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Calisteniapp / Fullbody muscle building

Fullbody muscle building: your step-by-step plan.

This program is one of the most suitable to start your journey as a calisthenics athlete. The main objective of this plan is to gain strength, muscle mass and resistance throughout the body. It is ideal to obtain a good general level in calisthenics exercises as well as a healthy fitness level.

Available in Calisteniapp for iOS and Android.

Explore my path
Fullbody muscle building

Objective

The goal of this program is for you to achieve good muscle development throughout your body and to learn basic calisthenics exercises from the simplest to the most advanced.

Frequence
See program guidance
First session duration
31 min
Program
29 estimated weeks

01 / Requirements

Required prerequisites

  • × 5 Incline push-ups level 0

Necessary equipment

For this program you will need Low bar, Box.

02 / Program

Build your path.

Each phase prepares you for the next. Weeks are a guide: repeat a phase when you need more practice before moving on.

  1. Week 1–3Beginner Conditioning Level 0

    What you will practise

    In this phase you start from the ground up, with general conditioning work designed so your body can adapt safely to training. The goal is for you to gain body control, muscular endurance, and an initial base of strength in the most important patterns: pushing, pulling, squatting, and core stability. Exercises such as Australian chin ups and Incline push-ups will teach you to move your own body weight at a manageable intensity, while Plank, Femoral bridge, and Partial squat prepare your abs, glutes, legs, and lower back for later progressions. You will also begin to improve the tolerance of your shoulders, elbows, and wrists to pushing work thanks to Isometric push-ups and Isometric dips, which will be very useful for progressing more safely later on.

  2. Week 4–5Preparation Before the Basics

    What you will practise

    In this second phase we slightly increase the difficulty and begin preparing your body for the classic calisthenics basics. Full-body work is maintained, but now with more emphasis on shoulder and triceps pushing, horizontal pulling, and unilateral leg work. Squat, Bulgarian squat, and Back lunges improve lower-body strength and stability, while Incline push-ups and Knee push-ups bring you closer and closer to the floor pushing pattern with more realistic demands. The core also becomes more important with variations such as Leg raises on the ground, which begin to require more control of the pelvis and abdomen.

  3. Week 6–7Introduction to the Basics of Calisthenics

    What you will practise

    In this phase you make a clear jump in level and introduce several of the most representative calisthenics basics. You begin working on the high bar with Supine pull-ups in different formats, consolidate Push-ups, and start developing more shoulder strength and scapular control with exercises such as Shoulder raises in pike push-ups and Abdominal plank with displacement to pike. All of this mainly develops your back, biceps, chest, shoulders, and core, while also improving coordination between the scapulae, trunk, and arms in vertical pulling and horizontal pushing patterns. Abdominal work on parallel bars with Knee raises on parallel bars will also help you connect the pelvis better with the trunk, which is very important for more advanced movements in the future.

  4. Week 8–10Reinforcement of Pushing Work

    What you will practise

    In this phase you begin with a clear reinforcement of pushing work and continue progressing in general strength. Short dips introduce the pushing pattern on parallel bars progressively, while Pike push-ups and Frogstand increase the involvement of the shoulders, wrists, and core. At the same time, Half-range supinated pull-ups and explosive Australian variations continue strengthening the back and improving pulling capacity, which is essential for maintaining balanced torso development. This is a very useful phase for preparing both vertical pushing and scapular stability, two elements that will later be decisive for the handstand and full dips.

  5. Week 11–13Strengthening Supine Pull-ups and Vertical Position

    What you will practise

    In this phase the main focus is on strengthening Supine pull-ups, which will be the foundation for progressing later toward more solid Prone pull-ups. You also take an important step in leg and core work with Deep squat and L sit raises on parallel bars, so the program continues building a strong body globally.

  6. Week 14–15Strengthening Prone Pull-ups

    What you will practise

    In this phase we begin working more intentionally on partial-range Prone pull-ups, while the rest of the body continues progressing toward a solid intermediate level. Vertical pulling takes on a greater role, but the shoulders are also reinforced with Pike push-ups and horizontal pushing with Diamond push-ups and Decline push-ups. In addition, the leg and core work maintains the full-body nature of the program, with special attention to hip stability, abdominal control, and the ability to keep producing force without losing technique. It is an important transition stage between mastering the bar with a supinated grip and starting to feel strong with a pronated grip.

  7. Week 16–18Advanced Back and Shoulder Control

    What you will practise

    In this phase you now introduce full-range Prone pull-ups and Assisted handstand push-ups facing the wall, two movements that greatly raise your level of back and shoulder strength. The work becomes more specific and advanced: full vertical pulling develops the lats, biceps, rhomboids, and forearms, while Assisted handstand push-ups facing the wall intensely load the deltoids, triceps, upper trapezius, and core. Dips and Explosive push-ups complete a very demanding torso block, accompanied by unilateral leg and glute work to maintain the overall balance of the program. You also begin demanding more body control while hanging with Isometric L sit on bar.

  8. Week 19–22Handstand Reinforcement and Greater Explosiveness

    What you will practise

    In this phase we work on explosiveness in several basic exercises and you continue reinforcing the handstand, one of the most characteristic movements in calisthenics. The combination of Explosive pull-ups, Explosive dips, and Explosive push-ups improves your ability to apply force quickly, while Assisted handstand push-ups facing the wall, Assisted short handstand push-ups, and Wall assisted handstand develop balance, body awareness, scapular stability, and shoulder endurance. Full leg and core work is also maintained so that progress continues to be global and not focused only on the upper body.

  9. Week 23–26Volume Increase

    What you will practise

    In this phase you begin working on two very representative goals: Jump-assisted muscle up and handstand push-ups. To do this, we continue raising the level in pull-ups, dips, handstand work, and vertical pushing, so that you can combine strength, coordination, and explosiveness. Jump-assisted muscle up teaches you the transition between the pull and the dip on the bar, while the increased volume in Prone pull-ups, Supine pull-ups, Straight bar dips, and Assisted handstand push-ups facing the wall builds the foundation needed to get closer to more complex movements. Assisted pistol squat also appears, adding a clear challenge of unilateral strength, mobility, and balance in the legs.

  10. Week 27–29Full Body Domination

    What you will practise

    Up to this point you have shown advanced mastery of the main muscle groups, along with good explosiveness, coordination, and balance. The goal here is to begin attempting the Muscle up and Assisted handstand push-ups with a high level of control, integrating everything you have built throughout the program. The work remains full body, with Prone pull-ups and Supine pull-ups, Straight bar dips, handstand work, unilateral leg work, and explosive exercises that reinforce a very solid overall level. Movements such as Around the world and Skin the cat also add an extra stimulus of active mobility, shoulder strength, and overall control while hanging.

Estimated end of the plan

Choose a valid date to preview your plan.

This date reflects the planned duration, not a guaranteed date for completing Fullbody muscle building. Your progress may take additional weeks.

03 / Calisteniapp

Your first session, step by step.

Here is the first session of the program, so you have a reference for how the sessions are structured.

Estimated duration of 31 min depending on the rest periods you choose. Sets and reps are a reference: adjust them to your level.

The exercises you will discover.

Every movement that appears at least once across the program.

Understand the reason behind each step.

  • Although it is listed as a beginner plan, when finished, you will have an intermediate level in bodyweight training.
  • It is designed to be done 3 times a week. However, it has extra routines in case some week you want to train an extra day.
  • The approximate duration of the routines is 45 minutes.
  • The durations in weeks of each phase and of the complete program are indicative, since it is possible that if you find difficulties in some specific exercise you have to extend some phase and do it for an extra week.

They train with Calisteniapp.

App reviews already published on our website. These are not specific to this program.

The best. I've been on the pro plan for two years and have achieved excellent results. Resistance, strength, skill, and aesthetics, I've obtained it all thanks to the guidance of this app on this beautiful calisthenics journey.
Roberto Duarte
If the free option is already great, the pro option has to be amazing. I'm super happy. I'm a beginner, a very beginner, and really everything is simple, the exercises can be done anywhere without equipment, and it's helping me a lot.
Maite Ruiz

From “one day” to your first session.

  1. Download Calisteniapp on your phone.

  2. Find Fullbody muscle building and check its access options.

  3. Review the terms shown in the app and start the first phase.

If the app offers you a 7-day trial, check the subsequent price, billing period, renewal and cancellation before activating it. Availability and terms are those shown in your account and store.

Before you start.

How much rest time do I do between sets and exercises?

We recommend intermediate rest times for this program, between 45" and 2':30". If in any phase you are stuck and cannot progress, we recommend using longer rest times to complete it.

Every step counts.

Start with preparation. Follow the path. Give your progress time.

Available in Calisteniapp for iOS and Android.

Your program continues in the app.

Download Calisteniapp and find “Fullbody muscle building” in Programs. If you already have the app, open the program directly.

I have the app: open Fullbody muscle building
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