Raw Mass- From Calisthenics

This post will try to give you a few ideas on how to get big using just calisthenics.

There are a few principles that need to be applied for getting big using bodyweight. In brief they are-
1. Perfect Form
This is important for weight training as well, but even more important with calisthenics. Many exercises don't seem to give returns simply because you are doing them with sloppy form, and in calisthenics you can't add weight (at least not correctly) to compensate for cheating. Having tight form will make you grow like a manic.

I initially had a hard time getting even basic chest development. I used to perform a lot of push ups and bech presses and nothing worked. I then, after almost a year, decided that I needed 'higher reps', so I regressed to kneeling push ups. Because of the reduced difficulty, my new form was perfect and within 4 weeks, my chest had developed quite fairly. I thought it was because of the pump I had acquired from kneeling push ups. When I moved back to normal push ups, I had become so used to performing push ups in super strict form, that I could barely perform 1/3rd of my former reps. At first I thought I had become weak, but then I realized how much perfecting my form had done. My chest growth was unbelievable, I gained 8 inches in 8 weeks. And I realized, while I was doing the same movement for the same volume, I was so much stronger. I got back to benching and my max had increased for a mere 150lbs to 250lbs doing nothing but push ups.  I realize that is not a number to be proud of, but for me it was the fastest gains I had ever made. I then applied this principle to all my exercises- and the results consistently surprised me.
I regressed to bodyweight close squats and my quads gained incredible definition and grew like weeds. I tightened up my pull up form to the max and reduced my reps to a quarter and my back gained a depth I could not believe  One of my friends actually asked me if I started taking steroids, because my back was visibly growing every time I met him. I don't even take multi vitamins!
I used to perform straight hanging leg raises, but once I tightened my form, I could just about manage hanging knee raises, and my obliques and abs became like rock. I got stronger.

The point is, even most of the basic calisthenic movements, are actually a whole lot harder than people think they are. Cultivate perfect form from the beginning and you will have unbelievable gains.

2. Full Body Workouts
Unlike weight training, because there is no spinal loading (bench press, squat, deadlift), calisthenics is not very stressful on the body and recovery happens pretty quickly. Because of this you can easily train any body part 3 or even 4 times a week. However, because of the same reason, while the nero muscular gains are great (a.k.a yo will get a lot stronger and more skilled), the endocrine system is not greatly stimulated, causing minimal muscle growth.
This can easily be solved by having at least one stimulation exercise every workout  for your endocrine system, which will boost your growth. The 2 basics are high repetition speed squats and sprints.
The point is that if you perform a full body workout, the endocrine system has no choice but to force the body to grow. Try it yourself, even in your weight training sessions. Perform bench presses, supersetted with rows and finish off with a set of medium-heavy, high rep squats. You will immediately feel the difference in your growth rate. But because you can't split up the body parts then, you will not be able to train more than 2 times a week. This is the essence behind low frequency, full body workout systems- like dinosaur training.

However, in the case of calisthenics, as the recovery is much faster, you can safely incorporate full body workouts and workout 3-4 times a week. This way you will be able to maximize your growth.

3. Focus On the Big Three- Squats, Pull ups, Bridges
If you want to get huge, you have to squat. Without it, your endocrine system just won't react. I can't stress this enough, but the key to growth using only calisthenics, is to squat.
The second thing, that does not need as much explanation  is that pull ups are important. It the best movement for the back, is the second largest calisthenics movement (after squats), and its easy to recover from. Because of this, its fairly impossible to over train the back and the legs when you work with calisthenics.
Understand what this means- you can train with two HUGE compound exercises, pretty much as much as you want, and not over train. Thus, focus on these two movements will reap huge growth.
Bridges strengthen the spine, something that is over looked by most bodyweight enthusiasts, and have an incredible cardiovascular effect. I honestly do not know if doing a set of 10 bridges is more tiring than a 100m sprint or not. They strength the cardiovascular system in a way that inreses your recovey by leaps and bounds.
Most bodyweight guys make the mistake of ignoring at least one of these exercises. And they most certainly do not perform full body workouts.

4. No more than 4, MAXIMUM 5 movements a workout
Many people make the mistake of trying too many movements with their bodyweight. Just because it is low stress, does not mean you can endlessly add movements.
Out of 4, 2 have to be out of the 'big three'. You can pick any other 2 movements you want.

5. Lots of Sets
You must work 2-3 progressively harder variations of each movement, and an appropriae number of sets must be used. For the easiest movement, 3-4 done very fast, for the medium one, 2-3 and the hardest 1-2. That will total up to anywhere between 6-9 sets per exercise. At 4-5 exercises, that is 24-45 sets a workout- a high number of sets.
This is because you need a good spectrum of intensity, so that you won't over train, yet stimulate growth. The fast high rep easy sets will hit the fast twitch fibers without fatiguing them. The heavy movements will work the strongest fibers and induce basic growth. The medium sets will bring a pump, teach you muscle awareness, and perfect your form.
It is possible to do this with calisthenics, as the recovery is easy. Do not try to consistently do this with weight training.

6. High Frequency
Every body part can, and should, be trained 2-3 times a week. This is a whole lot more than most bodybuilders do. It cannot be done with regular weight training, but can be done here.

7. At least 2 days off
You need at least 2 days of complete rest and 1 day of light exercise every week. Because you are doing so many things to increase the intensity, like full body workouts and high sets, you need days of complete rest. I would say 3 days would be a minimum, but if your sessions are easy, 2 days is acceptable.

8. Proper Rest
This goes for all training, you must sleep 8-9 hours every day, and it must be sound sleep. You also have to make an effort to properly relax.

9. Drink a lot of water
This needs no explaination- 5-6 liters is required for anyone who exercises.

10. Eat a LOT of Quality food.
I do not recommend the kind of volumes most bodybuilders tend to eat, but you do have to eat a lot if you want to grow. I find that if I exercise properly, I make gains on as little as 1 meal a day consistently. When you are trying to eat to grow, remember the following points-
a. 1 gram of protein per kg of bodyweight is a must. A lot of people will recommend more than this, nobody will recommend less. Start here, and see if you need to increase your intake.
b. A lot of vegetables and fruits must be eaten. You have to have a lot of quality nutrients in your body.
c. No Simple carbs, no processed foods or junk. I know the whole bulk and cutting story but its a load of rubbish. The guys who came up with the story (Arnold and all the guys n the 70's and 80's) would bulk with foods like fish, rice, whole bread, chicken or beef. They had nothing else. Today there are a whole lot more bulking options out there. Its really really hard to get bad weight if you eat salad with fish and rice and exercise properly. However, if you are trying to get big eating ice cream, well you will be successful, but its not what you want. Gorge on healthy foods.
d. You must have a balanced diet in terms of macro nutrients.
e. Eat a lot of vegetables.
f. Eat a lot of vegetables.
g. Eat a lot of vegetables.

11. Fast once every fort night
Its important to give your metabolism a break from all that growth once in a while, plus you need to drain your glycogen reserves and blood sugar too, and you need to detox your body too. You also need to give the digestive system a break and your catabolic processes some time to do their thing. A lot of guys will stuff themselves with more and more food to get bigger, and when the hit a wall, they stuff themselves even more. Sometimes the answer lies in giving the body sometime to recover from this abuse. Remember, catabolic processes are there for a reason, and what it does must be done.
Once every 2 weeks, eat nothing all day and drink a lt of water. t should be a day when you don't expect to be doing much. Sometimes, this simple trick will bring new growth for guys who have been stuck for months.

All right, now that we have all that sorted out, lets write out some schedules.

All the schedules I have listed are progressively harder.
The first routine is for absolute beginners. The second routine is a basic one and is worth revisiting from time to time. The last routine is for in sane gains and must be undertaken only once or twice a year.
One you start a routine. stick with it for 6-8 weeks. Also, be sure to change your routine every 6-8 weeks. Depending on how you feel, move to an easier or a harder routine, pay attention to what your body tells you in this regard. Last, but not the least, feel free to modify the routines to your needs. Please please experiment and understand what works best for you.

Beginner Routine 1-
To be used for people to rehab or people who have never exercised, or anyone over 50, trying to get back into the game.
This routine will tech you perfect technique, concentration and muscle awareness. Plus, it is gentle way to prepare your body for the basic routine (Routine 2).
Day 1-
Squats-
Use a technique with which you can do a set of 50 reps-
3 Sets of 30- The purpose of this is to perfect your technique.
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 15-20 reps-
2 sets of 13-18 reps- The purpose of this is to induce a pump. This is useful to build muscle awareness and concentration.
Pull Ups-
Use a technique with which you can do a set of 30 reps-
3 Sets of 20- The purpose of this is to perfect your technique.
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 10-12 reps-
2 sets of 9-11 reps- The purpose of this is to induce a pump. This is useful to build muscle awareness and concentration. Focus on the back.

Day 2- (same explanation for set schemes)
Bridges-

Use a technique with which you can do a set of 30 reps-
3 Sets of 20
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 10-12 reps-
2 sets of 9-11 reps
Push Ups-

Use a technique with which you can do a set of 50 reps-
3 Sets of 30
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 15-20 reps-
2 sets of 13-18 reps

Day 3- Rest

Day 4-
Pull Ups-

Use a technique with which you can do a set of 30 reps-
3 Sets of 20
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 10-12 reps-
2 sets of 9-11 reps
Leg Raises-

Use a technique with which you can do a set of 30 reps-
3 Sets of 20
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 10-12 reps-
2 sets of 9-11 reps

Day 5-
Squats-

Use a technique with which you can do a set of 50 reps-
3 Sets of 30
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 15-20 reps-
2 sets of 13-18 reps
Push Ups-

Use a technique with which you can do a set of 50 reps-
3 Sets of 30
Move to a technique which allows you to do a set of 15-20 reps-
2 sets of 13-18 reps

Day 6 and 7 rest

Basic Mass Routine 2-
This is a great routine to start building some real muscle. Its also a great place to come back to, after a hard routine.

Day 1-
Pull Ups-
Tech. with which you can do 30 reps.
2 sets of 20.
Tech. with which you can do 3-5 reps.
2 sets of 2-4
Tech with which you can do 12-15 reps.
1-2 sets of 11-14
Push Ups-

Tech. with which you can do 40 reps.
2 sets of 20.
Tech. with which you can do 3-5 reps.
2 sets of 2-4
Tech with which you can do 20-25 reps.
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bridges- (Already warmed up by now)

Tech. with which you can do 3-5 reps.
2 sets of 2-4
Tech with which you can do 20-25 reps.
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bodyweight Rows-

Tech with which you can do 20-25 reps.
1-2 sets of 18-23

Day 2 (Same criteria for tech selection)
Squat-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 set of 18-23
Leg Raises-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23

Day 3- Rest

Day 4-
Bodyweight Rows-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Push Ups-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bridges-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Pull Ups-
1 set of 11-14

Day 5-
Same as day 2

Day 6 and 7- rest










Basic Routine 3
This is on the same lines as the previous routine, but with a lot more exercises.

Day 1-
Pull Ups-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14
Push Ups-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bridges-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Handstand Push Ups-
1-2 sets of 11-14

Day 2-
Squat-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 set of 18-23
Ham Glute Raises-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 set of 8-10
Bodyweight Rows-

2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23

Leg Raises-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23

Day 3- Rest

Day 4-

Pull Ups-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14
Handstand Push Ups-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bridges-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Push Ups-
1-2 sets of 11-14

Day 5- Same as day 2

Day 6 and 7- Rest

Routine 4-
This program is high frequency and should be attempted only rarely. It leads to hideous growth and is very heavy and intense.

Day 1-
Squats-

2 sets of 20
3-4 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Pull Ups-

2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14

Day 2-
Push Ups-

2 sets of 20
3-4 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bridges-

2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14

Day 3-
Squats-

2 sets of 20
3-4 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Bodyweight Rows

2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23

Day 4-
Pull Ups-

2 sets of 20
3-4 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14
Handstand Push Ups-

2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14

Day 5-
Leg Raises-

2 sets of 20
3-4 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14
Bridges-

2 sets of 20
3-4 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-14

Ham Glute Raises-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 set of 8-10


Routine 5-
This is a very hard routine and needs plenty of rest.

Day 1-
Push Ups-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
Hand Stand Push Ups- 2 sets of 3-4
1-2 sets of 18-23 (Parallel Bar Dips)
Pull Ups-

2 sets of 2-4
Bodyweight rows- 2 sets of 3-4
1-2 sets of 18-23 (Pull Ups)
Squats-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23
Leg Raises













2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23

Ham Glute Raises-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 set of 8-10


Day 2- Rest

Day 3-
Hand Stand Push Ups-

2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-24
Bodyweight rows-

2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-24
Bridges-

2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-24
Squats-

2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 18-23

Day 4- Rest

Day 5-

Push Ups-
2 sets of 20
2 sets of 2-4
Hand Stand Push Ups- 2 sets of 3-4
1-2 sets of 18-23 (Parallel Bar Dips)
Pull Ups-

2 sets of 2-4
Bodyweight rows- 2 sets of 3-4
1-2 sets of 18-23 (Pull Ups)
Bridges-
2 sets of 20

2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-24
Leg Raises-

2 sets of 2-4
1-2 sets of 11-24

Ham Glute Raises-
2 sets of 2-4
1-2 set of 8-10