Fingers splayed wide, sophomore Ethan Chen steadies himself upside down as his arms extend beneath him. 57 seconds, 58, 59 — it’s his longest handstand yet. For Chen, it’s more than just a new record; it’s proof of the strength he’s built through months of calisthenics training, unlocking a sense of control and pride.
“Before that, my best was 22 seconds,” Chen said. “That’s when I knew I got this.”
Chen first discovered calisthenics, a form of gymnastic exercise that requires only body weight, through social media and anime. The sport caught his eye for its creativity and control. With its skillful movements, including one-arm handstands and muscle-ups, Chen developed an interest in calisthenics as an art form that requires nothing but personal strength.
“I thought if I could do that, then I’d probably be one of the only ones in school who could, and that’d be cool,” Chen said.
Chen began strength training in February, but progress came slowly. His naturally fast metabolism made building muscle difficult. Fortunately, he soon found calisthenics to be a better alternative to weightlifting. His lean frame made balancing easier. Finding techniques learned online to be inconsistent, Chen taught himself through hours of experimenting what worked best for his body. Developing new skills was demanding, but Chen persisted, fueled by the promise of measurable success.
After two months of practicing, Chen nailed his first elbow lever, a move that holds the body parallel to the ground, supported only by the elbows at a 90-degree angle. In the moment of stillness, he felt truly free.
“It gave me my first feel for how it felt to be completely on my hands,” Chen said.
Chen found satisfaction in the incremental progress, pushing toward more challenging hand-balancing moves like the L-sit and handstand pushups. From there, Chen developed a daily routine of calisthenics training.
As Chen grew more invested in the sport, he began practicing it with his friends after school in the weight room, which allowed him to teach them and watch them improve.
“Whenever he makes progress, it motivates me to work harder, too,” sophomore Advay Chakravarty said.
Since freshman year, Chen and Chakravarty have shared their calisthenics journey together. In training, they were able to motivate and support each other through the rigorous practice. The sport’s flexibility allowed them to practice anywhere, turning any space into a tool to build their skills.
“When the weight room was open an hour late, Ethan jumped onto the hanging of the stairs and started spamming pullups,” Chakravarty said. “It’s crazy to think that in eighth grade he could barely do a pullup, and now he can rep out 20 like it’s nothing.”
In the months ahead, Chen aims to achieve the 90-degree handstand pushup, a move that combines the strength of a handstand pushup with the planche position. His long-term goals are marked by the one-arm pullup and a full planche, skills that could take years to perfect. Yet, the handstand remains Chen’s favorite skill, the centerpiece of his training.
“Being able to hold it feels like freedom on another level,” Chen said. “It’s not something you’d be able to explain until you’ve felt it yourself.”
Through calisthenics, Chen’s consistency has extended beyond his physical training into academics, encouraging him to focus on one goal at a time.
“The more time you spend on it, the more fun it gets,” Chen said. “It’s like a video game — you just progress.”
