The path is real. Here's what it looks like.

Every calisthenics skill has a road. Wall push-up to full planche is twenty-plus steps. Dead hang to muscle-up is fourteen. These aren't marketing slogans — they're the actual progressions built into the app, one row at a time in the exercise catalog.

Most fitness apps hand you random workouts. Calisthenics doesn't work that way. To pull off a full planche you don't need more push-ups — you need pseudo planche push-ups first, then a tuck planche, then advanced tuck, then straddle. Skipping steps puts your joints and connective tissue under loads they haven't gradually adapted to.

ZenMotion's exercise catalog has 448 movements linked into progression chains like the ones below. When you're crushing a step — clean form, top of rep range — the app suggests the next one. When you're not there yet, it keeps you on your current step. The ladder uses your logged performance to recommend when it's time to progress.

Every skill below links to the ZenMotion program that walks you through it. Free to try. No login required to see the plan.

Planche

Elite

Load: straight-arm strength on the deltoids

  1. Wall Push-Up
  2. Knee Push-Up
  3. Regular Push-Up
  4. Pike Push-Up
  5. Pseudo Planche Push-Up
  6. Pseudo Planche Push-Up (Lower Lean)
  7. Tuck Planche (Heavy Assist)
  8. Tuck Planche (Light Assist)
  9. Tuck Planche Hold
  10. Advanced Tuck Planche (Heavy Assist)
  11. Advanced Tuck Planche (Light Assist)
  12. Advanced Tuck Planche Hold
  13. One-Leg Planche (Heavy Assist)
  14. One-Leg Planche (Light Assist)
  15. One-Leg Planche Hold
  16. Straddle Planche (Heavy Assist)
  17. Straddle Planche (Light Assist)
  18. Straddle Planche Hold
  19. Full Planche (Heavy Assist)
  20. Full Planche (Light Assist)
  21. Full Planche Hold
  22. Weighted Full Planche
  23. Planche Push-Up

Planche Focus Split →

Muscle-Up

Advanced

Gate: strict pull-ups first · calibration starts you further up if you already have them

  1. Dead Hang
  2. Active Hang
  3. Scapular Pulls
  4. Australian Pull-Up
  5. Negative Pull-Up
  6. Band-Assisted Pull-Up (Thick Band)
  7. Band-Assisted Pull-Up (Thin Band)
  8. Strict Pull-Up
  9. Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
  10. Explosive Pull-Up
  11. False-Grip Pull-Up
  12. Assisted Muscle-Up
  13. Strict Muscle-Up
  14. Ring Muscle-Up

Muscle-Up Focus Split →

Front Lever

Elite

Load: lat + core straight-body hold

  1. Dead Hang
  2. Active Hang
  3. Scapular Pulls
  4. Tuck Front Lever (Heavy Assist)
  5. Tuck Front Lever (Light Assist)
  6. Tuck Front Lever Hold
  7. Advanced Tuck Front Lever (Heavy Assist)
  8. Advanced Tuck Front Lever (Light Assist)
  9. Advanced Tuck Front Lever
  10. One-Leg Front Lever (Heavy Assist)
  11. One-Leg Front Lever (Light Assist)
  12. One-Leg Front Lever
  13. Straddle Front Lever (Heavy Assist)
  14. Straddle Front Lever (Light Assist)
  15. Straddle Front Lever
  16. Half-Lay Front Lever (Heavy Assist)
  17. Half-Lay Front Lever (Light Assist)
  18. Half-Lay Front Lever
  19. Full Front Lever (Heavy Assist)
  20. Full Front Lever (Light Assist)
  21. Full Front Lever
  22. Chest-to-Bar Front Lever Hold
  23. Front Lever Ice Cream Maker

Front Lever Focus Split →

Back Lever

Advanced

Gate: shoulder-extension flexibility matters as much as strength

  1. Skin the Cat
  2. German Hang
  3. Tuck Back Lever (Heavy Assist)
  4. Tuck Back Lever (Light Assist)
  5. Tuck Back Lever
  6. Advanced Tuck Back Lever (Heavy Assist)
  7. Advanced Tuck Back Lever (Light Assist)
  8. Advanced Tuck Back Lever
  9. One-Leg Back Lever (Heavy Assist)
  10. One-Leg Back Lever (Light Assist)
  11. One-Leg Back Lever
  12. Straddle Back Lever (Heavy Assist)
  13. Straddle Back Lever (Light Assist)
  14. Straddle Back Lever
  15. Half-Lay Back Lever (Heavy Assist)
  16. Half-Lay Back Lever (Light Assist)
  17. Half-Lay Back Lever
  18. Full Back Lever (Heavy Assist)
  19. Full Back Lever (Light Assist)
  20. Full Back Lever
  21. Weighted Back Lever
  22. Hip-to-Bar Back Lever Hold
  23. Back Lever Ice Cream Maker

Back Lever Focus Split →

Freestanding Handstand

Advanced

Goal: a 30-second freestanding hold

  1. Pike Push-Up
  2. Wall Walk
  3. Chest-to-Wall Handstand Hold
  4. Wall Kick-Ups
  5. Wall Handstand Hold (Back-to-Wall)
  6. L-Shape Handstand Hold
  7. Freestanding Handstand (5s)
  8. Freestanding Handstand (30s)
  9. Handstand Walk
  10. Handstand Push-Up (Wall)
  11. Freestanding Handstand Push-Up
  12. One-Arm Wall Handstand Hold
  13. One-Arm Freestanding Handstand

Handstand Focus Split →

Press to Handstand

Elite

Gate: a 30-second handstand first · pancake compression is the real gate

  1. Prerequisite: Freestanding Handstand Hold
  2. Pike Press to Handstand
  3. Band-Assisted PtH (Thick Band)
  4. Band-Assisted PtH (Thin Band)
  5. Negative Press to Handstand
  6. Pancake Compression Depth Hold
  7. Stalder Press to Handstand
  8. Straddle Press to Handstand
  9. Full Press to Handstand
  10. Consecutive Presses (3 reps)
  11. Weighted Press to Handstand

Press to Handstand Focus Split →

Elbow Planche

Advanced

Load: forearm-supported planche variant — lower elbow-joint load than the straight-arm version

  1. Forearm Plank Hold
  2. Elbow Planche Leans
  3. Elbow Planche Push-Ups
  4. Tuck Elbow Planche (Heavy Assist)
  5. Tuck Elbow Planche (Light Assist)
  6. Tuck Elbow Planche Hold
  7. Advanced Tuck Elbow Planche (Heavy Assist)
  8. Advanced Tuck Elbow Planche (Light Assist)
  9. Advanced Tuck Elbow Planche
  10. One-Leg Elbow Planche (Heavy Assist)
  11. One-Leg Elbow Planche (Light Assist)
  12. One-Leg Elbow Planche Hold
  13. Straddle Elbow Planche (Heavy Assist)
  14. Straddle Elbow Planche (Light Assist)
  15. Straddle Elbow Planche Hold
  16. Full Elbow Planche (Heavy Assist)
  17. Full Elbow Planche (Light Assist)
  18. Full Elbow Planche Hold
  19. Weighted Full Elbow Planche
  20. Elbow Planche Push-Up
  21. Elbow Planche Press to Handstand

Elbow Planche Focus Split →

Pistol Squat

Intermediate

Gate: ankle mobility gates this as much as leg strength

  1. Box Squat (Chair)
  2. Bodyweight Squat (Quarter-Depth)
  3. Bodyweight Squat (Parallel)
  4. Bodyweight Squat (Full Depth)
  5. Bulgarian Split Squat
  6. Assisted Pistol Squat
  7. Pistol Squat

Included in Foundations + Lower Body →

One-Arm Pull-Up

Elite

Load: very high training load — extra recovery matters

  1. Strict Pull-Up (10+ reps)
  2. Chin-Up
  3. Weighted Pull-Up (+15 kg)
  4. Typewriter Pull-Up
  5. Archer Pull-Up
  6. Band-Assisted OAP (Thick Band)
  7. Band-Assisted OAP (Thin Band)
  8. One-Arm Negative
  9. One-Arm Pull-Up
  10. Consecutive One-Arm Pull-Ups
  11. Weighted One-Arm Pull-Up

One-Arm Pull-Up Focus Split →

Human Flag

Elite

Load: lateral chain dominant

  1. Side Plank
  2. Pole Support Hold
  3. Assisted Flag (Thick Band)
  4. Assisted Flag (Thin Band)
  5. Tuck Human Flag
  6. Advanced Tuck Human Flag
  7. Straddle Human Flag
  8. Single-Leg Human Flag
  9. Full Human Flag
  10. Weighted Human Flag

Human Flag Focus Split →

V-Sit & Manna

Elite

Gate: mobility is the real gate — hamstrings + lumbar

  1. Compression Sit
  2. Tuck L-Sit
  3. L-Sit (Floor)
  4. L-Sit (Parallettes)
  5. Advanced Hanging L-Sit
  6. L-Sit (Extended Hold)
  7. Modified V-Sit
  8. V-Sit Hold
  9. High V-Sit
  10. Manna
  11. Weighted Manna

V-Sit & Manna Focus Split →

Hefesto

Elite

Gate: a full back lever first · one of the rarest bodyweight pulls

  1. Prerequisite: Full Back Lever
  2. Back Lever Pulls
  3. Band-Assisted Hefesto (Thick Band)
  4. Band-Assisted Hefesto (Thin Band)
  5. Hefesto Pulls (Partial Range)
  6. Hefesto Hold (Top Position)
  7. Slow Negative Hefesto
  8. Strict Hefesto
  9. Weighted Hefesto
  10. Ring Hefesto

Hefesto Focus Split →

First Push-Up

Beginner

Note: the foundation everything else rides on

  1. Wall Push-Up
  2. Counter-Top Push-Up
  3. Desk Push-Up
  4. Bench Push-Up
  5. Knee Push-Up
  6. Negative Floor Push-Up
  7. Floor Push-Up

Included in Foundations →

First Pull-Up

Beginner

Note: the second-hardest first skill after handstand

  1. Dead Hang
  2. Active Hang
  3. Scapular Pulls
  4. Australian Row (High)
  5. Australian Row (Low)
  6. Negative Pull-Up
  7. Band-Assisted Pull-Up
  8. Strict Pull-Up

Included in Foundations →

How the ladder recommends your next step

Every step in every ladder above is a real exercise in the ZenMotion catalog with authored form cues, rep or hold ranges, and a link to the next step. Complete the current step's rep range with clean form for two sessions running, and the app suggests the next step. Miss the range, and the app holds you where you are — no false progression.

This is the difference between a workout app and a coaching app. A workout app hands you a Tuesday plan. A coaching app watches your Tuesday plan for six weeks and then recommends a harder Tuesday. ZenMotion is the second thing.

How to actually use these ladders

Two paths, depending on where you are.

If you're a beginner: start with Foundations. It's a 10-week adaptive cycle built around the first five ladders above (push, pull, squat, hinge, core). Your steps adjust automatically based on a two-minute diagnostic when you sign up. If you've logged past workouts, the app promotes you past any variant you've already proved.

If you're chasing a specific skill: pick a Focus Split. Each of the eleven Elite/Advanced skills above (muscle-up, planche, elbow planche, front lever, back lever, handstand, press to handstand, human flag, Hefesto, one-arm pull-up, V-sit/Manna) has its own 5-day rotation. Skill day, opposite-pattern balance, mobility, legs, skill rehearsal. Every rotation adapts to whichever step you're currently on. See the Skill Focus Splits page for the full breakdown.

Not on the list yet

A few progressions we're still authoring step-by-step: Iron Cross (rings required, extreme wrist and elbow load), Maltese (post-planche territory), and Human Flag One-Arm. If you're chasing one of these, ping support@zenmotion.app and we'll fast-track the catalog work.

Download on the App Store See all Focus Splits