There are few calisthenics masters out there as widely known as Frank Medrano. From the first time Medrano jumped up to a bar, it was the practicality and functionality that captured his interest. To him, it felt good to be able to support his own body weight and from there, a passion was formed.
“I jumped onto a pull up bar one day and decided to try out a few bodyweight exercises. I loved the rush and feeling I got from pulling myself up. I felt an amazing feeling of strength and got hooked onto building my physique. I got bit by the fitness bug and it’s been an amazing journey ever since.”
Nearly 8 years later, Medrano has built a staggering social media following of millions and a YouTube channel with over 100 million views. He’s also a vegan, and is a big fan of lentils as a protein source. His plant-powered lifestyle challenges this conventional idea that you need to be a whey protein shake guzzling carnivore in order to build muscle and strength.
He has a philosophy of “no excuses” and with calisthenics, there really aren’t any. You can train with just your bodyweight, anywhere, anytime. Medrano encourages beginners to keep it simple and not get too caught up in advance-to-technical moves just because their models showcase them all over social media. Focus on controlling your body first, and from there, progression will follow.
Here are Medrano’s top 10 tips from his website:
- Accept and forgive yourself. We are all unique and special individuals and do not have to adhere to the mainstream ideal of beauty. The aesthetics are a byproduct of your peace of mind.
- Be true to yourself. Never compare yourself to another.
- Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. This is from the legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden.
- Failure is an important part of the process. Embrace it.
- Think positive but make room for criticism.
- Understand that we all progress at various rates.
- Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. We all need a support group.
- Celebrate others’ successes and never hate on another person.
- Don’t let your ego get in the way. Friendly competition can be a motivating and positive tool but don’t fall into the trap of wanting to the get the best of someone. You’re either lifting them up or putting them down.
- Remember where you came from. Be willing to help others who were in your shoes. We all started somewhere.
