The Potpourri Routine is a forgotten bodybuilding workout that predates the invention of sets. It is the 1930's version of German Volume Training and was a favorite of John Grimek. In potpourri training, you perform 6-10 exercises for a muscle group, but only one set per exercise.
The Potpourri Routine is purely a hypertrophy program, designed to build up the size of the targeted muscle group. For this reason I like to apply the Potpourri Routine to my calisthenics workouts. If you want to body build on calisthenics only, then the Potpourri Routine is the way to do it
The main exercises in any body weight hypertrophy program are pull-ups, dips and squats. So in the Potpourri Routine you must apply a high number of sets and a variety of movements to these 3 calisthenic movements. The following are sample Potpourri Routines for each of these core exercises:
Pull-pourri:
- Archer pull-up
- Headbanger pull-up
- L-sit pull-up
- Commando pull-up
- Wide grip pull-up
- Wide grip chin-up
- Medium grip pull-up
- Medium grip chin-up
- Close grip pull-up
- Close grip chin-up
- Pistols
- Skater squats
- Lunges
- Bulgarian squats
- Step-ups
- Body weight squats
- Ski squats
Dip-pourri:
- L-sit dips
- Tucked dips
- Typewriter dips
- Archer dips
- Bulgarian dips
- Assisted one arm dips
- Regular dips
If you cannot do dips or if dip variations are just too hard, then you can do a "Pushpourri" workout instead:
- One arm push-up
- Typewriter push-up
- Archer push-up
- Tiger push-up
- Staggered push-up
- Clap push-up
- Diamond push-up
- Decline push-up
- Corkscrew push-up
- Scorpion push-up
