Articles Library

Calisthenics Exercise Selection For Novice

In the novice phase, athletes experience rapid gains and should focus on simple, compound bodyweight exercises that build general strength, coordination, and motor patterns without unnecessary complexity. Early novices only need foundational movement patterns like push, pull, squat, and hinge, while later novices can start incorporating light skill-specific and hypertrophy-focused exercises. The SIP framework emphasizes practicality in this phase, with individuality and specificity becoming more relevant as athletes move toward the post-novice stage.

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By EricJul 22, 202513 min

SIP Framework

The SIP Framework—standing for Specificity, Individuality, and Practicality—is a guiding system for making smart training decisions in calisthenics programming. It helps navigate the overwhelming number of exercise choices by focusing on adaptations relevant to your goals (specificity), your personal needs and limitations (individuality), and real-world constraints like time or equipment (practicality). This framework ensures your exercise selection is effective, tailored, and sustainable over time.

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By EricJul 19, 20254 min

Calisthenics Skills - Fatigue Index Chart

Different calisthenics skills produce different levels of fatigue depending on factors like muscle length, contraction type, and movement complexity. Understanding how fatiguing each skill is can help you manage training frequency, volume, and recovery more effectively. This article outlines a fatigue classification system for common calisthenics skills to support smarter exercise selection and program design.

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By EricJul 17, 20253 min

Hierarchical Classification of Exercises

In calisthenics training, not all exercises serve the same purpose—some help us practice a specific skill, others address weak links, and some focus on muscular development. This article introduces a simple 3-level hierarchy—main, supplementary, and accessory exercises—to organize your training more effectively. By structuring your workouts this way, you can train smarter, progress faster, and stay focused on your goals.

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By EricJul 10, 20255 min

Biomechanical Classification of Exercises

This classification system helps organize exercises based on mechanics, making it easier to program and monitor training. Exercises are primarily divided into compound and isolation movements, with further subcategories based on joint action, body region, and contraction type. Additional descriptors, like static vs. dynamic, unilateral vs. bilateral, and range focus, offer precision in understanding exercise demands and tailoring them to specific training goals.