Calisthenics intermediate routine

If you’ve already mastered the basics and feel it’s time to take your strength and body control to the next level, this routine is designed for you.

This is a calisthenics routine for intermediate athletes, ideal if you’re somewhere between beginner and advanced. You don’t need any equipment or access to a gym—you can do it at home, in a park, or wherever you prefer.

Here you’ll find a clear structure, effective exercises, and progressions that will help you advance safely and consistently through your intermediate-level calisthenics training.

Benefits of Following an Intermediate Calisthenics Routine

Transitioning to an intermediate calisthenics routine will help you optimize your physical performance and improve several key areas. Among the main benefits of intermediate calisthenics training, you’ll find:

• Improved relative strength: increase your ability to move your own body weight efficiently and with control.
• Better body control: develop balance, coordination, and movement awareness.
• Progression toward advanced skills: this stage builds the foundation for moves like the planche or front lever.
• Muscle gain without equipment: develop muscle and strength without needing weights.
• Adaptability: perform the routine at home, in the park, or at the gym without changing its structure.

What Level Do You Need for This Intermediate Routine?

Before you start, it’s important to know if you’re ready for an intermediate calisthenics routine. At this stage, you should be able to:

• Perform 10 to 15 strict push-ups with good form.
• Execute leg exercises like squats, lunges, and Bulgarian split squats without difficulty.

If you meet these requirements, you can start without any problem. Otherwise, we recommend starting with the beginner routine before progressing further.

To see visible results and continue improving, it’s best to train 3 to 4 times per week, leaving at least one rest day between intense sessions.

General Training Structure

Recommended frequency: 3–4 days per week
Muscle split: Full body
Equipment required: None
Session duration: 45–60 minutes

Rest times between exercises can vary from 30 seconds to 2 and a half minutes, depending on your fatigue level and the difficulty of the exercise.

Intermediate Calisthenics Routine

Day 1 (Push)

• Pike push-ups – 3x6-8
• Decline push-ups – 3x6-8
• Push-ups – 3x8-10
• Incline push-ups – 3x10-12
• Bench dips (use a chair or stable surface) – 3x12-15
• Push-up position hold (isometric) – 3x30’’

View routine in Calisteniapp

Technique tips and progressions:
Always maintain proper body alignment with your core tight and elbows at about 45°. If you struggle to complete all reps, reduce the range of motion or perform the push-ups on your knees. To progress, gradually increase reps or shorten rest times.

Day 2: Core

• Sit-ups – 3x15
• Floor leg raises – 3x10-12
• Russian twists – 3x20’’
• Hollow body hold – 3x20’’
• Mountain climbers – 3x20’’

• Hip raises with bent legs – 3x15

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Technique tips and progressions:
Focus on keeping constant tension in your abs throughout each movement. Avoid using momentum or arching your lower back. As you advance, perform leg raises with straight legs or increase hold times on isometric exercises.

These sessions are perfect if you’re looking for a home calisthenics routine for intermediates, since they require no equipment.

Day 3: Legs

• Explosive squats – 3x15
• Bulgarian split squats – 3x12 per leg
• Paused lunges – 3x10 per leg
• Single-leg glute bridge – 3x12 per leg
• Step-ups (on a box or chair) – 3x10 per leg
• Calf raises – 3x15 per leg

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Technique tips and progressions:
Perform the movements under control and avoid letting your knee go past your toes. If the exercises feel too easy, add weight with a backpack or increase repetitions.

Day 4 (Optional): Full Body + Cardio Routine

This day combines strength and cardio in a HIIT format. It’s a quick routine you can complete in just 10 minutes.

Perform 2 rounds of the following 4 exercises, working for 20 seconds and resting 30 seconds between rounds:

Push-ups + alternating lunges + sit-ups + squats (x2 rounds)

As you adapt to the routine, reduce rest time between exercises and rounds while extending your work time.

View routine in Calisteniapp

This intermediate full-body calisthenics routine is ideal for improving endurance, burning fat, and maintaining fitness when you have limited time.

Tips to Progress with This Routine

To keep improving in your intermediate calisthenics training, focus on the quality of each repetition. Don’t aim for more reps if that means sacrificing form. Gradually increase difficulty by adding harder variations or reducing rest times. Maintain a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and stay consistent—progress in calisthenics depends more on discipline than on talent.

With patience and dedication, this routine will bring you closer to advanced movements and a greater mastery of your body.

Start Your Routine with Calisteniapp

If you’re ready to put this intermediate calisthenics routine into action and take your training to the next level, we recommend doing it with Calisteniapp, the leading app for bodyweight training. With it, you can follow this routine step by step, track your progress, and access hundreds of exercises and plans tailored to your level.

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Benefits of training with Calisteniapp:

• Personalized routine creation: design your workouts based on your goals, level, and schedule.
• Progress tracking: monitor your evolution and analyze your improvements in strength, control, and performance.
• Level-based progressions: advance in a structured way from beginner to advanced.
• Workouts with or without equipment: adapt each session to your environment, whether at home, in the park, or at the gym.

Train with method, consistency, and purpose. Take the next step in your intermediate calisthenics training and reach your goals with Calisteniapp.

By Yerai Alonso