Why We Built CaliStack

We Built a Calisthenics App Because We Got Lost Learning Handstands

On March 1st, 2025, I could barely do 15 push-ups and maybe 3–5 pull-ups consistently. At the same time, my social media feed was flooded with calisthenics videos. Handstands. Muscle-ups. Front levers. Everything looked impossible and unreal.

So naturally, I tried one myself. I kicked up confidently... and immediately crashed onto the floor. My wrist hurt. My ego hurt more. For a moment, I completely gave up on calisthenics.

“A handstand is not one skill. It's a skill tree.”

Later that night, I started watching tutorials and realized something important. Before a handstand, there were dozens of smaller skills nobody explained clearly — wrist conditioning, shoulder mobility, frog stands, hollow body holds, balance drills, wall kick-ups.

Every creator explained things differently. Some said start with strength. Others said balance matters first. I felt completely lost trying to understand what actually comes next.

That confusion became the starting idea for CaliStack. We didn’t want another random workout app. We wanted a roadmap. Something that tells beginners exactly what to train next.

That’s when I shared the idea with Riyas, the designer behind CaliStack. Instead of saying the idea was too complicated, he simply said: “Let’s build it.”

“Beginners don't quit because they're weak. They quit because they're lost.”

At first, progress was painfully slow. We downloaded dozens of fitness apps, studied progression systems, explored onboarding flows, and researched how people actually learn bodyweight skills.

Then came the hardest part: tutorials. We didn’t want to just embed random YouTube videos into the app. We wanted original tutorials with proper progression and beginner-friendly explanations.

The problem? We had no funding. No studio. No expensive setup. So I started messaging calisthenics athletes on Instagram every day asking if they wanted to join the project through revenue sharing.

Eventually, we built a small team of four people:

• Rishad (me) — app development and product structure • Riyas — UI/UX design • Irshad (Mallu Ninja) — calisthenics expertise and tutorials • Irshad — video production and marketing

Slowly, the app started feeling real. One tutorial became ten. Ten became fifty. The workout system evolved. The progression paths became clearer. And eventually, beginners started using the app.

“Clarity beats motivation every time.”

The funniest part? I originally started building CaliStack because I wanted to learn calisthenics myself.

While building the app, I learned Frog Stand, Crow Pose, Elbow Lever, Headstand, Handstand, Muscle-Up, Back Lever, and more. The movement that once made me quit eventually became the reason I kept going.

CaliStack still isn’t finished. We’re still improving workouts, recording tutorials, and refining the experience. But now beginners around the world are already using it to start their calisthenics journey.

And honestly, that alone makes the entire struggle worth it.