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To the average gym junkie, high rep calisthenics is probably nothing more than an afterthought. Or at the very least something they do as a quick finisher for that last-minute pump.
Now, over the years, I’ve spent more than my fair share of time implementing high rep work.
And I can tell you from personal experience that when done right. This type of training can bring some pretty incredible results, provided you know what you’re doing.
The problem, however, is that the typical guy or gal that practices calisthenics does so in a way that provides no real benefits.
Don’t get me wrong, doing one or two sets of pushups and situps is better than nothing. And you’re always going to be leagues ahead of the typical couch potato that sits on their ass all day.
But if you want to build a body that can perform elite feats of strength, only the pros can master. Then you need to think about upping your game and taking your efforts to the next level.
This is why before you do anything else, I’d highly recommend checking out the Bar Brothers Program from Lazar Novovic and Dusan Djolevic. (see video below)
Because if you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build a strong, ripped, functional body using nothing but your body weight and lots and lots of reps, then this program will give you all the insider knowledge you need to take your body to the next level.
Anyway, here’s the video link to take a look: Click Here To Discover How To Quickly Build Huge Slabs Of Lean Muscle, Extreme Power, And The Ripped Body Of A Calisthenics Athlete Using Nothing More Than Your Own Bodyweight… Even If You’ve Tried & Failed Before!
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Table of Contents
High Rep Vs Low Rep Calisthenics
So there are three specific ways you can perform calisthenics…
- You can practice low rep weighted calisthenics in the 3-5 rep range for strength (myofibril hypertrophy)
- You can work on building muscle within the 6-12 rep range (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy)
- Or, you can take a different approach and practice high rep work in the 12+ rep range (muscular endurance)
Now, on the surface, it looks relatively straightforward. You just pick a rep range depending on your goals and start working out, right?
But the truth is that there’s a lot of variables that go beyond this basic approach.
For instance, high rep work, while great for muscular endurance, can still be used to build size and strength.
And it all comes down to the type of muscle fibers your body recruits when performing a particular set.
See, low to medium rep training in the 3-5 and 6-12 rep range will always be ideal for building size and strength. Because your body needs to recruit type 2 (fast-twitch) muscle fibers due to the increased loading on the muscles.
However, the downside to this is it’s very taxing on your CNS (central nervous system)…
…Especially in the low rep range.
On the flip side, high rep training (12+ reps) only recruits type 1 (slow-twitch) muscle fibers.
And it only does this because there isn’t enough force output being generated to warrant type 2 fibers’ recruitment.
The downside to this is that your muscles simply won’t be getting enough training stimulus to grow and adapt in the same way is low rep training.
And it sucks because most people miss out on the immense benefits because they’re failing to do one simple thing.
And that my friend is training to failure.
See, whenever you train to failure, your body is pretty much forced to recruit these all-important type 2 muscle fibers to handle the extra demand. Regardless of the specific rep range you’re working with.
Better still, because you’re working with significantly higher reps, the fatigue on your CNS isn’t going to be anywhere near as high as heavy-duty strength training.
Now, this isn’t to say you should only stick with high rep calisthenics. Because the truth is, you can benefit massively by adopting both low and high rep training.
But if you’re hell-bent on specifically utilizing high rep calisthenics and nothing else. Then you can still see huge increases in size and strength…
…Provided you train to failure.
Now, I understand that might have been a little long-winded, so just to quickly recap…
Type 2 Muscle Fibers
Type 2 fibers are recruited when maximum force output is needed. This helps promote size and strength gains.
Type 1 Muscle Fibers
Type 1 fibers are recruited for muscular endurance activities. However, training to failure forces your type 2 fibers to come into play which again, helps promote size and strength gains.
Best Exercises For High Rep Training
When it comes to getting the most out of your calisthenics workout. There are specific exercises that should be at the top of your list if you want to see results.
These include…
- Pullups/Chinups
- Parallel Bar Dips
- Inverted Rows
- Pushups
- Squats (Specifically Split Squats)
Now, the reason these exercises are a cut above the rest is that they’re all compound exercises.
Basically, each one works multiple muscle groups giving you the most bank for your buck whenever you use them.
Better still, they all compliment each other extremely well.
To give you an example, pullups are awesome for supersetting with parallel bar dips because they work opposing muscle groups.
- Pullups (back and biceps)
- Parallel Bar Dips (chest and triceps)
You get the idea, right?
Not only does training this way cut your workout time in half. It also elevates your heart rate to near catastrophic levels. Making it the ultimate recipe for torching huge amounts of unwanted fat.
WATCH VIDEO: Discover How To Build Huge Slabs Of Muscle, Extreme Power, And The Ripped Body Of A Calisthenics Warrior Using Nothing More Than A Bar And Your Own Bodyweight…
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The Ultimate High Rep Workout For Size And Strength
So by now, you should know that…
- To make high rep training effective, you need to train to failure often.
- To get the most out of your workout, you need to perform compound movements and (where possible) supersets.
So how do you do this?
Well, there’s one particular workout ticks all the boxes when it comes to meeting the above criteria.
And what’s more, it’s relatively short. In fact, when done correctly, it should take you no more than 40 minutes to complete, and you’ll be hammering every single muscle in your entire body. Leaving nothing left in the tank by the time you’re done.
Anyway, here it is for your unenjoyment…
Superset 1:
- Pullups/Chinups (50 Reps)
- Parallel Bar Dips (100 Reps)
- Keep supersetting exercises until you’ve completed all reps
Superset 2:
- Decline Situps (150 Reps)
- Russian Twists (150 Reps)
- Keep supersetting exercises until you’ve completed all reps
Superset 3:
- Inverted Rows (75 Reps)
- Pushups (150 Reps)
- Keep supersetting exercises until you’ve completed all reps
Superset 4:
- Split Squats – Left Leg Forward (100 Reps)
- Split Squats – Right Leg Forward (100 Reps)
- Keep supersetting exercises until you’ve completed all reps
Again, the idea here is that alternate between exercises taking as little rest as possible.
The first set or two might not be too taxing because you’ll still be fresh at this point.
But by the time you start hitting set three and onward, you’ll find it increasingly difficult to get your reps in.
To make it even more challenging, I like to set a time limit to complete all reps on a particular superset.
So, for instance, when I’m performing pullups and dips, I’ll set a 10-minute timer with 1-minutes intervals and aim to complete one exercise every minute.
This doesn’t always work out perfectly, by the way. But by setting a timer, you’re essentially racing against the clock, which from a phycological standpoint, makes you work that little bit harder.
At least for me anyway…
What I’ll do afterward is hammer my core for 10 minutes (decline situps and Russian twists with a medicine ball) before hitting my upper body again with pushups and inverted rows.
Again, working to failure until I get the job done.
I’ll finish this off with split squats and again, rep out until failure before switching to the other leg.
I can tell you from experience that I genuinely have a hard time walking after I hit my legs this way. Which is why I always leave it until the end of the workout.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how many sets it takes to reach your goal. As long as the overall reps are high and you’re pushing hard. Your body will grow and adapt.
Increasing The Intensity Of Your Workout
Now, there might come a time where you surpass your expectations and need that little extra challenge.
If this is the case, then here’s a few things you can do…
Firstly, you could start adding a few calisthenics progressions into your workouts like archer pullups and uneven pushups.
This will keep the workout intense by providing a new level of difficulty for you to overcome.
Here are a few older posts that cover specific progressions…
Pushups: The Ultimate Pushup Progression Guide For Muscle, Strength & Power
Pullups: Pullup Bar Workouts & Progressions – How To Quickly Master The Bar
Muscle-Ups: Muscle-Up Progression – My Epic Journey Above The Bar And Beyond
Weighted Calisthenics
The second thing you could do is simply implement weighted calisthenics into your routine.
Again, the aim here is to keep the reps high, so you obviously won’t want to add too much weight to your frame.
But even adding an extra 5-15 pounds in the form of a weighted vest, dip belt, or even a weighted backpack should help take your calisthenics game to the next level.
Now, for me, the original workout is already tough enough, and I doubt that I’ll be adding any weight to this workout anytime soon.
But if you’re already a calisthenics beast and you really want to test your metal, then this is probably the way to go.
What About Repetition Tempo?
Another thing you can do (and this is entirely optional) is simply have a play around with the tempo of your workout.
What I mean by this is you could perform one superset with very slow reps…
…Followed up by a fast-paced, quickfire superset to really feel the muscle pump.
Not only will this keep your body guessing, but you’ll also be training your nervous system to adapt to unfamiliar movement patterns.
Taking Your High Rep Calisthenics Workout To The Next Level
I know this workout seems basic, but I guarantee that if you practice this workout consistently. You’ll be well on your way to getting the results you want from high rep calisthenics.
I think the take-home message here is that hard work pays off.
And it doesn’t matter whether that hard work comes from squatting 500-pounds or hammering out pushups until your eyeballs bleed. As long as you put the effort in, good things will start to happen.
Anyway…
I hope everything I’ve highlighted in the post will be of some benefit to you. And I also hope you get to where you want with your training.
But if you feel like you still need that little extra nudge in the right direction. Or you want a hardcore, proven workout that’s gonna hit your body harder than standing in front of the express train.
Then here’s something that’s gonna knock you off your feet…
It’s called Bar Brothers – The System.
And it’s a unique 12-week calisthenics program designed for just one thing…
To help you build insane calisthenics skills…
…Unlimited muscle mass
And the untapped strength of a calisthenics beast.
Now, I won’t go into too much detail here because I’d rather you just check out the program for yourself and see if it’s a good fit for your goals.
So before I wrap this post up, here’s the video link to the program so you can take a look: Bar Brothers – The System.
WATCH VIDEO: Discover How To Build Huge Slabs Of Muscle, Extreme Power, And The Ripped Body Of A Calisthenics Warrior Using Nothing More Than A Bar And Your Own Bodyweight…
(Video Will Open In A New Window)
Anyway, that about wraps things up for today’s post, but if you have any questions or ideas on how this post can be improved. Feel free to drop them in the comments below…
