Gyms and studios may be stocked to the rafters with equipment to help you build a stronger upper body, more resilient glutes and a bullet-proof core, but some of the best workouts you can do are actually bodyweight.
Take calisthenics, for example.
“It’s a form of exercise that consists of a variety of movements performed with little to no equipment, utilising gravity and bodyweight leverage,” says Héloïse Nangle, head trainer at Core Collective. And according to her, it should be the “foundation for every other strength-gaining discipline”.
So, what exactly is calisthenics, and what are the benefits? Here, Nangle gives us all the important details on how to do calisthenics workouts, and why we would all benefit from having a go.
What is calisthenics?
“Calisthenics reverts back to a very natural way of training”, Nangle explains. It dates back to times before the invention of the barbell, when people would rely on their own bodyweight to get strong.
There’s no need to worry about plateauing when doing calisthenics. Just because you only have your body it doesn’t mean you’ll run out of ways to challenge yourself. “You can use elevated surfaces to change the angle of the exercises, vertical surfaces like walls and poles and increase the percentage of bodyweight that you’re lifting to challenge your body in new ways,” Nangle suggests.
The focus on using gravity is what might scare some people off, but is actually an interesting and exciting way to switch up your training. We’re talking about handstands, V-sits, push ups – anything that works against the natural force to train your body. That’s where the gymnastic element comes in, creating unique shapes with your body using flexibility and strength.
What are the benefits of doing calisthenics?
There are so many benefits to doing calisthenics workouts, says Nangle . These include:
- Improved posture
- More strength
- More flexibility in movement patterns
- Less chance of injury
- Improved cardiovascular fitness
Improved posture and strength
As calisthenics is a form of strength training, you’ll be building a resilient body. A 2017 study published in the Isokinetics and Exercise Science Journal found significant improvements in posture and strength in people who followed an eight-week calisthenics training programme.
No equipment means it costs nothing
If you still don’t believe that bodyweight training can be that good, a 2018 paper from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that people who performed push-ups had similar improvements in a one-rep max test (the amount of weight they could bench press for a single rep) and press-up performance than those who practised bench press. Essentially, calisthenics and weighted workouts can lead to the same gains.
It requires little space
For Jess Rosart, CrossFit coach at WIT, that’s good news: it means anyone, anywhere can get strong. “There’s a really low entry point for people to start in the sport because you don’t have to buy any kit or an expensive gym membership – you can get started with calisthenics in your home,” she says.
It’s great for injury rehab
It’s also good for people who might be coming back from an injury or are new to training and aren’t ready to load up with heavy weights. “It’s going to be friendlier on the joints because they can move through movement patterns without worrying about external load,” says Rosart. That will also improve mobility in the long term, so if and when you want to add weights, you’ll be safer doing so.
A chance to play and learn new skills
For people who are more advanced in their training but considering making the switch, one of the key things that attracts people to calisthenics is that it’s a skill-based workout. You won’t simply be counting the weight on the bar or the minutes on your watch but you’ll be learning and progressing through new exercises which can feel more motivating.
“Everybody loves it when they nail their first handstand, and then they want to learn how to hold it for longer or do a walking handstand. Calisthenics exercises are such fun and there’s so much progression to be made,” agrees Rosart.
How to do a calisthenics workout
For a simple but effective workout, Nagal recommends “performing a bodyweight ladder of the following exercises”, which means you do “10 repetitions of each, then nine, all the way down to one”. To really make the most of this workout, she also suggests “holding a plank for 30 seconds between each drop in number”.
TRX or ring rows
While most calisthenics exercises require no equipment at all, there are some very effective workouts you can do with minimal equipment. To complete this simple bodyweight exercise, hold onto the TRX handles or rings and lean back, so that the handles are supporting your weight. “Keeping your body in line and your core fully engaged, pull yourself up until your hands touch your body,” says Nagal. “This can also be done by setting up a bar in a squat rack and holding onto it with either an overhand or underhand grip, shoulder-width apart”.
If you’re new to calisthenics exercises, you can step your feet further away from the TRX or bar, which will cause you to lean back less. Stepping closer to the machine will mean that you have to lift more of your bodyweight, because you will be closer to the floor when starting the movement.
Press-ups
A firm favourite of PTs, the press-up provides you with an easy-to-do and highly effective calisthenics workout, which can be done just about anywhere.
- Start on the floor on hands and knees
- Get yourself into position with your weight supported on your toes and hands beneath your shoulders, keeping both your body and arms straight
- Lower your body until your chest is an inch from the ground, and then explosively drive up by fully extending your arms
Nagal warns: “Take care to keep your core fully engaged and your tailbone tucked under.”
Squats
Squats are another gym classic that also happen to be a go-to calisthenics exercise.
- Stand straight with your feet around shoulder width apart
- Bend your knees and sit back with your hips, as if sitting into a chair
- To come back up, straighten the knees and push up
- Repeat
Nagal says that the idea is to go down as far as you can, and then quickly reverse the motion to take you back to the starting position.
Burpees
If you want to really get your heart rate up, you can try burpees, which Héloïse says are “guaranteed to elevate the heart rate even further”.
- Start by standing up straight, and then squat down
- Once you’ve gone down as far as you can, reach your hands out in front of you and plant them on the floor
- Jump your feet out behind you so that you land in a high plank position
- Then do a press-up
- Jump your feet towards your hands, pushing yourself back into a squatting position
- Jump up to standing, and repeat
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