dual strength method

The science and logic behind our programming.

As you may have already noticed, our scheme of sets and reps often falls into either one of 2 categories: 3 sets of 5 repetitions, and 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

We call it the Dual Strength Method.

It is commonly accepted that 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps at high intensity are optimal for building strength, and that 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps at moderate intensity work best for building endurance.

You might wonder then why we spend most of our time working with 3 sets of 15 reps even when our goal is to build strength.

This is because there are 2 more variables to take into account when training calisthenics.

The first one is that to be able to perform many bodyweight exercises and move our body in ways we haven't before, we not only need to train our muscle strength, but we also need to train our brain and nervous system to perform these new movement patterns. This becomes possible through a high number of repetitions.

The second variable is the fact that calisthenics and gymnastics moves require a lot more strength and support from the tendons, ligaments and joints than other forms of training. It is essential to train these elements as safely and progressively as possible, since they can take a lot of time both to improve and to recover in case of injury.

These are the 2 reasons why we spend more time in the strength endurance range, rather than in the basic strength range. The strength endurance to basic strength ratio is usually around 2:1.

Finally, we prefer to wait until we are fully comfortable with an exercise before we move onto a harder progression.

For basic strength training, we will usually train a harder exercise once we are able to complete 3 sets of 7 reps with the current exercise.

For strength endurance, we will wait until we can perform 3 sets of 20 reps with the current exercise.

Hopefully all of this makes sense and helps you reach more calisthenics goals in the future!