Calisthenics: if you weren't alive when the ancient Greeks were, aka 326 BC, we'll forgive you for not being familiar with this particular training method. Characterised by only working with your bodyweight, this training style is popular with gymnasts and those who want to get strong on their own terms and schedule.
Following the basic planes of human movement such as pulling and pushing motions, calisthenics has been championed by those who love to increase strength and build muscle without ever needing to be tied down to a location or equipment. It's also easily adaptable to suit both beginners and those already familiar with the concept.
The term calisthenics comes from the Greek words "Kalos" meaning beauty and "Stenos" which translates as strength. It's often compared to gymnastics, but Third Space Manager and Elite PT Jayne Lo explains that it's actually much more simple: 'Calisthenics is a form of resistance training that predominantly uses your own bodyweight to build strength and size,' she tells us. As you progress, calisthenics can become more similar to gymnastics, but if you're a calisthenics beginner, rest assured you won't be expected to do flips in your first sesh. In actual fact, if you ever do bodyweight resistance training, you're basically already doing calisthenics.
So, the ancient Greeks loved to exercise in this way, but what are some of the concrete benefits that's made it such a sustained method of working out? We asked Commando Temple calisthenics and boxing trainer Cuong Ha to give us the 411:
'You can do it in the park, your office or the bus stop!' Ha says, and also 'at home' which is pretty crucial to us all being able to keep working out right now.
Basically, no equipment = you set the time, the place and the schedule.
Unlike with other forms of exercise, 'calisthenics can improve your strength, mobility and flexibility,' says trainer Ha. Because you're only using your own bodyweight, you can easily increase the load you're putting your muscles under with increased reps, longer sessions or less rest time to build strength.
A 2017 study found that calisthenics training can 'improve posture, strength and body composition without the use of any major training equipment'. The study involved two groups of men: one who practiced calisthenics for eight weeks, and another who continued with their normal workout routines. Those who did calisthenics finished the eight weeks with considerably better posture, and a lower body fat percentage.
Because of the circuit-style way most calisthenics workouts are structured - with minimal rest between exercises, you'll increase the amount of stress and load your muscles are able to perform.
If the first place you came across calisthenics was on IG/TikTok, chances are you've already been put off. Those muscle-ups ain't for first-timers, right? But what you're seeing is calisthenics at an advanced level. Calisthenics is actually one of the most common forms of bodyweight training, incorporating some of the most basic and well-known strength exercises, like squats.
Absolutely. The fact that there's no kit necessary to work out this way makes the training style accessible in terms of location and budget while the movements can be scaled to any ability, including true beginners.
'Using basic human movements, like pushing, pulling and squatting in the correct way and for the correct amounts of repetition and intensity, can help you to build strength and feel better,' says Daniel Zivatovic, calisthenics trainer at London movement studio, Blok.
'Focus on simple exercises such as push ups and jump squats', says Gymbox calisthenics PT, Rhys Morgan. 'As you get stronger and more competent with the movements, you can build up to more complex moves such as leg raises and pull ups,' he advises.
So, refrain from putting the horse before the cart and properly progress up to those moves that look absolute fire on your Instagram.
'Beginners can easily started with calisthenics by learning the basics of push, pull, squat, lunge and brace movements,' Lo adds. 'When it comes to doing other calisthenics exercises, you can easily regress some of them by using resistance bands, or by doing them assisted (i.e. using a gym machine, for pull-ups, for example). Start with a low number of reps and increase this volume over time.'
'The answer to this really depends on the individual,' Lo tells us. 'If you are a beginner with little to no training, then 2-3 times per week will be a great start to build strength with adequate recovery. Those who are experienced then you can do calisthenics workouts up to 4-5 times per week.' So, to recap, that's:
Zivatovic adds, 'If you're a beginner, then doing three full body workouts per week is enough and gives your body time to rest and recover in between. Working out correctly (and not overdoing it!) is important to minimise the possibility of injury.
'You only get better, stronger and progress when the body is able to adapt from your training,' agrees coach Jackson. 'If you don't ever rest, you're not allowing your body the chance to recover and, in turn, adapt.' And, remember, there's no one plan fits all when it comes to training: 'You need to find out what works for you and your lifestyle' he says.
So while you could power on and work out every single day, it's probably not conducive to actually hitting your goals of creating a sustainable fitness routine or changing your body composition - that comes down to finding true balance between rest, exertion and nutrition. Facts!
Lo explains: 'The beauty of calisthenics is the ability to train without using any equipment but for anyone that is advanced or has been doing calisthenics workouts for a while, then the essentials you would need are:
'It may also be helpful to have light resistance bands for those who have to regress certain movements,' she adds.'
According to David Jackson, coach at the School of Calisthenics in London, calisthenics is a beginner-friendly discipline because it doesn't call for any equipment than your body weight, it's perfectly suited to novices. Below are 7 basic calisthenics exercises to include in a calisthenics workout, if you're new to the training method.
Do: 2 - 4 rounds with minimal rest between exercises and 3 minutes rest in between each round. Try not to rush: Focus on correct form and movement control.
Do: 12 reps
a) Standing with your feet hip-width apart, slightly hinge at the hips to lower down into a squat position, making sure your knees track in line with your toes - not over!
b) Push through the heels of your feet to come up to standing, squeezing your bum at the top of the move. Repeat.
Do: 8 reps
a) Either on your toes or on your knees, place your hands just wider than shoulder width apart.
b) Lower your body to the floor trying to keep your elbows from flaring out.
c) Push back up and repeat.
Do: 30 seconds
a) Come down to your mat and place your hands on the floor in front of you, slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
b) Come up to plank position by stepping back one foot at a time - squeeze your core, glutes and thighs to hold yourself in position for 30 seconds.
If you need to take a break, come down onto your knees until you feel ready to push back up to full plank. Or, you can perform the move on your knees - just make sure to still focus on muscle engagement.
Do: 8 on each leg
a) From standing, step forward with your left leg, bending at the knee. Bend your back knee to gently scrape the ground.
b) Push through your heels to come back to standing and repeat on the other leg.
Do: 8 reps
a) From standing, roll down to the ground until your hands touch the floor.
b) Jump or step your feet back into a plank position and lower down until your chest and thighs touch the ground.
c) Push back up to a plank position and jump your feet back towards your hands.
d) Explosively jump straight up, raising your arms above your head as you do. Land softly and repeat.
Make it easier by removing the lower-down section. Simply jump back to a plank and jump your hands back up to your hands instead.
Do: 15 seconds on each side
a) On your mat, come to rest on your side with your feet together and one arm bent at the forearm, palm down and directly under your shoulder.
b) Use your core to raise your hips towards the ceiling until the only points touching the floor are your arm and feet.
c) Hold for 15 seconds then repeat on the other side.
Do: 8 reps
a) From a standing position, bend slightly at the knees to prepare your body for jumping.
b) Explosively jump up, tucking your knees into your chest as far as you're able to go.
c) Land softly with slightly bent knees and repeat.
Make your own workout by doing the following advanced calisthenics exercises. Try to hold each static exercise for 1 min before moving onto the next, and do 2-4 rounds, with 3 minutes rest in between each round. Your main focus is to maintain correct form and movement control.
While calisthenics only involves using your bodyweight for resistance, that's certainly not to say you won't get stronger. Here's what the science says.
According to Morgan, building muscle this way is actually a far more balanced way to go about it than typical weight training:
'People generally build muscle more evenly across their bodies with calisthenics training,' says Morgan. 'It's because you're not training muscle groups in isolation, you're actually training multiple muscle groups across your body by focusing on movement patterns such as push or pull movements.'
Sure enough, research has found bodyweight exercise helps build muscular strength and endurance, independent of an external load. Another study also confirmed that contracting your muscles through a full range of motion, with no external load increases muscle size similar to the extent that you would when weight training.
A third study compared the effects of push-up training with low-load bench press, and the results showed that both exercises induced significant increases in muscle thickness, with no major difference between both groups.
Okay, so bodyweight training can help to keep you looking and feeling muscularly balanced - that we like. But what if you like to mix it up and do some weighted and some non-weighted workouts? Well, the way you can do that is by keeping your weekly routine nice and varied.
'You can certainly mix calisthenics and weight training together depending on your training goals,' Lo tells us. 'Calisthenics is a great way to build base strength as a prerequisite to compound lifts, and also teaches you how to control and move your own bodyweight, before loading it with extra resistance from free weights, if you're a beginner.
'However, if you have any muscular imbalances then it may be harder to get into certain positions in calisthenics properly. This is where training with free weights will be great for to strengthen these areas with isolation exercises.'
If you like to exercise four times a week, why not make two of these sessions calisthenics workouts, and the other two things you enjoy such as spinning, pilates or weight training. Or perhaps one day you could go for a solo run and another day you could try skipping?
There's no perfect routine, the key to making it stick is making it enjoyable so don't feel beholden to one type of fitness, mix it up whenever you feel like it!
Because of the nature of calisthenics exercises, you're probably going to get a tad sweaty. Can we suggest some light workout leggings that are breathable enough to keep you cool and supportive enough that you maintain some modesty whilst squatting your heart out?
After that, it's all about staying hydrated! And you know we mean with a reusable water bottle!
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