BEST AB EXERCISES | CALISTHENICS TRAINING GUIDE

Getting a six-pack is probably one of the most common goals for anyone who trains. The problem is, people are still out there searching for stuff like “fat-burning ab routine”, without realizing that what really defines your abs is your diet, directly tied to your body fat percentage. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prioritize training your core. In fact, there are endless ab exercises out there, more than you could ever finish. Hypopressive abs, ab wheel rollouts, planks… it feels like there’s a new method popping up every day. That’s why, in this article, I’m gonna break it down and show you the 5 ab exercises I consider the most effective.

1. AB EXERCISE: AB WHEEL ROLLOUTS

If I had to stick with just one ab exercise, it would definitely be ab wheel rollouts (also called ab roller or abwheel). It’s a super complete movement that doesn’t just work your abs, but also hits your upper body and even some of the lower body. Glutes, core, and triceps are the main muscles involved, but you’ll also activate your hip flexors, obliques, and quads (especially if you do them standing). On top of that, doing ab rollouts builds serious midline strength, which improves stability, helps prevent injuries (like knee issues), and reduces lower back pain. That extra stability also carries over to other big movements like squats or planks, where your core is key.

Before going over technique, just a quick tip: if you don’t have an ab wheel (they cost around 10 bucks), you can use a towel or a T-shirt on a smooth surface. Try it out, it might feel a little DIY, but it works… and hey, you’ll clean the floor at the same time.

2. AB EXERCISE: PLANK

I put the plank in second place on this list because of its amazing bang for your buck. What I mean is, it’s a super effective move that isn’t all that technically demanding. Pretty much anyone can do it, and that’s why it’s become one of the most popular ab exercises today. Of course, holding it for 15 seconds with just bodyweight isn’t the same as 45 seconds with extra weight. It’s up to you how tough you want to make it — just don’t go much over a minute, because the longer you hold it, the less effective it gets.

When it comes to muscles worked, the plank mainly targets the core, but you’ll also fire up your legs, glutes, and even your arms since they act as stabilizers. Still, the real star here is your midsection.

Hanging from the bar in a comfortable position, your goal is to bring your feet up to wrist level. That’s basically it. What makes this ab exercise tough comes down to two things: first, it’s not exactly a “natural” movement, so it takes some effort to get your body to do what you’re asking; and second, it takes time to build the coordination needed to crank out multiple reps in a row.

Before going straight into full leg raises, I recommend trying knee raises and the L-sit. With knee raises, you’ll bring your knees up to waist height. With the L-sit, you’ll hold an isometric position with your legs straight out in front of you at waist level. Both will help you get used to the posture and make it easier to pick up leg raises faster.

4. AB EXERCISE: DRAGON FLAG

Now, a lot of calisthenics athletes are probably freaking out, wondering why the almighty dragon flag only landed in fourth place. After all, in the calisthenics world it’s a badge of honor to say you can pull this move off with solid technique.

This is honestly one of the toughest ab exercises I know. And let’s be real — calling it just an “ab exercise” would be kind of silly. Because of how much your lats are involved, it’s also one of the staple moves for front lever training.

The reason I ranked it lower is simply because of its difficulty. At the end of the day, I want this list to be as practical as possible for everyone. That said, if you’re already at an intermediate or advanced level, I definitely encourage you to give dragon flags a try and decide for yourself if they’re worth adding to your workouts.

5. AB EXERCISE: MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Last on the list — but definitely not least — are mountain climbers (or whatever name you prefer). These are abs you can do at home, at the park, or pretty much anywhere since they don’t require any equipment. Along with the plank, they’re one of the best beginner-friendly ab exercises. Plus, if you go at a good pace, they double as solid cardio work.

As for muscles involved, mountain climbers mainly hit your abs and obliques, but they also fire up your legs — quads, hip flexors, and even calves. Because of the position, your delts are also working hard to keep your upper body stable.

And that wraps up this article on the most effective ab exercises. Like I mentioned at the start, these aren’t “fat-loss” exercises — at least not any more than any other workout. Pair them with a calorie deficit and you’ll start seeing results sooner rather than later.

If you’ve got any questions, drop them in the comments as always. Oh, and no excuses — most of these ab exercises can be done right at home. So… what are you waiting for? Give them a try!

LEG EXERCISES | CALISTHENICS WORKOUTS

The lower body has always been one of the most overlooked areas (though not by everyone) in the world of calisthenics. That said, there are tons of leg and glute exercises you can add to your routines. In this article — as you’ve probably guessed from the title — I’ll walk you through a series of leg exercises you can do at home, at the park, or wherever you feel like training.

And remember, if you’re lucky enough to have extra weight (like a vest or dumbbells), you can always increase the difficulty of these movements. If not, no worries — your bodyweight is more than enough for a solid leg workout.

1. LEG EXERCISE: SQUAT

• Place your feet about shoulder-width apart, with your toes slightly pointed out — just enough to feel comfortable. This can vary from person to person depending on factors like ankle dorsiflexion.
• Keep your back upright throughout the entire movement. Don’t make the common mistake of leaning your torso too far forward on the way down. Inhaling during the descent can help you maintain proper form.
• Now, let’s talk range of motion — a classic topic of debate. Truth is, going just past 90 degrees is already effective. That said, studies show that the deeper your squat, the more muscle activation you get.

There are plenty of squat variations out there. I cover some of them in this same article, like the pistol squat and the Bulgarian split squat. If you’re interested in a variation that’s not mentioned here, drop it in the comments and I’ll try to add it as soon as possible.

As you can see in the image, you’re going start down and then try to put a bridge position — hips elevated — then extend your legs again without letting your hips drop. Keep your toes pointed up at all times, so the effort comes from your heels.

You can make the exercise more challenging by doing it with one leg. And if that still feels too easy, try adding weight around your hips for extra resistance.

1. Starting position: Feet secured and back in a neutral position. To keep your feet locked in place, you’ll need to anchor them under a bar at the park, ask a helpful friend, or get creative at home.

2. Controlled negative: Lower yourself in a slow, controlled manner, keeping your core and glutes tight. Aim to stop about a hand’s length from the floor — but you can start by working with a shorter range of motion.

3. No bouncing: Don’t try to rebound from the bottom and shoot back up quickly. The concentric phase will be as fast (or slow) as your level allows, but make sure to never break form.

4. End position: Ideally, you’ll end up parallel to the ground, just a few inches above it. That said, this is a seriously tough exercise — doing a shorter range (like in the image) and letting yourself drop at the end is already more than enough. In fact, most people train this movement in partial ranges.

LEG EXERCISE: CALF RAISES

This one focuses exclusively on the calves — simple to perform and super effective. The movement is done by lifting your heels off the ground, just like when you go up “on your tiptoes.”

You can do it with both legs, just one, or even add extra weight (like a loaded backpack) — no problem at all. It’s a very safe movement.

I recommend doing it on an elevated surface where your heel can drop below the edge to increase your range of motion. Make sure to control the eccentric phase (the lowering), and avoid bouncing up and down mindlessly. That’s a very common mistake that makes the exercise easier, reduces muscle engagement, and ends up being a waste of time.

I know there are tons of other leg exercises out there, but I wanted to share the ones I personally use and find the most effective — and fun — to do. I encourage you to give them a try in your leg workouts.

If you don’t have a routine yet, you’ll find several in my workout section, with different options for all levels. And as always, feel free to drop a comment below if anything’s unclear.

Cheers!

TOP SHOULDER EXERCISES TO BUILD STRENGTH WITH CALISTHENICS!

Today I’m going to show you some must-have shoulder exercises for your calisthenics routine. To train your shoulders effectively, you need to focus on all three heads: rear (posterior), front (anterior), and lateral (side).

In calisthenics, because of the nature of the most common exercises, we tend to overwork the front delts, train the rear delts a bit less, and unfortunately, the side delts often get left behind. But don’t worry—that ends today.

Start including these exercises regularly, and you’ll start developing well-rounded, muscular shoulders from every angle.

Most of these are compound movements, too, so you’ll also be working other key muscles like your chest, triceps, and traps, among others.

Calisthenics Shoulder Exercise #1: Decline Push-Ups

Calisthenics Shoulder Exercise #3: Handstand Push-Ups

Handstand push-ups are the ultimate shoulder exercise in calisthenics—at least when it comes to foundational movements. Even though they’re listed under shoulder training, they also work several other muscles like the chest, triceps, and traps. This is a very advanced exercise that requires not only strength but also balance and proprioception, which adds a whole new level of complexity.

Before you even attempt this movement, I strongly recommend checking out my handstand guide, where I break down the technique and share drills to help you hold the position properly.

Since I already cover that in detail in the other post, I’ll skip straight to the steps you should follow to start working toward full handstand push-up reps:

1. Wall-Assisted HSPUs (facing out)

These are handstand push-up reps performed with your back to the wall. They’re great for building strength and represent a big jump from the pike push-ups mentioned earlier.

Focus on keeping clean form at all times: find a comfortable position that allows you to lower down with your elbows tucked and without any awkward movement.

A common mistake when doing these against the wall is forgetting to engage your core and glutes, which can cause your lower body to sag. Make sure you stay tight so the right muscles are doing the work.

2. Wall-Assisted HSPUs (facing in)

This time, your chest faces the wall. These are more difficult because they better mimic the freestanding handstand position and allow for a greater range of motion.

You should definitely work on these if your goal is to transition smoothly into freestanding reps.

3. Freestanding Isometric HSPUs / HSPU Negatives

At some point, you’ll feel confident with the assisted versions but find that freestanding reps are still a struggle.

That’s the perfect moment to start training isometric holds: kick up into a handstand, lower just a bit, and hold the position as long as you can. You can also do this version assisted against a wall.

Negatives are also key for building strength in this movement. Make space for them in your sessions—you’ll definitely feel the difference. And yes, these can be done assisted as well.

4. Freestanding Handstand Push-Ups

If you’ve made it this far, you’re a beast—so I won’t say much more. Keep enjoying the movement and try out more advanced variations like deficit HSPUs or 90-degree push-ups.

And if you really want to level up, try adding weight.

Calisthenics Shoulder Exercise #4: Resistance Band Training

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, some parts of the shoulder tend to get neglected—specifically the lateral and rear delts.

To fix that, I’ve got three targeted exercises to help you strengthen those areas.

Your job is to choose the right type of resistance band for your level. I personally use a band that offers around 15 kg (about 33 lbs) of resistance, which you can find at most sports stores or online.

Of course, if you have dumbbells at home, you can also train your shoulders with those. That opens up a whole new range of possibilities. Still, many of those exercises can be effectively replicated using resistance bands and other simple accessories.

Now you’ve got plenty of shoulder exercises to build your own routine. You can also try combining them—for example, pairing shoulders and chest for a solid push-day workout. Another great option is to train shoulders with back, like I do, mixing in pulling exercises for a more balanced session.

At the end of the day, the possibilities are endless—just choose the approach that fits you best. Feel free to drop any questions in the comments below.

See you around!

CHEST WORKOUT FOR CALISTHENICS

Calisthenics athletes are often accused of having underdeveloped or neglected chests. With this article, I’m going to prove that you can absolutely build a perfect chest in this discipline — and that anyone who doesn’t have one simply hasn’t given this muscle group the priority it deserves. I’ll show you chest exercises using a bar, which you can make more challenging with resistance bands or added weight. If you don’t know how to train chest at home, stick around — we’ll also cover some no-equipment moves.

CALISTHENICS CHEST EXERCISE: PUSH-UPS

Probably one of the most famous calisthenics exercises, if not the most famous. Push-ups are both effective and practical, allowing you to work your chest at home, in the park, or wherever you want. Whether you’re just starting out or have been training for a while, there are push-up variations for every taste and skill level — plus you can make them harder using weights or resistance bands. Besides targeting the chest, push-ups are great for developing the triceps and also engage the shoulders and core. As you can see, they’re an essential pushing exercise for your routines.

CALISTHENICS CHEST EXERCISE: PARALLEL BAR DIPS

Dips on parallel bars are a must-add to your training if you truly want to build a perfect chest. They’re essentially a push-up variant but with your torso upright and performed on bars. They’re a step up in intensity compared to push-ups, but they complement each other perfectly (I’ll touch on this at the end).

The primary muscles involved are the triceps and chest, although the front deltoid also gets heavily activated. The position feels very natural, and a neutral grip is usually used; this makes it quite comfortable if you want to add weight at some point.

Finally, before diving into technique, I’ve found that the strength you gain from parallel bar dips is directly related to performance in other exercises, like the handstand. So if you’re interested in mastering handstands, don’t hesitate to focus on improving your dips first.

3 CHEST EXERCISE: BAR DIPS

Bar dips are often overlooked by those just starting out in calisthenics. Their parallel bar counterpart, which we’ve already discussed, is much more commonly seen in parks and gyms. That doesn’t mean bar dips aren’t among the most effective exercises for working the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The movement can be challenging at first, as the position isn’t as comfortable as the previous exercises. Still, I highly recommend them, and they’re essential for progressing to muscle-ups. You’ll need to find a low bar—usually, the same parallel bars will work. That said, let’s take a look at how to perform them properly:

HOW TO STRUCTURE THE EXERCISES IN YOUR WORKOUT

Now that we’ve covered the three most effective chest exercises, let’s look at how to organize them in a training session. In my opinion, push-ups and both types of dips fit perfectly together in the same routine, especially if you’re focusing on pushing movements. That said, personally, I don’t often do bar dips because I find them less comfortable than parallel bar dips. What I do recommend is to include at least one type of dip to complement your push-ups. After all, there aren’t that many chest exercises in calisthenics, so it’s important to make the most of what we have.

Now you know how to train your chest at home, in the park, or wherever you want. Remember that push-ups and different calisthenics dips can be made more challenging by adding weights, ankle weights, resistance bands, etc. Don’t let your body weight hold you back—build a perfect chest by progressing with every workout.

CALISTHENICS BACK EXERCISES

Back exercises are one of the key pillars of calisthenics training.

This discipline naturally pushes athletes to build upper body strength in order to progress and master the skills they’re chasing. Even if your goals are more practical—like improving posture or building general strength—it’s essential to dedicate time to the exercises I’ll show you below. On top of strengthening your back, they can also help relieve tension caused by poor daily habits.

In this article, I’ll answer some common questions like:

How many back exercises should I do? Which muscles do these back exercises target?

Calisthenics back exercise #1: Pull-ups

Pull-ups are the king of vertical pulling movements in calisthenics. If you’re serious about building a strong back, this is a non-negotiable, it must be on your calisthenics back workout. Even though it’s a classic exercise that’s been around forever, there’s still a lot of confusion out there about proper form, muscles worked, and how to train them effectively. So let’s break that down.

If you can’t do a pull-up yet, no worries. I’ll walk you through the right progressions to get you there.

Pull-ups might just be the most powerful upper body movement you can do in street workout (maybe tied with handstand push-ups). The difficulty is moderate to high, especially if you’re new to training. If you’re unable to do a full rep yet, start with assisted pull-ups using resistance bands. If those are still too tough, begin with australian pull-ups (bodyweight rows), which will build the base strength you need to work your way up.

On the other hand, if pull-ups feel easy, add weight with a dip belt and progress at your own pace.

What muscles do pull-ups work?

Grip: The standard grip, and the one I almost always use, is a pronated grip, with your palms facing the bar and your hands shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. That said, you can experiment with different variations like supinated, neutral, or mixed grips, and you can also play around with grip width to make things more challenging. I’ll include a photo carousel below so you can see what each one looks like.

Range of motion: Start from a dead hang with your elbows fully locked out, as shown in the image above, and pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. You can extend the range by bringing your chest to the bar or even going deeper on the way down, but the minimum standard should always be getting your chin over it.

Form: Keep your core and glutes tight, and focus on pulling as if you were trying to break the bar down, not climb up to it. Perform a scapular retraction (squeeze your shoulder blades together) to reduce injury risk and maximize force output. It’s important to maintain good form on every rep. If that means doing slower, more controlled negatives (on the way down), go for it, otherwise, the swinging might mess up your next rep.

Calisthenics back exercise #2: Australian pull-ups

One of the very first exercises people learn in street workout is the Australian pull-up. It targets pretty much the same muscle groups as regular pull-ups, so if those are still out of reach for you, this is your best ally. The great thing about this movement is that anyone can do it, since the intensity is much lower. All you have to do is adjust the angle and body position until you can perform a full rep. You can bend your knees (to make it easier) or elevate your feet (to make it harder), and play with the difficulty that way.

Before diving into the technique, the first thing you need to know is that this exercise is performed on a low bar. If your local park doesn’t have one, parallel bars work just fine. As I mentioned earlier, it activates the same muscles as the pull-up, but let’s break down a few specific points:

Muscles worked

I encourage you to keep practicing until you master it. It’s a good idea to start testing out pull-ups along the way to see if the strength you’re building with Australian pull-ups is paying off. Maybe you’ll manage to do one, or at the very least, you’ll be closer than you were when you started.

Calisthenics back exercise #3: L-sit Front lever rows

The front lever is a highly advanced back-focused exercise. If you’re interested in it, I’ve written a full article breaking it down in detail.

There’s one variation in particular that’s worth highlighting: front lever rows. While doing them with full front lever form is nearly impossible for most people, there’s a very useful progression you can start with tucked pull-ups. These involve a horizontal pulling motion, which is important to point out, since most calisthenics pulling exercises are vertical (like pull-ups), and horizontal movements often get neglected.

That’s why this exercise is perfect to pair with pull-ups or Australian pull-ups. It’s definitely more advanced than the previous two, so I recommend adding it to your training once your back is already strong and you’re comfortable holding the tucked position.

What muscles does it work?

Posture:

This exercise comes with an extra challenge: you first need to master a static hold. Here’s what that position looks like:

• Arms fully extended, elbows locked out
• Scapular retraction
• Posterior pelvic tilt (you’ll get this by squeezing your glutes and core)
• Legs perpendicular to your torso
• Plantar flexion (toes pointed)
• Neutral neck position (no straining)

It’s super important that you can hold this isometric position—with a straight back—for a good number of seconds. Start by holding the position without pulling. Once you’re solid at it (at least 20 seconds), you can begin working on your tucked pull-up sets.

The full range of motion involves pulling your body toward the bar—ideally until the bar is around hip level—without breaking form at any point. At first, you probably won’t be able to complete the full range, and that’s fine. Just aim to cover at least half the movement.

Recording yourself or having a friend watch you is super helpful in the beginning, since it’s easy to fall into bad form or tilt your body too far forward or backward without noticing.

So… how many back exercises should I actually do?

After reading this post, you might be wondering: should I train all three exercises? Are one or two enough? And my answer is: it depends.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend focusing on Australian pull-ups, and pairing them with pull-ups or pull-up progressions.

If you’re intermediate, stick with pull-ups and Australian pull-ups.

If you’re more advanced and feel ready for front lever rows, my go-to combo is pull-ups and front lever rows.

Which one to do first and which one after? That’s up to you—it depends on your focus and goals.