FitnessFAQs Podcast

Steven Low is the author of "Overcoming Gravity" - a popular book teaching the science of calisthenics. He is a physical therapist and has a degree in biochemistry.

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(0:00) - Meet The Calisthenics Genius

(0:47) - Principles For Success

(3:27) - How To Design A Bodyweight Workout

(6:39) - When To Add Sets?

(15:36) - When To Work Harder

(19:11) - Best Workout Split

(33:32) - What Is Periodisation?

(44:53) - How Many Goals?

(49:14) - Staying Motivated

(52:29) - Use Leverage To Get Stronger

(58:20) - Intensity Explained For Calisthenics

(1:03:25) - Are Isolation Exercises Useful?

(1:07:45) - Full ROM Vs Isometrics

(1:14:07) - Don't Skip Structural Balance

Markus is a former professional athlete and the founder of BuiltSimple. After years competing and training at a high level, he now teaches men how to stay lean, fit, and healthy while managing a busy real life.

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Get 10% off the best calisthenics equipment at GORNATION: https://www.gornation.com/?ref=znnsjrwo

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(0:00) - Training with busy life tips

(4:56) - Being a professional athlete

(11:34) - Why calisthenics training

(17:17) - Hybrid training for strength, power and endurance

(26:06) - What's the perfect program?

(29:15) - The truth about rep ranges

(34:54) - What is enough cardio?

(41:22) - How to prevent power loss with age

(47:30) - Staying lean year round

(58:10) - Avoiding burnout and staying motivated

Alex Leonidas is a OG YouTuber, who mixes calisthenics and weights. Today we discuss the lost art of old school bodybuilding.

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Get 10% off the best calisthenics equipment at GORNATION: https://www.gornation.com/?ref=znnsjrwo

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Get 20% off my calisthenics programs at FitnessFAQs with code PODCAST20: https://fitnessfaqs.com/programs

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Timestamps:

(0:00) - How Old School Bodybuilders Trained

(8:09) - Making The Basic Exercises Fun

(18:26) - Pain Free Dips

(21:33) - Lengthened Partials Benefits

(26:34) - Need To Get Stronger To Get Bigger?

(29:16) - Increase Reps or Weights?

(39:39) - Why Calisthenics Is Effective

(46:05) - “Just Do Compounds Bro”

(51:11) - Fix Lagging Body Parts

(1:02:56) - Why You Must Track Your Workouts

(1:13:13) - Our Biggest Training Regrets

(1:24:42) - Minimal Equipment? It Doesn't Matter

(1:29:09) - Home Workouts Vs Gym

Meet Summer, a calisthenics athlete proving that bodyweight strength isn’t just for men. Today, she shares the training, mindset, and lessons behind her impressive skills.

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Get 10% off the best calisthenics equipment at GORNATION: https://www.gornation.com/?ref=znnsjrwo

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Timestamps:

(0:00) - Girls Can't Do Pull-Ups

(2:36) - Best Achievements

(4:02) - Overcoming Challenges

(5:18) - Staying Focused On Training

(7:53) - Less Ego More Gains

(9:01) - Benefits of Playing Around

(13:16) - Handstands Tips & Tricks

(15:28) - Best Rep Ranges

(19:08) - How To Become Explosive

(21:32) - Handstand Push-Ups Are Easy

(27:33) - Core Strength for Calisthenics

(30:17) - Muscle-up Advice

(38:24) - Nutrition For Peak Performance

(41:58) - Follow These Women For Inspiration

Bald Omni Man is a big, strong fella from the natural YouTube lifting community.

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Get 10% off the best calisthenics equipment at GORNATION: ⁠https://www.gornation.com/?ref=znnsjrwo ⁠

Get 20% off my calisthenics programs at FitnessFAQs with code PODCAST20: ⁠https://fitnessfaqs.com/programs

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Learn how much muscle you can build with calisthenics and how to keep progressing over time. How strict technique, pauses, deeper ranges of motion, and harder exercise variations can make bodyweight training challenging without relying on endless reps.

We also cover when to add weight, how to think about training volume and proximity to failure, and why calisthenics can be combined with weights or machines for a more complete physique. Learn why exercise choice affects progress, comfort, and recovery, including why demanding lifts such as heavy deadlifts may not suit everyone.

The conversation also explores injury prevention, training for size versus strength, choosing movements that fit your body, and the value of experimenting to find what you enjoy and can progress consistently.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) - How Big Can You Get With Calisthenics?

(2:07) - Best Exercises For Chest

(4:58) - Doing More Than 20 Sets Per Week?

(5:43) - How To Make Bodyweight Harder

(12:01) - Calisthenics Makes You Jacked

(14:14)- Preventing Injury

(18:13) - Big Gains Come After 3 Years of Training

(23:41) - Rep Ranges Explained

(28:47) - Mixing Calisthenics & Weights

(34:25) - Rings Are Bad For Bodybuilding

(40:23) - What Is Perfect Technique?

(42:50) - Skills Won't Make You Massive

(47:36) - Differences Training For Size Vs Strength

(52:32) - Don't Skip Arms & Weak Links

(57:11) - No Progressive Overload = Muscle Gain?

(1:02:46) - Choosing The Correct Exercises For You

(1:15:19) - My Theory Not Backed By Science

Tariq from STRIQfit is a bodyweight training expert.

Today we break down the most common calisthenics myths.

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Get 10% off the best calisthenics equipment at GORNATION: https://www.gornation.com/?ref=znnsjrwo

Get 20% off my calisthenics programs at FitnessFAQs with code PODCAST20: https://fitnessfaqs.com/programs

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Timestamps:

(0:00) - Calisthenics doesn't build muscle

(2:42) - Bodyweight is just for beginners

(6:48) - You need a full gym to make gains

(12:58) - You must train to failure always

(21:05) - Calisthenics is safer than lifting weights

(24:40) - Do every progression in order to get strong

(27:12) - Adding reps is all you need

(28:48) - Train multiple calisthenics skill at once

(31:31) - Lifting weights slows progress

(35:02) - You have to start calisthenics young

(40:02) - Skipping leg day is a must

(43:42) - Weak core is holding you back

(48:13) - Workout every day for fast progress

(52:31) - The problem with training by feel

(57:37) - Mobility and flexibility doesn’t matter

(1:01:42) - Use perfect technique always

Stan Efferding is a retired IFBB professional bodybuilder, world-record-holding powerlifter, and creator of the Vertical Diet, with over 25 years experience coaching athletes such as Jon Jones and Hafthor Bjornsson.

Expect to learn why the best diet on paper is useless if you can’t digest it, why losing fat is often easier than keeping it off, whether lifting matters more than dieting for body composition, how to balance food tracking with intuition, what Stan’s training looks like approaching 60, the health markers to monitor in your 30s, the truth about pain and injury, and much more

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Get 10% off the best calisthenics equipment at GORNATION: https://www.gornation.com/?ref=znnsjrwo

Get 20% off my calisthenics programs at FitnessFAQs with code PODCAST20: https://fitnessfaqs.com/programs

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Timestamps:

(0:00) - Why Keeping Fat Off Is So Challenging

(9:01) - The Best Diet Is Useless If You Can’t Digest It

(16:50) - Tracking Everything vs Eating Intuitively

(28:39) - Competing In Sport Isn't Healthy

(35:29) - What Matters For Longevity

(45:35) - Lifting Matters More Than Dieting

(49:54) - The Truth About Pain And Injury

(56:49) - How Stan Avoided Surgery With Exercise

(1:02:46) - Health Tips For People In Their 30's

Jake Williams is a sports chiropractor from Australia.

Expect to learn why hybrid training (calisthenics + weights) is one of the most effective ways to build strength, muscle, and long-term athleticism.

How weighted calisthenics solves the biggest progression limitations of bodyweight-only training. Why lower rep ranges consistently outperform high-rep training for strength while remaining just as effective for muscle growth.

How to combine skill work with free weights and machines to accelerate progress on movements like the handstand push-up, front lever, muscle-up, and pull-up.

Which gym exercises best complement calisthenics—and why movements like overhead presses, rows, lat pulldowns, and bench presses deserve a place in your program.How to use progressive overload, rep ranges, and exercise selection to become stronger without wasting time on junk volume or unnecessary fatigue.

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(0:00) - Why Mix Calisthenics And Weights?(08:10) - Downsides Of High Rep Training

(25:25) - Handstand Push-Ups Or Overhead Press?

(40:52) - Pull-Ups Or Lat Pulldowns?

(44:48) - Best Pull-Up Alternatives Minimal Equipment

(48:50) - The Best Row Variations With Weights

(59:44) - Dips or Bench Press?

(1:02:27) - Barbell or Dumbbell Bench Press Angle?

(1:08:33) - What's Missing From Bodyweight Exercises?

(1:11:50) - Calisthenics Makes You Stronger At Everything

(1:15:48) - Why You Need To Isolate With Weights

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Get 20% Off FitnessFAQs workout programs:

Use Code PODCAST20 at checkout - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fitnessfaqs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsors:

✅ Get 10% Discount on the best calisthenics equipment by Gornation at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gornation.com/?ref=fitnessfaqs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (automatically applied at checkout)

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Stay in touch:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fitnessfaqs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/FitnessFAQs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow Jake: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Tanner Shuck is a strength coach, entrepreneur, and one of the most honest voices in the fitness industry. His message is simple: get brutally strong, master the basics, and the physique will follow.

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Expect to learn why many natural lifters struggle to get jacked, the biggest mistakes people make, why strength remains the foundation of long-term muscle growth. We also discuss the problem with machines, benefits of calisthenics and barbell training, specificity, overcoming plateaus, and the trade-offs that come with pursuing different fitness goals.

We also explore the realities of natural training, the mindset required to stay motivated for decades, the impact of social media on fitness education, and how Tanner's experiences with multiple major injuries shaped his outlook on resilience, gratitude, and personal growth.

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(00:00) - Why Most People Fail To Get Jacked Naturally

(06:20) - The 7 Movement Patterns Everyone Needs

(10:14) - How To Break Through Plateaus

(14:24) - Just Get Strong To Get Big

(20:00) - Being Well Rounded Trade Offs

(33:36) - The Reality Of Advanced Strength Progress

(36:25) - Content Creation, Growing On YouTube, Fitness Business

(57:54) - Injuries And Staying Motivated

(1:02:40) - Mindset & Mental Health

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💪 Get 20% Off FitnessFAQs workout programs:

Use Code PODCAST20 at checkout - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fitnessfaqs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

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Sponsors:

✅ Get 10% Discount on the best calisthenics equipment by Gornation at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gornation.com/?ref=fitnessfaqs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (automatically applied at checkout)

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Stay in touch:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fitnessfaqs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/FitnessFAQs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow Tanner: ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Tom Merrick is well known for offering honest, practical advice on flexibility and mobility training. His work keeps it simple without overcomplicating the process, and he will help you understand common myths around stretching.

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(0:00) - Does lifting weights make you stiff?

(7:26) - I'm naturally inflexible

(10:28) - The reality of stretching

(21:47) - Stretching makes you weaker

(23:18) - What is perfect techinque?

(27:03) - Advice for training as you get older

(30:56) - Should you stretch everyday?

(37:27) - Can everyone learn side splits?

(41:47) - Stretch harder to improve faster

(46:24) - Injury stories and stupid mistakes

(51:46) - Bulletproof exercises don't exist

(54:39) - Longevity training looks like this

(58:52) - How many stretches do you need?

(1:03:08) - Posture and pain explained

(1:08:41) - Muscle imbalances should be fixed?

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💪 Get 20% Off FitnessFAQs workout programs:

Use Code PODCAST20 at checkout - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fitnessfaqs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

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Sponsors:

✅ Get 10% Discount on the best calisthenics equipment by Gornation at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gornation.com/?ref=fitnessfaqs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (automatically applied at checkout)

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Stay in touch:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fitnessfaqs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/FitnessFAQs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fitnessfaqs.com/contact/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow Tom: ⁠⁠⁠YouTube