Explosive calisthenics is one of the cornerstone disciplines of the calisthenics lifestyle. It’s an instand hack to any workout. Increasing intensity, load, tension, and difficulty. It builds extreme power, speed, strength, and of course - explosiveness. In this article we’ll take a look at the method to this madness and how and why to implement it. Explosive calisthenics is the method of using explosive movements and progressions to build strength and power. This is typically seen with plyo pushups, jumping (not kipping) pull ups, and jump squats. There are almost countless progressions that can be done. Each more challenging than the last. But with consistency and proper training anyone can push themselves through the air with complex pushups, incredible pullups, and unbelievable jump squats. How it Works In short, explosive calisthenics builds power through exerting maximum effort very quickly. Expanding and contracting the muscles. It basically works the same way any other strength and power based method works - targeting fast-twitch muscle fibers. This is why power based athletes such as football players, basketball players (think passing, dunking, and even shooting) and martial artists favor this method so much. There is a crap ton of science behind this method so I won’t get too into it. However, you can always go to the bottom of the page to learn more. Why Should You Do It? Because you want to get stronger! That’s why. It builds incredible power and strength. Speed and explosiveness. It’s really the only other way you’ll do this with bodyweight training. It’s also really badass. This is a big bonus. An Aztec Pushup is just about as badass as a planche. Explosive muscle ups look equally as impressive as a front lever. And not to mention backflips. Backflips count as explosive calisthenics. It’s basically a squat progression. So there are two big reasons right there. On a more serious note, this type of training is used to build power and strength. We know that. Now, let’s say you’re a martial artist. Of course I’m using this as an example. You’ll need to be powerful to succeed in martial arts. Whether it’s punching through the body shield in sparring and knocking your opponent on their ass, or literally making leaps and bounds in contemporary wushu or freestyle martial arts forms, you will directly benefit from this type of training somehow. Now, let’s say you’re primary sport is calisthenics. You’re a bar athlete and bar athlete only. Why do you need this type of training? One is because you need to be well rounded as a bar athlete. Especially with the philosohpy and lifestyle of physical culture that BarLords espouses. You need to be well versed in every discipline within the larger discipline of bodyweight training. That is the number one reason. The same way that Jeet Kune Do urges martial artists training for real world self defense to become well rounded - being well versed in striking, grappling, joint manipulation, offense, defense, etc. You need to be able to powerful squat jumps as well as pistol squats. Another reason is because many of you aspiring bar athletes want to be the best at freestyle. This is simply not possible without the muscular endurance necessary to keep going at it with different moves. But almost more important and definitely a fundamental step is building that explosive strength. To be able to do spinning pull ups, aztec pushups, etc takes consistent training with explosive calisthenics. Constantly working through new progressions. Plain and simple, those freestyle moves you see are not possible without training progressively with explosive calisthenics. Those who attempt these feats but neglected to train this way are almost always left disappointed and/or injured. How Do You Get Started The same as with any other method. You get yourself an intelligently designed program and put it to use. The concept of progression is key, once again. So make sure that the progressions are reasonable and attainable and there are no gaps. This will only lead to injury. More intermediate and advanced bar athletes will usually be able to tell what’s what. And will also be able to better integrate it into their own split. I’m going to outline two options below. One will be a stand alone split where the entire workout is dedicated to explosive calisthenics. The other will be something more versatile that one could integrate into their existing split. Workout A
Workout B
Upper Body Powerbuilding
Lower Body Powerbuilding
In Conclusion
Explosive Calisthenics is an invaluable method to build power seamlessly and enjoyably. Whether you’re a bar athlete or any other athlete, you’ll definitely want to give it a chance. Especially if you’re at a point where strength and speed is a priority. And whereas other methods can become quite monotonous and boring with time. Explosive calisthenics leaves you with a world of unexplored territory and new progressions. Progressions that will not only impress others but also yourself, leaving you with a sense of fulfillment to go along with that new found power. Remember that progression and patience is key. No matter what progression you’re working you’re always building that power. Stick with it and you’ll be moving like a badass in no time. Yours in Bodyweight Badassery, BarLord Further Reading Plyometrics
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Shredded ShamanLifelong athlete and martial artist. I'm on a mission to bring back the good old days of Physical Culture and make this fit lifestyle a lot more enjoyable. Archives
October 2022
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