What Is Calisthenics ?
Calisthenics is a form of resistance training that uses the weight of your body along with gravity to help strengthen your muscles, increase your endurance, and improve your mobility. Exercises range from simple movements that do not require any equipment to more intense moves like a pull-up or a burpee, as well as common exercises like push-ups, lunges, squats, and crunches. Some people even consider gymnastics a form of calisthenics.
Because these exercises easily fit into almost any training style or exercise regimen, they are ideal for beginners as well as advanced exercise enthusiasts. Overall, calisthenics is an excellent way to work out that is accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels. Here is what you need to know about the benefits of calisthenics as well as how to get started.
Types of Calisthenics
Calisthenic exercises are relatively quick and involve moving most or all of your body. You repeat each exercise at least 10-12 times. You do more if you like, depending on your fitness level.
Some examples of calisthenic exercises
Push and pull exercises:
These exercises focus on training the muscles responsible for pushing movements (such as chest, shoulders, and triceps) or pulling movements (such as the back, shoulders, and arms). Examples of pushing exercise include push-ups, dips, and handstand push-ups, while latter include pull-ups, chin-ups, and rows.
Single-leg exercises:
These exercises focus on training one leg at a time. They target the muscles in your legs, hips, and thighs, including the hamstrings and glutes. Examples of single-leg exercises include lunges, single-leg squats, and step-ups.
Core exercises:
This includes planks, sit-ups, and leg raises. These exercises focus on training the muscles responsible for maintaining stability and balance during movement which are the abdominal and lower back muscles.
Plyometric exercises:
Example of this type of callisthenic includes jump squats, clap push-ups, and box jumps. These exercises focus on power-based movements that challenge the muscles to work quickly and forcefully.
The Benefits Of Calisthenics
The benefits of calisthenics depend on your fitness level. For beginners who are only able to do 10-12 repetitions at a time, the workout helps build muscle strength. Once you’re able to do more reps, calisthenics help increase muscle endurance — how long you can keep up the exercise.
If you’re already physically fit and want to increase muscle strength, you can adjust calisthenic exercises for your fitness level. For example, you can add extra weight while you exercise. This could mean wearing a weighted belt to do pull-ups.
You can also make exercises harder by changing your body position. Try raising your legs on a platform or a step while you do push-ups. This challenges your muscles more, which helps build strength. Building muscle may give you a leaner appearance, too. Calisthenics may also help make your body more flexible.
They can also be good for helping you stick to workouts for a longer time. But in order to get the full benefit, you have to do the exercises quickly. You can’t stop for more than a minute or so between each set. That keeps your heart rate up, making calisthenics a more challenging and effective workout.
Why is calisthenics so effective for fat loss?
Calisthenics is effective for fat loss for several reasons:
High-Intensity Workouts
Full-body engagement:
Many calisthenic exercises (like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and burpees) engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, which increases energy expenditure. The more muscles involved in an exercise, the more calories you burn.
HIIT Potential:
Calisthenics can be easily adapted into a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) format. Short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest periods elevate your heart rate, leading to greater calorie burn both during the workout and after (known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC).
Increased Muscle Mass
Muscle-building:
Calisthenics exercises often involve bodyweight movements that build lean muscle. More muscle mass boosts your resting metabolic rate (RMR), meaning you burn more calories even at rest. This helps to create a calorie deficit over time, which is essential for fat loss.
Core Activation
Core engagement:
A lot of calisthenic exercises engage the core, helping to tone and strengthen it. This doesn’t directly lead to “spot fat reduction” (since fat loss is systemic), but improving core strength can support better posture and overall functional movement, helping you move more efficiently during workouts and throughout daily life.
Low Impact (Depending on the Exercise)
Sustainability:
Calisthenics can be adapted to suit different fitness levels, from beginner to advanced, and has low-impact variations (e.g., incline push-ups or assisted squats). This means it can be performed consistently, helping individuals stick with a regular exercise routine. The ability to increase the intensity gradually ensures continuous progress and fat loss.
Convenience and Consistency
No equipment needed:
Since calisthenics relies on bodyweight exercises, you can do it anywhere—at home, in a park, or in the gym—making it easy to stick to a consistent workout routine. Consistency is key to burning fat over time.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
Heart rate elevation:
Many calisthenic exercises (like burpees, mountain climbers, or jumping jacks) are designed to elevate your heart rate, which improves cardiovascular health and contributes to calorie burning. This aerobic component further accelerates fat loss, especially when paired with strength training moves.
Time-Efficiency
Effective in shorter periods:
Calisthenics can be done in short, intense bursts, making it a time-efficient workout option. Shorter workouts, particularly when incorporating HIIT, can yield better fat loss results compared to longer, less intense workouts.
Functional Movement
Natural movements:
Calisthenics mimics natural body movements (like squatting, pushing, pulling, and jumping), which helps improve functional strength and overall fitness. The more you can move your body efficiently, the more you can challenge yourself with progressively harder exercises, which supports fat burning.