MY CALISTHENICS JOURNEY (part 1)
Hello Brighton calisthenics community !
Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to set some fresh goals. After all, YES — even coaches need to work out and keep themselves accountable!
Quick little preface: over the past six months, my training consistency has been... let's say, a bit all over the place. I’ve stayed active, sure, but I wasn’t following a structured program. I trained whenever I could fit it into my schedule, which, to be fair, is pretty understandable when you’re balancing a full-time job and everything else life throws at you.
That said, while this approach allowed me to maintain a decent level of fitness and strength — which is a win in itself — it also led to a bit of a plateau. I wasn’t really seeing any real progress, and deep down, I missed that feeling of chasing and reaching new milestones.
That’s why I think is time to take my training a bit more seriously .
SET UP GOALS
The first and most important step is to set clear, specific goals — and define the time frame in which you aim to achieve them. Having a roadmap not only gives your training direction, but it also keeps you motivated and accountable along the way
Solid Press to Handstand: 6 months
One-Arm Handstand: 9 months to 1 year
Clean One-Arm Pull-up: 3 months
Solid Handstand Push-up: 3 to 6 months
As you can probably tell, most of my current goals are heavily handstand-focused — with the exception of the one-arm pull-up. Improving my handstand skills has been something I’ve wanted to dedicate more time and attention to, and now feels like the perfect moment to fully commit( like at least 1 hour at day ) . Each of these movements requires not just strength, but also balance, body control, and a lot of patience.
Progress, especially with skills like these, is rarely linear — but having a clear timeline helps me stay focused and celebrate the small wins along the way.
TEST and CURRENT CONDITION
Now that I’ve clearly defined my goals, it’s important to establish exactly where I’m starting from. Knowing my baseline will help me measure progress over time and adjust my training when needed.
Today, April 28th, 2025, I ran a few 1-rep max (1RM) tests on two key exercises: the one-arm pull-up and the handstand push-up. Here’s how it went: :
One-Arm Pull-Up (OAP): I was able to complete a 1 half range-of-motion (ROM) rep on both arms.
Handstand Push-Up (HSPU): Similarly, I managed a half range-of-motion rep.
As for the one-arm handstand — I gave it a shot, and as expected, I didn’t quite nail it yet. But trying it out was extremely useful. It quickly highlighted some areas I need to work on before I can even think about holding a one-arm handstand properly.
Specifically, I realized that I first need to solidify my free-standing handstand. Beyond that, my shoulder mobility and pancake flexibility also need significant improvement.
ONE ARM PULL UP
HANDSTAND PUSH UPS
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM
How Will I Proceed?
Now that I’ve outlined my goals and assessed my starting point, it’s time to lay out a clear action plan.
MICROCYCLE
My initial idea is to organize my training into a 6-session microcycle each week, structured as follows:
2 sessions focused primarily on handstand training and mobility
1 full-body strength session
1 push-focused strength session
1 pull-focused strength session
1 lower-body (leg) session
This structure totals six sessions per week.
SINGLE SESSION
In each session — no matter the main focus — I plan to start with handstand practice. The layout will look like this:
For the two dedicated handstand & mobility sessions:
15 minutes: Full-body warm-up
45 minutes: Focused handstand training
15–30 minutes: Trap and shoulder-specific strengthening exercises
15 minutes: Stretching and mobility work
For the four strength-focused sessions (full-body, push, pull, legs):
15 minutes: Warm-up
15 minutes: Handstand practice
45 minutes to 1 hour: Main strength training
15 minutes: Stretching and mobility
This will form the basic structure of my weekly training. Of course, life happens — work, unexpected events, or just needing extra recovery might require some adjustments along the way.
MACROCYCLE
As for the bigger picture — my macrocycle — the strategy will stay very simple and straightforward. I’ll start with a high-volume phase focused on building a solid base of muscle and strength. This means longer sets, more repetitions, and a strong emphasis on general conditioning.
Once a strong foundation is established, I’ll gradually transition into more specific work targeting each of my main goals. That’s when training will become more skill-focused, with higher intensity and more technical drills tailored toward the handstand push-up, press to handstand, one-arm handstand, and one-arm pull-up.
Building the base first will ensure that I have the strength, endurance, and mobility needed to sustain harder, more technical sessions later on without risking injury or burnout.
CONCLUSIONS
This new training journey is not just about setting personal goals — it’s also about embodying the same commitment, structure, and passion that I bring to my clients every day. Whether it's building strength, mastering advanced skillsor simply improving overall fitness, having a clear plan and consistent support makes all the difference.
As a personal trainer in Brighton specializing in calisthenics coaching, I know first-hand how important it is to tailor training programs to each individual’s goals and starting point. Every journey is unique — and that’s exactly why I love helping others unlock their full potential, whether they are beginners or more advanced athletes.
Stay tuned !
