I have been watching push-up challenges on the internet for many years and there is something that they all have in common, something that everyone does wrong, even those who, just before starting the challenge, say that they are going to do them 100% strict, that they are going to do them full range of motion, etc. They still do it wrong. 

Nobody, in any push-up challenge, ever… completely locks their elbows, they never fully extend at the top

. Not even when, before starting the challenge, they say that it must be extended completely, they never carry it out.

The concept is simple, extending completely is not extending at 90%, nor at 95%, extending completely is... extending as much as possible, until the elbow is locked.




If you look at this type of challenges, in the final part when they are already tired and stop at the top to rest, there they do lock their elbows well, because if not, you don't get any rest, and there you can see the difference between what they have been doing throughout the challenge and what it means to extend it completely.

When I try to understand why this situation occurs, it comes to mind that these challenges often have a time limit, and 

thanks to this "cheat" the repetitions can be done faster

, which is certainly one of the causes. But it also happens when there is no time limit, in the typical challenges of "do your maximum number of push-ups" or "try to do x push-ups". There they also make this mistake, and in this case I think it is because 

with this maneuver each repetition is a little easier and less fatigue accumulates

, but obviously that does not mean that they are correctly executed.

Also a third reason is a 

. Most people think they know how to perform a push-up, but then this is not reflected in practice. And a lot of these push-up challenges are with random people on the street, so maybe we could use a little general awareness about what is a push-up and what isn't.



The same thing usually happens in pull-up and dip challenges, but that is a topic for another article.

To relieve tension, I decided to do my own challenge of 100 push-ups in the shortest time possible, completely blocking each and every one of the repetitions, and it took me 6'45", in case anyone dares to try it. Although, given what I've seen, I don't have many hopes that anyone can do it correctly.

Yerai Alonso

About push-up challenges on the internet and its faulty execution

With the time that calisthenics has been active as a known sport and followed worldwide, it is already evident that one of the determining factors for this sport is the height of the person who practices it, but does it affect all modalities? equally? Is it equally good or bad to be short or tall if you do basics, if you do tricks or if you do weighted calisthenics? What advantages or strengths do tall athletes have? Are there more important factors than height? In this article we are going to try to answer all these questions and more.



Why being tall or short is a factor to take into account in Calisthenics


First of all, we are going to analyze why height matters, which is a question that many people kind of knows, but do not know how to explain exactly.



It is evident that a tall athlete weighs more than a short one, but isn't it true that his muscles are also larger, in proportion to his height, and therefore he should compensate one thing with the other? Here's the thing.

The problem is that, 

even if it is true that larger and longer muscles have more strength, the increase in weight that corresponds to the greater size of the rest of the structures throughout the body is greater than that increase in strength

a tall athlete's muscles are a little stronger, but his body weight is much greater.



Another issue to take into account, and very important in calisthenics, is body proportions. It is still not entirely clear, although there are people who have tried to analyze it in depth, how exactly different body proportions affect different movements. But there is one thing evident, and that is that 

tall athletes, apart from generally having a longer body, which makes levers difficult, tend to have longer legs in proportion to their torso, and this, in movements such as front lever and planche, it is decisive.


Also, how short or long the arms are seems decisive for the ability to do many basic repetitions in a row, since the extra distance of long arms adds accumulated fatigue that ends up being very important.



Effect of height on each calisthenics modality


We are going to start with the modality where the effect of height becomes most evident, which is in 

. Understanding freestyle as the combination of elements of dynamics, tension, strength and balance. If you look at the highest level championships in the world, the average height is very low.

In this case I think the determining factors are the ratio of strength to body weight, which we explained above, and body proportions, specifically the length of the body in general and the length of the legs compared to the torso. As we saw, these two factors tend to favor short athletes, although there are always cases that deviate from this trend.

For example, the athlete Ian Barseagle, who despite measuring 1.88 meters (6.1 foot) and weighing more than 90 kilos (198 pounds), has shown a great ability to progress in statics and has been able to master elements such as the full planche or the front lever without problem. If we analyze his case, we see that, despite being so tall, his legs are not as long compared to his torso, so this may have been decisive in his ability to do static exercises.


, where we could really consider that height does not affect so much, at least when we work at strength or hypertrophy ranges, let's say between 1 and 20 repetitions. In this case, tall people may have some difficulty at the beginning, since their relative strength is lower, and it may be difficult for them to adapt to exercises such as pull-ups, but once that adaptation period is over there is not so much problem in being able to advance in the basics and give them the necessary intensity.

Where we do see a notable difference is in the 

 modality, in which athletes have to do many repetitions in the shortest time possible. Here I think the determining factor is the proportions of the limbs with respect to the torso. As a general rule, a shorter athlete will have shorter arms, which means that their pull-ups, dips, push-ups and muscle ups have a shorter range.

When we work with few repetitions this shorter distance is not so decisive, but when it comes to resistance work it is noticeable, which added to the effect of the proportion of strength with respect to body weight, makes the majority of great champions of endurance short in stature.


 modality, where we already did an analysis in a 

 and we concluded that height does not affect so much, since there is a balance point between body weight and the strength that these athletes are capable of developing in pull-ups, background, muscle up and heavy squat, which appears to be around the -87 and -94 kilogram weight categories (around 180-200 lbs), which have average to tall athletes competing.

By working only one repetition and with added weight, you can take greater advantage of the maximum capacity of the muscle, without the proportion of strength to body weight being so decisive. Furthermore, in this one-repetition work, the length of the limbs or the torso and legs does not seem to be so determining.



Finally, we are going to talk about something that is not a modality of calisthenics, but that is quite relevant for many people, which is 

. In this case, short athletes will have an easier time looking fuller and rockier, since their shorter, rounder muscles favor this appearance. However, 

tall athletes who manage to gain a notable amount of muscle mass will have a much more imposing and striking appearance, especially when you see them in person or in comparison to someone of shorter stature.

short athletes have an initial advantage but taller athletes have greater long-term potential.



In conclusion, we can observe that short athletes clearly have an advantage in some aspects of calisthenics, although it will also depend on the specific morphology of each person. On the other hand, tall athletes also have their strengths and advantages that they can take advantage of. So, whatever your height, you can analyze your specific case, your preferences and your abilities and decide which modality to do.

Remember that in Calisteniapp you have specific training for each of these modalities, including routines for the aesthetic section. Both free routines and training programs and smart routines for pro users.

I hope the article helps you,

Yerai Alonso

Height in Calisthenics: Pros and cons

You probably remember this man but, if he doesn't ring a bell, I'll quickly summarize what happened to him. Years ago, a video of his went viral in which he recommended training with "imaginary weights", so that you performed the muscle contraction as if you were lifting a dumbbell, but it was only in your mind.



The virality of this video was in a mocking tone, since it seemed that this concept of "mental exercises" was totally implausible.

Well, after so many years, it is possible that science has proven him right... in some aspects, but not in others. In this article we are going to see what was true in the method of mental exercises, what part was pure science fiction and how we can improve our training thanks to it.

To analyze this topic we are going to divide it into 3 sections. Mental training to improve motor skills. Mental training to increase strength. And finally, mental training to gain muscle mass.



Mental training in sports to improve motor skills


Let's start with mental training to improve motor skills. In this case, the science is clear, with hundreds of studies on the matter (I leave some references at the end of the article). 

Mental training or imaginary training DOES serve to improve motor skills

. From improving your golf swing, your tennis drive or your basketball shooting mechanics. Or, with examples that may interest us calisthenics athletes more: improving your technique in the muscle up, in the 360 swing, in the bench press or in a clean and jerk.



Specifically, in this case, the most effective thing is to do about 20 minutes of mental training in which you repeatedly perform in your imagination the movement that you want to improve, seen in first person from your perspective. And 

this training has to complement your real training, never replace it, unless there is a major cause

 such as an injury or illness that prevents you from training.

This mental training will help you improve the execution of the movements you practice and, above all, 

it has proven to be very useful for eliminating bad habits or incorrect movements that you want to inhibit.

science has also clearly shown that imaginary mental exercises improve strength.

, a group of young people increased their elbow flexion strength by 13.5% by performing imaginary contractions of their biceps.

In 

, participants performed real squats, and during breaks they mentally practiced their squat. This produced a significant strength gain compared to the group that did not do this mental exercise. 

And like these there are quite a few more studies, so it is clear that if what you are interested in is increasing your strength, mental exercises are a good strategy, as we mentioned before, always as a complement to add more “training volume” in quotes, but not as a substitute, except in cases where you have no other option.



This probably has to do with the fact that to exert strength, one of the mechanisms involved is the ability of your nervous system to send a signal to your muscles with greater intensity, and 

with mental exercises you can train this capacity without having to perform the exercise itself.


Mental exercises to increase muscle mass


And now we go with hypertrophy, which is surely what interests many most.

In this case I have to tell you that... it is a quite complex topic, even more than it might seem.

You see, as far as we know, 

the main stimulus mechanism for hypertrophy is mechanical tension, and this tension is achieved by making movements against real, not imaginary, loads.

 Whether external loads or implements, your own body weight, or a combination of both.

Therefore, it is difficult to even generate the hypothesis that this may occur, which results in there being no studies on the matter.

Álex's approach of doing a concentric with the biceps with an imaginary dumbbell, therefore, does not seem like the most successful option, since there is no external load or body weight that makes the movement difficult. Although, seen another way, 

it could be compared to a kind of isometric in which the resistance is offered by the opposite muscle

, in this case, the triceps, which is what stops you so that you cannot perform the movement without effort.

Furthermore, the rest of the exercises that he proposes in the video are isometric, he tells us to hold the position for several minutes. So let's see what happens with isometrics.




The scientific literature to date is clear, 

isometrics do serve to gain muscle mass and strength, but, and this is a big but, the studies that have been done with isometrics are always carried out against an external load, usually a relatively heavy load

. These studies, from what I have seen, have never been carried out in unloaded isometrics like those that Álex does, so we have no evidence that this type of isometrics can serve any purpose.

Since there is no evidence, we move on to speculation, and, if I had to give my opinion, I think that 

perhaps this type of unloaded isometrics can be used to gain some muscle mass in beginners who have never trained, but I also don't think it is a stimulus comparable to using real loads, therefore it seems like a sub-optimal approach to me

, to which I don't see much application in real life.

We can conclude that Álex was somewhat right, since the mental exercises that he proposed are a kind of isometric that perhaps can generate a little hypertrophy, but, as far as we know today, a traditional exercise approach with weight, is going to give superior results. On the other hand, this type of mental work or imaginary work can be used to practice motor skills and gain strength. So maybe I can help them apply some complementary techniques to improve their training.

I want to remind you that for your real workouts - not imaginary - you can use Calisteniapp, where we have free routines of all kinds, and for pro users, we have training programs and Smart Routines.

Best practice for motor imagery: a systematic literature review on motor imagery training elements in five different disciplines: 

Mental practice modulates functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex: 

Motor Imagery Combined With Physical Training Improves Response Inhibition in the Stop Signal Task: 

Using motor imagery practice for improving motor performance – A review: 

Visual images preserve metric spatial information: Evidence from studies of image scanning.: 

Acquisition and consolidation processes following motor imagery practice: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37745234/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14998709/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37645373/

Are imaginary exercises useful for anything? Science review

One of the most classic pieces of advice from your friend at the park or the typical gym bro is related to breathing, they usually tell you something like that if you control your breathing you will get everything you want and more, and that your PRs are going to increase considerably.

Today we are going to see what is true in this, if it is a myth or if controlling your breathing really serves a purpose, what would be the correct way to do it and much more, let's get started.



In which aspects can correct breathing help when performing an exercise?


First of all, I think we have to define what function breathing can have when performing a strength exercise, and in this case we have two functions, both related to pressure, but in totally different terms. The first is 

to create intra-abdominal pressure to improve the stability of the trunk, and the second is to relieve blood pressure and avoid the problems caused by maintaining high pressure for continuous periods of time.



We are going to explain these two functions with examples, so that it is better understood. Regarding the function of creating intra-abdominal pressure, we are referring to 

filling the lungs, trying to inflate not only the rib cage area, but also the abdominal area. This is usually known as diaphragmatic breathing and consists of trying to fill the lungs while expanding the abdominal area using the diaphragm, giving the appearance that they are filling from the bottom up, and without having that sensation of inflating only the upper part of the chest.


In this way you create a cylinder of air and abdominal pressure that protects your spine from sudden movements. The example where the effect of this maneuver is clearest is in the heavy squat. Imagine that you are going to do a heavy squat record attempt with a weight that you have never been able to lift. Imagine first only lowering the negative with empty lungs and a completely empty abdominal area, the result could be disastrous. Now imagine lowering the negative with the technique we have described, your lungs filled with air from below and your abdominal area very firm and expanded. You would have greater stability and security to carry out the movement.

In fact, this is usually complemented artificially by using a belt that helps maintain that pressure, and it is more than proven that marks are significantly improved with the use of said belt.

Another quite visual example that is often used to represent this is that of a closed soda can filled with pressurized air. If you try to crush it, it is relatively difficult and it holds quite a bit without giving way. However, if you open it and let the air out, it is extremely easy to crush it. Well, in this sense we could visualize our trunk as a can, which we can maintain with that pressure or empty it.


this breathing maneuver will allow you to avoid injuries and will also give you a little extra strength.



Now that we know what this breathing technique consists of, in which exercises it is advisable to use it and in which ones it is not? Well, 

it should mainly be used in exercises in which you handle a large external weight and your spine is in danger of losing stability or making forced movements.

 For example, as we have seen, in the heavy squat, but also in the deadlift, the military press and other gym exercises, a good guideline is to do it in the exercises where you see that people usually use a belt.

As for calisthenics exercises, it is really not so necessary to take this into account, since in 

exercises with body weight the tension that the spine has to withstand is never so extreme

, and we can see how in exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, handstands, squats and so on, there is a certain activation and abdominal stabilization, but it is not necessary that we have that extra stabilization that the diaphragmatic breathing technique gives us. No one would think of putting on a squat belt to improve their pull-ups, their front lever, their dips or their muscle ups.

Therefore, 

in many calisthenics exercises, the abdominal muscles are used to stabilize, to assist movement or to achieve good posture or good technique, but we do not need to perform the breathing maneuver to create intra-abdominal pressure.


Using breathing in exercises to relieve blood pressure


We now move on to the second aspect for which we are interested in knowing how to control breathing, which is the issue of blood pressure. You see, 

when you perform a forceful movement, blood pressure rises to values that can be between 3 and 4 times higher than normal, and if you add to this rise not controlling your breathing well, it can cause dizziness or even a faint

. It is usually seen in deadlift record attemps last too long, where the athlete immediately faints after finishing the movement.

Another example that more directly affects us calisthenics is that of the 

. The effort, added to the inverted position, causes blood to accumulate in the head and the face to turn red. If you add to this not controlling breathing well, we have cases of people with their entire face full of swollen veins and red eyes. and with a feeling of dizziness.



I take this opportunity to remind you that at Calisteniapp we have 

 with which you will achieve it without any problem, take a look.



How to breathe during strength exercises


So how do we have to control our breathing so that this does not happen? Simply 

. Ideally, you should hold your breath for short periods of time, whether or not you are doing the diaphragmatic maneuver.

If the exercise allows it, you can hold your breath only for each individual repetition, and, if you need to hold it for longer, do not do it for more than 4 or 5 repetitions.

In isometric exercises, the ideal is that you be able to maintain abdominal stabilization while breathing, especially if the isometric is going to last more than 3 or 4 seconds. For example, in handstands, you must be able to maintain your balance while breathing, even if you are squeezing your abs to perform the pelvic retroversion, and it is a typical beginner's mistake to hold your breath for the entire duration of the exercise.


the correct thing is that you inhale before performing the main effort of the exercise

, normally the concentric part, and that you exhale when this effort has finished, although nothing happens if you release the air a little before finish said effort. If during the negative of the movement you need to have that stability in the trunk, you should take a breath before starting said negative. For example, in a squat, the ideal would be to take a breath just before the negative and then release it just when you are finishing going back up.

And finally, as to whether to breathe through the nose or mouth, the ideal would be through the nose, but for many people it is tremendously inefficient since they are not used to it and it does not come naturally to them, but you can try to get used to using the nose, would be optimal.

In summary and to make it clearer:



* Point number 1: Perform diaphragmatic breathing in heavy exercises in which you need to have a very stable spine.
* Point number 2: Avoid holding your breath during prolonged efforts.
* Point number 3: Pace your breathing so that you inhale before the main effort of the exercise and exhale when said effort is ending.



I hope it helps you a lot,

Yerai Alonso

How should you manage your breathing during strength training?

One of the situations that can slow down our progress in training are “involuntary” breaks, for example when we go on 

 and we do not have access to our usual training place, 

 and we do not have much time to train or when we have 

 or other responsibilities.

Most of the time these situations are a relatively valid excuse for not training, and few people will reply to you about your decision. But if we analyze it carefully we will see that it is an excuse and that 

you could really continue training quite effectively, managing to at least lose very little of your progress, sometimes even improving or continuing to progress towards your goals.


It must be taken into account that sometimes a break is necessary and productive, for example if you have been training well and intensely for months and now you have a week in which you go on vacation, it may be a good idea to take it as a relief and to not train during that week. But if you have not been training so intensely, or the duration of the break is going to be longer than that, then I would recommend that you not stop for so long, and that you follow the advice that I am going to give you right now so that you can continue achieving your goals even if you are in another place or have little time.



Approach for a minimalist training when you have little time


as long as you give an intense stimulus to the muscles you want to work, it doesn't matter where, how, when or for how long you do it

. If you want to train your chest, it doesn't matter whether you do it with a state-of-the-art gym machine, with weighted dips, or with some simple push-ups on the floor. 

If you give it the right stimulus, the muscle will respond the same


To do this you just need to take into account what resources you have, and how you can use them in the time you have available. Normally, if you are traveling, you may only have the floor, and at most a bench and a wall. No problem, 

the versatility of calisthenics allows you to do good workouts without any equipment

.

I am going to give you examples of training that you can do without material and in less than 20 minutes for any type of situation:



Example of a minimalist routine without material in 20 minutes or less


, do 3 sets of push-ups, almost reaching muscle failure, in a progression in which with less than 30 reps you are already close to that failure. For some people it may be with regular push-ups, or even knee-supported push-ups, but for others they may need to add extra difficulty, for example by adding explosiveness, or adding pauses in the bottom part of the movement.

* For 

, do 3 sets of Bulgarian squats in a progression that takes you close to failure in less than 30 reps. For example, you can do them by adding explosiveness and a pause.

* For 

 you can use a table, chairs or any place where you can hang to do Australian pull-ups. Again, add difficulty with pauses or explosiveness so that you can do 3 sets of less than 30 reps, reaching close to failure.

For all these routines, use breaks of between 2 and 3 minutes between sets.

With this you would have a complete workout that you could do in less than 20 minutes a day and without material. At least you should train 3 times a week and if you want to train more days you can cycle them or add extra exercises.



If you also have more material available or more time, you can now add more complexity and variety. But with this routine I just gave you, you have an example of what would be the most basic thing to at least give a good stimulus to the entire body.

If your training is focused on skills, it will be a good time to focus on ground tricks that you can train perfectly without equipment, such as the planche or the handstand. And if you want to train pulling skills like the front lever or the muscle up, you will have to adapt to the material you have, and again you can find a way to at least train the muscles involved in these movements.

In conclusion we can say that being on a trip, on vacation, with a lot of work or having little time is no excuse for not training, and with only 20 minutes or even less you can get an intense workout without material, that you can do anywhere and that will At least allow you to maintain your fitness level, if not even improve it, until you can return to training normally.

Remind you that in Calisteniapp we have a section of 

 where we have more than 100 free routines that can help you. Also for pro users we have a variety of 

programs and smart progress that can be done without material


I hope this article helps you a lot,

Yerai Alonso

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