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Workouts

Train Like a Gymnast: Bodyweight Skills, Strength, and Flexibility

This 12-week cycle of Breaking Muscle gymnastics workouts increase your strength and flexibility while boosting muscular endurance.

Chris Lofland

Written by Chris Lofland Last updated on Feb 22, 2023

Week 1

Day 1

5X1 legless rope climb

3-5 sets of:

  • 10 strict pull ups
  • 25 V ups
Legless Rope Climb

V-Up

Day 2

3 Sets of:

Week 1

Day 1

5X1 legless rope climb

3-5 sets of:

  • 10 strict pull ups
  • 25 V ups
Legless Rope Climb

V-Up

Day 2

3 Sets of:

  • 1:00 Left Split
  • 1:00 Right Split
  • 1:00 Middle Split
Splits

Day 3

5X: 15 seconds L-sit in tuck position

1 X 50 box jump-overs

The video below shows an extended L-sit. Pull the knees to the chest for the tucked version.

L-Sit

Day 4

3 X 5 bridge push ups

5 x 1 skin the cat

3 X 30 seconds weighted pike stretch

Roll to Pike Stretch

Skin the Cat

Day 5

3 X 5-10 strict handstand push ups

3 sets of:

  • 10 strict toes to bar
  • 15 ring push ups
Freestanding HandStand Push Up

L Hang to Toes to Bar

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of programming you’re in.

Week 2

Day 1

4X2 legless rope climb

3-5 sets of:

  • 10 strict pull ups
  • 15 ring push ups
Legless Rope Climb

Day 2

10 sets of grip complex

Grip Complex

Day 3

5X 15 seconds L-sit in tuck position

3-5 sets of:

  • 5 wall climbs
  • 20 jumping lunges

To achieve the tuck position, pull the knees tightly into the chest.

L-Sit

Day 4

3 Sets of:

  • 1:00 Left Split
  • 1:00 Right Split
  • 1:00 Middle Split
Splits

Day 5

3 X 5-10 strict handstand push ups

4 sets of:

  • 5-10 ice cream scoopers (aka pull up to front lever)
  • 10 high box jumps

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 3

Day 1

4X2 Legless rope climb

3-5 sets of:

  • 20 V ups
  • 20 Hip extensions
Legless Rope Climb

V-Up

Day 2

3X5 Bridge push ups

5X1 Skin the cat

3X30 seconds Weighted pike stretch

Skin the Cat

Roll to Pike Stretch

Day 3

5X15 seconds L-sit

3-5 sets

  • 10 High box jump
  • 25 Hollow rock
L-Sit

Hollow Rock

Day 4

10 sets of grip complex

Grip Complex

Day 5

3X10-20 Strict HSPU

75-100 Ring push ups

Freestanding HandStand Push Up

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 4

Day 1

5X1 legless tuck rope climb

3-5 sets of:

  • 10 behind-the-neck pull up
  • 10 burpee box jump

Day 2

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle split
Splits

Day 3

5X15 seconds L-sit

For form:

  • 50 hollow rocks
  • 50 superman rocks
L-Sit

Hollow Rock

Day 4

3X5 bridge push up

5X1 skin the cat

3X30 seconds weighted pike stretch

Skin the Cat

Roll to Pike Stretch

Day 5

10:00 handstand work

3X10-20 strict HSPU

50 burpees

100 double unders

Handstand Push Up

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 5

Day 1

5X1 L-sit rope climb

3 sets of

  • 5 wall climbs
  • 10 high box jumps

Day 2

10 sets of grip complex

Day 3

5:00 tripod/headstand work

5:00 handstand work

30 strict ring dips

Day 4

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 5

5-10X1 press to handstand

3-5 sets of

  • 30 double under
  • 25 squats
  • 20 tucked leg raises

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 6

Day 1

3X5-10 L pull up

3-5 sets of

  • 3 inverted hang lower slow to hang
  • 6 high box jump

Day 2

3X5 bridge push ups

5X1 skin the cat

3X :30 weighted pike stretch

Day 3

3X10 strict ring dips

100 push ups (hollow)

Day 4

10 sets of grip complex

Day 5

5-10X1 press to handstand

5-10X1 press to headstand

100 V-ups

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 7

Day 1

5X1 L-sit rope climb (can sub legless)

4 sets of

  • 5 undergrip pull up
  • 5 overgrip pull up
  • 5 kipping pull up

all done without letting go of the bar

Day 2

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 3

5:00 tripod/headstand work

5:00 handstand work

40 strict ring dips

Day 4

3X5 bridge push ups

5X1 skin the cat

3X :30 weighted pike stretch

Day 5

5X1-2 press to handstand

5X2-3 press to headstand

5 sets of

  • 5 consecutive box jumpovers (line up 5 boxes or hurdles)

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 8

Day 1

3X5-10 L-pull ups

15 candlestick to tuck jump

50 jumping lunges with arms over head

Day 2

10 sets of grip complex

Day 3

4X10 strict ring dips

3-5 sets of:

  • 20 hollow rocks
  • 20 superman rocks

Day 4

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 5

5X1-2 press to handstand

5X3 press to headstand

15 muscle ups

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 9

Day 1

5-10 minutes skill work: forward roll

5-10 sets of complex:

forward roll to press handstand, pike down. roll to candlestick

Day 2

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 3

5-10 sets of complex:

muscle up to L-sit, control to hang to inverted hang, control lower to hang

Day 4

10 sets of grip complex

Day 5

20-30 minutes of of work:

day 1 and 3 complexes

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 10

Day 1

5-10 minutes skill work: back roll

5-10 sets of complex:

press headstand to back roll to plank + 5 push ups

Day 2

3X5 bridge push ups

5X1 skin the cat

3X 30 seconds weighted pike stretch

Day 3

5-10 minutes skill work: ring forward roll to hang

5-10 sets complex:

muscle up to front roll, hang + 10 leg raise to L position

Day 4

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 5

20-30 minutes work:

day 1 and 3 complexes

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 11

Day 1

5-10 minutes skill work: forward roll

5-10 sets of complex:

headstand to handstand, step down to forward roll, drop to 5 push up

Day 2

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 3

5-10 minutes skill work:

ring control roll back to inverted L position

5-10 sets of complex:

muscle up control back roll to inverted L-hang to skin the cat

Day 4

10 sets of grip complex

Day 5

20-30 minutes of work:

day 1 and 3 complexes

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 12

Day 1

5-10 minutes skill work:

back roll

5-10 sets of complex:

forward roll to press handstand, pike down, back roll to candlestick

Day 2

3X5 bridge push ups

5X1 skin the cat

3X 30 seconds seated pike stretch

Day 3

5-10 sets of complex:

muscle up to front roll to hang, muscle up control back roll to inverted pike

Day 4

3 sets of:

  • 1:00 left split
  • 1:00 right split
  • 1:00 middle

Day 5

20-30 minutes of work:

day 1 and 3 complexes

Chris Lofland

About Chris Lofland

Chris Lofland coached and competed in the sport of gymnastics for over a decade. In 2007 he became a CrossFit coach and began coaching the CrossFit Gymnastics certifications. Since then, Chris has started his own seminar series covering gymnastics, weightlifting, and general movement. In 2016, he opened up BlueWave Fitness in Fort Worth, TX, where he coaches general fitness, performance fitness, weightlifting, and competitive Crossfit athletes.

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