Our First Calisthenics Workshop: Handstands and Muscle-Ups at GymNation Vauxhall
On Sunday 18th October 2026, we ran the first ever Gravity Fitness calisthenics workshop at GymNation's new gym in Vauxhall, London. Both sessions sold out.
The workshop focused on two of the most requested skills in calisthenics: the handstand and the muscle-up.
Who coached
Coaching was delivered by Gravity Fitness coaches alongside the Calibre World team. If you train with the Gravity Fitness App, you will already recognise the Calibre World coaches from the programmes inside it. The workshop gave attendees the chance to work with them in person and get direct feedback on their technique.
How the sessions ran
We ran two 90-minute sessions. Each one was kept deliberately small so that everyone got meaningful coaching time rather than watching from the back of a crowd.
Within each session, attendees were split into smaller coaching groups and rotated between the two skills. That meant everyone spent dedicated time on:
- Handstand technique and progressions
- Muscle-up technique and progressions
- Coaching matched to their current level
- Practical advice to take back into their own training
Every level, one room
You did not need to be able to hold a handstand or complete a muscle-up to attend, and the group reflected that. Some attendees were working towards their first rep. Others already had the skill and wanted to clean up their technique or take it further.
Because the coaching was built around progressions, each person worked at the stage that suited them. A wall-supported handstand drill and a freestanding hold practice can run side by side, as can banded muscle-up transitions and full reps.
Our youngest attendee was nine years old, which shows how accessible these skills are when they are broken down into the right steps.
What was included...
Tickets were £20. Every attendee went home with:
- A Gravity Fitness T-shirt
- A pair of wrist wraps
Wrist wraps support the joint during handstand work and other movements that load the wrists, so they are a practical addition to anyone continuing to train these skills.
Thank you
Thank you to GymNation Vauxhall for hosting us in their new space, to the Calibre World team for coaching alongside us, and to everyone who bought a ticket and gave the sessions their full attention.
What's next
This was our first workshop. We plan to run more, and we will announce dates through our newsletter and social channels first.
In the meantime, you can keep working on your handstand and muscle-up progressions at home or in the park:
Follow structured skill programmes from the Calibre World coaches in the Gravity Fitness App
Build your setup with pull-up bars, parallettes and gymnastic rings from the Gravity Fitness range
Pick up a pair of wrist wraps for handstand training.
Workshop FAQs
Do I need to be able to do a handstand or muscle-up to attend? No. Coaching is based on progressions, so you start from your current level.
How long is each session? 90 minutes, split between handstand and muscle-up coaching.
How big are the groups? Sessions are capped at a small number of attendees and split into smaller coaching groups within the session.
What is included in the ticket? At our first workshop, the £20 ticket included coaching, a T-shirt and wrist wraps.
