Calisthenics

Exercises for beginner, intermediate
and advanced athletes
Learn how to train anywhere,
anytime
Detailed exercise demonstrations and
tips

CONTENTS
WHAT'S INSIDE
05 - WHAT IS CALISTHENICS
06 - RESULTS YOU'LL GET
08 - WHAT YOU NEED
09 - ISSUES WITH CALISTHENICS
10 - PLANES OF MOVEMENTS
11 - STRUCTURING WORKOUTS
13 - NEED TO KNOW
16 - MOVEMENTS IN CALISTHENICS
31 - TAKE HOME POINTS

DISCLAIMER
The information in this e-book is presented with good intentions, but no warranty is given nor
results guaranteed. We have no control over physical conditions surrounding the application of
the information in this book and CaliUnity disclaims any liability for untoward results including
any injuries or damages arising from a person’s attempt to rely upon any information contained
herein.
The exercises shown and the training program described in "Begin Bodyweight" are for
information purposes and may be too strenuous or even dangerous for some people. Use this
information at your own risk. When buying/downloading "Begin Bodyweight", the customer
understands the risks associated with using this type of product and agrees not to hold
CaliUnity or its representatives responsible for injuries or damages resulting from use without
proper supervision. Perform a safety check prior to each session. This should include checking
resistance bands for fraying and the sturdiness of any equipment used. CaliUnity is not
responsible for problems related to the equipment used to perform the exercises described. As
with all eBooks, this one contains opinions and ideas presented by CaliUnity. The content of
this eBook, by its very nature, is general, where each reader’s situation is unique. Therefore, the
purpose is to provide general information rather than address individual situations.
Prior to starting "Begin Bodyweight", please consult a licensed health practitioner for an
assessment and clearance. If you experience acute or chronic pain, discontinue training and
consult a medical professional for guidance.
MAKE SURE TO READ THIS BEFORE WE START
HANGING UPSIDE DOWN AND DOING HANDSTANDS!

HEY!
In this guide, we're sharing knowledge and simple guidance into getting started
with calisthenics.
We'll reveal the methods behind making it work for you, the movements you can
get started with - with no equipment except your own bodyweight - and how
you can progress it and add it into your own, existing workout schedule easily.
This is all while being able to get the strong and aesthetic physique you've
always dreamed of, and having the most fun you've ever had with exercise.
BUT before we get into that, let us to give you a background into who we are,
and why we created this for you.
We are CaliUnity. We are a community of calisthenics coaches and athletes at
all levels, united together to help eachother better ourselves, and become our
strongest versions physically and mentally.
Many of us have come from other training backgrounds, like powerlifting and
weight training, but it failed to ignite the passion inside of us. We were stuck in
the rut of adding an extra kilogram to our lift, dropping a pound on the scale,
and shaping up our bodies to 'perfection' that we were left lost, unmotivated,
and with no true purpose with our training.
Calisthenics allowed us to re-introduce the real purpose for training - play.
While simultaneously making us stronger than ever before, looking our best
(without aesthetics being the main goal), meeting like-minded, amazing people,
and never feeling like the gym is a chore anymore.

WHAT IS CALISTHENICS?
5
Calisthenics can mean many things. It can be the way the military trains for
battle. It's how my grandma stays fit and healthy in her elder years and it's
how millions of people across the world develop themselves into stronger,
healthier versions of themselves.
Have you ever seen someone doing a handstand? That's calisthenics.
Ever watched the Olympics and seen the incredible feats of strength on the
gymnastics rings? That's calisthenics.
Ever done a pushup? An bodyweight squat or lunge? That's calisthenics.
Ultimately, calisthenics is about mastering your bodyweight. Translating
from Greek to "beautiful strength", calisthenics is all about using your own
bodyweight as resistance to learn new skills, master new strength, and
develop new ways to move your body.
Progressive challenge paired with solid goals and the enjoyment that comes
with exploring your physical potential is a perfect recipe for long-term
success and fulfilment in your fitness journey.
The beauty of calisthenics is it's for everyone. You can do it anywhere,
anytime and anyone can start doing it. You could be a professional athlete, a
young child in school, or someone who's never stepped foot in the gym
before!
In this guide, we hope to find the right level for you to start and to give you
the adequate knowledge to send you in the right direction!
FROM THE WHOLE CALIUNITY TEAM - HAPPY TRAINING!

WHY TRUST US?
6
TONY, 75
The CaliUnity coaches have restored my knee to
proper health, helping me avoid getting surgery!
This type of training has allowed me to achieve
really cool gymnastics skills and strength, and the
coaches are super charismatic and guiding along the
way. I would highly, highly recommend trying
calisthenics with these guys if you're looking to
improve gymnastics/calisthenics, heal injuries and
want to move better than they have ever before.
CHRIS, 25
Ollie and Kiera from Caliunity have been a great
asset to my training over the last two years - their
introduction of Calisthenics to my workouts has
seen my overall strength and functional fitness
grow massively. The beauty of this style of training
and coaching is the minimal kit required, with just a
pull up bar and rings I’ve had minimal disruption to
my training during the lockdowns. Having achieved
my first muscle up thanks to Ollie, and since ticking
off various skills (levers, handstands etc) I would
highly recommend this coaching to anyone seeking
an introduction into Calisthenics/Mastering their
body weight as a tool for training!
JACKSON, 34
Within one year, the coaches have helped me transform my body and surpass all
my goals (handstands, weights, calisthenics), as well as helping me gain 12kg of
muscle! I always believed I couldn't do these things because of long term lower
back injury, however the coaches actually took time to educate themselves on my
injury prior to training and since then the everyday dull pain has completed
resided. I initially was training once a week but as a result of how capable I feel in
my daily routine and the abilities the coaching has installed in me, I now train
calisthenics 4 times a week, completely painfree.
It's clear they genuinely care about their clients and I always look forward to my
sessions especially the 1:1 ones, because they're so much fun and they’ve always
got new things to teach!

WHY TRUST US?
7
KATIE, 22
These guys are amazing! Kiera introduced me to
calisthenics in Bath and taught me different
exercises which maximise muscle strengthening
in a friendly fun way alongside progression
pointers and exercises I can do outside of cali
hours. Highly recommended trying calisthenics
and learning from these guys! Thank you for
introducing me to such a fun and unique form of
exercise! I love it!!
EDDIE, 27
These guys are brilliant trainers! You can
tell they're very passionate about their
jobs and are great with people! Ollie and
Kiera have so much knowledge on
calisthenics and strength training and
they're awsome at explaining things. It's
always a pleasure in being taught by
them, they're very professional, polite
and will keep pushing you! Top stuff!
MARIAN, 24
"I’ve been training with the coaches at CaliUnity for over a year now!
They’ve really helped me improve my strength and overall fitness and
I always look forward to sessions, especially the online 1:1. I initially
started only 1:1 in person sessions but when I moved away from the
area, I started doing online coaching instead and I’m so happy I did.
They will go above and beyond to help if I have any injuries and will
tailor sessions to helping that. Growing muscles and getting stronger
is very addictive and I’m very excited to soon get my first full pull up!"

WHAT YOU NEED
8
You can complete 80% of this guide without equipment. None at all,
just your bodyweight.
However, an essential piece of kit is a pull-up bar. As you'll read
later, it is incredibly hard to activate the back muscles and biceps
without a pull-up bar.
WE RECOMMEND
A door pull-up bar, a pair of gymnastics rings to hang from, or some
goalposts. Whatever you can find to hang from - even a tree if
you're dedicated enough!
There are loads of tools you can use to take calisthenics to your next
level. We've tried them all and after years of research, trials, and
tribulations, we released our highly acclaimed range of premium
calisthenics equipment over at caliunity.store - check it out for rings,
parallettes, and more!

9
WHAT'S THE ISSUE WITH CALISTHENICS?
The reason why most people gravitate toward traditional weight
training and stop calisthenics is progression.
They simply do not know how to progress on from a pushup.
You see, it's very easy to progress with weights. Once you've
learnt a movement like bench press, you just continue to add
weight as you get stronger.
But with calisthenics, you don't just keep adding reps or weight.
You progress onto the next skill. But the problem is, it's hard to
know what skill comes next.
We like to think of calisthenics as a game, using a skill tree to
understand where and what we progress onto next. This way, it's
easy to see what skill comes next, and what is required to get
there.
Ever played computer games? Once you've earned enough skill
points, you can spend them on a skill and progress to the next
level. Let's take that same approach with calisthenics.
Achieve a skill, move onto the next according to
the skill tree, and get stronger - like these guys!

CALISTHENICS 101
THE PLANES OF MOVEMENT
10
CLICK ON A PLANE TO VIEW THE
MOVEMENTS
Front Pull
(Row)
Overhead Push
(Handstand)
Down push
(Dip)
Overhead Pull
(Pullup)
Front Push
(Pushup)
Core
(Crunch)
Legs pull
(Deadlift)
Legs Push
(Squat)

WEEKLY SCHEDULE
11
Upper/Lower
Full Body
WORKOUT
DAY
DAY
WORKOUT
MONDAY
FULL BODY
MONDAY
UPPER
TUESDAY
REST
TUESDAY
LOWER
WEDNESDAY
FULL BODY
WEDNESDAY
REST
THURSDAY
REST
THURSDAY
UPPER
FRIDAY
FULL BODY
FRIDAY
LOWER
SATURDAY
REST
SATURDAY
REST
SUNDAY
REST
SUNDAY
FULL
BODY/REST
We recommend at leaving at least 24 hours between working the same
muscle groups.
Muscle grows and you become stronger while you rest, not during the
training itself.
Training too much can also lead to overtraining, which inhibits any positive
training effects giving you the complete opposite result - burnout,
weakness, body exhaustion! This is why a full body split always has a rest
in-between and the upper/lower is split into this seperated format, to allow
adequate rest.
Change round the split as needed to fit your schedule and time commitment.

STRUCTURING WORKOUTS
12
full body
Pick one exercise from each plane of movement and perform 3 sets of 5-8
reps of the progression you find the hardest.
upper/lower
Pick the exercise that you find the hardest and can do for roughly 3 sets and
3-5 reps.
OPTIONAL: Once you have completed one movement from each plane, you
could then regress to the easier movement and complete more reps, for
example 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
LOWER DAY - Pick 3 Lower Exercises & 2 Core
UPPER DAY = Pick 1 Upper Push, 1 Upper Pull, 1 Front Push, 1 Front Pull
and 1 Down Push
upper
EXAMPLE
lower
EXERCISE
REPS
EXERCISE
REPS
PIKE PUSH UP
3 sets of 5 reps
NORDIC CURL
3 sets of 5 reps
PULL UP
3 sets of 5 reps
REVERSE NORDIC
3 sets of 5 reps
PLANCHE
PUSHUP
3 sets of 5 reps
GHR
3 sets of 8 reps
ROW
3 sets of 8 reps
DRAGON FLAG
3 sets of 5 reps
DIP
3 sets of 5 reps
STEP UP
3 sets of 10
reps

...THINGS TO KNOW
13
TYPES OF
CONTRACTION
There are 3 types of muscle
contraction, all of which
contribute to muscle and strength
gains:
Isometric - A movement where
your muscle length and the angle
of your joints do not change. For
example, a plank or bar hang.
Eccentric - Also known as a
muscle-lengthening contraction,
or the "negative". This kicks in
when your muscles are elongated,
such as during the lowering of a
push-up or pull-up.
Concentric - the opposite of an
eccentric movement. The pullingup
part of the pull-up, and the
pushing-up part of the push-up.
TEMPO
Tempo simply means controlling the movement
through its contractions. For example, a 3 second
negative pull-up simply means you pull your body
up to the bar as normal, and then lower down for
3 seconds until hanging, instead of just dropping.
RANGE OF
MOTION
Range of motion, shortened to ROM, is very
important in calisthenics. Due to the complex
movements, we will be utilising full range of
motion in a lot of the exercises. However, in
order to progress we may decrease the ROM or
increase, so watch out for this.
KEEP READING

SHOULDER POSITIONS IN
CALISTHENICS
14
Retracted
Shoulder blades pinched together
protracted
Back rounded
depressed
Shoulders away from ears
elevated
Shoulders up to ears,
covering ears

WARM UP
15
An essential part of the program - it should not be skipped. Calisthenics
asks for intense ROM from our body - we need to make sure everything
is warm and ready to go.
1
WORLDS BEST STRETCH
5 Reps each side
2
DOWNWARD - UPWARD DOG
10 Reps
3
BANDED ROTATIONS
10 Reps
4
BANDED PULLAPARTS
10 reps, Keep shoulders back and
down.

5
16
WRIST ROTATIONS
10 Reps each direction
6
WRIST CIRCLES
10 Reps
7
WRIST CIRCLES (FINGERS OUT)
10 Reps
8
wrist circles (fingers back)
10 Reps

UPPER PUSH
HOME
17
PIKE PUSH-UP
Walk feet towards hands, don't worry
about having completely straight legs
but actively squeeze them.
Round and elevate your shoulders up
to your ears.
Lean as far forward as you can and
lower down, aiming to touch your
nose to the floor.
DIFFICULTY
Reduce ROM and go
deeper as you get
stronger.
CONTINUED
Lean further forwards and get
more ROM for increased
difficulty.
The goal is weightlessness in
your feet, until eventually your
feet will come off the floor

UPPER PUSH (CONTINUED)
HOME
18
BACK TO WALL
HANDSTAND PUSH-UP
Kick up to a handstand against
the wall.
As you bend your arms, try and
get as close to the wall in front
of you as you can.
CHEST TO WALL
HANDSTAND PUSH-UP
Walk up to the wall, and aim to
push forwards until your feet
start to come away from the
wall.
If this is too difficult, do the
negatives and bail out, but aim to
use minimal feet.
FREESTANDING
HANDSTAND PUSH-UP
Freestanding HSPU requires basic
experience and ability with
freestanding handstands. This is
beyond the scope of this guide, so if
you'd like to learn more about getting
your first handstand, or perfecting it
if you're already there, click below:
Handstand guide

UPPER PULL
HOME
19
ACTIVE HANG
Actively hang by squeezing your
shoulders down and away from your
ears. Keep in a hollow position by (dish)
NEGATIVE PULL UP
Control the down portion of the pullup,
trying to keep your shoulder down and
away from your ears. Slow yourself
down as much as possible. If you can do
a 5-second negative, try the next
progression!
INCH BY INCH PULL UPS
Try and pull back up when doing a
negative. Over time, increase the ROM
(inch by inch) until can do full pull-ups!
PULL UPS
Full ROM is elbows locked out at
bottom, and chin over the bar/rings at
the top. Add weight if these are easy!
CONTINUED
DIFFICULTY

UPPER PULL (CONTINUED)
HOME
20
ARCHER PULL UP
Keep one arm straight as you do a pullup. You can false
grip if needed.
FINGER ONE-ARM PULL UP
Reduce fingers on one hand. Pull shoulder to opposite
hand. Progress by pulling with less fingers.
DIFFICULTY

FRONT PUSH
HOME
21
KNEE PUSH UP
Place hands just outside of
chest. Aim to drive elbows 45
degrees back. Chest to floor is
full ROM - only progress when
you can do 5 reps here.
Squeeze glutes and abs,
keeping body in straight line.
NEGATIVE PUSH UP
Great way to progress to the
full pushup. Lower down in
a full pushup, aiming to keep
the body in a straight line
(squeeze bum). Get to the
bottom, and come back to
the top in a knee pushup.
PUSH UP
Keep elbows tucked in,
chest to floor. Full rep is
elbows locked out at top
CONTINUED
DIFFICULTY

HOME
22
ARCHER PUSH UP
Keep one arm straight so
elbow completely locked. Can
turn hand of arm that is
straight. Aim to lean into arm
that is bent.
PLANCHE PUSH UP
Turn hands out so thumb is
facing forward or use parallettes.
Protract scapula (round
shoulders) and keep down to
ears. Lean forward as far as you
can and then do full pushup
ONE-ARM PUSH UP
One hand on floor, twist body
if finding hard, full rep is keep
body parallel to floor
DIFFICULTY

FRONT PULL
HOME
23
ROW
Hands slightly wider
than shoulder width.
Retract and depress
scapula (bring shoulders
down and back).
Pull chest to bar.
LOWER ROW
Bring legs forward to
increase difficulty.
Aim to keep legs straight
and body in straight line
by squeezing core and
glutes.
ONE-ARM ROW
Use one arm and
again change
feet placement to
increase or
reduce difficulty.
CONTINUED
DIFFICULTY

HOME
24
ARCHER ROW
Keep one arm straight
by locking out the
elbow.
Aim to lean into the
bent arm and pull chest
to bar.
FRONT LEVER ROW
Aim to pull chest to bar.
Keep shoulders back and
down (retracted and
depressed) throughout the
movement.
DIFFICULTY

DOWN PUSH
HOME
25
SUPPORT HOLD
Jump up and try and hold. If you
can't, keep jumping and getting
holds, or use support to help you, like
a resistance band.
Keep shoulders forward and down
(protracted and depressed) and
elbows locked out.
Maintain a straight body line, like a
hollow-hold (see Core section).
NEGATIVE DIP
Jump up into support hold and
then lower slowly through the
range. You can also push back
up if you feel strong at any
point in the ROM, like the "Inch
by Inch" pull-ups.
DIP
Lower shoulders to bar or rings
and then back up to elbows
locked out.
Push chest forward as you
come down.
CONTINUED
DIFFICULTY

HOME
26
L-SIT
Lean back,
straighten &
squeeze legs, and
lift off the floor.
Keep shoulders
back and down
(retracted and
depressed).
V-SIT
Lean back
further and lift
legs higher by
squeezing
knees to chest.
L-SIT TO
HANDSTAND
Combine L-sit
and dip strength
by moving into a
bent arm hold.
Increase difficulty
by extending legs
up.
DIFFICULTY

CORE
HOME
27
HOLLOW HOLD
Squeeze knees to chest and chest
to knees.
Keep lower back stuck on the
floor - there should be no space
between lower back and floor).
Start in a tuck position and move
through the arrows until you can
fully extend both legs.
MAKE IT HARDER BY ROCKING
BACK AND FORTH
COMPRESSIONS
Keep legs together or go
wide. Squeeze shoulders as
far forward as possible and,
keeping legs straight, lift
legs as high as possible.
Regress to single leg lifts if
needed.
CONTINUED
DIFFICULTY

HOME
28
RAISES TO BAR
Hang from bar, keeping shoulders back and down. Lift knees up to
hip height. Progress by lifting as high as possible. Lean back with
shoulders to use back muscles too. Straighten legs to make it harder
and aim to touch toes to bar eventually.
DRAGON FLAGS
Hold onto an immovable
object, pinch your
shoulders together with
a slight arch.
Progress from a tuck
position, into single-leg
and eventually to the full
dragon flag with both
legs straight.
Try and pull back to the
start position on each
rep.
DIFFICULTY

LEGS PUSH
HOME
29
STEP UP
The larger the step up the harder it is.
Aim to stay on the foot and lockout
your knee at the top.
Squeeze your glutes at the top and
pull your knee up as high as possible
at top of the movement.
PISTOL SQUAT
Drive knee forwards
and hips back. Go as
low as possible with
one foot on the floor.
Use support if
needed.
SISSY SQUAT
Drive knees
forward while being
on tippy toes.
Keep body in
straight line and
lean back to
maintain balance.
DIFFICULTY

LEGS PULL
HOME
GLUTE-HAM RAISE
Hook heels or toes under an
immovable object. Bend hips and
lean forward as far as possible.
As you come up keep hips
forward. Aim to lock out the hips
at the top by squeezing glutes.
30
NORDIC CURL
Exact same as
above, but keep
hips locked out the
entire time.
REVERSE NORDIC
Sit on knees with feet flat,
lean back with hips locked
out aiming to get hips to
heels. As you come up,
squeeze glutes forward
Progress by leaning further
and further back.
DIFFICULTY

31
TAKE HOME POINTS
1
2
Train 3-5x per week
for maximal progress,
ensuring you have
adequate rest
between sessions
You don't need any
equipment, but a
pull-up bar or rings
would be extremely
beneficial.
3
4
There are 8 fundamental
planes of movement in
calisthenics.
The best way to choose
a workout is to take one
exercise from each plane
each session and
progress these every
time.
Progress your
calisthenics and get
stronger by working
your way up the skill
tree in each
movement plane.
Use this guide as a
start!

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
@CALIUNITY
32
I hope all the info in this guide helps you kickstart your calisthenics
journey, as much as it’s helped us and our clients.
Calisthenics isn't a one-size-fits-all cookie cutter program - it
demands the highest level of personlisation to achieve its amazing
results.
It's not for everyone, but it certainly is for those who are willing to put
in the work, dedicate their time to bettering themselves, and are
willing to take action on their goals and actually make them happen.
If this sounds like you, you could be a perfect fit. We have limited
spaces remaining and our online coaching program works on a firstcome
first-service basis, providing you are a good fit for the program.
If you're serious about getting real results, click the link below to find
out more!
JOIN OUR
COMMUNITY.
Become a part of
the movement.
FILL OUT ONLINE
COACHING FORM
Take your training
to the next level
JOIN
COMMUNITY
ONLINE
COACHING