Hybrid Calisthenics

🌱 Hampton 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️Cultivate long-term fitness & health ☕ Fitness | Motivation | Comedy

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We made a web comic and it would REALLY help us if you helped support it!

It's called Traveling Merchant Chronicles - available globally now on Webtoon Canvas: hybridcalisthenics.com/tmc

Plot:

Kali was abandoned as a child. These days, she's a quirky (and easily scammed) traveling merchant who roams the land in search of rare and magical items. Along the way, she meets strange people and curious creatures who join her adventures. Born with bizarrely titanic strength and hair that glows like fire, Kali has begun to uncover the dark secret behind her origins—while an ancient cult watches her every move.

I emailed Webtoon support before posting this and they said sharing like this was not only allowed, but encouraged. They bolded encouraged and said it twice - I just wanted to make sure it was okay. I hope you like it! Worked with Bunselle on this. It wouldn't be possible without her.

Btw - hope you're all well on Tumblr! Sorry I haven't posted here in a while. I've made a bunch of content though on the usual platforms - I can probably start cross-posting again soon!

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Discipline can help us finish the race (even when we really don't feel like it).

Motivation can help us win the race (or at least enjoy it a bit more).

After making the video, I think the concept was hard for me to explain in a simple way. It's basically just about using 2 things known to increase motivation, enjoyment, and consistency:

-Good challenge level (too hard or too easy can be demotivating)

-Consistent feedback loops (to see if we're doing well or could do better)

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Here's my unsponsored review on toe shoes!

I mentioned this style in my first barefoot shoe review, but I tried a slightly different type this time and wanted to go a bit more in depth.

Pros: -Comfortable -More secure than flip-flops, with similar freedom -Blends in a little more than other toe shoes I've seen.

Cons: -Some may dislike the comfort and prefer something a little more raw. -Depending on the individual, may not fit all situations (some business environments, perhaps). -A bit pricey.

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Why would anyone train "holds" when you can just do regular lifting?

First of all (and probably most importantly), you don't have to! Isometrics are just another tool in your toolbox you can use if you want.

However, there are several benefits and reasons why someone would add isometrics:

1.) Specificity

2.) Workaround

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This helps us walk up things!

I feel like a lot more fitness attention is given to squats and lunges - and understandably so. Those are great exercises. However, because we get better at what we specifically train, we can consider adding in some step ups to aid our upward trajectory!

In particular, some people struggle with joint pain as they go DOWN stairs. This sometimes puts more force through the knee because of the angle (upward usually involves the hips more). We can learn to adapt to this by practicing the reverse step up.

You don't have to do these. Squats are great. They're just another option to explore.

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Finding ways to stay consistent can lead to tremendous results over time.

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Some thoughts on fitness and health in 2025!

The video is mostly just me riffing on the word "bodybuilder". It helps to know that people interpret the word differently:

A.) Some think of it as the apex of all fitness and the default fitness goal.

B.) Others don't like it as much and may say they prefer "functional" training, etc.

But I do think that if you are actively training towards a goal, then you should be building your body to be healthier, more functional, and more fit.

That leaves me with 2-3 main messages in the video:

1.) If you're improving, you're building yourself, and that's really cool. You're literally building an improved version of yourself.

2.) Your health should improve or maintain along with your fitness. If you're sacrificing health for "fitness", then it may not actually be fitness.

3.) Have a beautiful year!

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Here are some ways you can keep your fitness resolutions!

Making things simple, convenient, and understandable can help you maintain motivation.

Keep in mind, some of this may not be *optimal*. That's part of the aversion some people have to "simple and convenient."

I think this depends on one's goals, but I agree that your optimal training may not be simple or convenient.

However, it's probably better to have a simple workout plan you can do (that makes you fitter and stronger) rather than an ideal workout plan you're too busy to do.

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You're only as strong as what you can hold on to (when picking things up).

So it may be helpful to train "unusual" grip positions at the end of your workout. Grip strength is at least somewhat skill specific, but the good news is that you probably already have some decent grip strength if you're regularly exercising. A little bit goes a long way if you want to train to grip things differently.

So if you like rock climbing, train rock climbing grips. If you're a mechanic, you may benefit from finger pinching strength (think of trying to unscrew something from a weird position).

Hope that can help. Have a wonderful day!

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Training some "unusual" grip positions can help us better use the strength we build from training!

Like many things I discuss, this is low hanging fruit. It's not necessary, but a little training here goes a long way.

Spend a few minutes after your workout training your grip and you may be pleasantly surprised at how many daily tasks become slightly easier - and that's always fun!

Have a wonderful day!

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If you struggle with pullups (or any exercise) because of grip strength - here are some things you can try!

Essentially the idea is:

1.) Find a way to still train the exercise. You can use gloves or wraps to assist your grip OR you can do easier variations.

2.) Do grip exercises afterwards. The simplest one I can think of is a passive bar hang. Both active and passive ones work (that means essentially means shoulders down or shoulders up, respectively), and you can use any angle you want.

Weight lifting or rock climbing chalk can also help!

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If your fitness progress has plateaued, it's okay to make a change.

We can just be strategic about the changes we make.

It took me longer than it should have to realize this. I was always taught not to constantly change workouts. A common mantra I heard was something like "Consistency of progress is more important than speed of progress."

And while that's true, when your progress speed is zero - you likely need to change SOMETHING in order to keep growing.

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If you want to get stronger faster, consider adding isometrics.

They allow you to train with high forces while still recovering quickly - so you're able to train them more often and progress faster (the tradeoff is range-of-motion, but not as much as we'd think)

As usual, I'll add that OF COURSE you don't have to replace your exercise with isometrics. You probably shouldn't - movement is an important part of life. It's just another tool in your toolbox that you can use.

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Why are some people strong at one thing but "fail" at others?

I occasionally see people laughing at bodybuilders supposedly failing at doing muscle ups or even pushups. While these movements don't always look clean, I always think that they can learn them relatively quickly if they want. The foundation of strength and muscle may already be there.

Strength is at least somewhat skill specific. That's why if you stop doing a lift for a while, your numbers might drop and then rise rapidly when you start practicing it again.

A few potential lessons we can take from this:

1.) Our training should be close to what we want to improve. This can be anything from sport-specific movements to daily functions (think squatting for standing up, step ups for climbing stairs, running for running, etc.)

2.) We can add a few minutes of variations after our main workouts as accessories if we want to maintain a broader variety of skills while still focusing on our primary exercises. Mobility plays a large role here, so try to incorporate a large, full range of motion within at least some exercise.

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Get stronger without moving!

Isometrics are known to improve strength rapidly (think highly targeted, specific strength training). As a result, a lot of people train them with high weight and short hold times.

However, while "strength training" like this sounds great, it took me a few years to realize the strength I actually wanted was much more in the 30-second range. While there's obviously transfer between the ranges, this way is more targeted (like getting stronger at what you can do 3-5 reps with will also improve your 9-12 range and vice versa).

This way was less strenuous (allowing me to do more), more stable, and encouraged better form for me. It also transferred well into my daily activities, which usually required more than short holds. Think of carrying a heavy bag across the yard for construction. There are also some potential rehab benefits for joints.

Neither way is necessarily "wrong," but I just wanted to share the value I found in longer holds.

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Here are 3 mobility exercises that actually improved my day-to-day function

It's a bit particular to me, but I still tried to pick exercises that broadly cover:

-back mobility -front mobility -side mobility

There are other great mobility exercises out there like standing pancakes and pigeon pose - I just don't end up using them as often.

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3 things I wish I knew before I started working out

-Get started and adjust as you learn more from experience.

-Follow someone else's workout plan - at least for a few months. This helps me really understand the nuances of a good training program (it often feels different than you think after you try it).

-Rest days after a hard workout is when a lot of "gains" actually happen (when combined with good nutrition and lifestyle).