Posts in Tutorials
Can't learn the front lever? - Try these uncommon progressions!
Can't learn the front lever? - Try these uncommon progressions!

The Front Lever is a great bodyweight exercise for back. But too many tutorials out there tell you only the 5-6 basic front lever progressions you should go through in order to perform the full front lever. The problem is, the jump in difficulty between each of the main front lever progressions is WAY TOO BIG. In this article I give you a strategy for breaking those front lever progressions down into bite sized pieces. I will also talk about why the front lever is more difficult for some people, but regardless if it takes you 1 year, or 10, it will still provide a great bodyweight exercise for back and core strength.

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TutorialsJohn Donohuefront lever, progressions, calisthenics skills Comment
Back Lever Tutorial - Your first calisthenics party trick
Back Lever Tutorial - Your first calisthenics party trick

The back lever is a cool and beginner-friendly calisthenics movement. As well, it is a great bodyweight exercise for building strength. Whereas you don’t see too many children rocking muscle ups or front levers during play time, the back lever is actually something you may have tried before as a child, messing around on the monkey bars or pull-up bars. In this article I will go over some positional cues to keep in mind when learning and training the back lever - in particular I'll cover the correct shoulder positioning, grip variations, and spinal positioning. As well, I will cover the different back lever progressions you should work through. Finally, I will go over some exercises which will help build strength specifically for the back lever.

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TutorialsJohn Donohueback lever, beginner calisthenics movements, basic calisthenics movementsComment
10 Things to avoid doing when learning handstand
10 Things to avoid doing when learning handstand

if you’ve come here to learn how to do a handstand, then you’re in the right place. In this article I will highlight 10 common mistakes I see people making while learning to handstand, and how to overcome them. Learning to handstand is a crucial part of your calisthenics journey, and it is a great way to build bodyweight strength. Here are 10 things to avoid in mastering one!

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TutorialsJohn Donohuehandstand, handstand tutorial, HS Comment