--- id: overcoming_gravity_template name: Overcoming Gravity Skill Progression Template aliases: [OG template, Steven Low OG, overcoming gravity program, OG intermediate] category: program system: calisthenics goal: Develop intermediate and advanced calisthenics skills (ring muscle-up, handstand push-up, front lever, planche progressions) through systematically balanced push/pull strength programming and milestone-based skill progression goals: [skill_acquisition] level: intermediate frequency_per_week: 3 periodization: block origin: classic progression_model: > Milestone-based skill progression within a periodized framework. Advance to the next progression variation when 3 × 5 reps (or 3 × 10 s for static holds) can be completed with 2+ reps in reserve (RIR) and consistent technical standard. Strength support work uses double-progression: increase reps within the range until the upper rep ceiling is reached for all sets, then add load. Deload every 8–12 weeks: reduce working sets by 40% and drop one skill step. Push and pull volume must be balanced within each training cycle — accumulating pulling volume significantly in excess of pushing volume is a primary cause of elbow tendinopathy in this system. exercises: - ref: pullups role: primary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Vertical pulling strength: dead-hang pull-up to chin over bar as the baseline. OG's progression ladder: scapular pull-ups → arch hangs → negative pull-ups → pull-ups → weighted pull-ups → front lever progressions. The program treats the vertical pull as the primary strength driver for muscle-up and front lever skill targets. Volume: 3–5 working sets per session, stopping 2 reps before technical failure. Full dead-hang between reps — no kipping. - ref: weighted_pull_ups role: primary frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Primary strength builder for advanced front lever and one-arm pull-up progression. Once unweighted pull-ups reach 3 × 10, shift to weighted pull-ups for strength development. OG's standard: 4 × 4–6 with added load. Steven Low places weighted pull-up strength (typically +50% BW for 5 reps) as the practical prerequisite for consistent one-arm pull-up attempts. - ref: inverted_row role: secondary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Horizontal pulling balance. OG requires maintaining a push/pull volume ratio of approximately 1:1 per session — horizontal row volume counterbalances vertical push (dip, handstand push-up) stress on the shoulder. Progression: incline rows → horizontal rows → feet-elevated rows → ring rows → archer rows. 3 × 8–12 per session or paired with pushing work. - ref: scapular_pull_up role: secondary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Scapular health maintenance and activation. Every OG session begins with scapular pull-ups as part of the warm-up. This is not optional — it conditions the scapular stabilizers (lower trapezius, serratus anterior) that protect the shoulder under high-frequency pulling load. 3 × 10–15 as activation, not strength work. - ref: ring_dips role: primary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Ring vertical push — the primary upper-body pushing skill driver in OG. Ring dips develop the protraction-to-retraction shoulder stability that is required for ring muscle-up and planche progressions. OG progression ladder: parallel bar dips → ring dips → weighted ring dips → Bulgarian ring dips. RTO (rings turned out) at the top is the standard form requirement. 3–4 × 5–8 per session. - ref: parallel_bar_dip role: secondary frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Stable-surface vertical push for higher loading. Complements ring dips as a heavier loading vehicle when ring dip load is limited by stability. OG uses parallel bar dips as a strength builder when the athlete needs greater overload than bodyweight ring dips can provide. 3 × 8–12 or weighted 4 × 5–6. - ref: pushups role: secondary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Horizontal push for planche direction strength. OG progression: full push-ups → diamond push-ups → archer push-ups → pseudo planche push-ups → tuck planche push-ups. Pseudo planche push-ups (shoulders lean forward over wrist, hands pointing back) develop the anterior deltoid and wrist extension strength specific to planche progressions. 3 × 5–10 at the current progression tier. - ref: handstand_push_ups role: primary frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Overhead push skill development. OG progression for HSPU: pike push-ups (elevated) → wall HSPU (head touches floor) → wall HSPU (full range, nose touches floor) → freestanding HSPU negatives → freestanding HSPU. Wrist conditioning is prerequisite — progressive weight-bearing on wrists must be established before HSPU attempts. Skill day sessions use this for 15–20 min at the top of session when CNS is fresh. - ref: plank role: secondary frequency_per_week: 3 technical_notes: > Hollow body development — the foundational body position in all planche, front lever, and handstand progressions. OG uses hollow body holds rather than standard plank: lower back pressed to floor, arms overhead, legs straight and elevated. Progress from tuck hollow → extended hollow hold → hollow body rocks. 3–5 × 15–30 s per session. This is the single most undertrained quality in athletes attempting planche progressions. - ref: pallof_press role: secondary frequency_per_week: 2 technical_notes: > Anti-rotation core stability. Supports front lever straight-body tension (the front lever requires total-body anti-rotation under a large lever arm). 3 × 10–12 per side. OG recommends complementary core work to address the sagittal-plane bias of most calisthenics pulling and pushing movements. sources: - title: "Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength (2nd ed.)" author: "Low, S." year: 2016 publisher: "Battle Ground Creative" credibility: practitioner - title: "Connective tissue adaptation to exercise and training" author: "Bohm, S., Mersmann, F., Arampatzis, A." year: 2015 journal: "British Journal of Sports Medicine" volume: 49 issue: 11 pages: "705-712" doi: "10.1136/bjsports-2014-094123" credibility: literature_review --- # Overcoming Gravity Skill Progression Template *Overcoming Gravity* (2nd edition, 2016) by Steven Low is the most systematic publicly available text on calisthenics periodization and gymnastics-derived skill training. It differs from milestone-only programs like the BWF Recommended Routine by embedding skill progressions within a **periodized framework** that explicitly manages push/pull volume balance, connective tissue adaptation timelines, and skill density. The system's central insight is that **advanced calisthenics skills fail not because of insufficient strength but because of imbalanced programming**: excessive pulling without horizontal push counterbalance causes elbow tendinopathy; excessive skill volume without structured deloads causes connective tissue overuse; and missing hollowbody mechanics limit every planche and front lever progression regardless of raw strength. This template represents the program structure Low presents for intermediate athletes targeting the muscle-up, handstand push-up, and front lever/planche foundation skills. ## Who This Is For - Athletes who have completed BWF Recommended Routine or equivalent - Minimum baselines: 10 strict pull-ups, 5 parallel bar dips, 15-second dead hang, hollow body hold 30 s - Skill targets: ring muscle-up, wall HSPU, tuck front lever, tuck planche - Training age 1–2+ years ## 3-Day Weekly Schedule | Day | Vertical Pull Pair | Horizontal Pull Pair | Push Skill | Core | |-----|-------------------|---------------------|-----------|------| | Day 1 | Vertical pull + HSPU progression | Inverted row + horizontal push | Ring dips | Hollow body | | Day 2 | Weighted pull-up | Inverted row | Parallel dips + pushup variations | Pallof press | | Day 3 | Vertical pull + HSPU progression | Inverted row | Ring dips | Hollow body | Rest at least one day between sessions. Friday/Saturday are the most common rest days for a Mon/Wed/Fri structure. ## Session Structure OG uses a **superset-style pairing** system where antagonist movements are paired with 60–90s rest between exercises: 1. **Warm-up** (5 min): scapular pull-ups + wrist prep + hollow body holds 2. **Pair A** — Vertical Pull + Vertical Push: 3–5 rounds 3. **Pair B** — Horizontal Pull + Horizontal Push: 3–5 rounds 4. **Skill practice** — 10–15 min on current skill target (muscle-up / HSPU / planche / front lever) 5. **Core finisher**: hollow body + anti-rotation ## Skill Day Structure (Pair Format) Each skill pair performs A, rest 60–90s, B, rest 60–90s, then repeat: | Pair | Exercise A | Exercise B | |------|-----------|-----------| | Pair A | Vertical Pull tier | Ring Dips or HSPU | | Pair B | Inverted Row tier | Push-up progression tier | ## Push/Pull Volume Balance (Non-Negotiable) The most common OG programming mistake is overloading pulling work. Approximate targets: | Push type | Volume | Pull type | Volume | |-----------|--------|-----------|--------| | Vertical push (dips + HSPU) | 15–25 reps/session | Vertical pull | 15–25 reps/session | | Horizontal push | 15–25 reps/session | Horizontal pull | 15–25 reps/session | If vertical pulling significantly outpaces pushing, reduce pull volume or add push volume before the next session. ## Connective Tissue Management OG is explicit that the connective tissue timeline for planche and front lever is **6–18 months** of consistent work — far exceeding the 4–8 weeks required for muscle strength gains at equivalent positions. Management protocols: - Progress skill difficulty only when current tier is stable for ≥ 3 consecutive sessions - Deload every 8–12 weeks: 40% volume reduction, one tier easier - Stop every set 2 reps before technical failure — failed attempts in skill positions reinforce incorrect motor patterns - If elbow, wrist, or shoulder discomfort develops: reduce skill difficulty by two tiers immediately ## Progression Ladder Quick Reference | Skill | Entry | Intermediate | Goal | |-------|-------|-------------|------| | Front Lever | Tuck (10 s) | Advanced Tuck → One-leg | Straddle (8 s) | | Planche | Tuck Push-up | Pseudo Planche Push-up | Straddle Hold (5 s) | | HSPU | Pike Push-up | Wall HSPU (partial) | Wall HSPU (full ROM) | | Muscle-up | Bar Negatives | Band-assisted | Strict Ring Muscle-up | ## Key Rules - **Balance is not optional.** Push and pull volume must remain in approximate balance within each session. Imbalance accumulates across weeks and manifests as elbow or shoulder pain. - **Skill practice belongs at the beginning of the session.** Low is explicit: skill work requires a fresh CNS. Attempting skill progressions after strength sets produces lower-quality practice and reinforces compensated patterns. - **Never skip scapular activation.** The scapular pull-up warm-up is a health maintenance protocol, not warm-up filler. > Preceding program: `bwf_recommended_routine`. Advanced skill progression: `calisthenics_advanced_skills`. Connective tissue management: `connective_tissue`, `load_management`.