Complete Warm-Up for a Calisthenics Session

The warm-up is the most inconsistently programmed component in most people's training. Here's the warm-up structure I use before every session.

General warm-up (5 minutes): light movement to raise core temperature. Jumping jacks, light jogging in place, arm circles, and leg swings. The goal is to arrive at slightly elevated heart rate and warm muscles.

Joint circles (3 minutes): wrist circles, elbow circles, shoulder circles, hip circles, ankle circles. Each joint gets 10 rotations in each direction. This lubricates the joints and screens for any unusual stiffness.

Movement-specific prep (5 minutes): for a pulling session, this includes scapular pull-ups, dead hangs, and light rows. For a pushing session, wrist prep, push-up negatives, and ring support holds. For a skill session, easy versions of the target skill.

Total: 13 minutes. Longer before a cold-weather outdoor session. Never skip in the interest of time — a proper warm-up prevents the injuries that cost weeks of training.