How to Achieve Any Calisthenics Goal This Summer

Every summer, I tell myself I'm going to nail a proper handstand hold. And every summer, other goals get in the way. Not this year! I've challenged myself to get it done – alongside family, holidays, and of course running Gravity.

Fancy joining me with a calisthenics goal of your own? Here’s how I’m going to do it.

How I’m going to get handstand holds

I'm practising handstands every day. Not rocket science, but it’s better than an inconsistent or erratic approach.

Sometimes that means a proper session of hand balances and holds. Sometimes it's just a few kick-ups against the wall. Sometimes (OK – quite often) it's two minutes of drills between calls.

Using this method, I'm making more progress than I did when I was waiting for the perfect time. And that’s the point of this blog. If you've got a calisthenics goal you'd love to achieve this summer, you probably don't need more motivation or training plans.

You just need to make a start, and chip away at it.

Why most people never reach their calisthenics goals

I see it all the time in the gym world – someone decides they want a muscle up, a handstand, an L-sit, their first pull up or whatever it is. They’re buzzing to get it done, so they watch videos and save tutorials. They create a detailed training plan.

But they don’t execute it.

Life is busy, and there will never be the perfect time to get your head down and focus on a goal. Work gets hectic, kids need running here and there, there’s always stuff to do at home.

Meanwhile, the people who make progress are just showing up – 5 minutes here and there, maybe 20 minutes on a good day. Small efforts done regularly beat huge efforts done occasionally.

Why short daily practice works so well

Calisthenics isn't just about strength (I’d argue that it’s not really about strength at all). It’s about skill, balance, proprioception, and confidence. All of those things improve through repetition.

Think about learning to play guitar. You wouldn’t practise for three hours once a month and become great at it. You’d play a bit most days, more when you could.

The same applies to handstands, pull ups, muscle ups, front levers, L-sits, and pretty much every calisthenics goal.

Your mind and body learn through exposure. The more often you practise a movement, the more familiar it feels and the more confident you get.

That's why two minutes of handstand practice every day is working for me, even though I’m too busy for a dedicated hand balance session at the gym.

Choose one calisthenics goal

If you want to master a specific cali goal by the end of summer, my advice is to pick one thing.

Not five, not even two. Just one.

The calisthenics athletes who make the fastest progress are the ones who focus their attention.

You can still do other training (I’m an example of that – when have I ever boxed myself into one sport?), but having one target gives every session a purpose.

If you were only allowed to get one calisthenics goal by September, what would it be?

There’s your answer.

Summer calisthenics goals worth chasing

Need some inspiration? Here are some realistic summer goals:

Your first pull up

Still one of the most rewarding milestones in fitness.

Work on:

Dead hangs
Scapular pull ups
Australian rows
Negative pull ups

A 10-second handstand hold

This is my target.

Spend a few minutes every day:

Wall handstands
Wall-facing handstands
Balance practice
Shoulder taps

An L-sit

One of the best demonstrations of core strength and body control.

Try:

Tuck holds
Single-leg extensions
Parallette knee raises
Compression drills

Your first muscle up

One of the most sought-after calisthenics skills.

Focus on:

Explosive pull ups
Deep dips
Transition drills
False grip work

Build your environment for success

One thing I've learned over the years is that removing barriers makes a difference. The easier training is, the more likely it is you'll do it.

That's why home training works so well. Doorway pull up bars, parallettes, gymnastics rings – all things you can have at home that make it much easier to fit training in.

Your challenge for the rest of summer