was literally no equipment there.And I did a lot of them.I couldnt believe how much muscle I put in my chest and arms just from that.And not even the crazy variations of push ups.Everyday,just plain old boring pushups.Bodyweight excercises are no joke.And if you are overweight,you are in luck,because you get to lift more than the others
Agree with your final statement that the best muscle hypertrophy results will generally come from a combo of calisthenics & weight lifting, as both compliment each other very well in a balanced training program. 💪
I've been telling people this for year's now if you use both bodyweight and weightlifting as a means to grow and gain strength they will compliment each other and give that individual insane explosive power endurance and strength
@@atharvapatil2501 Of course I do bro. No matter how they do it, anyone who trains with the goal of developing their physique is a bodybuilder in my eyes 💪
I love bodyweight calisthenics training. Been doing it for over 12 years now. Every once in awhile I will pick up kettlebells or sandbags for a month. I prefer my body composition with calisthenics. I physically feel and perform better when I do calisthenics and stick to the right diet.
This is what I want to do but achieve some holds like hand stand and planche but I'm stuck just doing the base body weight training,same routine 3.times a week
@@leejohnson197733 I keep my program pretty basic with a few exceptions. I do handstand pushups against a wall. I also do bridging. I focus on hitting a specific movement once a week. Sundays are vertical pullups and handstand pushups. Tuesdays are squats and bridges. Thursdays are pushups and horizontal pullups. Every session I also do hanging leg raises because they’re that important to me. This gives me the opportunity to either progress in reps or skills. Getting to the handstand was challenging. I suggest Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning and C-Mass books I did a very basic program of the same workout for 2 weeks and stopped because it was boring.
dips are very underrated in terms of pec building.. proper technique may be a little tricky for beginners but once gotten right its amazing, especially when performed slow and controlled. i think overall people who disregard calisthenics are ones who use strategies made for bodybuilding and its a bit different. as you say time under tension is more important than the number of reps you do and most lads i see always count the reps first, thats what matters, only they build muscle apparently. calisthenics definitely tougher to advance in than bodybuilding though. in the gym everything is laid out for you you just gotta be there and do the work, with calisthenics you need perseverance. if you ever think bodyweight training doesnt build enough muscle think of gymnasts
I started late last year after finding the bioneer channel. I have lost a lot of weight and really enjoying the challenges. Got a few goals like handstand & one arm push ups. 💪
Yes, DIPS then you take the dips to the gymnastic rings and chest litteraly blows up. I just count reps, since that's easier to keep track off. Then the time under tension, i just try and keep a consistent tempo while counting my reps. Maybe at some point i will be able to count while performing an exercise xD
Dips aren't underrated, their just hard when your starting out and bad form can have a huge impact with dips so people generally choose other excercises. But your spot one about ring dips, that's a whole different animal. What a humbling experience it is going from straight bars to rings.
You can definitely build your body with calisthenics. Based on my personal experience, volume has always been a key thing in my BW training. But using weight is a great way to keep consistent. Everyone is different, so it’s all about finding what’s right for you, and compounding from there.
I use a combination of weights, bodyweight and resistance bands. One thing iv started doing esp for chest is extremely slow reps(push ups are great for this). The burn you feel is unbelievable. This style of training is called HIT, not to be confused with HIIT. It's basically the old Mike mentzor style. Keep the content coming. Loved your first book Adam. Thanks.
How do you program your HIT training for pushups ? Do you do it for something else ? How often ? Is the premise time under tension for long period of time ?
Finally someone who does a great video on this topic! I've been doing bodyweight bodybuilding for a long time and I'm having great results by doing it. People tend to not believe me that I'm not training with weights, but for example prisoners are doing it the same way. The problem seems to be that people think practicing acrobatics, skills and cardio centered hit training is "calisthenics", but it's not. It can also be a bro split day of 10 sets pushups, 10 sets dips, 5 sets bench dips and 5 sets trizep extensions, all to failure. You'd have to be delusional to not think this builds your chest and tris for example. It's simple and in my case some junk volume but it just works. It is just not done by many people and therefore not that known.
You have a big influence my man. I live in a small town in Montana and I’ll show the wisdom your content has to everyone I know. It has helped me tremendously
PREACH MAN been practicing calisthenics on and off for seven years and just a couple months ago got back into my groove Happy to see you make a video on this
The channel Old School Calisthenics is awesome for the higher rep bodyweight style, which has good results for me. I regularly do one of his pushup routines (10 decline, 10 flat, 10 incline, 10 incline close grip aiming for 10 rounds), the chest pump is instant. It's a good workout on its own, and if I'm at the gym I'll usually do a few rounds after benching
Man these are always my favourite videos to watch whilst exercising, they’re inspiring to watch with the training footage, incredibly motivational and still informative.
This is why I love your advice about mixing things up. I started working out consistently doing only compound movements 3 times a week, I had my app to track progress and increase the weights I was lifting, I was 3 months in and had made a lot of progress. One day I sprinted to find a neighbors dog who had just escaped and BANG, I got injured right there and then. That was my wake up call, I had gained strength but couldn’t really do anything functional besides lifting weights with it (what a waste). Since then, I changed my routine, I add more functional movements, I train with more variety as the goal and I’ve recovered so much of my balance and movement ability. This channel has definitely helped inspire that change, and for that I’m so grateful. Keep the content coming!
I actually do both. My weekly routine includes one day/week of full-body weight training and one day/week full-body calisthenics. I've also thrown in some (beginner but by no mean easy) yoga which has some body weight poses.
Hey mate, I want to thank you for this video. I've been kind of bummed out the last few days, just regular seasonal depression and this gave me a boost of inspiration to work out and get a bit of dopamine back in my brain.
I don’t think I can add anything to this and for that I truly love your content. You speak my mind, you have THE single BEST attitude and perspective towards training I’ve seen on the web. Kudos to you mate.
with calisthenics its harder to build muscle, since you have to stabilize your shoulders, whole body if you're doing levers, and etc. Plus, if you want to track correctly your progress, you have to be very rigorous on the setup, the hand placements, etc. But when you have a certain amount of strength, treating advanced calisthenics as a muscle builder is really fun and makes training more enjoyable. EDIT: by working on the planche and now maltese, I indeed gained a lot of biceps mass :)
I tend to do more cali/bodyweight during the spring and summer when I can workout in the garden. Doing it in the garage gym in the winter I find miserable. This spring I'm focusing more on core and non-isolation such as Bulgarian bag. Mixing that in with freeweights, rowing, and some parallel bar stuff.
Rings allow a lot of isolation with bodyweight, too. I like tricep extensions with a single ring to wreck my triceps with a focus on the long head after I have done my compounds. These days I throw a cluster set of these superset with ring curls on my Monday and Friday sessions. You can also do facepulls for the rear delts and flyes for chest, even hamstring curls, with rings.
Yeah, rings are fantastic for bodyweight bodybuilding. The diversity of compound and isolation movements possible on rings is enormous. Compounds like dips and push-ups are harder on rings than on a bar which makes them a great form of progression without any external weights. And isolation options... Flyes, face pulls, Y- and T-pulls for delts, tricep extensions, bicep curls and reversed curls. It`s even possible to curl the straps to kinda mirror the hammer curl. You also can train your bicep in lengthened position with pelican curls. I fucking love rings, they are like a whole weightroom packed into a single piece of equipment
I came to the same conclusion, that's why I started basic calisthenics once I achieved a decent strenght. If you're not an athlete or a pro, the more you add to your routine, the more complete you can be
You definitely can. I have proved it myself! Great to see guys like you with a big platform put it out there. As long as you focus on TUT, ROM and have sufficient volume, you can't fail. (Unless you're eating junk food everyday of course)
Would you not need to progressively overload and ensure high enough intensity too? You could do a lot of volume and get little from it without those considerations.
Great video, doing a great job promoting calisthenics for bodybuilding. People definitely under estimate bodyweight training for this. Although not bodyweight anymore moving to wards weighted calisthenics too. I like to promote weighted calisthenics
Bioneer preparing to do the DIO lean is a weird treat. On a more serious note, this video comes right in time as I become one of the many people making obligatory "Improve my Fitness" resolutions for 2023 and in my various Yo-Yo efforts to do so, I've learned at least one constant: I really enjoy bodyweight and other calisthenics exercises (and think the tricks you can learn through them are really cool). So this was just the thing to stumble upon!
Welcome to the club! Its much easier to stick to exercise when you need no(or only a pullup bar) equipment. And the body you'll get is aesthetic, even if making it bigger requires more mindful approach compared to just putting on more weights. Have fun! Nothing like doing plank push ups and front leather pull ups
I have found the need to focus on body weight training in the past. After major back surgery and then again during Covid closures. I now incorporate a couple days of weight training along with steel mace, sandbags and crawling exercises during the week. I’m trying to age as gracefully as I can
TUT (Time Under Tension) with bodyweight exercises pretty much means hitting the reps to you feel a little pain or slight burn. That's how you know you are applying the adequate amount of stimulus
I have only been watching the bioneer a couple of months. Started doing bodyweight training, fast reps get the heart going. Slow reps feel the difficulty of strength. No weights required 👌 Just a fantastic fitness channel
@@NAVEENCHAURASIYAA there's absolutely zero indication that he's not natty lifetime. His physique has never been even close to shredded, sub 10% BF, or the likes. He's actually got a fantastic everyman physique that appears obtainable through dedicated training (unlike, say, a Jeff Nippard but he's super short and stocky). My gym in Bangladesh has guys with physiques like the Bioneer. The Bioneer is just strong af and because of the way he trains, he's just impressive in an all round manner, but it's definitely more performance driven and far less aesthetics. Which, in my view at least, is the right way to go. Unless you're getting on stage, I'd much rather be able to do the stuff that the Bioneer can do.
7:40 To be fair, that is quite a bold statement. Yes, you can build a pretty nice physique with only bodyweight, but it has a limit to it. For upper body, you can surpass the novice weightlifter phase(maybe even get to the level of an intermediate, especially with gymnastics rings(ring pullups/chinups and dips)), for lower body, you can reach the level of a late novice lifter(with pistol squats or high rep bodyweight squats/sissy squats). If you want bang for your time investment, do pullups/chinups and dips, because these are the most stable(best for hypertrophy) and hardest(you esentially move the entire weight of your body as resistance) bodyweight excercises.
Left the gym because of lockdown, started bodyweight training at home, found IronWolf burpee based routines and haven't looked back. I have put on 1/2 stone of muscle, which at 48 I'm quite pleased about.
I've been watching your channel for yrs it's awesome to see you progress I've been lifting for yrs and doing calisthenics as well and most of my hypertrophy is from calisthenics and training like boxing and other martial arts. All these different "styles " of training are mostly born from hype. You can find many old time strongmen body builders from the early 1900s with physiques even better than most athletes and body builders today even pre- steroids! Train to the way that best benefits you and dont push it onto others. Keep a strong body and a strong mind and an even stronger heart full of patience.
Yup. Calisthenics is very important not just for fitness but building and sculpting the body to a well defined physique. This really compliments on it a lot and how to properly use calisthenics for achieving such a goal. Fantastic video
Many great points here. I'd like to add that according to my research Mke Tyson used weighted shrugs in his early days along with calisthenics, this of course underlies your point of combining modalities.
I'm partial to bodyweight, I love it and it's almost all I do. And, yes, you can build muscle with just bodyweight. But, weights are good too and di have their place, for sure. I also think goals are very important. Are your goals skill based? Are your goals functional? Just health and well being? Athletic performance? Hypertrophy? These all require modifications to training. You can't always train the same. And, they're all legit goals too, so...
I mix free weights and body weight stuff, I focus on trying to get the best out of my body in all movements so I do a lot of strange movements, you are a massive inspiration for my training
Hey Adam, I bought superfunctional 2.0 recently and I'm absolutely loving it so far! I was wondering if you could make a video explaining the benefits of sandbag lifts as you've included them in the program and used them frequently on camera before :)
Love your videos so instructional and well edited, I do bodyweight and resistance bands and my gains have been great, i am now following your strength techniques, I am over 60 though. Even at my age bodyweight training is fantastic for building muscle. Love the pleased look on your face when doing those handstands, they are brutally hard, I never managed to get that far, illness always kills my progress. I would love to be able to do a muscle up again, I am training towards my goal at 63.
I used to work in warehouse once that sold clothing, there was plenty bars, rails, stairs etc, so everytime I was picking something I did some press ups, rows or pull ups. Nothing fancy just basics. I couldn't recognise myself in the mirror just after few months, I was jacked. High volume is the key.
I transitioned from bodybuilding to calisthenics supplemented with some weight and mobility training. Best decision I've made for fitness. I feel and look much better.
@@nicholash3849 lengthy sometimes. I went from doing CBum workouts with weights to implementing more from Chris Heria, Gymnastics Method, Bioneer, and a few other gymnast/calisthenics people. Hold on...
@@nicholash3849 mon: back is main with some shoulder and sometimes light leg workout. Tues: chest and biceps and main. Weds: glutes and hamstrings. Thurs: shoulders and triceps are main. Fri: quads and calves with abs. Sat: sometimes a day off, but otherwise shoulders and mobility. Sun: always off
Really sick of hearing people say that you can't build muscle through bodyweight training. The same people who say this are the workout noobs who hop straight on the bench when they can barely manage 20 pushups. They act surprised when I tell them I don't bench or do heavy deadlifts
Phenomenally thought provoking and educational video, as always!!! Question - where do you get your joggers from? I struggle to find a good pair for a reasonable price.
@@_mishi Sure Mishi, when I was very lean I was able to do way more reps per set. I still built muscle, but I had to get more creative with advanced exercises etc. Since bulking up a bit, every rep is harder so I can get a lot more out of basic exercises pullups/pushups etc. In a way I'm wearing a weight vest for everything. Start adding in difficult variations at a higher bodyweight, and things get really interesting. I can do straight up strength work with bodyweight alone!
@@thestonecircle that does sound nice. Ive had trouble putting on muscle lately and wanna bulk, but Im also close to doing clean front leather and plank push-ups and I fear that I won't be able to do them after a bulk. How do advanced exercises seem, do you think it'll be easy with the strength and muscle gains (this including the weight) to still do them?
@@_mishi wow that's awesome those are some advanced moves! I'd say if getting those skills as fast as possible is your main goal and you're still making progress, I'd hold off on bulking. But if muscle is the priority, I think at least a small bulk (just a minor calorie surplus) would only help. The advanced moves will probably become more difficult at first, and you may have to revert to some earlier progressions along the way, but after you put on more muscle and cut back down you'll probably get those skills a lot easier.
@@thestonecircle makes sense. for now I think I'll work on getting these two exercises down and then I'll try bulking. Thanks for the advice! Checked out some of your vids, cool stuff, keep it up man
A lot of the old timey strongmen and body builders did a lot of hand balancing exercises and displays. There's a video of Otto Arco at age 60 something doing a posing routine followed by a hand balancing routing which includes a Turkish get up with a man balancing on his hand!
I like throwing in 2 sets of chin ups, pulls ups, dips, and chest focused dips at the end of some of my workouts at the gym. I saw a body builder do this so I tired it and it has had surprisingly good results so far though I could just be having the beginner gains still since I have only been lifting for about 4 months at the gym and another 3 months at home were I didn’t have enough equipment or space to really get a good workout in so my gains at home were minimal.
I enjoy lifting weights, but it gets really annoying having to target muscle every group individually. With calisthenics, you don't need to worry about using so many different exercises as much. Which I find makes it a lot more enjoyable. But the overall health and performance benefits from calisthenics make me like calisthenics more. Thanks for always making such great quality and well-informed videos. Keep it up, and I wish the best for your kids.
Excellent progress on your handstand push-ups!!! I’m getting super close to my first HSPU and feel super excited for that first clean rep! I really enjoy your videos and find your dedication very encouraging. Thank for creating so many inspiring and informative videos. 🙏🏼
I have just learned wall assisted hand stand but I am not able to do handstand without wall . i dont know how to balance my self without wall. I come to handstand position and falls back to ground. I have strength coz I do weighted push ups a lot and have even done 3 pushups with my 50kg friend on my back . Can you give me some tips on how to balance myself in handstand?? i am sure if I learn to maintain balance , I can do handtsand easily in 1-2 weeks as I know how to progress fast.
@@sameersinghmahar6396 spread your fingers and try to use middle part of hand as centre of gravity and use fingers and base of your palm to counter if you lose balance, can practice this form of hands with normal push-ups Actively push into the ground, like not just being upside down on your hands but pushing the ground away Tighten your core and buttocks Try doing tuck planches Practice, progress by taking off one leg from the wall, or bend your legs along knees
Gotta say that combo: The Bioneer + Bald Omni-Man = FIRE! The way You guys mix weights + calisthenics and Your power, knowledge and motivation Is all I need to not just want be strong but also to keep having fun in my training and how to learn new things even after years of practice and to implement new things !!
I still think that although you could build a ton of muscle with body weight only, going to the gym is still superior for muscle gain. But I 100% agree that the best way to train is using a combination of both.
In my experience, you do need some weights. Trained just with callisthenics. Went down to 8% body fat percentage and 90kg. Lightest I'd ever been. I looked like a Greek god, but with clothes on I looked skinny af. Decided to make a plan when my wife started complaining. Tried to increase the resistance by making my exercises more difficult, explosive ajd adding reps. Didn't do much muscle building wise. It was only when I added weights that things changed. I'm not 106kg and 15% body fat percentage and my wife is much happier.
I don't knock weighted body building by any means, but I prefer sticking to only bodyweight for the sake of creativity. Calisthenics gives a lot of leeway for creativity, and I want explore the depths of it. Calisthenics means beautiful strength, so for me this is an artform, a test of how I can expand upon each movement without any additives
Honestly, doing a hybrid of both is a really good min/max situation. You wouldn’t be at peak of either but get most of the benefits of either. Also easier to maintain, eating wise, regiment wise and wallet wise. Still a challenge but can still get you entry to Greek god build.
I personally use bodyweight training for everything and biceps curls with a bag full of books for biceps. I am trying to work towards a pullups and I seem to be making progress but idk how far away I am from it.
Quite frankly the question is so easy to answer....yes. Male gymnasts almost never lift weights, it's all bodyweight movements. And as you can see, gymnasts are completely jacked. Jonathan Horton went on record as saying, he *never* lifted weights, and yet his body is one that many guys will envy.
Started with Weights when I seriously got into training in 2011 at 22. Now at 34 I've been doing more Calisthenics training since September last year after rewatching the show "Arrow". I've been training 85% with Calisthenics and 15% with Weights. My goal is to be Shredded but I've been told I look bigger especially around my shoulders. I hardly do Shoulders with Weights. Just Pike Push Ups and Dips mainly. Boxing helps too... Bodyweight Training does build muscle. People need to stop viewing Calisthenics as a warm up or a finisher.
Nothing like high volume rapid press ups to build rock solid pecs. Getting your chest to touch the bar on pull ups is a humbler. Gymnastic rings are a great investment. More advanced variations generate high mechanical tension which is a route to hypertrophy. Build a solid foundation with the basics and give connective tissue time to adapt before jumping to advanced variations and skills.
Show me any guy that can do sets of ten reps in the handstand shoulder press ( against a wall to eliminate balance issues due to fatigue) especially if pressed off a deficit or hands on blocks for extra ROM and I'll show you a guy with jacked shoulders and triceps If the individual is "big" its even more of a muscle builder
I am no expert in Bodybuilding, although sure a bodybuilding like physique it is possible, not (extreme) bodybuilding. Also I agree that a combo of calisthenics and weights, are most effective, a so also a combo of combination and isolation exercises. Than some of the base exercises, like deadlift, are actualy weighted calisthenics.
On your pushups at the end on your fists, you ended the reps with your hands at your waist but went you went back up, your hands were underneath your shoulders. Is that safer for the wrists compared to starting and ending the rep with your hands at your waist? As always, fantastic video. Thanks, Adam!
Calisthenics (weighted and unweighted), strongman (heavy sandbags/atlas stones, yoke and logs) and some resistance band or cable exercises. You'll be super superfunctional
The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/thebioneer01231
LOVE THE SWEDISH SONG IN THE BACKROUND!
That's a Swedish song but I don't recognize the artist?
Do you have any thoughts on the keto diet.
Mixing calisthenics and weights is the future of fitness..
Exactly. No need to restrict yourself to one discipline.
And it was also the past and the present haha
I would argue Calisthenics with a component of minimalist Bar lifts. Deads and Overhead Press. Cost and Space being far greater limiting factors post Globalism. Most equipment is made in China.
Weighted calisthenics YES! Noone says you are not allowed to add weight to your Dips and Pullups. It get's you jacked fast
I'm at 27,5 kg added Dips and have the best results in my life.
Also I prefer DIY ISO trainers utilizing heavy duty spring action. Has anyone checked out the ISO chain from Dragon Door?
When i was in the military,I used to do push ups all the time because there was literally no equipment there.And I did a lot of them.I couldnt believe how much muscle I put in my chest and arms just from that.And not even the crazy variations of push ups.Everyday,just plain old boring pushups.Bodyweight excercises are no joke.And if you are overweight,you are in luck,because you get to lift more than the others
Agree with your final statement that the best muscle hypertrophy results will generally come from a combo of calisthenics & weight lifting, as both compliment each other very well in a balanced training program. 💪
I've been telling people this for year's now if you use both bodyweight and weightlifting as a means to grow and gain strength they will compliment each other and give that individual insane explosive power endurance and strength
Train to failure with calisthenics and do progressive overload with weight training. These are what these workout methods are for really.
weighted calisthenics?
@@zey9083 that too, Buy a sturdy ass cheap military backpack and you’re pretty much good to go.
@@ferumcastrum4097 this. Add weight it and half the exercises are double the effort
I love this. Where there's a will there's a way, anyone can get into bodybuilding no matter how little equipment they have access to.
Didn't knew that our natty brother supports bodyweight bodybuilding too😄
@@atharvapatil2501 Of course I do bro. No matter how they do it, anyone who trains with the goal of developing their physique is a bodybuilder in my eyes 💪
@Natty Life Well said man. Well said.
love your stuff bro
I love bodyweight calisthenics training. Been doing it for over 12 years now. Every once in awhile I will pick up kettlebells or sandbags for a month. I prefer my body composition with calisthenics. I physically feel and perform better when I do calisthenics and stick to the right diet.
This is what I want to do but achieve some holds like hand stand and planche but I'm stuck just doing the base body weight training,same routine 3.times a week
@@leejohnson197733 I keep my program pretty basic with a few exceptions. I do handstand pushups against a wall. I also do bridging. I focus on hitting a specific movement once a week. Sundays are vertical pullups and handstand pushups. Tuesdays are squats and bridges. Thursdays are pushups and horizontal pullups. Every session I also do hanging leg raises because they’re that important to me. This gives me the opportunity to either progress in reps or skills. Getting to the handstand was challenging. I suggest Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning and C-Mass books
I did a very basic program of the same workout for 2 weeks and stopped because it was boring.
dips are very underrated in terms of pec building.. proper technique may be a little tricky for beginners but once gotten right its amazing, especially when performed slow and controlled. i think overall people who disregard calisthenics are ones who use strategies made for bodybuilding and its a bit different. as you say time under tension is more important than the number of reps you do and most lads i see always count the reps first, thats what matters, only they build muscle apparently. calisthenics definitely tougher to advance in than bodybuilding though. in the gym everything is laid out for you you just gotta be there and do the work, with calisthenics you need perseverance. if you ever think bodyweight training doesnt build enough muscle think of gymnasts
I started late last year after finding the bioneer channel. I have lost a lot of weight and really enjoying the challenges. Got a few goals like handstand & one arm push ups. 💪
Yes, DIPS then you take the dips to the gymnastic rings and chest litteraly blows up. I just count reps, since that's easier to keep track off. Then the time under tension, i just try and keep a consistent tempo while counting my reps. Maybe at some point i will be able to count while performing an exercise xD
Dips aren't underrated, their just hard when your starting out and bad form can have a huge impact with dips so people generally choose other excercises. But your spot one about ring dips, that's a whole different animal. What a humbling experience it is going from straight bars to rings.
if we are talking about underrated then we have to talk about farmers walk.
but I want a big upper chest and not lower. unfortantely dips build lower chest
You can definitely build your body with calisthenics. Based on my personal experience, volume has always been a key thing in my BW training. But using weight is a great way to keep consistent.
Everyone is different, so it’s all about finding what’s right for you, and compounding from there.
Yes. Training is VERY individual
Don't know English terms that well, what's volume? More reps or more weight?
@@Rodutchi in most cases, more reps. But generally, it’s measured by the workload per session.
@@Rodutchi Generally, more reps. Simplistically, it just means you're doing more
@@RodutchiMore sets or reps.
I use a combination of weights, bodyweight and resistance bands. One thing iv started doing esp for chest is extremely slow reps(push ups are great for this). The burn you feel is unbelievable. This style of training is called HIT, not to be confused with HIIT. It's basically the old Mike mentzor style. Keep the content coming. Loved your first book Adam. Thanks.
How do you program your HIT training for pushups ? Do you do it for something else ? How often ? Is the premise time under tension for long period of time ?
so quasi isometrics in other words
I love slow push ups! Killer!
I love how you're bringing back the golden era of bodybuilding.
Finally someone who does a great video on this topic!
I've been doing bodyweight bodybuilding for a long time and I'm having great results by doing it. People tend to not believe me that I'm not training with weights, but for example prisoners are doing it the same way.
The problem seems to be that people think practicing acrobatics, skills and cardio centered hit training is "calisthenics", but it's not. It can also be a bro split day of 10 sets pushups, 10 sets dips, 5 sets bench dips and 5 sets trizep extensions, all to failure. You'd have to be delusional to not think this builds your chest and tris for example.
It's simple and in my case some junk volume but it just works. It is just not done by many people and therefore not that known.
You have a big influence my man. I live in a small town in Montana and I’ll show the wisdom your content has to everyone I know. It has helped me tremendously
PREACH MAN been practicing calisthenics on and off for seven years and just a couple months ago got back into my groove
Happy to see you make a video on this
The channel Old School Calisthenics is awesome for the higher rep bodyweight style, which has good results for me. I regularly do one of his pushup routines (10 decline, 10 flat, 10 incline, 10 incline close grip aiming for 10 rounds), the chest pump is instant. It's a good workout on its own, and if I'm at the gym I'll usually do a few rounds after benching
So you do like 50 reps total, right, but each set is a different variation? Thats pretty cool, doesnt seem boring either!
Man these are always my favourite videos to watch whilst exercising, they’re inspiring to watch with the training footage, incredibly motivational and still informative.
Just a set of resistance bands and calisthenics can get you a long way. Add a weighted vest and you're good for a great physique!
Lol
This is why I love your advice about mixing things up.
I started working out consistently doing only compound movements 3 times a week, I had my app to track progress and increase the weights I was lifting, I was 3 months in and had made a lot of progress.
One day I sprinted to find a neighbors dog who had just escaped and BANG, I got injured right there and then.
That was my wake up call, I had gained strength but couldn’t really do anything functional besides lifting weights with it (what a waste).
Since then, I changed my routine, I add more functional movements, I train with more variety as the goal and I’ve recovered so much of my balance and movement ability.
This channel has definitely helped inspire that change, and for that I’m so grateful. Keep the content coming!
I actually do both. My weekly routine includes one day/week of full-body weight training and one day/week full-body calisthenics. I've also thrown in some (beginner but by no mean easy) yoga which has some body weight poses.
Hey mate, I want to thank you for this video. I've been kind of bummed out the last few days, just regular seasonal depression and this gave me a boost of inspiration to work out and get a bit of dopamine back in my brain.
You’ve read my mind with this one! Just what I needed. Awesome video, keep it up!
2:30 For a moment, I was wondering what Korea has to do with this.
This is an awesome channel. Thank you and keep up the good work!
I don’t think I can add anything to this and for that I truly love your content. You speak my mind, you have THE single BEST attitude and perspective towards training I’ve seen on the web. Kudos to you mate.
Perfection. I just started my calisthenic journey this year!
with calisthenics its harder to build muscle, since you have to stabilize your shoulders, whole body if you're doing levers, and etc. Plus, if you want to track correctly your progress, you have to be very rigorous on the setup, the hand placements, etc.
But when you have a certain amount of strength, treating advanced calisthenics as a muscle builder is really fun and makes training more enjoyable.
EDIT: by working on the planche and now maltese, I indeed gained a lot of biceps mass :)
I tend to do more cali/bodyweight during the spring and summer when I can workout in the garden. Doing it in the garage gym in the winter I find miserable. This spring I'm focusing more on core and non-isolation such as Bulgarian bag. Mixing that in with freeweights, rowing, and some parallel bar stuff.
Rings allow a lot of isolation with bodyweight, too. I like tricep extensions with a single ring to wreck my triceps with a focus on the long head after I have done my compounds. These days I throw a cluster set of these superset with ring curls on my Monday and Friday sessions.
You can also do facepulls for the rear delts and flyes for chest, even hamstring curls, with rings.
Yeah, rings are fantastic for bodyweight bodybuilding. The diversity of compound and isolation movements possible on rings is enormous. Compounds like dips and push-ups are harder on rings than on a bar which makes them a great form of progression without any external weights. And isolation options... Flyes, face pulls, Y- and T-pulls for delts, tricep extensions, bicep curls and reversed curls. It`s even possible to curl the straps to kinda mirror the hammer curl. You also can train your bicep in lengthened position with pelican curls. I fucking love rings, they are like a whole weightroom packed into a single piece of equipment
The slight bitterness in the beginning at “nobody says bodybuilding isn’t a thing” is delightful ❤
I came to the same conclusion, that's why I started basic calisthenics once I achieved a decent strenght. If you're not an athlete or a pro, the more you add to your routine, the more complete you can be
Another option is slower negatives (e.g., 10-second negative dips); you get the time under tension and, for me, improved mind muscle connection.
10/+ seconds under tension is shown to be worse for hypertrophy than 1-8 (within that range gains are similar)
@@TetoSuperFan Oh, that's interesting.
Honestly, I love your work and I've found you very inspiring. Thanks again for your hard work.
How do you always post the EXACT video that I have trouble with. Phenomenal! Keep up the good work.
I thought the same thing, I was thinking how can I improve my bodyweight training. Then 💥 he puts out a video, how does he know 🤔
You definitely can. I have proved it myself! Great to see guys like you with a big platform put it out there. As long as you focus on TUT, ROM and have sufficient volume, you can't fail. (Unless you're eating junk food everyday of course)
Would you not need to progressively overload and ensure high enough intensity too? You could do a lot of volume and get little from it without those considerations.
@@Jafmanz TUT & ROM kinda give intensity by proxy and you will naturally become stronger and be able to do more as time passes.
Great video, doing a great job promoting calisthenics for bodybuilding. People definitely under estimate bodyweight training for this. Although not bodyweight anymore moving to wards weighted calisthenics too. I like to promote weighted calisthenics
absolutely killing it with that planche!!!
Bioneer preparing to do the DIO lean is a weird treat.
On a more serious note, this video comes right in time as I become one of the many people making obligatory "Improve my Fitness" resolutions for 2023 and in my various Yo-Yo efforts to do so, I've learned at least one constant: I really enjoy bodyweight and other calisthenics exercises (and think the tricks you can learn through them are really cool). So this was just the thing to stumble upon!
That's actually a real exercise called "sissy squat" 😆. But "Dio squat" would fit as well.
Welcome to the club! Its much easier to stick to exercise when you need no(or only a pullup bar) equipment. And the body you'll get is aesthetic, even if making it bigger requires more mindful approach compared to just putting on more weights. Have fun! Nothing like doing plank push ups and front leather pull ups
I use calisthenics and a sandbag.i love both and it gives me loads of options to keep me interested 🤘🤘
I have found the need to focus on body weight training in the past. After major back surgery and then again during Covid closures. I now incorporate a couple days of weight training along with steel mace, sandbags and crawling exercises during the week. I’m trying to age as gracefully as I can
TUT (Time Under Tension) with bodyweight exercises pretty much means hitting the reps to you feel a little pain or slight burn. That's how you know you are applying the adequate amount of stimulus
I have only been watching the bioneer a couple of months. Started doing bodyweight training, fast reps get the heart going. Slow reps feel the difficulty of strength. No weights required 👌
Just a fantastic fitness channel
Awesome, I've missed doing calisthenics and plyometric training so this has been really helpful 👊
I think that you might be one of the few big 100% natty fitness UA-camrs. Please don't ever change and keep the great content coming.
He's not lifetime natty
@@NAVEENCHAURASIYAA has he addressed this before or is this speculation?
@@NAVEENCHAURASIYAA there's absolutely zero indication that he's not natty lifetime. His physique has never been even close to shredded, sub 10% BF, or the likes.
He's actually got a fantastic everyman physique that appears obtainable through dedicated training (unlike, say, a Jeff Nippard but he's super short and stocky). My gym in Bangladesh has guys with physiques like the Bioneer.
The Bioneer is just strong af and because of the way he trains, he's just impressive in an all round manner, but it's definitely more performance driven and far less aesthetics.
Which, in my view at least, is the right way to go. Unless you're getting on stage, I'd much rather be able to do the stuff that the Bioneer can do.
@@beastmry Bioneer said that earlier. By himself. Now he don't use juice, but when he was younger - he was
@@beastmry check timestamps:
ua-cam.com/video/aPL8O28NwLk/v-deo.html
7:40 To be fair, that is quite a bold statement. Yes, you can build a pretty nice physique with only bodyweight, but it has a limit to it. For upper body, you can surpass the novice weightlifter phase(maybe even get to the level of an intermediate, especially with gymnastics rings(ring pullups/chinups and dips)), for lower body, you can reach the level of a late novice lifter(with pistol squats or high rep bodyweight squats/sissy squats). If you want bang for your time investment, do pullups/chinups and dips, because these are the most stable(best for hypertrophy) and hardest(you esentially move the entire weight of your body as resistance) bodyweight excercises.
Left the gym because of lockdown, started bodyweight training at home, found IronWolf burpee based routines and haven't looked back. I have put on 1/2 stone of muscle, which at 48 I'm quite pleased about.
I've been watching your channel for yrs it's awesome to see you progress I've been lifting for yrs and doing calisthenics as well and most of my hypertrophy is from calisthenics and training like boxing and other martial arts. All these different "styles " of training are mostly born from hype. You can find many old time strongmen body builders from the early 1900s with physiques even better than most athletes and body builders today even pre- steroids! Train to the way that best benefits you and dont push it onto others. Keep a strong body and a strong mind and an even stronger heart full of patience.
Excellent, Young Man
Calisthenics ftw ♥️
Yup. Calisthenics is very important not just for fitness but building and sculpting the body to a well defined physique. This really compliments on it a lot and how to properly use calisthenics for achieving such a goal.
Fantastic video
Many great points here. I'd like to add that according to my research Mke Tyson used weighted shrugs in his early days along with calisthenics, this of course underlies your point of combining modalities.
I'm partial to bodyweight, I love it and it's almost all I do. And, yes, you can build muscle with just bodyweight. But, weights are good too and di have their place, for sure.
I also think goals are very important. Are your goals skill based? Are your goals functional? Just health and well being? Athletic performance? Hypertrophy? These all require modifications to training. You can't always train the same. And, they're all legit goals too, so...
I mix free weights and body weight stuff, I focus on trying to get the best out of my body in all movements so I do a lot of strange movements, you are a massive inspiration for my training
Hey Adam, I bought superfunctional 2.0 recently and I'm absolutely loving it so far! I was wondering if you could make a video explaining the benefits of sandbag lifts as you've included them in the program and used them frequently on camera before :)
I think a few resistance bands go a long way to supplement calisthenics movements and make some isolation movements more accessible.
Appreciate your content, and took advantage of the JAN sale -- thanks!
I've been working out from home with callisthenics since covid started. The results have been pretty good 👍
Love your videos so instructional and well edited, I do bodyweight and resistance bands and my gains have been great, i am now following your strength techniques, I am over 60 though. Even at my age bodyweight training is fantastic for building muscle. Love the pleased look on your face when doing those handstands, they are brutally hard, I never managed to get that far, illness always kills my progress. I would love to be able to do a muscle up again, I am training towards my goal at 63.
Very glad to see this video from you. Always appreciate your take on things.
I used to work in warehouse once that sold clothing, there was plenty bars, rails, stairs etc, so everytime I was picking something I did some press ups, rows or pull ups. Nothing fancy just basics. I couldn't recognise myself in the mirror just after few months, I was jacked. High volume is the key.
I transitioned from bodybuilding to calisthenics supplemented with some weight and mobility training. Best decision I've made for fitness. I feel and look much better.
What does your program look like
@@nicholash3849 which details are you looking for?
@@Atlas2040 what exercises/ stretches you do
@@nicholash3849 lengthy sometimes. I went from doing CBum workouts with weights to implementing more from Chris Heria, Gymnastics Method, Bioneer, and a few other gymnast/calisthenics people. Hold on...
@@nicholash3849 mon: back is main with some shoulder and sometimes light leg workout. Tues: chest and biceps and main. Weds: glutes and hamstrings. Thurs: shoulders and triceps are main. Fri: quads and calves with abs. Sat: sometimes a day off, but otherwise shoulders and mobility. Sun: always off
The timing on this video is right when I needed it, scary.
Really sick of hearing people say that you can't build muscle through bodyweight training. The same people who say this are the workout noobs who hop straight on the bench when they can barely manage 20 pushups. They act surprised when I tell them I don't bench or do heavy deadlifts
sheesh mr bioneer your getting more stronger this days keep up the good work
Phenomenally thought provoking and educational video, as always!!!
Question - where do you get your joggers from? I struggle to find a good pair for a reasonable price.
Calisthenics is so effective! Since bulking up it works even better too, like everything I do is weighted
I've been doing calisthenics for years, but I've never done bulking, can you share your experience?
@@_mishi Sure Mishi, when I was very lean I was able to do way more reps per set. I still built muscle, but I had to get more creative with advanced exercises etc. Since bulking up a bit, every rep is harder so I can get a lot more out of basic exercises pullups/pushups etc. In a way I'm wearing a weight vest for everything. Start adding in difficult variations at a higher bodyweight, and things get really interesting. I can do straight up strength work with bodyweight alone!
@@thestonecircle that does sound nice. Ive had trouble putting on muscle lately and wanna bulk, but Im also close to doing clean front leather and plank push-ups and I fear that I won't be able to do them after a bulk. How do advanced exercises seem, do you think it'll be easy with the strength and muscle gains (this including the weight) to still do them?
@@_mishi wow that's awesome those are some advanced moves! I'd say if getting those skills as fast as possible is your main goal and you're still making progress, I'd hold off on bulking. But if muscle is the priority, I think at least a small bulk (just a minor calorie surplus) would only help. The advanced moves will probably become more difficult at first, and you may have to revert to some earlier progressions along the way, but after you put on more muscle and cut back down you'll probably get those skills a lot easier.
@@thestonecircle makes sense. for now I think I'll work on getting these two exercises down and then I'll try bulking. Thanks for the advice! Checked out some of your vids, cool stuff, keep it up man
A lot of the old timey strongmen and body builders did a lot of hand balancing exercises and displays. There's a video of Otto Arco at age 60 something doing a posing routine followed by a hand balancing routing which includes a Turkish get up with a man balancing on his hand!
Very true! Those guys were awesome. Could be a really good video topic, actually!
@@TheBioneer here's the video I mentioned ua-cam.com/video/ccNYf5YcgvA/v-deo.html
Fullly functional training or all rounded functional training. But still prefer the super functional training tag line.
I like throwing in 2 sets of chin ups, pulls ups, dips, and chest focused dips at the end of some of my workouts at the gym. I saw a body builder do this so I tired it and it has had surprisingly good results so far though I could just be having the beginner gains still since I have only been lifting for about 4 months at the gym and another 3 months at home were I didn’t have enough equipment or space to really get a good workout in so my gains at home were minimal.
I enjoy lifting weights, but it gets really annoying having to target muscle every group individually. With calisthenics, you don't need to worry about using so many different exercises as much. Which I find makes it a lot more enjoyable. But the overall health and performance benefits from calisthenics make me like calisthenics more. Thanks for always making such great quality and well-informed videos. Keep it up, and I wish the best for your kids.
Initial thought: Wow! The Swedish music really threw me off in the beginning (i am Swedish). Not that it was bad, just didn't expect it.
I love that you mentioned frank Zane he has always been who I considered to have an achievable physique
Excellent progress on your handstand push-ups!!! I’m getting super close to my first HSPU and feel super excited for that first clean rep! I really enjoy your videos and find your dedication very encouraging. Thank for creating so many inspiring and informative videos. 🙏🏼
I have just learned wall assisted hand stand but I am not able to do handstand without wall . i dont know how to balance my self without wall. I come to handstand position and falls back to ground. I have strength coz I do weighted push ups a lot and have even done 3 pushups with my 50kg friend on my back .
Can you give me some tips on how to balance myself in handstand?? i am sure if I learn to maintain balance , I can do handtsand easily in 1-2 weeks as I know how to progress fast.
@@sameersinghmahar6396 spread your fingers and try to use middle part of hand as centre of gravity and use fingers and base of your palm to counter if you lose balance, can practice this form of hands with normal push-ups
Actively push into the ground, like not just being upside down on your hands but pushing the ground away
Tighten your core and buttocks
Try doing tuck planches
Practice, progress by taking off one leg from the wall, or bend your legs along knees
@@AdityaRaj-hp8tn yeah buddy...
Im Definitely Just Calisthenics Thats How i Keep Going,
Gotta say that combo: The Bioneer + Bald Omni-Man = FIRE!
The way You guys mix weights + calisthenics and Your power, knowledge and motivation Is all I need to not just want be strong but also to keep having fun in my training and how to learn new things even after years of practice and to implement new things !!
Yeah BOM introduced me to weighted full ROM situps on decline bench which got me a six pack for the first time in my life after a few months.
Keep making great informative content bioneer! I’m primarily interested in callisthenics so this was a banger!
Weighted calisthenics is also a fantastic way to build muscle.
Agree, always mixed the 2, i find both rewarding and fun.
I still think that although you could build a ton of muscle with body weight only, going to the gym is still superior for muscle gain. But I 100% agree that the best way to train is using a combination of both.
Dude! You are a Batman💪
FINALLY! CANT wait to watch
really great vid thank you
In my experience, you do need some weights. Trained just with callisthenics. Went down to 8% body fat percentage and 90kg. Lightest I'd ever been. I looked like a Greek god, but with clothes on I looked skinny af. Decided to make a plan when my wife started complaining. Tried to increase the resistance by making my exercises more difficult, explosive ajd adding reps. Didn't do much muscle building wise. It was only when I added weights that things changed. I'm not 106kg and 15% body fat percentage and my wife is much happier.
have you tried isokinetic? (very slow movement)
@@koffing2073 yes, been following Bioneer for years.
I don't knock weighted body building by any means, but I prefer sticking to only bodyweight for the sake of creativity. Calisthenics gives a lot of leeway for creativity, and I want explore the depths of it. Calisthenics means beautiful strength, so for me this is an artform, a test of how I can expand upon each movement without any additives
ever looked at oldtime strongman lifts like zercher lift, arthur lift, steinborn squat, bent press, floor press, one arm deadlift, etc?
Been mostly sticking to bodyweight training that I can do on the go or at home.
I love your videos. keep it up 👍🏿
This was just the video I needed, thanks a lot for your amazing content 💪🏻
Honestly, doing a hybrid of both is a really good min/max situation. You wouldn’t be at peak of either but get most of the benefits of either. Also easier to maintain, eating wise, regiment wise and wallet wise. Still a challenge but can still get you entry to Greek god build.
I personally use bodyweight training for everything and biceps curls with a bag full of books for biceps. I am trying to work towards a pullups and I seem to be making progress but idk how far away I am from it.
Time under tension. This is the Way.
Great video🙏🏻❤️😊
Quite frankly the question is so easy to answer....yes. Male gymnasts almost never lift weights, it's all bodyweight movements. And as you can see, gymnasts are completely jacked. Jonathan Horton went on record as saying, he *never* lifted weights, and yet his body is one that many guys will envy.
Started with Weights when I seriously got into training in 2011 at 22. Now at 34 I've been doing more Calisthenics training since September last year after rewatching the show "Arrow". I've been training 85% with Calisthenics and 15% with Weights. My goal is to be Shredded but I've been told I look bigger especially around my shoulders. I hardly do Shoulders with Weights. Just Pike Push Ups and Dips mainly. Boxing helps too... Bodyweight Training does build muscle. People need to stop viewing Calisthenics as a warm up or a finisher.
Do pike pushups work the whole shoulder? I mean all 3 heads especially the rear one
@@CristianSV01 More of the Anterior and a bit of Medial be honest. Posterior Delts are worked with ring rows and rear Delt ring flys. I enjoy those.
Arrow first few seasons are sick. His salmon ladder pullups are crazy aswell
Nothing like high volume rapid press ups to build rock solid pecs. Getting your chest to touch the bar on pull ups is a humbler. Gymnastic rings are a great investment.
More advanced variations generate high mechanical tension which is a route to hypertrophy. Build a solid foundation with the basics and give connective tissue time to adapt before jumping to advanced variations and skills.
Again, thank you for a great video.
Of course in addition to incorporating isometrics I also add dumbbells to the mix.
Show me any guy that can do sets of ten reps in the handstand shoulder press ( against a wall to eliminate balance issues due to fatigue) especially if pressed off a deficit or hands on blocks for extra ROM and I'll show you a guy with jacked shoulders and triceps
If the individual is "big" its even more of a muscle builder
Body weight training works man! People don't believe it when they see. As they say, many paths up the mountain 🙂
Ive realised lots of reps 6 days a week gets me the most gains .full body everyday
People should watch the week long calisthenics comp i think it’s called the race? Those people are crazy intune with themselves
Calisthenic for building strengh ,skill ,and compound muscle ,and weight for isolation thats what im doing and till now works well for me.
I am no expert in Bodybuilding, although sure a bodybuilding like physique it is possible, not (extreme) bodybuilding.
Also I agree that a combo of calisthenics and weights, are most effective, a so also a combo of combination and isolation exercises.
Than some of the base exercises, like deadlift, are actualy weighted calisthenics.
On your pushups at the end on your fists, you ended the reps with your hands at your waist but went you went back up, your hands were underneath your shoulders.
Is that safer for the wrists compared to starting and ending the rep with your hands at your waist?
As always, fantastic video. Thanks, Adam!
Calisthenics (weighted and unweighted), strongman (heavy sandbags/atlas stones, yoke and logs) and some resistance band or cable exercises. You'll be super superfunctional