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Progressive Calisthenics - The Official Blog for the PCC Community

partner calisthenics

Bodyweight Badassery Meets the Sideshow at the Seashore

September 19, 2017 By Danny Kavadlo 8 Comments

Al Danny Kavadlo Coney Island

A few nights ago, as summer was coming to a close, my son and I went to the beach one last time this season. We sat on the sand and looked into the sky. Slowly, I closed my eyes and reflected on the rapidly dwindling summer days of 2017. Times come and times go. All we are left with is our memories. And there is one summer memory stands above all as the freakiest!

This past Labor Day weekend, my brother Al Kavadlo and I had the tremendous honor of serving on a panel of judges at the 10th Annual Coney Island Beard and Moustache Contest. It was our job to see which whiskers reign supreme in New York City and beyond. But there’s more: We were enlisted not only as judges… but also as performers!

The contest took place at the Coney Island Sideshow, home to circus showmen and human oddities throughout history. Hosted by performing strongman Adam Realman and “Handsome” Dick Manitoba (from legendary punk band The Dictators), the night was a celebration of classic New York, wacky and wild, in all its glory. The energy was infectious.

Adam Realman and Dick Manitoba

About halfway through the show, we had already viewed the hirsute contestants of several categories, including “Man or Beast” (best natural beard) and “Coney Island Curl” (best styled moustache). Now it was time for our act.

I can’t express what a remarkable experience it was to perform our bodyweight strongman act on this legendary stage. It warmed our hearts to be part of such a special history. From the sideshow performers of yesteryear, to modern day bodybuilders, to the pro-wrestlers we all admired as kids, there’s nothing like a strongman show!

In fact, as a kid growing up in South Brooklyn, it’s been a lifelong dream of mine to one day take the stage at the hallowed freakshow. Now I had my chance!

Al and Danny Kavadlo Partner Front Lever

We really wanted to do something special for the show, so we made it a point to feature only partner calisthenics in our act. Al and I demonstrated our signature partner front lever from the cover of Street Workout and the two-man human flag from Convict Conditioning 2. I even stood upon his back bridge as seen in Pushing The Limits. Most of the exercises we performed are detailed in our book Get Strong.

It was also a great thrill to serve as an ambassador of sorts, introducing the word of progressive calisthenics to a whole, new audience. The posse’s getting bigger!

Like the summer itself, our set seemed to fly by. Back to the facial hair! Soon, we were onto judge the “Dog and Pony” (best partial beard/chops) and “Carny Trash” (worst in show) awards. Bring it on!

Of course, the night ended with the coveted Brass Ring (best in show) and several other fantastic performances. Congratulations to all the winners and competitors of this amazing competition! The facial hair game is STRONG in Brooklyn!

Coney Island Beard and Moustache group photo

But for me, even more than the facial hair, keeping the strongman dream alive—bodyweight style—in Coney Island, Brooklyn is what made this night magic. Truly, this is one summer memory I want to hold onto. Fugeddaboutit!

Photos: Eliza Rinn and Norman Blake

****

Danny Kavadlo is one of the world’s leading authorities on calisthenics, nutrition and personal training. He is the author of several best-selling Dragon Door titles including GET STRONG and STRENGTH RULES. Danny has been featured in the New York Times, Men’s Fitness, and the Huffington Post. He is a regular contributor to Bodybuilding .com and TRAIN magazine. When not working one-on-one with clients in his native New York City, Danny travels the world as a Master Instructor in Dragon Door’s internationally acclaimed Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Find out more about Danny at www.DannyTheTrainer.com

Filed Under: Progressive Calisthenics Tagged With: Al Kavadlo, bodyweight exercise, bodyweight strongman, Coney Island, Danny Kavadlo, Freak Show, partner calisthenics

Partner Calisthenics: It’s Still Bodyweight Training!

June 28, 2016 By Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo 13 Comments

Kavadlo Brothers Front Levers

We’ve often said that the possibilities are limitless when it comes to bodyweight training. Beyond all of the variations and combinations of calisthenics exercises that can keep one busy for a lifetime, the realm of partner bodyweight training opens up an entirely new avenue to explore. Though we recommend a solid foundation in bodyweight basics like push-ups, pull-ups and squats before attempting these moves, once you have established a baseline of strength and body awareness, you can have fun playing with these partner variants.

When performing coordinated bodyweight exercises in tandem with another human being, the proprioceptive challenges are increased, and you are forced to pay extra attention not only to your own movements, but those of your partner as well. The following exercises are all about communication and working as a team. Both parties must use their entire bodies in distinct ways to achieve success in this arena. Remember to switch roles with your partner when practicing these exercises, as each person’s role is different within each move and experiencing both sides of the equation will lead to a more well rounded training session.

So grab a friend and let’s get started! Hey hey hey – it’s still bodyweight training!

Human Flag and Human Flag Pole
This is the exercise that the Kavadlo brothers first became known for in the Dragon Door community. We appeared on the cover of Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning 2 performing this feat which went on to become a signature exercise for us. The book also went on to become one of Dragon Door’s best-selling titles and has since been published in nearly a dozen languages. People all over the world have now seen this iconic image immortalized on that infamous cover.

German Convict Conditioning

The human flag is impressive enough when performed on a steel pole, but when it’s performed on another human being it is even more amazing!

At first glance, it’s easy to discern that the flagger has some extra work on his hands. Obviously, no one’s skin is completely taut, no matter how hard they train, so the flagger must constantly adjust his grip—and many other nuances—to the uncontrollable wavering of his partner’s skin.

The flagger must also be extremely conscious of where he places his hands. The lower hand should be placed close to the foot to maximize stability. If you put it too high, not only will you put yourself in a mechanically disadvantageous position, you may snap your partner’s shinbone!

The partner being flagged upon (the human flag pole) faces an enormous task as well. First of all, you’ve got to be as solid as a rock—both physically and in your mental focus—for someone to flag off of you. Secondly, be prepared to subtly lean away from the flagger as they lift their feet off the ground to get into position. Failure to counter the flagger’s weight will result in both of you toppling over. Extend your free arm to help strike a balance.

Reverse Human Flag and Human Flag Pole
Though still a challenging move in its own right, this “foot flag” variant can be more suited to intermediate level practitioners than the previous incarnation. Unlike the original human flag and human flag pole combination that put us Kavadlos on the map, which is harder than it looks, this variant is actually less difficult than it may appear.

Kavadlo Brothers Partner Calisthenics

Begin by having the person who will be the “pole” stand with feet together and knees partially bent. The flagger will then proceed to hold their partner’s hand(s) for stability as they step one foot up on top to their partner’s thighs. (Try to keep your feet low down on your partner’s thighs and close to the knees for a more solid foundation.) From there, the flagger will carefully slide their opposite foot behind their partner’s head (the partner can use his or her hand to help) and begin extending the body outward, while actively flexing that foot toward the partner’s neck for stability. When both people are ready, you may slowly begin to release the hands.

As with the previous variation, the person acting as the pole must lean in the opposite direction of the flagger in order to provide a counterbalance. It is important that the partner lean back from the hip and extend from the back, rather than solely at the knees, to provide the right leverage for this balance.

Partner Shoulder Stand
For those of you who feel that the previous exercises may be too advanced, the partner shoulder stand can be a slightly less intimidating place to start.

Begin on your back, with both arms in the air above your shoulders. Lift your feet with your knees bent to around 90 degrees, then have your partner stand below you and grab the tops of your shins. From there, they will lower their upper traps/shoulders into your hands and begin shifting their weight forward off of their feet. Keeping your elbows locked, press away from your chest like you are locking out a push-up as your partner shifts their weight entirely into your hands. The person on top should aim to get their hips in the air above their shoulders, eventually lifting themselves into a full inversion, supported only on the knees and hands of the other person.

Partner Shoulder Stand

Biceps Curl Front Lever
This is the feat that we can be seen performing on the cover of our new ebook Street Workout. While the standard front lever is already a difficult bodyweight challenge in its own right, performing it while hanging from the arm of another human being can pose an additional challenge.

First and foremost, the person acting as the base must keep a solid footing. From there, bend at the biceps of the arm to be levered upon until your forearm is parallel to the ground. Be prepared to keep complete body tension all over, particularly in this arm, as it will be supporting the entire weight of your partner.

At this point, the person performing the front lever needs to grip said forearm with all the strength he or she can muster. A mixed grip (overhand/underhand combo) is recommended to combat the elasticity of the skin. As is the case with the aforementioned Human Flag and Human Flag Pole, a bar is much more rigid than the epidermis. Now both partners need to maintain tension in the arms, abs, legs, glutes and shoulders as the party performing the front lever moves into position, keeping their arms locked out at the elbow and body parallel to the ground, while maintaining a straight line from shoulders to hips to feet.

It’s very common for people to inadvertently fold at the hips when attempting the front lever. Do your best to avoid this pitfall by looking at your toes to make sure you are maintaining a straight line from shoulders to heels. Smiles and scowls optional.

Street Workout eBook

These exercises are just the tip of the iceberg. Watch the video below for more!

Filed Under: Progressive Calisthenics, Tutorial Tagged With: Al Kavadlo, calisthenics, Convict Conditioning Vol 2, Danny Kavadlo, Kavadlo brothers, partner calisthenics, partner exercises, partner training, progressive calisthenics, street workout

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Dragon Door Publications / The author(s) and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions or opinions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.