In the last couple of years, a lot of programs and apps have been created for the calisthenics community. We think it’s great that so many are taking this form of exercise and lifestyle seriously. Our main goal at Calisthenics Worldwide is to provide you with useful and honest information about everything to do with calisthenics. So we are going to review some of the available apps for you. We will inform you about costs, difficulty levels, instruction video’s, layouts and much more. The first app we have reviewed for you is Thenics.
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About the Thenics App
- Format: Downloadable for IOS and Android app
- Costs: Standard version is free, Pro version € 4.09 per month or € 34.99 per year
- Required equipment: Pull-up bar, straight parralel dip bar, bench and paralletes (regular calisthenics parc)
- Get it here: Apple App Store, Google Play or via the official Thenics website
The team behind Thenics consists of three experienced athletes that want to support you improve your physical and mental health. They created their app with a basic layout. And their main goal is to help you learn new skills and not so much lifting more weights. So their target group is intermediate and advanced calisthenics athletes.
Their set-up exists of 3 categories: Skills, Workouts and Exercises. In the skills and routine categorie is a paid pro version in which you can unlock more advanced skills.
Every exercise is explained in the exercise map with YouTube tutorials. But you can also click on an exercise during your workout and get more information.
Thenics App – Skills
The app focusses most on the Skills categorie. It provides 7 calisthenics skills that you can learn through workout programs. These skills are:
Each skill consists of 5 to 8 levels, depending on the skill. Each level consists of 4 exercises and the first exercise is the most important. The first level sets the goal for that exercise. For example, to get to level 2 in the muscle-up you need to be able to do 10 pull-ups in one go. You perform 3 sets for each exercise and then fill out your maximum number of reps in the app. After every set you get a 90-second break. When performing a level for a second time the app tracks your progress. It makes a comparison with last workout in reps and time. This is very helpful to track your progress.
Sometimes the level gaps are quite big. For example when you access a new level but only managed to perform 1 set of your target goal. My advice would be to be critical about your progress and assess if you’re ready for the next level.
The instruction videos are very good and explain different parts of the technique and skill.
Thenics App – Workouts
In the free version of the Thenics app there are 4 workouts: muscle workout, leg workout, planche/front lever and upper body workout. The goal of the Workout section is to build up strength and muscle without specific skill training. Each workout has 2 or 3 levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced). Every workout has a different set-up varying in number of exercises, sets and reps. While doing a workout routine, you can fill in the number of reps you’ve performed to track your progress and you can choose to skip or take a break. You must complete the beginner level in order to advance to the next one.
Thenics App – Exercises
The app provides as many as 151 exercises from easy to advanced in the Exercises category. There is a filter available so you can easily choose what kind of muscle group you want to see exercises for. It gives you a brief summary of the exercise and some notes that you must pay attention to. There is also a YouTube tutorial for each exercise. This is very helpful when you come across an exercise that is unfamiliar to you.
Pro Version
The pro version gives you acces to more skill workouts and normal workouts. It costs 4.09 euro per month or 34.99 euro per year. You can cancel the pro version every month and it comes with a 2-week free trial.
With the pro version you unlock: one arm pull-up, human flag, one arm push-up, one arm handstand, shrimp squat and hefesto as new skills and a pull workout, push workout and upper body circle. So the more advanced you are in calisthenics, the more the pro version will fit your needs. It is not recommended for beginners in calisthenics.
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Our Opinion
We are happy to use this app, especially for the skill section. We have been using the app for a couple of years now and can definitely see our progress. Thenics is easy to handle and it gets updated regularly. We also benefit from the tutorials on the app. As a beginner in calisthenics, you can perform the first levels of the workouts and some skills. But make sure to familiarize yourself with the exercise and the technique. Or work out together with someone who has more experience. As a beginners youc can also start with exercises with just the tutorials.
We definitely recommend the free version of Thenics to everyone. It is a great app to test and develop your skills and track your progress. The pro version is for more advanced users who want to learn the difficult techniques and routines. If you are only looking for a strength training and are not interested in improving skills, Thenics is not the most suitable app.
Be sure to check out the next Review we create for you. In the meantime, find everything about calisthenics right here.
