Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago

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In this video, I share my personal approach to structuring a calisthenics program that balances muscle growth, skill development, and joint health. Drawing from my background as a medical doctor and 14+ years as an athlete, I break down:

- Why calisthenics has so little research (and how we use other strength sports for guidance)
- The critical role of hypertrophy (muscle size) in building a foundation for skills like the planche and front lever
- Neural adaptation and why it’s so challenging to progress safely in calisthenics
- Preventing joint and connective tissue injuries through smart volume, intensity, and frequency management

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:37 What is Calisthenics?
1:01 Lack of Research
3:38 Mike Israetel
4:14 Challenges of Calisthenics
8:44 What is Strength?
9:59 Phase 1: Building Muscle
12:24 Phase 2: Neural Adaptations
14:54 Long Term Programming
15:56 Outro

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