Below I have outlined the routines I've used over the last 9 months to attempt to build muscle with just calisthenics. All movements are performed with explosiveness to engage the most muscle fibers. Although I agree with most people that weight lifting is the most effective way to build muscle. I disagree with those that say you can't build a descent amount of muscle using only calisthenics.
a slash (/) will denote a super set
Week 1
Monday and Thursday - upper body super sets
a few wide grip pull ups as a warm up
-Muscle ups, I can only do a few, so I do a swinging muscle up where I don't actually go over the bar / Dips for chest (dips on rings are best) 3 sets
-Decline (feet elevated) pushups/wide grip pull ups 3 sets
-close grip chin ups/wide stance pull ups, side to side 3 sets
-hand stand push ups/body weight rows, elevate feet so that you are hanging parallel with the ground and pull yourself up, use a chin up grip (palms facing you) to put more emphasis on biceps. 3 sets
-hanging shrugs, this motion is best done on the rings, but you just hang upside down and shrug your shoulders to work the traps/diamond push ups 3 sets
Tuesday and Friday - Lower body
- Jumping squats (as much airtime as possible)/Walking lunges (10) 3 sets
- Jumping squats/side to side lunges 3 sets
- 100 yard sprints 10 sprints
Week 2
Monday - Chest, Tri's, Shoulders
- Dips - 3 sets
- Diamond push ups/Hand stand push up super set - 3 sets
- Clapping push ups - 3 sets
- Wide grip push ups (side to side)/body weight skull crushers - 3 sets
- decline (feet elevated) push ups/hand stands until failure - 3 sets
Tuesday - Legs
- Jumping squats (as much airtime as possible)/Walking lunges (10) 5 sets
- Jumping squats/side to side lunges 5 sets
Thursday - Lats (back)
- Wide grip pull ups - 3 sets
- close grip chin ups - 3 sets
- hammer grip (palms facing each other) pull ups - 3 sets
- body weight rows (pull up grip, palms facing away), elevate feet so that you are hanging parallel with the ground and pull yourself up. 2 sets
- body weight rows (chin up grip, palms facing you), elevate feet so that you are hanging parallel with the ground and pull yourself up. 2 sets
- -hanging shrugs, this motion is best done on the rings, but you just hang upside down and shrug your shoulders to work the traps. 3 sets
Friday or Saturday - cardio, I run a 5K
Before my experiment. I was strong, but this was before going vegan (or raw), and before I started calisthenics. I was also fat. And that is Abigail in the photo.
After 9 months of Calisthenics only
Replies
Really super, Justin!!! Thanks for sharing! For anyone who would like to delve more into bodyweight calisthenics, check out 'Convict Conditioning' by Paul Wade.