INTERMEDIATE CALISTHENICS WORKOUT ROUTINES LEVEL UP YOUR TRAINING

Hey! Today I bring you a series of routines focused on those who have been training Street Workout for some time. I don’t like to get too specific about timeframes because it’s very relative, but if you’ve been training calisthenics for about a year, you’re probably more than ready to start at this level. So, if you find yourself in this situation, you’re in luck! Jokes aside, in this article you’ll find a series of routines with simple and effective exercises, well structured, with which you can improve as an athlete.

If you come from the beginner section, you’ll notice I’ve left full body routines aside. It’s not that they’ve stopped being effective, but realistically, many people neglect the lower body or prefer to work it in isolation. Because of that, I prefer to focus on intermediate routines that work the torso, and leave a leg (and abs) routine for those who want a full-body workout. Heads up: if you really like to train your whole body in one routine, I won’t be the one to take away your hope. Let me know in the comments and we’ll see what we can do.

I guess it’s obvious, but I want to emphasize that you need to master one routine before moving on to the next. Although I tried to avoid too big of a jump, some levels do present a significant challenge compared to the previous one. Also, feel free to adjust the intensity (change reps, sets, times…) and tailor it to yourself; after all, routines are just a template, the individualization work is yours. Good luck!

NOTE: If you’re using a mobile device, remember to turn it sideways to better understand the routines. Thanks! Also, keep in mind that, if necessary, you should alternate the exercises so you don’t always start with pulling movements. Otherwise, you’ll begin pushing more fatigued, which will affect your performance. Example: if one routine starts with “Pull-ups – Assisted HSPUs…”, the next workout should start with “Assisted HSPUs – Pull-ups…”

#1 INTERMEDIATE CALISTHENICS WORKOUT ROUTINE

The first routine for intermediates includes a superset popularized by athlete Hannibal for King many years ago. Practically everyone who trains has used it at some point. It consists of three basic exercises (pull-ups, dips, and push-ups), combining pulling and pushing movements. To make the routine even more complete, I’ve added another superset, this time for the abs. It could just as well be for legs instead of abs; if you’re interested, now is a good time to do it, after having worked the entire upper body.


EXERCISES	SETS	REPS	REST
Superset of pull-ups, dips, and push-ups:
Pull-ups	5 cycles of the three exercises	6	45''
Dips		8	45''
Push-ups		8	3 min. between cicles
Abs superset
Leg raises	3 cycles of the three exercises	8	45''
L-sit (if you can’t do it yet, 10 reps of knee raises)		10''	45''
Abwheel (if you don’t have an ab wheel, 40 seconds plank)		8 (on the knees)	3 min. between cicles

#2 INTERMEDIATE CALISTHENICS WORKOUT ROUTINE

Honestly, in this case, I was debating whether to keep the style of Routine #1 and make it a bit more complex. But in the end, I wanted to start transitioning to the style of routines I will mainly show from now on. Incorporating both pushing and pulling exercises, I also wanted to introduce isometric work in pull-ups and keep an ab exercise.


EXERCISES	SETS	REPS	REST
Chest to bar (pull-ups to the chest)	4	5	1 min. rest between sets, 3 min. rest between exercises
Neutral grip pull-ups	4	8	1.5 min. rest between sets, 3 min. rest between exercises
Pike push ups	4	8	1.5 min. rest between sets, 3 min. rest between exercises
Dips on parallel bars	4	10	1.5 min. rest between sets, 3 min. rest between exercises
Ab wheel (if you don’t have a wheel, 4x10 leg raises)	4	10	1.5 min. rest between sets, 3 min. rest between exercises
Superset of isometric pull-up work, alternating both grips
1st position: chin above the bar	3	10''	45 seconds hold between each position. Remember to switch positions each time; they are not consecutive holds.
2nd position: place your head just below the bar	3	10''
To finish:
Push ups	4	12	1:30 min. between exercises

#3 INTERMEDIATE CALISTHENICS WORKOUT ROUTINE

This third intermediate routine is especially important, as it has a structure I will follow in the rest of the levels. You’ll see that I alternate pulling and pushing exercises — the formula that has given me the best results in my training. In calisthenics, it’s difficult to isolate muscles, and the exercises tend to be very demanding with less variety than in the gym. If you focus only on pushing (or pulling), for example, you will probably get tired before you can fully squeeze the session. Although this is a matter of personal preference, I have to stay true to my system and won’t sell you formulas that don’t convince me. I just hope you like this style of routine and enjoy your workouts as much as I do.


EXERCISES	SERIES	REPS	REST
Pull-ups	4	8	1 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Advanced Pike Push-ups (with legs supported on an elevated surface to increase height)	4	8	1:30 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Pronated Pull-ups	4	8	1:30 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Parallel Bar Dips	4	12	1:30 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Isometric Pull-up Superset, alternating both positions:
1st position: chin above the bar	3	15''	45 seconds hold between each position. Remember to alternate positions each time; do not hold them consecutively.
2nd position: position your head just below the bar	3	15''
Push ups	4	15	1:30 min. between exercises

#4 INTERMEDIATE CALISTHENICS WORKOUT ROUTINE

It’s important that before moving on to the fourth intermediate routine, you have fully mastered the third one. The training changes completely, increasing pull-ups and introducing a new advanced exercise: handstand push-ups (assisted). This is a critical moment, as there is no intermediate progression between pike push-ups and HSPUs, making adapting to this new movement a real challenge for many calisthenics athletes. I can only recommend patience and consistency — you’ll improve faster than you think.


EXERCISES	SETS	REPS	REST
Pull-ups	4	12-11-10-9	1 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Assisted HSPU (back facing the wall)	4	8	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Weighted pull-ups +4kg (using ankle weights). If you don’t have weights, add two reps to each set	4	8	1 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Advanced pike push-ups (legs supported on an elevated surface to increase height)	4	10	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Neutral grip pull-ups	4	8	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Parallel bar dips	4	12	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Push ups	4	15	1.5 min. between sets

#5 INTERMEDIATE CALISTHENICS WORKOUT ROUTINE

If you’ve reached the last intermediate routine on this page, congratulations. You’re right on the edge before entering the more advanced levels. I thought it was a good time to introduce an exercise I consider essential for routines: muscle-ups.

From now on, there won’t be a torso routine that doesn’t include this movement, so I recommend you really focus on it.


EXERCISES	SETS	REPS	REST
Muscle ups	4	3	1 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Assisted HSPU (facing the wall)	5	4	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Pull-ups	4	12-11-10-9	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Assisted HSPU (back to the wall)	4	8	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Bar rows	4	5	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Parallel bar dips	4	12	1.5 min. between sets, 3 min. between exercises
Push ups	4	15	1.5 min. between reps

INTERMEDIATE LEG ROUTINE


EXERCISES	SETS	REPS	REST
Explosive squats	4	10	1 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Assisted pistol squat	4	5 (en cada pierna)	1.5 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Bulgarian split squat (with a staggered stance to activate glutes more)	4	12	1.5 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Sliding leg curl (one leg)	4	10	1 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Calf raises (one leg)	4	15	1 min. between sets

INTERMEDIATE ABDOMINAL ROUTINE


EXERCISES	SETS	REPS	REST
Leg raises (if you can't master this exercise yet, you can do 4x15 knee raises)	4	10	1.5 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
L-sit	4	30''	1.5 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Ab wheel (from knees)	4	8	1.5 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Plank	4	45''	1 min. between sets / 3 min. between exercises
Mountain climbers	4	45''	1 min. between sets

CAN I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Intermediate routines will take you the longest time and are the most important stage to establish yourself as an athlete. If you’ve reached the last one (#5 intermediate routine), you can start thinking about moving on to tougher training. Before taking the step, I recommend trying the following requirements. Note: You don’t have to do them all in one session; these are exercises you can try separately. The important thing is that you can perform the number of repetitions shown here comfortably. If you can’t, don’t worry — keep working at the intermediate level, and I’m sure you’ll get there.

Muscle ups: 5

Pronated pull-ups: 15

Dips on parallel bars: 20

Assisted HSPUs (back to the wall): 10

Assisted HSPUs (facing the wall): 6

Push ups: 30

I hope this section with routines aimed at intermediate Street Workout athletes has been helpful. After all, this level includes the greatest number of people. That’s why I wanted to make it as complete as possible. If you still have any questions, don’t forget to leave them in the comments, and I’ll reply as soon as possible. Cheers!