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True story… The first time I tried weighted calisthenics was six weeks before I took my family away to Disneyworld for our first dream holiday.
Since I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make it to the gym while we were away. I wanted to get myself in damn good shape before heading over for our two weeks of Disney magic.
Plus I secretly wanted to impress Minnie (shhh)
Now, back then, I was more into my boxing workout then I was calisthenics.
I still did two or three quick calisthenics workouts every week, but this mainly consisted of a few sets of pullups, dips, pushups, and squats.
So because I was new to weighted calisthenics, The first thing I did was buy a dip belt so I could add weight to my pullups and dips.
I also had an old backpack that I dug out that I intended to load with small 5-pound sandbags for exercises where a dip belt wasn’t an option.
Table of Contents
My Approach To Weighted Calisthenics
Because I was still focused on boxing. I wanted to make my weighted calisthenics workouts as effective and time-efficient as possible.
Now, I’ve always been a fan of using supersets and dropsets.
And I’m also a big fan of basic compound movements.
So with this in mind, I decided to implement the same strategy and created a full-body workout that included both supersets…
…And the 6 main compound movements so I could get the most work done in as little time as possible.
Here are the exercises I chose…
- Pullups/Chinups (vertical pull)
- Parallel Bar Dips (vertical push)
- Pushups (horizontal push)
- Inverted Rows (horizontal pull)
- Squats
- And Deadlifts (hinge movement)
Now I know deadlifts don’t qualify as calisthenics, but I wanted to include a hinge movement. And deadlifts fit the bill better than any other exercise I know.
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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Creating My Weighted Calisthenics Workout
Here’s the thing…
There’s nothing really new or unusual about the way I structured this particular workout.
In fact, for my entire upper body, I just did supersets. I performed two compound movements back to back and did as many sets as I needed until I’d hit 25 reps for each exercise.
Why 25 reps?
Because this is the minimum number of reps recommended to trigger your muscles to grow.
And since I was more concerned with gaining hard dense muscle and not size. This was the optimal solution to get the results I wanted.
Here’s how the basic workout looked…
Superset 1:
- Weighted Pullups/Chinups (25 reps)
- Weighted Parallel Bar Dips (25 reps)
Superset 2:
- Weighted Pushups (25 reps)
- Weighted Inverted Row (25 reps)
Single Exercise:
- Deadlift (25 reps)
Tabata Circuit:
- 8 Rounds Of Bodyweight Squats (20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest)
Nothing fancy, right?
When I did the pullups/dips superset, I used a dip belt with a 55-pound (25 kg) plate attached and hammered out a set of pullups.
Straight after, I’d add more weight by throwing on a 35-pound backpack and smash out a set of weighted dips.
Then all I did was repeat the process for weighted pushups/inverted row superset. But instead of using a dip belt, I’d use a weighted vest.
Once I’d worked my upper body, I’d followed this up with 5-6 sets of heavy deadlifts until I hit 25 total reps…
…And then finished up with Tabata squats (20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds)
Now the reason I didn’t implement heavy squats into my routine is that…
- I hate them
- I suck at them
- I don’t own a squat rack so I couldn’t do heavy squats even if I wanted to.
Plus, Tabata squats have always been a big part of my workouts because they kick my ass better than any other 4-minute workout I know.
Seriously, I can probably do around 150 bodyweight squats in 4 minutes when I adopt this method, and I can really feel it work.
So why fix what isn’t broken, right?
Rep Ranges For Weighted Calisthenics
Anyway, the first time I attempted this workout, I think I only got five or six shaky reps out of each exercise on the first set.
After that, it took me roughly 6-7 sets to hit the 25 rep target (give or take depending on the exercise).
I didn’t go with the traditional 3 sets of 10 or 4 sets of 8 rep ranges because again, I was more focused on building hard, dense muscle rather than size.
Traditional training methods suggest that heavy reps within the 1-5 rep range are optimal for this.
While 6-12 reps are more geared towards gaining size (hypertrophy)
And to be honest, I really don’t think that sets matter too much. Because ultimately, it’s always going to be the total reps you’re putting into each exercise that’s going to get you results.
Regardless of how many sets it takes you to complete them.
This is why I adopted the 25 rep method. Because as long as the weight lifted was heavy enough. My body would respond the way I wanted it to.
The Results
Anyway…
So after 6 weeks of hard, intense training, here’s what happened…
The first thing that surprised me was how big my arms got during those six weeks of weighted calisthenics. Because as I said, it wasn’t really my intention to put on size.
It’s nothing compared to some of the jacked-up athletes you see on youtube and other social media platforms. But for me, this was quite an improvement in such a short space of time.
It just goes to show that there’s no one size fits all training solution for everyone.
What works for one person might have a completely different effect on somebody else’s body composition. So it’s important to try things out to see what works for you.
Why It Worked So Well
Now, the reason I believed it worked so well was that I only focused on the main compound movements.
And since I was doing the same full-body workout 3-4 times a week. The total sets for the week would have added up to anywhere from 18-28 sets for each exercise.
This is a hell of a lot of volume when you compare it to other training methods.
The other thing that might have contributed is that I wasn’t really giving myself the required rest between sets.
See when you lift heavy. Ideally, you’re supposed to give yourself anywhere from 3-5 minutes rest between exercises to allow your body to recover.
Whereas I only took around 90 seconds to rest between sets.
To be honest, this goes against every piece of advice I’ve ever read on the subject. But ultimately, the results speak for themselves.
What Would I Do Differently
Knowing what I know now, there are a few things I’d change to get better results from weighted calisthenics.
Firstly, I’d put a little more focus on my shoulders because back then, I didn’t do anything to specifically target them.
Second, I’d add a few finishers to the end of my workout to really kick things up a gear.
This would also increase the fat loss rate I’d experience and get me looking a little leaner.
Here’s what my routine would probably look like…
- Weighted Pullups and Dips Superset (can’t argue with this killer combination)
- Weighted Pushups and Inverted Row Superset
- Weighted Pistol Squats and Weighted Pike Pushups Superset
- Deadlifts (again this is the only exception to weighted calisthenics)
Finishers:
- Tabata Pushups
- Tabata Squats
I’d still stick with the 25 rep method because it worked soo well last time.
But to increase the intensity a little. I’d go ahead and perform the last set of each exercise to complete failure…
…Remove any weight.
…And then perform another unweighted set to really push my body to the limit.
As a finisher, I’d end the workout with two quick Tabata circuits consisting of wide and close grip pushups for the first Tabata…
…Followed by Jump Squats and Alternating Lunges for the second Tabata.
This would pretty much cover all my bases leaving no body part ignored.
What About Abs?
Now I know I’ve not made any mention of abs and there’s a good reason for this.
See when you do weighted calisthenics, it’s not only the prime movers that are taking extra load during the workout. Your entire core is having to engage a sh*t load more to stabilize the excess weight your carrying.
So, in reality, you don’t really need to add any extra core workouts if you’re lifting heavy enough.
Don’t believe me?
Try loading 100-pounds on your back and doing a set of slow pushups.
Then come back and tell me it doesn’t work your core.
Now, this is only my personal opinion, and if you’re looking to get a little bit of extra pop from your abs, then, by all means, add some extra core work into the mix.
But if you’re looking for a weighted calisthenics workout that is time-efficient and effective. Then it’s really not needed.
In fact, around a week before I went on holiday, I was doing pullups with over 75-pounds strapped to me for 8 reps on my first set. And the core engagement I felt during that first set was pretty intense.
Finding A Program That Works For You
Now, as I’ve already said, this is something that worked for me, and I can’t make any guarantees that the same will happen for you.
Your results will depend on your work ethic, motivation, and dedication to whatever workout you chose to follow.
Now, if you can’t figure out what kind of program will work for you personally, then there’s one of two things you can do.
Firstly, you could put together some random weighted calisthenics workout and hope you’ll see some improvement…
…Or you could invest in a reputable calisthenics program that will show you exactly what workouts you need to follow to get the best results.
Enter the Bar Brothers Program
This is one of the best (if not the best) programs to take your weighted calisthenics workouts to the next level.
It’s not free. But for less than 50-bucks, you can have the whole program at your disposal in less than 5-minutes.
Click the video below to take a look…
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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And what’s more, if you buy the program using any link on this page. I’ll also throw in over $100 of training material as a sincere thank you for investing in the program.
This includes…
- HIIT to Fit
- Functional Strength
- And Kettlebell Transformation
As you can see, each one of these guides sells for anywhere from $27-$47. But there you’re free when you Buy The Bar Brother Program
To get your hands on them, just send me proof (screenshot or receipt) that you purchased the program via the contact form on this page…
…Or by emailing me at Dan@Un-Ripped.Com
And I’ll send ALL 3 GUIDES directly to your email address within the next 48 hours.
Anyway…
That about wraps things up for this blog post.
If you have any questions or comments. Feel free to drop them in the comments box below…