Unlock insane gains with this calisthenics beginner guide (it really works)
Calisthenics is the way to train with your own bodyweight, as a complete gym.
Calisthenics is a form of workout and endurance training that has been around for a while and is well known for its use of minimal equipment to achieve its result.
It is often described as bodyweight training too, since its use of your body for most of what needs to be done, makes you in a sense a master of your own body. Calisthenics teaches you what your body can do by default and helps you discover things you didn’t even know your body could do.
Calisthenics can be termed as a complete and minimalistic workout package since, with little use of workout equipment, you get to activate multiple muscle groups in your body. Unlike most other forms of workout, it makes immense use of your mental capacity as well, giving you a chance to exercise your brainpower.
With the almost limitless number of things that you can do with just your body for exercise, calisthenics is a fun form of workout. Due to doing multiple trial attempts at a move with the help of calisthenics equipment before you fully master it, you get to learn more about not only your body but yourself as a whole.
Does Calisthenics work?
Regardless of your definition of success in a workout routine, calisthenics is a definite winner. Be it to lose some weight, gain serious muscle, up your strength and agility, calisthenics training will get you there.
It is super friendly to beginner, yet it works wonder for fitness veteran.
Especially in the beginning where your body is not used to the bodyweight training technique, you are guaranteed to have some sweat dripping and taking in those deep and intense breaths. This intensity in respiratory activity and muscle movement is a sure way to trigger your metabolism in no time.
With the various techniques and exercise routines available, most if not all forms of calisthenics are known to improve body flexibility. Depending on what workout routine you choose or are advised to commit to, body flexibility improvements show in varying times.
Calisthenic workout promotes compound exercises that works multiple muscle groups at the same time. Muscle growth is the most common motivation for most people working out, and compound exercise is very efficient at building muscle hyperthrophy. Calisthenics can be regarded as a ‘safe’ form of workout since it makes use of your bodyweight for pulling and pushing, before pushing you over your limits too early.
Calisthenics is a sure way to keep you fit and in shape, give you good overall health and ensure that you are the master of your own body. It equips you with the right mindset and knowledge of the body and greatly prepares you for whatever instances in which you might need to apply your body.
Benefits of calisthenics exercises?
Calisthenic exercises have many benefits with results that can be seen both in the short-term and long-term. Here is a breakdown of some of the gains you get to enjoy when you take part in calisthenic workouts.
Functional strength for everyday activities
Having great upper-body strength from the pull-ups you do as part of your calisthenic workout recommendations can come in handy. You will perform better in sports or carry out daily chores. Calisthenics also well-tune your joints to working in extreme conditions, which is essential to ease everyday movement.
More natural form of workout
You are working out with the natural movement that your body is designed to do. For instance, when you’re doing squats, you’re tuning your lower body muscles and joints to optimally cater to your own body, rather than pushing them beyond their natural limits by the introduction of external weights.
Trains almost anywhere
No more expensive gym membership. Your body are basically gym that works. Calisthenics is not about how heavy you can lift, but how you can leverage your body to gain resistance. It is all about the training technique and improvise with the environment.
Improves muscle endurance
They say that whenever a muscle in the body decides to give in to some pressure or give up, the action more often than not starts in the brain. Calisthenic exercises will train your mind and body on how to push themselves to the limit before making the move to give up on or give in to pressure.
Minimal use of equipment
You body is all you need. Other than that, you need a floor for pushing exercises, and a tree branch for pulling. A good number of calisthenic exercises can be done as a form of home workout routines and require little use of fitness gear. This makes calisthenics very adaptable in the forms that they can take since you can use basic home equipment such as furniture like table tops in doing bench presses.
Improves body motor skills
Just as a great army knows its weapons arsenal well, calisthenic exercises will have you mastering your body and having the capability to employ different aspects of it whenever need be. Be it in jumping across a wide trench or hurling a projectile across a field, calisthenics ensure that your body is well equipped with strong muscles and well-lubricated joints.
Works out multiple muscle groups
Compound exercise is the core of calisthenics. Most calisthenic workout routines in their most basic form usually have you working out more than two muscle groups at once. Whether you're pulling yourself across a pole, or jumping to touch your toes on a horizontal plane mid-air, calisthenics usually have you putting to use multiple muscle functions all at once. This well-coordinated use of multiple muscle functions all at once is all part of putting your brainpower into action.
Great body structure balance
Since most workouts rely on you using your own body for most of the reps, your body will adapt and grow according to its makeup. This will mean that if you’re working to grow or strengthen a part of the body, it will do that in unison with its corresponding parts. The result of this coordinated body strengthening and growth function is that you have a well-balanced and powerful physique.
Great mind and body coordination
There is no excessive equipment to pay attention to when you are practicing calisthenics. It means your full focus can be on the body part that you are working on. This triggers the muscle-mind connection and thus, bigger gain.
Boosts esteem and lift up spirit
Even if some of the exploits that you can achieve as a result of calisthenics will go unspoken in everyday conversations, knowing you’re the one in the room who can probably jump the farthest will surely boost your esteem. Your well-trained body will be constanly releasing the dopamine (happy hormone) and stays in positive mode most of the time.
Best Calisthenics Home Workout For Beginners
Here are the steps to follow in doing some basic calisthenics workouts for beginners.
Planks
Plank make a strong and well-toned abdomen as well as arm tricep and bicep muscles.
- Lie down on your stomach with your arms spread out.
- Fold your knees to raise your lower body, and fold your arms at the elbows below your chest to raise your upper body.
- With your arms supporting your upper body, stretch your legs to get to push up position
- Clench your abdomen and back to hold your body in a straight position.
- Remain in this position for as long as you can. For a beginner, we recommend remaining in plank position for twenty to thirty seconds is a good start.
Squats
Squats are known to work out your abdominal and leg muscles. They also offer a great workout for your knee and waist joints.
- Stand upright on a flat surface, and have your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Stretch out your arms so that they are parallel to the ground while remaining in an upright position.
- Without the soles of your feet leaving the ground, lower your body by bending at the knees and waist region, with your thighs parallel to the ground.
- Hold in this bent position with your arms still stretched out, for about a second, and then push with your legs to get back upright.
- Repeat this motion as many times as you can or as many times as you’re advised. For a beginner, we recommend doing about ten to twenty squats for a start.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are a round form of calisthenic workout, involving mostly the upper-body muscles and the abdomen.
This requires having a firm metal or wooden rod setup horizontally above your head. The rod should not be too low or too high, but just high enough for you to reach without overstretching or jumping for it. The rod should also have some form of grip to prevent slipping.
- Place your arms on the rod, with your palms facing your face.
- Hold the rod firmly, with your arms shoulder-width apart.
- Pull yourself up till your chin gets to the rod’s level. While pulling, clench your abdominal muscles.
- Once at the top, gently lower yourself but do not let your feet touch the ground.
- Repeat this motion as many times as you can. For a beginner, we recommend doing about ten reps for a start.
Dips
These are mostly for arm biceps and triceps, as well as the abdomen and chest area.
- Stand in between two rods or surface edges that are slightly above your waist height.
- Place your hands on the rods, make sure your hand placements are in line, slightly in front of your body.
- With your arms stretched out and resting on the rods, slowly fold your knees to get your feet off the ground so that your body weight is supported solely by your hands.
- Slowly bend your elbows as you deep down.
- Once down, use your arms to push yourself back into the original position.
- Repeat this motion as many times as you can. For beginners, we recommend ten reps for a start.
Jump Squats
These are a good start to any calisthenic workout session, as they involve every muscle in the body. They help get your body active and into that workout mode. Jump squats are also good for the abdomen, leg muscles, and all the joints.
- Stand in the squat position discussed above, upright on a flat surface with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body down as if doing a normal squat, but instead of gently getting back up, use your thigh muscles to spring up and jump off the ground.
- When you touch the ground from the jump, go directly into the squat position.
- Repeat this motion as many times as you can, and try to do it at a fast pace. For a beginner, we recommend ten jump squats for a start.
Top 5 Calisthenics Equipment For Home Workout?
1. Weighted vest
This is used to give you extra weight on your upper body when doing the pushing, pulling, or jumping exercises. The extra weight is good for pushing your muscles and joints beyond their limits.
2. Wrist wrap
They work to prevent blisters and roughening of hands when swinging from bars or working on hard surfaces.
3. Gymnastic rings
They are elastic but build to withstand extreme tension without breaking. They help with stretching the arms and upper abdominal muscles.
4. Resistance bands
Similar to the strands in gymnastic rings, these resistance bands are flexible but can withstand immense tension. They help in stretching and mimicking pulling exercises.
5. Pull-up bar
This can be easily mounted in between a door frame for pull-ups. It offers a quick and easy way to work on upper abdominal and arm strength.
End Words
Training and exercise should be fun, but many are not. However, this is inevitable with calisthenics. Play is an important pillar in exploring the body's potential, as you become more willing to try new things, falling and getting back up with a smile.
