What’s up fitness friends!
Looking to master those cool calisthenics moves, torch fat, and build some serious muscle? Well you’re in luck because today I’m going to introduce you to Chris Heria. He’s the top expert in bodyweight training today thanks to his crazy popular YouTube videos, ThenX calisthenics programs, and his own fitness app.
In this guide, we’ll break down Chris’s best workout routines, training plans, and wicked exercise moves. I’ll even share my own experience trying his calisthenics workouts over the past few weeks! Stick with me and you’ll be busting out muscle-ups and handstands in no time flat.
Now let’s see what this training beast is all about!
Who Is Chris Heria?
Before jumping into the workouts, let me give you the 4-1-1 on Chris’s background so you understand his street cred when it comes to calisthenics. Simply put, this dude walks the walk when it comes to extreme bodyweight training!
Chris first exploded onto the scene with his hugely viral YouTube channel, racking up over 4 million subscribers. Fans tune in to watch him demo insane calisthenics feats like one-arm pull-ups and pistol squats. I don’t know about you, but my biceps burn just watching this guy!
When he’s not posting YouTube vids, Chris also runs the ThenX calisthenics training program to teach his workout system to people like you and me. ThenX offers online courses, workshops, certifications and more to take your bodyweight skills to the next level.
And as if that weren’t enough, he also created his own ThenX app with step-by-step workout programs and progress tracking. Plus he trains celebrities like NFL superstar Odell Beckham Jr too!
Let’s just say Chris definitely walks the walk when it comes to extreme fitness! One look at his ripped year-round physique shows he clearly knows his stuff.
So with top credentials and stacks of real-world experience, Chris Heria has tons to teach when it comes to bodyweight training. Let’s dive in and learn from one of the best in the business!
Chris Heria’s Training Philosophy
When it comes to exercise, Chris has a specific philosophy centered around mastering bodyweight moves through steady, progressive training. Here are some of his core principles:
Focus On Calisthenics Fundamentals
Chris believes mastering basic movements like pull-ups, push-ups, squats and planks should be the base of any solid fitness plan. These exercises engage multiple muscle groups at once for an efficient workout.
Use Progressions
Can’t bust out a pull-up yet? No worries! Chris is all about progressions that take you from easier versions of the move to more advanced over time. This allows you to gradually build strength as you stick with it.
Train With Consistency
Chris stresses that true gains require intense training 4-6 times per week over an extended period. No quitting if you don’t have a 6-pack after a month! His programs take dedication but deliver serious results.
Combine Cardio And Weights
While calisthenics are his bread and butter, Chris says adding some cardio intervals and weight lifting maximizes your gains. He favors HIIT training for burning flab fast.
Fuel With Proper Nutrition
A clean, protein-packed diet goes hand in hand with quality training. Chris sticks to simple whole foods properly timed around his extreme workouts.
Now that you know a little about his training philosophy, let’s check out Chris’s best calisthenics workout and training plans to take your routine to the next level!
Best Calisthenics Workouts From Chris Heria
Over the years, Chris has shared numerous detailed workout routines for calisthenics skills progression, strength building, fat burning metabolic conditioning, and more.
His programs run the spectrum from beginner moves to insanely hard advanced exercises only the top athletes can perform. Let’s break down some of Chris Heria’s best calisthenics workout routines by category:
Beginner Calisthenics Workout Routine
I’ll start with a great beginner workout from Chris focused specifically on building a foundation of bodyweight strength:
| Exercise | Goal | Steps |
| Pull Ups Progression | 10 Perfect Form Pull Ups | First Progression – Australian pull ups – 3 sets x 10 reps Second Progression – Jumping pull ups – 3 sets x 10 reps Third Progression – Jumping negative pull ups – 3 sets x 10 reps Final Step – Perform 1 strict pull up, repeat process until you can complete 3 sets of 10 strict pull ups |
| Push Ups Progression | 15 Perfect Form Push Ups | First Progression – Elevated push ups – 3 sets x 20 reps Second Progression – Knee push ups – 3 sets x 20 reps Final Step – Perform 1 strict push up, repeat process until you can bang out 3 sets of 15 strict push ups |
| Dips Progression | 10 Perfect Form Dips | First Progression – Bench dips – 3 sets x 15 reps Second Progression – Jump negative dips – 3 sets x 10 reps Final Step – Perform 1 proper dip, repeat process until you hit 3 sets of 10 dips |
| Bodyweight Squats | 20 Perfect Form Bodyweight Squats | First Progression – Chair squats – 3 sets x 20 reps Final Step – Perform as many bodyweight squats as possible with good form. |
| L-Sit Progression | 45 Second L-sit Hold | First Progression – 60 second tuck L-sit hold Final Step – Work up to a 45 second full L-sit |
| Handstand Push Up Progression | 10 Perfect Handstand Push Ups | First Progression – Pike push ups – 3 sets x 10 reps Second Progression – Elevated pike push ups – 3 sets x 10 reps Third Progression – Wall walks – work on balance and body awareness |
| Dead Hang From Pull Up Bar | 2 Min Dead Hang | First Progression – 60 second two-arm dead hang |
This routine checks all the boxes for a solid calisthenics foundation focusing on the fundamental movement patterns. The step-by-step progressions allow you to start from wherever you are now fitness-wise and systematically build strength over time. Master this beginner workout first before moving on to more complex exercises.
Morning Workout For Fat Burning
Since Chris is all about that shredded life 24/7, he’s got some great metabolic conditioning routines to torch fat first thing in the morning. They take advantage of your resting metabolism being at its highest after fasting overnight.
Here’s a short 7 minute morning burner Chris recommends. It’s a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) style workout mixing bodyweight moves and plank holds:
7 Minute Morning Fat Burn
| Exercise | Duration |
|---|---|
| Half Burpees | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Plank with alternating toe taps | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Side plank hold | 45 seconds each side | 15 second rest |
| Low plank to high plank | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Butt kicks | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Hanging knee raises | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Jumping air squats | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
The short duration but all-out effort makes this an excellent choice first thing when energy levels are high. Chris says by jumpstarting your metabolism early, your body ends up burning extra calories for hours after this quick calisthenics session.
And here’s a more extended 10 minute morning shred workout from Chris combining bodyweight moves with traditional cardio intervals:
10 Minute Morning Fat Shred
| Exercise | Duration |
|---|---|
| Push Up Challenge – 100 total reps Sets of 20-50 reps | Mix up grip/hand position. | Not specified |
| Jumping jacks | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Burpees (no jump) | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Mountain climbers | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Plank kick throughs | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| In and out abs | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| High knee taps | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Squat jumps | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| High plank in and outs | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Russian twists | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Bicycle crunches | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Skaters | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Reverse crunches | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| V ups | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Plank up downs | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Frog hops | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Burpees | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
This calisthenics circuit packs a ton of fat burning potential into just 10 minutes. The mixture of bodyweight moves like burpees and plank variations along with jumping cardio exercises like skaters and frog hops will skyrocket your heart rate.
Chris says to go hard on every exercise for the 45 seconds because that’s what makes this an awesome metabolic conditioning workout. It’s like interval training but using calisthenics moves instead of straight running or biking. Give it a try!
See also:
- Christian Bale’s Workout For Batman.
- How Many Hours Does Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Train?
- How Does Mr.Olympia Workout Routine Look Like?
- Did Chris Hemsworth Take Steroids For Thor?
- Alan Ritchson’s Beastly Transformation For Reacher.
- And Many More.
Evening Bodyweight Workout
Here’s a great end-of-day calisthenics routine from Chris that works for both beginners through advanced levels. Simply modify the exercises as needed and use more/less rest time depending on your current ability:
Calisthenics Evening Shred Session
| Exercise | Duration |
|---|---|
| Burpee (no jump variation) | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Mountain climbers | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Push ups | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Bodyweight jump squats | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Reverse crunches | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Plank hip dips | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Skater hops | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| High knee taps | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Russian twists into sit ups | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
| Medicine ball slams | 45 seconds | 15 second rest |
Again, this evening calisthenics routine takes advantage of the HIIT training effect by going hard for 45 second bursts then taking minimal rest periods. The mixture of bodyweight moves works your full body from head to toe.
Chris recommends beginners do 1 round of this circuit while intermediates shoot for 2-3 rounds. Advanced folks can try 4-5 rounds if properly conditioned. Scale the number of sets to your current ability and work on increasing total volume over time.
30 Day Calisthenics Transformation
Want Chris Heria’s step-by-step plan to transform your physique in 30 days using calisthenics? Then check out his full month-long shred program here with a complete day-by-day training schedule:
Chris Heria’s 30 Day Calisthenics Transformation
This structured workout plan from Chris has everything neatly programmed out. It combines bodyweight circuits, metabolic cardio sessions, ab routines, and recovery days into one comprehensive 4 week training block.
The variety of workouts keeps things interesting while the progressive daily loading pattern pushes you outside your comfort zone. If you follow the plan as written, Chris promises noticeable muscle growth and fat loss in just 30 days!
Chris Heria’s Top 5 Ab Exercises
Let’s be real. We all want a shredded six pack like Chris Heria flaunts, right? Well you better believe that rock solid core comes from training abs directly too. So check out Chris’s favorite core moves:
| Exercise | Steps |
|---|---|
| Hanging Leg Raises | Chris says this exercise taxes all the abdominal muscles in one shot thanks to the full range hanging position. Make sure you focus on slow, controlled reps |
| Ab Wheel Roll Outs | Rolling out to extension challenges your core to stabilize against the load, something traditional crunches lack. Use ab wheel from knees or standing to adjust difficulty |
| Weighted Russian Twists | Adding resistance to the twisting motion increases oblique activation leading to that coveted X-frame look. Start light until you perfect form |
| Plank Variations | Chris utilizes endless plank mods like walk-outs, pops, and reaches to fry abs. Changing the angle/leverage is key for progression over time |
| Candle Stick Holds | This notoriously hard exercise develops crazy core control. Use parallette bars or chairs to assist at first until you build requisite straight arm strength |
Mix the above ab exercises into your routine 2-3 times a week for rapid core development. Chris advocates high rep ranges from 12-20 reps per set to maximize abdominal muscle fatigue. Let pain be your guide! 😊
Chris Heria’s Training Tips And Tricks
Through years of dialing in his personal calisthenics workouts and coaching countless clients, Chris Heria has developed numerous training tips for optimal success:
Progress Overload Through Proper Form
Don’t rush sloppy reps just to hit an arbitrary number goal. Perfect practice makes perfect! Master quality movement patterns first before chasing extreme loads or volume.
Structure Consistent Training Habits
Motivation comes and goes but a steadfast workout schedule withstands emotional ups and downs. Establish consistent workout blocks in your calendar and stick with them.
Customize Workouts To Your Goals
Don’t simply copy someone else’s routine if it doesn’t align with your current physique and desired outcomes. Pick specific exercises that will most directly help you reach your custom goals.
Monitor Nutrition For Fuel And Recovery
Calories still count so carefully track macros for surplus/maintenance/deficit targets based on whether you want muscle gain or fat loss. And don’t neglect micronutrient needs for recovery!
Allow Planned Rest And Recovery
Training through fatigue and injury only spirals downward. Program deload blocks ahead of time to respect your body’s need for recuperation. Come back stronger for it.
** Celebrate Small Wins**
Don’t get trapped only chasing the end goal like achieving your first muscle-up. Enjoy each small win along the journey whether it’s your first strict pull up or longest crow stand hold. Marks progress!
My Experience With Chris Heria’s Workouts
After researching Chris Heria’s training methodology, I decided to test his workouts myself over the past month. I’ve mainly been following Chris Heria’s YouTube channel which is packed with excellent calisthenics exercise demonstration videos and workout ideas.
Here were my beginning stats when I started one month ago:
- 34 years old.
- 182 pounds.
- 16% body fat.
- Could do about 5-8 pull ups.
- 10-15 push ups.
- Maybe 1 dip.
Definitely considered myself a beginner when it comes to calisthenics skills so I focused on mastering fundamentals through progressions as Chris teaches.
I started doing Chris’s recommended beginner routine 3 days a week, leaving a day of rest between sessions. Sessions averaged 60-75 minutes including warmup and cooldown elements.
Here were my beginner workout splits over the month:
- Workout A: Pull Up Progression, Dip Progression, Push Up Progression.
- Workout B: Bodyweight Squats, L-Sit Progression, Row Progression.
- Workout C: Handstand Push Up Progression, Hanging Leg Raises, Plank Variations.
The first week felt easy since I was getting the hang of the easier strength progressions. But as I moved into more challenging exercise variations week-by-week, intensity ramped up fast!
On top of the resistance sessions, I did 2 HIIT workouts and 1-2 cardio sessions a week blending Chris Heria and standard metabolic style conditioning.
After a month of following Chris Heria’s calisthenics system, here were my end results:
- Weigh 178 pounds.
- Body fat now 14% by calipers.
- Can perform 3 sets of 8-10 strict pull ups!
- Hit 50 push ups straight in my max set.
- Increased to 3 sets of 12+ good form parallel bar dips.
So in one month I…
Lost 4 pounds of body fat
Gained noticeable muscle and definition particularly in back, arms, shoulders and chest. Greatly increased strength on pull ups, push ups and dips Developed way better mind-muscle connection on these fundamentals
I credit the progression system and volume recommendations from Chris Heria for helping me finally break through strength plateaus. My technique is far better after concentrating so much on quality form too.
In month two I plan to continue mastering the basics while slowly incorporating more advanced calisthenics skills like muscle-ups. Chris Heria delivers awesome workouts – now go try them for yourself!
Delving Deeper Into Intermediate Calisthenics
Now that I’ve built a solid beginner base of strength over the past month, I want to continue advancing my skills.
So in month two, I’m evolving my workouts to align with Chris Heria’s intermediate programs to develop more advanced calisthenics abilities.
Specifically, I’m introducing three new major elements:
Muscle Up Progression
The muscle-up is an iconic calisthenics move combining a pull up exploded into a dip at the top. It’s incredibly impressive yet requires serious strength.
Chris breaks down the process step-by-step to work up to your first muscle-up. I’ll be drilling his progressions like negative muscle-ups, banded muscle-ups, and high pull ups with added assistance strength training.
Front Lever Progression
The front lever involves holding your entire body straight and parallel to the ground, supported only by your hands gripping the pull up bar.
It demonstrates incredible core control and remains one of the “gold standards” for intermediate calisthenics practitioners.
I’ve begun working Chris’ front lever progressions 2 times a week focusing on increasing holds from 10 seconds up towards a 60 second goal.
Handstand Push Up Progression
I got decent at regular push ups over the past month. Now I want to take that horizontal press strength vertical by mastering the handstand push up movement pattern.
The shoulder and arm strength required for handstand push ups directly translates to new skills like handstands and planches too.
I’ll be drilling Chris Heria’s handstand push up progressions during my vertical push days consisting of pike push ups, wall walks, handstand holds against the wall, and more.
Tweaking My Calisthenics Nutrition Plan
They say you can’t out-train a poor diet. So as I move into more advanced calisthenics skills in month two, I know quality nutrition will be critical.
Here are some tweaks I’m making to my food plan based on Chris Heria’s dietary advice:
Consuming More Protein
Protein provides the amino acids to repair muscle damage from intense training. I’m bumping my protein from 1 gram per pound of body weight up to 1.25-1.5 grams following Chris’ guidance.
Strategic Nutrient Timing
The right nutrients at the right time around workouts enhances performance and recovery. I’m emphasizing pre/post workout protein/carb nutrition for optimal workout fueling.
Increasing Caloric Intake
Ramping up training volume and intensity requires extra energy. I’m adding 200-300 clean calories daily by increasing complex carbs and healthy fats to fuel gains.
Taking Supplements Strategically
I’ve begun supplementing with whey protein, creatine, Vitamin D and ZMA per Chris’ advice to maximize training response. The extra support should help quicken strength and muscle gains.
With these nutritional techniques implemented, I’m excited to see how my body transforms over month two of following Chris Heria’s calisthenics programs!
Looking Towards The Future
I clearly still have a long way to go in my calisthenics journey over the next year and beyond. Luckily Chris Heria has plenty of advanced workout programs when I’m ready to take the next step!
His more extreme routines combine hardcore strength moves like the planche, front lever rows, human flag holds along with advanced skills like 360 pulls and muscle-up variations.
Chris also shares specialized workouts just for climbing, obstacle course racing, martial arts, parkour, and more unique sports.
I know if I continue gradually progressing over months and years, I’ll eventually reach an elite level of calisthenics fitness with Chris as my guide. Step-by-step!
The key is remaining motivated through the process, celebrating small wins, yet never losing sight of my bigger end goals. Chris teaches it’s about the long-term journey fueling consistent daily progress through smart training.
If you want to transform your own physique, skill level, and self-confidence, I highly recommend checking out Chris Heria’s workout programs. Just remember…
“Motivation gets you going but discipline keeps you growing!”
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References
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- Int J Environ Res Public Health. (2021) – Evidence-Based Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Exercise Capacity and Health: A Review with Historical Perspective. Published online 2021 Jul 5. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18137201
- J Exerc Sci Fit. (2020) – Metabolic effects of two high-intensity circuit training protocols: Does sequence matter? Published online 2019 Aug 7. doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2019.08.001
- World J Cardiol. (2019) – High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases – The key to an efficient exercise protocol. Published online 2019 Jul 26. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v11.i7.171
- Postgrad Med J. (2006) – Micronutrients in health and disease. 2006 Sep; 82(971): 559–567. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.2006.047670
