10 Best Calisthenics Programs for Real Results in 2026

With the right Calisthenics Program you can achieve that dream body you always wanted. There are many to choose from, each with its distinct routines, features and general feel. Finding the best Calisthenics Program for you can take years, and you can never be sure if there isn’t a better one out there. We did dozens of Calisthenics Program reviews and have sorted out the wheat from the chaff. Find out which programs are the best so that you can make the best choice as well for your Calisthenics journey.

Updated on 08/08/2025: I have updated this article since there are a lot of great new Calisthenics programs now. Older Calisthenics programs have also received significant updates since the original article was posted. 

#1 Cali Move Programs

• Starting Level: Beginner to Expert
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent bodyweight exercise, hypertrophic
• Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar, Dip Bars
• In-depth Reviews: Cali Move Complete Calisthenics Review, Cali Move Body Transformation Review

Programs Overview

Cali Move offers several high-quality Calisthenics Programs through their CaliMove App. The most popular programs are the Complete Calisthenics and the Aesthetic Calisthenics (previously called Body Transformation) programs. Both have their advantages, but they put the emphasis slightly differently. You can access both programs through the Cali Move App and switch between the two programs at any time. 

The instructional videos are in HD quality and narrated primarily by Alex Lorenz (Ell Eggs). His lighthearted and optimistic take on exercises is very motivating to see and to try to keep up with him. Cali Move blends motivation and learning into a fun, insightful experience. Both Calisthenics programs by Cali Move deservedly share the first place, with the Complete Calisthenics course being the more beginner-friendly option.

Complete Calisthenics Course

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The Complete Calisthenics Program is a beginner-friendly program that takes you from being completely inexperienced to being a Calisthenics expert. The program takes around 95 weeks to complete (about 2 years), assuming you won’t miss a single session. This means the program is lengthy, and it doesn’t promise you’ll reach expert level in no time. Instead, you progress through 5 stages of expertise, building the core strength, stamina, and skills needed to achieve each subsequent stage.

Progress is gradual, but you can go faster if you want. The Complete Calisthenics course is the best program for beginners who are serious about starting and keeping up with Calisthenics. All you need to do is follow along, keep up the pace, and the results will come soon enough.

Aesthetic Calisthenics Course

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The Aesthetic Calisthenics (previously Body Transformation) is a more intense program than Complete Calisthenics. Progress is much faster with an emphasis on hypertrophy and skill. Although starting this program is more challenging, the results are achieved more quickly. The complete program takes 104 weeks, which is longer than the Complete Calisthenics course. 

This program can be quite the grindfest at times, where you’re asked to pull through regardless. The potential results are spectacular and can set you on a fast track to achieving your dream body. 

Pros and Cons of Cali Move Programs

#2 Berg Movement by Sondre Berg

• Starting Level: Beginner to Expert
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent bodyweight exercise, skill-based exercise
• Required Equipment: None
• In-depth Berg Movement App Review

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Program Overview

Berg Movement is a personal philosophy and historical workout routine of Sondre Berg. Sondre teaches you how he got from being a chubby teenager to having a sculpted body like that of a Nordic god. All you have to do to get the same results is follow his Calisthenics Program that is available through the Berg Movement app.

The Berg Movement app is sleek and easy to use. The clean outside hides a fully adjustable coach, which comes close to a trainer of flesh and blood. Sondre Berg does all the instructionals and videos himself. The videos are crisp, and the descriptions are clear and easy to follow.

Berg Movement consists of training modules of differing difficulties. The app tests your progression periodically to see where you stand and will automatically suggest new modules or a more difficult version. You can also tweak modules or swap them out yourself. 

The Berg Movement program is a great, beginner-friendly way to get into skills-based exercise.

Pros and Cons of the Berg Movement App

#3 The Movement Athlete

• Starting Level: beginner to advanced
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent bodyweight exercise
• Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar, Parallettes
• In-depth The Movement Athlete Review

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Program Overview

The Movement Athlete is a popular app that is used by millions of people worldwide for their daily routine. The program starts with an initial assessment, which you can skip. You then set your own goals and, based on this information, the app sets up a tailored workout routine with a gradual progression. You can tweak your routine at any time, and period assessments will adjust the routine as well.

The videos are crisp and delve deep into the movements you need to do, explaining how the exercise is performed. What I like about The Movement Athlete is that it strikes a nice balance between coaching and not coddling you. You can always skip videos or instructions if you already know what you’re supposed to do. The same goes for most informational pages, with a short and an extended version for each.

Pros and Cons of The Movement Athlete

#4 DIE RINGE

• Starting Level: beginner to expert
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent bodyweight exercise, skills-based gymnastic exercise
• Required Equipment: Gymnastic Rings
• In-depth DIE RINGE Review

Program Overview

The DIE RINGE Calisthenics Program is a full-spectrum Calisthenics app for a beginner to expert experience. The program begins with an initial assessment, during which you set your goals, desired skills, and workout times. The built-in “coach” then develops a custom-tailored workout plan. You are almost constantly evaluated during your workouts, and adjustments are made where needed. You can also manually adjust your desired skills and goals at any time.

Although the Gymnastic Rings are highly recommended, DIE RINGE also has regular Calisthenics bodyweight exercise programs and specialized programs to learn Calisthenics skills like the Muscle-Ups and the Human Flag. 

The DIE RINGE Calisthenics Program is the best way to get into Gymnastic Rings as a complete beginner, while still having access to an excellent regular Calisthenics Program to build up strength, stamina and skills.

Pros and Cons of the DIE RINGE Program

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#5 Calixpert

• Starting Level: Beginner
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent bodyweight exercise, hypertrophic
• Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar, Dip Bars, Resistance Bands
• In-depth Calixpert Program Review

Program Overview

Calixpert is an online Calisthenics Program and community through the Skool platform. Developed by professional athletes and trainers Malin Malle and Daniel Flefil, the Calixpert Program is meant for the true beginner. The format of instructional videos and a list of exercises allows you to set your own pace. The Skool community tab also creates a tight-knit community that connects beginners with experts.

This makes the Calixpert program less sleek-looking than most of the apps and programs on our list. However, the community Calixpert creates is unrivalled too, with frequent discussions between community members. 

Calixpert offers a list of 17 and growing programs, ranging from true beginner programs to advanced and specialized programs for the advanced athlete. There is also a 4-course program for Female Calisthenics. 

Pros and Cons of Calixpert Program

#6 THENX App

• Starting Level: beginner to advanced
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent bodyweight exercise
• Required Equipment: Pull-up bar, Straight Parallel Dip Bar, Bench, Parallettes

Program Overview

Professional trainer Chris Heria developed the THENX app with the help of professional Calisthenics athletes. The Calisthenics Program is straightforward, with daily routines consisting of lists of exercises with sets and reps. Each routine comes in an Easy, Intermediate and Advanced version and is meant to be progressed through. You can specify your goals along with some basic information and how many reps you can do for each exercise. The THENX program will suggest the best routine version.

The UI of the app is very minimalist, but the HD-video instructions are clear and crisp. There is an online community which you can access in-app to share your results or see how others fare doing the same exercises or routines.

The daily routines are a decent starting point for beginners, but the professional workout plans with a paid subscription offer much better results.

Pros and Cons of THENX App Program

#7 VAHVA Fitness Movement 20xx Method 

• Starting Level: Beginner to Expert
• Type of Exercise: hypertrophic, intermittent bodyweight exercise
• Required Equipment: Dumbbells, Kettlebells
• In-depth VAHVA Fitness 20XX Review

Program Overview

If you’re all about grit and determination, then the VAHVA Fitness Movement 20XX program is for you. VAHVA combines modern Calisthenics with Martial Arts and the traditional Finnish culture of hardiness called “Sisu”. This Calisthenics Program is about getting lean, chiselled and mentally prepared for hardship. 

The high-quality videos feature Eero Westerberg, and together you embark on a mission to shed excess body fat and replace it with lean muscle mass. Eero digs deep into his decades-long experience in MMA, Western and Eastern fitness styles and his service in the Finnish armed forces. Exercises are a combination of Calisthenics and martial arts, including the use of weights like Dumbbells and Kettlebells.

The VAHVA Calisthenics Program is best described as a holistic approach, focusing on multiple areas to achieve better results. 

Pros and Cons of VAHVA Fitness Movement 20XX

#8 BarBrothers The System

• Starting Level: Intermediate
• Type of Exercise: hypertrophic, intermittent weighted exercise
• Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
• In-depth BarBrothers The System Review

Program Overview

The System by the BarBrothers Lazar Novocic and Dusan Djolevic focuses on doing Pull-Ups and Weighted Calisthenics. The System uses this versatile exercise in a 12-week Calisthenics Program to its full potential. The goal is to build upper-body muscle quickly but healthily. The System consists of 17 fields and programs, ranging from an introduction and your first exercise to mastering the Pull-Up Bar. 

Each exercise week has a central workout PDF which details the course and each exercise for that week. Individual exercises come with high-quality videos that you can watch to mimic the technique. There are also areas about nutrition and how to optimize your bodily functions for the quite gruelling training ahead of you.

This is not a beginner-friendly Calisthenics Program, and it is easy to overtrain your Calisthenics using this method. The BarBrothers are also known to be aggressive marketers, so expect follow-up e-mails trying to sell you other courses and equipment. However, The System does work if you’re already a slightly more advanced Calisthenics athlete and you want to build a strong upper body, quickly.

Pros and Cons of BarBrothers The System

#9 Onnit 6 

• Starting Level: beginner to intermediate
• Type of Exercise: Hypertrophic, plyometric, intermittent bodyweight exercise
• Required Equipment: None

Program Overview

The Onnit 6 Bodyweight Workout is a one-time Calisthenics Programs that takes just 6 weeks to complete. There are 6 such programs, good for 36 weeks total, and each program focuses on a specific goal, such as strength, muscle toning, cardio, and weight loss. The goal of each program is a full-body transformation. 

Onnit 6 combines many bodyweight exercises from Calisthenics, CrossFit, Mobility and Plyometrics. Together, all aspects of a lean, strong and healthy body are touched.

Each program goes in hard. You can self-regulate the intensity of the exercises, but you are encouraged to push through. This can be a quick way to see some drastic results in as short a timeframe as possible. Another big attraction is that Onnit 6 programs are entirely bodyweight-based, with no need for any equipment.

As one-shot programs, the beginner can get some quick results with Onnit 6, but you’ll find that you’ll have to switch to another Calisthenics Program after that. The already advanced athlete will find less worth in Onnit 6.

Pros and Cons of Onnit 6 Programs

#10 FitnessFaqs Body by Rings 

• Starting Level: Intermediate
• Type of Exercise: Incremental, intermittent gymnastic exercise
• Required Equipment: Gymnastic Rings
• In-depth FitnessFaqs Body by Rings Review

Program Overview

The Body by Rings Calisthenics Program focuses on learning and mastering the Gymnastic Rings. In this 18-week program, you will attain many skills, almost all involving the use of the rings. Many of these exercises are variations of regular Calisthenics exercises, but using the Gymnastic Rings instead. Other exercises are more advanced and purely meant for the rings. The program is easy to navigate and comes with a mass of good video tutorials.

Progression is relatively gradual for an 18-week program. You’ll start with easy Calisthenics exercises, but using the rings instead of a Pull-Up Bar or Dip Bars. You’re also given some leeway in how many repetitions you perform. However, Body by Rings is not a beginner-friendly Calisthenics Program. You need to be capable of 5 Pull-Ups, 5 Dips and 10 Push-Ups before you start the program.

Pros and Cons of FitnessFaqs Body by Rings Program

Conclusions About the Best Calisthenics Programs

There are many Calisthenics Programs, and with the increasing number of Calisthenics Apps, there is plenty of choice. However, it takes a lot to develop a good program. The routines and the exercises need to be created by reputable professionals, and the program often comes in an app that requires development. The list of the best Calisthenics Programs is relatively short.

Having whittled down the selection to the best 10, there are some clear winners. The best overall Calisthenics Programs are by Calisthenics Movements, aka Cali Move. There are contenders for first place. If you’re after a more specialized program, for example, to master the Gymnastic Rings, you can look at a program like DIE RINGE. The Berg Movement App is also excellent and puts more emphasis on agility and hand balancing. 

We find, though, that 90% of people are best off with a general program like those by Cali Move and never need (or want) anything else. 

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Calisthenics Programs

Here are a few more frequently asked questions about the best Calisthenics programs.