If you want one of the first cool calisthenics skills that many people can actually unlock pretty early, the elbow lever is a great choice. Why? Because it teaches a lot of important things at once: • center of mass • balance point • body tension • how to lift your legs behind you • how to use your posterior chain • confidence putting weight into your hands And the best part is that it also leads into other fun skills later, like the croc lever or one arm elbow lever. 🔥 Why the elbow lever is worth learning The elbow lever is not just a party trick. It teaches you how to understand where your body weight actually is. That matters for almost every other skill. When people first try it, they usually think they need way more strength than they actually do. Most of the time, the issue is not pure strength. It is: • where the elbows are placed • how far forward you lean • whether the legs stay active • whether the body stays tight enough So this is a really good beginner skill because it teaches balance through position, not just brute force. What it helps with later The elbow lever can help you understand: • how to lean forward without panicking • how to hold tension through your core and glutes • how to keep your legs active behind you • how to use your hands as a balance point That makes it helpful for later skills like: • croc lever • crow pose • handstands • planche style leans • other arm balance skills How to start working on it The basic idea is simple: • hands on the floor • elbows press into your stomach or hip area • lean forward • let the legs become lighter • lift the feet off the floor That is the basic concept. At first, you do not need straight legs. You do not need a perfect hold. You just need to start understanding the balance point. Good progressions A simple way to progress it is: • start with your feet still on the floor • lean forward and feel the elbows pressing in • bend the knees and just try to make the feet light • lift one foot for a second

The planche is one of the most wanted skills in calisthenics. It is also one of the most misunderstood. A lot of people see it, try it, feel completely crushed, and assume they are just not built for it. That is usually not true. The planche is just a skill that asks for a lot at once: • straight arm strength • shoulder strength • protraction • core tension • wrist strength • body awareness • patience So let’s break down: • why it is so hard • the real progressions • a realistic timeline • how to fit it into normal training • what a planche-focused phase looks like • the common mistakes • the best exercises that help 🤔 Why is the planche so hard? The main reason is leverage. Your body is acting like a long heavy lever. The further your feet are from your hands, the harder it gets. That means the planche is not just a “strong chest” skill. It is a full-body straight arm pushing skill where your shoulders, core, and wrists all need to work together. You also cannot hide much in the planche. If your shoulders are not strong enough, you collapse. If your core is not active enough, your hips sag. If your wrists are not ready, they complain fast. That is why it feels brutally hard compared to a lot of other skills. ⏳ A realistic timeline This depends a lot on your background. If you already have a solid base in: • push-ups • dips • pike push-ups • handstands • L-sits • planche leans then your timeline will be faster than someone starting from almost zero. A rough realistic timeline for many adults could look something like this: • Planche lean and basic shape work: right away • Tuck planche: 1 to 6 months • Advanced tuck planche: 3 to 9 months • Straddle planche: 6 months to 2 years • Full planche: 1 to 3+ years That is a rough guide, not a promise. The big mistake is expecting the full planche in a few months. This is a long game skill. 🪜 The real beginner progressions If you want to start properly, I would think of the path like this: • Planche lean

A lot of people want the front lever and back lever because they look awesome. And they are awesome. But most people make the same mistake: They try the full skill way too early, feel weak, swing around for a bit, and then assume they are not built for it. That is not the problem. The problem is usually the progression. So let’s break down: • what makes these skills worth it • how to actually start • the real progressions • the common mistakes 🔥 Why these skills are worth it The front lever and back lever are not just flashy skills. They build a lot of useful things: • straight arm strength • shoulder control • core tension • body awareness • grip strength • confidence hanging upside down or horizontally The front lever especially builds incredible pulling strength. The back lever builds a lot of shoulder opening, control, and straight arm awareness. They also teach you how to create full body tension instead of just moving one muscle at a time. 🧱 Before you even start If you want to work toward levers, make sure you already have at least some basics: • active hangs • hollow body hold • solid rows or pull-ups • comfort hanging from a bar or rings • basic shoulder control For back lever, I would also want at least: • shoulder mobility work • some comfort with skin the cat progressions • patience That one especially is not a skill to rush. 🏁 Front lever progressions For most people, the real front lever path looks like this: • active hang • scap pulls • tuck front lever hold • tuck front lever rows • advanced tuck front lever • one leg front lever • straddle front lever • full front lever You can also use: • front lever negatives • front lever raises • band-assisted holds Those are great once you are already close. What matters most for front lever The front lever is not just “hang and pray.” You need: • shoulders pulled down and locked in • strong lats • strong core • body tension from shoulders to toes Think about trying to make your whole body one solid piece.

Changed up my training plan this week a little, legs today was more focused on glutes and hamstrings followed by banded dragon flags. I’ve been focusing more on squeezing the glutes, engaging the core and trying to avoid hip flexion. Session: Elevated dragon squat (focusing on bringing the leg through without holding onto my foot) Hip thrust Barbell split squat Barbell standing good morning Nordics Banded dragon flag

This is for the people who are not “kind of beginners.” This is for the people who are actually beginning. If that is you, good. You are in the right place. You do not need to already know: • how to build a program • what skill to start with • what progression to use • how often to train • what is “optimal” You just need a place to start. ✅ What to do first If you are really beginning, do not try to learn everything at once. Start with just 3 things: • a push movement • a pull movement • a lower body movement That could be as simple as: • wall push-ups or incline push-ups • rows or assisted pull-up work • squats or split squats That is enough. 🧠 What your goal should be right now Not advanced skills. Not the perfect plan. Not training like an athlete on YouTube. Your first goal is: Learn the basics and build consistency. That means: • learning the movements • finding the right level for you • doing it regularly • not quitting because you tried to do too much too fast 🤸 What about skills? You can still play with beginner skills. Good starting ones are: • pike handstand holds • headstands • crow pose • L-sit progressions • elbow lever progressions But think of skills as the fun side right now. Your main focus is still building your base. 🐒 What about mobility? Keep this simple too. You do not need a giant mobility plan. Start with: • a few minutes of stretching • basic mobility work • simple animal movements if you want something more fun A little bit every day is better than one giant session once in a while. 📚 If you want hand-holding, here is the best place to start Go to the Classroom tab and start with the beginner resources there. That is exactly why they are there. To help you stop guessing. To help you stop overthinking. To help you know what to do next. 🙌 One important reminder Please do not compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20. A lot of people here are further along. That is great. But they also started somewhere.