Do You Make These Mistakes When Training With Calisthenics?

Most people, who start training with calisthenics, never achieve their goals.

As such, they abandon calisthenics all together and start training with weights instead.

But, as you probably know, calisthenics are very effective.

So…

What’s the problem?

Well…

They are making some very serious mistakes which hinder their progress.

What mistakes?

Keep reading and you’ll find out…

Mistake #1: Training With High Reps Only

Mistake #2: Progressing Too Fast

This is another error that I have fallen into, when I finally found how to progress to more difficult movements.

I wanted to make up for the time that I “lost” while training only with high-rep calisthenics. As such, I didn’t spend the necessary time to build the required foundation and master the basics.

Luckily, I learned early on that doing this isn’t helping me in the long run.

Now.

Progressing fast is very compelling (especially for beginners) – because it motivates you to train harder.

But there are two serious problems with this approach:

First, even if you have some success early on, your progress is going to stall very soon. – That’s because you haven’t built the necessary foundation to advance further.

Second, this may lead to an injury and further hinder your progress. You obviously don’t want to get into this situation.

So…

How can you avoid this training mistake?

Fortunately, it’s kind of easy.

Before moving on to a harder progression (of any exercise), be sure to master the previous one.

That simply means that you’re able to do at least 5 reps with a progression before advancing.

Last but not least, remember this:

If you’re not a professional there’s no reason for being in hurry.

Apart from you, no one really cares if you achieve a skill today or in 2 months from now.

What really matters is that you’re training hard, you’re getting stronger and most importantly… that you’re staying healthy.

Mistake #3: Lack of Focus

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” ~ Bruce Lee

Unlike the previous mistakes, this one can be quite hard to bypass.

Why?

Because it affects all aspects of your training.

So, to make things easier, we’ll address focus in 2 different training areas:

• Training Focus
• Goal Focus

1. Training Focus

By “training focus” I mean how focused you are while you’re working out.

The more focused you are the better your workout will be.

Simple, right?

Yes, but…

How can you stay focused during your workouts?

Well… this depends on the person, but here are some things you can try out:

• Don’t check your phone while you’re working out. Better yet, don’t take the phone with you at all.
• During the rest intervals, hype up yourself for the next set.
• Listen to music that motivates you to train harder.
• Etc

But, no matter what you do, while you’re working out…

The only thing that should matter to you is your workout only and nothing else.

For more info about training focus, check out Ross Enamait’s article:

• Don’t Train Distracted

2. Goal Focus

“The person who chases two rabbits catches neither” ~ Proverb

With goal focus I refer to how many goals you have at a certain time.

The more goals you have the less focused your efforts will be towards each goal.

Which simply means…

The more goals you have the longer it takes to achieve them.

For example, let’s say we have two guys (A & B):

Person A: Focuses all his efforts on OAPU training.

Person B: Trains for OAPU, to increase his push ups, and for the behind-the-back clap push ups. All at the same time.

Who do you think will achieve the One Arm Push Up (OAPU) faster?

You guessed it…

It’s person A.

So…

What’s should you do?

Simple.

Just focus all your efforts on one goal until you achieve it.

Then, once you achieve it, pick up a new goal.

Last but not least, you should be able to focus on a goal long enough until you achieve it.

If you’re constantly changing goals you won’t achieve them.

Mistake #4: Absence Of Training Goals

“What keeps me going is goals~ Muhammad Ali

When I started training I had no clear goals whatsoever.

I just wanted to grow stronger.

But this was a very serious mistake by me.

Why?

Because I wasn’t able to focus (Mistake #3) and I was missing out some great benefits.

What benefits?

Here are the most important ones:

• You’ll be more motivated.
• You’ll be able to reflect on your progress.
• You’ll be more focused.
• You’ll be able to choose the right program.
• You’ll be able to prioritize your goals.

Setting goals takes around 30 minutes. That’s a very short amount of time for the great benefits you’ll receive.

If you don’t know how to set training goals, check out my article:

• Goal Setting For Strength Training

Mistake #5: Relying On Motivation Too Much

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” ~ Jim Rohn

Mistake #6: Trying to Figure Out Everything By Yourself

I’ve fallen into this trap lots of times.

Every time I have a new goal, I try to make a plan based on what I know. – Even if I have limited knowledge on the subject! – And then I just progress through trial and error…

Of course, there are some benefits to this…

Like:

• You can start right away
• You avoid making excuses

Yet, you still have to do your research later on and study the subject. – Or ask for help.

Otherwise, you’re mostly wasting your time…

Why?

Because, you may never find out how to achieve your goals!

And if you do, it will take a lot longer than it should.

Fortunately, nowadays it’s very easy to find out what you’re looking for.

Now.

Since you’re reading this, I know that you’re not trying to figure out everything by yourself.

And that’s a good thing.

But, you may be wondering…

What’s the best way to find out what you’re looking for?

Well…

Here are some of them (in order of effectiveness):

• Find a good coach
• Read a good book/ program
• Ask for help from someone more advanced than you: a friend, in a forum [e.g Reddit – bodyweight], or contact me

Mistake #7: Not  Journaling Your Workouts

 

This mistake isn’t as important as the previous ones.

Yet, it can have a great impact on your training.

Let me explain…

If you aren’t doing any of the previous mistakes, you’ll be able to achieve your goals regardless of keeping track of your workouts or not.

However, if you keep track of what you’re doing, you’ll be able to find out and correct any of your mistakes a lot easier.

This will become a lot more obvious as you transition from a beginner to an intermediate athlete.

Other than that, journaling your workouts has some great benefits.

Here are some of them:

• You’ll know exactly what you did in your previous workout
• You’ll be able to make the right training decisions – this will help you save a lot of time
• You’ll be able to motivate yourself more easily by looking at your progress

You can learn more about how to track your progress here:

• The Simplest Way To Track Your Progress

Mistake #8: Comparing Yourself To Bodyweight Masters (The Wrong Way)

It’s very common advice that you should never compare yourself to others.

But…

Over the years, I’ve found out that comparing yourself to others can be indeed quite helpful…

…If you’re doing it right.

Because, if you’re doing it wrong it can be the biggest motivation killer.

Let me explain…

Most people when they compare themselves to others, they don’t look at the whole picture.

Let me show you a personal example:

Al Kavadlo is an advanced bodyweight athlete and…

…even though, I’ve been training for many years, I’m not yet at his level.

That’s correct, right?

Yes. But that’s not the whole picture.

Al has double the training experience and he’s also a professional coach.

Now.

Here’s what’s going on:

If I don’t get the whole picture, I can say to myself:

“I’ve been training for so long and I’m still not good enough…”

But…

If I get the whole picture, I can say something like this:

“I’m not yet as advanced, but if I keep training I’ll eventually reach his level!”

Which one do you think will help me stay motivated?

So.

When you compare yourself to others, be sure to get the whole picture.

Better yet, try to find out about people who were in a similar situation as you (or worse) and achieved their goals despite the hardships.

Final Thoughs

“To err is human.” ~ Latin Proverb

No matter your training level. Be it beginner or advanced.

You’re still going to make mistakes.

Every one does.

And that’s good.

Because it shows that you’re trying out new things.

Just find out your mistakes. Correct them. Keep training.

And you’ll eventually achieve your goals.

~ Nick

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Photo credit: push ups 1, push ups 2, focus, goal,