The Best Intermediate Calisthenics Workouts to Level Up Your Fitness

After mastering the fundamentals of bodyweight training, you feel that you’re ready to challenge yourself and progress to the next level. While some people think that the obvious next step is by adding heavy weights, calisthenics training is so far-reaching that you can definitely upgrade your workout without any added equipment by performing intermediate exercises. These intermediate exercises are challenging enough to give you an incredible workout.

But how do you really know if you’re ready for intermediate calisthenics? The key to knowing this is by being able to accurately execute the calisthenics training fundamentals which are:

handstand push-ups, one-arm push-ups, dips, pull-ups, pistol squats, leg raises, leading to human flag, leading to bridge and back lever, and plank to planche.

If you are confident that you have mastered these moves, then it is highly likely that you have built enough strength, flexibility and mobility in order to successfully execute intermediate routines.

Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, here are four different workouts that you can practice in the intermediate level.  If you realize that you are not strong enough to perform a specific exercise, you can perform an easier variation of that exercise or lessen the repetitions to your maximum capacity until you can advance into a more challenging progression.

Intermediate Calisthenics Workout 1 – Full Body Workout

The first workout on the list is a total body workout that ticks all the right boxes. Now that you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you’re ready to level up and get more ripped, burn fat and look much leaner. You can achieve this by executing this routine that combines resistance training and aerobic workout in just one session.

While these exercises are compound exercises that develops multiple muscles in your body, it is still completely possible to develop muscle mass with this routine so you build muscle and burn fat at the same time.

How to perform this exercise:

Rest for 45 seconds between each exercise and rest for 2 minutes for each round. Total of 4 rounds.

Intermediate Calisthenics Workout 2 – Upper Body Workout

This is a calisthenics workout that concentrates on your upper body. If your goal is to build a godly chest and strengthen your overall upper body, then you should definitely consider doing this workout. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need heavy weights and complicated equipment to get that upper body strength you want to achieve. By correctly executing this workout, you are developing the muscles in your upper body and building towards an impressive yet more balanced physique.

This routine also trains your core so it is useful when wanting to get that flat tummy and develop those ab muscles. Mastering this workout will definitely get you beach ready in no time!

How to perform this exercise:

Minimum rest between each exercise and rest for 3 minutes for each round. Total of 4 rounds.

Intermediate Calisthenics Workout 3 – Back Workout

A lot of people concentrate on building their chest and arms because this is the first thing people see, but many also forget to build the muscles in their back. It is very critical that when you train, you are also giving proper attention to your back muscles – and this does not only refer to your lats and lower back. You should train your entire back including your traps, triceps, rear delts, glutes and hamstrings. This will ensure that you are increasing overall strength and you are aesthetically balanced in 360 degrees!

This calisthenics workout will train your entire back muscles. This will also be great in improving your posture as stronger back muscles can support you much better.  

How to perform this exercise:

No rest between each exercise and rest for 3 minutes for each round. Total of 3 rounds.

Intermediate Calisthenics Workout 4 – Biceps Workout

This calisthenics workout is focused on building muscles on your arms to increase the size of your biceps. However, as calisthenics exercises are compound exercises, you are also getting the benefit of training other muscles in your body.

With this routine, you are also targeting the muscles on your back, traps, chest and core, while you are developing your arm muscles.This is considered an intermediate routine because you need to have built up proper strength in order for you to execute the workout correctly.

How to perform this exercise:

Rest for 30 seconds between each exercise and rest for 4 minutes for each round. Total of 4 rounds