Calisthenics For Shoulder Pain: Louis’ Calisthenics Blueprint

May 23

2 Days/Week, 60 minutes per session

Louis came to me dealing with something super common, the need to build strength while rehabbing pain. He wasn’t trying to show off flashy skills, he wanted to move better, feel stronger, and train without fear of reinjury.

With a background in general fitness but no formal calisthenics experience, our first focus was to build a foundation that works with his body, not against it.

Here are Louis’ 4-week goals:

Improve mobility and joint control
Manage shoulder discomfort while still building strength
Develop pull strength as a long-term foundation for muscle-ups
Build core endurance for L-sits
Establish safe, scalable progressions for pushing and pulling movements

Progress Tracking

Because this plan is built around rehab-aware progressions, we keep things simple and consistent.
Every week, Louis checks:

L-Sit Tuck Hold duration: Can he hold it longer, or with more control?
Pull-Up depth and control: Is he able to reduce band tension or increase range?
Pain-free dips: How do shoulders feel during and after?

Even slight changes like switching from bench dips to parallel bars or increasing time under tension, are logged and reviewed.

The 2-Day Split

Day 1: Pull Strength & Mobility

Warm-Up (5–10 min):

Click or tap to see workout example if underlined

Arm Circles + Shoulder Dislocates – 2×10
Scapular Pull-Ups (2s pause at top) – 3×5
Banded Shoulder External Rotations – 2×10/arm

Main Workout (Circuit x 3 rounds, 30s rest between exercises, 90s rest between rounds):

Assisted Pull-Ups or Band Pull-Ups – 5–8 reps
Feet Elevated Ring or Bar row – 8–12 reps
Active Hang – 15–25 seconds (band supported if needed)
Hollow Body Hold – 20 seconds
Negative Chin-Ups (3–5s lower) or Assisted Chin-Ups – 5 reps or 3×8–12

Mobility & Recovery (10–15 min):

Doorway Pec Stretch – 2×30s/side
Wall Shoulder Flexion – 2×10
Lat Foam Rolling – 2–3 minutes

Day 2: Push Strength + Core & Lower Body Control

Warm-Up (10 min):

Cat-Cow + Shoulder Rolls – 2×8
Wrist Prep
Hindu Push-Up – 1×10

Main Workout (Circuit x 3 rounds, 30s rest between exercises, 90s rest between rounds):

Incline Push-Ups – 12 reps (Regular push-ups if pain-free)
Parallel Bar Dips (or bench dips) – 10–15 reps
Pike Pushup – 12 reps
Core Compression – 8 reps
L-Sit Tucks (2–4s full hold + reset) – 10 reps
Jump Squats – 20 reps

Mobility & Recovery (10–15 min):

Quad & Hip Flexor Stretch – 2×30s/leg
Standing Forward Fold – 2×30s
Shoulder Extension Stretch + Banded Front Opener – 2×20s

Progression Guidelines

Assisted Pull-Ups: Decrease band resistance when you can do 3×8 easily.
L-Sit Tucks: Work toward extending one leg, or increasing total time under tension.
Dips: Prioritize pain-free reps. If shoulders flare up, regress to bench dips or triceps push-ups.
Pike Push-Ups: Elevate feet for added challenge once 3×12 is easy.
Core Compression: Focus on form—avoid using momentum.

Final Thoughts

With smart structure and careful progression, you can build strength without flaring up old injuries, and still unlock core endurance, joint mobility, and skill foundations.

Stick with it, track the subtle changes, and listen to your body. Progress might feel slower, but it will be safer, smarter, and more sustainable.

Start your own plan