Hybrid Calisthenics

Why are some people strong at one thing but "fail" at others? I occasionally see people laughing at bodybuilders supposedly failing at doing muscle ups or even pushups. While these movements don't always look clean, I always think that they can learn them relatively quickly if they want. The foundation of strength and muscle may already be there. Strength is at least somewhat skill specific. That's why if you stop doing a lift for a while, your numbers might drop and then rise rapidly when you start practicing it again. A few potential lessons we can take from this: 1.) Our training should be close to what we want to improve. This can be anything from sport-specific movements to daily functions (think squatting for standing up, step ups for climbing stairs, running for running, etc.) 2.) We can add a few minutes of variations after our main workouts as accessories if we want to maintain a broader variety of skills while still focusing on our primary exercises. Mobility plays a large role here, so try to incorporate a large, full range of motion within at least some exercise. The good news is that, with even small amounts of practice, there's more crossover than we might think. The example I gave of 400lb squats VS one-leg squats - sometimes this can be learned in a few sessions of practice. There are other factors like joint health and mobility, but this is covered under the specificity of training. Sorry if some parts are not as clear as other times. Some parts of our team are sick this time of year, so we tried to do some simpler productions 😅. Still hope this can help. Have a wonderful day! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

Training some "unusual" grip positions can help us better use the strength we build from training! Like many things I discuss, this is low hanging fruit. It's not necessary, but a little training here goes a long way. Spend a few minutes after your workout training your grip and you may be pleasantly surprised at how many daily tasks become slightly easier - and that's always fun! Have a wonderful day #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

Isometrics are known to improve strength rapidly (think highly targeted, specific strength training). As a result, a lot of people train them with high weight and short hold times (6 seconds is used, but some go as low as 1. Some take breaks but others "pulse" them - think of yanking on a rope repeatedly). However, while "strength training" like this sounds great, it took me a few years to realize the strength I actually wanted was much more in the 30-second range. While there's obviously transfer between the ranges, this way is more targeted (like getting stronger at what you can do 3-5 reps with will also improve your 9-12 range and vice versa). This way was less strenuous (allowing me to do more), more stable, and encouraged better form for me. It also transferred well into my daily activities, which usually required more than short holds. Think of carrying a heavy bag across the yard for construction. There are also some potential rehab benefits for joints. Neither way is necessarily "wrong," but I just wanted to share the value I found in longer holds. I alternate between short and long holds sometimes. Usually when progress slows in one range, I try the other. This seems to keep things fresh (and motivating, which is nice). It also depends on the position. I've found middle positions to benefit well from longer holds. Of course, most people will (and should) do dynamic, moving exercises with isometrics. So feel free to factor that in. For example, if you're doing short, intense holds with isometrics, consider a higher rep range with your movements, and vice versa. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful day! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

You're only as strong as what you can hold on to (when picking things up) So it may be helpful to train "unusual" grip positions at the end of your workout. Grip strength is at least somewhat skill specific, but the good news is that you probably already have some decent grip strength if you're regularly exercising. A little bit goes a long way if you want to train to grip things differently. However, while I enjoy making videos about this stuff, the goal isn't to give you a huge list of obscure exercises to make your workout take forever. The overarching goal was to offer slight variations or underrated exercises that have more similarity to the things you do in daily life. So if you like rock climbing, train rock climbing grips. If you're a mechanic, you may benefit from finger pinching strength (think of trying to unscrew something from a weird position). Hope that can help. Have a wonderful day! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

If you want to get stronger faster, consider adding isometrics. They allow you to train with high forces while still recovering quickly - so you're able to train them more often and progress faster (the tradeoff is range-of-motion, but not as much as we'd think) Overcoming isometrics (pushing or pulling against something you can't move for a few seconds) has been somewhat popularized for strength training benefits, but yielding isometrics (holding a weight or position for time, similar to a plank) In previous videos, I've discussed how to combine isometrics with "regular" dynamic up-down movement exercises, but I can summarize here by saying you can just do 2-3 high-intensity sets for 6 seconds before your regular workouts. (I use an isometric device in the video, but you don't need it to train isometrics. You can just hold a weight for time. Or you can build your own device.) Isometrics alone don't cause a lot of muscle damage, so it allows you to train more often and still get stronger. This applies whether you have isometrics-dominant training (common for some gymnast holds), or if you just want to add it to your current training (more common). As usual, I'll add that OF COURSE you don't have to replace your exercise with isometrics. You probably shouldn't - movement is an important part of life. It's just another tool in your toolbox that you can use. Sometimes it hard to add all of this context in a single video, so this is part of a series 😅. Have a wonderful day! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

Are you actually making progress? If so, how much progress are you making? Is it slowing down? It's helpful to keep our training variables consistent (rep speed, grip width, time of day) to measure progress. It's not always possible to get it exact, but making an effort can help us know when we're progressing and if/when we need to make changes. Charting down your workouts can seem like a hassle, but only takes maybe less than a minute after your workout (do it right after while it's still fresh in your mind). It can REALLY help to be able to look back and see your numbers and speed of progress. Sometimes our memories plays tricks on us. For example, recently I thought I had regressed in the isometric shoulder press until I looked back and realized it was a slightly different angle a few months ago. Hope this can help! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

If you struggle with pullups (or any exercise) because of grip strength - here are some things you can try! Essentially the idea is 1.) Find a way to still train the exercise. You can use gloves or wraps to assist your grip OR you can do easier variations. If your pulling muscles are very strong other than grip, you may prefer the gloves/wraps since you'll be able to train closer to your real ability. 2.) Do grip exercises afterwards. The simplest one I can think of is a passive bar hang. Both active and passive ones work (that means essentially means shoulders down or shoulders up, respectively), and you can use any angle you want. Weight lifting or rock climbing chalk can also help! You can also do things like farmers walks! This might be more specific to your goal exercise if you need grip strength for things like deadlifts. The closer your training, the more specific and relevant the adaptation. Many reps and sets work, but I used to do 3 sets of passive hangs to near failure (where I push myself but I don't come crashing down from the bar - that's usually not good). Assist yourself with your legs if you need to, but try to only assist enough to where you can barely do 1 minute or so at a time. After you're able to hang entirely without assistance, you'll need some time to develop the stability required, but it shouldn't take long. Hope this can help! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

This helps us walk up things! I feel like a lot more fitness attention is given to squats and lunges - and understandably so. Those are great exercises. However, because we get better at what we specifically train, we can consider adding in some step ups to aid our upward trajectory! For fit people, this can especially help when you need to climb things while holding something. It can help to build up to a few sets of 20-30 reps and adjust difficulty by using lower/higher steps and assisting with your arms. In particular, some people struggle with joint pain as they go DOWN stairs. This sometimes puts more force through the knee because of the angle (upward usually involves the hips more). We can learn to adapt to this by practicing the reverse step up. Again, we can assist with a railing so we feel effort but not pain. You can do step ups of different depths, but a reasonable balance could be training deeper ranges of motion with squats/lunges and training shorter ranges of motion with step ups (maybe we added weight once you feel ready). You don't have to do these. Squats are great. They're just another option to explore. Have a wonderful day! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout

Finding ways to stay consistent can lead to tremendous results over time. Rare video in a non-tanktop. It was kinda chilly that day and I saw this shirt I liked. Hope you're all doing well! #hybridcalisthenics #homeworkout