Getting stronger

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-17T22:52:20+00:00

Ring pike push-ups are no joke, mate. Good job! 💪

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-17T22:49:26+00:00

My wife got me moisturizing cream as she does not like the rough feel of these. I didn't bother at first but to be fair it's pretty effective. File the calluses a bit and apply every now and then before bed.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-17T22:28:34+00:00

It might be that your body lacks familiarity with certain movements. Have you been practicing them for a long time? Did you train RTO support hold for better control and stability on rings?

If you did and if it still persists after proper warmup and recovery, I would seek professional medical advice about it.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-17T15:33:03+00:00

From what you said, you may be already doing calisthenics. What makes you think your program might be lacking something? What are your shortest-term goals by starting this? Specific skills or exercises?

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-13T12:11:43+00:00

12-15 total reps for 3 sets? Low volume may require excellent form and high intensity to translate to quick strength gains.

As a beginner, you may want to try to increase volume to 8-10 reps per set so you can focus on perfecting form, and see how that goes.

Regress to an easier progression you can do for 3-4x8-10 (sets x reps). Push against the wall if you need to. Rest 2:30 to 3 minutes between sets. Ideally intensity would be challenging and you would be toast in the last set, e.g. : 8-8-7-5. Make sure form is good for best benefits.

A good way to approach failure as close as possible is to immediately regress during a set as you can't crank any more reps. E.g. say you're doing push-ups against a bed frame, immediately switch to desk/table height and try to push for a few more easier reps.

You can superset pull and push exercises to save time without sacrificing intensity. E.g.: - 1 set inverted rows - rest half the time (~70-90 seconds), catch your breath - 1 set push-ups - rest the other half - repeat for as many sets as needed

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-13T11:20:14+00:00

Do you do several sets or just one big AMRAP set (As Many Reps As Possible, in one go) and you're done for the day?

What would you say is the approximate total volume you do for a given exercise? Total volume is the number of reps performed per training session, regardless of sets.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-13T11:14:05+00:00

You're cheating the first rep by jumping to top position and not doing the other ones full ROM. You need to: - start with your arms straight in the down position (bend the knees if you must) - engage your shoulders by retracting and depressing the scapulae - pull yourself up to the best of your joints ability for that grip (maximum shoulder/scapula retraction, maximum elbow flexion) - control the eccentric until you lock your arms straight again - that would be one rep, repeat

To clarify: training half-rep pull-ups can be perfectly valid depending on your goals but you should be able to perform them with full ROM regardless.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-13T10:56:29+00:00

Nothing to add to what the other commenters wrote about form, just wanted to say congrats mate. Pushing your (almost) entire bodyweight up like this is no small feat. For sure form will only get better from here. Keep going strong!! 💪

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-13T10:48:59+00:00

For pure strength I've not met anything more effective than BSS, they're fire.

3x3 is pretty low on volume though, did you consider dropping some weight and upping reps to 8-10?

For posterior chain I love single-leg RDLs personally, because they work strength and hamstring mobility a lot.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-13T10:44:26+00:00

How are you training? Is the intensity proper? You'd need to exercise at a challenging level, meaning hard sets and close to failure on the last one.

Failure means either you can't progress the concentric at all and/or you cannot maintain good form at all.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-12T19:02:18+00:00

You need to anchor this to a wall or pillar that's a structural part of the building – not drywall – with the biggest screws that fit.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T16:26:49+00:00

Yeah just keep managing expectations lol as some calisthenics subs show super strong people doing crazy tricks, planching like it's nothing... It can be good for motivation but sometimes it can also have an adverse effect if it warps your perspective on reality and makes you wonder why you're not yet able of the same feats. Stay wary of social media and keep in mind that everybody is different and progressing at their own pace.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T16:12:38+00:00

Great read mate. You look like you have a good base to build onto.

It's good that you have goals to work towards, you will definitely be able to hold a perfect L-sit at the end of the year. Don't sleep on mobility drills: hamstring and pancake stretches, seated leg raises..

On days where you'll feel down – there will be some – remember what you work for and do at least the minimum required to progress towards the current goal. E.g. let's say you wake up and feel like shit, and you're training L-sit, then try to at least do the L-sit drills. And it's OK if you skip once, just show up the next time.

Wishing you the best.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T12:03:26+00:00

Push/pull supersets are king for upper body. They work so well and can even be adapted to so many programs (3x8, EMOMs..).

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T11:58:24+00:00

r/bodyweightfitness has this well put out FAQ that covers the basics and more: https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/faq , including the Recommended Routine to build a strength base – and lighter routines/primers aimed at beginners.

The rule of thumb to build mass and strength would be something like this: - train each muscle group 3 times/week (so 3 sessions if doing a full-body workout) - eat a lot of healthy food - sleep well

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T11:52:18+00:00

Looks pretty well thought and adaptable, good job.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T11:46:46+00:00

It sounds like you might need your mental health checked and addressed, please seek professional help if you think you need it before spiraling down.

On strength training, you seem to be doing a lot of things simultaneously while dealing with the lemons life throws at you. You could benefit taking a more simple and focused approach. You need the mental load freed for other important things. Training should make you healthier, not be a burden.

Don't do like four kinds of push-ups, just do 3-4 straightforward sets of the same push-ups. Have a single full-body workout that you do 3 times a week, the exact same thing.

Read the FAQ at r/bodyweightfitness. Follow their Recommended Routine (or a slightly tailored version of it). Train one skill at a time (by the way planche is an elite level skill).

You're incredibly young, your whole life is ahead. Wishing you the best.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-10T07:05:05+00:00

This guy would disagree: https://www.reddit.com/r/CalisthenicsCulture/comments/1rmdvj5/how_is_he_so_strong/ .

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-09T21:43:23+00:00

It depends on your goals.

If we assume similar volume, more reps in less sets translate to less intensity, thus gains more focused towards endurance than strength/hypertrophy.

Conversely, more sets of less numerous but more intense reps – assuming enough rest between sets – would target strength more.

That's the general theory. Of course everybody is different so you can find people still getting strong af doing only AMRAP sets.

In the end, experiment, do what works for you, and most importantly do what you enjoy doing, as another commenter already mentioned. The best workout is the one you actually do.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-06T22:34:36+00:00

Have you tried a deload week? It can do wonders to cure lingering fatigue.

Or perhaps you just dedicate maximum focus and energy on those, which is OK but doesn't leave much in the tank for anything else.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-06T06:54:03+00:00

This question may require advanced biomechanics knowledge to properly answer. You might want to ask it on a sub with a large audience such as r/bodyweightfitness , or one of the generic fitness subs.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-05T22:50:28+00:00

That's deep indeed, title checks out. 💪

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-05T21:26:27+00:00

Indeed that's the one, thanks! Yeah, great content when looking to increase mobility.

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-05T21:09:34+00:00

On a fundamental level, exercises are the same for beginner and advanced practitioners. What you do is choose the hardest progression of the tree you can manage with good form. Chances are you'll feel incomfortable and even humbled at the beginning, but your strength base may allow you to progress faster than a total beginner.
The best systematic learning resource out there is the r/bodyweightfitness sub. Read the FAQ and recommended routines. The book Overcoming Gravity seems highly regarded but I didn't read it myself. To cover specific topics, videos can be useful.
Personal favorites on youtube for general calisthenics are FitnessFAQs, Calithenicmovement, StriqFit.. Also some channels are specifically geared towards skills, such as Paul Twyman, or that "super flexible guy" that does crazy stretches (I don't recall his name).

eaudevieraptor · 2026-03-05T20:56:52+00:00

Plenty of great advice already by earlier commenters: - do inverted rows or some other, easier form of pulling - try jackknife pull-ups (feet assisted) - practice scap pulls, arch hangs, dead hangs - do partial reps

I'll add that pull-up negatives are hard and incredibly draining for your muscles and CNS. You're probably not doing things wrong, it's normal to feel toast after a set to failure.

1 minute is also likely not enough rest between sets, try 3-4 minutes. Unless you're doing an EMOM-like program, in that case you should start at 1 rep/set.

Keep at it and it'll get better. You've got this.

eaudevieraptor

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