Parallettes One: Parallettes Training for Beginners

Parallettes One has been discontinued—sorry you missed it! If you want to learn more about why we stopped selling this program, click here. And if you’re looking to build full-body strength and control, Integral Strength is a good option.

And even though we’re not selling this course anymore, we do have a ton of great FREE resources on using parallettes.

Parallettes One is our beginner/intermediate introduction to pressing strength and inverted skills. It’ll build muscle and control through your entire body and make you feel absolutely solid.

This video outlines the essential information:

Shoulder Stability

Powerful Pressing

Balance & Control

Since its initial release in 2010, P1 has been used by over three thousand men and women of all shapes and sizes. The most recent update makes it even easier to use with a simple course format and accessibility on any mobile device.

Josh Hillis

Author and Fat Loss Coach
Denver, CO, United States

P1 is the most fun I've had in forever.

It gave me a specific program... and some cool challenge moves to work towards, but also lots of stuff that was within my reach that I could rock out on.

Really cool progressions. I'm still amazed at how the first month sets up the second month, and how things like tuck-swing-to-L-sit are getting doable, which seemed totally impossible two months ago. In fact, everything seemed totally impossible when I started, but I’m doing it now, and that's really awesome.

Anyway, I’m having so much fun with the pbars. Thanks again for putting together literally the most fun and accessible program out there. I already bought Parallettes Two, even though it's a long ways off. =)

Parallettes One Creates Full-Body Strength & Stability

Let’s just go ahead and be honest: there are hundreds of exercise programs out there… What sets P1 apart from the rest? In a nutshell, it’s one simple thing:

P1 is the gateway to a whole world of exercises that don’t just make you sweat; this program actually teaches you to be better at using your body.

Yeah, you’ll get strong and your shirts will start fitting different because of the extra muscle around your chest and shoulders, but more important, you’ll develop greater control over your entire body in any position, from regular pressing exercises to inverted balancing and more.

It also includes bodyweight-only lower-body exercises so you don’t end up with the dreaded chicken legs.
So, that’s all cool and everything, but you might be wondering what exactly the deal is with parallettes and why you should bother with them in the first place.

3 Big Advantages of Using Parallettes

You’ve probably seen videos on YouTube of people using P-bars like glorified push-up bars… well, those people are doing it wrong. Here’s what parallettes are really great for:

Demonstrating a handstand push up on parallettes

1. Increased Leverage

The bars give you greater leverage to control the distribution of your body’s weight over your hands and work your muscles in different ranges of motion. That means more options for adjusting the difficulty of each exercise for continued challenge.

L-sit Bodyweight Exercise on parallettes

2. Extra Ground Clearance

A few extra inches makes it easier to practice certain skills you might not have the strength or mobility to perform on the floor. You’ll especially appreciate the extra room as you challenge your shoulders to press down during L-sits…

Progressing into a push up on parallettes

3. Neutral Wrist Position

Stiff, sore wrists are a common complaint in bodyweight workouts, but gripping P-bars puts less stress on your wrists, so you can get more training without damaging your joints. Over time, your wrists will get stronger without the damage.

Don’t Get Stuck – Programming Designed for Continual Progress without Stalling

Unlike some programs that give you a single workout to repeat forever, GMB recognizes that you’ll require different strategies as your strength and skills develop. That’s why Parallettes One includes four program phases, each building on the previous one to keep you making consistent progress.

Practicing Bodyweight Plank Hold on Parallettes

Phase 1
Strength Development

Strength is the foundation of increasing your movement capabilities, so P1 begins by building your strength in the basic movements everything else is built on.

Performing a Bodyweight Tuck Hold on Parallettes

Phase 2
Skill Development

As you continue building strength, Phase 2 introduces more skill focus and complex movements that will ingrain new motor patterns, developing balance and agility.

Perfecting a Bodyweight Planche Progression on Parallettes

Phase 3
Flow Acquisition

Once you’ve developed the basic level of body control to execute each skill, we begin building combinations that offer even greater challenge and stimulation.

Practicing a Bodyweight Arm Lever on Parallettes

Phase 4
Flow “Mastery”

After several weeks of strength and skill practice, you’ll work to smooth out the transitions and cut down the rest time for more efficient applied movements.

Great Programming Gets Great Results

We know that providing great information isn’t enough on it’s own. After all, the internet is loaded with info, but here you are looking for something more organized and easier to use.

That’s why we put just as much work into how we deliver the program as we put into writing it. Here’s a few ways our online course format helps you get results:

Expert Instruction

Crystal clear video and detailed text describe every exercise

Regressions and variations let you find your own level

Every day and week is planned in detail with extensive explanations and FAQs

Supplemental Materials

Works on any desktop or mobile internet device

All tutorials are downloadable

Printable charts detail each day’s training plan

Our coaches and support team are always just a click away

Here’s what a few of our clients have achieved with Parallettes One:

Gergely Peter

Hungary

So I've been doing calisthenics for a while now (Al Kavadlo's and Steve Kamb's programs mainly) but after I got P1 a couple of weeks ago I knew I found something awesome again. I've been following GMB for at least 4-5 months now and I've learned a LOT from you guys but never really wanted to go "full gymnast." Especially since the first phase of P1 seemed pretty easy: kneeling push ups, plank holds for 5 secs etc. That's way too easy, right? Wrong.

It was surprisingly humbling to complete my first p-bar workout. So I decided to put aside my intense calisthenics routine and focused solely on P1. I never thought I'll have to start something again from the very basics but I love it!

John Belkewitch

Day 1 Fitness Solutions

There’s nothing quite like starting a program unable to perform a movement, only to find ownership of that movement (and quite a few others) just weeks later. You can’t say that about many programs, as many have you starting and ending the program with the same movements, only increasing reps or sets, decreasing rest or a combo of both.

P1 has dramatically increased my strength.

Start Building the Essential Strength Foundation for Advanced Pressing and Inverted Balancing Skills

Formidable upper-body strength and stability…
Inverted balance and comfort in unusual positions…
True core strength and control for any athletic activity…

Though P1 is scheduled as a three-month training cycle, you’ll have lifetime access to all the materials, so even if you can’t start immediately, or if you need to take things slow, that’s just fine. You can start when you want and take as long as you want. Your membership includes all future updates.

Parallettes One will make you
stronger, guaranteed.

Give P1 an honest try. The fact is, if you do the work, you’ll get results.
After the first four weeks, if you’re not measurably, noticeably stronger, we don’t want your money.

Send us an email, and we’ll give you a full refund that you can put towards a gym membership or a weight set. You can see all the details here.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve also taken the liberty of including the answers here, since the questions aren’t very enlightening on their own 😉

Lifetime Access
You’ll never lose access to your programs. If you have to take time off, pick right back up where you started. Your training materials are always available.

Brilliant Support
If you ever get stuck or need help, you can easily send a message and get expert support from one of our coaches. We’re here to help.

What equipment is required?

All you need is a set of sturdy parallettes. We’ll show you how to make your own, but you can easily buy them online too.

Am I too old? Too fat? Too inexperienced?

If you’re healthy enough to workout, you can do P1. We have clients in their 90s, and P1 is accessible for beginners. You simply need to have realistic expectations and plan to take extra time at each phase of the program.

Will I build muscle on P1?

Yes. Your chest, arms, and shoulders will love P1, and there’s very little that builds stronger abs than the L-sit.

How long do the P1 workouts and program take?

We designed P1 to require three 45-minute sessions a week for 3 months. Of course, that’s adjustable and you may need more time, especially while you’re still learning the movements.

Is P1 a good program for women?

Oh hell yes! P1 will strengthen your core and glutes, improve your posture, and increase definition in your arms, back, and shoulders.

Can I combine P1 with other training programs?

Sure. You’re a grown-up. But you’ll need to prioritize something, and you’ll make better progress on P1 if you prioritize P1. If you want to continue other workouts, we address those adjustments in the program manual.

What moves will I learn?

The video at the top of this page gives a good idea: L-sits, inverted presses and stands, push-up variations, dips, and more.

Won't all that pressing cause muscle imbalances?

P1 isn’t “balanced,” which is fine, since it’s designed for cycling after three months. If you’re concerned about balance, we’ll show you how to add pull-ups to your routine.

Allison Olivia Choat

Massachusetts

I have been meaning to do this for a while now, but I wanted to take a minute to write in and let you know what a wonderful experience I am having on the P1 program. I began my interest in bodyweight strength as a yogi specializing in hand-balancing poses. After some failed attempts at handstand last year, I wound up with wrist injuries and ended up in physical therapy to treat shoulder dyskinesia (I had been doing all my hand-balancing from my chest muscles - oops!). After three months of PT, I started the parallettes program in the hopes that it would help me rebuild strength in the right parts of my body and help me return to pressing and bodyweight strength, using my newfound lats and deep shoulder muscles.

I have been amazed by how much progress the parallettes have brought me, and how quickly. I am progressing faster than I could have imagined, my wrists and shoulders are free from pain, and my yoga practice has improved enormously. I am especially delighted with how easy the paralettes make it to create external rotation in the shoulders in pressing movements - that's so important for all yoga balances and I find the parallettes make it much easier to create that motion, and thus easier to bring it with me onto the mat when I do poses like headstand prep or forearm balance prep/ Dolphin.

I am going into formal yoga teacher training in October (so excited!) and I definitely plan on recommending parallettes for my students who struggle with external rotation or who have had wrist injuries but are otherwise strong in practice. I also think it offers great "baby steps" toward balancing and proprioceptive awareness that a traditional Vinyasa practice sometimes does not, so it's a great way to build strength and awareness for harder yoga poses.

Thanks again for making such a great program. It is easy to use and understand and I just couldn't be more pleased with how my body is responding. I am having a wonderful time doing parallettes!