Calisthenics exercises for beginners

What are the benefits of calisthenics?

There are many advantages to doing calisthenics. Because you need little to no equipment, you can do this sport virtually anywhere. This means you're not dependent on the gym, but can exercise outdoors. Furthermore, calisthenics isn't required to do in a gym, which can save you money on a gym membership. Also, because you don't need any equipment or props, you save on the costs associated with "regular" strength training.

Exercises for beginners

Does calisthenics sound interesting and are you eager to get started? Then you're probably curious about which exercises are suitable for beginners. Ultimately, you can create a workout with exercises you enjoy most, but generally, it's important to train every part of your body: back, chest, shoulders, arms, core, and legs.

Push-ups

The first exercise that's part of almost every calisthenics workout is the push-up. This exercise works your chest, shoulders, and arms (triceps). You can start with knee push-ups if you find regular push-ups too difficult.

Squats

Another element of calisthenics is often the squat. Squats primarily train your legs. There are several ways to perform this (using your own body weight). You can do a regular squat, but also a pistol squat, or an explosive squat, where you jump from a squat position.

Planks

This might be the exercise people dislike the most: planking. However, planking is an exercise that can significantly improve your core stability. It's also good for your abdominal muscles, as you need to engage them to prevent a hollow back.

Pull-ups

The fourth exercise for beginners is the pull-up. As the name suggests, in this exercise you pull your body up using your arms while hanging from a bar. This exercise works your arms, back, and core. For pull-ups, it's recommended to grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and ensure your chin is above the bar.

Keep on going!

Now that you know a little more about what calisthenics is and what types of exercises you can perform, it's up to you. If you train regularly and consistently, you'll notice your body getting better and the exercises becoming easier. Because you don't use dumbbells or other equipment with calisthenics, you can't vary the weight. The key to success with calisthenics is increasing the number of repetitions you do of an exercise.

The second tip we want to give you is to vary your exercises. This prevents you from getting bored and also allows you to make them more challenging or difficult. For example, instead of regular push-ups, you could do push-ups with a clap in between.