Coach José
• Over 8 years of experience in Calisthenics
• NASM Certified Personal Trainer
FROM NEW YORK CITY
Nothing But Passion.
My Name is José Modeste, I'm from New York City, and I've been training Calisthenics for around 8 years. Out of those eight, four have been pretty rings-focused.
I've always been interested in learning how to control my body and to make it look effortless. I'm also a huge fan of watching rings gymnasts during the Olympics and aim to be at least half as strong as them one day.
The YouTube Video That Changed Everything
My first exposure to calisthenics was actually through a YouTube video of Chris Heria at THENX on superhuman strength. After being in the gym for some time, after I saw him do full planche pushups, I thought it was doable so I gave it a try.
I was completely mistaken, and started to understand the intensity of these movements. Afterwards, I switched to only bodyweight workouts, mainly working out in parks.
Where Community Meets Movement
In NYC, where I'm from, Calisthenics is a social sport. Parks are always full of people, learning from and with each other. People aren't afraid to learn, to make mistakes, to have their first falls, or to achieve their first moves.
It takes a special kind of willingness to try something for the first time and be willing to improve while also knowing you could fail. At first it begins with trying some calisthenics for one day, then it somehow becomes once a week, then twice a week.
Months go by, then before you know it, years go by, you meet other people who are training and have the same goals as you, you all start training together, become friends, and all of a sudden it's considered your "hobby". That's what happened with me.
Consistency was what kept me going and is what I attribute all of my progress to, but I think understanding how to recover from failing a movement or combo is also just as, if not more important. Every session is a learning experience.
Your Journey, Your Pace
In Hong Kong, there's a lot of focus on competition, being the best, and comparing yourself with others. I think a little of this can be healthy and can push you to aim high. But too much of it can lead to burnout and feelings of never being good enough.
The fact of the matter is there's always going to be someone younger and better than you. The bigger question should be - are you improving on the goals that you set for yourself?
Day to day there might be little progress, but how are you in comparison to how you were a few weeks, months, or years ago? Work at your own pace, and we're here to help you pave the path to your goals.
