personal trainer

Effective Body Language for Personal Trainers

March 10, 2015 By Al Kavadlo 15 Comments

Al Kavadlo Personal Trainer Body Language

It has been said that communication is ninety percent non-verbal. Sometimes our words say one thing but our bodies tell a different story. Paying attention to your body language when you are working with your personal training or group exercise clients can cause a subtle, yet significant shift in your success as a trainer or coach. You can also get a lot of feedback from the people you train without having to get them to speak a single word if you know how to read their body language. This can be especially important when you are working with a new or prospective client.

All Hands on Deck

We often don’t realize it, but our hands and arms convey a lot to our clients. When we stand with our arms crossed, the message is “Stand back!” When it’s time for a client to get to work, this can be a good posture to take. However, if you are trying to ease someone into their session after they’ve had a stressful day at the office, an open palm gesture can be a lot friendlier and more inviting.

Al Kavadlo Personal Trainer BodyLanguage1 — Hey hey hey!

Conversely, watch what happens when your client crosses their arms while you are trying to tell them something they might not want to hear. There’s a good chance it means they are getting defensive, so be careful! It’s important to be frank with your clients, but if they aren’t willing to hear you out, your words will fall on deaf ears. Conversely, when your client opens their arms and shows you their hands it is a sign that they are opening up to you. Listen carefully to what they say next.

Human Touch

When a client has achieved a new move for the first time or set a personal best, it is fun and meaningful to celebrate the occasion. Whether it’s their first pull-up or their fiftieth, don’t just tell them “Good job!” – give them a fist-bump or a high-five! Physical contact is a fantastic way to strengthen your bond as trainer and client. And don’t forget to smile!

Stand Up for Yourself

Unless you’re having a client do an exercise where they are lying on their back, I recommend you stand for the duration of every training session you conduct. Even when a client is lying down or in a plank position, I prefer to squat or kneel beside them rather than sit down. Sitting sends a message that you are not taking things seriously. You need to be focused and attentive the entire time when you’re training people; as soon as you take a seat, your body starts thinking it’s time to relax. It can also appear lazy to your client and other folks who may be working out in the vicinity.

I prefer to squat or kneel rather than sit down.

Look ‘em in the Eye, Speak from the Heart

Eye contact is the single most important part of effective communication. When you fail to look someone in the eye while speaking to them it makes you appear unconfident, which is the last trait anyone wants in their trainer. After all, they are coming to you for your expert advice! Diverting the eyes while speaking is also a hallmark of dishonesty. Maintaining eye contact helps establish trust.

Maintaining eye contact helps establish trust.

Furthermore, if you are looking at a clipboard, tablet or cell phone instead of your client, you are making a huge mistake. These objects act as a barrier that can prevent you from making a better personal connection with your clients. If you need to rely on a list of exercises that you have to look at in order to know what to do during the session, you might not be ready to be a professional trainer. Put down your iPad and keep your eyes on the person who is paying for your time.

Keep your eyes on the person who is paying for your time.

Whether you know it or not, you convey a lot to your clients with your body. While different trainers will ultimately find what works best for them, being aware of body language can make a big difference in all your interpersonal relationships. Start paying attention to what people are telling you with these subconscious signals and you will be well on your way.

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About Al Kavadlo: Al Kavadlo is the lead instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Recognized worldwide for his amazing bodyweight feats of strength as well as his unique coaching style, Al is the author of four books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment. Read more about Al on his website:www.AlKavadlo.com.

The Week of a Thousand Push-ups

December 10, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 23 Comments

As 2013 winds down and I reflect on the days and months behind me, I find that it’s impossible for me to go a moment without mentally celebrating the launch of the Progressive Calisthenics Certification. From the United States to Sweden (and soon to Australia, Ireland and more), the energy and talent that fills these rooms is simply magnificent. It is almost becoming a common occurrence to witness amazing feats, such as a first ever muscle-up, back lever, or pistol squat. As mind-boggling as that seems, these spectacular displays of strength, balance, and sheer training ethic are becoming what could almost be considered “normal.”

But it isn’t. Not to most.

The truth is that in the world of commercial fitness, these feats are about as far out as it comes. With machines comprised of shining stacks on sliding tracks have become the standard, our simplicity is bold like a ruby in a pile of rocks. We stand proud, defiantly deviating from product-based workouts encouraged by the man. Given the tightness of the calisthenics community, it is sometimes easy to forget how far we fall from the mainstream. We’re not looking for 7-minute abs and 21 day transformations. We seek something more. We are on the outskirts of physical culture, the edge of the norm. Dammit, we are the freaks and geeks of fitness!

So, what does that have to do with the Week of a Thousand Push-ups? Well, quite a bit. Even though the noble push-up is one of the most popular—and best—upper body exercise of all time, like the room full of Personal Records at the PCC events, the thought of doing nothing but a thousand push-ups for a week would blow most people’s minds. But that is exactly what my personal training client Mike did recently. As you know by now, we are definitely not “most people.”

Mike’s Story

Mike was going out of town for a week and planned on continuing his training even though we would not be meeting. We have trained twice a week for years and he is serious. On this particular business trip, his time was limited and he was going to be without a gym, bicycle, or pull-up bar. Although my personal clients know better than to make excuses, they are sometimes uncertain of what to do without me. I am often asked some version of “what should I do while I’m out of town?”, to which I generally reply: “Keep it basic–squat, push-up, pull-up.”

But this time Mike already had an idea in mind… and it was more basic and brilliant than I could have imagined!

“The week of a thousand push-ups,” he said.

The way it came out of his mouth, I thought it was a movie title: Simple. Concise. Even catchy.

Mike had it figured like this. There are seven days in the week, therefor an average of over 143 per day would put him at a numeric advantage. He intended to keep his plan as simple as possible, doing his first set to failure every day, then doing recurring sets throughout the day until he surpassed his daily goal 143.

Though it’s nice to start with a plan, like many activities in life, it’s often best to improvise. As I would have done under the same circumstances, Mike changed his intended plan throughout the week. Some days, he did indeed go til failure on his first set; others, he did multiple sets of twenty or thirty throughout the day. There were days of over 300 push-ups before noon. There were also days where he barely met his goal. There are many ways to skin a cat.

Needless, to say, my man Big Mike wound up doing way over the thousand push-ups he planned on! (The next time I saw him, we trained legs.)

Keepin’ It Real

Prior to his week of a thousand push-ups, Mike informed me that to “keep an even playing field’” he would be doing only push-ups of the classic variety—feet together, two handed, no incline. He explained that this method would eliminate the temptation to switch to easier variations if his goal of 1,000 proved too challenging. I respect his decision. The classic push-up is honest, strong and true. It’s a classic for a reason.

However, there’s also something to be said mixing it up, in push-ups and life.

Mix-Master Mania

Any one who truly knows me is well aware of my passion for the push-up in all of its wonderful forms. From the fragility of knee push-ups, to the muscular methods of plyos, to me, every single type of push-up has an art and beauty intrinsic to it that makes it stand on its own.

We already discussed some training techniques and methods (Divide evenly, go until failure, multiple daily sets), but what about different kinds of push-ups?

Although some push-up varieties are more challenging than others, it can be fun to do a thousand push-ups of several variations. Have fun and be creative. Mix it up! Here are just a few of my favorites:

The narrow grip push-up, shown here, places more emphasis on the arms.

The wide push-up is also a great variation and is a precursor to archer push-up.

Doing push-ups on your fists places a unique challenge on your hands, and extends the range of motion of your push-ups.

Get creative. Employing inclines is an excellent way to step up your game. Combine this method with different grips (like fingertips) for an added challenge. Have fun with it. The sky’s the limit!

As with the Week of a Thousand Push-ups, Mike and I have continued to keep our training exciting and, of course, effective. That’s what it’s all about. As is often the case, the client inspired me!

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Danny Kavadlo is one of the world’s most established and respected personal trainers. He is a Master Instructor of Progressive Calisthenics and the author of Everybody Needs Training: Proven Success Secrets for the Professional Fitness Trainer. A true in-person experience, Danny is known globally as a motivator and leader in the body-weight community. Learn more about Danny at: www.DannyTheTrainer.com.

A Brand New Day

August 20, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 8 Comments

As the sun rises at the start of the day, the world is illuminated. The grass warms up, the birds start singing, and the mind awakens. The time is now; that day is today.

The first Progressive Calisthenics Certification in June was a life-changing experience for many bodyweight training enthusiasts. I was honored to be part of such a spectacular event, to help others in their path toward excellence, and to celebrate physical culture in its purest form. So many strong and passionate people showed up, with such a vast body of knowledge that we all walked out smiling, with our collective heads spinning.

It was a thrill to break down, train, and explore progressions of pull-ups, squats, inversions, human flag, and much more. I witnessed some incredible breakthroughs and got asked some of the best exercise questions I’ve ever heard in my life. It is noteworthy to point out that in addition to the questions of form and physiology, I was often asked about the business of exercise. You see, many of the attendees were personal trainers, coaches, and instructors.

But before I can tell you that story, I have to tell you this story…

I love questions and I get asked a lot of them. Playwright Eugene Ionesco famously wrote “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” In short: questions help everybody. Each day I receive emails asking me everything from dietary advice to the ever-popular, “What’s the trick for human flag?” [ANSWERS: Eat more fruits and veggies, less processed sugars and grains, and there are no tricks in fitness. That’s part of what makes it beautiful.] Again, I am frequently asked about the business. Trainers from all over the world contact me with questions about how to get a job, how to increase their client base, and, of course, how to get paid.

Professionals in other fields (which often have nothing to do with fitness) reach out to me as well. Oftentimes, they are considering switching careers and becoming personal trainers. Isn’t that how many of us got started? We loved fitness and wanted to help others achieve their goals!

According to the labor department, there are over 230,000 personal trainers working in the United States. That number grows, even as overall employment declines. Yet still, 80% of new trainers never make it past their first year. It’s no wonder: despite all the trainer schools, CPT certs, and personal training websites, I have never come across any literature that discussed how to actually make it as a trainer… in real life.

About a year ago, I sat down to write a book that addressed all of this. The world has been ready for this book—now the ebook is ready for this world (available this fall in paperback.) Brace yourself for:

Everybody Needs Training

Proven Success Secrets for the Professional Fitness Trainer
–How to Get More Clients, Make More Money, Change More Lives

You see, when I became a professional trainer, the coursework and academia did nothing to prepare me for reality. It was the knowledge and guidance of the other trainers, and of course, in time, my own experience that helped me go from a rookie, to a top gym trainer, to the fitness director in one of NY’s biggest and best health clubs. Eventually my path led to becoming an independent trainer/author/presenter. There were many roads and obstacles along the way, many stories to tell, which get covered in great detail in this book.

The reality of client acquisition, what most PT sessions are really like (as opposed to the squeaky-clean, hypothetical ones in the textbooks), and of course, how to handle the most difficult client questions, is the type of stuff we get our hands dirty with here. We talk about the differences between working for a gym, a studio, or yourself, and there’s a full chapter dedicated to my time tested secrets of personal training sales. There has never been a book like this before. Renowned lifter/author Dan John raves: “I don’t think I have ever seen this kind of depth in the field. It’s both obvious and ‘wow’ as you read it. Amazing stuff. It fills a gap in the community that, frankly, surprises me no one has really filled.”

Wow indeed.

Back to the first story…

You see, like the road toward smoothly executing advanced pull-ups, the path to being a successful trainer requires plenty of time and energy. There is no substitute for a thousand hours of practice and years of experience, for which no book, not even mine, can ever be a replacement… But it sure can help! Just remember, success in both calisthenics and personal training (and almost everything, for that matter) is based on hours and effort. Work hard; train hard!

Speaking of training hard, a new group will gather next week for the second ever PCC. I couldn’t be happier. It is an honor to be a co-presenter and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone who attends. It’s always a pleasure connecting with like-minded individuals who share my passion.

It is the dawn of a new day. Let’s get to it!

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About Danny Kavadlo: Danny Kavadlo, Master PCC, CPT is a Personal Trainer in New York City. He’s worked with hundreds of clients, including athletes, models, and celebrities. He has been featured in the New York Times, Convict Conditioning & Men’s Fitness. His first full-length book Everybody Needs Training is now available on e-book through Dragon Door. Learn more about Danny at: www.DannyTheTrainer.com.

Freaks and Geeks of Fitness

April 9, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 23 Comments

We within the calisthenics community come from different backgrounds and origins, assorted borders and parts of the world. Yet here we are united for a common cause, a love of fitness and function, a passion for the improvement of self and the inspiration of others. In bodyweight training, we achieve with only the bare minimum.

Young and old, male and female, black and white: we are all represented. In fact, lots of us have never really fit in anywhere else, have we? I love it when outcasts come together. Diversity is a beautiful thing.

From urban bar athletes of New York, taking muscle-ups to new levels, to the teenagers in Europe flagging off the street signs, many with the affection for fitness have found a place to call home in calisthenics. So what if we didn’t throw the winning touchdown at the big high school game? We may have had different introductions to exercise, but we’re proud of who we are. And we train hard.

Coney Island, in deepest South Brooklyn, is the stomping ground of some of the illest calisthenics practitioners on the planet. Historically it was the home to strongmen, acrobats, and freaks of nature. Those guys were no joke. I can do a human flag, but I can’t bend nails!

One need look no further than the pull-up bars on the beach, the side show by the seashore, or the upcoming strongman contest, to see inhuman feats of strength still being performed to this day. Boardwalk history repeats itself as these modern marvels echo the death defying showmen of yesteryear.

They never fit in anywhere either.

C.I. is iconic; some would say magical. Even Coach Wade shows his love with a shout out to Joey Chestnut in his Convict Conditioning Ultimate Bodyweight Training Log. As the new season begins after a devastating year, I decided to include a clip that pays tribute to my favorite gym in the sand. Here’s some extreme bodyweight training, served up with a little extra mustard!

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About Danny Kavadlo: Danny Kavadlo, Master PCC, is a Personal Trainer in New York City. He’s worked with hundreds of clients, including athletes, models, and celebrities. He is featured in the Convict Conditioning Series & Raising the Bar, and is known globally as a motivator & leader in the calisthenics community. Learn more about Danny at: www.DannyTheTrainer.com.

My Path to the PCC

April 2, 2013 By Al Kavadlo 38 Comments

My first real job as a personal trainer was working for the Lakeshore Athletic Club in Downtown Chicago. Though I already had a couple independent clients, I was hired at the former Wabash St. location in the heart of Chicago’s business district (“The Loop” as it’s known to Chicagoans) as a “fitness floor manager” before working my way up to being part of the training staff.

Being a floor manager is a much less important job than it’s made to sound. My main duties were picking up towels, re-racking dumbbells and making sure people didn’t exceed the 30 minute cardio machine time limit during peak hours. After a few months of that (I’d already had my personal trainer certification for a while by this point), I was finally deemed ready to train clients – I’d hit the big time! I was excited but also very nervous. Being someone’s trainer is a big responsibility and I wanted to do a good job.

Chicago is pretty cold and I started working at Lakeshore during the winter, so when they hired me they only gave me long sleeve shirts. Nobody saw my tattoos, which I quickly decided was a good thing. I wanted to attract as many clients as possible and I thought my ink might freak people out. I didn’t have any tattoos on my hands and neck yet, so it was fairly easy to keep them all covered.

During my teens, a lot of people tried to make me feel foolish for getting my arms tattooed while I was so young. At the time, I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought, but by my twenties, I started to buy into the mindset that being tattooed might be a hinderance in my professional life.

In general, I was pretty insecure during my early adulthood. In fact, I was so unsure of myself when I began my career as a trainer that I remember being genuinely surprised the first couple of times I closed deals. I wondered if my time was really worth the money. Almost every new trainer questions themselves at some point and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think it shows that you really care.

Though it took some time to get the ball rolling, after a few months, I started to feel more comfortable and confident in my role as a personal trainer. Things were going great; I was spending lots of time in the gym getting to know everyone and I was beginning to learn the business. I started to pick up more clients and earn the respect of my fellow trainers. I was also learning a ton about working out!

Since it was so cold, it was no big deal to wear long sleeves every day. I probably would have wanted to anyway. Even in the summer, they always had the air conditioners pumping, so nobody thought much of it. The only time I ever had my tats exposed was for a quick second in the locker room, though I generally made it a point to try to avoid others while I was changing.

After I had been there for about a year, my training manager approached me one day and told me one of his clients said something to him about the trainer with all the tattoos. He was confused and told the client he didn’t have any tattooed trainers on staff. Eventually he figured out he’d never seen me in anything but long sleeves. The cat was out of the bag! He asked to see my arms and I sheepishly rolled up my sleeves. Then he told me he thought my tattoos were pretty cool and said I shouldn’t feel the need to keep them covered up.

What a relief it was to find out that nobody actually cared! In fact, a lot of folks at the gym really dug my ink. Like many people, I was afraid of being misunderstood, so I shielded my true self from the world. Funny enough, it was only after I embraced who I am that I started to really enjoy going to work and feeling comfortable in my role as a trainer – and a man.

Not only did I feel at ease wearing short sleeves after that conversation, I also began to feel more comfortable just being myself. I started having more fun with my clients by making jokes, telling stories and generally letting them get to know me more as a person. I came to find that this is a fundamental part of successful personal training.

When I moved back home to New York City and started working for New York Health and Racquet Club, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were lots of other heavily tattooed trainers working for that company. The guy who hired me at NYHRC had even more ink than I did. My newfound confidence allowed me to become fairly busy within my first several months there. Though New York is a much more competitive market than Chicago, I eventually stepped up my game and within a few years became not only the top trainer in my club, but eventually the top trainer in the company. In December of 2008, I set a NYHRC company record for gross personal training sales by a single trainer in a single month. I celebrated the occasion by getting the tattoo I have on my right hand index finger. Bang! I had truly arrived!

Though things were going great, I soon started to feel like there was no way for me to grow within the confines of a commercial gym. There was so much about the mainstream fitness scene that I wanted to get away from. The unrealistic expectations, the “miracle” breakthroughs, the so-called “quick fixes” – not to mention all the emphasis on machines! Plus there were also the usual frustrations of corporate bureaucracy to contend with.

Where I had once wanted to fit in, I now wanted to stand out. I decided that I needed to do things on my own terms. I had so many ideas that seemed in contrast to what everyone else was doing. I knew there had to be more people who felt like me.

That need to connect with like-minded people was the motivation to start my blog. Soon after that, I quit my job at NYHRC to focus full time on writing. Since I wasn’t making any money writing yet, I started training a few clients at the park and working part-time at a small, independent facility called Nimble Fitness. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I knew there was no way for me to grow without starting over.

I slowly began building a following online and a reputation in the neighborhood. I focused on writing as much as I could and getting my articles and pictures in other websites and magazines. After being rejected by countless book agents and publishers, I self-published my first book, We’re Working Out! – A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness, in 2010. During the next year, I wrote almost a hundred articles and created nearly as many YouTube videos. I also managed to sell close to 1,000 copies of my book – a pretty big success by self-publishing standards.

One day I got an email from Paul “Coach” Wade telling me he’d read my book and loved it. What a huge compliment! I would have been quite content if he had stopped there, but of course, that was just the beginning.

My writing wasn’t the only thing that Coach Wade liked. He also liked my look – especially the tattoos. Then he told me about a new book he was working on. It was the sequel to a book called Convict Conditioning, which I had of course, heard a lot about. To my amazement, Coach wanted me and my brother Danny to appear in Convict Conditioning 2. Ironically, the tattoos that I was once concerned would limit my career opportunities wound up providing the exact opposite effect.

Appearing in Convict Conditioning 2 was the beginning of a whole new life for me. Over the next several months, I went from being a relatively unknown fitness blogger to one of the most recognizable faces in the calisthenics community. Instead of getting a few hundred views a day, my website soon began receiving thousands of daily visits. My YouTube views quickly climbed into the millions and I started getting a dozen or more Facebook friend requests every day.

In the last year and a half, I’ve published two of my own books with Dragon Door, Pushing The Limits! and Raising The Bar, as well as a DVD version of Raising The Bar. My audience continues to grow daily and I’m connecting with more people than I ever thought possible. But my favorite thing about working with Dragon Door is the freedom they’ve allowed me. I’m living my dream and I don’t have to compromise myself to do so.

When John Du Cane and Paul Wade asked me about leading the PCC program, I jumped at the opportunity. Though being a writer and blogger has opened doors for me, actually training people is still where my deepest passion lies. Books and DVD’s are great, but there is no substitute for an in-person experience. I am thrilled to be able to take the show on the road and train with you guys in the flesh.

We’re Working Out!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

March 5, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 20 Comments

One of my very favorite things about calisthenics is that you can do it anywhere. That fact in itself is endlessly fascinating to me. Think about it: in a day and age where people sit in traffic while they drive to the gym, or wait an hour in line to take a thirty minute spin class on a fake bike, the simple notion that a gym isn’t necessary is truly liberating!

Now, please understand that I have nothing against the gym. It can be a great place to train hard. I have had many spectacular workouts in gyms. I just believe that the gym is not the only game in town. Due to the simple and sublime nature of body-weight strength training, you can make a gym out of almost any place you want.

These very places themselves are a few of my favorite things too.

In the Backyard

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Some days we want that shortest distance, with no need to travel. Several years ago it dawned on me that the ultimate home gym could be mine, but I’d have to build it. So for a low price, plus some time and sweat, I built my first Backyard Pull-Up Bar. I could now rip through those reps anytime the urge struck me. This was even better than the indoor, mounted bars I’ve owned for most of my life. You see, I have always been a fan of outdoor workouts. I love being outside in general. However, these days, it seems we have a cultural obsession with climate control. We drive in cars with individually heated seats and exercise in air-conditioned buildings. I am pleased to say that the outdoor workout eliminates those unnecessary commodities. Nowhere can you dominate your own body-weight and release your inner beast like you can under the earth’s sky, truly in touch with who you are.

At any time of day, any time of year, all my favorite exercises are waiting at my doorstep. From powerful pull-ups, to perfect planks, to mighty muscle-ups, they’re all here. Several different bars and numerous angles provide for unlimited variations of many of the oldest and noblest exercises. It is also of note that these iron bars have a big, fat two inch diameter, which adds extreme grip training to every single workout.

My brother and fellow trainer, calisthenics icon Al Kavadlo, immortalized the Backyard Pull-Up Bar in his ground-breaking book Raising the Bar and its companion DVD.

danny.kavadlo.plank

In the Park

I am lucky enough to live in New York City, one of the main hubs for body-weight enthusiasts of all walks of life. There are many parks, playgrounds, and jungle gyms in the Big Apple, but none are as well known throughout the world as Alphabet City’s legendary Tompkins Square Park.

I’ve trained a hundred times at TSP at six o’clock on a Monday morning. I can tell you first hand that there is nowhere you will feel as motivated and inspired as you will there, no matter what time of day it is. While the city sleeps, serious-minded individuals can be found lunging, jumping, pushing, and pulling. Even in the rain or snow, you can always find some hard core body-weight aficionados out there doing their thing. In fact, it’s the first place I ever saw a one-arm pull-up.

But just as it is motivational to train amongst those serious athletes, it moves me equally to see how many new jacks train at TSP as well. You see, a certain solidarity exists at Tompkins. It spans across the entire community of the park, from the world-renown bar masters, all the way down to the young kids doing their first chin-up. Hell, where else could you observe an ex-con asking a drag queen for handstand advice? I’ve seen it at Tompkins. Ya’ gotta love Alphabet City!

In The Basement

Sometimes I do train indoors. Remember, by keeping things simple and pure, based on mechanics and movement, we can train anywhere we want to. So do dips in your kitchen. Practice your bridge-work in the living room. Put a pull-up bar in the hallway.

I personally like to train in the basement.

The basement has been used as a metaphor for the subconscious by everybody from Dostoevsky to the hit television series “Wilfred.” And it makes sense. When we are in the basement, we are in the building’s underground, free to explore the deepest, most primordial workings of its structure… and of our own!

Much of calisthenics training is based on unleashing our instinctual primitive movement patterns. In Convict Conditioning, Coach Wade discusses how you tap into your “tree dwelling” DNA when you pull your own body-weight when executing pull-ups. Well, you don’t get more primitive than that! There is no better place to explore the deep, dark movements of the mind, spirit, and body than underground, with just your physical self and your psyche, ready to train hard!

Danny.Kavadlo.Bar

In the End

The places I listed above are just a few of my favorite things. Hopefully you have discovered some special work-out spots that are near and dear to you, where you can push yourself, free from judgments, and full of positivity. We all need somewhere we can work on self-improvement and awareness. Explore your options and be creative. Have fun with it.

The still photos were taken by my wife, Jennifer, during an improvised workout on the now-famous Backyard Pull-up Bar. The following videos demonstrate some diverse calisthenics training at Tompkins Square Park, and a basement workout based on push-up bar variations. Of course, I had to include a video in the backyard with my bro Al as well. Keep the dream alive!

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About Danny: Danny Kavadlo, Master PCC, is a Personal Trainer in New York City. He’s worked with hundreds of clients, including athletes, models, and celebrities. He is featured in the Convict Conditioning Series & Raising the Bar, and is known globally as a motivator & leader in the calisthenics community. Learn more about Danny at: www.DannyTheTrainer.com.

Danny Kavadlo On Body-Weight Training

February 11, 2013 By Danny Kavadlo 26 Comments

I have been practicing calisthenics and strength training for over twenty-five years. When I was a kid, minimalism wasn’t a style of working out: it was the only way. We were a family of five living in a part of Brooklyn that many current Brooklyn residents still don’t even know about. There were no gyms and we were too young for them anyway. My memories of Phys Ed at school are limited to either sitting at my assigned floor spot, or getting yelled at by the psychotic gym teacher. So how did I fall in love with working out at such a young age? Push-ups.

I remember having push-up contests with my brothers on the old linoleum kitchen floor of that house in deep Brooklyn. If one of us would get fifty, someone else would have to get sixty. Then seventy-five. Ninety. I can’t remember what I did this morning, but I sure do remember the way I felt the first time I completed a hundred consecutive push-ups.

To this day, the pushup is still the exercise I’ve performed more reps of than any other. Only now, I can do more variations. These new skills, of course, leads to new challenges. And that’s exactly what’s so great about progressive calisthenics.

DK.Lsit

Next were pull-ups. There were no shiny packages of bars-that-fit-everywhere back then. No all purpose gyms as seen on TV. My schoolyard looked like a parking lot, not a playground. But we had to get our reps in somewhere, so we put a rusty metal bar in a doorframe. We were old school without even knowing it. After screwing two dark red grommets into the frame, we popped the bar in. It’s still there.

The pull-up contests we had back then were the stuff of legend. Rep after rep after rep. Set after grueling set. My brothers and I would spend hours in that room working that bar. We did it because it was fun. That’s the splendor of training with your body-weight only. Here we were, motivated by nothing other than our innate desire and necessity to move our bodies. This was Mother Nature at her finest: Pulling yourself over a bar. We were alive!

My father, a practitioner of yoga since the 1970’s (way before there were “Yoga” sections at shopping mall book stores everywhere) introduced us to various headstands. One of my favorite teenage memories is returning home late at night to find my Pops doing headstands at 2am! My friends got a kick out of it too. But in all seriousness, there was always a great joy in watching him fully invert himself into a perfect tripod. At over 200 lbs, he was as graceful as a swan. He encouraged us to mess around with balance and flexibility at an early age, which is something I continue to do to this day.

Later on, I started putting extra emphasis on training my legs. I’m a big believer that you’re not strong if you don’t have strong legs. And I must say, I hit the ground running! I had only been doing classic leg exercises like squats and lunges for a few years before I tried pistol-squats. I was instantly addicted to the unique way this exercise combined full-body power with control, and even finesse. Again, I found myself attracted to the purity of this movement: The entire body acting together in harmony to get strong. Just you, your foot, and the earth… nothing more. Simple, yet so complex.

I learned (and I’m STILL learning) how to manipulate leverage and body positioning on single-leg squats to change the exercise. Just like with advanced pushups, there’s a certain beauty, an art form, to these workouts, due to the endless variations allowed by such minimalism.

In adulthood, I became deeply immersed in what is often described as “Extreme Calisthenics.” By coincidence (or perhaps cosmic plan), I became a father at the same point in my life. I am inspired now more than ever. These days performing (and studying) advanced moves like muscle-ups, bar levers, and human flags make me feel like a kid again! And of course, seeing my son knock out infinite sets of flawless squats makes me proud as a man.

Now he’s that kid in Brooklyn working on his pushups on the linoleum floor… And I’m that guy practicing headstands at 2am.

Danny Kavadlo, Master PCC, is a Personal Trainer in New York City. He’s worked with hundreds of clients, including athletes, models, and celebrities. He is featured in the Convict Conditioning Series & Raising the Bar, and is known globally as a motivator & leader in the calisthenics community. Learn more at his website: www.DannyTheTrainer.com