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Completed Phase 2 (Macrocycle) of Calimove Advanced Level 3.

This was the real start of calisthenics:

• 1 test week, 4 grind weeks
• 4 workouts/week
• Each session started with a handstand routine
• Two sessions per week with a 5-set structure (3 main sets, 2 accessory, 1 finisher), others with 4 sets
• Long rest periods: 3 minutes for hard exercises, 2 minutes for easier ones

Coming back rusty.
Test week was a clear reminder: my pulling strength dropped after a break.
Pull-ups (overhand) went down from 17 to 13.
Chin-ups? No test, but I could tell — no way I’d hit 21 again like I did a month earlier.

Exercises introduced:

• Handstand
• Skin the Cat
• L-Sit
• Typewriter Pull-Up
• Archer Push-Up (rings)
• Pistol Squat
• Hanging Side Lean

Progress notes:

• Handstand: Week 1 I couldn’t even stay up on the wall. Week 2 — a few seconds. Week 3 — I could hold. Week 4 — started feeling strength and the fun of balancing.
• Skin the Cat: Felt easy, a bit of cheating at first, but clean by the end.
• Typewriter Pull-Up: Manageable — pull-ups have always been a strength.
• Archer Push-Up: Wobbly at first, but steady progress. Felt the control by the end.
• Pistol Squat: My weak point — can do partials, but full is far off (weak legs + poor mobility).
• Hanging Side Lean: Surprisingly easy, likely the first step toward a Human Flag.

In the final week, I finally felt true strength across all exercises.
The body caught up. Calisthenics is officially on.

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On March 16th, I finally did it — I bought Calimove Mobility 2.0.

It’s a 32-week program, structured into four progressive phases: Prep Phase, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
The early sessions are short — just 6 to 7 minutes — but toward the end, some workouts stretch to 30 minutes and can be done several times per week (even daily, depending on how deep you go).

And the truth?
I’ve been resisting this for over 20 years. Mobility work always seemed boring to me — not “sexy,” not exciting. Strength training? Great. Running? Fine. But mobility? I thought it would drain my willpower just to start.

But I was wrong.

Something strange happened. As soon as I started doing it, my body instantly loved it. I can’t even explain it rationally. The movements feel natural. It’s almost relaxing. And for once, it doesn’t feel like I’m fighting myself to show up.

Now we’ll see what consistent training brings.

Summary of BASE Phase (Feb 5 – Mar 16)

The BASE phase of my adaptive Garmin Coach 5K training plan is now complete. Over these six weeks, the focus was on rebuilding aerobic fitness, dialing in recovery, and getting back into consistent mileage.

Key Learnings

• Started strong: My first base run was at 6:02/km with an average HR of 152 — a solid reference point.
• Garmin showed promise: It intelligently adapted to poor sleep and fatigue, skipping sessions when needed, especially during my US trip.

Unexpected Intensity

Despite being the “base” phase, several intensity sessions showed up:

• Feb 18: First threshold run — aimed for PB pace, ended up maxing HR at ~180.
• Feb 20: First VO2max session — 8x2:00 fast. Brutal. HR hit 185. Recovery took days.
• Mar 5: Planned tempo run became a threshold effort due to wind + misjudged pacing.

Positive Adaptations

• Improved endurance: 10–15 km runs became manageable without high HR spikes.
• Resting HR dropped from ~44–45 bpm to 42 bpm.
• HRV improved from ~100–110 to 115–120.
• Better awareness: I learned to listen to my body more — not chase times blindly.

Takeaway

This phase laid a strong foundation. Even though intensity crept in, the consistent base mileage and growing HRV trends suggest good aerobic progress.

I’m now ready to step into the BUILD phase with more structure and smarter pacing.

Just finished Phase 1 (macrocycle) of the Calimove Advanced program — 3 sessions a week, 4 sets per exercise, short 1-minute breaks.

It felt like a much-needed reset: structured, low-friction reentry after months of high-intensity pull-up routines.

Surprising takeaways:

• Planche Lean — harder than expected, core and shoulder control put to the test.
• Easy Bridge Lean — surprisingly manageable.
• Jumping Lunge — absolutely destroyed my legs.
• Sitting Leg Raise — shocking lack of control over my own body 😅

No pull-ups in this phase — a deliberate pause. I’ll reflect more on that in Phase 2.

A great opening. Simple, clear, humbling.

After completing several Garmin 5K training plans with Jeff, Greg, and Amy, I’ve decided to give the new adaptive Garmin Coach a try.

The older plans were solid in structure — but rigid. Despite being marketed as “adaptive,” they didn’t actually respond to recovery status, illness, or fatigue. Plans were hidden week by week, with no flexibility beyond skipping a session.

Now Garmin claims to have upgraded the system:

“A truly personalized training plan that adapts as you progress.”

📎 Official Garmin announcement – August 2024

Sounds good on paper. But support didn’t give me any details beyond what’s already in the press release, and I couldn’t find any in-depth user reviews either.

That said, I’m curious — and cautiously optimistic.

I’ve already loaded up the 17-week adaptive 5K plan, starting from February 5 to May 28. It includes 7 workouts per week, so the volume is serious. My goal is not just to run faster, but to train smarter — and see if Garmin finally delivers on what “adaptive” really means.

Let’s see what happens.