Essential Beginner Calisthenic Skills to Learn

Arazi Edwards
3 min readJul 1, 2023
By: Arazi Edwards

If you want to learn crazy calisthenic skills like the muscle up, you must first begin with the basics. They will help you establish a strong, balanced physique that will turn you into a calisthenic beast.

L-sit

Barbend

The l-sit is one of the first and easiest skills to learn. It’s a pushing skill that requires you to lift your body off of the ground using your abs, chest, triceps, and hip flexors. It will help build the pushing muscles of the body.

Handstand

Yoga Journal

The handstand is another staple calisthenic skill learning the handstand will help develop your shoulders, develop better athletism, and can help unlock skills like the HSPU or 90 HSPU.

V-sit

Burningate

The v-sit is the next progression of the l-sit. It helps hit the posterior chain of the body by hitting the rear delts, enabling you to develop a more balanced musculature. It also aids in developing a stronger core. This can help you unlock the manna and victorian. But make sure before learning the v-sit you learn the l-sit.

Elbow lever

Simonster

The elbow lever is another beginner skill that looks cool to do. You lift your body off the ground by bending your arms to a 90-degree angle. This skill can help develop the strength needed for the 90 HSPU or planche pushup.

Conclusion

Make sure to focus on learning no more than three skills at a time. I would focus on starting out with one and see how comfortable it is. You should have at least 24–48 hours of rest between each skill session done 2–4 times a week. Learning these beginner skills will make you a more well-rounded calisthenic athlete, taking you on to more advanced skills such as the manna or straddle planche.

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