What is Calisthenics | Calisthenics Equipment & Workouts

What is Calisthenics? 

The Greek word "callisthenics" means "beautiful strength" and is where the name originated. Here, it's more than just lifting weights for pure strength: The movements in callisthenics are executed with control and fluidity. There is no equipment needed at all for the fundamental workouts. So Calisthenics is a form of exercise that uses your own body weight as resistance. It is a great way to build strength, muscle, and endurance, and it can be done anywhere, without any equipment.

Building muscle contributes to an improvement in general health, strength, and fitness. Building muscle helps with calorie balance in addition to the calories burnt during prolonged exercise since muscle burns more calories than fat. Callisthenics exercises have the excellent benefit of being a full-body workout, unlike traditional weight training. The simultaneous usage of all muscle groups helps to improve coordination.

Push-ups alone train the complete body's core, which stabilises and holds you so that you don't slump downward during the activity, in addition to the shoulder, arm, and chest muscles. On the other hand, strength training on equipment frequently targets only isolated muscle units, neglecting the application-related synchronisation of the muscle groups with one another.

Calisthenics exercises to develop

There are many different calisthenics exercises, and they can be tailored to your individual fitness level. For beginners, some good exercises to start with include:

• Push-ups: This is a great exercise for working your chest, triceps, and shoulders. To do a push-up, start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels. Lower your body until your chest touches the ground, then push yourself back up to the starting position.

• Squats: This is a great exercise for working your legs and glutes. To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Bend your knees and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then stand back up to the starting position.

• Lunges: This is a great exercise for working your legs and glutes. To perform a  lunge, step forward with one leg and bend your knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight and your front knee over your ankle. Push yourself back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

When you recognise that you are comfortable with an exercise, you replace it in your training schedule with a more challenging version or up the repetitions and intensity. This way, the difficulty of all Callisthenics exercises can be gradually increased. Push-ups are the best example of this: if the "normal push-ups" are still too challenging for you, you can, for instance, lift your hands to take less strain off your arms. After that, you can gradually close the height gap between your hands and feet. If you find push-ups to be too simple, you can try the exercise with one arm or adjust the height of your feet.

As you get stronger, you can progress to more challenging exercises, such as:

• Pull-ups: This is a great exercise for working your back and biceps. To do a pull-up, grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip that is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, then lower yourself back down to the starting position.

•  Dips: This is a great exercise for working your triceps and chest. To do a dip, start with your hands shoulder-width apart on a dip bar or bench. Lower your body until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up to the starting position. 

•  Handstand push-ups: This is a challenging exercise that works your chest, triceps, and shoulders. To do a handstand push-up, start in a handstand position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels. Lower your body until your chest touches the ground, then push yourself back up to the starting position.

Callisthenics Workout Routine - Beginners & Advanced

It is advised to execute two to three sets of all callisthenics exercises per training session, whether you are a beginner or advanced, unless you are pursuing a specific goal that calls for its own training guidelines. To build up your strength endurance, you should start by doing 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. In particular, if the exercises are new to you, you should avoid reaching muscle failure so that you can constantly focus on proper form and technique.

To catch your breath and give your muscles a chance to rest a little after each set, take a break for about two minutes. Try substituting another exercise if you can't complete 12 repetitions of the current one.

 

Calisthenics Equipment To Help Your Progress

Calisthenics is a great way to get in shape, and it can be done anywhere, without any equipment. The majority of callisthenic exercises may be done practically anywhere since they don't require any special equipment.

Some equipment, though, might be useful and improve an exercise. These consist of:

• parallel bars and  Gym Rings
• a jump rope
• a dip bar
• a Pullup Bar

Concluding Thoughts

 If you are new to calisthenics, start with some basic exercises and gradually progress to more challenging ones as you get stronger. With regular practice, you will see results in no time.

Here are some additional benefits of calisthenics:

• It is a low-impact exercise, which means it is easy on your joints.
• It is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health.
• It can help you lose weight or build muscle.
• It can improve your flexibility and coordination.
• It is a great way to relieve stress.

If you are looking for a challenging and effective workout, calisthenics is a great option. With regular practice, you will see results in no time