They are based on the teachings of a very famous and wise person, Marcus Cicero.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, born 3 January 106 BC and died on 7 December 43 BC, was a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul, and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and was one of Rome’s greatest orators and prose stylists

According to Michael Grant, “the influence of Cicero upon the history of European literature and ideas greatly exceeds that of any other prose writer in any language”.

I first heard about these teachings in a book entitled, Wisdom of the Ages, by Dr. Wayne Dyer. When I read these teachings I was literally without words. It struck at the core and made me re-think a lot of my own backward %#$ philosophy.

The 6 Mistakes of Man, by Cicero, was really intended as a warning for future generations to avoid the errors made by Cicero and his contemporaries at the time of the great Roman Empire.

Cicero wanted to share what went so tragically wrong with one of the impressive empires of our time.

Here are Cicero’s 6 Mistakes of Man:

1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and studying.
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

So how the heck does this relate to Calisthenics and athletic training?

That’s a great question.

Here is an interpretation of these treasured pearls of wisdom as applied to the world of Calisthenics.

1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.

As an athlete, you are constantly want to increase, improve, get better, make progress and let’s not forget have fun in the process. This first mistake of man applied to calisthenics is really all about be inclusive. Oftentimes when we train, we are only focus on the me in the equation and leave out the rest. In my case, I wanted to make my training a family thing, including my wife and son in the fun. (I am a poet and I didn’t even know it….huh I did it again…) We may not be literally crushing others by our actions but we may not be sharing in our joy because of our insane devotion and discipline to our sport. Our personal gain can be shared with others and as we excel we can bring those along for the ride.

Each of us is at a different place in our athletic training, and meeting others where they are at is especially helpful not only for the others that can benefit from your knowledge and skill-set, but you too can benefit because you reinforce and get better from that which you share and teach to others.

2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.

If there was ever something so fatal that could literally kill you, its worry. Stress is the result of worry. And as we all know it’s the main cause of a lot of the dis-ease. There are of course things we can do to reduce our stress, probably the best way to lessen your worry is to just let go of the things you cannot control or change.

It’s really easy to fall under the illusion that we are so all mighty and powerful that we can will anything we want by changing it exactly to our liking or correct it perfectly. That is nice thinking, but it’s just that, nice thinking and really nothing more.

We can really only control and change the things that we have within our immediate reach to change and everything else is just noise. Breakthrough the noise and hear the signals.

3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.

Seriously if I had a penny for every time someone told me that this or that was impossible, I would literally be a millionaire. We have all heard how something is absolutely freaking impossible to do, only to find a short while later that some guy or gal in some far distant land did the very thing we or someone we know had professed was impossible to do.

If you are like most, you probably get even more motivated when someone tells you that you can’t. The very notion that something is impossible only because the person telling you this can’t fathom another option sets a fire a blazing in most. It certainly has moved me to do things that pushed me beyond my boundaries. And in the end, we all are better people for having gone through such experiences.

Isn’t that what Calisthenics is all about. Pushing through the limits, testing your prior personal bests and seeing what you are really made of. We all have 86,400 seconds each day. Do the impossible and make it possible. And don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.

Look I am the first to admit that I have my own funny pet peeves and quirks. It most definitely drives my wife batty. We all have our unusual and strange preferences. These preferences can sometimes keep us from trying new things or seeing a difference perspective. It’s aptly called the comfort zone. And in it, oftentimes you will not grow. Especially when it comes to your training. Letting go of what you think and how you think and trying something new goes a long way toward a more well-rounded athletic performance.

5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and studying.

The old adage a mind is a terrible thing to waste, is one worth noting. The mind is like a muscle, and if you don’t use it you will lose it. If we just focus on training our body and not our mind, we will be up a creek without a paddle.

To really press upon the importance of this let’s look at a study done on some 678 nuns, 80% of whom were teachers and continued to make learning a life long quest. It followed 678 sisters of the School Sisters of Notre Dame living in Mankato, Minnesota. The goal of the study is to identify the risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. Some of the results of the study confirm the commonsense notions that healthy lifestyle and active and stimulating intellectual life can help us stay healthy and independent later in life. But the most surprising finding is that certain traits in early 20s can help predict whether someone will have Alzheimer’s disease 60 years later. What are some of the findings? A college education and an active intellectual life may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The Nun Study also suggested that strokes and brain trauma might worsen the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

There were many other findings that came out of the nun study but for the purposes of this point, we wanted to demonstrate the importance of refinement of the brain & the habit of reading and studying contribute enormously toward that.

6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

We all love to exercise and stay active. And when it comes to calisthenics, I am guilty of this one. I love to profess my passion and enthusiasm for the sport. We need to error on the side of caution though, because what works for one may not work for another. Just because you love working out and calisthenics does not mean that it will be embraced and shared among your peers. The adage let and let live holds true here.

There are many things that happen as we embrace our passions and one of them is to evangelize. Although our intentions are coming from a good place it may be received by others as trying to control or manipulate. Its best to be quiet and humble and do your own thing. And if others take an interest and solicit your advice, well then so be it. But don’t go out there telling others what, how and when they should live their lives. That will just cause a whole lot of problems.

In conclusion, we have discussed the 6 Mistakes of a Calisthenics Athlete as seen through the lens of the great orator, philosopher and lawyer, Cicero. Applying these to your own training and way of life is of course your decision.

There are several ways that I recommend you can go about doing this and in this post I will share just a few of the simple ways I make my workouts more effective.

1. Keep a log.
2. Keep track of time.
3. Make sure you rest between sets.

Keep A Log

I will admit I am not the best when it comes to doing this one. I just recently started keeping a log of my workout sessions, based on reps, sets, time and distance.

I will say I have noticed that when I record my workouts I seem to be more effective for the next workout, because I can quickly glance back to what I did the last time around. Then I try to go beyond what I did the last time around. It’s really fun.

I used to think that I could remember the last workout session more or less, and what I found as I began to actually literally write it down was that I was not even close to remembering what I had done.

Our memories can play tricks on us. I now like to jot it down in my smart phone. The application I love the most is called, FitNotes.

What I like most about this application is that it acts like your own personal assistant keeping a log of your workouts and it can be fully customized to whatever exercises you do. Best of all its super easy to use. There is also a neat color code for each body part you focus on so that when you review past workout you can easily see what you did the last time.

Keep Track of Time

I have written about this one in my past posts, and you probably already know that I absolutely love the use of a HIIT timer.

The reason I like to use a HIIT interval timer or any timer is that they keep you accountable for staying on track with time. It’s really easy to lose track of time and with a timer you are held accountable to workout for a certain period of time and of course rest for a period of time.

As with all things in life, we are not robots, so if you need a longer break or if some unplanned and unforeseen thing comes up to interrupt your workout, you can easily pause the timer.

My favorite is A HIIT Interval Timer  by Pimpim Mobile

As with all things, you may prefer a different timer, I use this one because its simple and easy to use.

Make sure you rest between sets

Rest is critical, and what I have learned experimenting with various rest intervals, is that even the shortest amount of rest between sets can make a world of difference in better range of movement and a cleaner quality form in performing the exercises.

Quality over quantity, is a great choice and rest can really make sure that this happens. Of course, I like to opt for both quality and quantity when I exercise.

Here is a nice table on the amount of rest in general one should take:

So there you have it, short, sweet and to the point.

I hope that these three suggestions can help you have a more effective workout.

What the workout consisted of was the following:

30 Seconds on, 10 Seconds off, 8 sets for each exercise:
1) Squats
2) Diamond Push Ups
3) Leg Raises

I am not entirely sure if they rested longer than 10 seconds as they changed exercises.

In essence it’s a version of high intensity interval training or Tabata.

Here is a breakdown of the more popular interval training programs:

Interval Training	Description	Max Intensity	Rest	Duration
Peter Coe	Used in 1970s by the athletics coach Peter Coe for his son Sebastian Coe.	Run 200 meters	30 seconds	TBD
Izumi Tabata	Based on a 1996 study by Professor Izumi Tabata involving Olympic speed-skaters	20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise.	10 seconds	4 minutes (8 cycles)
Martin Gibala	His team at McMaster University in Canada have been researching high-intensity exercise for several years.	3 minutes for warming up, then 60 seconds of intense exercise (at 95% of VO2max)	75 seconds	8–12 cycles/3 times per week
Jamie Timmons	Professor of systems biology at the University of Loughborough, proponent of a few short bursts of flat-out intensity.	20 second bursts of maximum effort	2 minutes	7 minutes/3 times per week/warm-up and recovery time

What I thought was this is an ingenious way to just workout in general, of course, incorporated a 2-3 minute rest period between changing exercises.

Rest periods can vary on what your fitness goals:

Desired Outcome	Growth Vs Strength	Reps Per Set	Rest Time
Explosive Power	Strength	4-7 Reps	3+ Minutes
Peak Strength (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy/Functional)	Strength	1-3 Reps	5+ Minutes
Strength (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy/Functional)	Strength	4-6 Reps	2-3 Minutes
Hypertrophy (Sarcoplasmic/Non-Functional)	Growth	8-12 Reps	60-90 Seconds
Muscle Endurance (Sarcoplasmic/Non-Functional)	Growth	12-20+ Reps	30-60 Seconds

I gave it try earlier in the week and it was great. I was feeling that burn, I felt like I finished just before complete exhaustion or as more popularly known as “failure”.

The next day I felt a light sourness, that of course, is not always a great indicator of good workouts which is known as delayed onset muscle soreness, better known as DOMS. (I will write a post on some of the advantages and disadvantages of DOMS) Correlation between a intense workout and DOMS is not necessarily causation that you will have muscle growth and gains.

I can tell you from my anecdotal evidence that added this little feature to my workouts is something that I will continue and report to you as to my progress.

The HIIT timer that I use can be found here.

In conclusion, try incorporating HIIT if you are already not doing so, with 6-8 sets straight per one exercise/movement.

Sample Leg Workout:

1. Squats: 6-8 set (If too easy then increase the amount of sets)
2. Pistol Squats:  6-8 sets
3. Balanced lunges: 6-8 sets. (Complete all sets for one leg and then switch and do the other leg)
4. One legged suspended bridges: 6-8 sets. (Complete all sets for one leg and then switch and do the other leg)
5. Calves- Toes pointed out: 6-8 sets.
6. Calves- Toes pointed straight: 6-8 sets.
7. Calves- Toes pointed in: 6-8 sets.
8. Calves- Toe raises pointed straight: 6-8 sets.

Rest 2-3 minutes per exercise/movement.

Of course, I am going to use what I have found in terms of research and apply it to the world of calisthenics.

One of the best places to start is to first look at the two two terms and their respective definitions: reps and sets.

“Reps” is short for repetitions. A repetition is the number of times you actually perform an exercise or movement.

For example, if you do 10 push ups, than you have done 10 repetitions of push ups.

“Sets” are the total number of repetitions you do for an exercise or movement.

For example, if you do 10 push ups, than you have done 1 set of 10 repetitions.

Now that you understand to some degree what a “rep” and “set” are, the more important question becomes what is the right mix of reps and sets and rest between sets?

There is no one size fits all when it comes to how many sets and reps. It really depends on your fitness goals, objectives and skill level.

A good understanding of muscle hypertrophy is also an essentially component that sometimes gets overlooked.

Muscle hypertrophy is essentially the ability to grow muscle skeletal muscle.

There are three types of muscle:

1) Skeletal muscle
2) Smooth muscle
3) Cardiac muscle

Lets go over each briefly.

Skeletal muscle are those which attach to bones and have the main function of contracting to facilitate movement of our skeletons. They are the striations that you see on a bodybuilder or someone in great shape. 1

Smooth muscle is also sometimes known as Involuntary muscle due to our inability to control its movements, or Unstriated as it does not have the stripy appearance of Skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs such as the Stomach, Oesophagus, Bronchi and in the walls of blood vessels.2

Cardiac (Heart) muscle is found solely in the walls of the heart. It has similarities with skeletal muscles in that it is striated and with smooth muscles in that its contractions are not under conscious control.3

The Skeletal muscle is what I will be focusing on as I discuss muscle hypertrophy.

There are two types of muscle hypertrophy:  myofibrillar or functional hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic or non-functional hypertrophy.

Think of functional hypertrophy as strength and non-functional hypertrophy as growth.  This is, of course, a gross over-generalization and in no way am I saying that bodybuilders are not strong as well, nor am I saying that the “strongmen” out there don’t grow in size and muscle.

It’s just a way to wrap your head around these two concepts as it pertains to your overall fitness goals.

The amount of reps and sets really depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

In order for the muscle to grow you have to shock it, you have to do something out of the norm, to induce any type of growth. That also goes without saying when it comes to any other area of your life.

If you just go through the motions, and you don’t focus on the actual movements, and you are not pushing yourself to the limits and beyond, you will not see progress.

No matter what rep and set combo you are doing.

I learned this from the P90X founder, Tony Horton:

1. Variety: Mixing it up, changing the routine, to shock the body, this is also called muscle confusion. Muscle strength, endurance and growth are the results of confusing the body.

2. Consistency: A constant routine is also a pillar to muscle growth and strength because it sends a signal to the body to be in a prepared ready state for activity.

3. Intensity: Your workouts need to be intense, otherwise there is no reason to be working out. It”s called working out for a reason, it’s not called going thru the motions. You need to give 100% effort. Or as Arnold Schwarzenegger likes to call it, “Being in the zone. Do it and go all at it.”

 If you want to grow in size than more reps lower rest periods, however if strength is what you are after than you want to lower your reps and you increase your rest periods:

Desired Outcome	Growth Vs Strength	Reps Per Set	Rest Time
Explosive Power	Strength	4-7 Reps	3+ Minutes
Peak Strength (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy/Functional)	Strength	1-3 Reps	5+ Minutes
Strength (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy/Functional)	Strength	4-6 Reps	2-3 Minutes
Hypertrophy (Sarcoplasmic/Non-Functional)	Growth	8-12 Reps	60-90 Seconds
Muscle Endurance (Sarcoplasmic/Non-Functional)	Growth	12-20+ Reps	30-60 Seconds

There are four additional items that I would like to address when it comes to reps and sets, granted these were popularized in traditional bodybuilding but can be easily applied to calisthenics:

1. Drop sets/Pyramids sets: A drop set is the simple technique where you perform a set of any exercise to failure or just short of failure, then drop some weight and continue for more repetitions with the reduced poundage. Increasing the reps/weights is called pyramid sets. (4)

2. Super sets: A super-set is when one set of an exercise is performed directly after a set of a different exercise without rest between them. Once each super-set is complete, then rest for one and a half to two minutes or more to recover. (5)

3. Training splits: Split system training is a system of weight training that divides training sessions by body regions — usually upper and lower body training. (6)

4. Volume: This is the amount of exercise you do, “high volume” training means that you are doing:

• How much volume is being done per muscle group/body part both per workout AND per week.
• How much volume is being done per exercise.
• How much total volume is being done per workout.
• How much total volume is being done per week. (7)

Incorporating any or all four of these methods into your workout routine can make a dramatic difference.

For example, I am focused on the total number of repetitions (volume) I do per workout session, breaking up my workouts into certain muscle groups (training splits) by doing Legs and Back one day, Shoulders/Arms another day. While I workout, I am doing 2-3 exercises per muscles group, for example 10 parallel bar dips, 10 diamond push ups, and  10 overhead extensions (super sets) and then resting, than I increase the rep count to 11 until I get to 20 reps per exercise (pyramid sets).

As I mentioned before you need to mix it up every single time you workout, because you want to shock the body into growing. It’s all about hard work. If it was easy, everyone would be in fantastic shape, and we both know that is not the case, especially in the states, with 70% of the population being overweight.

In conclusion, how you choose to plan your reps and sets can make the difference between excellence and mediocrity. You need to have a goal, something to aspire to, otherwise, you are just like a ship without a rudder. You have to have a clear direction, an outcome, a purpose.

Once you have the goal, now you just mix and manage with the reps and sets to get you to your goal. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely not boring either. Its hard work, but in the end, the result is to be the best version of you, you can be.

References

(1) http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_muscle.php
(2) http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_muscle.php
(3)  http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/types_of_muscle.php
(4) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/dropsets.htm
(5) http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/supersize-your-workout-with-supersets
(6) http://weighttraining.about.com/od/glossary/g/split.htm
(7) http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/weight-training-volume/

This post is really for my own selfish needs, as I want to increase my strength and endurance with pull ups. One of the main muscle groups required for stronger pulling range of motions are the shoulders, thereby I searched far and wide for some useful information and video tutorials that would help me to strengthen my shoulders.

Shoulders 101

According to Wikipedia; “The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons.

The shoulder can abduct, rotate, be raised in front of and behind the torso and move through a full 360° in the sagittal plane. ”

Because the shoulder joint provides for a wide range of motion, it is extremely complex combining maximum mobility, and at the same time very vulnerable far more prone to dislocation and injury than other joints.

The movements of the shoulder joints are controlled by the deltoids, which there are three muscles the front (anterior), side (middle) and rear (posterior) deltoids, or delts. These muscles, working individually and in combination especially in calisthenics, for lifting, pushing and pulling.

For a more in depth view of the anatomy of the shoulder and it’s inner workings, check out this great video by Randale Sechrest  (Time:6:52 minutes)

Shoulder Workouts – Video Tutorials

Here is a great video tutorial by Brendan Meyers. He offers fantastic advice and suggestions on bodyweight exercises and I have personally learned a ton from him.

Here is the workout:

12 Assisted Handstand Push Ups – 3 Sets – 1 Minute Rest
6 Dipping Push Ups – 3 Sets – 1 Minute Rest

Rest 2 Minutes

8 Tuck Planche Push Ups (For Beginners: Isometric Hold)- 2 Sets – 30 Second Rest
6 Planche Push Ups – 2 Sets – 30 Second Rest

Rest 2 Minutes

8 Second Pulsating Delt Pyramid – 4 Sets – 45 Second Rest

Rest 2 Minutes

12 Assisted Clap Handstand Push Ups – 3 Sets – 30 Second Rest

Rest 2 Minutes

5 Alternating Assisted Handstand Push Ups – 2 Sets – 45 Second Rest

Here is another fantastic shoulder workout from Corey Hall. Corey has awesome video tutorials with an approach to fitness and calisthenics that just about anyone can follow and understand.

Circuit Training – (Time: 6:28 minutes)
30 Seconds Each Exercise
Incline Shoulder Press – 30 Seconds
10 Second Rest
Resistance Band – 30 Seconds
10 Second Rest
Wall Climbers – 10-15 Reps
10 Second Rest
Half Levers – 5 Reps

30 Seconds Each Exercise
Incline Shoulder Press – 30 Seconds
10 Second Rest
Resistance Band – 30 Seconds
10 Second Rest
Wall Climbers – 10-15 Reps
10 Second Rest
Half Levers – 5 Reps

Here is another great video from Pavel “The Fortress” Rudometkin (Time: 10:29 minutes):

In conclusion, the shoulders are an essential muscle and joint to your own mobility and strength. Exercise, proper nutrition, rest and recovery are necessary. In addition, paying close attention to your body is critical, especially when it comes to the shoulders because they are more prone to joint injury.

If you suspect you have any pain or soreness, stop, rest, and if needed seek professional medical attention. The shoulders are super-important in the world of calisthenics and proper care is crucial.

Shoulder Test

Take care, as the shoulders are the primary movers for just about all pushing, pulling, and lifting you may partake in.

Many athletes can suffer from shoulder impingement there are two popular test one can do, the Hawkins Kennedy Test and the Neer Test. These are just a couple of there are many more variations of test dependent of the area and scope of the issue.

Kathleen Carr, MD demonstrates the Hawkin’s Test as part of a complete Shoulder Exam

Kathleen Carr, MD demonstrates the Neer’s Sign as part of a complete Shoulder Exam