Technique6 November 2026 · 2 min read
How to Choose a Calisthenics App: 6 Things to Check
Before paying for a subscription, run these 6 checks: free part, level, videos, a criterion to move on, a real coach, cancelling. They work for any app.
Matteo ArduCalisthenics coachShort answer: a good calisthenics app lets you start for free, starts from your level, shows you every exercise, tells you when to move on, has a real coach behind it and has a clear subscription you can cancel anytime. These checks work for any app, mine included.
The 6 checks
Already have an app in mind? Answer each one and see how many it passes.
A 7-day trial isn't enough to know if it fits you.
A plan that isn't yours is the fastest way to quit or get hurt.
Technique is half the work: if you can't see it, you get it wrong.
You need a criterion to level up, not a feeling.
Someone who coaches people every day writes different plans than a random list.
Price visible before paying and cancelling in two taps, no emails or forms.
The 6 checks, explained
1. A truly free part
Many apps only offer a 7-day trial and ask for your card straight away. In one week you can't tell whether a plan works for you: your body hasn't responded yet, and you don't know if you enjoy using the app. A free part with no time limit lets you train for a few weeks, see if you keep coming back, and only then decide whether to pay.
2. The starting point
Someone starting from zero and someone who already does ten pull-ups can't have the same plan. When I coach someone, the first thing I do is find out what they can do today. A serious app does the same: it asks your level or tests you. If it gives you the same plan as everyone else, too easy or too hard, that's the fastest way to quit or get hurt.
3. Every exercise with its video
In calisthenics technique is half the work. Shoulder blades rising, an elbow flaring, hips sagging: you won't see it from the exercise name. Before subscribing, open three random exercises and check for a clear video and an explanation of the key points. If you can't understand how to do it, it's not your fault.
4. A criterion to move on
Moving up too early stalls progress and loads your tendons, moving up too late costs you weeks. You need a criterion, not a feeling: a number of reps or seconds to reach, or a test at the end of a block. Check whether the app tells you, or whether you have to guess when to change exercise.
5. A real coach behind the plans
A plan written by someone who coaches people every day is different from a list of exercises in a row. Ask who wrote the plans: is there a name, a story, experience you can check? You don't need a coach following you personally to train well, but there should be a method behind the plans.
6. Clear price and easy cancelling
If you decide to pay, the price should be shown in the store before you buy, and cancelling should take two taps in the App Store or Google Play settings, with no emails, forms or calls. A subscription that's easy to cancel is a good sign: the app is counting on you staying because it helps you.
How my app answers
Total Body and Circuit plans for every level, no time limit and no card.
5 levels, from neophyte to pro. The level test is also here on the site.
Almost all of the 140+ exercises have a video; the rest have a step-by-step explanation and variations.
Pick a goal, the app splits it into stages and tests you at the end of each block.
Every plan follows my method, 10+ years of coaching. If you want me to coach you personally:Online coaching
Price shown in the store, cancel anytime from App Store or Google Play.
Honestly: the stages with tests are Premium and coaching with me is a separate service. For free you get plans from your level, the videos and the method. And if you mainly want a huge exercise library, there are apps with many more exercises: I chose fewer, each with its place in the paths.
