Calisthenics - the best exercises and training program

March 28, 2020 Admin Home page » Home workouts

What is calisthenics and its difference from workout. Features of training. List of exercises. Shoulder and abdominal training. Training video.

Bodyweight training is a great way to keep your body in shape and for this, calisthenics is used, which will provide excellent physical activity at home without the use of equipment. Despite this, any training will bring minimal results if it is planned with errors.

Therefore, this article contains as much information as possible so that calisthenics for beginners will bring as much effectiveness as possible. The workouts are available for all ages, children, men and women, they are able to create an athletic figure from a weak body and strengthen muscles. They will be carried out in a gentle manner, so training can be done even daily, but during the week there will be at least 2 days off for muscle recovery.

What is calisthenics

Bodyweight exercises are used in almost any form of athletic activity. These are the basic push-ups and pull-ups that we are introduced to in physical education classes. This is approximately how it was before, until foreign athletes changed it. Now this is a system and complexes of certain complicated exercises, which together can be called calisthenics. This is a huge number of different variations of well-known exercises that are aimed at developing the whole body.

How long to do the calisthenics complex for beginners.

I recommend performing this complex for 4-6 weeks. Then, without changing anything except adding 1 repetition of each movement, perform it again for 4-6 weeks. Then add 1 repetition again. And so continue for 6 months, and even 12. Believe me, the result will surprise you. And note, with each new addition of 1 repetition, the rest time until the end of the minute will decrease. And this circumstance, oh, how it will force the body to use more and more new resources. Strength and endurance will increase.

The difference between calisthenics and workout

Somewhere in 2013, on the territory of the post-Soviet Union, there was an explosion of the sports movement, which later became known as workout. Of course, the main influence came from American athletes, but among the CIS countries there were also many who developed this culture.

Workout is training using your own weight. So what is its difference from calisthenics? At least in the fact that in workout all sets are performed mainly on horizontal bars, parallel bars, ladders and other gymnastic bars. All activities are divided into three different areas: strength, gymnastics and gymbar.

Calisthenics, in turn, uses any space for physical development. And, also, uses more variations for active physical development, including legs. There is no need for special platforms or sports instruments. Just you and time. Also, you cannot simply classify morning push-ups and squats as part of this discipline.

It is not correct to consider that workout is a type of calisthenics, since it has a completely different direction. Although in both cases the weight of your own body is used.

Standard equipment, additional shells.

The basic set of equipment for workout includes ladders, horizontal bars and parallel bars of different heights, benches for pumping abs and push-ups, and monkey bars. This layout is not final; at the customer’s request, the project can be supplemented with outdoor exercise equipment, or a separate area for warm-up and stretching can be made.

Workout area from IronKing in Izhevsk, st. Udmurt

Features of calisthenics

The most important misconception of people is that they believe that with push-ups and, for example, a horizontal bar, you cannot work out all muscle groups, and, therefore, you cannot pump up. Human imagination has given rise to a huge number of different variations of standard exercises that help to work every muscle no worse than on simulators. The load can be adjusted by amplitude, grip and ordinary weights. For example, to make squats more difficult, people do them by jumping or using only one leg.

The advantage of such training is that, in addition to a specific muscle group, the general muscles of the body are greatly strengthened: the core, flexors, and back. The overall tone of physical strength increases. Each exercise requires general basic training and a specific approach. Any acrobatic element, for example, requires proper training. In our case, the desired result is the body.

Calisthenics probably won't help you lift heavy weights like you would in the gym. However, this is the very way to become functional, feel better about your body and cope with yourself in daily stress.

The absence of additional equipment for calisthenics makes it as convenient and universal as possible for everyone. You can use anything you can get your hands on: the floor, walls, stools, books. However, despite the current flow of imagination, it is necessary to pay great attention to technology .

Practicing calisthenics will help you lose weight or tighten your figure, while you will do it at home in a comfortable environment. A huge amount of training is done at high intensity. A small set of exercises is performed without rest and for about 3 circles. This will help you not only effectively improve your physical fitness, but also activate the hormonal functioning of the body. Thus, if you eat right and train in the morning, the fat burning process will continue for a long time after training.

Basics of the calisthenics complex for beginners.

Exercises

We will perform according to the CCM principle (alternate every minute).
A minute begins, you make a movement, then rest until the end of the minute. This format is convenient because you clearly understand when to start the next exercise. To begin with, you will perform any movement in just 1 repetition. Our task is to accustom the body to the correct execution of a repetitive movement!
The volume will be large, but you won’t get too tired. To begin with, this is the most important thing. It often happens that guys start multi-repetition movements, but there is zero technique. This is not about us.

When is the best time to train and how to eat?

Weight loss

It is important to note that the best workout is in the morning, before eating. Moreover, there is a “window” system that creates a long gap between meals. For example, you ate at 12:00, then at 15:00, then at 18:00. It turns out that there is a huge window between 18:00 and 12:00. Fats are a reserve of energy that the body stores for later. When you eat, you receive energy that you spend on your activities. If you don't time your workouts between meals correctly, you'll end up wasting what you recently consumed rather than what you have in stock. Therefore, the window will allow you to immediately get to the fat and burn it effectively.

If you want to dry yourself out, then you need to constantly drink a lot of plain water and eliminate foods that contain a lot of sugar. Sugary water, desserts, cookies: they contain a huge amount of carbohydrates that are not in harmony with other nutrients. For example, some kind of cake can be equal to a bowl of porridge, but only porridge has other positive properties that improve the functioning of the body. Sugar not only provides quick and unhealthy energy, but also increases insulin levels in the blood. All of this together is very detrimental to your progress.

Your diet should be balanced: proteins, carbohydrates and even fats, for example in nuts, olive oil or avocados. However, you must understand that sports are rarely temporary. You can't eat right in breaks. This is an endless process that needs to be maintained. Also, do not try to change something in your diet instantly, so as not to stress your body.

Read more about the diet for athletes →

Mass gain

With mass, everything is simpler in words, but more difficult in practice. In order to increase muscle size, you first need to do the exercises slowly. That is, you must slowly both rise and fall. The most effective way is to add some weight to your body. This is easily achieved with the help of a briefcase and any things in it. All the same exercises, but with additional weighting.

During the period of weight gain, you need to consume more fats and proteins, which are found in large quantities in beans, meat and eggs.

Tips for calisthenics programs for beginners

It is much easier to start than to achieve your goal with the help of calisthenics. Having considered the calisthenics training program for beginners, pay attention to tips that can significantly simplify your training.

Take time to warm up

If you have chosen classes with serious physical activity and set ambitious goals for yourself, then before each lesson you need to devote 20-30 minutes to a set of exercises to warm up. The transition to basic movements, regardless of age, can easily lead to injuries without preparing the body for the load. The same can be said for the end of your workout, when you should focus on exercises that focus on active stretching and flexibility.

Don't rush progress

Remember that enough time must pass for progress. Don't try to get there faster by increasing the load. This approach will not bring you success.

Visualize the perfect exercise

Every time you perform an exercise, try to imagine how you look from the outside and how this relates to the ideal execution of all physical movements. Listen to your body's signals. Your goal is to receive information about your mistakes in a timely manner and correct them in a timely manner.

Restore your body

Don’t forget to include small stretching routines between workouts, as well as tissue restoration using a massage roller in order to promptly relieve accumulated tension in the body’s muscles. This will help you progress better and avoid unnecessary injuries.

Don't compare yourself to others

This is a very important rule. And it is broadcast a little throughout our lives. Everyone starts their classes at different points. Fitness level, previous training experience, past injuries, age, lifestyle - all this marks the point where you are. And you don’t need to compare yourself with others. They have different starting points. If you see that someone is better than you at something, this is not a reason for a sharp increase in workload or a reason for giving up classes. This is just a great reason for inspiration and motivation. No more. Remember: every person is different.

Take care of your joints

Once you start doing standard calisthenics exercises, you may find yourself wanting to do them faster and faster. If this happens, the stress on the tendons and ligaments will inevitably increase. Remember that connective tissue does not receive more blood as quickly than muscle. Therefore, they need more time to adapt. Remember to take care of your joints, especially your wrists, elbows and shoulders. After all, they are the ones who will receive increased loads when training begins.

Body alignment is very important

Body position during movements is an important aspect. Indeed, in calisthenics, unlike training on weight machines or on a gymnastic bench, there is no supporting factor. In this case, we ourselves must maintain our weight. And this is an excellent factor of self-control. Like it or not, you should always use the muscular system to control the position of your body.

Shoulder control is required

The shoulder is one of the interesting joints in the human body. It has a large range of possible movements, which in turn negatively affects stability. Having shoulder stability should be your top priority when you begin to learn the basics of street fitness (or calisthenics). And the main focus of the main work for beginners.

Hand balancing

When calisthenics training program for beginners is at the stage of mastering you, then working on arm balance becomes a fun and exciting activity. Learning to balance on your hands when you are just a beginner can be a big challenge for many. But when you develop this skill, everything becomes a little easier. I suggest starting your arm balance training with the frog stand exercise.

Have fun and enjoy

Training should be fun and interesting. It will be even more fun if you use music for sports and training. But if you're looking to change up your fitness routine and add something new to it because it's become boring, you're not alone. Many people periodically try new exercises that will provide additional health benefits. With calisthenics training you can free yourself from the need to go to the gym. Exploring your body's potential through bodyweight training will ultimately help you understand what direction you need to go in. Also remember that any journey into something new is a journey. And don't rush to get to the end point straight away. Just start doing calisthenics exercises and have fun...

Is calisthenics suitable for girls and children?

This sport is suitable for everyone. Even if you have trouble lifting your own weight, you can always find easier exercises. For example, if you find it difficult to do push-ups, do a press from your knees; if you find it difficult to do a squat raise (a standard abdominal exercise), do partial raises, which are called crunches. The variety of exercises is large. Moreover, you simply won’t have any “excuses”, since you can study at any time, as much as you want and wherever you want.

Calisthenics is also suitable for complete beginners who have no physical training at all, as it perfectly regulates the load on the body. Even the youngest athletes can try themselves in this sport. In addition, due to the low body weight, even with less functional muscles, they will achieve high results. The only thing worth paying attention to is to do everything technically correctly and gradually.

Benefits of bodyweight training

✅ From a physiological point of view, calisthenics is more suitable for a person, since the joint-ligamentous apparatus is trained simultaneously with the muscles, and there are no distortions in the load.

By following the correct exercise technique, the athlete does not risk causing injury to the spine and joints; on the contrary, the condition of the musculoskeletal system will gradually improve. Known from school, doing pull-ups on a bar and even simply hanging on it will improve your posture and prevent spinal diseases.

Calisthenics can improve the condition of such common problems with the spine as osteochondrosis and protrusions, because strong back muscles are vital in this case.

By training with your own weight, you improve agility, flexibility, endurance, strength and balance. Another important fact is that calisthenics can make you drier and more prominent in a short time.

Calaesthetic exercises

A calisthenics training program cannot be universal, since everyone has their own physical capabilities and body weight. There are many athletes (Frank Medrano is one of them) who actively promote this movement. Watch the video, try and experiment with your own sets. However, as I said earlier: these workouts effectively develop overall body tone. Experienced athletes have turned ordinary exercises into more complex and spectacular ones.

Pull-up with corner

You need to grab the horizontal bar and raise your legs to form a 90-degree angle. Pull-ups count when your belly button is at or above the bar.

Typewriter Pull-Up

It is necessary to take a wide grip on the horizontal bar and begin pulling it diagonally towards one hand so that the chin becomes higher than the bar. Then, having fixed yourself in this position, without lowering your chin, smoothly move your body horizontally to your other hand.

Climber

Taking a lying position, bend your knees under your chest, alternating legs. The exercise must be performed at a fast pace.

Bike

Lie on your back and raise your head slightly, clasping your hands at the back of your head. Always keep your feet raised off the floor. Then, alternating, press their chests together, touching the knee with the elbow of the opposite side.

All these exercises are a clear example of calisthenics. These pull-ups are challenging, but they work almost the entire upper body and strengthen it. On the other hand, abdominal exercises are the basis for intense fat burning.

Weekly cycle and legs.

In total, such a complex, in addition to the warm-up, which should last 10-15 minutes, will take you 45 minutes. Quite normal. Perform this complex 3 times a week. The other 2 days will be devoted to legs. This will be a mini-complex. That's 5 days of training.

So, come on the remaining 2 days from the complex, first warm up for 10-15 minutes. Here you simply perform any warm-up complex known from school. It doesn’t matter, the main thing is just to prepare the body for further movements, make the blood run more intensely through the capillaries, and prepare the heart. Tune in.

Then, to begin with, you can go through three circles of basic starting positions. Circle, 1 minute rest and so on 3-4 times. Then, you find a vertical ladder on the site ( a Swedish wall is possible

). You will climb up onto it completely to a level slightly larger than the length of your legs, of course you hold yourself with your hands in front of you.

Next, you release one leg and, remaining on one, lower yourself down to the maximum. Ideally, you won't touch the ground with your bottom foot. Then, you go back. Do 5 repetitions with one leg, then change legs. At first, the exercise may seem very easy to you..)), do not be deceived about this, otherwise, in a day you will not be able to walk or sit. Then you pause for about 2 minutes and repeat the round. Look at the state, it makes sense to do rounds 3-4. Then, cool down and go home.

Home workout program for beginners

Calisthenics is one of the most versatile ways to train at home, as it does not require additional equipment. However, any workout can lose its effectiveness if it is not planned correctly. Here we will look at more or less unique calisthenics training programs that deal with the core in a comprehensive manner.

Anyone can practice this sport, regardless of gender or age. Even weak physical condition can be easily compensated by an easier variation of the exercise. In the same way, you can complicate the task. However, now we will figure out where beginners in calisthenics should start.

First, prepare your body smoothly and gradually. The training will be 5 to 2 or 3 to 1, depending on your physical capabilities. We will not overstrain the body so that it has time to recover, however, we will keep it in constant tone. You can even exercise every day, but you need to give your body complete rest at least once a week. This will have a positive effect on muscle growth.

Exercises for the muscles of the shoulder girdle

Knee push-ups

Let's start the training program for beginners with push-ups from the knees.

1. Take a lying position, leaning not on your feet, but on your knees.
2. Place your hands slightly wider from your shoulders.
3. Roll forward to shift your center of gravity.

You should not lower your chest, leaving your pelvis in the same position. You should lean forward to transfer the full load to your arms and not your back. Also, do not create a 90-degree angle between your elbows and your torso.

This exercise is suitable for those who are not able to perform 10 standard push-ups. Even if you can handle that many reps, this will be fine for you as a warm-up or as a transition into a set.

Elevated push-ups

Another great exercise for beginners is the push-up.

1. Place your hands on a surface that is about knee-high.
2. Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
3. When lowering, keep your back straight, do not lower just your chest.

You can adjust the load yourself by changing the height of the surface. The higher the emphasis, the easier it will be to perform repetitions.

Standard push-ups

The next step will be standard push-ups.

1. Take a lying position.
2. Place your palms slightly wider than your shoulders.
3. Lower and rise to full range.
4. Elbows should be directed towards your body.

They are easy to perform, but their advantage is that the triceps are greatly activated.
Almost all of our life activities are performed, to a greater extent, by the biceps, so push-ups will help train the back of the arm, which will make them stronger and more prominent. In the big picture, you should be doing at least 10 reps. In calisthenics, the effect comes from a full range of exercises. If you want to develop chest muscles, then place your hands wider than your shoulders, but do not place your elbows to the side.

Push-ups with leg raises

The most difficult part of the set is push-ups with legs raised to the surface .

1. Place your feet on any small hill.
2. Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
3. Lower yourself to full range without spreading your elbows out to the sides.

Here you can also adjust the load, making the task easier or more difficult for yourself. However, due to the greater amplitude, the muscles will be developed more efficiently .

We looked at exercises that will help us develop our arms, pectoral muscles, lats, shoulders, back muscles and even a little abs. However, calisthenics, even at home, cannot be based only on push-ups or a small muscle group. In order to work the entire core, we will also touch on abdominal exercises.

Ab exercises

Crunches

Let's start with standard and simple crunches.

1. Lie down on the floor.
2. Raise your body by holding your hands behind your head or on your chest.

You don't have to lift your back completely off the floor, just round it. Raise yourself until your muscles contract.

Bicycle standing

A great warm-up is a standing bike.

1. Stand up straight.
2. Lift your knees up one at a time.
3. Touch your knees with your opposite elbow.

This exercise helps to activate the entire body, warms up the abdominal muscles, and also serves as a transition exercise in the set.

"Climber"

The next stage will be the climber.

1. Take a lying position.
2. Alternately, tuck your knees under you, reaching them to chest level.

It's best to do it quickly. The climber is especially good if you want to lose weight or just get lean. In addition, it has a positive effect on the functionality of the press.

Exercise "bicycle"

Immediately after this you can switch to a bicycle.

1. Lie on your back.
2. Keep your head slightly elevated and your hands behind the back of your head.
3. Raise your feet about 15 centimeters off the ground.
4. Alternately pull your knees towards your chest.
5. Touch your knee with your opposite elbow.

This exercise is quite easy, despite the fact that you must always keep your legs elevated. However, the more reps you do, the more your abdominal muscles start to burn .

Plank exercise

And most importantly - the bar.

1. Take a position lying on your elbows.
2. Straighten your back and keep it level throughout.

The plank is the key to beautiful and functional abs.
If you want a flat and confident tummy, then strive to do this exercise every day. Despite its neutrality compared to other dynamic types of exercise, this is how your torso is built and strengthened. Knowing all these calisthenics exercises, you can build a training program for beginning athletes.

The push-up pattern looks like this:

1. knee push-ups;
2. push-ups from the surface;
3. standard push-ups;
4. push-ups with legs raised to the surface.

• The average number of repetitions is 10-12 times per approach.
• Rest between exercises should be 30 to 40 seconds.
• To keep the body in good shape, 2 approaches will be enough, but for development it is better to do 3.

The press diagram is as follows:

1. bicycle standing 20 times;
2. twisting 16 times;
3. climber 15-20;
4. bicycle 20;
5. plank 30-60 seconds.

The plank is the most difficult element, so choose a duration that you can handle, but try to always go to the edge of your capabilities. This is unpleasant, but not harmful to the body. The faster you do these exercises, and the less time you rest, the easier it will be to lose excess weight. If you do everything with intensity, then the process of burning fat begins. 2 approaches of the entire set will be enough.

These are not special exercises, but complex ones. They are not aimed at developing specific muscle groups, but they perfectly tighten and strengthen the shape of the entire body. You can’t exactly choose one form of training for everyone, so experiment yourself: do 2-5 repetitions more, increase the amplitude and speed, reduce the rest time.

Calisthenics at home is very convenient and, nevertheless, effective. It doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman, this training program is suitable for anyone who wants it and even for those who want it but can't. All exercises are not difficult to perform, but they are universal for your development.

Exercises for the muscles of the shoulder girdle

♦ Number of repetitions: 20-30

♦ Number of approaches: 2-3

♦ Rest time between sets: 2 minutes

Knee push-ups

A lighter version of push-ups if the triceps and chest muscles are weak. It must be remembered that the hips should not bend or rise, the body should be as straight as a string. Also, when doing push-ups, the position of the hands should be in the center of the chest, and maintain an angle of 60-70 C between the elbows and the torso.

Elevated push-ups

Another exercise for beginners, when standard push-ups are not yet easy. Watch your hips and breathing, inhale as you lower, and exhale as you rise. You can pause at the bottom for a second to maximize the stretch of the chest fibers.

Standard push-ups

The technique is the same as in the previous two exercises, but it is more difficult and the load on the triceps and chest is more significant.

Push-ups with feet on a stand

The most difficult exercise of all four, because the load on the chest and triceps increases significantly, especially since the anterior delta also begins to work harder. The main thing is not to make sudden movements; smooth lowering and powerful lifting without jerking will provide reliable protection.

History of calisthenics, stage of appearance

As I already said, calisthenics originated with the first physical exercises; of course, historically it is difficult to accurately trace this moment. But the environment in which its origin occurred is precisely known. The first physical training was used in armies to train strong and resilient fighters. The arsenal of exercises was not particularly rich, everything was freed up to pull-ups, push-ups, squats and running, but this was enough for a person to develop physically.

In order to demonstrate the strength of warriors, public competitions began to be held, and thus the first sports were born. In Ancient Greece, these competitions took the form of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games included running, throwing, jumping, fistfights and wrestling. Under the influence of sports, the history of calisthenics begins to develop rapidly, athletes begin to purposefully prepare for competitions, and thus “gymnastics” is born. Participants of that time achieved very good results, without modern simulators or pharmacological additives. Evidence of the achievements of athletes of that time are ancient statues, the prototypes of which were the real winners of the competition.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, calisthenics, like all gymnastics, will be forgotten for a long time under the influence of scholasticism and asceticism of the Middle Ages.

Workout - training

Three comrades

The simplest workout workout based on the pyramid principle. For beginners.

Start by doing one squat. Then immediately go to the bar and pull yourself up. Lower yourself down and do a push-up. A little rest. After resting, do each exercise twice.

Add one repetition of each exercise until you can complete a full circuit of three exercises. Then begin reducing the number of repetitions per exercise and return to the beginning of the program.

Try to keep the number of breaks to a minimum, but rest enough time so that the quality of the exercises does not suffer. If you're not strong enough to do a full push-up or pull-up, do knee push-ups and Australian pull-ups instead until you get into proper form.

Pull-up on the horizontal bar.

Step-by-step plan for organizing a workout site

1. Selecting a site for installing sports equipment.
2. Obtaining permission from the city administration to use this facility as a sports ground.
3. Preparing the area for the installation of sports equipment.
4. Purchase and installation of necessary materials and equipment (as a percentage):
   expenses for landscaping the sports ground – 25%.
5. covering costs for outdoor sports fields – 20%.
6. costs for the purchase of exercise equipment, including delivery and installation – 55%.

Order an equipped workout area and exercise equipment from the Russian manufacturer IronKing. Have a good workout!