Let me give a quick background of my fitness journey, and then we can move to the future.

Up until the age of 26, I had basically never seriously trained. I was always quite light, and I was pretty good at push ups and pulls ups, I had done some running. But I had never done anything consistently. This changed one day when a friend and I went to a trampoline park, which had a climbing traverse wall. We gave it a go, and it was fun. But it just made us want to try climbing for real. I ended up getting quite into climbing, going pretty consistently for the next 5 years, until 2020. When covid and lockdown hit in the UK, all the climbing gyms closed, so I was forced to find another way to train.

I eventually found out about calisthenics from youtube, specifically Chris Heria. He was an amazing source of inspiration and knowledge. Since then, I have trained, improved, gotten stronger, and now at the age of 37, I consider myself to be an advanced calisthenics athlete.

Well, at least in some respects. In many ways though, I still have a lot to learn. I have come through serious injuries, I have got into weighted cali, then went back to my original yoga studio. It has been quite a ride.

Through it all, there has always been something really special about calisthenics. I went to the pull-up bars in London Fields and met some people I will consider friends for the rest of my life. The combination of training outside, training for free, and the magic of moving your body through space in an amazing aesthetic way, just results in such a magical activity. That it also is so good for your health and longevity, it really is an incredible thing.

Enough about the past - let me tell you what I’m working towards this year! My goals are:

  • 20 second handstand
  • 5 second front lever
  • Handstand push-up
  • Backwards roll on rings

The handstand has been an incredibly difficult skill for me. It has taken me so long to get to where I am now, and I am still very unsatisfied. A good hold maybe lasts for 7-8 seconds, but they are so inconsistent. This is the year!

I can hold a straddle front lever for 1-2 seconds. This will come with time.

I have an ok shoulder stand on the ground. This will come along with the handstand.

Backwards roll is a deceivingly difficult skill, but as part of a rings flow, it will look sick.

Maybe I am being ambitious with these. But 3 push goals (the hard bit of backwards roll is basically a bent arm planche), and 1 pull goal, they should be ok. And apart from that, maybe I will do a bit more running. Need to get some shoes first…

Keep an eye out for updates!

✌️x