This is a beginner - intermediate training routine that allows you to build impressive strength with minimal equipment. All you need is the floor and a pull up bar for most exercises.
So you could do it Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Or Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. Whatever fits your schedule.
Don't purposely split the workout into separate days. It's meant to be a full body workout.
1. Warm Up (~ 5-10 minutes)
Do some dynamic Stretches to get the joints nice and loose.
If you're not feeling warmed up yet, do 10-20 burpees or squat jumps.
2. Skill Work (~ 5 - 10 minutes)
For newbie, in this section, i strongly recommend you to practice Handstand.
Handstands are critical for the development of body proprioception and control. Progression in this skill signifies the level of ability of the user. Very few people develop strong bodyweight abilities without proper handstand work.
A proper handstand has the body in alignment stacked on top of each other part by part. There should be no arch, and if at all maybe a slight hollow position.
Why only 4 exercises?
Building base strength is probably the single most important goal for every beginner.
By focusing on the essential exercises, such as Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Squats and Leg Raises, this workout has everything needed for developing a solid base. Trust me, you only need four exercises for a "Aesthetic" body.
Where to start in the progressions?
Test yourself by trying the different steps in each of the progressions. Once you find a variation of which you can just about perform 4 repetitions with good form, go back one step in the progression, and start your program with 3 sets of 4 repetitions of that variation.
How to progress?
Assuming, for example, that you currently can just about manage 4 pull ups with good form. Go back one step in the pull up progression. Your program will start with 3 sets of 4 half pull ups (4,4,4). In your next session, after a day’s rest, you should aim to improve on that number, and perform one more repetition of the exercise (5,4,4). The next session would then call for 5,5,4. Once you can manage 3 sets of 8 repetitions for a given variation (8,8,8), move on to the next step in the progression and start again at 4,4,4. It is crucial that you do not attempt to progress faster than this, but rather stick to micro-increments of one extra repetition with each session. This not only allows for a smooth, constant progression, but it also gives the connective tissue in your joints time to adapt to the stresses placed upon it, and reduces the risk of injury.
Systematically aiming to add one repetition to the exercise you last performed is the key to constant improvement. Failing that, your routine will remain stale, and you will not see any strength gains.
What if the next variation in a progression feels too easy?
Be grateful! Each variation in the progressions places a slightly different emphasis on different muscle groups, and you might sometimes feel that an exercise which should be harder than the previous one is actually easier for you. In which case, start with 3 sets of 6 repetitions for this exercise, rather than 3 sets of 4. Do not be tempted to skip the variation all together however, as it is often the basis for the variations that follow.
What if the next variation in a progression feels too hard?
If you perform the variations of each exercise with good form, the transition from one variation to the next will usually be seamless. Occasionally though –and for a variety of reasons- moving from one variation to the next might prove difficult. In that case, increase the number of repetitions for your current variation up to 3 sets of 12 repetitions. If this still fails to get you to 3 sets of 4 reps for the next variation, 3 sets of 3 reps is an acceptable point from which to build on.
When do I move on to an intermediate routine?
When you start plateauing (not making progress) for long periods of time (weeks) while your diet, nutrition, and stress levels are in check. You can also move on if you exhaust all the progressions. Or whenever you feel like, but that may not be optimal.
As to what intermediate routine you should do, that depends on your goals. If you don't know what those are, you'd better start thinking about it! Bodyweight training is very varied, and this routine will have given you a solid basis for most other things you might want to get into.
Yes, as long as you leave the warmup in the warmup, the skill work in the skill work, and the strength work in the strength work.
The first workout of the week, you replace the squat progression by squats, 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
The second workout of the week, you replace the squat progression by deadlifts, 3 set of 5 repetitions.
The third workout of the week, you replace the squat progression by squats, 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
So every week, you will be squatting twice and deadlifting once.
Before you do your "work sets" it's a good idea to warm up with less weight for squats and deadlifts: first do a bunch of reps with just the bar, then add weight and do another (slightly smaller) bunch of reps, then add more weight and do another (smaller still) bunch of reps, etc. until you are at the weight you want to be squatting at.
As for actually selecting a weight: the first time, start with just the bar. Then add weights in increments you feel comfortable with. Try to add some weight every workout at first.
Frequency
Do this 3x a week, with at least one rest day in between workout days.So you could do it Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Or Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. Whatever fits your schedule.
Don't purposely split the workout into separate days. It's meant to be a full body workout.
Structure of this Routine
Do some dynamic Stretches to get the joints nice and loose.
If you're not feeling warmed up yet, do 10-20 burpees or squat jumps.
2. Skill Work (~ 5 - 10 minutes)
For newbie, in this section, i strongly recommend you to practice Handstand.
 |
| Handstand |
Handstands are critical for the development of body proprioception and control. Progression in this skill signifies the level of ability of the user. Very few people develop strong bodyweight abilities without proper handstand work.
A proper handstand has the body in alignment stacked on top of each other part by part. There should be no arch, and if at all maybe a slight hollow position.
You can find a full tutorial for handstand here.
- If you are not able to plank for at least 30 seconds yet, skip the handstand practice for now.
3. Strength Work (~ 40 - 45 minutes)
There are fours exercises.
There are fours exercises.
Doing 3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;
Rest between one and 2 min between sets.
Rest 3 minutes between 2 exercises.
Rest between one and 2 min between sets.
Rest 3 minutes between 2 exercises.
- Appropriate Push up progression
- Appropriate Pull up progression
- Appropriate Squat progression
- Appropriate Leg raise progression
4. Static stretching (~ 5 - 10 minutes)
Do some stretching exercises by your choice.
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Important notes
- Focus on quality, rather than quantity.
- If you cannot maintain proper form, go back to an easier variation or the prerequisite.
- If you feel pain, STOP. Never work through the pain. REST.
- Try to beat your previous numbers every workout.
- As you progress, the easier variations become part of your warm up.I would encourage you to perform high reps to increase blood flow to these areas.
*********************************************************************
Frequently Asked Questions
Building base strength is probably the single most important goal for every beginner.
By focusing on the essential exercises, such as Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Squats and Leg Raises, this workout has everything needed for developing a solid base. Trust me, you only need four exercises for a "Aesthetic" body.
Where to start in the progressions?
Test yourself by trying the different steps in each of the progressions. Once you find a variation of which you can just about perform 4 repetitions with good form, go back one step in the progression, and start your program with 3 sets of 4 repetitions of that variation.
How to progress?
Assuming, for example, that you currently can just about manage 4 pull ups with good form. Go back one step in the pull up progression. Your program will start with 3 sets of 4 half pull ups (4,4,4). In your next session, after a day’s rest, you should aim to improve on that number, and perform one more repetition of the exercise (5,4,4). The next session would then call for 5,5,4. Once you can manage 3 sets of 8 repetitions for a given variation (8,8,8), move on to the next step in the progression and start again at 4,4,4. It is crucial that you do not attempt to progress faster than this, but rather stick to micro-increments of one extra repetition with each session. This not only allows for a smooth, constant progression, but it also gives the connective tissue in your joints time to adapt to the stresses placed upon it, and reduces the risk of injury.
Systematically aiming to add one repetition to the exercise you last performed is the key to constant improvement. Failing that, your routine will remain stale, and you will not see any strength gains.
What if the next variation in a progression feels too easy?
Be grateful! Each variation in the progressions places a slightly different emphasis on different muscle groups, and you might sometimes feel that an exercise which should be harder than the previous one is actually easier for you. In which case, start with 3 sets of 6 repetitions for this exercise, rather than 3 sets of 4. Do not be tempted to skip the variation all together however, as it is often the basis for the variations that follow.
What if the next variation in a progression feels too hard?
If you perform the variations of each exercise with good form, the transition from one variation to the next will usually be seamless. Occasionally though –and for a variety of reasons- moving from one variation to the next might prove difficult. In that case, increase the number of repetitions for your current variation up to 3 sets of 12 repetitions. If this still fails to get you to 3 sets of 4 reps for the next variation, 3 sets of 3 reps is an acceptable point from which to build on.
When do I move on to an intermediate routine?
When you start plateauing (not making progress) for long periods of time (weeks) while your diet, nutrition, and stress levels are in check. You can also move on if you exhaust all the progressions. Or whenever you feel like, but that may not be optimal.
As to what intermediate routine you should do, that depends on your goals. If you don't know what those are, you'd better start thinking about it! Bodyweight training is very varied, and this routine will have given you a solid basis for most other things you might want to get into.
Can you switch the order of the exercises?
Yes, as long as you leave the warmup in the warmup, the skill work in the skill work, and the strength work in the strength work.Integrating Barbell Squats and Deadlifts?
The basic process works as follows:The first workout of the week, you replace the squat progression by squats, 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
The second workout of the week, you replace the squat progression by deadlifts, 3 set of 5 repetitions.
The third workout of the week, you replace the squat progression by squats, 3 sets of 5 repetitions.
So every week, you will be squatting twice and deadlifting once.
Before you do your "work sets" it's a good idea to warm up with less weight for squats and deadlifts: first do a bunch of reps with just the bar, then add weight and do another (slightly smaller) bunch of reps, then add more weight and do another (smaller still) bunch of reps, etc. until you are at the weight you want to be squatting at.
As for actually selecting a weight: the first time, start with just the bar. Then add weights in increments you feel comfortable with. Try to add some weight every workout at first.
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