Overcoming Gravity
The Bible of bodyweight fitness and calisthenics training
Overview
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
Overcoming Gravity is a comprehensive program for beginners who want to become advanced at bodyweight fitness, and offers people with more experience a clear path to progress in gymnastics exercises and holds. The app provides 5 program templates with different goal-specific structures.
For users who own the Overcoming Gravity book, the app provides a smooth interface for designing and tracking routines, so you have more time to focus on your workouts. While not required, it is strongly recommended that you read and reference the book for full context and details.
Who it's for
Reviews
This program is great. Just like any program, consistency is key.
Tough figuring out how to fit in everything into a reasonable time frame, but once I figured that out, the results have been surprising. I opted for an upper+handstand day, lower day, and handstand+mobility+core day rather than the splits recommended. Also cut down the warmup, using different pieces of the warmup on different days. (E.g. I skip wrist and shoulder prep on leg days) I like to train, so spreading a 3x/week split into 6 sessions, with each movement batch trained twice per week is working very well. Managing fatigue and overuse in this program is crucial!
Several videos of the exercises are not available.
Love this program. I changed a few exercises to meet my limitstion in tools. I skipped the handstand part for my first try as i am recovering from a hand injury. Swapped dips with pike press since i didnt have p bars or chairs and could use the extra shoulders. Added a weight vest for more versatility.
Variations
10 weeks · 3 days/wk
- Generally best for beginners and intermediates for strength and hypertrophy
- Tends to be best for overall strength in the long run
- Distributed rest days best for recovery and leaves weekends free for other activities
- Recommended workout days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Repeat program indefinitely
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burpees | 1 | 10–20 reps |
| 2 | Crawling | 1 | 60 sec |
| 3 | Wrist Prep | 1 | 1 rep |
| 4 | Band Shoulder | 1 | 1 rep |
| 5 | Bodyweight Squat | 1 | 10–20 reps |
| 6 | Support Hold | 1 | 60 sec |
| 7 | Skin The Cat | 1 | 5 reps |
| 8 | Plank | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 9 | Both Side Planks | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 10 | Reverse Planks | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 11 | Hollow Hold | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 12 | Arch Hold | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 13 | Wall Handstand – Level 3 | 1 | 5–10 min |
| 14 | Jumping Pull-ups – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 15 | Parallel Bar Jumping Dips – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 16 | Ring Row Eccentrics – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 17 | Standard Pushups – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 18 | Parallel Squat – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 19 | Lunges – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 20 | Tuck L-Sit – Level 1 | 1 | 60 sec |
| 21 | Full Tuck Reverse Hyperextension – Level 2 | 3 | 3–10 reps |
| 22 | Rice Bucket | 3 | 1 min |
| 23 | Bicep Curl | 3 | 20–30 reps |
| 24 | Pancake, Pike And Splits | 3 | 30 sec |
| 25 | German Hangs – Level 1 | 3 | 30 sec |
| 26 | Back Bridges – Level 1 | 3 | 30 sec |
| 27 | Deep Breathing | 1 | 1 min |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burpees | 1 | 10–20 reps |
| 2 | Crawling | 1 | 60 sec |
| 3 | Wrist Prep | 1 | 1 rep |
| 4 | Band Shoulder | 1 | 1 rep |
| 5 | Bodyweight Squat | 1 | 10–20 reps |
| 6 | Support Hold | 1 | 60 sec |
| 7 | Skin The Cat | 1 | 5 reps |
| 8 | Plank | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 9 | Both Side Planks | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 10 | Reverse Planks | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 11 | Hollow Hold | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 12 | Arch Hold | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 13 | Wall Handstand – Level 3 | 1 | 5–10 min |
| 14 | Jumping Pull-ups – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 15 | Parallel Bar Jumping Dips – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 16 | Ring Row Eccentrics – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 17 | Standard Pushups – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 18 | Parallel Squat – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 19 | Lunges – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 20 | Tuck L-Sit – Level 1 | 1 | 60 sec |
| 21 | Full Tuck Reverse Hyperextension – Level 2 | 3 | 3–10 reps |
| 22 | Rice Bucket | 3 | 1 min |
| 23 | Bicep Curl | 3 | 20–30 reps |
| 24 | Pancake, Pike And Splits | 3 | 30 sec |
| 25 | German Hangs – Level 1 | 3 | 30 sec |
| 26 | Back Bridges – Level 1 | 3 | 30 sec |
| 27 | Deep Breathing | 1 | 1 min |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burpees | 1 | 10–20 reps |
| 2 | Crawling | 1 | 60 sec |
| 3 | Wrist Prep | 1 | 1 rep |
| 4 | Band Shoulder | 1 | 1 rep |
| 5 | Bodyweight Squat | 1 | 10–20 reps |
| 6 | Support Hold | 1 | 60 sec |
| 7 | Skin The Cat | 1 | 5 reps |
| 8 | Plank | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 9 | Both Side Planks | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 10 | Reverse Planks | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 11 | Hollow Hold | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 12 | Arch Hold | 1 | 30–60 sec |
| 13 | Wall Handstand – Level 3 | 1 | 5–10 min |
| 14 | Jumping Pull-ups – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 15 | Parallel Bar Jumping Dips – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 16 | Ring Row Eccentrics – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 17 | Standard Pushups – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 18 | Parallel Squat – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 19 | Lunges – Level 1 | 3 | 3–15 reps |
| 20 | Tuck L-Sit – Level 1 | 1 | 60 sec |
| 21 | Full Tuck Reverse Hyperextension – Level 2 | 3 | 3–10 reps |
| 22 | Rice Bucket | 3 | 1 min |
| 23 | Bicep Curl | 3 | 20–30 reps |
| 24 | Pancake, Pike And Splits | 3 | 30 sec |
| 25 | German Hangs – Level 1 | 3 | 30 sec |
| 26 | Back Bridges – Level 1 | 3 | 30 sec |
| 27 | Deep Breathing | 1 | 1 min |
Weeks 2–10 are in the app
Purchase the full program inside the Boostcamp app to unlock all weeks with auto-progression and coaching notes.
The coach
Author, Doctor of Physical Therapy, BS in Biochemistry, Injury and Training Consulting
Steven Low is a former gymnast, coach, and the author of the Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength.
He has spent thousands of hours independently researching the scientific foundations of health, fitness and nutrition. Steven holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland.
Common questions
Overcoming Gravity is a paid program available inside the Boostcamp app. You can browse the full week 1 schedule here for free, then purchase inside the app to unlock all 10 weeks with auto-progression and coaching notes included.
This is a home workout program. No gym required. Make sure you have consistent access before starting, since the progression model assumes you can perform the same movements week over week. If you're missing something, the Boostcamp app includes substitution suggestions inside each workout.
Each session typically takes around 45 minutes to complete. That estimate covers your working sets but doesn't account for warm-up or rest between sets, so budget a little extra time when you're first learning the movements. As you get familiar with the program, sessions tend to move faster.
Overcoming Gravity is structured around 2–4 training days per week depending on the variation you choose. Each variation is designed for a different schedule, with rest days built in to allow for recovery. Consistent rest is as important as the training itself. Skipping rest days can stall your progress. The app lets you reschedule sessions if your week doesn't go to plan.
The program runs for 10 weeks. The structure is designed so that each week builds on the last, with weights, volume, or intensity progressively increasing as you go. Many athletes choose to repeat the program after finishing, either at a higher starting weight or with a different variation.
Overcoming Gravity is available inside the Boostcamp app, free on iOS and Android. Once you download the app, you can search for the program by name or find it on the coach's profile. The app tracks all your sets and weights automatically, so you always know exactly what to do next session.
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