EDITOR’S NOTE: This article goes in-depth into the main online calisthenics courses. If you’re in a hurry, check out our summarized table below of the best calisthenics program.
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– Wide variety of courses: Complete Calisthenics, Body Transformation, Mobility, and more.
– Huge Library High Quality Videos
– Add-on Topics: Nutrition, Mobility Rest, Skills
– PDFs and Spreadsheet tests and workouts
– Great support and community- Calisthenics Skills Training (Levers, Muscle Ups, Handstands, etc)
– Mobility
– Muscle Gain
★★★★★ 4.7/5
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– Progression Based Approach
– Great Mobile App
– 1000+ Videos
– Personalised Workouts
– Great customer support- Smartphone Users
– Calisthenics Skills Training (Levers, Muscle Ups, Handstands, etc)
– Workouts with No Gear
★★★★★ 4.7/5
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– Hundreds of Videos
– PDF Workout Schedule
– Huge Community (FB group + social media)- Great for users looking for Motivation
– Best for Home Gym Workouts (Only Pull Up Station Required)
– Focus on strength rather than skills
★★★★★ 4/5
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– Bodyweight, Kettlebell, and Dumbbell Options
– Videos For Every Excercise and Routine
– Mobile and Desktop
– Supporting Content on Breathwork, Motivation, Warm-ups, and More!
– Downloadable Videos For Offline Use
– Users that need motivation
– Muscle building and endurance development
– Community lovers
★★★★★ 4.7/5
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– 4 Levels/Types of Workouts
– Videos For Every Excercise
– PDF Printable Calendars
– Nutrition and Healthy Eating Bonus Material
– Mobile Friendly and Desktop Versions- Best Budget Option
– Great for Begginers
– Kettlebell Focused Program
★★★★★ 4.5/5
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– Follow Along Video Workout
– Meal Plans
– Bodyweight and Yoga Routines
– Downloadable Content
– No Equipment Required- Choose Your Difficult Level
– Access to ONNIT Tribe Community
– 6 Weeks Programs
★★★★★ 4.5/5
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We’re all looking for that perfect balance between work-life, social-life, and healthy living. For those who don’t have the time or money to commit to an expensive gym membership, or want a more balanced approach to fitness, investing in a calisthenic program is a great way to start your fitness journey.
With the “new normal” that many of us are slowly getting used to, there has been a rebirth of the home-exercise programs. For us here at the Fitness Tribe, we are excited to see some of these epic programs we have been talking about for years gaining momentum.
Calisthenics is simple. So simple that constant repetition can lead to a lack of motivation. We all know it too well, the exciting new exercise routine which dulls with time. We have finally learned our lesson, and we know that the best way to stay motivated is to invest in a program that keeps things fresh and dynamic.
Committing to an online course is the easiest way to achieve the results we know we can get from calisthenics. On top of keeping exercises fresh, an online calisthenics course can also provide invaluable information on nutrition, recovery, proper posture and technique.
And let’s not forget the best part. Most of the calisthenic courses outlined here require no equipment.
Investing in an online calisthenics program is one of the best cost/benefit decisions you will make for 2022. The idea of calisthenics alone is not enough.
Unfortunately, most of us do not have the time or energy to dedicate to both formulating a program, and then also putting it into effect. Because of this, we dabble with no considerable results and eventually, the frustration causes us to give up.
Well, it’s time to commit to a calisthenics workout program and see an immediate progression.
There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, accountability. Unless you’re filthy rich, purchasing a course represents an investment you stubbornly have to get back.
The more expensive the course, the more you nag yourself to complete it. Use this stubbornness to your advantage; money alone can keep you accountable. If the looming investment isn’t enough, many courses offer online and offline communities that keep you accountable and motivate you to keep progressing.
If that’s not enough, let’s talk about credibility and experience. The courses we recommend in this article are created by experts who actually know their stuff.
Names such as Chris Heria (aka ThenX) might be familiar to even beginner athletes. These experts have established themselves in the calisthenics circles, and by purchasing their course, you’ll learn straight from the horse’s mouth.
Finally, most of the listed courses work on supplemental areas such as proper diet and recovery, which are essential to seeing immediate results. The best calisthenics workout program in the world wouldn’t be complete without focusing on these themes.
We could list hundreds of further reasons to take an online calisthenic course, but let’s cut to the chase and answer the nagging question: What are the best calisthenics workout programs out there?
There’s more reasons to take a course, which we’ll delve into throughout this article, but let’s cut the chase and answer the ultimate question:
What is the best calisthenics workout program?
Table of Contents
1- Calisthenics Movement / Cali Move Review
Best Overall Calisthenics Program
In our professional opinion, Cali Move is the ultimate online calisthenics course. With 10+ different courses for all levels of experience, Cali Move is an awesome place for anyone to start their research rabbit hole.
It was founded by Sven Kohl, and Alex Lorenz, aka El Eggs. These two are absolute beasts, as shown below:
Of the many courses available on their website, the most relevant ones are the all-round mobility introductory course, and the five-level calisthenic movement course, by far the most complete and extensive calisthenics program we’ve seen.
Another cool feature of Cali move is that they offer an option for either a one-time fee or monthly installments.
We won’t spend much time on the mobility course, though we recommend you to check it out if you are interested in movement training and working on flexibility and balance over strength.
Cali Move Level 1 To 5 – The Program
The main calisthenic movement program offered by Cali Move is divided into five levels. A quick overview of requirements for each level can be seen below:
The first level will start you off with two workouts 3 times per week. These are beginner friendly and a lot of fun.
The second month brings a customized calisthenics workout based on your tracked performance.
Already capable of completing the following?
→ 20 push-ups + 12 dips + 8 pull-ups
Awesome! You can skip right to level 3. If you are already here, consider purchasing levels 3 to 5 only.
Once you reach 15 pull-ups, 20 dips, 50 seconds of handstand hold, and 25 seconds of l-sit, you can go to level 5, the final level.
You progress through workouts based on your performance, making you your biggest critic and cheerleader. Compete with yourself, and reward yourself with progress.
The program is delivered through an online portal (via teachable) where you will have access to all videos, pdfs, and other resources necessary to complete the training.
In our professional opinion, Cali Move is the most comprehensive of the calisthenics programs on this list. It includes major exercises such as the human flag, planche, front lever, back lever, one arm pullup, muscle up, handstands, v-sit, and many others.
By the end of the course, you should be able to perform at least a few of these calisthenics movements with ease.
And here’s the kicker- if you follow the recommended routine, this workout plan can take more than 2 years to complete. That’s what we call dynamic discipline, and great value.
Read our full review of the Cali Move Program here.
What We Like:
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More than 2 years worth of strength work -
Most comprehensive program in terms of exercises. Loads of variety. -
Great customer support -
Includes mobility exercises, nutrition, and add-on topics.
What We Dislike:
-
Legs program could be better- it is focused on endurance rather than hypertrophy
Pro #1: Duration / Scope Of Content
When we first purchased the cali move program, we were flabbergasted. The sheer amount of content available can almost be overwhelming. No progression or area is left untouched and all the classic calisthenics exercises are covered.
Even though there is level structure, that we recommend following, it’s also a great resource if you’re just feeling like working on a certain progression / exercise.
It is not an online personal training app, but it almost it, as calimove really has all grounds covered.
Pro #2: Delivery
Cali move has perhaps the cleanest looking platform we’ve tried.
The program is delivered through an online portal that contains videos and pdfs. The design and usability are great.
Pro #3 Quality of Content
This is, in our opinion, the best content available on calisthenic movement.
The tutors are highly knowledgable in nutrition, how to build muscle mass, movement, flexibility, and strength.
We knew this already from watching their youtube content, but the courses content just takes it to another level.
Con: Legs Exercises could be improved
The leg exercises are, in my opinion, too focused on cardio rather than hypertrophy.
This is a section that could be improved, with further and more advanced variations of squats, dips, and lunges.
But other than that I thought the program was very complete and it gave me full basis to keep training.
2- Vahva Warrior 20XX Review
Best Muscle Building Calisthenics Course
At first, we really didn’t pay much attention to Vahva Fitness Warrior 20XX. Can you blame us?
When you’re competing against giants such as calisthenics movement or saturno movement, it’s hard to get noticed.
But then, we bit the bullet and committed to doing their full warrior 20XX program, the results really blew our socks off.
This is a program that won’t teach you the flashy calisthenics moves you see in every YouTube video, but of all the programs we tested, it is undoubtedly the only that will help you build muscle the fastest.
What We Like:
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Varied approach makes every workout interesting -
Extra modules on breathing and psychology are outstanding -
Focused on weight loss and muscle building rather than flashy moves -
Lifetime access
What We Dislike:
-
Not 100% focused on calisthenics -
Better suited for muscle building rather than calisthenics skill building
Pro #1: Varied Approach
This is perhaps our favorite aspect of this course.
You can tailor your training to the material you have available and your preferred approach.
Choose from one of the three options available: Bodyweight (aka calisthenics), dumbbell, or kettlebell. Or mix all three.
Even though we’re huge advocates of bodyweight training, we’re not purists- Dumbbell and kettlebell are great workout tools. They are cheap and great for isolated muscle building.
Pro #2: Bonus Content
Once you embrace the Vahva philosophy, you can really get lost in the content and change your whole lifestyle.
The course includes bonus content on breathing, mindset, workout scheduling, and two extra workout routines using resistance bands and barbells.
Con: Not Focused on Calisthenics
Despite having a section on bodyweight training, which includes 4 levels of difficulty and 24 different exercises, these aren’t really progression-based.
They are mostly focused on increasing our strength and burning calories, rather than focusing on building skills and unlocking moves.
Depending on your goals, this is not necessarily a con, just something to keep in mind.
3- The Hybrid Athlete – Hybrid Training Bundle
The Hybrid Athlete was founded in 2010 by brothers Anthony and Joe Vennare. They both are Certified Personal Trainers with very strong views on nutrition, training, and self-improvement.
They are big proponents of bodyweight and kettlebell training as well as the keto and zero sugar added diet.
Nowadays, this seems like a non-controversial stand, however, the Vennare brothers were very early adopters of these values.
As such, they are a great source of kettlebell and bodyweight workouts.
Preview of what you will find at The Hybrid Athlete Bundle
What We Like:
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Simple delivery that works online and offline -
Great community on facebook -
Content is continually updated and added to -
Extremely affordable
What We Dislike:
-
Only available as pdfs- no online platform -
Not limited to calisthenics
4- The Movement Athlete Review
We first got acquainted with the Movement Athlete once we started to become more interested in flow and movement training.
After talking with a few athletes and doing a bit of research online, this course started to appear again and again.
It turns out that the course blends movement and calisthenics training perfectly- It focuses on skills that are crucial for calisthenics whilst working on mobility and flexibility.
There isn’t much information about the coaches / instructors, but we found this to be quite refreshing- Usually there is one big personality leading the course, but in this case, the focus is solely on the program itself.
What We Like:
-
Great mobile and web app -
Focus on skills / movement -
60 days money back guarantee -
Progression Based -
Personalized: Assessment in the beginning to create a personalized calisthenics workout
What We Dislike:
-
Limited Scope -
No timeline to adhere to- train as much (or as little) as you want
Note: USE THE DISCOUNT CODE calisthenicsgear30 for 30% off FOREVER!
5- Bar Brothers Review
If you’ve been around the calisthenics world for more than a minute, then you’re probably familiar with the Bar Brothers.
They’ve been killing it on social with some great content and count on over 350k followers on instagram, in great part due to their ambassador scheme, which they call the “bar brothers family”.
However, this does not necessarily mean that the calisthenics system that they sell in their website is necessarily worth the money.
Today, we will be giving you our honest review on their 12 weeks beginner calisthenics program, which they call “the system”.
There is another 12 week add-on program called “the system accelerator”, which we will be reviewing in a future article, but for now let’s start at the beginning.
We’ve been asked a lot about this program and couldn’t contain our curiosity, so we ended up buying and doing the program ourselves.
The bar brothers are a duo of American athletes, Lazar Novovic and Dusan Djolevic. They’ve gained wide notoriety on social media and are in large part responsible for the tremendous growth the calisthenics/street workout movement has experienced in the past few years.
“The System” is their brain child. It’s a beginner friendly 3 month program designed to introduce athletes to calisthenics.
When we purchased, the program was priced at 47$, though we are not sure if this was a fixed price, or if the price varies.
In terms of equipment needed to execute this program, you just need a pull up and dip bar as the program focuses a lot on pull ups, push ups, weighted calisthenics, and bodyweight training.
The below review is 100% honest, and we will be going through the good and bad points of this program.
What’s included in the bar brother’s system?
The basic package includes 17 video lessons guiding you through the program. It also includes a few pdf’s with schedules, and calendars.
These videos include frameworks, tips, demonstrations, and more, on: Nutrition, Motivation, Psychology, Training Tips, Exercises, and Recovery.
For an extra fee, you can also join the “family”- a community of calisthenics practitioners that will help you keep accountable throughout the program.
However, as previously mentioned, we will be sticking strictly to the basic system program for now.
This is basically a package of video based content.
Over at thefitnesstribe.com, we’re all self-taught connoisseurs. We’ve never had a framework or teacher to guide us and all we know we’ve learned by watching others do.
For that reason, Bar Brothers was refreshing. It gave us a structure to rebuild our foundation and learn simple skills again, but better.
Pro #1: Easy to follow structure
Some courses try to over complicate the presentation and structure of the program, which can then become hard to follow and confusing.
But bar brothers is super straightforward. Watch one video per week and implement the exercises at home or at the gym. No fancy apps, pdfs, or other kinds of resources.
Just easy to digest videos.
Here’s a screenshot, with important details blurred, of the 12 week calendar provided.
For each workout, there are detailed breakdowns of exercises, and variations, reps, sets, etc.
Pro #3: Flexible to your skill level
One of the first things you’ll do is a diagnostic test.
This adds a level of personalization that we weren’t expecting, as it is not easy to change a workout routine at scale.
You’ll do max rep tests and based on that, your calisthenics workout will vary. Namely, the number of reps for each set will vary as well as the difficulty of the exercise.
Con #1: Beginner Orientated / Limited Scope
In our opinion, there are so many body weight exercises that are quintessential to calisthenics and street workout that are not included in this program.
We understand that there is only so much you can aim for in a 12 week program, though it would be cool to see more static exercises and progressions.
Pro #2: Motivation and Accountability
From the get-go, you’re encouraged to take pictures of your physique in order to keep track of your progress.
I’ve never done this personally and was a bit reluctant to do it since I was already in a pretty good shape and loosing weight wasn’t my motivation, but at the end of the program I was happy I did it.
Seeing your progress hits some kind of primal nerve of motivation and if you’re objective is to look better, then I definitely recommend documenting your improvements.
Furthermore, there is a large community of people who are taking or have taken the system. There is a Subreddit, a host of hashtags and accounts on Instagram, a Facebook group, as well as their paid program- The Bar Brothers Family.
All of these communities are there to help you when you’re feeling down or confused about the program.
Pro #4: All encompassing
We weren’t expecting this program to cover topics such as nutrition and rest, but it does, and it does well. If you are faithful to all aspects of the system, it’s very hard to not see progression.
Additionally, it also works on your cardio, which is honestly refreshing, as we rarely see this kind of exercise in the calisthenics world.
It’s easy to forget that cardio can be a great tool to control weight and thus improve your calisthenics performance.
Also, the nutrition chapter is awesome. The advice given is based on your body type, which was unexpected to us. Usually, the instructors try to impose a certain diet to all students, so it was very refreshing to see the acknowledgement that different body types and different objectives require different diets.
They will give you a couple of recipes for pre-workout, post-workout, and weight gain (gainer) shakes.
Con #2: Mostly Video-Only
One of the pro’s of this program could also be a con for some students.
Personally, I enjoyed the simplicity of only having to follow the video lessons and not being overwhelmed by 30 different kind’s of resources, but if you’re looking for a state of the art program that costs an arm and a leg, this is not it.
The video quality could also be improved.
What We Like:
-
Great Presentation and Structure -
Keeps You Motivated and Accountable -
All Encompassing -
Personalised to Your Skill Level -
Relatively Affordable
What We Dislike:
-
Limited Scope -
Video-centric
Final Thoughts on Bar Brothers
All in all, this is a solid program.
The price is easily justified by the high quality of the content, which will give you a strong base of knowledge on nutrition, rest, and body weight exercises.
The variety of exercises was surprising and we even learned a few really good variations that we’ve added to our own routines.
By the end you should be able to perform some classic calisthenics exercises.
You can also go through some of our free resources, though these are easy to forget about and will not guide you through a long-term period.
This framework, on the other, will give you a solid program to follow for 3 months, at the end of which you will be able to devise your own program.
If you’re interested in purchasing the program, click on the link below.
6- Calisthenics Academy Review
The Calisthenics Academy is a product originally founded by Chris Heria from ThenX fame, though currently, as far as we know, it is no longer operated by him but by bodyweight training arena.
We were looking forward to this course as they have a really great team, probably the best in the industry, which includes calisthenics workout athletes, acrobats, and just all around incredible athletes.
In addition, they put out some of the best resources in the topic of calisthenics.
What we most liked about the calisthenics academy program was the structure of the workout. Usually, skill and strength are mixed into workout without a defined structure or rationale.
In this program, there is a deliberate separation of both, allowing for some lighter, more skill orientated section of the workout to occur after the warm-up, followed by a more intense, and longer, strength exercises.
The workout also includes stretches and post-workout recuperation, which is rare and valuable.
Here is the typical workout structure:
-
Warmup -
Pushing Exercises -
Pulling Exercises -
Legs Exercises such as squats, dips, and variations -
Core Exercises -
Conditioning -
Stretching
What We Like:
-
Personalised According to Goals and Abilities -
Progression Poster Allows for Constant Measurement, Which Increases Motivation -
Self-Paced -
Most Affordable of All Programs
What We Dislike:
-
Limited Scope -
Delivery could be better- No App
Pro #1: Self-Paced
The major differentiator from other courses is the fact that calisthenics academy allows you to progress at your own pace.
By not setting a rigid timeline of workouts and progressions, you don’t have as much pressure to perform certain exercises. You can go along at your own pace.
Pro #2- Personalized
At the very beginning, you’ll be evaluated to determine your skill and strength level. This will then dictate your program.
Granted, this assessment isn’t perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction that many other programs don’t take.
Con #1- Delivery
The fact that this program does not have a mobile app is a major con.
You can download pdf’s for offline mobile consumption and access the web app through your phone, though a mobile app would be ideal.
We have good news though – A mobile app will launch soon. And their web app, accessible through any browser is already pretty good.
Con #2- Calisthenics Exercises Missing
This is more of a pet peeve, but some of our favorite exercises, such as the muscle up, planche, or human flag, weren’t included or were barely mentioned.
We thought that was a shame, but these can be added as a complement to the calisthenics academy in your own practice.
And at the end of the day, the course will give you a solid foundation to help you perform at your highest once you try the hardest exercises.
7- Fitbod Review
Let’s welcome the newcomer to this list. The addition of Fitbod to this list of best calisthenic programs is long overdue, yet our readers might be thrown off at first by it’s appearance here.
First of all, Fitbod is not only a calisthenics app. It has options for people to make use of any and all equipment that may be available, including using your kitchen floor as a workout pad.
What we love so much about this app is it’s versatility and personalization.
For those who enjoy a sense of independence while workout out, yet still knowing that what you’re doing is proven to work- Fitbod is the app you have been waiting for.
Videos are great, but they take time to load and effort to watch. PDFs are awesome, but they take time to study and constantly need to be referred back to.
Fitbod is designed to be user friendly, intuitive, and addictive. In fact, some of our writers here at the hybrid athlete use this app exclusively.
What We Like:
-
Simple and effective mobile app, with negligible battery drain -
Tracks all your progress, regardless of changing availability of equipment -
A No Commitment free trial to test out the hype -
Ability to toggle back and forth from bodyweight to weight training, depending on your environment and desires. -
Clear and concise instructions for every exercise
What We Dislike:
-
Only available as mobile app -
Accountability rests in your own hand -
For those who are in need of a lot of guidance, FitBod might prove too
8- Vahva Movement 20xx Review
For those who are looking for a movement-oriented calisthenics program, the Vahva Fitness Movement 20xx will exceed your expectations.
This program combines various training styles deriving from martial arts, gymnastics, calisthenics, and yoga. The end result are “flows” that incorporate primal body movement and lead to incredible results.
Vahva Fitness Movement 20xx works to increase strength, build flexibility and coordination, and improve posture, joint health, and functionality. It’s an incredibly unique program that is peaking the interest of those looking for more dynamic workouts.
Read Our Full Review of Vahva Fitness Movement 20xx
If your goal is to be an overall functional athlete, Vahva Fitness Movement 20xx could be a great compliment to your calisthenic routine.
What We Like:
-
High quality resources, HD Videos, and great instruction -
An intense focus on technique and movement, and building functional fitness -
Dynamic- perfect for those who struggle with repetitive programs -
Accessible to all levels from beginners to advanced calisthenic athletes -
30-day money back guarantee
What We Dislike:
-
A tad more expensive than other programs, but this is due to the quality of the program -
Central focus on movement and mobility. If this is not your thing, look elsewhere
9- The Calisthenics Vault Review
The Vault is our own very best attempt at gathering all the existing bodyweight exercises into one big video database.
Filterable by muscle group and by difficulty level, what you’ll find inside is simply a list of exercises explained.
This is designed for athletes who already have some basic knowledge of how to structure workout and what they want to work on.
It’s basically a source of inspiration for your bodyweight workouts, so that they never get boring.
What We Like:
-
Mobile and web app available -
Cheapest way to workout: No gear needed + no monthly payments -
30 days money back guarantee -
Filterable by muscle groups and difficulty -
BONUS MATERIAL: Pre-made workouts + excel list of exercises.
What We Dislike:
-
No formal structure -
No timeline to adhere to- train as much (or as little) as you want
Honorable Mentions
Saturno Movement, Caliverse, Project Calisthenics and Antranik’s Ring Program
It would be impossible to go through all the available calisthenics courses, so we thought we’d end the article with a brief overview of 4 of our favorite non-ranked programs.
They are:
Saturno Movement
Saturno movement is a beast when it comes to youtube tutorials. He’s got some great content covering everything from handstands to chin ups. His program will give you loads of full body workouts and exercises.
Caliverse App
Caliverse is a movement athlete-style app that allows you to workout on the go.
It’s a pretty clean interface and offer a full body workout as well as individual skill progressions.
From our brief use, we still prefer the movement athlete’s clean interface and exercise explanations though caliverse is a very strong alternative.
Project Calisthenics (Simonstrength)
Simon Ata, aka Simonstrength is a gymnast turned calisthenics instructor. In this collaboration with macrofit, you’ll get access to an app that focuses on 4 progressions: handstand push up, human flag, planche, and front lever.
If these are moves that you are interested in developing, you should definitely check out this program.
Antranik’s Ring Program
Finally, we have Antranik’s ring program. This name should be familiar to most calisthenics youtube fans, as he is a highly active there and consistently puts out great content.
His ring program is up to his usual standard. Delivery could be improved though.
Final Thoughts and Verdict
All in all, if the program made the list, it holds merit. If you’re looking for the ultimate calisthenics program, we recommend Cali Move.
If you’re seeking more independence in your training, yet still want to ensure you are on the right path, the Fitbod App is worth a try.
If your goal is to increase mobility and flexibility, while also having dynamic and fun workouts, check out Vahva Movement 20xx.
If you’re looking for a strong community, Bar Brothers is for you.
If you’re looking for a flexible, long-term program, the Calisthenics Academy is your program.
And that about wraps it up. At the end of the day, the exact calisthenics workout you do isn’t the most important factor. What is essential is that you stay active, rest well, and eat well. If you do these three things, you’re well on your way to become fitter and happier.
However, following an online course will help you stay focused and achieve your goals faster.
If you have any feedback or question about the programs mentioned above please leave them in the comment section below.
Chris is an experienced Calisthenics practitioner focused on isometric exercises and street workout. He founded thehybridathlete.com in 2017, which was subsequently acquired by theyhybridathlete.com
He is based in Portland and has been working out using solely his own body weight and bars for the past 6 years.
