Calisthenics… I could never do it, but those upside-down b*stards say it’s pretty sick. I believe them — it looks awesome.
That said, finding a program that actually works is much easier said than done. What’s more, you soon learn that mobility is a huge factor in this sport.
Cali Move, one of the most famous coaching systems for calisthenics out there, designed a specific mobility program called Cali Move Mobility Program.
But is it actually as good as they claim?
About the Authors – Sven Kohl & Alex Lorenz
Sven Kohl
Sven Kohl started training with calisthenics around 2012, but he’d been training with weightlifting and other sports for 15 years prior.
Not only is he incredibly active, but he’s also worked as a physiotherapist and licensed fitness trainer for quite some time. This allows him to combine his experience in lifting with his experience as a coach — you gotta walk the walk to talk the talk.
Alex Lorenz
Alex Lorenz (AKA: “El Eggs”) graduated with a degree in sports science with a focus on nutritional sciences. He’s also trained in calisthenics since 2012 and is the founder of a Leipzig-area calisthenics club.
He’s been training for over thirty years in various sports, ranging from Taekwondo to bike trail riding. Alex is also world-renowned as a coach and has been helping people with nutritional coaching and their fitness journey for years now.
Cali Move also has other programs, including Body Transformation Basics and its Home Workout Program.
Cali Move Mobility Program Overview
Once you’ve seen someone doing a couple of cali moves, you’ll realize that, at a certain point, you need to be extremely flexible and mobile to progress.
This isn’t a real shock to those who’ve been in the fitness industry, but for some, it might be an eye-opener.
If you can’t control your scapula, how do you plan on actually retracting it?
The Cali Move Mobility Program was developed as a long-term solution with claims of continuous progression for mobility and flexibility skills.
Fitness level: All levels
Duration: For as long as you like (6+ months)
Workouts per week: 3 – 6 workouts per week
Average workout duration: 15 – 50 minutes per workout
Equipment needed: Minimal equipment
Goal: Improve athleticism
The plan might not seem as bulbous or ‘vivid’ as other options out there because they’re offering “sexy things” like hypertrophy or fat loss.
Instead, what this plan offers are improvements on specific exercises and include:
Improving your coordination and control
Increase your strength and stability
Enhance your physical fitness
Eradicate your weak points
There will be no instructions to lift heavier weights or to do all the exercises. This plan seems to be sophisticated. Shaken, not stirred.
Mobility Program Details
As with most modern programs, you’re met with an overwhelming number of PDFs and sections to read or watch. This is a great benefit, seeing as it allows you to go back and read something once again later on as you get through the program. Also, since you get lifetime access, you can literally go back at any time.
The program works through the use of three phases, namely Prep Phase Prep Flow 1, 2, and 3.
Here’s what you need to know about this program:
First, the Basics
Labeled ‘Mobility in Detail,’ the two coaches are adamant you’ll learn skills as well as advanced exercises in this plan. That said, you need to grasp the basics first:
Mobility 101
We simply need to learn how to relax certain muscles while activating others, as this interaction will increase our overall range of motion. By doing so, we can potentially gain more strength in a greater range of motion (this also means more muscle!).
Mobility shouldn’t always remain the same, according to the Cali bros. You can introduce variations to find more or a newer range of motion you haven’t gotten to yet. This allows you to use more advanced exercises or a harder calisthenics movement.
Parameters
Unlike normal training, you’ll mostly use time rather than sets. For beginners, up to 20 seconds is spot on. The most advanced athletes can push that to 90 seconds per hold.
It’s also noted that you need not keep up with the video, as these are just for reference. So go at your own pace.
You also shouldn’t train to complete failure… or ‘don’t exhaust yourself.’ This means using shorter sessions that don’t leave you tired. When it comes to mobility, you don’t need to pay attention to rest times.
Lastly, don’t push too far. If you feel like you’re limited because of your size or joints, push to that point and then build from there. Overdoing it will only result in injuries and pain.
Progression
It’s no surprise that this progression is different from normal training. It’ll take a lot of time, as the focus is control rather than growth. You should see an increase in your range of motion as time goes on, though this will rarely ever be linear.
Issues
Most of us suffer from some dysfunction, and that’s okay.
It’s normal, and they also took that into account. Torn muscles or joints might only worsen if you do some of these mobility exercises, so you need to stop if you ever feel pain or discomfort.
They also dive into other scenarios you need to be on the lookout for, including cramps or perpetual pain.
The Program
This is where the bulk of the program begins. I’m not going to lie, it’s quite confusing, and the UX/UI could use a ton of help.
It’s hard to track, and there are no written instructions for the movements. That said, the videos are extremely helpful, and the explanations are sound.
There’s also a great list of all the different mobility exercises you’ll be doing over the course of the coming months. Typically, the videos are around 60 to 90 seconds long with great cinematography.
Each week, you’ll have certain workouts scheduled for you to follow. These usually change week to week during the prep phases, not only in their schedule but also in the movements you end up doing.
As mentioned, progression is implied simply by doing the movement for longer.
Here are some examples:
Prep Phase – Week 1, Day 1
Quad Wrist Circles (40 sec)
Single-Wrist Flexion (30 sec)
Elbow Circle CC (30 sec)
Easy Bridge (30 sec)
Cat Cow (30 sec)
Hip Figure 8 (40 sec)
Crouch Rocks (40 sec)
Lunge Knee Rotation (40 sec)
Frog Rocks (30 sec)
The following week, you’ll simply do everything twice, etc. This is a means of progressive overload that might not be as on the nose as other offerings, but it’ll still yield progress.
As the weeks go on, you also have an addition of more workouts per week. Week one had three, while week four would have five!
As time goes on, you’ll see a massive increase in the difficulty and complexity of movements. Sometimes, you’ll see long workouts, but it’s not common. It’s more common to see the addition of harder movements.
Reviews
To be honest, that’s it. There isn’t really any more for me to break down for you.
But I wondered if the plan would actually work, so I headed to Reddit to see what’s what and what others had to say.
A glowing review on Reddit had the following to say:
“In regards to personal progress, I’ve seen a great increase in mobility during the first four weeks especially, but I continued to see small progress workout to workout.”
This is on par with what their goal is. While massive progression is great, they’re adamant that the smaller increase in mobility and flexibility will all add together over time.
“The only negative I’ve found so far is that from week 3 to 6 both included, the routine became a bit monotonous since for those four weeks the reps, sets, and holding time stayed the same until I started week 7.”
Some of the weeks do get a bit much, especially the MOD Week. There’s even a FAQ section on the MOD week being too much too quickly. This shows that while the plan is designed to be for everyone, there are times when the going gets tough.
“All in all, a great course that I definitely recommend. I think it has translated greatly on my strength training, because I’m able to do more pull-ups with better form, for example, and just feel generally more comfortable with my body and how it moves during training.”
3 Cali Move Mobility Pros
1. It Can Improve Strength Training
Strength training and hypertrophy are slightly different from one another. With strength training, you need to be able to reach certain ranges of motion because, without it, the movement wouldn’t be completed ‘legally.’
Thus, by improving your mobility and flexibility, you should be able to train with a greater range of motion, allowing for more growth. Studies have also found that using a program like this in conjunction with strength exercises can result in the best gains possible.
2. It’s Actually Great for Beginners
My mom recently started training. Upon asking her what she was doing, I was surprised to learn she was just stretching. Personally, I expected a 400-pound ATG squat.
Jokes aside, this program is ideal for those who are the most basic of beginners — basic exercises, slow progression, and no yelling coach.
This won’t result in massive muscle growth, but it might help develop strength as well as mental clarity to eventually move to something a wee bit stronger.
3. Simple as Pie
I tried making pie once … not simple.
That said, it’s really simple to follow the plan.
You learn how to do the exercises from the video, and then you follow the plan — boom. It might get hard, sure, but only some people have reported the plan to get really hard.
2 Cali Move Mobility Cons
1. Terrible Design
Firstly, this is a small error and can easily be fixed. The UX/UI on the website is woeful and is a pain to learn. There are little to no written instructions, and while the videos are fine, they can be massively improved with writing.
There’s also a slight lack of overall information in the plan. A few more sections on how mobility is important for calisthenics movements would’ve been nice.
3. Some Say It’s Too Hard
I don’t really agree with this. However, if you’re adding this plan to your current strength plan, you might struggle at some point, yes.
Cali Move Mobility – Final Thoughts
Rate things for what they are and could be, not what they are not.
Cali Move’s Mobility Program won’t make you super strong. It won’t make you very lean, jacked, or even confident. But it could be the missing 5% in your planche and the final 3 inches in your front lever.
I joked in the beginning that I don’t do Cali, and I don’t, but I do coach more than 200 calisthenics athletes on nutrition. This program is solid.
To be honest, we’ve discussed it in meetings from time to time, and while we’re not incredibly jealous, it hits the nail on the head for what it is.
Most don’t need this plan. Then again, most people don’t feel the need to be the best. However, if you’re among the few who want to be the best of the best — the tippy top of the Iron Cross — you can only benefit from this plan.
Hell, you might even learn a thing or two.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
