Planche
Elite- Wall Push-Up
- Knee Push-Up
- Regular Push-Up
- Feet Elevated Push-Up
- Pike Push-Up
- Pseudo Planche Push-Up
- Pseudo Planche Push-Up (Lower Lean)
- Tuck Planche Hold
- Advanced Tuck Planche Hold
- Straddle Planche
- Full Planche
The path is real. Here's what it looks like.
Every calisthenics skill has a road. Wall push-up to planche is ten rungs. Dead hang to muscle-up is nine. 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. Skip a rung and your shoulders will let you know within a week.
ZenMotion's exercise catalog has 448 movements linked into progression chains like the ones below. When you're crushing a rung — clean form, top of rep range — the app suggests the next one. When you're not, it holds you at your current rung until you are. No decision fatigue about "am I ready?" — the ladder decides.
Every skill below links to the ZenMotion program that walks you through it. Free to try. No login required to see the plan.
Muscle-Up
Advanced- Dead Hang
- Active Hang
- Scapular Pulls
- Negative Pull-Up
- Band-Assisted Pull-Up
- Strict Pull-Up
- Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
- Explosive Pull-Up
- Muscle-Up
Front Lever
Elite- Dead Hang
- Scapular Pulls
- Tuck Front Lever Hold
- Advanced Tuck Front Lever
- Straddle Front Lever
- Half-Layout Front Lever
- Full Front Lever
Back Lever
Advanced- Skin the Cat
- German Hang
- Tuck Back Lever
- Advanced Tuck Back Lever
- Straddle Back Lever
- Full Back Lever
Freestanding Handstand
Advanced- Pike Push-Up
- Wall Kick-Ups
- Wall Handstand Hold (Belly-to-Wall)
- Wall Handstand Hold (Back-to-Wall)
- L-Shape Handstand Hold
- Freestanding Handstand (5s)
- Freestanding Handstand (30s)
- Handstand Push-Up
Pistol Squat
Intermediate- Box Squat (Chair)
- Bodyweight Squat (Quarter-Depth)
- Bodyweight Squat (Parallel)
- Bodyweight Squat (Full Depth)
- Bulgarian Split Squat
- Assisted Pistol Squat
- Pistol Squat
One-Arm Pull-Up
Elite- Strict Pull-Up (10+ reps)
- Chin-Up
- Weighted Pull-Up (+15 kg)
- Typewriter Pull-Up
- Archer Pull-Up
- Assisted One-Arm Pull-Up
- One-Arm Negative
- One-Arm Pull-Up
Human Flag
Elite- Vertical Pull-Up
- Side Plank
- Vertical Flag (Chamber Position)
- Tuck Human Flag
- Advanced Tuck Human Flag
- Straddle Human Flag
- Full Human Flag
V-Sit & Manna
Elite- Plank
- Hollow Body Hold
- L-Sit (Floor)
- L-Sit (Parallettes)
- Advanced Hanging L-Sit
- V-Sit Hold
- High V-Sit
- Manna
Hefesto
Elite- Prerequisite: Full Back Lever
- Back Lever Pull-Up (from tuck)
- Heavy Eccentric Chin-Up (from top)
- Ring Bicep Curl (Straight-Arm)
- Tuck Hefesto
- Assisted Hefesto
- Full Hefesto
First Push-Up
Beginner- Wall Push-Up
- Counter-Top Push-Up
- Desk Push-Up
- Bench Push-Up
- Knee Push-Up
- Negative Floor Push-Up
- Floor Push-Up
First Pull-Up
Beginner- Dead Hang
- Active Hang
- Scapular Pulls
- Australian Row (High)
- Australian Row (Low)
- Negative Pull-Up
- Band-Assisted Pull-Up
- Strict Pull-Up
Why the ladder decides
Every rung 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 rung. Complete the current rung's rep range with clean form for two sessions running, and the app suggests the next rung. 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 decides you're ready for 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 rungs 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 ten Elite/Advanced skills above has its own 5-day rotation. Skill day, opposite-pattern balance, mobility, legs, skill rehearsal. Every rotation adapts to whichever rung 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 rung-by-rung: 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.
