HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide

2002-2012
HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide Version 3.4 Copyright 2002‐2012 HumanaNatura, Inc. Visit us online at www.HumanaNatura.org Contents Introduction 3 Principles of Natural Exercise 4 Calisthenics Overview 7 Calisthenics Guidelines 13 17 82 Calisthenics Workout Program Terms of Use HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 2 Introduction Welcome to HumanaNatura’s calisthenics guide. HumanaNatura is a cooperative organization, supporting a global network of practitioner‐
advocates who use and promote HumanaNatura’s revolutionary natural health system in communities around the world. The HumanaNatura system integrates four science‐based techniques to create an optimally healthy, naturally fulfilling, and more adaptive approach to life in our time. HumanaNatura’s four techniques combine to foster greatly increased health awareness and our breakthrough to a new natural state we call progressive health‐centered life. HumanaNatura offers two natural health programs – our Personal Health Program and our Community Health Program – which together span our four health techniques. The techniques are: 1) Natural Eating, 2) Natural Exercise, 3) Natural Living, and 4) Natural Communities. Our calisthenics exercises are part of the Natural Exercise section of our overall health system. This guide to our calisthenics exercises is intended for people wishing to focus on the calisthenics portion of our Personal Health Program. To enable this focus, the calisthenics guide omits significant portions of the HumanaNatura Personal Health Program. Please see our website to review the full program and for more information on HumanaNatura’s overall natural health system. In addition to the calisthenics guide, HumanaNatura offers a free calisthenics workout poster, containing all of the exercise photos from this guide. Please see the Resources section of the HumanaNatura website for information on downloading a free workout poster, or ordering a professional‐quality version of the poster through the HumanaNatura Marketplace. Please feel free to contact HumanaNatura anytime with questions or comments on this guide. Simply use the Contact Us page on our website. Good luck with the calisthenics exercises! Important Note: Before beginning HumanaNatura’s calisthenics exercises, please carefully read the either the condensed or full version of the HumanaNatura natural health program, and be sure to consult with and get approval from your health care provider. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 3 Principles of Natural Exercise The HumanaNatura technique of Natural Exercise is based on six principles of applied health science. Since our overall program aim is to promote lifelong and lifewide states of progressive natural health and quality of life, you will see that our focus in selecting these principles and developing the technique was to encourage exercise that enables modern natural living, rather than modern life unnaturally dominated by exercise. Let’s take a moment to highlight these important exercise principles and then discuss how our Natural Exercise technique naturally and optimally fulfills these ideals, allowing us to achieve complete natural conditioning and promoting progressively healthier life today: 1. When engaged in a natural range of physical activities, human beings and other animals will automatically maintain themselves at high levels of physical fitness and psychological health through evolved physiological mechanisms. As discussed already, HumanaNatura calls this process of fitness assurance natural conditioning. 2. A well‐designed exercise program can and should efficiently and pleasurably ensure natural conditioning and a sustained interest in healthy life. By this, we mean that exercise should promote and encourage natural physical and mental health, be enjoyable to the practitioner, ideally require only a modest amount of time each day, and motivate and enable other health‐centered learning and action. 3. A natural exercise program should use modern health science to ensure that it is complete, balanced, and fulfills at least four complementary physical fitness goals (aerobic conditioning, strengthening, improved flexibility, increased agility or coordination), and at least three psychological well‐being goals (stress reduction, enhanced cognition, and a natural predominance of positive emotions). 4. Exercises that emphasize whole body movements are generally the most efficient and effective forms of physical exercise, since they promote natural conditioning simultaneously across large areas of our bodies, while often requiring and promoting increased coordination and mental focus and attentiveness. 5. A comprehensive exercise program should be adaptable to each individual, allowing for increased or decreased duration and intensity based on our overall physical and personal readiness for exercise, both on a day‐to‐day basis and over the course of our lives. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 4 6. Other factors being equal, exercise programs encouraging outdoor activity, novel experiences, and exposure to nature are preferable, since they are likely to better replicate essential activities of natural life, foster key dimensions of our natural health, and prove more naturally enjoyable, health motivating, and psychologically nurturing. HumanaNatura exercise components Utilizing these principles and keeping in mind HumanaNatura’s larger progressive life and health goals, our Natural Exercise technique has been designed around two core components:  Daily Walking – 30 minutes or more of walking or hiking each day  Regular Calisthenics – 10+ minutes of calisthenics, 3‐5 days per week As you will soon experience and validate in your own natural health practice, daily walking and regular calisthenics are simple, natural, powerful, and highly complementary forms of exercise. Together, they allow us to achieve complete and efficient natural conditioning, promoting extremely high levels of health and fitness throughout our lives. In keeping with our Natural Exercise goals, daily walking and regular calisthenics combine to greatly and optimally improve our physical conditioning and stamina. They foster new awareness and mastery of our natural physiological and psychological health. They expand our interaction and connection with our surroundings and the larger natural world. And they enrich and even create new space and motivation for other essential activities of healthy human life. Walking and calisthenics involve natural human movement and are consistent with the Natural Exercise principles we have introduced. They are highly flexible forms of exercise too, ones that most of us can perform throughout our lives and at many levels of duration and intensity. Because of their strong link to our natural human activity patterns and “whole‐body movement” efficiency, the regular practice of walking and calisthenics allows us to spend as little as an average of about forty minutes a day in exercise, while still achieving essential natural conditioning and enhancement of our lifelong health and fitness. Detailed overviews of HumanaNatura’s walking and calisthenics practices are provided in the next two parts of the program, including step‐by‐step instructions and photos for all of our calisthenics exercises. Support as you explore Natural Exercise If you have questions on Natural Exercise, now or in the future, please contact HumanaNatura’s support staff via the Contact Us link on our website anytime. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 5 We encourage you to explore HumanaNatura’s Natural Exercise technique for yourself and to see how easily and naturally our exercise practices can become an integral and enriching part of your daily life. You will quickly appreciate the power of our approach to ensure essential natural conditioning – enhancing our health and fitness, promoting new health perspectives and well‐being, and increasing our personal connection to others and the world around us. Once you have begun Natural Eating, bringing Natural Exercise to your life is the next essential step in the HumanaNatura natural health system for transforming your personal health amid modern life. As we have suggested, Natural Exercise can help to foster a remarkable new and open‐ended lifelong movement toward progressive personal health, vitality, and quality of life. The technique of Natural Exercise is designed to complement and build on our first foundational technique of Natural Eating, augmenting it and greatly enhancing our health. Natural Exercise is also intended to help us develop the needed momentum, and personal strength and fortitude, to approach the more far‐reaching challenge of restoring and then progressively increasing our natural health across the totality of our lives. This important and wide‐ranging modern challenge is embodied in the third HumanaNatura technique of Natural Living. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 6 Calisthenics Overview When we observe animals in nature, we can see that most are physically active for hours each day – walking, running, climbing, jumping, flying, swimming, playing, fighting – amid their natural patterns of feeding, socializing, mating, and defense. This general activity, and high proficiency in one or more of the specific activities mentioned, is usually essential for each species’ survival, and for ongoing maintenance and development of its evolutionary niche. As we have discussed in the program, it is through this natural activity, in combination with a natural diet and other aspects of natural life, that animals achieve natural conditioning and maintain themselves at high levels of health and vitality for all, or nearly all, their lives. Our need for added activity This natural need for varied and periodically demanding physical activity of course applies equally to human beings. Like all other animals on our earth, we require a specific range and intensity of activity, corresponding to or consistent with our natural evolutionary lineage, if we are to achieve natural conditioning and sustain our natural fitness levels. In this way, we achieve and maintain the robust levels of health and adaptiveness that represent our naturally healthy state as humans. On the other hand, without this activity – either directly in its original natural forms or through exercises designed to replicate and optimize our natural physical activity patterns – our health and fitness quickly suffer, and we soon begin to live at diminished levels of personal vitality and quality of life. This idea can be easily and quickly validated in practice. Observations of other omnivorous primates in the wild, such as chimpanzees and notably plains‐dwelling baboons, suggest that these reasonably close cousins to humans spend about a third of their time sleeping, and then divide their waking time between 1) natural activities associated with finding food or moving to new encampments, and 2) socializing and maintaining order and cohesiveness within their groups. Occasionally, our primate cousins must run from or chase away a pack of hungry cats or dogs, or deal with threats from still larger and often quite belligerent and dangerous grazing animals. It is both impressive and insightful to watch these less‐advanced but related primate species mobilize and cooperate to meet these natural challenges. These regular episodes on the savannahs of Africa suggest not just the full scope and periodic intensity of our human activity patterns in nature, but also the fundamentally social and cooperative nature of all primate life in the wild. Observing this life underscores a basic truth of zoological and anthropological science – that nature affords HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 7 no independent individual life to primates, including humans, in our natural evolutionary niche. In nature, we are, first and always, social and cooperative animals. For humans, nomadic and predatory walking was an integral part of our earlier life in nature. As we have discussed, walking is correctly understood as our dominant physical activity and forms the central component of our natural conditioning needs (and therefore HumanaNatura’s Natural Exercise technique). But many of the other activities mentioned above are also part of our natural life, and humans naturally share in most of the activities of other omnivorous primates. These activities specifically include foraging, climbing, playing, wrestling, fighting, courtship and reproduction, and child‐rearing. In addition, humans have special natural activities that are unique to us and reflect our general advancement as a species over other primates. These include the fine and gross motor activities involved in tool‐making and tool use, dance and music‐making, and activities related to organized hunting. For this reason, we all need to deliberately incorporate other physical activities or exercises into our modern lives today, in addition to daily walking and hiking, if we are to ensure complete, balanced, and optimal natural conditioning and assure our natural health. In this way, we can sufficiently reproduce and even improve upon our natural human activity patterns, achieve complete natural conditioning, and realize impressive and often surprising levels of physical fitness as a result. Walking’s natural complement There are of course a number of potential exercise practices we might add to HumanaNatura’s core recommendation of daily walking and hiking to promote enhanced fitness and achieve an optimal natural conditioning regime. We encourage you to consider what other exercises might best further your own quest for progressive health and quality of life, and which ones best take advantage of the setting and circumstances that are your life today. In designing the HumanaNatura Personal Health Program, we considered quite carefully what forms of exercise would best complement a Natural Exercise program based principally on daily walking. In keeping with our exercise principles and goals, we evaluated various options to achieve an efficient, flexible, sustainable, and optimal companion exercise regime that would harmonize with daily walking and serve the vast majority of people using the HumanaNatura system. Our evaluation considered which exercises are readily practiced at different levels and throughout our lives. And it considered how different exercise methods naturally fit into our larger and overarching program goal of progressive natural life. As highlighted earlier in this section of the program, the calisthenics exercises that follow are HumanaNatura’s response to these varied and important considerations regarding optimal natural conditioning and health promotion. These calisthenics exercises are HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 8 intended to provide an optimally balanced, sufficiently and flexibly demanding, and highly efficient complement to the practice of daily walking. Combined with walking or hiking, the calisthenics exercises allow us to systematically exercise our entire body and achieve complete natural conditioning in a surprisingly short amount of time. For most of us, a calisthenics workout will be done 3‐5 days per week and each workout will last from 10‐30 minutes. The word calisthenics comes from the Greek words “kallos” for beauty and “thenos” for strength. Calisthenics are an old, generally simple, and remarkably effective way to promote natural human conditioning and fitness. Calisthenics are in fact one of the great health‐promoting products of earlier civilized life. Like the more time‐consuming practice of Hatha Yoga of southern Asia and the less physically demanding practice of Tai Chi of eastern Asia, when combined with daily walking, modern calisthenics provide a balanced, complete, and direct means of ensuring natural conditioning amidst modern life. As you will soon learn through their regular practice, calisthenics exercises do indeed bring both natural human beauty and strength to us, even at only a moderate level of intensity. Calisthenics greatly enhance our physical fitness and stamina, and markedly increase our personal vitality and overall preparedness for life. When calisthenics exercises are structured and performed correctly, and combined with daily walking, they ensure that we achieve complete natural conditioning and all four of the physical fitness exercise goals introduced with only a modest commitment of our time: 1) aerobic conditioning, 2) strengthening, 3) improved flexibility, and 4) increased agility or coordination. There are a total of twenty‐one exercises in HumanaNatura’s comprehensive and globally‐recognized calisthenics program, divided into four exercise groups:  Six Core exercises – our six Core exercises provide a basic but still quite rigorous workout of our entire body to promote natural conditioning. Our Core exercises can be performed on a near daily basis, whether you are just beginning calisthenics, want ongoing exercise and conditioning at this level, or are using them as a foundation for other calisthenics exercises at the Intermediate and Advanced levels.  Eight Intermediate exercises – as your physical conditioning improves, you can add some or all of our eight Intermediate exercises to the Core calisthenics group on any given day to increase your natural conditioning and add variety to your calisthenics practice.  Four Intermediate‐Advanced exercises – as you develop calisthenics mastery at the Intermediate level, you can add some or all of our four Intermediate‐Advanced HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 9 exercises to the Core and Intermediate groups. Each of these exercises begins at an Intermediate level and then has one or more variations at the Advanced level. 
Three Advanced exercises – with further improvement in your level of fitness and as your mastery of calisthenics extends beyond the Intermediate level, you can add some or all of our three Advanced exercises to your calisthenics routine on any given day. As suggested before, once you become conditioned to the intensity and demands of HumanaNatura’s calisthenics exercises – and these exercises are extremely intense and challenging at first for most people – the basic Core program will take about ten minutes to perform. The full routine of twenty‐one exercises takes an hour or more, once again depending on your level of fitness and familiarity with the exercises, but please note that the full program is normally not done in a single day or workout. This is due both to the amount of time involved and the desirability of day‐to‐day exercise variability for optimal natural conditioning. As we will discuss in more detail in our Calisthenics Guidelines, it is better to vary or alternate our selection of calisthenics exercises, practicing fewer exercises more deeply each time we do a calisthenics workout, and ensure adequate rest and recovery between workouts. While it is not necessary or even desirable to do the full HumanaNatura calisthenics routine in a single workout, you should at least do the entire Core workout whenever you do calisthenics, adding whatever selection of non‐Core exercises you want. Most HumanaNatura natural health practitioners regularly vary their mix of non‐Core exercises in each calisthenics workout, allowing increased enjoyment, optimal conditioning, and greater time efficiency – balancing our exercise practices with other health goals and life opportunities. Our natural personal power As you begin our calisthenics exercises, you will notice that there is no use of free weights in the calisthenics workout or elsewhere in the HumanaNatura technique of Natural Exercise. The reason for this is that the use of weights, and especially weightlifting machines, is generally not consistent with our principles and goals for Natural Exercise. Your own body, body weight, and whole body exercises presented are all that are required in HumanaNatura’s calisthenics program. This makes the program not only simpler and more natural, but also more portable, flexible, time‐efficient, and much less expensive than traditional weightlifting programs and machine‐based fitness clubs. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 10 For people interested in exercise science, HumanaNatura’s advocacy of whole body movements and exclusive use of natural body weight is important. It is worth noting here that most weightlifting exercises and resistance machines seek to work distinct muscle groups in isolation. This approach is contrary to our emphasis on whole body exercise, which is a far more efficient approach to conditioning as we have discussed and one of HumanaNatura’s key principles of Natural Exercise. As you will learn in practice, whole body exercise is a much more natural and effective way to foster usable strength, stamina, flexibility, and agility. If you lift weights today, or have in the past, you will quickly understand the power, relative efficiency, and many advantages of the whole body approach to exercise, once you begin our calisthenics program. For all HumanaNatura health practitioners, we would add here that weight‐lifting, and really all machine‐based and technology‐reliant forms of exercise (even those that use whole body movement), implicitly foster a mistaken and undesirable outlook regarding our health and fitness more generally. This outlook involves the idea that we are naturally unable to efficiently maintain robust natural health on our own and through the normal activities of our daily lives. Practically, the presence and promotion of exercise machines encourages us to assume that there are inevitably times of low and high health‐promotion each day, and even times of active health reduction that must be offset through intensive, machine‐based therapy. Or, to put it in simpler terms, we are led to think that modern life is inevitably unhealthy to some degree and must be offset through artificial or compensating practices and technologies. Conditioning with and for natural life This important, often unconscious, and strongly health‐limiting idea is one we would encourage you to examine, on an ongoing basis in your life and natural health practice. In principle, and as a practical challenge to achieve a more conscious and health‐centered life, we would like you to consider the idea that our modern lives and natural health‐
promotion efforts can be fully integrated with one another. By this, we mean that it is possible to progressively spend more and more of our time and lives in activities that are naturally and actively health‐promoting and life‐advancing in themselves. Through daily walking and regular calisthenics – and especially by observing the ease and naturalness with which we can begin, practice, and move from Natural Exercise – you may begin to see other possibilities to integrate your life and health enhancement activities into a unified and synergistic whole. Achieving new awareness of the potential for our daily activity patterns to form an integrated and progressive expression of our natural health is, in fact, a critical important HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 11 milestone in the HumanaNatura program, one which we will discuss in greater depth in the Natural Living section of the program. For now, we would simply encourage you to use our calisthenics exercises and overall Natural Exercise technique attentively and deliberately, not only to achieve new levels of personal fitness and vitality, but to explore and consider your potential for progressive modern life that is fully and directly health‐affirming and naturally vital in all respects. As you do this, you will find that the focused time and deepening practice of your calisthenics workouts, much like the practice of enriching daily walks, provide an extraordinary new opportunity. This opportunity is for new levels of natural health that gradually change and remake you physically, cognitively, and emotionally, and that in turn prepare you for still larger possibilities for new health‐promoting, self‐naturalizing, and life‐advancing progressions in your life. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 12 Calisthenics Guidelines Unlike walking, many people are unfamiliar with calisthenics. Therefore, each exercise is described in step‐by‐step detail in the extended Calisthenics Workout summary that follows in this section of the HumanaNatura Personal Health Program. In addition to carefully following these exercise instructions and their accompanying photos, there are several important points to keep in mind as you begin HumanaNatura’s calisthenics program. These guidelines are intended to help ensure that you optimize your workouts and, as importantly, avoid injury over time: 1. Match your calisthenics routine to your personal level of stamina – just as with walking, start your exploration of calisthenics slowly and take time to build your strength and capacity for strenuous exercise. HumanaNatura’s calisthenics exercises are intense and physically demanding, even at the Core level. As you will immediately discover in practice, the exercises look much easier in the photographs than they are in reality. Even experienced athletes find calisthenics exercises challenging at first. Please, don't overdo it and risk injury, whether you are just beginning to exercise or are physically fit already. You will get substantial health benefits, greatly reduce your risk of injury, and thus make more rapid and reliable progress in your physical conditioning by performing the calisthenics exercises at a moderate level of intensity. Again, go for gain, not strain or pain. 2. Matching of your activity level and stamina applies over time and day‐to‐day – just as the body needs activity, it also needs rest, especially after a day or series of days of relatively intense exercise or activity. If you are sore or not feeling at your best, it might be wise to rest or scale back your calisthenics for that day. You should feel no obligation to do the HumanaNatura calisthenics routine every day, and should always vary your workouts to match your physical readiness for intensive exercise. And be assured, HumanaNatura’s calisthenics exercises will provide intense activity! 3. Ensure your safety and comfort first – the calisthenics exercises can be done indoors or outdoors, but should always be done in a clean, level area that is free from dangerous objects and other physical hazards. The area should be well‐lighted and reasonably quiet, with good ventilation, thereby naturally promoting attentiveness and focus. You should wear flexible clothing that does not impede your full range of motion and that ensures you are neither hot nor cold as you exercise. You should make or purchase a padded exercise mat for the floor exercises and should use a friend or trainer as a spotter on all of the inverted and balancing exercises until you are proficient at these. Safety first! HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 13 4. Stop if you feel pain, discomfort, dizziness, or shortness of breath – if you experience these signs of over‐exercising at any time, stop your routine at once. Then assess your readiness for this level of activity and even your need for immediate medical attention. Build your natural stamina slowly and carefully, and build it for life. 5. Read and follow the exercise directions carefully – proper form in calisthenics is critical to safety and optimal conditioning, so pay close attention to all exercise instructions. This includes notes on foot and hand placements, the order and manner of body movements, and any use or suggestions of isometric position holds. Be sure to breathe naturally as you exercise, exhaling with major exertions and never holding your breath. The moving exercises should be done at a steady pace that matches your breathing – one that is never so fast as to be jarring or that feels as if you are hurrying. You should proceed directly from exercise to exercise, never rushing but also only pausing long enough to catch your breath or to walk off the strain of the previous exercise. Drink water if you become thirsty. 6. Do the Core exercises and follow the overall exercise order – always to all of the Core exercises and always complete all of the exercises you do in the order they are presented, regardless of which Intermediate, Intermediate‐Advanced, or Advanced exercises you may be adding on a given day. The order of the HumanaNatura calisthenics exercises is intentional, designed to work your body in a progressive, complementary, and systematic manner. 7. When exercising above the Core level, vary or alternate your selection of non‐
Core exercises – as mentioned before, there are many advantages to varying your non‐Core exercise selections. One option to achieve this variability is to add the first half of the Intermediate and Advanced exercises you do to the Core program on odd‐numbered workouts, and then add the second half of the Intermediate and Advanced exercises you do to the Core program on even‐
numbered workouts. For people exercising at the Advanced level and physically able to do all or most of our calisthenics exercises, this approach offers a way to do the full HumanaNatura workout every two sessions, while adding diversity and reducing the duration of your workouts. Another alternative is to split the non‐Core exercises you do into three groups and alternate them on a three‐workout cycle, again always doing the Core program and ensuring that you follow presented exercise order overall. Yet another option is to add the non‐Core exercises you do each time more randomly. This approach is acceptable as long as the presented exercise order is followed, all of the Core exercises are always included, and you remain attentive to achieving adequate diversity in your non‐Core exercise choices over time. 8. Explore varying the pace of your calisthenics exercises if you want – as you will see noted in the exercise instructions, another workout variation (for HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 14 people exercising at all levels) is to slow the pace of some of the moving exercises, and to hold each exercise repetition (but not your breath) at the point of maximum exertion to increase its isometric force and conditioning action. To use this technique, greatly slow the pace of the moving exercise repetitions and then hold each repetition at its most intense point (the lowest point of a push‐up or the highest point of a sit‐up or stomach crunch, as examples). Some calisthenics practitioners advocate this approach quite passionately, others use it periodically to bring variety to their workouts, and some advanced practitioners never or only rarely exercise this way and enjoy great natural fitness nevertheless. If you have the extra time, and want added variety, this is an option that allows you to explore and perhaps get a bit more conditioning out of your workouts. Please note that some moving exercises – for example jumping jacks – have a natural rhythm and do not naturally lend themselves to this alternative approach. 9. Relax deeply after completing your calisthenics workout – using a technique borrowed from Hatha Yoga, we would encourage you to rest for a short time after completing your calisthenics workout. While not required or always possible, a 5‐10 minute period of deep relaxation immediately after a workout helps to revitalize us, and can greatly enhance both the physiological and psychological benefits of our calisthenics practice. Deep relaxation is ideally done in a quiet and slightly darkened place where you may comfortably close your eyes. Normally, the technique is to lie on your back on a mat with your arms at your side, palms upturned, legs straight, and feet naturally falling to the side. Your goal is to relax your body and mind completely and go to the edge of sleep while remaining alert. To aid in this, it can be helpful to observe your breath or do periodic deep cleansing exhalations. Feel for tension in different parts of your body and consciously release any tightness you encounter. Empty your mind of cares and observe without attending to the thoughts and feelings that naturally surface. Enjoy the tranquility of these observing without acting and the natural peace and power of simply being healthy and alive. When ready, end your relaxation session gradually and enjoy the intense calm and composure that can come through deep relaxation in this way, especially after a strenuous calisthenics workout. By adding regular calisthenics to your daily walking or hiking, you will begin to realize complete natural conditioning and significant and even dramatic improvements in your health and fitness. These essential HumanaNatura Natural Exercise practices, in combination with Natural Eating, will help you to achieve new and perhaps much greater physical and emotional strength, and new energy and feelings of well‐being in your life. You will grow more naturally poised and at ease overall, becoming not just outwardly revitalized but personally renewed in important ways too. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 15 You will increasingly experience life more closely to our natural state of health and fitness, and enjoy the many quality of life benefits that natural conditioning provides to us all, including new feelings of confidence, clarity, connection, and personal focus. As your use of our Natural Eating and Natural Exercise techniques progresses and deepens, likely you will gradually and even unexpectedly begin to have recurring new ideas and perspectives on yourself, your health and quality of life, and the world around you. Such ideas and perspectives reliably emerge from and in turn encourage progressive improvements in our natural health and well‐being. Through these changes, you will become increasingly ready for HumanaNatura’s third natural health technique, Natural Living – and its lifelong and lifewide challenge of progressively healthier and open‐ended modern natural life. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 16 Calisthenics Workout The table below summarizes HumanaNatura’s calisthenics exercises. Please refer to the following pages for detailed information on how to perform each calisthenics exercise. Exercise Level 1. Six‐Way Stretch (Warm Up) Core 2. Lifts, Jacks & Twists Core 3. Toe & Instep Touches Core 4. Front & Side Lunges Intermediate 5. Seats & Squats Intermediate 6. Push‐Ups 7. Jump Squats Intermediate‐Advanced 8. Basic Sit‐Ups Core 9. Sit‐Up Variations Core Intermediate‐Advanced 10. Side Bridges Intermediate‐Advanced 11. Back Bridges Advanced 12. Leg Lifts & Extensions Intermediate 13. Shoulder‐Stands Intermediate 14. Head‐Stands Advanced 15. Hand‐Stands Advanced 16. Front Bridges Intermediate‐Advanced 17. Leg Bridges Intermediate 18. Front Kicks Intermediate 19. Side Kicks Intermediate 20. Arm Punches Intermediate 21. Body Balancing Core 22. Six‐Way Stretch (Warm Down) Core HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 17 1 Six‐Way Stretch (Warm Up) Level: Core Figure 2 Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Start and end your calisthenics workout with the six‐way stretch, a series of moves borrowed from modern hatha yoga. This stretch works all your major muscle groups and increases mental focus, and is an efficient way of warming up and cooling down your body. Begin with your feet shoulder‐width apart and toes pointing forward, arms at your side, body straight, head straight and level (Figure 1). Keeping your arms straight and leading with the backs of your hands, stretch your arms slowly forward, and then up and back in their full range of movement. When your arms reach overhead, arch your back slightly and continue reaching with your arms as far back as you can comfortably (Figure 2). Hold this backward stretch for a moment. Next, begin to move your arms forward in a similar sweeping movement, keeping your arms straight and this time leading with the palms of your hands. Straighten your back and then naturally begin to bend forward at the waist with the movement of your arms. Continue bending with the forward and then downward sweep of your arms until your fingers reach your toes or the floor (Figure 3). If you can't reach your toes at first, reach as far down your legs as you can comfortably, but work gradually to improve your flexibility in this stretch. Hold this forward stretch for a moment, and then roll your body gradually back up to your original starting position, beginning with your lower body and then engaging your upper body, and this time keeping your arms at your side (Figure 1). Pause for a moment in the position in Figure 1, and then widen your stance slightly and extend your arms out to the side at the same time with a slight jump, keeping your body, legs and arms straight, head level, and letting 18 your toes naturally point slightly outward (Figure 4). Turn one foot out to the side and gradually lower the same side arm until your fingers touch the floor next to the instep of your out‐turned foot. At the same time, extend your other arm toward the sky and fix your eyes on the thumb of your raised hand, taking care to keep your arms and legs straight and to maintain your balance (Figure 5). If you can't reach the floor at first, reach as far down your leg as you can comfortably and grasp your leg, but work gradually to improve your flexibility in this stretch. Hold this side stretch for a moment, and then slowly reverse your movement until you are back in your original starting position (Figure 4). Repeat the stretch on your other side for an equal period of time. After pausing for a moment in the position in Figure 4, again turn one foot out to the side, and this time gradually lower your opposite arm toward that foot, twisting at your waist, until your fingers touch the floor on the far side of your out‐
turned foot. At the same time, extend your other arm toward the sky and fix your eyes on the thumb of your raised hand, taking care to keep your arms and legs straight and maintaining your balance (Figure 6). If you can't reach the floor at first, reach as far down your leg as you can comfortably and grasp your leg, but work gradually to improve your flexibility in this stretch. Hold this side twist for a moment, and then slowly reverse your movement until you are back in your original starting position (Figure 4). Repeat the stretch on your other side for an equal period of time. After pausing for a moment in the position in Figure 4, return to the position in Figure 1 with a slight jump and take several breaths. This completes the six‐way stretch. You can do the six‐way stretch any time you want – it is a great way to reenergize your body after either extended activity or inactivity. As a variation, you can do the backward and forward stretches with your feet together or with your feet wide apart. Each variation gives you a slightly different full body stretch.
HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 19 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 20 2 Lifts, Jacks & Twists Level: Core Figure 8 Figure 7 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 After the six‐way stretch, enter more deeply into your calisthenics routine with a combination of leg lifts, jumping jacks, and body twists. Together, these exercises provide a good initial workout of your body and prepare you for more intense exercise. LEG LIFTS To do leg lifts, begin by standing with your feet shoulder‐width apart, back and legs straight, head level, arms bent, and hands in fists at your waist. Next, lift one knee up as high as you can without losing your balance (Figure 7). Return your foot to the ground and repeat the same movement with the other leg. Continue this exercise, alternating legs, until moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of leg lifts. VARIATIONS: There are several variations on the basic leg lift. One variation is to do multiple lifts with one leg before switching sides. If you do multiple lifts with one leg, another variation is to keep your moving leg off of the floor (returning your foot close to but not touching the ground or slightly behind your body). With either of these variations or with the basic leg lift, a further variation is to intensify this exercise by raising and keeping your arms overhead and palms facing each other (Figure 8). Yet another variation from the position in Figure 8 is to bend your elbows and lower your hands toward the knee of your lifting leg and to then reverse your movements as you lower the leg. All of these variations give you a more intense workout, promoting balance and mid‐body muscle strength. JUMPING JACKS To do jumping jacks, begin by standing with your feet either together or slightly apart, arms at your sides, hands in fists, and head straight and 21 level (Figure 9). Jump slightly, while simultaneously spreading your legs out to a shoulder‐width stance, landing on the balls of your feet, while quickly swinging your arms out to the side and then overhead in an arc, so that you end up in the position shown in Figure 10. Without stopping, jump slightly again and reverse this movement, returning to your original starting position (Figure 9). This completes one jumping jack. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of jumping jacks. BODY TWISTS To do body twists, begin from a standing position and then take a normal step forward with one leg, taking care to keep your balance, while moving the same side arm forward and the opposite side arm backward, so that you end up in the position in Figure 11. Pause for a moment to make sure you are balanced and comfortable in this position. Next, jump slightly and reverse your position in mid‐air so that your other leg and arm are now forward, using a twisting or shuffling movement, landing on the balls of your feet, and taking care not to lose your balance (Figure 12). This jumping movement completes one body twist. Continue this exercise, alternating back and forth with the same jumping movement without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. When you are done, reverse your movements to return to a standing position to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of body twists. As a variation on the body twist, you can experiment with a wider stance and larger arm movements, and with a faster or varying pace, to increase the intensity of the exercise. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 22 3 Toe & Instep Touches Level: Core Figure 14 Figure 13 Figure 16 Figure 15 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Toe and instep touches are great exercises for strengthening and promoting flexibility in your lower and mid‐body, but take care at first not to strain your back. TOE TOUCHES To do toe touches, begin by standing with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, arms at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 13). Gently roll your back forward, letting your arms and head fall forward with gravity, until your fingers touch your toes or the ground in front of your feet (Figure 14). This movement should be a controlled one, beginning by bending your upper body and then your lower body, so that you do not overextend your upper body from your midline. If you can't reach your toes at first, reach as far down your legs as you can comfortably. After a brief moment, reverse this controlled rolling movement, this time beginning with your lower body and then engaging your upper body until you are back in your original starting position (Figure 13). This completes one toe touch. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐
3 sets of toe touches. As a variation, you can do toe touches with your feet together or with your feet further apart. Each variation gives you a slightly different workout of your back and gluteal areas. INSTEP TOUCHES To do instep touches, begin by standing with your feet slightly more than shoulder‐width apart and toes pointing slightly outward, arms extended to your sides and parallel to the floor, palms down, head straight and level (Figure 15). Bend forward at your waist and bring the fingers of one hand to the instep of the opposite foot, turning your upper body and 23 making a sweeping movement of this hand, keeping your arms and legs straight but not locked, and simultaneously raising your other arm to the sky (Figure 16). Your back should be roughly parallel and your raised arm roughly perpendicular to the ground. If you can't reach your instep at first, reach as far down your leg as you can comfortably. After a brief moment, reverse this cross‐body sweeping movement and return to your original starting position (Figure 15). This completes one instep touch. Immediately repeat the movement, this time bringing your other hand to the opposite instep, raising your opposite arm to the sky, and then returning to your starting position. Continue this exercise until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set, alternating sides each time and taking care not to exercise to the point of dizziness. Do 1‐3 sets of instep touches. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 24 4 Front & Side Lunges Level: Intermediate Figure 18 Figure 17 Figure 19 Figure 20 Figure 21 Figure 22 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Front and side lunges provide excellent conditioning of your mid‐ and lower body. FRONT LUNGES To do front lunges, begin by standing with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, back and legs straight, arms bent and hands at your hips, and head straight and level (Figure 17). Next, while taking care not to lose your balance, take a generous step forward with one leg, bending at the knee with your forward‐stepping leg, lowering your body, and letting your back foot come up on its toes. Come to a stop with your forward leg forming as close to a ninety degree angle as you can comfortably, while still being able to eventually return to your starting position with a single backward step. When in the front lunge, your forward foot should be flat, pointing ahead and in line with your knee, with your back leg as straight as possible. Ensure that your back is straight, your hips are square to your body line, and your head is straight and level (Figure 18). Hold this position for a moment, ensuring good form and balance. Then, reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced and not to kick your back leg with your front heel, and return to your original starting position (Figure 17). This completes one front lunge. Continue this exercise, alternating legs each time without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Experiment with the length of your lunges so that you achieve optimal control and fluidity of movement. Do 1‐3 sets of front lunges. VARIATIONS: You can do front lunges with your arms beginning and remaining overhead during the lunge (Figure 19), as long as you can stay 25 balanced and in control of your movements. You can experiment with holding each lunge for a few seconds or with varying your pace to increase the intensity of the exercise. You can also do more than one lunge with the same leg before alternating sides, but do ensure that you do the same number and pattern of lunges with both legs in each set. Work to enter and stay deeply in each front lunge, increasing your strength and flexibility.
SIDE LUNGES To do side lunges, begin by standing with your feet slightly more than shoulder‐width apart and toes pointing slightly outward, arms bent and hands in fists on each side of your head, body and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 20). When you are ready, bend one leg until the knee is at about a ninety degree angle, shift your weight to that leg, and lower your body into a side lunge (Figure 21), keeping your back straight and head level, your opposite leg as straight as possible, and both feet flat on the ground. Hold this position for a moment and then reverse your position to the opposite side, without returning to your original starting position. This movement should primarily be to the side, rather than up and down. This completes one side lunge. Continue this exercise, alternating sides without stopping or returning to the original position, until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then return to your original starting position (Figure 20) to complete the set. Experiment with the width of your initial stance and foot placement so that you achieve optimal control and ease of movement. Do 1‐3 sets of side lunges. VARIATIONS: For variations, you can do side lunges with your arms overhead and palms facing one another during the initial side lunge and alternating side‐to‐side movements (Figure 22), as long as you can remain balanced and in control. You can experiment with holding each lunge for a few seconds or with varying your pace to increase the HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 26 intensity of the exercise. Work to enter and stay deeply in each side lunge, increasing your strength and flexibility. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 27 5 Seats & Squats Level: Intermediate Figure 24 Figure 23 Figure 25 Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Seats and squats are similar exercises, but work slightly different muscles. In seats, your feet remain flat on the ground and the exercise is primarily focused in the gluteal area. In squats, your heels rise off the floor as you enter the squat and the exercise is primarily focused in the upper legs. SEATS To do seats, begin with your feet flat, facing forward and slightly apart, arms straight and at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 23). Keeping your feet flat on the ground, bend both knees and sit down as far as you comfortably can, taking care not to lose your balance, while raising your arms in a sweeping movement, palms down, until your arms are parallel to the ground (Figure 24). Hold the seat position for a moment and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position (Figure 23). This completes one seat. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of seats. VARIATIONS: For seat variations, you can do this exercise with your arms overhead and palms facing one another before and during the seat (Figure 25), as long as you can remain balanced and in control. You can experiment with holding each seat for a moment and with varying your pace to increase the intensity of the exercise. You can also vary your foot positioning to get a slightly different exercise – your feet should always point forward, but can be close together, shoulder‐width, or even wide apart. Work to enter and stay deeply in each seat, increasing your strength and flexibility. SQUATS To do squats, begin with your feet flat, facing forward and slightly apart, arms 28 straight and at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 26). Letting your heels rise up from the ground, bend both knees and squat down as far as you comfortably can, taking care not to lose your balance, while raising your arms in a sweeping movement, palms down, until your arms are parallel to the ground (Figure 27). Hold the squat position for a moment and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position (Figure 26). This completes one squat. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐
3 sets of squats. VARIATIONS: For squat variations, you can do this exercise with your arms overhead and palms facing one another before and during the squat (Figure 28), as long as you can remain balanced and in control. You can experiment with holding each squat for a moment and with varying your pace to increase the intensity of the exercise. You can work to rise up more fully on your toes during the squat, again as long as you can maintain your balance. You can also vary your foot positioning to get a slightly different exercise – your feet should always point forward, but can be close together, shoulder‐width, or even wide apart. Work to enter and stay deeply in each squat, increasing your strength and flexibility. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 29 6 Push‐Ups Level: Core Figure 30 Figure 29 Figure 32 Figure 31 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Push‐ups are a principal exercise for conditioning our arms and upper body. There are two general forms of push‐ups, basic and full, each applying different amounts of our weight to the upper body. BASIC PUSH‐UP To do a basic push‐up, begin with your hands, knees, and feet on the ground, arms straight and shoulder‐width apart, fingers together and pointing in line with your body, back straight and level, head facing the ground and level, feet together and resting on your toes (Figure 29). Then, bend your elbows and gently lower your face toward the ground, stopping before your face touches the ground, while keeping your back straight and letting your toes rise naturally off the ground (Figure 30). Hold this position for at least several seconds and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 29). This completes one basic push‐up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of basic push‐ups. Work to develop your strength so that you can do the full push‐up. FULL PUSH‐UP To do a full push‐up, begin with your hands and feet on the ground, arms straight and shoulder‐width apart, fingers together and pointing in line with your body, back and legs straight and level, head facing the ground and level, feet together and resting on your toes (Figure 31). Then, bend your elbows and gently lower your face toward the ground, stopping before your face and body touch the ground, while keeping your back and legs straight (Figure 32). Hold this position for at least several seconds and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 31). This completes 30 one full push‐up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of full push‐ups. VARIATIONS: In addition to changing the pace of your push‐ups and the time holding your body at the bottom of the push‐up movement, a number of variations on the full push‐up are possible to either increase the intensity of the exercise or to work slightly different muscles. One variation is to do push‐ups with your hands and fingers pointing ninety degrees away from your body line. Another variation is to do push‐ups with your hands and fingers pointing ninety degrees into your body line. A third variation is to do push‐ups with your hands either further apart or more closely together. A fourth variation is to do push‐ups with your feet apart rather than together. A final variation is to do push‐ups resting on your fingertips rather than your full hands. Taken together, these variations create quite a number of alternative forms of this important exercise. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 31 7 Jump Squats Level: Intermediate‐Advanced Figure 34 Figure 33 Figure 36 Figure 35 Figure 37 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Jump squats provide intensive conditioning of the legs and back, and with advanced variations, can be used to rigorously exercise the entire body. There are two general forms of jump squats, partial and full, each affording different levels of exercise intensity. PARTIAL JUMP SQUAT To do a partial jump squat, begin in a crouched position, knees bent, feet slightly apart with your heels off the ground, arms at your side and ready to balance yourself as needed, back straight and level, head facing forward and looking at the ground in front of you (Figure 33). When you are ready, stand up straight, rising up on your toes and extending your arms overhead, making sure you stay balanced and do not experience light‐
headedness (Figure 34). Hold this position for a moment and then slowly reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 33). This completes one partial jump squat. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. End in a standing position. Do 1‐3 sets of partial jump squats. Work to develop your strength and balance so that you can do the full jump squat. FULL JUMP SQUAT If you are comfortable in the partial jump squat, you can move on to do the full jump squat. To do a full jump squat, begin in a crouched position, knees bent, feet slightly apart with your heels off the ground, arms at your sides and ready to balance yourself as needed, back straight and level, head facing forward and looking at the ground in front of you (Figure 33). When you are ready, jump straight up into the air in a single movement, rising up from your toes and extending your arms overhead, making sure you stay balanced in your 32 jump and landing, and making sure you do not experience light‐
headedness (Figure 35). After you land, reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 33). This completes one full jump squat. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. End in a standing position. Do 1‐3 sets of full jump squats. VARIATIONS: In addition to changing the pace and intensity of your jump squats, once you are doing the full jump squat a number of advanced variations are possible to either increase the intensity of the exercise or to work a greater number of muscles. One variation is to insert a quick jump back to an upper push‐up position (Figure 36). To do this, from the squat position (Figure 33) place your hands on the ground in a full push‐up position and kick back your legs until you are in an upper full push‐
up position, maintaining good push‐up form. Then jump back, reversing your movement and returning to the squat position (Figure 33). Next, do the full jump squat (Figure 35) and then return to your original staring position (Figure 33). This set of moves is commonly called a burpee or squat thrust. A further advanced variation is to add a full push‐up (Figure 37) after moving to the upper push‐up position (Figure 36) and before returning to the squat position (Figure 33). Another and quite advanced variation is to do a full jumping jack while in mid‐air in the position in Figure 35, after entering the full jump from the squat position (Figure 33). This variation requires you to achieve significant time in the air, while keeping your balance during the full jump and jack movements, and should not be attempted until you have mastered the full jump squat. Finally, it is possible to combine the full jump squat and all of these advanced variations, moving in a controlled succession through the positions in Figures 33, 36, 37, 36, 33 and then 35, including a full jack. This combination of full jump squat variations is quite HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 33 challenging and should only be done by people exercising at the advanced level overall. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 34 8 Basic Sit‐Ups Level: Core Figure 39 Figure 38 Figure 41 Figure 40 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Basic sit‐ups or crunches are a principal exercise for conditioning our mid‐body. There are three forms of basic sit‐ups presented in this section. Some of the key intermediate and advanced variations of the basic sit‐up are presented in the next section (Sit‐
Up Variations). SIMPLE SIT‐UP To do a simple sit‐up, begin with your back flat on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, elbows bent and hands in fists at the side of your head, head straight and facing the sky (Figure 38). Next, gently lift your head and shoulders off the ground and toward your knees, keeping both feet on the ground and your chin off your chest and face tilted upward for optimal muscular alignment (Figure 39). Hold this position for at least a few seconds and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 38). This completes one simple sit‐up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of basic sit‐ups. To intensify this exercise, only lower your head and shoulders half‐
way to the ground between each sit‐
up. Work to develop your strength so that you can do the full sit‐up and twisted sit‐up. FULL SIT‐UP To do a full sit‐up, begin with your back flat on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, elbows bent and hands in fists at the side of your head, head straight and facing up (Figure 38). Next, gently lift your head and shoulders off the ground and toward your knees, and simultaneously lift your feet off the ground and bring your knees toward your head, while keeping your chin off your chest and face tilted upward for optimal muscular alignment (Figure 35 40). Hold this position for at least a few seconds and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 38). This completes one full sit‐up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐
3 sets of full sit‐ups. To intensify this exercise, only lower your head, shoulders, and feet half‐way to the ground between each sit‐up. TWISTING SIT‐UP To do a twisting sit‐up, begin with your back flat on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, elbows bent and hands in fists at the side of your head, head straight and facing up (Figure 38). Next, gently lift your head and one of your shoulders off the ground and then bring that shoulder toward your opposite knee, keeping both feet on the ground, your arms roughly perpendicular to your head, and your chin off your chest and face tilted upward for optimal muscular alignment (Figure 41). Hold this position for at least a moment and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 38). Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then repeat the exercise with your other side, ensuring an equal number and intensity of repetitions. This completes one set of twisting sit‐ups. Do 1‐3 sets of twisting sit‐ups. To intensify this exercise, only lower your head and shoulder half‐
way to the ground between each sit‐
up. As a variation you can alternate sides with each sit‐up, instead of doing each side separately in half‐sets. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 36 9 Sit‐Up Variations Level: Intermediate‐Advanced Figure 43 Figure 42 Figure 44 Figure 45 Figure 46 Figure 47 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 A number of intermediate and advanced sit‐up or crunch variations are possible, once you master the basic sit‐ups exercises. Three key variations are presented here: the bridge crunch, the cross‐crunch, and the scissor crunch. All these variations intensively work a broad range of muscles, including those of the mid‐
body. BRIDGE CRUNCH To do a bridge crunch, begin with your back flat on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, elbows bent and hands in fists at the side of your head, head straight and facing up (Figure 42). Next, gently lift your head and shoulders off the ground and toward your knees, keeping your chin off your chest and face titled upward for optimal muscular alignment (Figure 43). Hold this position for at least a moment and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 42). Next, lift your hips in the air as high as you comfortably can while maintaining good form and alignment, keeping your feet, arms, head, and shoulders on the ground (Figure 44). Hold this position for at least a moment and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 42). This completes one bridge crunch. Continue this exercise without stopping, alternating and doing an equal number of crunches and bridges, until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, to complete the set. Do 1‐
3 sets of bridge crunches. Work to develop your strength so that you can do the cross‐crunch and scissor crunch. CROSS‐CRUNCH To do a cross‐crunch, begin with your back flat on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, 37 elbows bent and hands in fists at the side of your head, head straight and facing up (Figure 42). Next, bring one knee toward you while straightening and pointing the other leg and lifting that leg slightly off the ground, and gently lifting your head and shoulders off the ground and bringing the opposite shoulder toward your bent knee. Keep your chin off your chest and face titled upward for optimal muscular alignment (Figure 44). Hold this position for at least a moment and then reverse your position in a single fluid movement, so that the opposite knee is bent, the other leg is straight and pointed, and the other shoulder is brought toward the new bent knee, while making sure your legs and shoulders to not touch the ground during this cross‐over movement (mirror image of Figure 44). Hold this opposite position for at least a moment. This completes one cross‐ crunch. Continue this alternating movement, without returning your shoulders and legs to the ground, until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. When you are ready to finish, return to your original starting position (Figure 42) to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of cross‐
crunches. For variations, change the speed of your cross‐over movements and the duration that you hold each crunch, so the exercise ranges from a series of long crunch holds and slow change‐overs all the way to a fairly fast cycling movement. Cross‐crunches are a terrific intermediate mid‐body conditioning exercise that can help to prepare you for the advanced scissor crunch. SCISSOR CRUNCH To do a scissor crunch, an advanced exercise, begin with your back flat on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, elbows bent and hands in fists at the side of your head, head straight and facing up (Figure 42). Next, raise one leg up so that it is straight and perpendicular to the ground, while extending the other leg out so that it is straight and flat on the ground (Figure 46). Then, while maintaining good overall form and bodily alignment, gently bring your head and shoulders off the ground and toward your upright knee, keeping HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 38 your chin off your chest and face tilted upward for optimal muscular alignment (Figure 47). Hold this position for at least a moment if you can and then reverse your movement, returning to your previous position for a moment (Figure 46). Quickly switch your leg position (the mirror image of Figure 46) and then repeat the crunch, this time bringing your head and shoulders toward the new upright knee for a moment (mirror image of Figure 47) and then reverse your movement to your previous position (the mirror image of Figure 46). This completes one scissor crunch cycle. Reverse you legs and continue this exercise, alternating sides each time without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. When you are ready to finish, return to your original starting position (Figure 42) to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of bridge crunches. Work to develop your strength so that you can hold the very challenging scissor crunch while keeping good overall form and alignment. For variations, you can change the speed of the exercise, and you can repeat the crunches on one side in a half set before switching to exercise the opposite side for an equal number and intensity of repetitions. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 39 10 Side Bridges Level: Intermediate‐Advanced Figure 49 Figure 48 Figure 51 Figure 50 Figure 52 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Side bridges provide intensive conditioning of the mid‐body, and with variations and advanced positionings, can be used to rigorously exercise the entire body. INTERMEDIATE SIDE BRIDGE To do an intermediate side bridge, bend the elbow of one arm and place the forearm and palm of that arm on the ground. Then, straighten your entire body perpendicular to your forearm, raise your hips off the ground and support (or bridge) your entire body with your forearm and outsole of your lower foot, while placing your free hand on your hip (Figure 48). It is essential that you ensure good form and alignment in this position. Your body should be straight, hips aligned with your legs and upper body, shoulders in line and perpendicular to the ground, and head aligned with your body and facing forward. Hold this position while breathing regularly until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then return to a resting position on the ground. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side for an equal duration and with equal intensity. This completes one intermediate side bridge set. Do 1‐3 intermediate side bridge sets. Work to develop your strength and balance in the intermediate side bridge so that you can do the intermediate side bridge crunch and side bridge kick. If you are comfortable in the intermediate side bridge, you can move on to do the intermediate side bridge crunch and side bridge kick. SIDE BRIDGE CRUNCH To do an intermediate side bridge crunch, return to the intermediate side bridge position (Figure 48) via the steps described above. When you are ready, extend your arm overhead, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced (Figure 49). 40 Next, while keeping your balance and maintaining good form and alignment, bring the elbow of your extended arm and the knee of your upper leg together in a crunch (Figure 50). Your mid‐body may bend forward slightly in this crunching movement, but your lower leg should remain straight and hips aligned with your body and off the ground. Hold the side bridge crunch for at least a moment and then return to the position in Figure 49. This completes one intermediate side bridge crunch. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then return to a resting position on the ground. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side for an equal number and intensity of repetitions. This completes one intermediate side bridge crunch set. Do 1‐3 sets of intermediate side bridge crunches. Work to improve the quality and precision of your crunching movement over time. SIDE BRIDGE KICK To do an intermediate side bridge kick, return to the intermediate side bridge position (Figure 48) via the steps described above. When you are ready, bring the knee of your upper leg toward your upper body, while keeping your balance and maintaining good form and alignment. When your knee is roughly even with your hips and the thigh of your upper leg is perpendicular to the line of your body, gently kick out the foot of that leg until your full upper leg is straight and perpendicular to your body, taking care to kick from your heel rather than toes of your foot (Figure 51). Hold this position for a moment if you can and then carefully reverse your movement so that your return to the position in Figure 48, again ensuring good form and alignment through the entire movement. This completes one intermediate side bridge kick. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then return to a resting position on the ground. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side for an equal number and intensity of repetitions. This completes one intermediate side bridge kick set. Do HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 41 1‐3 sets of intermediate side bridge kicks. Work to improve the quality and precision of your kicking movement over time. ADVANCED VARIATIONS: In addition to changing the duration, pace, and intensity of your side bridges, once you are comfortable in the intermediate side bridge exercises, you can move on to the advanced versions of all three side bridge exercises. The advanced versions of these exercises are done exactly like the intermediate versions, except that the upper body is balanced on the palm of the lower hand only, with the full lower arm straight and extended from the floor, instead of bent at the elbow (Figure 52). The advanced versions of the side bridge exercises provide intensive conditioning of the mid‐body, but require added strength, flexibility, and balance to be done safely and with precision. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 42 11 Back Bridges Level: Advanced Figure 54 Figure 53 Figure 56 Figure 55 Figure 57 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Back bridges are an advanced exercise that offers excellent total body conditioning, including improved stamina, balance, and flexibility. This exercise and its variations should only be attempted by individuals exercising comfortably at an advanced level and with the use of a spotter to assist in entering, completing, and exiting each exercise position. With all inverted positions, there is an extra risk of back strain and of losing one’s balance. To do a back bridge, begin with your back and head on the ground, knees bent and feet flat on the ground about shoulder‐width apart, and arms at your sides with your palms down (Figure 53). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, bend your elbows and bring your hands to each side of your head, about shoulder‐width apart, with your palms flat on the ground, and with your fingers pointing toward your feet and spread slightly in preparation to aid your balance (Figure 54). Next, taking care not to lose your balance, lift your hips from the ground, arch your back, and push up with your arms and legs so that you are balancing on your feet and hands, with your face looking at the ground, and your back arched as evenly as possible (Figure 55). Ask a spotter to check for good form and alignment and adjust your position as needed. It may initially take more than one attempt at the back bridge before your form is good and you are comfortable and balanced in the position in Figure 55. Hold this position until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, ensuring good form and maintaining your balance. Then, carefully reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 53). This completes one back bridge. Do 1‐3 back bridges. 43 Work to improve the quality and precision of your bridging movements over time, to heighten the mid‐point of your arch position, and to increase the duration that you can comfortably hold the bridge position. VARIATIONS: Once you are comfortable in the back bridge and are able to hold the position in Figure 55 for an extended time without losing your balance, a number of variations on the back bridge are possible, including the back bridge push‐up and the back bridge leg extension. Both of these variations intensify the back bridge exercise and promote added conditioning, flexibility, and agility. BACK BRIDGE PUSH‐UP To do the back bridge push‐up, return to the back bridge position (Figure 55) via the steps described above. When you are ready, bend your elbows slightly and gently lower your face until it almost touches the floor, taking care not to lose your balance (Figure 56). Hold this position for at least a moment and then straighten your arms and push back up to the back bridge position in Figure 55 (if you cannot push back up to this position, ask a spotter to assist you by pressing against your upper back to help you return to the bridge). This completes one back bridge push‐up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 53). This completes one set of back bridge push‐ups. Do 1‐3 sets of back bridge push‐ups. Work to improve the quality and precision of your push‐up movements over time, and to increase the number of push‐up repetitions you can comfortably do. BACK BRIDGE LEG EXTENSION To do the back bridge leg extension, return to the back bridge position (Figure 55) via the steps described above. When you are ready, gently extend one of your legs toward the sky, taking care not to lose your balance and working to make your extended leg straight and its foot pointing perpendicular to the ground HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 44 (Figure 57). Hold this position for at least a moment and then carefully reverse your movements until you return the back bridge position in Figure 55. This completes one back bridge leg extension. Repeat this movement with the other leg for an equal duration and with equal intensity, and then reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 53). This completes one set of back bridge leg extensions. Do 1‐3 sets of back bridge leg extensions. Work to improve the quality and precision of your leg extension movements over time, and to increase the duration of your leg extensions. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 45 12 Leg Lifts & Extensions Level: Intermediate Figure 59 Figure 58 Figure 60 Figure 61 Figure 62 Figure 63 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Leg lifts and extensions are excellent exercises to improve mid and lower body strength and flexibility. Both are done from a prone or lying position. As the names imply, leg lifts involve raising the legs from the ground, while leg extensions involve moving the legs away from an upright position over the body’s midpoint. In general, leg lifts only secondarily condition the back muscles, while leg extensions significantly exercise the back and extra care must be taken to avoid back injury. BASIC LEG LIFT To do a basic leg lift, begin with your back and head on the ground, knees bent, feet together and flat on the ground, and arms at your sides with your palms down (Figure 58). Next, bring your knees to your chest while keeping your back, head, and palms on the ground, and then gently lift your buttocks off of the floor for at least a moment (Figure 59). Then, gently lower your buttocks back to the ground, keeping your knees bent and near your chest during this up and down movement. This completes one basic leg lift. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then reverse your movements and return to your starting position (Figure 58). This completes one set of basic leg lifts. Do 1‐3 sets of basic leg lifts. Work to improve the quality and precision of your lifting movements over time, to heighten and increase the duration of your lifts, and to increase the number of basic leg lift repetitions you do, to prepare you for the full leg lift. FULL LEG LIFT To do a full leg lift, return to the pre‐
lift position in Figure 58 via the steps described above. Next, bring your knees to your chest and then fully straighten your legs so that they are perpendicular to the ground, with the 46 soles of your feet facing up and parallel to the ground, and with your body in a right angle position overall, while keeping your back, head, and palms on the ground (Figure 60). Hold this position for at least a moment. When you first do the position in Figure 60, practice two movements to improve your conditioning and to prepare you for full leg lifts. One movement, called leg rocks, is to gently rock your upright legs from side to side, roughly within the width of your shoulders, while keeping your legs straight and together, back on the ground, and body in an overall right angle position. The second movement, called leg openings, is to gently open or spread both legs to the side to a distance that is comfortable and then to bring them together again, while keeping your legs straight and body in an overall right angle position, and your back, head, and palms on the ground. If you are comfortable in these movements from the position in Figure 60, you can do a full leg lift from the position in Figure 60 (entered via the steps described above) by gently lifting your buttocks off of the ground for at least a moment (Figure 61). Then, gently lower your buttocks to the ground, while keeping your legs straight and your back, head, and palms on the ground during this up and down movement. This completes one basic leg lift. Continue this exercise without stopping, interspersing either leg rocks or leg openings between each leg lift if you want, until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then reverse your movements and return to your starting position (Figure 58). This completes one set of full leg lifts. Do 1‐
3 sets of full leg lifts. Work to improve the quality and precision of your lifting movements over time, to heighten and increase the duration of your lifts, and to increase the number of full leg lift repetitions you do. BASIC LEG EXTENSION If you are comfortable doing full leg lifts, including the leg rock and leg opening variations, and do not suffer HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 47 from back strain, you can do basic leg extensions to further improve your mid‐body conditioning. Note that in all forms of leg extensions, it is important to understand that the more you extend your legs from a position perpendicular to the ground over your mid‐body (the closer your heels are to the ground), the more force is placed on your back – increasing conditioning but also the risk of back strain or injury. To do a basic leg extension, return to the full leg lift pre‐position (Figure 60) via the steps described above. Next, move your legs slightly away from your upper body for at least a moment, while keeping your legs straight and together, and back, head, and palms on the ground (Figure 62). If you are comfortable in this position, gently open your legs to the side and then close them again to increase the intensity of the leg extension, but take care not to strain your back or to allow your legs to move uncomfortably or in an uncontrolled way away from your upper body. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then reverse your movements and return to your starting position (Figure 58). This completes one set of basic leg extensions. Do 1‐3 sets of basic leg extensions. Work to improve the quality and precision of your extension movements over time, to increase the angle and duration of your extensions, and to increase the number of open and close movements you do, to prepare you for the full leg extension. FULL LEG EXTENSION If you are comfortable doing the basic leg extension, you can do the full leg extension. The full leg extension offers intensive mid‐body conditioning for people exercising at or near an advanced level and who can do the basic leg extension without discomfort. The full leg extension is done exactly like the basic leg extension, including the sideways opening and closing of the legs, except that upper body is held in sit‐up position (Figure 63). To achieve this new position from the position in Figure 62, bend your elbows and bring HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 48 your hands in fists to each side of your head, and lift and hold your upper body in sit‐up position before you begin the leg extension movements, while keeping your chin off your chest and face titled upward for optimal muscular alignment, and always making sure you keep your lower back on the floor. When finished, gently reverse your movements back to the position in Figure 62 and then to the starting position in Figure 58. Do 1‐3 sets of full leg extensions. Work to improve the quality and precision of your extension movements over time, to increase the angle and duration of your extensions, and to increase the number of open and close movements you do. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 49 13 Shoulder‐Stands Level: Intermediate Figure 65 Figure 64 Figure 66 Figure 67 Figure 68 Figure 69 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Shoulder‐stands provide excellent isometric conditioning of the mid and upper body, help to improve overall balance, and with variations provide excellent stretching of the spine, surrounding muscles, and major organs. Because of the inverted positioning, shoulder‐stands are an excellent complement to standing or upright exercises. Included below are the half shoulder‐stand, the full shoulder‐stand, the open shoulder‐
stand, the pointed shoulder‐stand, and the plow. All will be familiar to practitioners of hatha yoga. A spotter is recommended to assist you in these and all other inverted exercises. Also, since all forms of the shoulder‐stand are demanding inverted positions, it is advisable to rest in the position in Figure 64 for a few moments when finished, and then to take care and watch for lightheadedness when attempting to stand. HALF SHOULDER‐STAND To do a half shoulder‐stand, begin with your back and head on the ground, knees bent and feet together and flat on the ground, and arms at your sides with your palms down (Figure 64). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, bring your knees to your chest, bend your elbows and place your palms on either side of the small of your back, letting your elbows and upper back form a natural tripod to support you, and then extend the soles of your feet to the sky while keeping your knees bent at a right angle and then working your hands so that your palms support your middle back (Figure 65). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back is straight and perpendicular to the ground. It may 50 initially take more than one attempt at the half shoulder‐stand before your form is good and you are comfortable and balanced in the half shoulder‐
stand position in Figure 65. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 64). This completes one half shoulder‐
stand. Do 1‐3 half shoulder‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time, to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the half shoulder‐stand position, to prepare you for the full shoulder‐
stand. FULL SHOULDER‐STAND If you are comfortable and balanced in the half shoulder‐stand, you can move on to do the full shoulder‐stand. To do a full shoulder‐stand, return to the half shoulder‐stand position (Figure 65) via the steps described above. When you are ready, straighten your legs and point your toes toward the sky, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced (Figure 66). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back and legs are straight and perpendicular to the ground. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 64). This completes one full shoulder‐
stand. Do 1‐3 full shoulder‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the full shoulder‐stand position. As you improve your control and balance in this position, you will be able to move your palms closer to your upper HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 51 back and eventually be able to stand on the back of your head and shoulders with much less assistance needed from your hands and arms to keep your body perpendicular to the ground, preparing you for the open and pointed shoulder‐stand positions. OPEN SHOULDER‐STAND If you are comfortable and balanced in the full shoulder‐stand, you can move on to do the open shoulder‐stand. To do an open shoulder‐stand, return to the full shoulder‐stand position (Figure 66) via the steps described above. When you are ready, tilt your legs slightly toward your head and slowly move your arms from your back to an overhead position on the ground with your palms facing up, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced using the muscles of your mid‐body (Figure 67). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back and legs are straight and roughly perpendicular to the ground. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 64). This completes one open shoulder‐
stand. Do 1‐3 open shoulder‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the open shoulder‐stand position. POINTED SHOULDER‐STAND If you are comfortable and balanced in the open shoulder‐stand, you can move on to do the pointed shoulder‐
stand. To do a pointed shoulder‐stand, return to the open shoulder‐stand position (Figure 67) via the steps described above. When you are ready, lift your arms from the floor and point your fingers toward your toes, palms facing your legs, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced using the muscles of your mid‐body (Figure 68). Ask a spotter to HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 52 check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back, legs, and arms are straight and roughly perpendicular to the ground. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 64). This completes one pointed shoulder‐
stand. Do 1‐3 pointed shoulder‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the pointed shoulder‐stand position. PLOW POSITION If you are comfortable and balanced in the open shoulder‐stand, you can also move on to do the plow position, affording excellent stretching of the mid and upper body. To do the plow position, return to the open shoulder‐
stand position (Figure 67) via the steps described above. When you are ready, slowly lower both legs to the ground until your toes touch while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced using the muscles of your mid‐body (Figure 69). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 64). This completes one plow. Do 1‐3 plows. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the plow position. As a variation, you can do a half‐plow, with one leg lowered from the open shoulder‐stand position and the other leg perpendicular to the ground. If you do the half‐plow, raise the lowered leg HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 53 when you are ready, and return to the open shoulder‐stand position and be sure to repeat the movement with the other leg for an equal duration and with equal intensity. As you work to master the shoulder‐
stand and its variations, you will reach a point where you can do all these positions in a single set of movements, pausing briefly in each position over the course of a few minutes and then gently returning to your original starting position (Figure 64) at the end. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 54 14 Head‐Stands
Level: Advanced Figure 71 Figure 70 Figure 72 Figure 73 Figure 74 Figure 75 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Head‐stands provide excellent isometric conditioning of the mid and upper body and arms, help to improve overall balance, and with variations provide excellent stretching of the spine, surrounding muscles, and major organs. Because of the inverted positioning, head‐stands are an excellent complement to standing or upright exercises. Included below are the half head‐stand, the three‐quarter head‐stand, the full head‐stand, the head‐stand with single leg extension, and the head‐stand with double leg extension. A spotter is recommended to assist you in these and all other inverted exercises. Also, since all forms of the head‐stand are demanding inverted positions, it is advisable to rest in the position in Figure 70 for a few moments when finished, and then to take care and watch for lightheadedness when attempting to stand. HALF HEAD‐STAND To do a half head‐stand, begin with your head and forearms on the ground, elbows bent, hands clasped behind your head to form a tripod, body bent at the waist, legs straight, and feet together and resting on your toes (Figure 70). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, gently bring your knees to your chest and let your feet rise into the air as you center your weight over your head and arms (Figure 71). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back is roughly straight and perpendicular to the ground. It may initially take more than one attempt at the half head‐stand before your form is good and you are comfortable and balanced in the half head‐strand position. If you are comfortable, hold 55 this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 70). This completes one half head‐stand. Do 1‐3 half head‐
stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the half head‐stand position. THREE‐QUARTER HEAD‐STAND If you are comfortable and balanced in the half head‐stand, you can move on to do the three‐quarter head‐stand. To do a three‐quarter head‐stand, return to the half head‐stand position (Figure 71) via the steps described above. When you are ready, gently rotate your hips and move your feet behind you, keeping your knees bent, so that your shins rise up and become parallel to the ground, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced (Figure 72). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back and upper legs (from your hips to your knees) are straight and roughly perpendicular to the ground. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 70). This completes one three quarter head‐stand. Do 1‐3 three‐quarter head‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the three‐quarter head‐
stand position. FULL HEAD‐STAND If you are comfortable and balanced in the three‐quarter head‐stand, you can move on to do the full head‐stand. To do a full head‐stand, return to the HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 56 three‐quarter head‐stand position (Figure 72) via the steps described above. When you are ready, gently raise and point your toes to the sky, bringing your knees to the midline of your body to offset the weight of your feet, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced (Figure 72). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back, legs, and feet are straight and perpendicular to the ground. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 70). This completes one full head‐stand. Do 1‐3 full head‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the full head‐stand position. VARIATIONS: If you are comfortable and balanced in the full head‐stand, a number of head‐stand variations are possible, including the single leg extension and double leg extension. SINGLE LEG EXTENSION To do the head‐stand with single leg extension position, return to the full head‐stand position (Figure 73) via the steps described above. When you are ready, slowly lower one leg to the ground until your toes touch, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced using the muscles of your mid‐body (Figure 74). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back and legs are straight. If you are comfortable, hold this position for at least a moment while ensuring good form and balance. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to the full head‐stand position (Figure 73). Be sure to repeat the movement with the other leg for an equal duration and HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 57 with equal intensity. Finally, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 70). This completes one head‐stand with single leg extension set. Do 1‐3 head‐
stands with single leg extension sets. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the head‐stand with single leg extension position. DOUBLE LEG EXTENSION To do the head‐stand with double leg extension position, return to the full head‐stand position (Figure 73) via the steps described above. When you are ready, slowly lower both legs to the ground until your toes touch, while ensuring that your body remains straight and balanced using the muscles of your mid‐body (Figure 75). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back and legs are straight. If you are comfortable, hold this position for at least a moment, while ensuring good form and balance. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to the full head‐stand (Figure 73) and then to your original starting position (Figure 70). This completes one head‐stand with double leg extension. Do 1‐3 head‐stands with double leg extensions. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the head‐stand with double leg extension position. As you work to master the head‐stand and its variations, you will reach a point where you can do all these positions in a single set of movements over the course of a few minutes, pausing briefly in each position and then gently returning to your original starting position (Figure 70) at the end. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 58 15 Hand‐Stands Level: Advanced Figure 77 Figure 76 Figure 78 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Hand‐stands provide excellent isometric conditioning of the mid and upper body and arms, and help to improve overall balance. Because of the inverted positioning, hand‐stands are an excellent complement to standing or upright exercises. Included below are the half hand‐stand push‐
up, the full hand‐stand, and the full hand‐stand push‐up. A spotter is recommended to assist you in these and all other inverted exercises. Also, since all forms of the hand‐stand are demanding inverted positions, it is advisable to rest in the position in Figure 76 or sitting on your knees for a few moments when finished, and then to take care and watch for lightheadedness when attempting to stand. HALF HAND‐STAND PUSH‐UP To do a half hand‐stand push‐up, begin with your hands on the ground about shoulder‐width apart, arms straight, body bent at the waist, legs straight, and feet together and resting on your toes (Figure 76). When you are ready, gently bend your elbows and lower your face toward the ground, keeping your legs straight. Stop before your face touches the ground. Hold this position for at least several seconds and then reverse your movement, returning to your original starting position for a moment (Figure 76). This completes one half hand‐
stand push‐up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then return to the position in Figure 76 to complete the set. Do 1‐3 sets of half hand‐stand push‐ups. FULL HAND‐STAND If you are comfortable and balanced in the half hand‐stand push‐up, you can move on to do the full hand‐stand. To do a full hand‐stand, return to the position in Figure 72 via the steps 59 described above, but using a spotter and optionally at a solid wall. Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, gently kick up your feet and legs into the full hand‐stand position, centering your weight over your hands and pointing your toes using a wall or spotter at first (Figure 77). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back is roughly straight and perpendicular to the ground. It will likely take multiple attempts at the full hand‐stand before your form is good and you are comfortable and balanced in the full hand‐strand position (even when using a spotter and a solid wall to aid your balance). If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 76). This completes one full hand‐stand. Do 1‐3 full hand‐stands. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote straightness and alignment of your body, to achieve unassisted balance and control in this position, and to increase the duration that you hold the full hand‐stand position. FULL HAND‐STAND PUSH‐UP If you are comfortable and balanced in the full hand‐stand (with a spotter and a solid wall to aid your balance, or unaided), a number of variations are possible, including the full hand‐stand push‐up. To do the full hand‐stand push‐up, return to the full hand‐stand position (Figure 77) via the steps described above, using a spotter and optionally at a solid wall. When you are ready, gently bend your elbows and lower your face toward the ground, stopping about halfway to the ground at first, and then just short of the ground as you develop competency in this exercise, always ensuring that you remain in control of your body weight and that your body remains straight and balanced using HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 60 the muscles of your arms and mid‐
body (Figure 78). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your arms, hands, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your back and legs are straight. If you are comfortable in the lowered position, hold this position for at least several seconds, while ensuring good form and balance, and then reverse your movement, returning to the full hand‐stand position for a moment (Figure 77). This completes one full hand‐stand push‐
up. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 76). This completes one full hand‐stand push‐
up set. Do 1‐3 sets of full hand‐stand push‐ups. As you work to master the full hand‐
stand and its push‐up variation, you will reach a point where you can do all these positions in a single set of movements, pausing briefly in each position and then gently returning to your original starting position (Figure 76) at the end. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 61 16 Front Bridges Level: Intermediate‐Advanced Figure 80 Figure 79 Figure 81 Figure 82 Figure 83 Figure 84 Figure 86 Figure 85 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Front bridges encompass a number of exercises designed to condition our mid‐body and are an important complement to sit‐up or crunch exercises. Since our existing mid‐body strength can range from only fair all the way to excellent, even for people exercising at the intermediate level, front bridge variations allow for progressive mid‐body exercise at many levels of intensity. Included below are the basic front bridge, the front drawbridge, the basic plank, the plank climb, the plank crunch, the plank cross, and the (advanced level) full front bridge. BASIC FRONT BRIDGE To do a basic front bridge, begin with your forearms and palms on the ground, elbows bent, feet together and resting on your toes, with your body raised from the ground, and waist and legs straight (Figure 79). Ask a friend to check your position and adjust your body as needed to achieve correct form. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one basic front bridge. Do 1‐3 basic front bridges. Work to improve the straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the basic front bridge position. FRONT DRAWBRIDGE If you are comfortable and balanced in the basic front bridge, you can move on to do the front drawbridge. To do a front drawbridge, return to the basic front bridge position (Figure 79) via the steps described above. When you are ready, gently bring your face toward the sky while arching your back and bringing your chest forward (Figure 80). Ideally, you will keep your 62 hips and stomach off the ground but you may need to rest your mid‐body on the ground at first. Hold this position for at least a moment and then gently reverse your movements, returning to the basic front bridge position and then immediately raising your hips and buttocks as high as you can toward the sky while keeping your balance and supporting yourself with your forearms and toes (Figure 81). Hold this position for at least a moment and then reverse your movements until you are back in the position in Figure 80. This completes one front drawbridge. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, return to the basic front bridge position in Figure 79, and then slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one front drawbridge set. Do 1‐3 front drawbridge sets. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote control and alignment of your body, and to increase the intensity of the exercise and the duration that you hold the raised positions. BASIC PLANK If you are comfortable and balanced in the front drawbridge exercise, you can move on to do the basic plank and its variations. To do a basic plank, simply assume the full upper push‐up position, with your hands and feet on the ground, arms straight and shoulder‐width apart, fingers together and pointing in line with your body, back and legs straight and level, head facing the ground and level, feet together and resting on your toes (Figure 82). Ask a friend to check your position and adjust your body as needed to achieve correct form. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one basic plank. Do 1‐3 basic planks. Work to improve the straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the basic plank position. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 63 VARIATIONS: Once you are comfortable in the basic plank, a number of variations are possible. Four are included in this section: the elevated drawbridge, the plank climb, the blank crunch, and the plank cross. Note that the last three of these plank variations condition one side of the body at a time. It is essential that you exercise each side of the body for an equal number of repetitions and with equal intensity, whether by alternating sides with each repetition or by doing half‐sets on each side and then switching over to exercise the other side equally to complete the set. ELEVATED DRAWBRIDGE A simple variation on the basic plank is to combine it with the two positions from the front drawbridge, except that the arms are kept straight and resting on the hands only, instead of on the forearms. PLANK CLIMB To do the plank climb, return to the basic plank position (Figure 82) via the steps described above. When you are ready, quickly bring one foot to the ground about half way to your hands in a stepping movement, letting the knee of that leg bend and come up toward your chest, while keeping your arms, back and other leg straight (Figure 83). Hold this position for at least a moment, and then quickly reverse your movements to return to the basic plank. Immediately repeat this movement with your other foot and leg. This completes one plank climb. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, return to the basic plank position in Figure 82, and then slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one plank climb set. Do 1‐3 plank climb sets. PLANK CRUNCH To do the plank crunch, return to the basic plank position (Figure 82) via the steps described above. When you are ready, quickly bring one knee to your chest in a crunching movement while keeping the foot of that leg off the HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 64 ground and keeping your arms, back and other leg straight (Figure 84). Hold this position for at least a moment, and then quickly reverse your movements to return to the basic plank. Immediately repeat this movement with your other knee and leg. This completes one plank crunch. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, return to the basic plank position in Figure 82, and then slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one plank crunch set. Do 1‐3 plank crunch sets. PLANK CROSS To do the plank cross, return to the basic plank position (Figure 82) via the steps described above. When you are ready, quickly bring one knee to your chest in the plank crunch movement in the position in Figure 84 and then immediately point that knee across the midline of your body as far as you can, while keeping the foot of that leg off the ground and keeping your arms, back and other leg straight (Figure 85). Hold this position for at least a moment, and then quickly reverse your movements to return to the basic plank position in Figure 82. Immediately repeat this movement with your other knee and leg. This completes one plank cross. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, return to the basic plank position in Figure 82, and then slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one plank cross set. Do 1‐3 plank cross sets. In all of these plank variations, work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time, to promote control and alignment of your body, and to increase the intensity of the exercise and the duration that you hold the raised leg positions. FULL FRONT BRIDGE If you can do the basic plank and all the plank variations presented above comfortably and are exercising at an advanced level, you can do the full HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 65 front bridge (an advanced level exercise). The full front bridge is a very strenuous exercise that conditions and stresses the entire body, including the neck and back, and you should use a spotter until you fully master this quite intense exercise. To do the full front bridge, return to the basic front bridge position (Figure 79) via the steps described above. When you are ready, gently lower your forehead to the ground and position it to support your body weight (extra padding under your forehead may be needed). Gradually reduce the amount of weight on your forearms by slowly lifting them and shifting more weight to your forehead. If you can bear your upper body weight on your forehead and remain balanced without use of your arms, place your hands behind your back (Figure 86). Ask a spotter to check your position and adjust your back, arms, and legs as needed to achieve correct form, especially ensuring that your neck, back, and legs are roughly straight and parallel to the ground. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly reverse your movements, taking care to stay balanced, and return to your original starting position (Figure 79), and then slowly lower yourself to the ground and rest for a moment. This completes one full front bridge. Do 1‐3 full front bridges. Work to improve the quality and precision of your movements over time to promote control and alignment of your body, and to extend the duration that you hold the full front bridge position. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 66 17 Leg Bridges Level: Intermediate Figure 88 Figure 87 Figure 90 Figure 89 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Leg bridges work to strengthen and promote flexibility in our lower body, and often condition muscles that are greatly under‐utilized in the course of daily life. Included below are two versions of leg bridges: the isometric (stationary) straddle bridge and the dynamic (moving) hopping bridge. STRADDLE BRIDGE To do a straddle bridge, begin in a standing position with your arms at your sides and then kick out your legs and arms so that your feet are at least shoulder‐width apart and pointing slightly outward, your arms are straight out to the side and parallel to the ground, your back and head are straight and perpendicular to the ground, and your head is level and facing forward. Gently bend your knees and lower your body until your upper legs are roughly parallel to the ground (Figure 87). Ask a friend to check your position and adjust your body as needed to achieve correct form. If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, while ensuring good form and balance as you hold the position. Then, slowly raise your body and kick back to a standing position. This completes one straddle bridge. Do 1‐3 straddle bridges. As a variation of this exercise that engages more of your mid‐body, your can do the straddle bridge with your arms overhead instead of outstretched to the side (Figure 88). Work to improve the straightness and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration that you hold the straddle bridge position. HOPPING BRIDGE To do a hopping bridge , return to the basic straddle bridge position (Figure 87) via the steps described above, but this time keep your legs no more than shoulder‐width apart and bring your hands in fists in front of your chest 67 with your elbows bent (Figure 89). When you are ready, bring your feet almost together with a hop (a slight jump), keeping the rest of your body in the same position as before (Figure 90). Hold this position for a moment and then reverse your movement with another hop to return to the position in Figure 89. This completes one hopping bridge. Continue this exercise without stopping until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, return to a standing position with a jump. This completes one hopping bridge set. Do 1‐3 hopping bridge sets. For variation, change the speed of your hopping movement, ranging from including a sustained pause in each position all the way to a very rapid hopping movement. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration and intensity of your hopping bridges. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 68 18 Front Kicks Level: Intermediate Figure 92 Figure 91 Figure 94 Figure 93 Figure 95 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Front kicks improve lower and mid‐
body strength, as well as overall coordination, balance, and agility. IMPORTANT NOTE: The focus of this exercise is on physical conditioning, rather than self‐defense. When using the front kick in self‐defense, it should be only after conflict avoidance techniques and verbal and non‐verbal calming of a potential adversary have been tried. When kicking in self‐
defense, it is essential to maintain your physical balance and mental composure, to kick with sufficient force and speed at a vulnerable area, and to withdraw your leg quickly so that it is not seized by your adversary. The following exercise description is not a substitute for training in self‐
defense techniques by a qualified instructor. To do a front kick, begin with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, arms at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 91). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, gently bring one leg straight back in a reverse lunge, resting the foot of that leg on your toes and taking care not to lose your balance or strike your knee on the ground. Bend your front knee, bring your hands in fists in front of your face and neck, keep your face forward and level, and hold your eyes on your eventual kick target (Figure 92). Quickly move your back leg forward, leading with the knee, and bring the knee of that leg into a knee kick in front of you, so that your moving knee ends up in front of your chest (Figure 93). Without stopping, reverse your movements to return to the position in Figure 94 (same position as in Figure 92 – repeated to emphasize return to back lunge before full kick), taking care to keep good form and alignment and not to lose your balance. Once the 69 toes of your back foot reach the ground, immediately move your back leg forward again, leading once again with the knee, but this time allowing your foot to come forward into a full front kick, which should be thrown from the heel rather than the toes of the kicking foot (Figure 95). Immediately reverse your movements to return to the position in Figure 94. This completes one front kick cycle. Continue this exercise without stopping with the same leg until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, reverse your movements to return to the standing position in Figure 91. This completes one front kick half‐set. Repeat the exercise with the other leg for an equal duration and with equal intensity to complete one front kick set. Do 1‐3 front kick sets. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body and to increase the force, height, and speed of your front kicks. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 70 19 Side Kicks Level: Intermediate Figure 97 Figure 96 Figure 99 Figure 98 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Side kicks improve lower and mid‐
body strength, as well as overall coordination, balance, and agility. IMPORTANT NOTE: The focus of this exercise is on physical conditioning, rather than self‐defense. When using the side kick in self‐defense, it should be only after conflict avoidance techniques and verbal and non‐verbal calming of a potential adversary have been tried. When kicking in self‐
defense, it is essential to maintain your physical balance and mental composure, to kick with sufficient force and speed at a vulnerable area, and to withdraw your leg quickly so that it is not seized by your adversary. The following exercise description is not a substitute for training in self‐
defense techniques by a qualified instructor. To do a side kick, begin with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, your back and legs straight, head aligned and level, while bringing your hands in fists in front of your face and neck with your elbows bent (Figure 96). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, turn your upper body to one side, gently bring your back leg (the one away from your face) backward a half step, with the toes of your back leg pointed out and back, and the knee of that leg bent, keeping your front leg and upper body straight and crouching down slightly, while taking care not to lose your balance and holding your eyes on your eventual kick target (Figure 97). Quickly move your back foot forward, so that it comes to rest on its toes behind your front foot (Figure 98). Immediately raise your forward knee toward your chest, pivot your hips slightly upward so that your hips become roughly perpendicular to the ground, and lower the heel of your back foot to the ground. Without stopping and with 71 your front foot parallel to the ground, bring your front foot forward into a full side kick, which should be thrown from the heel rather than the toes of the kicking foot (Figure 99). Immediately reverse your movements to return to the position in Figure 97. This complete one side kick. Continue this exercise without stopping with the same leg until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first. Then, reverse your movements to return to the standing position in Figure 96. This completes one side kick half‐set. Repeat the exercise on the other side and with the other leg for an equal duration and with equal intensity to complete one side kick set. Do 1‐3 side kick sets. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body and to increase the force, height, and speed of your side kicks. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 72 20 Arm Punches Level: Intermediate Figure 101 Figure 100 Figure 103 Figure 102 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Arm punches improve upper body and arm strength, as well as overall coordination, balance, and agility. Included below are the uppercut arm punch and the straight arm punch. IMPORTANT NOTE: The focus of this exercise is on physical conditioning, rather than self‐defense. When using arm punches in self‐defense, it should be only after conflict avoidance techniques and verbal and non‐verbal calming of a potential adversary have been tried. When punching in self‐
defense, it is essential to maintain your physical balance and mental composure, to protect yourself with your raised arms, to punch with sufficient force and speed at a vulnerable area, and to withdraw your arms quickly so that they are not seized by your adversary. The following exercise description is not a substitute for training in self‐defense techniques by a qualified instructor UPPERCUT ARM PUNCH To do an uppercut arm punch, begin with your feet facing forward and about shoulder‐width apart, your back and legs straight, head aligned and level, while bringing your hands in fists in front of your chest with your elbows bent (Figure 100). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, quickly pivot your hips about fifteen degrees toward one side of your body. This will naturally cause an uppercut punch to be thrown by the arm on the forward‐
moving side of your body. Direct the punch away from you, being careful not to punch yourself, but do not intentionally try to extend your arm, as the uppercut arm punch should originate in the body, not the arms (Figure 101). Immediately reverse your movement and return to the position in Figure 100. This completes one uppercut arm punch. Continue this exercise without stopping until 73 moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and either alternating sides with each punch or doing two consecutive half‐sets on each side of your body. This completes one uppercut arm punch set. Do 1‐3 uppercut arm punch sets. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body to increase the force, speed, frequency, and duration of your arm punches, and to more deeply involve your stomach and chest muscles in the punching movement. STRAIGHT ARM PUNCH To do a straight arm punch, begin with your feet facing forward and about shoulder‐width apart, your back and legs straight, head aligned and level, while bringing your hands in fists in front of your chest with your elbows bent (Figure 102). Take a moment to mentally prepare for the exercise, thinking through the steps you will execute. When you are ready, bring both fists up in front of your face and neck, and quickly throw a punch with one arm straight in front of you at about chest height, turning your shoulder slightly in the direction of the punch so that the punch comes from both the body and the arms (Figure 103). Immediately reverse your movement and return to the position in Figure 102, with your fists kept up in front of your face and neck. This completes one straight arm punch. Continue this exercise without stopping until moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and either alternating sides with each punch or doing two consecutive half‐sets on each side of your body. This completes one straight arm punch set. Do 1‐3 straight arm punch sets. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body to increase the force, speed, frequency, and duration of your arm punches, and to more deeply involve your upper body muscles in the punching movement. COMBINED PUNCHES AND KICKS Once you have mastered these arm punch exercises, you can combine them, as well as the leg kick exercises once you have mastered them, into a dynamic mock self‐defense exercise. To do this, begin in the position in Figure 102 and start a "fighter dance" HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 74 on the balls of your feet and toes, by moving quickly around you in an irregular figure‐eight pattern, with your knees slightly bent and fists in front of you, alternating which leg you lead with, and holding your eyes on your eventual punch and kick target. Practice defending yourself against imagined punches and kicks with sweeping movements of your arms and by jumping out of the way with your dance movement, variably keeping one leg in front and the other slightly behind you, and each time returning to your original position with your arms raised in fists and heels of the ground. When you are ready, begin to add your own varying arm punches and knee and foot kicks, adapted from the descriptions above, to your improvised routine. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body to increase the force, speed, frequency, and duration of your fighter dance, punching, and kicking movements. In your fighter dance movement, practice stepping into your straight arm punches, with the same side leg as the arm you are punching with, for added speed and force. Always remember to quickly withdraw all of your kicks and punches, and to keep your body away from your mock opponent or to defend yourself with sweeping arm blocks. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 75 21 Body Balancing Level: Core Figure 105 Figure 104 Figure 107 Figure 106 Figure 108 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Begin to wind down your workout each time with body balancing exercises. Body balancing promotes coordination and agility, and provides conditioning of much of the body. Balancing also promotes emotional and mental composure, and is an excellent complement to more dynamic and strenuous exercises. Included below are the rocking balance, the upright balance, and the full body balance. All should be done on both sides of the body for an equal duration and with equal intensity. Note that it may initially take more than one attempt at each exercise before your form is good and you are comfortable and balanced in each position. ROCKING BALANCE To do a rocking balance, begin with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, arms at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 104). Bend your elbows and place your hands by your waist, and then gently lift one leg as high as you can in front of you, taking care not to lose your balance, while keeping your back, legs, and head as straight as possible (Figure 105). If you are comfortable, hold this position for a moment and then reverse your movement, but now carrying your leg behind you as far as you can, without touching the floor and bending forward slightly, again taking care not to lose your balance, while keeping your back, legs, and head as straight as possible (Figure 106). This completes one rocking balance. Continue this exercise without stopping on the same side until you are moderately winded or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then return to your original starting position in Figure 104. Repeat the exercise on your other side for the same duration and with equal intensity. This completes one rocking balance set. Do 1‐3 rocking balance sets. As variations, you can do this 76 exercise with your arms extended straight out to the side or over head, instead of bent, and with fists at your waist. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration and height of your rocking movement. UPRIGHT BALANCE To do an upright balance, begin with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, arms at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 104). Raise your arms straight overhead, point your fingers to the sky, and carefully lift one foot off the ground, taking care not to lose your balance, while keeping your back and other leg straight, and keeping your head level and looking forward or at a point on the ground in front of you (Figure 107). If you are comfortable, hold this position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then reverse your movement to return to the position in Figure 104. This completes one upright balance. Repeat the exercise on your other side for the same duration and with equal intensity. This completes one upright balance set. Do 1‐3 upright balance sets. As a variation, you can do this exercise with your face toward the sky and eyes gazing at the space between your thumbs, or even with your eyes closed. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration you hold this balance. FULL BODY BALANCE Once you are comfortable in the rocking balance and upright balance, you can move on to do the full body balance. To do a full balance, begin with your feet facing forward and slightly apart, arms at your sides, back and legs straight, and head straight and level (Figure 104). Keeping your balancing leg straight but not locked, carefully lower your upper body, and raise the other leg behind you and both arms out in front of you, taking care not to lose your balance, until your arms, back, head, and extended leg are all straight and parallel to the ground, with your eyes gazing at a point on the ground under you (Figure 108). If you are comfortable, hold this HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 77 position until you are moderately fatigued or about a minute, whichever comes first, and then reverse your movement to return to the position in Figure 104. This completes one full body balance. Repeat the exercise on your other side for the same duration and with equal intensity. This completes one full body balance set. Do 1‐3 full body balance sets. As a variation, you can do this exercise with your face forward and eyes gazing at the space between your thumbs, or even with your eyes closed. Work to improve the form and alignment of your body, and to increase the duration you hold this balance. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 78 22 Six‐Way Stretch (Warm Down) Level: Core Figure 110 Figure 109 Figure 111 Figure 112 Figure 113 Figure 114 HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 Start and end your calisthenics workout with the six‐way stretch, a series of moves borrowed from modern hatha yoga. This stretch works all your major muscle groups and increases mental focus, and is an efficient way of warming up and cooling down your body. Begin with your feet shoulder‐width apart and toes pointing forward, arms at your side, body straight, head straight and level (Figure 109). Keeping your arms straight and leading with the backs of your hands, stretch your arms slowly forward, and then up and back in their full range of movement. When your arms reach overhead, arch your back slightly and continue reaching with your arms as far back as you can comfortably (Figure 110). Hold this backward stretch for a moment. Next, begin to move your arms forward in a similar sweeping movement, keeping your arms straight and this time leading with the palms of your hands. Straighten your back and then naturally begin to bend forward at the waist with the movement of your arms. Continue bending with the forward and then downward sweep of your arms until your fingers reach your toes or the floor (Figure 111). If you can't reach your toes at first, reach as far down your legs as you can comfortably, but work gradually to improve your flexibility in this stretch. Hold this forward stretch for a moment, and then roll your body gradually back up to your original starting position, beginning with your lower body and then engaging your upper body, and this time keeping your arms at your side (Figure 109). Pause for a moment in the position in Figure 109, and then widen your stance slightly and extend your arms out to the side at the same time with a slight jump, keeping your body, legs 79 and arms straight, head level, and letting your toes naturally point slightly outward (Figure 112). Turn one foot out to the side and gradually lower the same side arm until your fingers touch the floor next to the instep of your out‐turned foot. At the same time, extend your other arm toward the sky and fix your eyes on the thumb of your raised hand, taking care to keep your arms and legs straight and to maintain your balance (Figure 113). If you can't reach the floor at first, reach as far down your leg as you can comfortably and grasp your leg, but work gradually to improve your flexibility in this stretch. Hold this side stretch for a moment, and then slowly reverse your movement until you are back in your original starting position (Figure 112). Repeat the stretch on your other side for an equal period of time. After pausing for a moment in the position in Figure 112, again turn one foot out to the side, and this time gradually lower your opposite arm toward that foot, twisting at your waist, until your fingers touch the floor on the far side of your out‐
turned foot. At the same time, extend your other arm toward the sky and fix your eyes on the thumb of your raised hand, taking care to keep your arms and legs straight and maintaining your balance (Figure 114). If you can't reach the floor at first, reach as far down your leg as you can comfortably and grasp your leg, but work gradually to improve your flexibility in this stretch. Hold this side twist for a moment, and then slowly reverse your movement until you are back in your original starting position (Figure 112). Repeat the stretch on your other side for an equal period of time. After pausing for a moment in the position in Figure 112 return to the position in Figure 109 with a slight jump and take several breaths. This completes the six‐way stretch. You can do the six‐way stretch any time you want – it is a great way to reenergize your body after either extended activity or inactivity. As a variation, you can do the backward and forward stretches with your feet together or with your feet wide apart. Each HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 80 variation gives you a slightly different full body stretch. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 81 HumanaNatura Program Terms of Use Restrictions on use This natural health program is published by HumanaNatura, Inc., a non‐profit organization. The material is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute any material from this health program in any way, except that you may copy material from this health program for your personal, non‐commercial use only, provided you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. Limitation of liability Under no circumstances, including but not limited to negligence, shall HumanaNatura be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the HumanaNatura natural health program. If you are dissatisfied with any HumanaNatura material, or with any of HumanaNatura's terms and conditions, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using the HumanaNatura health program. Notices and procedure for making claims of copyright infringement Pursuant to Title 17, United States Code, Section 512(c)(2), notifications of claimed copyright infringement should be sent to HumanaNatura at the address posted on our website: www.HumanaNatura.org. Other This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Kansas without giving effect to any principles or conflicts of law. If any provision of this agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. HumanaNatura Calisthenics Guide – Version 3.4 82