MASTER TIPS OVER 40 AND HINTS EXERCISES WITH COMMON STEP–BY-STEP MISTAKES BEC ROSE AKDEMIR 1 BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC DISCLAIMER READ The content of this book is written by Bec Akdemir. Bec Athletic® does not assume any responsibility for the use of the information in this book. The author and anyone else affiliated with the creation or distribution of this book may not be held liable for damages of any kind whatsoever allegedly caused or resulting from any such claimed reliance. FIRST Before beginning this or any workout routine, it is recommended that you consult with a qualified physician for authorisation and clearance. If you have any problems with your health, you should seek clearance from a qualified medical professional. The information contained herein is not intended to, and never should, substitute for the necessity of seeking the advice of a qualified medical professional. If at any time you feel pain or discomfort, stop immediately. Parts of this book contain advanced exercises that should not be attempted until you are ready. Therefore, no part of this book may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast, sold or transmitted without the prior permission of the publisher, Bec Athletic® THANK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Bringing this project to publish has been a product of countless hours of work and research. I would not have been able to bring this idea to life without the support and YOU! assistance of many of my friends, family, and colleagues. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation and indebtedness particularly to the following: Daniel Frost, Graphic Designer, Twolanes Creative www.twolanescreative.com Instagram: @twolanescreative For design, creation, guidance. David Ross, Photographer, Dross Photo www.drossphoto.com.au Instagram: @drossphoto For his keen eye in photography. Roslyn Yee, Accredited Sports Dietitian & Nutritionist, Activ-Ate Wellbeing Instagram: @activatewellbeing www.activatewellbeing.com.au For nutritional advice and support throughout my training. Wayne Hedley, Chiropractor, B. Chiro Sci., M. Chiro (Macquarie University), Riverstone Clinic www.riverstonefamilychiro.com.au For always repairing and educating me on my body and how to look after myself. I would be unable to train the way I do without his guidance and amazing work.work. GET IN Lastly, a huge thank you goes out to all of you, the reader, the follower, who have supported me by not only purchasing this eBook but by keeping me accountable and TOUCH motivated to spread the word of Calisthenics and fitness. If you would like to get in touch, or have any questions or comments, then please contact me on Email: [email protected] @becathletic Bec Athletic (@becathletic) 2 BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC CONTENTS PREFACE 4 JUMPING PULL UP HANGING LEG RAISES 51 CHIN UP HANGING KNEE RAISES CHIN UP (AROUND THE WORLD) HANGING KNEES TO ELBOWS INTRODUCTION 5 ISOMETRIC HOLDS L-SIT HANG WIDE GRIP PULL UP CALISTHENICS L-SIT PARALLETTES CLOSE GRIP PULL UP WHAT IS IT? BUTTERFLY SIT UPS TOWEL PULL UP STREET WORKOUT PLANK (SIDE CRUNCH) WEIGHTED PULL UP LOCATION HOLLOW HOLDS CHEST TO BAR PULL UP EQUIPMENT SUPERMAN HOLDS ARCHER PULL UP TRAINING GROUPS V-SITS TYPES OF CHALK HANDS - TAKING CARE OF THEM PUSH UPS 32 HANDSTANDS (WALL) 57 MOBILITY/MUSCLE RELEASE HAND RELEASE PUSH UPS RECOVERY WALL WALK WIDE GRIP PUSH UPS INJURY PREVENTION HANDSTAND KICK UPS DIAMOND PUSH UP NUTRITION HANDSTAND (FACING WALL) ARCHER PUSH UP STRETCHING FINGERTIP PUSH UP WARM UP FREESTANDING HANDSTAND 61 WRIST PUSH UP MOBILITY/ACTIVATION TUCK HANDSTAND  KICK UP HANDSTAND 9 DIPS 38 STRETCHES STRADDLE HANDSTAND DIPS PIGEON STAG POSE HANDSTAND BOX DIPS DRAGON PARALLETTES HANDSTAND SEATED STRADDLE STRAIGHT BAR DIPS PARALLETTES HANDSTAND TUCK SADDLE PARALLETTES STRADDLE HANDSTAND SUPINE TWIST SQUATS 42 PARALLETTES STAG POSE PUPPY DOG AIR SQUAT (MEDICINE BALL/BOX) ARCHER EAGLE JUMPING AIR SQUAT LACHES 71 BARBELL BACK SQUAT TAP SWING MOVEMENTS 16 BARBELL/DB FRONT SQUAT BEAT SWING LUNGES JUMPING LUNGES PULL UPS 17 RESOURCES 75 BOX JUMP INVERTED ROW PULL UP (BOX) PULL UP TEMPO (NEGATIVE) BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC 3 PREFACE I began CrossFit in late 2013 while in my early 20s, but enjoyed other activities and sports throughout high school such as dancing and soccer. I’ve always strived to constantly improve my fitness by implementing other types of training. Calisthenics was the answer I was looking for. Since beginning Calisthenics, I have become stronger and improved performance, strength, and reduced my body fat percentage. These types of bodyweight movements have allowed me to make greater strides in my CrossFit training and my overall fitness goals. BEC There’s so many YouTube and Instagram posts, gymnasts, and online coaching programs which have different takes on bodyweight exercises and how to get stronger. So many of the people I train with, or have coached, find it difficult to differentiate between which information is relevant and effective for them and what is not. Through my studies as a Personal Trainer and Level 2 Crossfit Coach, including CrossFit Gymnastics, and experience in Acroyoga and Calisthenics Training, I have been able to develop efficient and effective methods for progression in a variety of movements. I train more than I work, and for many people this is nearly impossible. But when you have a passion for what you do, you are constantly motivated to achieve more. With this in mind, I have been privileged enough to be a contestant on Australian Ninja Warrior and also a judge for the CrossFit Games in Wisconsin, USA. From my Fitness Journey I wanted to help people achieve their goals in the most simple and effective way possible. As a result, I set out to write an eBook to help anyone, male or female, beginner or advanced. The information contained in this eBook will help you to build strength and power, improve coordination, and increase flexibility. 4 BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC INTRODUCTION WHAT IS CALISTHENICS? EQUIPMENT Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross You will require the following equipment for some of the motor movements and are intended to increase body exercises within this e-Book: strength, body fitness, and flexibility through movements Pull Up Bar such as pulling or pushing oneself up. Other movements include bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s Parallettes or P-Bars (a dip bar will suffice if you don’t have body weight for resistance. This is in essence, bodyweight access to parallettes) training. When performed vigorously and with variety, Weight Belt for Pull Ups and Dips calisthenics can provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor Crossover Symmetry - activation accessory (resistance skills such as balance, agility, and coordination. bands are a cheaper and more accessible alternative) STREET WORKOUT FRIENDS/TRAINING GROUPS Street workout is divided into two categories, the first Thanks to social media platforms, such as Facebook and one being strength training (aka statics) and the second Instagram, we are all able to connect and find like minded dynamics (aka freestyle). Strength training includes people who have built a community for those unsure isometric holds, such as: about where and how to start. Usually you can look up the groups through Facebook, everyone is super friendly and Planche welcoming. Everyone has different training experiences and Front lever different styles of training, so you’ve just got to find what works best for you. Back lever Single arm pull ups CHALK There are two types of chalk and it depends on your Hefestos preference: Muscle ups Block/Powdered Chalk Dynamics includes movements like 360’s and its variations, Liquid Chalk switchblades, and an incredible variety of tricks developed by athletes which are connected with other moves in order to create routines or sets (flow). HANDS - TAKING CARE OF THEM Be prepared to develop callouses from using the bar, this LOCATION is normal. Try not to let your callouses get too large in size, as this opens up the opportunity for you to tear. If you When choosing your location, it’s important to try different tear, it usually opens down through your skin until you start gyms or outdoor parks to find what works best for you. bleeding. You’ll need to consider the weather, pricing, people, gym facilities and training groups. You can purchase a callous shaver (usually for your feet) and use this to very lightly peel the top layer. Make sure Some locations include: you don’t go too deep otherwise you will shave your whole Local Gym - Any commercial gym or health club. CrossFit callous off and you’ll have to build it back again. Gyms are great for the equipment and spacing they provide; Outdoor Parks - Will usually have a group of people who are already training this style at your local park. I have found the most common day to be Sundays in a couple of countries. It is most likely that these groups can also be found through Facebook (it may take some research!); or At Home - you may need to purchase or make some equipment yourself. BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC 5 MOBILITY/MUSCLE RELEASE NUTRITION There are many options out there that you can use to assist The food we choose to eat is how we nurture our physical in releasing pain. Many people suggest foam rollers but body and wellbeing. they don’t specifically target pressure point areas in the The key is to learn basic nutrition principles and create body that need to be released. Trigger Point Therapy just healthy habits that suit you as an individual. These daily happens to be a brand in my local area where I have bought practices should have a positive outcome on your health, a few of their products and have found to be of the best lifestyle and fitness regime. If they do not, then begin by quality. You can buy cheaper ones through eBay, Amazon or shifting the bad habits into positive change, one step at a your local store. I have found the following very useful: time. Trigger Point Factor Massage Ball aka Lacrosse Ball I’ve listed my top 5 tips to help you towards success. Trigger Point Footballer Eat mostly wholefoods – Wholefoods have been minimally The Trigger Point Therapy WorkBook processed allowing you to reduce your exposure to additives, refined white flours, preservatives and excessive Peanut Double Lacrosse Ball amounts of sugar and salt that we don’t need. Eat lots of colourful vegetables – Vegetables are packed full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, water and healthy TRIGGER phytochemicals, which are required for vitality, wellbeing PEANUT DOUBLE POINT and disease prevention. LACROSSE BALL FOOTBALLER Eat regularly – Skipping meals or snacks can increase cravings for unhealthy options and lead to overeating. Nourish your body with smaller but frequent meals and snacks spread evenly across the day. Match your carbs to your activity level – Quality carbohydrate foods provide us with energy to fuel our training and exercise. Eating too much or too little can have MASSAGE BALL negative effects on your sporting performance and body composition. Seek out credible information – There is plenty of misinformation about nutrition online. Ask questions and remember that one diet does not suit all. RECOVERY If you need help in creating healthy habits for optimising To recover from your workouts there is nothing more your nutrition that supports your training and your every important than adequate rest, good nutrition, and above day life, please contact Roslyn on: all else, sleep. If you are not getting adequate sleep, your training and your eating habits suffer over a period of time. Website: www.activatewellbeing.com.au Try to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. If you happen to have broken sleep, naps are great to help make up for that lost time. It’s important to listen to your body and give it the rest it needs. Rest means the opportunity for your body to build more strength. There are also other ways to help with the recovery process, including: Heat Gel or Cream - to help reduce soreness Sauna Room - has a greater effect on reducing soreness. Increased blood flow provides additional oxygen and nutrients to help heal the damaged muscle tissue 6 BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC INJURY PREVENTION As a practitioner, it is important to diagnose, treat and There are two factors which can reduce the chance of the educate. This will reduce the chance of re-injury and stop injury before training even begins, correct static posture and the pain becoming chronic. Chronic pain is more complex as full joint range of motion (ROM). the tissue has healed but the patient still experiences pain due to a process called central sensitisation. Correct static posture forms the foundation for injury prevention. Having tensegrity will help you progress from In general terms, management of the injury should be basic movements to more advanced ones with less chance passive initially (chiropractic and physiotherapy). Depending of injury. In our day to day lives we do things repetitively on the type of injury a number of treatment modalities can that are asymmetrical (lifting kids, sleeping on one side, be implemented, for example, soft tissue therapy, strapping, having a hand bag on one shoulder). These actions form our electrotherapy and manual therapy. Once the injury starts to own postural idiosyncrasies which over time can bring your heal, a more active approach should be taken in conjunction posture out of a neutral position. Biomechanically, this can with passive therapy. Active care involves self stretching, cause pain or injury as one side of the body has a greater rehabilitative exercise, and self myofasical release. Active mechanical load placed upon it, similar to a repetitive stress care reduces your reliance on a health professional and injury. allows you to manage an injury yourself. You can do a posture self assessment in front of a mirror or Practice makes permanent, not perfect. If you perform an with a phone app which places a grid on the screen. This exercise or movement from the beginning incorrectly this helps you become more conscious of your own posture will eventually lead to problems down the track. This is why and if you can pick up changes in your own body you can a good postural foundation and sufficient ROM combined address these before symptoms occur. with progressive overload are key in injury prevention. The ability to move your joints in their full ROM is important If you are a Sydney local or someone who needs help with for injury prevention. Mobility exercises improve flexibility injury prevention or treatment, please contact Wayne on: and are a great tool to progress joint ROM. For example, [email protected] if you have an old shoulder injury and do not have full 180 degrees of flexion, you would want to improve this before loading the joint in a weighted exercise. An injury will occur when the load on a tissue (joint, muscle or ligament) is greater than what it is accustomed. This is why progressive overload is such an important factor in injury prevention. Once an injury has occurred, acute pain is generally the main symptoms in which someone will seek professional advice. BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC 7 STRETCHING WARM UP Stretching plays a large role in recovery, injury prevention Key points of a warm up include moving joints through a and of course flexibility. Flexibility is the ability of your full range of motion and increasing mobility. Sometimes the muscles to allow your joints to move in any direction movements are specifically to complement those in the without restriction. Ease into each position and hold for workout, and other times the movements are simply meant approximately 1-2 mins for Upper Body stretches and 3-5 to increase the blood flow, lubricate joints and elevate mins for Lower Body stretches. Make sure you repeat all body temperature. Spend about 4-8 mins of warming up the stretches on both sides of your body (i.e. both arms or (increasing the heart rate) and then 15-20 mins of mobility both legs) where applicable, and maintain steady breathing and stretching. throughout. Do NOT force yourself into a stretch. You should always feel a slight pull when stretching. If you wish MOBILITY/ACTIVATION to follow what I do, check out www.romwod.com for a small Mobility prevents injury and improves your movement. Lack price per month for daily video programs. I have provided a of mobility can seriously hinder your progress, as not being few basic stretches that you can use: able to get into the correct body positions will not allow you to exert as much force in the exercise will limit your Pigeon Stretch strength gains. Usually for my mobility/activation work I Dragon Stretch incorporate Crossover Symmetry. It’s simple, easy to use Seated Straddle and is effective for activating the correct muscles before you begin your training. Here are a few mobility exercises Saddle that you can use: Supine Twist Scapula Push Up Puppy Dog Scapula Dip Archer Eagle Scapula Pull Up Scapula Rolls Note: Lockout elbows (arms), shrug the shoulders (squeeze shoulder blades together) BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC 8 STRETCHES PIGEON 10 DRAGON 11 SEATED STRADDLE 12 SADDLE 13 SUPINE TWIST 14 PUPPY DOG 14 ARCHER EAGLE 15 9 BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC PIGEON STRETCH CHEST UP KEEP HIPS IN A NUETRAL POSITION EXTEND BACK LEG AS FAR AS POSSIBLE BEND FRONT LEG LEFT RIGHT GENTLY LEAN FORWARD ONTO ELBOWS FOR A EXTEND THE BACK LEG DEEPER STRETCH FURTHER FOR A DEEPER STRETCH REACH FORWARD AS FAR AS YOU CAN LET YOUR BODY RELAX INTO THE POSITION BODYWEIGHT ATHLETIC 10