The Guide/Program to Start Street Workout!

Hello everyone 👋

If you're looking for a simple and super effective bodyweight program to get back in shape, build a stronger, leaner, and more muscular body, or if you want to start street workout so you can soon learn those awesome moves you've been dreaming of, you've come to the right place!

Here's what we'll cover in this article: 

• The best bodyweight exercises
• How to do them to get the most benefits
• Workout structure and frequency
• A complete program 

We're going to focus on a workout that works your whole body and helps you learn and master all the basics. 

The workout consists of 2 circuits of 4 exercises, each focusing on a type of movement: pulling, pushing, lower body, and core.

Let's go! 

STREET WORKOUT CIRCUIT A

Ex 1: Pull-ups 

Pull-ups will ideally require a pull-up bar or a pair of gymnastic rings. They're usually easier at first if you use a supinated grip, meaning your palms face you, and take a grip slightly narrower than shoulder-width.

Each rep starts with straight arms. You'll want to kick off the movement by pulling with your shoulder blades just before or at the same time as pulling with your arms. Then, get your chin above the bar without straining your neck. 

Remember to keep your core tight; this usually gives us more strength and makes all the exercises even more effective.

Pull-ups can be tough when you're just starting out, so here are 2 tips to help you master them like a pro: 

• Slowly lower yourself and complete the full range of motion
• Make it easier by using an elastic band

If these variations are still too tough, you can start with just hanging from the bar to gradually get used to the movement.

Ex 2: Dips 

The second exercise is dips, which are best done on dip bars, though two sturdy pieces of furniture can also work. 

For this move, you'll need to straighten your arms and turn them outwards while making yourself as tall as possible; keep your core tight. Then, lower yourself with your arms close to your body until you form a right angle. 

If it's too difficult, here are 3 possible variations: 

Ex 3: Squat 

Keep your stance and angle as natural as possible for you, then go down as low as you can while keeping your back straight and your knees aligned with your feet. 

If you have limited ankle mobility, you can place something under your heels to make it easier to go down. 

Once bodyweight squats become too easy, you can add weight, either with a weighted vest or a kettlebell. 

If you want to take it further, the pistol squat is a challenging exercise that will boost your explosiveness and single-leg balance. You can hold onto something at the very beginning to really get the hang of the movement, then gradually work your way up to balancing without any help.

Ex 4: Leg Raises.

This is a great exercise that anyone can start on the floor by simply lifting their knees. Once you're comfortable, you can move on to a version where you keep your legs as straight as possible. It's excellent for your abs 💪

You can put your hands on the ground to make these exercises easier, or even lift your glutes off the floor to make them harder. 

Heads up: Make sure to keep your lower back pressed against the floor by tilting your pelvis; this will engage your abs much better. 

Once you've got that down, the best way to continue is by hanging or doing support on parallel bars. Start with knee raises if you need to, then gradually work your way up to straightening your legs and lifting them to a 45-degree angle. From there, the L-SIT should become achievable. It's an excellent, super complete move that you'll need to master to progress further in body control and Street Workout. 

STREET WORKOUT CIRCUIT B

Ex 1: Australian Pull-ups.

This horizontal pull exercise, which complements vertical pulls, is done with a low bar or rings while keeping your feet on the ground. It really focuses on your inner back. 

Movement performed on a Calisthenics Bar

Just like with pull-ups, you want to engage your shoulder blades by pulling them back and down before trying to bring your upper chest to the bar, if possible. Stay in control throughout the entire movement, and keep your body straight and tight.

A great way to adjust the intensity is by playing with your body's leverage. The more upright you stand, the easier the exercise becomes. Conversely, if you lie down more, or even elevate your feet, it will make the exercise harder. 

Ex 2: Push-ups.

For this movement, you'll need to straighten your arms and turn them outwards. Get tall by pushing your shoulders forward and then down, then tighten your legs, glutes, and abs to get into an active support position before you start your push-ups. 

To do a push-up correctly, you need to: 

• Push your shoulders forward 
• Keep your elbows close to your body
• Lightly touch your chest to the ground

Variation: If this movement is still too hard, do them on your knees. If it's too easy, you can elevate yourself or work on them explosively.

Ex 3: Hip Thrust.

This is a complementary exercise to squats for your lower body that you can do on the floor or with your shoulders elevated to knee height to increase the range of motion even more. The focus for this exercise will be on your glutes. 

To make it harder, you can work on one leg. Just like with squats, you'll quickly hit a limit with bodyweight, which is why adding weight will be best for making progress. 

Ex 4: Forearm Plank + Superman.

To finish off Circuit B, here's an excellent core bi-set to do: 

The first exercise will be a forearm plank, where you'll want to hold it for as long as possible. Then, you'll move straight into the “superman” exercise, which will work your whole back side and increase your mobility.

Superman Variation: If the position is too hard, place your arms along your body. On the other hand, if it's too easy, you can do the swimmer's position (breaststroke exercise) or the superman pull-up.

Sets, reps, rest

We recommend doing one set per exercise (e.g., Circuit A: 1 set pull-ups, 1 set dips, 1 set squats, 1 set leg raises). Take a short rest between each exercise (30 to 60 seconds). Before moving on to Circuit B, we suggest resting for 2 to 3 minutes. 

You can now repeat this 6 to 8 times. Here's an example of a typical workout: 

For each exercise, aim for 8 to 15 repetitions, giving about 80% effort, except for the last two exercises (leg raises + plank) where you should give 100%.

Regarding the tempo for your reps, a good idea is to take 2 seconds pour la way down, 1 second for the on the way up and 1 second pause to improve your control.

How to progress in Street Workout

Here are the main ways to progress: 

Training frequency 

Complete bodyweight program

To sum up this article, here's the program for Circuit A and B: 

Feel free to save them so you have them on your phone 😉 

If you want to go even further, I recommend my Street Workout Evolution programs, which will guide you step-by-step no matter your level. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, you'll find what benefits you most!

If you want to get the best gear for a complete home gym and make even more progress, check out our shop! 

See you soon, 

Eric Flag