What's your pull-up grip?
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Before training one arm chin-ups, read this.
Here are the mistakes I’ve learned so you don’t waste time
I started calisthenics in 2009 as a 17-year-old, spending my first years doing high rep basics.
One day I saw a video on YouTube of someone doing a one arm chin-up (OAC) and I was motivated to learn it.
Within six months of training, I managed my first OAC …or so I thought. My “rep” began from a bent-arm position..
Online feedback was blunt - "that's cheating" "that doesn't count" "why post this trash bro?"
I told myself I was sore, tired, stressed, under-recovered. None of it was true. I simply wasn’t strong enough.
With my pride attacked, I rebuilt my training from scratch to prove the haters wrong. Every chin-up began from a full dead hang. My reps dropped and my ego took a hit, but strict form was non-negotiable.
Had I respected full range of motion from the start, I’d have achieved a legit OAC much sooner.
Most people skip this lesson. Cutting range of motion gives an immediate sense of progress, but it’s an illusion. If you want the OAC —or any advanced skill—use strict form every rep, every session.
After months of disciplined training, I finally did OACs on both arms from the dead hang.
Progress fired me up, but my next mistake was training too hard, too often. OACs are brutal on the elbows, joints and tendons.
Ignoring warning signs, I kept adding weight to my chin-ups and doing tons of sets despite growing pain inside my elbows. Soon even daily tasks like turning a door handle hurt. A physiotherapist diagnosed bilateral golfer’s elbow. Rehab forced me to drop intensity and rebuild tendon strength. It was frustrating, but necessary. Patience isn’t optional, it’s the key ingredient for sustainable strength.
Preventing injury is always easier than fixing it. Intelligent programming, gradual loading, and listening to your body will keep you in the game.
If you do get injured, don’t panic. Regaining lost strength is faster than gaining it the first time because of neural adaptation from prior training. After a few months of careful rehab, I regained my OAC without pain.
But I didn’t stop at a single rep. To truly own a bodyweight skill, multiple clean reps prove mastery. I set a goal of five consecutive reps on each arm with zero elbow pain. It took two more years of smart, patient training, but I eventually achieved it.
Being six feet tall and weighing 85 kg isn’t the ideal build for calisthenics, which makes this achievement even more meaningful to me.
The biggest lesson from my journey isn’t about secret exercises or complicated workouts. It’s about mindset. Confidence and belief drive the process.
If you don’t first see yourself doing an OAC it will never happen.
Approach every session with strict form, respect for recovery, and an unshakable belief that you can do it.
I believe in your potential, do you?
📌 Get my calisthenics workouts here - fitnessfaqs.com/programs
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Are You Sleeping Enough?
One bad night of sleep usually won’t ruin your workout..
But stack up several nights of undersleeping, and the effects add up fast: worse mood, less energy, slower recovery, less muscle and strength gain.
If you’re pushing high training volumes or working on technical skills, chronic sleep debt can seriously hold you back.
How much should I sleep per night?
7-8 hours sleep is the sweet spot for most people.
How To Sleep Better
• Avoid screens/bright light before bed
• Keep regular sleep and wake times
• Make your room cool, dark, and quiet
• Follow a consistent bedtime routine
• Get morning sunlight
It's important you build good habits to improve sleep quality. Having healthy sleep hygiene lets you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up with more energy.
Thankyou for listening to my TED Talk, now go get your 8 hours shut eye.
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What's the most unconventional exercise in your workout? Wait until you see the last slide..
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I help you transform with calisthenics training.
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