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I’ve always been kind of an all or nothing type of guy. So when it comes to creating an effective bodyweight workout plan, I’m always on the hunt for a routine that gives me the best of everything.
I won’t lie. I’ve created some stellar workouts in my time. But until recently, I’ve always fallen short of creating that one workout that I feel ticks all the boxes.
My focus usually ends up pushing me towards strength, using mostly weighted calisthenics. Or by simply smashing out hundreds of reps of progressive bodyweight exercises, including pushups, dips, pullups, and squats. All in an attempt to build the body I want.
Now before I get into details on the exact routine I’m currently using. Let me just say that I’m not a bodybuilder, nor do I ever want to be one.
But despite this, my quest for knowledge is great. So I’ll occasionally hit up a few hardcore bodybuilding type websites to get a little insight into something that might kick my workout up a notch or two.
If you’ve read some of my other blog posts, you’ll know that I’m a pretty basic guy when it comes to crafting a bodyweight workout plan.
I always focus primarily on intense full-body workouts that incorporate compound exercises because, honestly, it’s the quickest way to get the most bang for your buck.
Anyway, so I’m browsing the web, and I came across an article on T-Nation that talked about a bunch of proven rep schemes of putting on strength and size.
Most of the article talked about things like rachet loading, contrast loading, and waves. To be honest, I don’t have the slightest clue what any of that means.
But there was one particular rep scheme that caught my eye.
Basically, it’s a 6×6 routine where you perform 6 sets of 6 with little rest in between sets.
This grabbed my attention for two reasons…
Firstly, it had very short rest periods, which meant that I’d be able to get a lot of my work done in less time, which I like.
And second, it had the perfect amount of total reps for building both size and strength. And being that this was my goal, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
So needless to say, I saw the potential right away and set about constructing the creme de la creme of bodyweight workout plans to get myself in peak shape.
WATCH VIDEO: Get The Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Plan And Learn How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
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Table of Contents
Creating My Killer Bodyweight Workout Plan
Now because I can easily perform more than 6 reps in a variety of different bodyweight movements. My only real option to make this workout effective was to add weight to most of the exercises I’d be performing.
Luckily, I’ve got a weighted vest, a dip belt, and a backpack that I can load up with little 5-pounds sand weights, so I knew I’d be able to load up any exercises that I needed to.
And as I’ve previously said. I’m a big fan of full body compound workouts, so I decided to implement this same strategy into this particular routine.
I also put together a quick set of rules that I had to follow to make so I could effectively track my progress…
Here they are …
Rule #1 – I had to use a weight I could comfortably perform 10 reps for on my first set.
This is so I didn’t fatigue too quickly or cut my workout short. The idea is the first couple of sets should be relatively easy, with the last set being damn near torture.
Rule #2 – Once I could complete 6 reps on ALL sets. I had to up the weight the next workout.
This is pretty obvious right but still worth mentioning.
Rule #3 – Use as little rest as possible
This falls in line with the original 6×6 protocol and also my own way of training. So this was essential for getting the most out of my workout.
Rule #4 – Take at least one day’s rest between workouts and perform no more than 3 workouts a week.
Since I know that this was going to be a killer workout, I really didn’t want to stress my body too much.
I wouldn’t technically classify it as overtraining if I slipped in an extra workout in each week. But still, I wanted to keep things simple.
Ramping Up The Intensity
After figuring out what exercises I was going to do (which I’ll get to in a minute), I realized it would take me a hell of a long time to get through each workout if I focused on just one exercise at a time.
So I did what I usually do and decided to try and superset the workout.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if this was taking things a step too far but because I’m a huge fan of saving time on my workouts. I thought I’d give it a go the first time around and see how I felt afterward.
I knew that this would technically add more then 30 seconds rest between exercises of you took into account the rest I was getting during the second exercise of the superset.
But the time I ended up saving and the puddle of sweat on the floor after my first workout was enough to make me realize I was on to something special.
The Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Plan
Here it is, the killer 6×6 workout I adapted and turned into my very own little project.
The full workout goes something like this…
Superset 1:
Weighted Pullups
Weighted Parallel Bar Dips
Superset 2:
Weighted Inverted Rows
Weighted Pushups
Superset 3:
Deadlifts
Handstand Pushups/Overhead Press
Superset 4:
Pistol Squats (6 reps on each leg)
Weighted Ab Wheel Rollouts
Nothing fancy, right?
But this simple little workout covers every single angle of attack. And afterward, I literally felt like I could punch a tiger in the face and live to tell the tale.
The 6 Main Movement Patterns
Now before you ask, I know deadlifts don’t count as a bodyweight exercise. But a complete full-body routine relies on 6 major movement patterns to be considered effective.
They are…
- Vertical Pull (Pullups)
- Vertical Push (Parallel Bar Dips and/or Handstand Pushups)
- Horizontal Pull (Inverted Rows)
- Horizontal Push (Pushups)
- Squat
- Hinge Movement (Deadlifts)
And apart from the glute bridge and hip thrust, there aren’t really any other effective hinge movements you can apply to a bodyweight workout plan.
And seeing as I needed a reasonably heavy load to fit with the rep scheme of my workout. Deadlifts were the ideal option to add the finishing touch to an already killer workout.
Another thing I should probably mention is that the first time I tried this workout, I couldn’t really find a way to effectively target my shoulders while sticking to the reps I wanted.
I’ve always struggled a little with handstand pushups, and I also found it difficult to transition between these and deadlifts. So instead, I opted for performing an overhead press to make things easier.
When it came to the pullups, I actually changed my hand position every other set, so I targeted slightly different muscles with each set.
Since I don’t directly work my biceps, I like to add a couple of sets of close grip chin-ups into the mix to try and give them a little extra pump.
Pull Before Push
Another quick little tip I’d like to point out is the benefit of performing a pulling exercise before a push.
Not many people know this, but performing a push directly after a pull has been said to increase the force output in your pushing muscles while reducing injury potential.
Basically, the pulling movement primes the pushing muscles by stabilizing the shoulder joints and increasing the blood flow to that specific area.
And as we all know, more force output means you can push more weight, which in turn, helps you get stronger faster than usual.
This is the reason I specifically perform pullups before dips…
…And inverted rows before pushups.
Try it both ways, and I can almost guarantee you’ll immediately notice the difference.
It’s simple but oh-so effective.
Consistency Is Key
Like anything you want in life, the important thing here is to be consistent.
It’s no good hitting this workout hard for a week or two and then giving up because you’re never going to get the results you want.
From what I’ve experienced so far, performing this workout 3 times a week is more than enough volume to get your body in prime condition.
To be honest, I’m pretty confident that just two sessions a week would still provide impressive results. Provided you pushed yourself during every workout.
I’m personally a big fan of boxing, so I like to jump rope and hit the heavy bag two or three times a week.
So once I start to reach my potential with this workout, I might be tempted to change things up a little by only doing it twice a week and seeing what happens.
Taking Your Workout To The Next Level
Now, this is only one of literally thousands of great bodyweight workouts you can incorporate into your everyday life.
The critical thing to remember here is that there isn’t a one size fits all approach when it comes to chiseling out the body you want.
Having said that, I’m more than willing to give this particular workout my official stamp of approval for strength, size, and fat loss.
However, I understand your needs might be completely different from mine.
So with this in mind, here’s what I want you to do now…
Don’t worry, it’s not anything weird.
All I want you to do is hit the link on the video below to take a look at some of the awesome transformations people are getting with the Bar Brothers Program.
When you do, you’ll see that it’s very possible to build the exact body you want using nothing more than your own bodyweight.
Check it out…
WATCH VIDEO: How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
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I’m not gonna lie. These types of results don’t happen overnight, and you’ve got to be willing to push yourself to hell and back to get anywhere near what these guys are capable of.
But if you’ve got the motivation and determination to succeed. Then I highly recommend taking a look.
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This includes…
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Here’s what they look like…
As you can see, each one of these guides sells for anywhere from $27-$47.
But they’re yours free when you Join Bar Brothers
To get your hands on them, just send me proof (screenshot or receipt) that you joined via the contact form on my website…
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Anyway, I hope this blog post has given you a little more insight into creative ways you can structure an effective bodyweight workout plan.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them in the comments section below…