How the test works
Most calisthenics skills fail at the weakest link. A strong puller with weak wrists stalls on the planche, and a strong pusher with a weak core stalls on the front lever. So this test checks seven qualities: pushing, pulling, dipping, grip, core, compression and overhead strength. Your level is the highest level where you meet every standard. It is deliberately conservative.
The test standards
Only count reps and holds that meet these standards. Half reps make the result meaningless.
| Test | What counts |
|---|---|
| Push-ups | Chest touches a fist-height target, elbows lock out at the top, body stays in one straight line. Stop when form breaks. |
| Pull-ups | Overhand grip, start from a dead hang with straight arms, chin clears the bar. No kipping. |
| Parallel-bar dips | Shoulders drop to elbow height or below, then lock out at the top. Bench dips do not count. |
| Dead hang | Hang from a pull-up bar with straight arms. Time until your grip fails. |
| Hollow body hold | Lower back pressed into the floor, arms overhead, legs straight and off the floor. Stop when the lower back lifts. |
| L-sit | On the floor, parallettes or dip bars, straight legs held at or above horizontal. Enter 0 if you can only hold a tuck. |
| Chest-to-wall handstand | Walk your feet up the wall until your chest faces it, hands about a palm-width from the wall, body straight. Time the hold. |
The five levels
Minimum on every test to reach each level:
| Level | Push-ups | Pull-ups | Parallel-bar dips | Dead hang | Hollow body hold | L-sit | Chest-to-wall handstand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2. Novice | 10 | 1 | 3 | 30s | 20s | 0s | 15s |
| 3. Intermediate | 25 | 8 | 12 | 60s | 45s | 10s | 45s |
| 4. Advanced | 40 | 15 | 20 | 90s | 60s | 20s | 60s |
| 5. Elite base | 50 | 20 | 30 | 120s | 90s | 30s | 90s |
- Level 1, Foundation. You are building the base every other skill sits on. This is where the fastest progress happens.
- Level 2, Novice. You have the basic patterns. Now it is about volume and clean reps.
- Level 3, Intermediate. Strong enough to start the static skills. Joint preparation matters from here on.
- Level 4, Advanced. Your base is solid. Progress now comes from skill-specific progressions, not more reps.
- Level 5, Elite base. You have a base most people never build. The limit now is skill practice and recovery.
When you are ready for each skill
These are the benchmarks I use before a client starts training a skill directly. Below them, the time is better spent on the base.
| Skill | Start training it when you have |
|---|---|
| Freestanding handstand practice | Chest-to-wall handstand 45s, Hollow body hold 30s |
| Tuck front lever | Pull-ups 8, Hollow body hold 45s |
| Tuck planche | Push-ups 25, Parallel-bar dips 15, L-sit 10s |
| Bar muscle-up | Pull-ups 10, Parallel-bar dips 15 |
| Handstand push-up negatives | Chest-to-wall handstand 60s, Parallel-bar dips 20 |
What to do with your result
Work on your biggest gap first, not your favourite exercise. Two or three focused sessions a week on the weakest areas will move your level faster than training everything equally. Retest every six to eight weeks. If you'd like the plan written for you, send me your result. It tells me most of what I need to know.
New to pull-ups? Start with the first pull-up guide. Working on the wall handstand? Read how long a handstand takes.