Calisthenics exercises are the original body sculpting movements. For thousands of years, calisthenics have been used to boost strength, build muscle, and increase endurance, accomplishing several fitness goals at once.
Unlike other forms of fitness such as powerlifting or CrossFit-style Olympic weightlifting, calisthenics have been shown to have the lowest rate of injury. Best of all, they are scientifically proven to be effective.
Want to get started with a calisthenics program, but you’re not sure where to begin? Here’s everything you need to know about calisthenics for beginners. We’ll even include a complete beginner calisthenics workout.
What are Calisthenics?
Calisthenics are bodyweight-based movements that typically utilize the greatest number of muscle fibers. For example, push-ups, air squats, and pull-ups are all classic calisthenics exercises, and they all target several muscle groups at the same time.
Calisthenics have been used as an effective fitness program for literally thousands of years!
Learn more about what calisthenics are and the history of calisthenics.
Do You Need Calisthenics Equipment?
The short answer: No, you can complete dozens of exercises that don’t require a piece of equipment to perform.
However, as you progress in your workouts and you want to challenge yourself, taking your results to the next level, you might want to consider investing in the following:
Read more about calisthenics bars and equipment and which brands we recommend.
Will You Get Hurt Doing Calisthenics?
There is no type of exercise that is one-hundred percent safe; however, studies show that calisthenics exercises have the lowest injury rate of all types of popular fitness including traditional weightlifting, powerlifting, and CrossFit-style workouts.
How Can You Make Calisthenics More Challenging?
Bodyweight exercises are easy to scale. As you progress in your fitness journey, the types of calisthenics exercises that you’ll use will also evolve. For example, a traditional push-up can be scaled to the more advanced Spiderman push-up or it can be scaled down to a kneeling push-up. Every calisthenics exercise can be changed to make it more or less difficult.
Benefits of Calisthenics: What the Research Says
Calisthenics exercises are considered the total package when it comes to fitness and wellness. The fitness-focused benefits of calisthenics include:
Muscle Building:
You might not get as large as Phil Heath, but calisthenics are a great way to build serious lean muscle while reducing fat (more on that below).
Studies show that traditional calisthenics exercises utilize several muscle groups simultaneously, triggering a hypertrophic or muscle growth response.
One of the best examples of getting an insane physique from calisthenics is the YouTube sensation, Hannibal for King. Many say that he was the one who supercharged the popularity of calisthenics for muscle building with this video.
Fat Loss:
Studies show that calisthenics exercises are an effective way to maximize caloric expenditure or calorie burning. Given the ability to adjust the difficulty of bodyweight exercises, it is easy to amplify the intensity of a calisthenics workout, increasing both calorie burning during and after the workout.
Studies show that calisthenics workouts significantly increase excess post-oxygen consumption or EPOC levels. This is the amount of calories that your body continues to burn long after the workout has ended.
Functional Strength:
While calisthenics exercises are effective for increasing traditional strength such as being able to push more weight in the gym, it’s especially useful for improving your functional strength.
Functional strength is the ability to perform everyday tasks without injury. For example, the ability to bend down and lift something from the ground without injury is a form of functional strength.
Studies show that calisthenics workouts can dramatically increase functional strength while lowering your risk for injury in day-to-day activities. Read more about the benefits of calisthenics.
Calisthenics: Who Is This Workout Ideal For?
Wondering if a beginner calisthenics workout is right for you? Here’s who can benefit the most from calisthenics exercises:
New to Fitness: Given its low rate of injury and proven success, bodyweight exercises are a safe and proven way to manage both a healthy weight and physique over the long-term. It’s also an ideal starting point for those who are new to fitness or trying resistance training for the first time.
Going Through Rehab: If you are recovering from an accident, injury, or surgery, calisthenics are the best option to safely and effectively promote strength and recovery.
Recovery and Off-Season: Speaking of recovery, for athletes such as professional bodybuilders, football players, and CrossFitters, calisthenics exercises are an ideal way to maintain current performance and physique gains.
No-Equipment Beginner Calisthenics Workout
Convinced that you’re ready to get started with a calisthenics workout for beginners? We have you covered. Start with the following workout. Perform it three times per week with a rest day in between each workout.
Bodyweight Squats: 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Inverted Hanging Row: 2 x 8
Three-Way Lunges: 2 x 10
Push-Ups: 2 x 8
Pike Presses: 2 x 6 – 10
Sit-Ups: 2 x 12 – 15
Burpees: 1 x Failure (do as many as you can)
Check out this calisthenics ab workout that doesn’t require equipment.
Calisthenics Beginner Program with Equipment
Do you have access to popular calisthenics exercise equipment such as pull-up bars and dip stands? Take advantage of that equipment with this calisthenics workout:
Pull-Ups: 2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Chest Dip: 2 x 10 – 15
Bodyweight Squats: 2 x 10 – 12
Romanian Deadlift: 2 x 12 – 15
Pike Presses: 2 x 8 – 12 Hanging Knee Raise: 2 x 8 – 12
Triceps Bar Dips: 1 x 12 – 15
Close-Grip Chin-Ups: 1 x 10 – 15
Check out this calisthenics back workout that utilizes a few pieces of equipment to help you sculpt your back.
Quick Tips for Calisthenics Recovery
Once you complete your first calisthenics workout, you’ll want to maximize your recovery effort so you can get back to exercising the next day with minimal or no soreness. Here are a few ways to boost recovery:
Rest Days:
As mentioned above, alternate your working and rest days. The classic Monday, Wednesday, and Friday workout schedule works best for most. Then give yourself off Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekend.
Immediately after your workout and on your rest days, be sure to stretch. It’s also highly recommended to use a foam roller if you’re physically able to do so. Like a deep tissue massage, there might be some discomfort, but it’s worth pushing through as the knots are broken up.
You should also make the investment in massage therapy, either through an at-home device or a professional massage at least once a month.
Nutrition:
Focus on healthy and natural choices including lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. For example, a baked chicken breast with two cups of mixed vegetables and a serving of almonds is an excellent recovery meal.
Whether you want to gain or lose weight, it’s essential to track your calories. Apps like MyFitnessPal make it effortless to track what you’re eating each day and to ensure you stay within your caloric limit.
Consider Supplements:
The bulk of your nutrition should be coming from whole food sources, but if you want that extra edge for recovery, supplements can help.
Whey protein has been shown to dramatically increase muscle tissue repair, promote muscle building, and boost fat loss.
Collagen in your morning coffee can support the health of your joints while promoting protein synthesis.
Omega 3 fatty acids are a proven way to boost heart health, but they also play an important role in the formation of connective tissue and muscle tissue.
Calisthenics for Beginners: Are You Ready to Start?
Calisthenics exercises have been around for a long time and it’s no wonder: they are incredibly effective at helping to build your ideal physique. Whether you’re new to fitness or you’re a bit rusty, calisthenics can safely get you started on your journey for weight loss, muscle building, and performance.
References
Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Mar;32(3):651-659. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002345.
Willis LH, Slentz CA, Bateman LA, et al. Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012;113(12):1831–1837. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01370.2011.
Schleppenbach LN, Ezer AB, Gronemus SA, Widenski KR, Braun SI, Janot JM. Speed- and Circuit-Based High-Intensity Interval Training on Recovery Oxygen Consumption. Int J Exerc Sci. 2017;10(7):942–953. Published 2017 Nov 1.
Thomas, Ewan & Bianco, Antonino & Mancuso, Esamuela & Patti, Antonino & Tabacchi, Garden & Paoli, Antonio & Messina, Giuseppe & Palma, Antonio. (2017). The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition. Isokinetics and Exercise Science. 25. 1-8. 10.3233/IES-170001.