I recently published an article about how to increase your reps in basic calisthenics exercises, and many of you asked me to make one explaining how to increase the amount of time you can hold static or tension-based exercises. So, let’s dive into it.

To quickly recap and give a bit of context: in that previous article, I explained that the optimal way to increase your max reps in an exercise is simply by accumulating a high volume of reps and sets of that exercise throughout the week.

Do you need a different approach for static exercises?

Given that, a key question comes up: does the same approach work for static exercises? Should we just accumulate as much time in these exercises as possible each week? The answer here is both yes and no. Let me explain.

If we’re talking about a static hold where you already have enough control to maintain sets of 5 seconds or more, with good technique and without feeling too much muscular or joint stress, then yes. You simply need to perform a lot of sets of that static hold to rack up a good amount of time each week, and that’ll be enough.

The problem comes when you can only hold the position for a few seconds and you feel like you're right at your limit: your form starts to break down, your muscles are close to failing, and your joints are under a lot of tension. In these situations, just trying to accumulate more seconds each week isn’t enough, because you wouldn’t be able to do them with good quality, and you’d also be at high risk of injury.

How to approach increasing hold time in static exercises that push you to your limit

So, what can we do in these cases? Here are a few solutions:

Artificially increase the time using negatives.
Negatives, or eccentrics, involve increasing your time under tension by using a variation of the exercise that gradually takes you down to the most difficult position. For example, a front lever negative would be lowering yourself slowly from a vertical position to horizontal, while a planche negative would involve lowering from a handstand down into the planche position. This way, even if you can only hold the full position for two seconds, doing negatives can easily get you up to 6–8 seconds of time under tension.

Artificially increase the time using easier variations.
Another option is to slightly reduce the difficulty of the exercise by modifying your technique. Specifically, bending your elbows a bit (or even a lot, depending on the case) is an excellent way to make exercises like the planche or front lever easier. With this variation, even though the technical difficulty is reduced, your muscles are still working hard. This can help you go from barely holding one or two seconds to longer sets, allowing you to accumulate a good amount of volume each week. As an extra tip, I recommend combining this method with the previous one by doing negatives with your elbows bent to maximize your time under tension.

Increase the time by using earlier progressions.
This is probably the most common method, and I especially recommend it when your muscles and connective tissue aren’t ready yet for a more advanced progression. If you feel like you’re pushing your body too far or you feel discomfort in the position (for example, in your wrists, elbows, or shoulders when trying a straddle planche), drop down to an earlier progression like the advanced tucked planche. Spend time holding that position and, after a while, try the more advanced version again. If you feel more comfortable, you can then start applying the previous methods like negatives or easier variations with bent elbows.

What about resistance bands?

Another pretty common option is using resistance bands to make the exercises easier by reducing the amount of body weight you have to support.

I know some people love this option and even get good results with it. So, if you’re really into it, go ahead.

However, personally, I’m not too convinced by this method. The band changes the way your body weight is distributed, which could actually make things harder when you try the exercise without the band later on.

Plus, there’s often an ego factor involved—many people prefer to use the band to feel like they’re already doing a more advanced progression (like jumping straight into a full front lever) rather than patiently working on an earlier progression without the band (like an advanced tucked front lever).

My recommendation is to prioritize methods that don’t involve bands, unless you really enjoy using them and want to include them in your training.

Wrapping up

In the end, increasing your hold time in static exercises comes down to adapting the method to your current level of control over the exercise. If you can hold the position for several seconds comfortably, just focus on accumulating weekly volume. But if you’re close to your limit, use techniques like negatives, easier variations with bent elbows, or drop back temporarily to an earlier progression. While resistance bands can help, I recommend prioritizing band-free methods to achieve solid, sustainable results in the long run.

If you need training programs for static exercises, in Calisteniapp we’ve got programs for front lever, planche, back lever, human flag, handstand, and much more. Go check them out!

Hope this article helps you out,

Yerai Alonso