Become A Superhuman Mover | Top 8 Movement and Calisthenics Blogs You Need To Follow
The problem of the Internet isn’t that we have no choices but that we have too many choices.
Fitness is one of the most popular topics online. There are thousands of websites and millions of articles on every exercise, diet, supplement, workout, equipment, etc. out there, all accessible through a quick search or the click of a button. However, not everything on the Internet is reliable. How many times have you encountered hoaxes, unverified claims, biases, and just plain spam?
Trust me, there are countless “gurus” and “trainers” out there that have no idea what their doing. You need to be able to sift them out and extract the right information from all the noise out there.
When it comes to calisthenics--or fitness, for that matter--you need to be very very careful. Wrong information can get you injured. What’s important is that you keep an eye out for misinformation and all kinds of lies.
Not sure where to start?
Here are Movement Guru's Top 8 diamonds amongst the rough in the world wide web of calisthenics and movement blogs.
1.
If you’re looking for a one-stop resource to get you started with calisthenics, this is it. Calisthenics Blog contains articles like “The Must-Have Calisthenic Workout Equipment” and “The Greatest List of Amazing Calisthenic Exercises” (this title would do much better with one less adjective) that provide the requisite knowledge for calisthenics beginners.
Whether you’re looking for workout programs, exercises, or equipment reviews, this blog can teach you a lot. However, it does not provide resources on anatomy, proper form, recovery, and mobility--but it doesn’t pretend to nor intend to.
That said, the blog is still a great place to start, especially if you are a new athlete. Hopefully, they start posting more articles to attract calisthenics veterans and seasoned athletes as well.
2.
Great content from the founder of Animal Flow himself!
The Global Bodyweight Training blog was founded and is managed by Mike Fitch. Mike is basically a titan in the fitness scene, with certifications and credentials left and right. But what really sets him apart is his ability to convey the right information in the right amounts. Nothing is left out, but nothing is overstated.
The blog contains all sorts of content from workouts to nutrition tips, strength training, recovery, equipment and program reviews, and many others. Most of the content is well-produced, accompanied by videos, illustrations, photos, and other visual aids.
Practically anyone--even the freshest of beginners--will be able to learn. Mike and his team of writers have a way of structuring information so that it is easily understood. If you’re looking to learn a new movement or gain some additional information on a particular exercise, this blog can give you everything you need...and more.
Mike’s experience shines through his blog. The articles are a lot more sophisticated and refined than the thousands of run-of-the-mill fitness blogs out there. Easily the best in class. Being a professional does make a world of difference!
3.
The brainchild of Todd Kuslikis, A Shot of Adrenaline is a voluminous resource that contains everything you need to know about calisthenics and bodyweight exercises.
Todd is a firm believer of bodyweight exercises as a means to master one’s body, regardless of age, level of fitness, and whatever limitations you place on yourself. The blog caters to everyone from elite athletes to seniors to women to beginners. Furthermore, Todd’s program is accessible to all who want to learn--there’s a FREE guide to his program at the bottom of each page.
The blog features regular workouts accompanied by cool videos and graphics, nutrition tips, detailed breakdowns of exercises and best practices, and just general knowledge on calisthenics and bodyweight exercises. There is so much content available that you can practically build your workout program and diet plan using the website alone. How cool is that?
All the content is concise and easy to understand. There are no extraneous details or lengthy explanations--just everything you need dispensed in the right amount.
A Shot Of Adrenaline features over 700 articles on every topic you can imagine. The biggest drawback is...nothing. Ok fine, reviews are meant for nitpicking. The only knock on the blog is the layout. The scroll down page is a bit cumbersome, especially if you’re looking for a specific topic. Adding panels and organizing articles according to topic wouldn’t hurt at all.
Nonetheless, the content on this site is topnotch. If you’re looking for a blog to follow throughout your calisthenics journey, this is one of the best, most complete options you can find.
4.
Words of wisdom from the master of bodyweight himself.
Frank Medrano is a celebrity in the world of calisthenics--and for good reason! Apart from being a kickass athlete, he is a willing teacher and a great motivator.
Most of the blog articles focus on the mental aspect of working out--that is, finding the passion, motivation, and energy to meet your goals. Frank readily provides advice drawing from his experiences and encounters in both life and fitness.
The best part of the blog is that it is relatable. While most of us are familiar with Frank the elite athlete, few are familiar with Frank the human, who started out just like most of us. Most of his articles explain his evolution and how we, too, can get to where he is with enough hard work, practice, and determination.
Great as the blog is, there are two things lacking: (1) updated content and (2) workout-related posts. Frank’s last blog post is dated December 21, 2015 and he hasn’t posted since, which is a shame because there are so many who are eager to learn from him. If he only posted more content, his blog would be a much, much better resource. Moreover, his content is focuses too much on motivation, with little attention given to actual workouts and tips (his workout videos are on a separate page). In terms of formatting, it would be great if he could support his videos with an accompanying article.
The blog is well-made and easy to navigate, and the writing is easy to understand. However, it lacks workout-related content and content in general (there are only 5 articles as of today). If Frank starts post more often, I’m sure his clicks and visits will go through the roof.
5.
When a best-selling author speaks, we listen.
Al Kavadlo of Get Strong and Street Workout fame has written two bestsellers and has been featured in leading media outlets like The New York Times and Men’s Health. He’s also a YouTube personality and one of the world’s leading experts in bodyweight strength training and calisthenics.
His blog contains nuggets of wisdom and knowledge borne out of decades of experience in fitness and conditioning. With posts dating back to 2009, the blog has hundreds of articles spanning several topics including workouts, product reviews, calisthenics trends, and practically everything relevant to calisthenics and bodyweight training. It’s a complete resource both for beginners and advanced athletes. Oh, and you can sign up for Al’s newsletters as well.
The blog’s biggest strength is that Al approaches topics with the mind of a lifelong learner. He doesn’t claim to know everything nor does he force anyone to accept his writings as gospel truth, which, to be honest, is a breath of fresh air in the fitness industry.
Again, the only knock on this site is its layout. It would be really great if blogs start organizing according to topics or at least feature related articles at the bottom of each article.
Navigation difficulties notwithstanding, this is a great resource for anyone and everyone.
6.
A relatively new blog that published its first article just last August 2016, Bodyweight Gurus is well on its way to be a valuable resource.
The authors are UK/London based trainers who use mobility to help all sorts of people from beginners to olympic lifters, yoga practitioners, and basically anyone who wants to give calisthenics and bodyweight training a go.
Although there isn’t much on the site yet, the content that is already there is pretty good. The writers of the site understand principles of strength, mobility, and coordination, which carries over to the pieces they write.
Currently, there are only 8 blog articles on the site. Hopefully they continue to publish more. There’s a lot of potential to be had with their blog.
7.
For all the Bar fans out there, Baristi brings together some of the coolest personalities and the most popular events in all of calisthenics. The blog’s main author is Dennis Ratano, a veteran bodyweight and calisthenics coach based out of Venice beach. He is well-known throughout the calisthenics community, in the same category as people like Frank Medrano and Bryan Clemens (a.k.a. Core King).
Baristi Workout a rich resource for workout videos, tutorials, and events. If you’re a visual learner, this site is perfect for you. All you’ll need for the workouts is a smartphone (or computer) to view the videos, some bars, and your body. It doesn’t really take much.
However, if you’re looking for informative content (e.g. articles on anatomy, nutrition, and recovery, etc.), this site isn’t where you should be. What the site has in video, it lacks in text. If the authors/writers can only produce more informative content to complement their videos, the blog can be a much more valuable resource.
But, hey, at least the posts are organized according to topic.
8.
Of all the blogs on calisthenics that I’ve seen, this one is the most detailed.
Most of the posts are longform, walking you through each aspect of every exercise from the correct form to proper alignment, nutrition, warm-ups, progressions, and the like. Each post takes the time to educate the reader--even to the point of over-educating the reader. Everything is dissected, distilled, explained, and sequenced in so much detail that it almost feels textbook.
If you like to geek out on anatomy and nutrition, Bodyweight Training Arena is the perfect blog for you. There is so much information you can learn just by reading their blogs.
There’s only one problem: you really need to set aside time to read the posts. Many of them are pretty heavy and difficult to take in, especially if you’re just starting out. Those looking for a summary or a quick read are better off reading shorter articles or watching videos. These ones can take a while to digest.
As an educational tool, the blog is excellent. However, not all the information may be relevant to you. Also, the links and layout need a lot of work. I personally had a difficult time navigating and perusing the site to the point where I lost attention.
All in all the site is a great tool for learning about stuff, but it isn’t that great at demonstrating stuff. Still decent, though.
These blogs are all highly recommended by The Movement Guru and following the knowledge contained within them will help you Become A Superhuman Mover.
Remember: Not everything in the Internet can be trusted. Don’t hurt yourself and stick to what’s reliable--like the blogs above.
Happy moving!
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