bodyweight program
Advanced Calisthenics 4-Day
Overview
Advanced calisthenics is the pursuit of high-skill bodyweight movements that require months or years of progressive development. This programme targets the four most respected upper body skills: the muscle-up, the front lever, the planche, and the freestanding handstand push-up. Lower body advanced work includes full pistol squats, shrimp squats, and plyometric power development.
Prerequisites: 15+ clean pull-ups, 20+ push-ups, 10+ dips, comfortable with wall handstands. This is not a beginner or intermediate programme — starting here without the prerequisites will lead to injury.
Schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push Skills + Strength |
| Wednesday | Pull Skills + Strength |
| Friday | Lower Body + Power |
| Saturday | Skill Practice + Conditioning |
| Tuesday / Thursday / Sunday | Rest |
Warm-Up Protocol
Extensive warm-up: 10 minutes cardio, wrist prep (circles, push-up position stretches, prayer stretch), shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations, 5 per side), band pull-aparts (2×20), scapular push-ups (2×10), scapular pull-ups (2×10). Advanced calisthenics places extreme stress on wrists, elbows, and shoulders — take 15 minutes on the warm-up.
Week 1–4: Skill + Strength Phase
Day 1: Push Skills + Strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps / Duration | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planche Progressions (tuck/adv tuck) | 4 | 10–15s hold | 120s |
| Handstand Push-Up Progressions | 4 | 4–8 | 90s |
| Ring Dips | 4 | 8–12 | 90s |
| Pseudo Planche Push-Ups | 3 | 12–15 | 60s |
| Pike Push-Ups (elevated) | 3 | 10–15 | 60s |
| Tricep Extension on Rings | 3 | 10–12 | 60s |
Day 2: Pull Skills + Strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps / Duration | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle-Up Progressions | 5 | 3–5 | 180s |
| Front Lever Progressions | 4 | 8–12s hold | 120s |
| Weighted Pull-Ups (+10–15 kg) | 4 | 5–8 | 120s |
| Ring Rows (advanced incline) | 3 | 10–15 | 60s |
| Archer Pull-Ups | 3 | 4–6 per side | 90s |
| L-Sit to V-Sit Progressions | 3 | 10s per position | 60s |
Day 3: Lower Body + Power
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Pistol Squat | 4 | 8–10 per leg | 90s |
| Nordic Hamstring Curl | 4 | 6–10 | 90s |
| Depth Jump | 3 | 6 | 120s |
| Shrimp Squat | 3 | 8–10 per leg | 90s |
| Broad Jump | 3 | 8 | 90s |
| Single-Leg Deadlift | 3 | 10 per leg | 60s |
| Hanging Leg Raises (toes to bar) | 3 | 10 | 60s |
Day 4: Skill Practice + Conditioning
| Practice | Time |
|---|---|
| Freestanding Handstand Practice | 15 min |
| Muscle-Up Technique Drills | 10 min |
| Planche/Front Lever Hold Practice | 10 min |
| Conditioning Circuit (burpees, tuck jumps, push-ups) | 8 min AMRAP |
Week 5–8: Skill Progression Phase
Progress each skill to the next level in the progression chain:
- Tuck planche → advanced tuck planche → straddle planche
- Tuck front lever → advanced tuck front lever → one-leg front lever
- Wall handstand push-up → freestanding HSPU attempts
- Bar muscle-up → ring muscle-up attempts
Add weight (2.5 kg) to weighted pull-ups.
Progression
Skill progression is the measurement here. Take weekly video of your best hold or skill attempt to track subtle form improvements. Strength progressions (weighted pull-ups) use double progression as normal. Front lever and planche progress in 2-second hold increments.
Adjustable Dumbbells
One pair replaces an entire rack. Essential for home training.
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Cutting Modifications
Advanced skills require significant strength-to-weight ratio — a cut can actually improve your relative strength in calisthenics skills. Bodyweight decreasing while muscle is maintained directly improves all pulls and static holds. However, skill practice requires neurological freshness — perform skill work at the start of sessions, not after conditioning. On a cut, reduce the conditioning component to 5 minutes rather than 8 to prioritise skill quality.
Pro Tip
Static holds like the front lever and planche are best trained with maximum-effort, short holds rather than sloppy extended holds. A perfect 10-second tuck planche hold is more valuable than a 30-second compromised one.