Chaning from weights to bodyweight

T

trmof

New member
Hello all!

I have recently been thinking about incorporating calisthenics with my weight training(as I know some muscle groups are just alot easier to do with weights) Would it be possible to just alter my current rutine? Or would I need to build a new one?I have tried to research diffrent rutines but there so many soutces its hard to filter the good from bad. Thanks in advance!

PUSH

3 x 10-12 Incline dumbbell bench press

3 x 10-12 Shoulderpress/military press

3 x 10-12 Tricep pushdowns

3 x 10-12 cable-chest fly

3 x 10-12 Dumbbell lateral raises

PULL

3 x 10-12 one-arm Lat pulldowns

3 x 10-12 assisted pullups with varied grip (wider, neutral and chin)

3 x 10-12 seated row

3 x 10-12 Barbell shrugs

3 x 10-12 Reverse pec dec

3 x 10-12 EZ bar bicep curls

LEGS

3 x 10 barbell squats(pyramid warmup

3 x 10 legpress

3 x 10 lying legcurls

3 x 10 leg extensions

3 x 10-15 sitting calfraises
 
@trmof You could just start adding in some body weight exercises into your current routine, either in addition to what you’re doing or replacing some of it.

You’re already doing assisted pull-ups, so it would be logical to start replacing those with unassisted. Dips would be a logical addition to your push day. And you don’t have much hamstring stuff on leg day, so look into lunges and split squats.

For bodyweight exercises, more than for weighted exercises, form is very important. It would be better to do two pull-ups with good form than 12 with shitty form. So whatever exercises you pick, watch some videos and focus on the form.
 
@yodo He's already got squats and leg press so adding lunges/split squats would be overkill. He's missing hip hinges like deadlift, RDL, good mornings, back extensions, etc.
 
@yodo Thanks for the tips! Yes starting by adding dips and working on my pullups are for sure a good start. Was thinking about diffrent exercises that could be suplemented, like would something like pike pushups be similar to incline bench?
 
@trmof Yes, that’s right. Im a big fan of diamond pushups, they work the center of your chest to increase that cleavage spot.
 
@trmof just glancing at this you could replace shrugs with scapula ups or arch hangs and gain some grip strength while working your traps, and i bet there's a few more ez swaps in there. take a look through the body weight exercise wiki to source some ideas.

but an issue you'll run into and need to experiment with is that a lot of calisthenics moves are compounded, working multiple muscles... which is great for time management but complicates building a mixed routine. for example, if you replace tricep pull downs with ring dips the dips also work the traps chest and shoulders.. but is it enough to replace one of your other targeted exercises? you'll have to test that out.

the other issue you might run into as a lifter trying calisthenics is that you might not have the core strength, mobility, or balance skills to do some of the moves that would be necessary for your strength level. so you might need to spend some time doing skill work like learning to handstand and stuff.
 
@meme2206 Thansk for the feedback, yes from what i gathered its alot of compund exercises in bodyweight training. Would moving down to fewer days a week and a diffrent schedule be more beneficial? Right now im going 6 days PPL
 
@trmof A few examples of swaps you could make:

Decline deficit push-ups instead of incline dumbbell bench

Work your way to HSPU instead of military press

Inverted rows instead of seated rows

I would add in a hip hinge movement to your leg day for extra hamstring work since you only have hamstring curls
 
@trmof I think everyone else has chimed in similar advice. but I'll throw my two cents in. Having a few bodyweight alternatives in your arsenal is great if you're in a crowded gym and a machine or bench you need is taken up. Most calisthenics moves are compound, so incorporate a few in each workout, but isolation work will be better served with cables or free weights. I reckon doing one arm lat pull downs along with assisted pull ups is kind of overkill on your vertical pulling movement, Just doing bodyweight pull ups is likely sufficient enough. As for push, incline dumbbell press is great movement that's hard to replicate with calisthenics, so I'd keep that in there, where as shoulder press can be replaced with pike push ups. Dips are another great compound calisthenics pushing movement that puts a really good stretch on the chest. That could replace cable tricep push downs considering the triceps work similarly on both movements. You could still include chest flys, and while not necessarily a calisthenics specific movement, an overhead tricep extension would target your triceps in a more stretched way than any of the other movements you have. Legs aren't always served best by bodyweight exercises, but there are some worth considering. Others have mentioned you lack much posterior chain (glute/hamstrings) work outside of the leg curls, but have a lot of knee dominant squat patterns. I'd replace the leg extension with a Romanian Deadlift variation, but if you want to spice things up and use body weight, a single leg hip thrust is a solid movement choice too. You could also swap one of the leg movements for step ups or split squats/lunges.
 
@power1 Thanks alot for the in-depth advide! Will definetly take it with me and try to swap around some of the exercises and replace with bodyweight counterparts, I started looking around a little more and found that the recommended routine in this sub has skill days, I do not currently have anything similar in my routine so im not really sure how to get around that without doing a 3 day split like the recommended routine is
 
@trmof I personally don't train skills. but you can easily incorporate them into your push pull legs split. For example, the front lever is a pulling exercise, you could practice that before getting into the rest of your pulling. Handstands and Planche are pushing skills, so they can be done at the start of your push day. No specific leg skill (outside of pistols maybe) but you could focus on L-sits on your leg day since you don't have other core exercises.
 
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