Calisthenics
A free alternative to achieving a lean and shredded body without an access to a gym.
20 NOV 2019
JEREMY KHOO
With high rental fees and tuition fees, having a gym membership might seem substantial yet stressful to the pockets of most students. Many believe that having access to a gym or lifting weights is the only way a person can build up an aesthetic physique. This is not entirely true, because working from the park or just at home can also allow you to build the desired physique of your choice just by using only your own body weight.
Without a gym or any fancy equipment, calisthenics allows you to work out anywhere and anytime. Calisthenics utilizes compound body weight exercises to build muscle through the weight of the body as a form of resistance.
Caption: Calisthenics athlete — Chris Heria, demonstrating a full planche hold.
Source: Youtube
This functional strength training has become the baseline for people seen with “super human strength”. If you’ve noticed advanced calisthenics athletes doing mind-blowing moves — the muscle up, human flag, handstand holds, full planche, front and back levers, all these moves are harder progressions from the basic moves of calisthenics. Now, if you are wondering where to start your calisthenics journey, here are some fundamental exercises you can get started with. Also, be sure to start with the simpler progressions if your muscles are not developed yet.
First Exercise – Push Ups
Start and end positions to perform the push up variation with good and clean form.
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Source: Physiopedia
Starting with the upper body, the best way to strengthen the chest, shoulders and triceps is the conventional push up. The push up focuses on the 3 main muscles above but uses the core and other parts of your body to stabilize the entire movement. Working on the push up can progressively help you achieve harder movements such as the full planche and handstand holds.
A simpler variation of the push up to build up strength if you are not strong enough for the actual push up.
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Source: THE List
Simpler Progression: If you are unable to complete the push up, you can start by keeping your knees on the ground, making the push up easier.
Second Exercise: Pull Ups
An athlete performing the pull up on a bar at the park.
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Source: COHEN Health & Performance
In this exercise we will be working on the back portion of our upper body. The pull up will help you achieve that “V-tapered” wide back. The main muscles worked are the lats, biceps and the forearm from gripping the bar. Working on pull ups will get you advanced movements such as muscle ups, front and back lever.
Start and end position for the Australian pull up in good form.
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Source: World Of Calisthenics
Simpler Progression: A simpler progression for the pull up is known as the Australian pull up. This exercise can be done on a lower bar — below hip level and looks like a reversed push up in a pulling motion. If the difficulty is too hard, find a bar that is higher as it takes away the resistance
Third Exercise: Sit Ups
The start and end position for a sit up in good clean form.
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Source: POP SUGAR
Calisthenics utilizes plenty of core for stabilization. A way to strengthen the core, is by doing the conventional sit up. As the sit up is a pretty basic move, there isn’t any progression to it.
These are the few basic work outs that can prepare your body to progress into more challenging calisthenic movements. It’s just that simple, so let’s get started