What is calisthenics and why is it so popular
Calisthenics is a form of resistance training that involves utilizing only one’s body-weight to perform exercises. It has become increasingly popular in recent years, as more people are seeing the value in building strength, improving their cardiovascular function, and overall fitness level. Calisthenics is an easy exercise choice for building strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination because it accomplishes all these things without the need for expensive and heavy equipment. This means you can train calisthenics from anywhere making it easy to do consistently. In this article, we will explore the many other benefits of calisthenics for beginners and why it is a good exercise option for anyone looking to improve their fitness.
Benefits of calisthenics for beginners
Here are 7 benefits that make calisthenics appealing for anyone just starting out with resistance training:
- No need for equipment and gym membership. One of the most significant advantages of calisthenics is that it does not require any equipment or a gym membership. This makes it an easy exercise option for anyone who is on a budget or cannot make it to a gym. All you need is a small open space to exercise in, and you are good to go.
- Build strength and endurance. The dynamic compound movement of calisthenics requires a lot of energy and strength to be performed correctly. As you continue to perform these exercises, your body’s strength and endurance will increase. You will, over time, be able to perform more reps, increase the difficulty of the exercises, and build more strength.
- Improved flexibility and mobility. Many calisthenics exercises focus on movements that improve flexibility and mobility. This can help reduce the risk of injury and improve your quality of movement making it an excellent exercise option for older adults or people with mobility issues.
- It’s safe. For beginners calisthenics is generally safer with a lower risk of injury because you’re using just your body weight for resistance and not externally loading your body.
- Improve posture. Calisthenics exercises work on strengthening the core muscles, which helps to improve posture. Good posture enables your body to move and perform better, and it can also prevent back pain.
- Easy to modify. This type of training is easy to modify to fit your skill level. You can start with basic exercises and gradually increase the difficulty as your strength improves. Additionally, you can focus on specific areas of the body that need improvement. This makes it an excellent exercise option for anyone of any fitness level.
- Improved mental health Calisthenics has been known to reduce depression, anxiety and stress levels. This makes it a great tool for elevating your mood and clearing your mind to make you feel good about yourself.
Calisthenics for beginners exercises
Here are 5 calisthenics exercises to start your program with:
- Body weight squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping your knees behind your toes. Push through your heels to stand back up. via GIPHY
- Push-ups: Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body. Push through your hands to lift your body back up. via GIPHY
- Lunges: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one foot, lowering your back knee until it nearly touches the ground. Push through your front foot to return to standing and alternate sides.via GIPHY
- Planks: Lower your body into a starting push-up position. Think about pushing away from the floor to keep your elbows locked and shoulders down and back. Hold steady for as long as you can while engaging your core, glutes and quads.via GIPHY
- Leg raises: Lay down on your back with knees bent in table top position. Position your palms at your sides or under your butt for added lower back support. Lower your legs towards the floor keeping your core tight and pelvis tilted back and then raise your legs back up into table top position.
Remember to move at a pace that is comfortable for you, focusing on proper form and keeping your movements controlled. As you progress, you can increase the number of repetitions and add more challenging variations of each exercise.
How to get started doing calisthenics
Calisthenics for beginners is a great place to start if you’ve never done strength training before. By using your body weight for resistance you’re able to improve how you move and build a better understanding of mind and muscle connection and proprioception. This is all very helpful in improving your day to day quality of life.
However it is important that you understand what good form looks and feels like and that’s where having a certified personal trainer with you becomes hugely beneficial. A personal trainer can help correct your form and challenge you to push yourself so that you gain the most from each workout. This all helps ensure you’re exercising in a way that is safe and effective.
When we work with new clients here at Leading Edge we always lead with form and function to help train your body how to move optimally while also correcting any muscular imbalances and building better technique. If you would like to learn more about how to get started you can schedule a free phone consultation with us so we can assess your fitness needs and goals and share with you our different program options.