Floor Conditioning for Front and Back Levers: Training Without Bars

The “Pinnacle Exercises” are what we call the most advanced, staple exercises of the Bodyweight Athlete. But just as their name implies, the Pinnacles represent the higher level achievements in bodyweight training- nobody starts there. An entire continuum of regressions, progressions, and conditioning exercises need to be mastered along the way. In this tutorial, I’ll …

The 6-Point Pull-Up: Making Use of the Cable-System Pull-Up Bar

The 6-Point Pull-Up Variation is a great sequence of pull and chin ups that I put together to make use of the typical Pull-Up bar set up you find on most cross-over cable columns. I began doing this while trying to make the most of spotty access to good pull-up bars when traveling so much …

Parallel Bars: From L-Sits to Tucks and Presses and More!

Parallel bars are an awesome bodyweight training tool for practicing your hand balancing, and this week we’ve got two incredible exercises for you to try out: the L-Sit to High Hip Tuck; and the L-Sit to Straddle Press-Up Handstand. Whether you are a gymnast, bar athlete or general bodyweight enthusiast, Parallels are an excellent place …

The Tornado Pull-Up: Strength With a Twist

The Tornado Pull-Up is a great variation on the timeless pull-up exercise. It’s no secret that Pull-Ups and Chin-Ups are one of the best exercises around. Sure, it might be impressive to see someone grunt out a ton of weight on a lat pull down machine, but the simple Pull-Up will always be a display …

Band-Assisted Muscle-Up: Master Your Technique!

The Band-Assisted Muscle-Up is the next step in our Muscle-Up tutorial series, where we’re working toward achieving the incredibly challenging and super-impressive Slow Muscle-Up. Our ultimate goal with the traditional Muscle-Up is to get to the point where you can perform the exercise slowly, without requiring any momentum. Practicing with the Assistance Bands can get …

Review and Podcast Interview: Al Kavadlo’s Raising the Bar

If you’re into bodyweight training, you’ve surely heard of Al Kavadlo. In addition to being a good friend, he’s an awesome bodyweight athlete out of New York and has made a great impact on the field. He just came out with his second book, Raising the Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-Up Bar Calisthenics, , …

Plyometric Body Row: Pulling With Power!

The Plyometric Body Row (also known as an Australian Pull-Up) is a great way to build speed and power in your horizontal pulling pattern. The Body Row overall is an extremely versatile exercise that can be used to develop strength, endurance and muscle mass. The specific effects you achieve from the exercise depend on the …