Bodyweight Fitness Progress Chart
BWF Progress Chart (this is version 1, see below for the latest)
I was inspired by /u/3umel's "Bodyweight Skill Tree" post and the informative comments from a few days ago. At first I tried to improve their chart but then I realized I wanted something that included the intermediate steps in each progression and excluded the "legendary" skills that I will never attempt.
I also decided to leave out prerequisites that span across progressions to simplify the chart. I assume that reading about these progressions will expose the reader to the necessary prerequisites.
My chart is based mostly on the progressions from the Recommended Routine and from Overcoming Gravity. It is humbling to see how far I have to go before achieving even one skill considered "intermediate". At the same time I find it motivating to see how much more there is to shoot for.
I made this in Excel so I'll watch this thread for a day or two then I'll try to include any suggestions and upload the spreadsheet and share the link. I'll also share an image and PDF version that do not include my current level of progress (assuming people seem interested).
Edit #1
Thank you all for your support and suggestions. Here is version two of the chart. I made quite a few changes. I'll make a third version for tomorrow. Lots of hyperlinks to add.
BWF Progression Chart v2
Updates
Removed indicators of my current progress
Moved legend to the bottom
Added a new dot style to indicate hyperlinks
Added hyperlinks for the first four skills in the pull up progression
Added hyperlinks for the references
Extended muscle up progression
Extended pseudo planche push up progression
Extended dragon flag progression
Added ab wheel progression
I decided to lower the bar for the level cut-offs. Instead of using the Beg, Int, Adv, Elite cut-offs in the OG2 chart I decided to use the Basic, A Lvl, B Lvl, C Lvl cut-offs. I feel this is more appropriate for non-gymnasts. I also found a few things that had the wrong levels so I fixed those.
Edit #2 Warning - it seems I've messed up many of the links. Stay tuned for version 4
Here is version three of the chart. Special thanks to /u/BosBatMan and /u/RockRaiders for their contributions.
BWF Progression Chart v3
PDF - with hyperlinks
Excel - this almost works in Google Sheets - the problem is I'm using the Windings font for the circles so this probably looks bad on Mac as well - I'll see if I can come up with a solution that works everywhere
Updates
Changed from gradient to solid fill to make dots with links easier to see
Added many links to videos and tutorial pages
Added link to Antranik's site in references
Extended ring dip progression
Extended pistol squat progression
Extended nordic curl progression
Added anti-rotation pallof press progression
Edit #3
This version seems pretty solid. I fixed the mixed up links and got it working in Google Sheets. Thanks again everyone for the inputs. Enjoy!
BWF Progression Chart v4
Nice work!
I really like the approach you took with your chart. The visuals are definitely not as messy as mine and easier to follow. The fact that you found a way include the inbetween progressions is quite impressive actually.
I am happy I could inspire you with my little post as that was exactly what I was trying to achieve.
Thanks for sharing this :D
At first I tried re-designing your chart as a Sankey diagram. It was still quite a mess as you can see here. My next idea was to try to emulate the way subway maps are designed and that led to what you see here.
This is so fun!
I know, haha!
Good job though.
I like the facts its based on the RR too. Makes it quite relevant for this sub.
Damn this is amazing, very cool. Definitely saved for future reference
Would it be possible to upload the excel so we can update with our own progress?
I intend to but I'd like to wait for the "peer review". There are a lot of new things here that I haven't heard of before so I may have made a few errors. Check back in a day or two.
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Cool visual... here’s the link to the OG2 charts this is based off of: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19l4tVfdTJLheLMwZBYqcw1oeEBPRh8mxngqrCz2YnVg/
I've had your site open quite a bit while making this so I added a link to it in the reference section of the latest version of my chart. Thank you for your amazing content!
Thanks! Which page or pages did u find useful?
The push pull legs page in particular is what I have been using lately as a jumping off point into your site.
Nice visual. Maybe give credit or cite the OG2 charts since those are copyrighted....
The Core section is weak (ha - pun intended).
You could consider expanding this if you wanted to show more in this area. Here are my suggestions for starters:
Dragon Flag progressions: Dragon Flag >> Ankle-Weighted Dragon Flag >> One Arm Dragon Flag
beyond Dragon Flag: Dragon Press progressions
Hanging Leg Raise progressions: ankle weighted HLR T2B, one arm HLR T2B
Ab Wheel progressions missing
Human Flag progression missing
Hanging Window Wiper progressions missing
EDIT: Feedback for v2 of the chart :-)
This is very cool, so thanks again for taking the time to assemble and update it. I will be printing it and keeping it in my Fitness Journal.
Horizontal Pull - maybe add 360 Pull beyond Hang Pull to Inv?
Horizontal Pull - maybe add Ring/Bar Typewriter pull-ups beyond Archer?
Vertical Push - Ring Dip progressions end at Beginner? Maybe add in the RTO90 with a forward lean progression in Intermediate and beyond ... at least a few rows?
Horizontal Push - Pseudo Planche Push-up is missing from the progressions.
Legs - is Side to Side Squat = Cossack Squat? Cossack Squat weighted, etc ...
Legs - Adv Shrimp Squat = ?
Legs - Maybe show Shrimp squat *below& the Pistol Squat visually?
Legs - Weighted Pistol Squat as a progression past Pistol Squat?
Legs - Nordic Curl progressions. Summoning local expert /u/RockRaiders.
Core - Ab wheel - I guess the highest progression are implicitly from a standing position. If you have the space, maybe add the word Standing as a prefix for emphasis or further clarity to the reader? Also, Ab Wheel Rollouts can be done single arm, single leg, single arm & single leg but those are very rare.
Core - Reverse Hyperextension could be spelled out at the top?
Core - Hyperextension and Reverse Hyperextension have progressions too, if you want to show progressions ... Tuck, Adv Tuck, Full, Ankle-Weighted .... the OG2 Charts show this too, I believe
Abbreviations: - maybe add BA = Bent Arm ... not sure if you need that, but it adds one more row as you build up and add more abbreviations.
Thank you for the suggestions. I cited the OG2 on the bottom left of the chart and I included the human flag progression at the bottom (center) as a combination of vertical pull and vertical push.
I'll give some thought to how I could add more to the core section.
Ah, okay. On the mobile it was hard to see it all. Good job!
For legs I have some ideas but I'm not sure about the exact level since not many train them, I'm thinking of making a post with progressions for all the hard leg exercises and an estimated level on the OG2 charts.
For Nordic curls after the normal version the next step is with arms overhead (still intermediate) and 90° hips one leg curls are around the same level as normal ones so they can be a branching path or the continuation of the progression.
I think one leg Nordic curls are advanced or elite, only 3 people have done them, and only one of them close to perfect form, but maybe if more people trained them they'd reach them, since I guess elite athletes in speed and explosiveness sports would be able to do them.
Natural one leg press/friction resisted pistols could be a progression after pistol squats, since on a smooth surface one rep felt like a pistol with 40% BW for me, so maybe branch pistols into weighted pistols and one leg press progression (partial -> full ROM on smooth surface -> full on less smooth surface - the latter would be advanced, and on a very rough surface even elite). Unweighted pistols are late beginner, not even intermediate.
And bodyweight leg extensions are another option for legs, with advanced or elite one leg long term possibilities, but there are several practical variations (sissy squat, kneeling leg extension, Matrix squat) and many possibilities for progressing them, I'm not sure which ones to suggest unless you want to put multiple paths in the chart.
Addition: since another thread regarding progression charts has just appeared, I brainstormed some ideas there in this comment.
Wow! So many great ideas. My challenge of course is limited space in the chart. Here is what I have so far. Let me know what you think. I can't really add a leg extension progression unless I remove another progression somewhere else. I'm trying to fit the chart to my 1080p monitor resolution without the font becoming too small to read for my 45 year old eyes.
That's not bad, since the one leg press can challenge the quads more than leg extensions when the friction is high. You could have pistol -> weighted pistol (or as an alternative partial ROM friction pistol) -> smooth surface friction pistol -> rough surface friction pistol (advanced) -> elevated.
Wonderful suggestions for improving version 2. I've been able to fit most of them in for version 3. It's like solving a puzzle.
Cool! You better hurry, there's apparently some competition for these wall charts! ha-ha
Looks awesome. I'll add it a link to it to the OG2 charts
Cool! I posted an updated version. You might want to link to the latest PDF version since it has clickable links. I'll let you know if I get it working in Google Sheets then you could link to that.
Somehow I managed to mess up the links in version 3. Version 4 is a Google Sheet you can link to. I'll make future updates there so the link won't need to change.
I feel you pain. I kinda want to invent a level called Novice to go before Beginner to make myself feel more advanced.
Not only to feel more advanced, but because it makes sense. Theres so many moves in the beginner category that is so much harder than other things in beginner category. F.ex Elevated shrimp squat being in the same category as the regular squat...
F ex elevated shrimp is supposed to be intermediate not beginner
Yeah, I've already started on version 2 and I'm moving some things from beginner to intermediate like Pistol Squat, Nordic Curl, Dragon Flag, and the more advanced Shrimp Squat skills.
I updated the OG charts to reflect the extra legs and core exercises to be intermediate where they reach the cut off
It's unrated in the gymnastics code of points because it's easier than all of the other A skills like back lever, front lever, and isometrics like that.
Muscle up is high end beginner but not hard enough for intermediate
Its one of the first moves learned in ring gymnastics, and its not as hard as you would think when trained properly.
Maybe I should move everything from their level 5 row from beginner to intermediate and level 9 from intermediate to advanced. That would move the Muscle Up to intermediate.
Also the dip is a little bit high isn't it? it's above ring dips which are definitely harder than normal dips.
I got it in like 3 months or so. I couldn't eve do support holds on rings before that. Nothing specal about this move but looks cool!
Haha lol it is not like that.. Not at all...
Comparing it to other stuff like all those levers, OACs or anything that you see in the street workout culture, muscleups aren't that difficult. That is just a fact and it is what it is. I don't know why people make a big deal about muscleups.
In gymnastic terms, it's not considered a skill at all, it's just a means of getting on top of the rings to say, top support. Difficult for most adults who haven't trained it that long but get any half decent Boys gymnastics class and it's simply a prerequisite once they've spent a decent amount of time playing on the rings.
Is there anyone here who can truly say he's "intermediate" and if so, tell me how long you trained to achieve these levels of BW strength?
I love it, however I have one objection with the difficulty scale. The one arm push up is ranked as being on the same level as the one arm pull-up and higher than the muscle up.
If you look on the OG charts, one arm pushup is low end intermediate. Muscle up is high end beginner.. it's definitely not as hard and unrated in the gymnastics code of points as it's a basic skill. One arm pullups is on the high end intermediate
I can't do any of these things so I'm trusting Overcoming Gravity for the difficulty levels unless I hear a good reason to change it.
Cannot argue with that logic, thank you for replying so quickly.
I mentioned in another comment that maybe I should move everything from their level 5 row from beginner to intermediate and level 9 from intermediate to advanced. That would move the One Arm Pull Up to advanced.
Damn this is pretty good. I also saw the 'graph' of 3umel you mentioned but when I looked at it, I wished there was a 'skill tree' and not a graph. This is more of the skill tree I was looking for. Thanks!
Not sure if it's feasible, but would be good if each name of the progression would link to a video of that progression so we can tap on the name and see how it looks like and how to perform it with good form.
I think links can be added in Excel. That sounds like a good idea to try out.
Are back levers really a Pulling Exercise?
Pulling exercises are usually upper-back and bicep, dominated. Back levers seem more like a chest dominated exercise with a bicep static hold.
It is because you are trying to move your arms towards your center of mass which is a pull by definition. Muscles worked are independent from determining whether it is a pull or push.
Usually when people categorize an exercise as a pull or a push, their doing so based on whether it works either triceps/pecs/front delts as a push or lats/rear delts/mid traps/biceps as a pull
A back lever is IMHO a horizontal push in the same way that a planche is.
To resist gravity and hold a BL successfuly, you're applying resistance via shoulder flexion and shoulder flexion is by in large a movement that is performed by the clavicle head of the pec major and the front delts. Hence being a push.
If you want to be technical and say that moving your arms towards your center of mass is a pull then by that definition yes its technically a pull.
However such a definition is, in practical application, useless for deciding where it should fit in a workout.
Leading to a lot of people putting back levers with lat/bicep/rear delt exercises where it should be with front delt/chest/tricep exercises
Usually when people categorize an exercise as a pull or a push, their doing so based on whether it works either triceps/pecs/front delts as a push or lats/rear delts/mid traps/biceps as a pull
This is an outdated way to categorize push and pull exercises and probably comes from weight training and/or bodybuilding circles where all their exercises are done with their hands in front of their bodies so that categorization works for the exercises they are doing.
Also, muscles like the lats and pecs are worked in either shoulder flexion or shoulder extension depending on where their ROM is relative to their body. And smaller muscles like the biceps can be working in shoulder flexion exercises and the triceps can be working in shoulder extension exercises. This is why you cannot tie any one muscle group to either push or pull exercises.
A back lever is IMHO a horizontal push in the same way that a planche is.
They share many similarities in muscle groups worked and are both shoulder flexion, but one distinction is that the lats are a prime mover in shoulder flexion when the shoulders are hyperextended like in the back lever whereas the lats are only a stabilizer in the planche. This is a great example that corroborates my point above.
However such a definition is, in practical application, useless for deciding where it should fit in a workout.
The definition of push or pull is just to describe the movement and nothing more. This is also used in OG and GB to categorize exercises.
You need to be somewhat knowledgeable on which muscles are worked in each exercise to know where they should fit in a workout.
You can't categorise any lever that way. No lever is just one or two muscle dominant exercise. Back lever is a complex move which involves chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders and core.
My thinking is that with bodyweight exercises if you're holding onto something above you it's a pulling exercise and if you're holding onto something below you it's a pushing exercise. Interestingly the muscle up starts as a pull and ends as a push. I have no idea if there is an official definition for the terms.
There are no official terms. Everyone does things differently.
Well, this is definitely going in the bookmarks of stuff I'll never remember to use, yet really should.
Nice work, OP, really nice to see it visually represented like that. :)
Could someone explain to me the difference between a 45 degree and 140 degree V-sit?
I think it's the angle between your legs and the floor. L sit is 0 degrees. 45 degrees is starting to look like a V-sit. As you raise them higher the angle gets larger. 90 degrees is straight up. By the time you get all the way around to 180 you're doing a manna.
Great work. Thanks, I saw the other post and wondered if something like this was out there
How da hell do you make this in excel LOL. Can you check if it is compatible with google sheet?
I could try uploading the revised version to Google Sheets to see what happens once it's ready. I probably won't want to spend too much time trying to fix it if it has issues. We'll see.
Very nice work on this. One question/suggestion, would it be possible to link to videos in the specific exercise? This way people could just click the exercise description and readily see an example. Regardless, great work on this.
I was gonna take a good look at this chart then I remembered I can’t actually physically jump
It might be an idea to have the levels used in OG2 along the vertical axis on the left or something. Then have a line going across the entire table at that level so then visually it would be intuitive to see that, say, HSPU and OAP are both level 9 because they're at/between the same lines (just an example I doubt they actually are).
Thank you very much for this. I'll look forward to any updated versions as I'm just starting to move over to a full BWF routine so this will help immensely.
Yes, awesome chart. I love the way this community shares and builds on each other's work. This is the way community should work. Kudo's to both of you!
I don't understand the symbology in the legend.
You have white, red, and black circles. And then there is bold text. They seem correlated in the legend, but they lose that association in the actual chart.
I made some changes in version 2. Let me know if it is still unclear. That's the hardest kind of thing for me to catch.
That is sidebar material. i salute you for making this chart
Really nice work. Appreciate the effort and can't wait to visit rev 2. Will try and have a proper look on something other than this tiny phone when I get a chance.
Wow looks great! The intermediate section makes me cry a little at how difficult some of them are! Cant wait to see the finished chart, thanks for your hard work :)
Is there a resource that describes and illustrates each of the exercises mentioned?
Check back for the Excel and PDF versions. I'm adding links to videos that show the exercises.
Cool idea, it's a good visual representation of various progressions.
Overall it would be interesting to have an update of the OG2 charts with some new moves that are often street workout goals, like impossible dips/bodyweight tricep extensions, hefesto/bodyweight bicep curls, dragon press, Victorian cross (there are also parallel bar and floor variations, not only rings), if the community was able to estimate their difficulty level and the best progressions.
Holy moly, that's some nice work here !
Thanks a lot man, I'm filling it right now
So how would one use this? Just start at the top of the chart and work my way down?
That's exactly right. For each progression start at the top. As you master each skill you can start your workout lower and lower down the progression. Perhaps use higher skills as warm ups.
If you want a balanced total body workout then do as many of the progressions as you can. Another option I'm considering is to pick a skill I really want to achieve then focus mostly on that. It could be motivating to have a "show off" goal.
With the second approach it might be healthier to pick two skills that balance each other out, like matching a horizontal pull skill with a horizontal push skill.
Great work man! You might want to check the links in version 3 though. Nearly all of them direct to a different exercise. (Unless I'm really reading the chart wrong!)
Vertical Row goes to Tuck Front Lever, Scapular Shrug goes to wall handstand chair pushups, Foot Sup L-sit goes to Muscle-up... etc
Uh oh. I’ll check that out when I get back to my computer. I’m planning a fourth version to get it working as a Google Sheet (hopefully).
Amazing! At what point do you consider that you have ‘achieved’ an exercise and get to level up? Really really nice work
"In progress" skills are the ones I am currently doing in my workouts. When I think it's time to move to the next item in the progression then it is "Completed".
The Lever and Bridge progressions are new to me so that should be fun.
Do you have any specific criteria for this, eg. Can do 10 reps comfortably?
My criteria for the chart is : "In progress" skills are the ones I am currently doing in my workouts. When I think it's time to move to the next item in the progression then it is "Completed".
For some exercises that could mean 12 reps, but for others 12 reps could take me years so I might stop at 8 in order to try something new (pull ups for example). I suppose this is a question everyone must answer for themselves while doing these progressions.
Great work! Any reason you don't have color-coding for the leg and ab progressions?
As far as I know all of the leg and ab skills I have here are beginner level skills.
Oh, dragon flags and shrimp squats are very difficult exercises so I would have put them in the Advanced or Elite category but maybe I am defining 'skill' wrong?
Now that I review the Overcoming Gravity charts I see that these leg exercises are not part of the difficulty level system. They were added to the chart later. I'll definitely consider changing their difficulty color in my chart.
...why tf is a one armed handstand only considered advanced, as opposed to elite?
That's kipping - you may need to zoom in more :-)
Using this (thanks) but when would you say its time to move onto the next progression?
I saw your response to someone, that they need to decide how many reps until they consider the skill mastered. I've always done 3x8 but I have always debated static holds, such as L-Sit. Just wondering what you personally would do there. (I do 15sec sets but I think someone at one time had said 30sec and I have to wonder if that would be common thinking)
3x8 on skills with reps and 30s on static holds seems to be a common threshold which I also tend to follow. Sometimes I am impatient and skip ahead before I can do that much. :-)
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