This training routine is focused largely on increasing strength and muscle mass (aka muscular hypertrophy). If I had to sum up the routine in one fell swoop I would say it is a hypertrophy routine meant for intermediate to advanced trainees who enjoy training using mostly bodyweight-exercises. It utilizes a “periodization” scheme which basically means that the rep-ranges and intensity varies per workout day. So on one day you may be doing very difficult stuff for a few reps per set, while on another day you may be doing purposely easier exercises, but a high number of reps. If someone wants significantly improved strength with the aesthetics that reflect that ability, this is one of the best routines you can learn from.
Here’s a video that explains the outline of this program!
Who is this routine NOT for?
- This routine is NOT intended for beginners. You should already be familiar with bodyweight exercises and have a good base of strength to begin with. (You should be able to do 5 pull-ups and dips minimum).
- If you do not have that base level of strength (or are not familiar with bodyweight exercises), I suggest you do this free routine on /r/bodyweightfitness that’s done 3x a week. It’s a solid template that will increase your strength using bodyweight exercises that’s perfect for beginners.
- This routine is also not appropriate for beginners because the programming is more complex than necessary.
- So if you already enjoy calisthenics or bodyweight-fitness and want to focus on getting stronger and bigger, this might be the plan for you!
Isn’t gaining muscle mass bad for bodyweight exercises because you get heavier?
Many bodyweight-fitness folks feel afraid of gaining muscle out of fear that they will become too big or too heavy and that this will hinder their ability to perform, but that cannot be further from the truth. If you gain muscle mass without gaining excess fat, your absolute and relative strength will only increase, which is all that matters! So don’t be afraid of gaining muscle. There’s a limit to how much force a muscle can produce through the nervous system before the muscle needs to be larger. In other words, there is a limit to how strong you could get without increasing muscle mass. Gaining muscle mass comes with the territory of being strong. A larger muscle is almost always a stronger muscle. Do not be afraid of becoming STRONG.
What kind of results have you seen with this routine?
About twice a year, I stick to this routine for 12 weeks to further advance my strength and gain some muscle. It never fails to work wonderfully. The gains are extremely apparent and the efficiency is great. Personally, my focus is not on getting bigger for aesthetics purposes but for getting very, very strong. The improved aesthetics, of course, are a great side-effect! The other benefit of this routine is that there are no exercises that tax the connective tissues (like with straight-arm exercises).
How long does this take?
- This is meant to be done 3x a week and takes about an hour and a half depending on the day.
- Changes in strength levels will be noticed every week.
- Significant changes to body composition will be noticed in as little as 4 weeks and definitely by 8-12 weeks time, especially if one is eating enough!
How does this differ from your other bodyweight-training routines?
This routine is laser-focused on maximal strength & hypertrophy gains and doesn’t have any focus on skills. My other routines tend to have a mix of both strength and skill-training related to gymnastics. (However, the beauty of this program is that if you go back to try out skills that you couldn’t do due to a lack of strength, you will find yourself much better at them after a couple months.)
This routine utilizes a concept known as “Daily Undulating Periodization” which basically means: You do similar exercises on each workout day, but you do a variation (either a progression or regression) that allows you to vary the intensity to target a different rep range. This allows you to reap the benefits of different rep ranges and actually makes it a super fun program in a completely different way because you’ll actually end up doing a big variety of different exercises throughout the week.
Basically, if someone wants better aesthetics or is into serious bodybuilding or simply wants to get as strong as possible, this is one of the best routines that utilize bodyweight exercises. If you’re not a rank beginner, this might be just the ticket for you.
What equipment is required?
This is a hybrid, weighted-calisthenics routine that merges the use of bodyweight exercises (pull ups, dips, rows, push ups) with weights for maximum efficiency so you don’t need tons of stuff, but this is what I recommend:
- Pullup Bar and/or Rings: At the very least you will need a pullup bar. If you have a pair of gymnastics rings and a place to hang them, that’s even better as rings are highly useful for a multitude of exercises and their adjustability is perfect for this routine.
- Weights: For one of the workout days, you might need some weight such as dumbbells (preferably an adjustable dumbbell if you workout at home and don’t want multiple ones if space is an issue).
- If you do not have dumbbells or plates, you could use a sturdy bag or sandbag filled with dirt/sand that works quite well.
- You can also use a dip belt in combination with plates, if you have those. Or just giant water bottles.
- Thick Band: Bands of significant resistance may be necessary for one of the days as well. It will be used as assistance for pullups on the higher volume / lower intensity day.
Support is available
If you have a question, having trouble with something or just aren’t sure if your form is correct, I encourage you to leave a comment and post a “form-check” video of yourself. Comments are enabled on all the pages so you could provide feedback and we could improve the routine together and I could help you at the same time. If you’re a redditor, feel free to post questions at /r/antranik as well.
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Recap of all the benefits
- Thorough warm up
- Gain extreme upper body strength AND mass
- Tried and true progressions
- Tested on real, live people!
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