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New unified planning in Calisteniapp: manage workouts, routines, and challenges in one place. Now with French support and improved stability.

What's new in Calisteniapp v25.10.0

Calisteniapp v26.9.0: community comments, weighted calisthenics, and routines in fewer steps

Version 26.9.0 brings new ways to connect with the community, a new program for training with added weight, and an easier way to build your routines.

Comment on community workout posts: reply, mention others, and leave a «like».

Try the new weighted calisthenics program: 13 weeks of strength training with added weight and a target RPE for exercises with prescribed effort levels.

Create and adjust routines in fewer steps: add multiple exercises at once, find recent selections, and duplicate and organize blocks and supersets.

Want to know how RPE works and what's changing in the routine builder? Keep reading.

The community feed arrived in v26.4.0 with «likes» on posts; v26.6.0 added photos. With v26.9.0, comments join the mix: the conversation now goes beyond a «like».

Comment on workout posts: share your thoughts on the session, encourage the person who shared it, and chat about how it went.

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When bodyweight alone isn't enough, the next step is to add weight. The new 

 to build strength with added weight, with planned sessions and progression.

Exercises with prescribed effort levels display their 

: how hard a set feels. It's a subjective assessment — 

 is maximum effort, when you can't do any more reps with good form.

), the reps you have left in the tank: how many more repetitions you could have completed. It's a different, more objective concept, although the two are roughly related:

 ≈ 0 RIR: at your limit, with nothing left in the tank.

For weighted exercises, the right amount of added weight varies greatly from person to person and exercise to exercise. The target RPE gives you an effort level to aim for in each set so you can adjust the intensity during the session.

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: choose a weight that makes those 5 reps challenging but controlled — using the approximate equivalence, you should finish with about 2 reps in reserve.

If the set feels like an all-out effort, you've added too much weight: lower it.

If you have 3 or 4 reps left in the tank, it's too light: increase it.

As with any perception-based scale, your RPE estimates improve with practice. The first few weeks help you calibrate what each level means for you; from there, adjusting a set's intensity is as quick as reading the number and choosing the added weight.

Create and adjust your routines more easily

Building a routine manually means repeating the same actions over and over: find an exercise, add it, position it, repeat. Version 26.9.0 cuts down on those steps.

: your latest selections stay within easy reach.

Duplicate and organize blocks and supersets

, individually or in a superset: if you're repeating a pattern (for example, the same block with more added weight), it's ready in one tap.

 without having to delete and recreate them.

The result: less time building your routine and fewer mistakes when reorganizing it.

We've improved the notifications screen: you can now mark all notifications as read or delete them.

On Android, you can now exit a paused session using the native back button.

We've included bug fixes and general improvements for a more polished experience.

Thanks for training with us. If anything gets in your way (or you notice any issues after updating), reach out on Instagram (

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What's new in Calisteniapp v26.9.0: community comments, a new weighted calisthenics program with RPE, and improvements to the routine builder.

Latest Calisteniapp Update - v26.9.0

The lower trapezius is one of the lesser-known parts of the back, but it plays a very important role in scapular stability and movement. This is especially relevant in calisthenics, since it participates in one way or another in very common exercises such as pull-ups, dips or rows. However, many people have difficulty using and controlling their scapulae correctly, especially after spending most of the day sitting or with a fairly inactive posture, which can affect technique and movement control.

In this article I'll explain everything you need to know about the lower trapezius in calisthenics: its main functions, the best lower trapezius exercises to activate and strengthen it, how to integrate this work into your routine and how to stretch it correctly, so you can improve both your scapular control and your technique in the main calisthenics exercises.

What Is the Lower Trapezius and Why Is It So Important in Calisthenics

The lower trapezius, as its name suggests, is the lowest portion of the trapezius muscle, which covers the middle-upper area of the back and the back of the neck.

The lower trapezius originates on the middle vertebrae of the spine and inserts on the scapula. Its main function is scapular stabilization, that is, keeping the scapulae in place to protect the joint.

However, the lower trapezius also participates in scapular mobility, so it performs three dynamic functions:

 moves the scapulae downward, as when you lower your shoulders, away from your ears.

This is the movement you perform when you support your body on parallel bars, whether doing dips, leg raises or an L-sit; this way, you keep your body from collapsing. You also perform this movement in pull-ups.

 moves the scapulae backward, as when you stick your chest out, trying to bring the scapulae as close together as possible.

This is the movement you perform in all horizontal pulls, such as Australian pull-ups, front lever pull-ups or face pulls.

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, the importance of this movement in calisthenics and learn more exercises, I recommend the following article: 

 rotates the scapulae when you raise your arms. In the previous cases, the entire scapula moves as one. In this case, one part of the scapula stays relatively "fixed" and the other part rotates upward.

This is the movement you perform when you raise your arms, as in pike push-ups, handstand push-ups and all the different handstand presses.

How to Know If You Have a Weak Lower Trapezius

Determining whether you have a weak lower trapezius is not as simple as looking at your posture or the position of your scapulae. The position and movement of the scapulae depend on several muscles and on the coordination between them, so having elevated or protracted shoulders does not necessarily mean you have a weak lower trapezius.

Rather than looking for an isolated visual sign, it is more useful to observe whether you have difficulty controlling certain scapular movements, especially when you try to perform exercises that require scapular depression or upward rotation.

Lower Trapezius Exercises in Calisthenics

First of all, as I already explained, the lower trapezius participates in many of the basic calisthenics exercises, especially those that require controlling and stabilizing the scapulae. For this reason, the basics already provide some work for this muscle.

If you want to dive deeper into the basic exercises where the lower trapezius matters most, I'll leave you the links to several articles you can read:

Parallel Bar Dips: Complete Guide, Technique, Muscles and Progression

Pull-Ups on the Bar: Exercises, Benefits and How to Progress

Why AUSTRALIAN PULL-UPS Are the Most Important Exercise in CALISTHENICS

However, if you want to work the lower trapezius in a more specific way, you can use exercises that emphasize its different functions. These are some of the main ones:

This exercise works scapular retraction with your body weight. It consists of pulling the body only through the horizontal movement of the scapulae, without bending the elbows and without arching your back too much.

You can change the difficulty of the exercise by modifying the inclination of your body: the more horizontal your body is, the harder it will be, and vice versa.

Hanging Scapular Depressions (Scapular Pull-Ups)

This exercise works scapular depression with your body weight. It consists of raising the body only through the vertical movement of the scapulae, without bending the elbows, without extending the shoulders and without arching the spine.

If your goal is to emphasize the lower trapezius, it is important to understand that the movement should focus on scapular depression. Some people perform this exercise as if they were 'scapular retractions', raising the body too much and leaning it backward.

Although at first glance this may seem beneficial because you are working more than one function of the lower trapezius in a single exercise, the reality is more complex. Remember that the lower trapezius also participates in upward rotation of the scapulae and, when you raise and tilt your body in this exercise, you introduce other shoulder and scapular movements that can change the stimulus of the exercise (shoulder extension and downward rotation of the scapulae).

That is why, if what you are looking for is to use this exercise specifically to train scapular depression, it makes more sense to keep the movement as specific as possible. This is a clear example of how "more is not always better."

A better alternative is to perform an intermediate movement between the two previous exercises, between scapular depression and retraction; that is, a diagonal movement with the scapulae.

Just make sure your arms always stay at the same elevation angle and that the movement goes in the same direction as the arms. This is very different from doing a scapular depression plus shoulder extension and downward rotation of the scapulae.

Scapular Depressions on Parallel Bars (Scapular Dips)

This exercise also works scapular depression, but this time in a dip position, with the arms down.

As in the previous exercise, this consists of raising the body only through the vertical movement of the scapulae, without bending the elbows, without tilting the body and without flexing the spine.

A small difference between this exercise and hanging scapular depressions (or scapular pull-ups) is that, when performing this scapular movement with the arms down, the lower trapezius may be in a somewhat more lengthened position, because the scapulae will be rotated downward.

Based on the evidence available so far, training a muscle in more lengthened positions could be beneficial for hypertrophy. However, this is a mere hypothesis based on research on other muscle groups, so take this recommendation with caution.

Finally, this exercise works the third function of the lower trapezius: upward scapular rotation. It consists of raising the arms up and slightly out to the sides, precisely making a 'Y' shape with the body.

The most common way to do this exercise is with bands or small dumbbells. However, you can also do it with your body weight, whether with rings, a TRX or even an anchored towel/sheet. To do so, you have to place the rings or the towel at a height so that your arms form a 90° angle with your body. Likewise, the difficulty of the exercise will depend on the inclination of your body.

When performing this exercise, try to avoid shrugging your shoulders toward your ears. The idea is not to keep them completely still, but to control their movement and avoid excessive elevation of the shoulders.

If what you are looking for is to stretch the lower trapezius, you can use positions that take the scapulae in the opposite direction to some of its actions.

Therefore, with the arm down (scapula rotated downward), raise the shoulder (scapular elevation) and bring it forward (scapular protraction). To do this, grab the wrist of the side you are stretching with the other hand and pull backward and to the side.

How to Integrate Lower Trapezius Work into Your Routine

Lower trapezius work can be included in your routines in several ways.

You can perform the previous exercises at the beginning of the routine, in your warm-ups, as activation exercises to get better scapular stability and better awareness when mobilizing the joint.

A very smart and efficient way to work this muscle is by performing the specific exercises in supersets with the basic exercises.

To do this, perform a normal set of a basic exercise, for example, Australian pull-ups. When you reach failure or are very close to it, without resting, continue the set with scapular rows. You can do the same with dips and pull-ups.

I already mentioned that the basics work the lower trapezius; however, the fact that this muscle participates in the exercise does not necessarily mean it receives enough stimulus to take it close to failure. Through this method, we take advantage of the initial stimulus of the basic exercise and then add a specific exercise to keep working the lower trapezius. This way, we can increase the stimulus this muscle receives without having to add another completely independent set.

Finally, you can perform these exercises in isolation, either at the end of a strengthening routine or as the main work in a mobility or active rest routine.

One of the most common mistakes in some exercises is letting the shoulders rise excessively toward the ears, especially when the goal is to perform a specific movement of the scapulae.

This can make the exercise be performed in a different way than the one we are looking for and increase the participation of other muscles, such as the upper trapezius. In some people, this can also increase discomfort or the feeling of tension in the neck area.

Note: I want to emphasize that this is not a mistake in all exercises. In vertical pushing exercises, such as pike push-ups, handstand push-ups or handstand presses, scapular elevation is part of the normal movement and should not be deliberately avoided.

In the specific exercises, the movement should come only from the scapula. At first, this can be a bit difficult or confusing, so it is very common for people to bend their elbows to try to perform the exercise.

If this happens to you, do an easier progression or lightly support your feet. This way, you will carry a lower percentage of your body weight, making the movement easier.

If you want to know specific progressions for pull-ups and dips, I recommend the following articles:

Again, the movement should come exclusively from the scapulae. It is common for some people to arch their back to complete the movement. This generally happens because they do not yet have good scapular awareness and, therefore, they compensate by moving the spine.

As in the previous case, do an easier progression and focus on mobilizing the scapulae, keeping the rest of the body in the same position.

The lower trapezius is a little-known part of the back, but it plays an important role in the control and stability of the scapulae, especially in calisthenics exercises such as pull-ups, dips and rows. Although the basic exercises already involve this muscle, we can also use more specific exercises to work its different functions, such as scapular rows, scapular depressions and Y-raises. In addition, we saw how to integrate these exercises into the routine, whether as a warm-up, in supersets with the basics or as isolated work, as well as the most common mistakes you should avoid and some options to stretch the lower trapezius.

If you want to improve your strength, technique and control in calisthenics, in Calisteniapp you will find routines and progressions designed to help you progress step by step. 

Want to train your lower trapezius? Improve your posture and technique in pull-ups and handstands. No equipment, with progressions

Complete Guide to Lower Trapezius Exercises in Calisthenics

Hydration in calisthenics is a performance factor just as important as nutrition, although it often receives less attention. Maintaining a good hydration status is essential for training under good conditions, since even mild dehydration can negatively affect strength and endurance and, as a result, athletic performance.

However, water needs are not the same for everyone. The duration and intensity of the session, the temperature, the humidity, or how much you sweat can considerably change the amount you need. That is why, in this article, we will look at how much water to drink when training, how to adjust the amount to your needs, and when to drink before, during, and after a calisthenics session.

Why Hydration Affects Your Performance in Calisthenics

Water makes up an important part of the body and of muscle tissue itself. It is involved in numerous processes related to exercise, from regulating body temperature to transporting nutrients and maintaining blood volume.

During training, we lose water mainly through sweat. If these losses are not properly replaced, dehydration can occur and cardiovascular and heat stress can increase, especially when training in hot conditions. A significant loss of fluid can compromise physical performance.

In calisthenics, this can translate into a greater perception of effort, earlier onset of fatigue, and difficulty maintaining performance as the session progresses. In addition, proper hydration is also part of the post-exercise recovery process.

Therefore, the relationship between hydration and athletic performance is not simply about drinking a lot of water, but about maintaining a balance between the fluid we lose and the fluid we take in.

How Much Water You Need If You Train Calisthenics

As a general guideline, an approximate intake of 30-35 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day can be used as a starting point. However, this figure should not be understood as an exact amount that works for any person.

For example, for a person weighing 70 kg:

This would amount to approximately 2.1-2.45 liters per day as an initial reference. From there, intake should be adjusted taking into account exercise and individual losses.

If you are wondering how much water to drink per day when you exercise, the answer will depend especially on how much you sweat. A short, low-intensity session performed in a cool environment does not create the same needs as a long, demanding workout in the middle of summer.

The duration of the workout, its intensity, ambient temperature and humidity, the clothing worn, and individual adaptation to heat also play a role. That is why current sports hydration recommendations insist on individualizing the strategy instead of establishing an identical amount for all athletes.

A practical way to better understand your needs is to weigh yourself before and after training. Changes in body weight, together with the amount of fluid you drink, can help you estimate how much fluid you lose during a session and progressively adjust your hydration.

When to Drink Water: Before, During, and After Training

You do not need to wait until the end of the session to think about hydration. Arriving well hydrated, drinking when necessary during the workout, and replacing part of the fluid lost afterwards makes it possible to spread your intake throughout the day and avoid having to drink large amounts all at once.

The goal of hydrating before training is to start the session in a good state of hydration.

As a practical reference, you can drink approximately 400-600 ml of fluid during the 1-2 hours before training, adjusting the amount to your individual needs and avoiding drinking large volumes right before starting.

You can also use some simple signals to assess your everyday hydration. The sensation of thirst, how often you urinate, urine color, and changes in body weight can provide useful information when interpreted together.

The idea is not to drink as much as possible before training, but to arrive at the session properly hydrated.

During the session, the goal is to limit excessive fluid losses without falling into the opposite extreme of drinking more than necessary.

A simple strategy is to take regular sips approximately every 15-20 minutes, especially when sessions are long, intensity is high, or you are training in hot environments.

There is no hourly amount that is right for absolutely everyone. Sweat rates vary widely between people and also change depending on environmental conditions and the type of training.

That is why observing how much you sweat and how your weight changes before and after similar sessions can help you develop a much more precise hydration strategy than simply forcing yourself to finish a given bottle.

In addition, drinking more does not necessarily mean better hydration. Excessive fluid intake can cause hyperhydration and, in certain situations, contribute to a dangerous drop in blood sodium concentration.

After the session, the goal is to progressively replace the fluid lost through sweat.

If the workout caused significant losses, weighing yourself before and after can serve as a reference. In most situations, it is not necessary to replace all the fluid immediately: rehydration can take place progressively through drinks and food over the following hours.

When rapid recovery is needed, for example if there is little time between two sessions, the strategy can be more specific. The IOC consensus states that, in most situations, replacing around 100-120% of the body mass lost through fluids and food can be enough, while more aggressive strategies are reserved for specific situations.

Hydration is part of recovery, but it is not the only factor involved. If you want to dive deeper into post-workout nutrition specifically, you can check out our guide on what to eat after a calisthenics workout.

When we sweat, we lose not only water but also electrolytes. However, not all of them are lost in the same amounts, nor do they all need to be specifically replaced during exercise. Sodium is the main electrolyte lost through sweat and, therefore, the one with the greatest relevance when planning a sports hydration strategy.

Although small amounts of potassium and magnesium are also lost, these losses are considerably smaller and, under normal conditions, can be covered through an adequate diet. For this reason, a sports electrolyte drink does not need to contain large amounts of potassium or magnesium to be useful during training.

In fact, in relatively short sessions, with moderate temperatures and without especially high sweat rates, it is generally not necessary to resort to electrolyte drinks. Water, together with an adequate diet throughout the day, is usually enough.

Sodium intake can become more important when:

training is prolonged, especially if it exceeds approximately one hour;

training takes place at high temperatures;

a large amount of salt is lost through sweat;

several sessions are performed in the same day or there is little time to recover between them.

In these cases, adding sodium to fluids or replacing it afterwards through food can help restore losses and promote the retention of the fluid consumed.

Therefore, talking about "replenishing electrolytes" does not necessarily mean that sodium, potassium, and magnesium must be supplied in similar amounts. In the context of hydration during exercise, sodium is the electrolyte that deserves the most attention, while losses of potassium and, especially, magnesium are much smaller and are usually covered by the diet.

Signs That You Are Not Drinking Enough Water

The body can offer some clues that help detect that your fluid intake may be insufficient. Among the most common are:

a drop in performance as the sets or reps progress.

Urine color can be a simple tool, but it should not be used in isolation. The NATA recommends combining different indicators such as thirst, weight changes, urination frequency, and urine color to obtain a more useful reference of hydration status.

Muscle cramps are also often automatically associated with dehydration or a lack of electrolytes, but their origin can be multifactorial. For this reason, having cramps does not necessarily mean that the problem is simply not having drunk enough water.

Most Common Hydration Mistakes When Training Calisthenics

One of the most frequent mistakes is not paying attention to hydration until you are very thirsty. If you know you are going to do a long, intense session, or one in very hot conditions, it is more practical to start the workout properly hydrated and have fluid available during the session.

Another mistake is not drinking anything during prolonged workouts, especially when sweat rates are high. The greater the losses, the more important it is to have a strategy adapted to them.

At the opposite extreme is drinking too much water. Trying to prevent dehydration by consuming amounts far greater than your losses offers no advantages and can be harmful. Current recommendations state that a person who starts exercise properly hydrated should not gain body weight during training as a result of excessive fluid intake.

It is also common to ignore heat and humidity. Two identical workouts may require very different hydration strategies depending on environmental conditions. In hot environments, sweating increases and, with it, water and electrolyte losses.

Hydration is a pillar of athletic performance just as relevant as other aspects of preparation. Maintaining a good hydration status helps you face training, manage the losses caused by sweat, and promote proper recovery afterwards.

There is, however, no perfect amount of water for everyone. Using an initial reference and then adjusting it according to your weight, how much you sweat, the duration and intensity of the workout, and environmental conditions is a much more useful strategy than trying to hit a rigid number every day.

Drinking regularly, arriving well hydrated to your sessions, and learning to recognize signals such as thirst, changes in body weight, or the color and frequency of your urine will allow you to better adapt your hydration to your needs.

, you can keep structuring your workouts and progressions while incorporating hydration habits adapted to the demands of each session.

Find out how much water you need if you train calisthenics, when to drink it, and how hydration affects your strength and performance. A complete guide.

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Complete Guide to Lower Trapezius Exercises in Calisthenics

Hydration in Calisthenics: How Much Water You Need and When to Drink It

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