Building Muscle and strength with push-ups and pull-ups

Calisthenics is a relatively simple discipline. It doesn’t require a lot of equipment, and you can effectively work your entire body with only a handful of exercises. It’s the perfect form of training for those who want a simple and efficient way to condition themselves for health and fitness.

Unfortunately, some calisthenics practitioners take simplification too far. A common example of this is building a workout program around only two basic exercises like push-ups and pull-ups. 

Of course, push-ups and pull-ups are incredibly effective and potent training tools. Focusing on those techniques can make your workouts super efficient for your use of time and energy. Not to mention, focusing on such techniques can help you achieve a very high level of proficiency and mastery very quickly. I’ve known many individuals who’ve developed an impressive level of strength and power and they all develop a high level of mastery over a few basic techniques. There’s no doubt that mastering a few basic techniques will produce vastly superior results than mediocrity with a large number of techniques.

Okay so case closed, it’s best to focus on a couple of basic techniques, so doing only push-ups and pull-ups is the way to go right? Well, not so fast. Like any technique, push-ups and pull-ups can produce some incredible benefits, but only if you have a deep understanding about how to program them for the results you want. 

Most of your potential for success comes not from what you doubt rather how you do it. This is as true in life as it is in fitness. It’s certainly possible to build a lot of muscle and strength with basic bodyweight techniques. It’s also possible to pour all of your time and energy into gut-busting workouts and still fail to get very far. 

Granted, propper programming is as much of an art as it is a science and a proper approach can vary greatly from one person to the next. A good rule of thumb is to start training at whatever level you’re currently at and then go from there. Don’t worry about how many sets and reps are “optimal” just start with something you can consistently stick to for at least 3-5 months. 

The next consideration is of course progression. You don’t build muscle and strength just by working your tail off in the gym, you achieve those results from asking your muscles to do progressively more work over time. 

This is why a basic understanding of progressive calisthenics theory is essential for success. There are many ways you can adjust the difficulty of push-ups and pull-ups to help you get stronger. However, you won’t get very far if you’re always doing the same old techniques day in and day out for even years on end. 

Lastly, you don’t want to make the mistake of training only half of your body. Push-ups and pull-ups are great-for the upper body, but what about the legs, hips and core? A solid calisthenics program should work the entire body, from nose to toes and everywhere in between. Not only will a complete program produce a stronger and more aesthetically pleasing physique, but it will also go a long way in preventing injury. 

So yes, focusing on push-ups and pull-ups is a great way to keep your training simple, efficient and focused. Just careful that you don’t limit yourself by only practicing classic military style techniques while neglecting the rest of your body. And above all, be sure to program your workouts so you are focusing on the results you want. There’s nothing more frustrating than to put in several years of hard work, only to realize you’ve been training for the wrong objective all along.