bodyweight strength = health and physical freedom.
The Transformative Power of
calisthenics
INTRODUCTION: METAPHYSICAL
In 2019, YVGUO decided to undergo complete metamorphosis of the human body by training solely for bodyweight skills.
In pursuit of the STATIC CALISTHENICS ELEMENTS, the body remodeled to fit that purpose.
Now, he helps others do the same.
The physical vessel is a machine that can be upgraded.
Transforming the body is no different than transforming the mind. In order for there to be any change from your current state, we must place ourselves in positions of discomfort, whether it be mental or physical.
In fact, there is no transforming the body without transforming the mind.
Each set and rep builds conviction.
It builds trust in yourself.
It trains your brain to enjoy discomfort. To take action. To learn that positive change is worth a small sacrifice.
To understand that you can KEEP UPGRADING EVERY DAY.
The ‘Muscle Up’
2. SENSE OF ATHLETIC PURPOSE
To begin, looking good can be your physical purpose, and that’s what bodybuilding-style training is ‘optimized’ for.
But if you ever felt like your body was meant for more…
Calisthenics skills gave me a set of goals that was separate from vanity.
I used to lift weights at the gym, but all the advice at the time was on how to achieve the biggest muscles, because that’s what most people care about.
This resulted in my body becoming stiff and immobile. I couldn’t put my arm behind my back or touch my toes. I would get random pain and cracks in my joints
Even worse, I developed body dysmorphia by training for only muscle growth. Then, it became less fun because it was just the same movement, and adding another plate.
Training became fun once I realized I could move myself through space in ways I couldn’t before. I began to live according to a ‘physical purpose’, rather than a material look. Before I knew it, I had manifested my old self’s dream physique as a mere byproduct.
2019
2022
3. INJURY PREVENTION/CONDITIONING
You cannot progress in calisthenics without facing your weaknesses, which are often rooted in LOW STRENGTH + LOW MOBILITY. Otherwise, you will get injured. No exceptions.
Like Bruce Lee said, we must train EVERY PART OF THE BODY.
When you train calisthenics, not only will you challenge and grow the muscles, the connective tissue (as part of the FASCIAL SYSTEM) - Your kinetic chains, your tendons and ligaments, will ALL be challenged AS A SYSTEM.
Unlike what traditional gymbro science teaches us, our muscles are not a collection of small individual parts.
Your thumb can be linked to your shoulder and neck.
The toes are linked to the lower back.
A shifting of pelvic tilt can cause a chain reaction that flips the muscles under load, especially the core.
Therefore, you are not only tested by muscle strength, but simultaneously COORDINATION, BALANCE, AND TOTAL BODILY AWARENESS (OUR 6TH SENSE: PROPRIOCEPTION)
Unlock rare emotes, train alone or with friends. Carry your progress with you.
MASTER THE CONTROLS OF THE VIDEO GAME CHARACTER, AND CONNECT WITH THE WORLD.
You cannot think your way out of a bad situation. You have to move.
Physical training teaches you this lesson: the only way to change anything is through action. There is no way around it.
At the same time…
Movement and sleep is the most effective natural deterrent of age-related/neurodegenerative diseases and subsequent medical costs. It is also the most effective natural antidepressant.
Therefore, all forms of physical exercise, whether it’s lifting, running, daily steps, yoga, or calisthenics, will prolong your life, and more importantly, preserve or regain your physical freedom.
WHY I DON’T LIFT WEIGHTS/GYM
Answer: personal preference
1. NO GYM HASSLE/NO EXCUSES
If you have space at home or at a nearby park to train, then you can save on the cost of a gym membership as well as the time commitment and commute.
No barriers between you and training. Get stronger while traveling. No worrying about the gym being closed or a pandemic forcing it to be. Get strong at home, now you have no excuses.
You can progress a lot with just a doorway pull-up bar, or a pair of chairs (or a dip bar set).
THE ONLY PERSON WORTH MOGGING IS YOURSELF.
BUILD DISCIPLINE.
invest in your physical longevity.
master the body.
and best of all…
Anywhere. anytime. no gym required. now you have no excuse.
How will you carry the boats if you can’t carry yourself?
WHY TRAIN CALISTHENICS?
I. Physical Free Will / DE-AGING
Remember when you were a kid?
You might have been able to climb trees. Fall from high places. And get right back up. Not a scratch. You could probably swing on monkey bars, or even climb on top of them.
You were nimble. Your joints wouldn’t crack.
...
We grow up.
We stopped playing outside.
We learned to mostly sit around.
Adapting to its new purpose, the body constricts. Muscles become tight. Joints become frozen. Our resting posture slumps forward.
You maybe bent over too fast and threw out your back. Your knees crack every time you get up. There’s a spot behind your neck that always hurts for some reason.
It’s inevitable that our bodies will become a prison. An expensive one too, considering the eventual hospital bills.
...
High Mobility
We all start out flexible. Our joints are built to move very freely.
As we move less and less, our mobility decreases. Therefore making us fragile and susceptible to injuries.
...
MAXIMUM PHYSICAL FREEDOM is…
AGILITY and ENDURANCE, to efficiently transport your body through space, and for long periods of time.
STRENGTH through ALL MOVEMENT RANGES.
and most importantly…
WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE (pain-free and injury-free).
YOU WERE DESIGNED TO MOVE. THE MEAT VEHICLE (THE BODY) IS YOUR TOOL TO CONTROL THE MIND.
WITHOUT CONSISTENT DAILY MOVEMENT (or living a SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE), YOUR BODY PUNISHES YOU.
Calisthenics is the fastest way to REGAIN YOUR FREEDOM, encapsulating RELATIVE STRENGTH, MOBILITY, CONDITIONED JOINTS, AGILITY, ENDURANCE, AND TOTAL BODYWEIGHT CONTROL.
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT IS THE MOST DIRECT ACTION YOU CAN TAKE AT ANYTIME.
ONCE YOUR BODY BECOMES RESILIENT, SO WILL YOUR MIND.
ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY, YOU WILL GET TO KNOW YOUR MIND.
ONCE YOUR BODY OBEYS YOU, SO WILL YOUR MIND.
If you were fed proper food, chances are you never even got injured. No consequences. Maybe a bruise or a scratch here and there. Maybe you broke your arm. But you got the cast off sooner than later.
In other words, you were free in your own body.
However…
As we age, our freedom decreases.
Luckily, this is reversible.
Now, what makes our younger selves so free and indestructible in movement? Let’s dive into it.
2. High Strength to Bodyweight Ratio
This is how they’re essentially indestructible. As we age, our strength to bodyweight ratio decreases because we get heavier than we get stronger if we don’t train.
So then, let’s set an impossible ideal, but one that can be our guiding star.
What is MAXIMUM physical freedom?
Q: HOW DO YOU DEFINE FREEDOM?
A: I DEFINE IT AS TOTAL AGENCY WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE.
IF THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES, YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY FREE.