A bodybuilder's experience going from weights only to calisthenics-based training

webslave

New member
Today it has been 3 years since I started doing calisthenics-based training.

I started doing calisthenics-based training as a result of gyms closing down due to the pandemic in 2020.

Previously, I had been training with weights (Bodybuilding) for approx. 7 years and during this time period I achieved incredible strength and size results coming in at 5ft8 200lbs at 15%BF. At this point I felt like I was close to reaching my natural potential in terms of muscular size and strength.

Due to my ignorance I always thought that calisthenics was all for show and that it wasn't an optimal training method for increasing size and strength. I knew about pull ups and dips and I did include these exercises in my workouts but always at the end of my back/chest days. Keep in mind, I primarily train to gain size and strength I do not care about calisthenics movements such as human flag, muscle ups, barspins etc. I was eager to not lose size and strength until the gyms would open up again.

Nevertheless I had no choice but to specialize in pull ups and dips variations for upper-body as these exercises were the ones with excellent load-potential. Initially, I started training without any weights attached and was amazed by the pump that I could achieve with these exercises doing high volume. My lats, shoulders, chest and arms felt amazing and sometimes even better than training with weights in my gym. As I got stronger and more accustomed to bodyweight movements I started implementing direct arm-work (as I used to do in my gym for years). Bicep-focused chin-ups, bodyweight curls (rings), triceps extensions on low-bar, impossible dips etc. For legs I started doing pistol squats as that was the only challenging squat variation I could find.

I started seeing even better strength results and wasn't bothered about going back to the gym. I bought a weighted vest, heavy dumbbells (80lbs to 110lbs) that I used to load my pull ups/dips and dumbbell squats for legs, and the muscular gains that I've made during these 3 years have been absoulutely incredible despite having 7 years of previous lifting experience. I am currently at 205lbs at 15%BF, thus I have gained 5lbs from when I started which is amazing considering my training experience.

Here are certain points of improvements that I have noticed about my physique:

- Bigger arms. For some reason my arms respond incredibly well to low-bar triceps extensions combined with bicep-focused chin-ups/bw curls. I have finally achieved 18-inch arms despite being stuck at 17 inches for more than 4 years at the gym.

- Wider back. I have always had a nice thick back and traps but for years I had been working on adding width unsuccessfully. I thought I was just genetically built this way but doing tons of pull ups (weighted and BW) since 2020 has improved my lats and has given me a much better V-taper.

- Healthier/better shoulders. Before I started doing calisthenics-based training I would frequently experience shoulder discomfort while doing heavy bench-press or other push-movements. Specializing in ring dips has greatly improved my shoulder mobility and strength. In the beginning I was struggling to do 10 reps of dips and now I can easily do 10 reps with 90lbs added weight.

- Core strength. I used to believe that I had a good level of core strength when working out in the gym. I had achieved a 550lbs deadlift which I thought was a good indicator. But doing calisthenics movements requires a different level of core strength in every exercise that you do regardless of it being weighted or not. For example, exercises that requires you to stay in a plank-position (low-bar triceps extensions e.g) used to be incredibly hard at my BW but now it feels way more natural and less straining. Best way to describe it would be that I feel more athletic compared to when I was doing weights only.

All in all, I can definitely recommend making the move from weights to calisthenics-based training if you feel that you've hit your natural potential or if you have plateaued in the gym.
 
@webslave Thanks for sharing your fitness story with us. I'm also in the same boat, before the gyms closed down I was working on a 240 bench for reps, a 155 OHP, and a 375 deadlift, but once the gyms closed down I bought some gymnastic rings, and dumbbells and trained at home ever since. I've also made size gains as well.
 
@webslave How do you feel about lower body training? All of the benefits you’ve referenced are for upper body. I can’t see how dumbells can get anywhere close to the same load as a barbell.
 
@peccator For lower-body I do:

- Romanian deadlifts with 110lbs dumbbells in each hand for hamstrings.

- High volume dumbbell squats (20 reps/sets) with 110lbs in each hand. (Trust me the burn in the quads and traps is unreal)

- Weighted lunges.

- High volume weighted calf-raises on stairs.
 
@webslave Just another bodybuilder coming in to say, you can get a deeper pump from split squats vs lunges, same exercise on the base level but you just get to focus on the exercise not the step. Also the additional benefit of raising the back leg allowing you to focus more.

For stats 5'11" 214 at 13% so we're likely around the same size, though you might be a little bigger actually. Congrats on the 18" arms
 
@prototype1911 I think total load per muscle.

Simple example

A 200lb squat on 200lb body is 400lbs,or 200lbs per leg. If you do lunges, thats now 200lbs body, +80lb weight, plus an increased ROM and (usually) higher reps range. I don't really squat more than 8,but lunge in sets of 12-16....
 
@webslave As someone that's moving from BBing to more athletic/BW style of training, are there any programming tips you could give? Lessons learned? And what were some of the resources that you leaned on heavily when you were getting started on your calisthenic journey?
 
@flyinflame14yyt My #1 tip if your goal is to increase muscle mass/strength is to treat calisthenics movements like a bodybuilder.

A lot of people do calisthenics because it is fun to learn skills such as barspins, human flag etc. but that should not be your priority if your goal is to build mass.

- Pull-ups/dips and variations of these exercises should be the bread and butter of your training for upper-body.

- Don't neglect isolation movements. Think like a bodybuilder.

- Weighted calisthenics movements are great but will be taxing on your CNS just like other compound movements. Do BW-only if you feel tired the next day.

- Always remember to warm-up. It is tempting to just go and do high volume pull ups/dips but that is a lot weight to move around in the beginning of a workout, especially if you are +180lbs.
 
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