Calisthenics - building strong and beautiful body without going to the gym
Calisthenics is a system of bodyweight strength training that helps to gain harmoniously developed muscles, increase strength, flexibility and aerobic endurance.
The growing popularity of calisthenics lies in its affordability and minimal training costs. You do not need any special equipment or simulators for the training. Equipment suitable for this type of workout can be found in every gym. A sports ground with horizontal and parallel bars is also enough. Besides the bars, tight rubber bands and extra weight can also be used in calisthenics
As calisthenics is most often done outdoors, it is also called a street workout. The main difference between calisthenics and CrossFit training is the lack of clear rules for the selection of exercises and their sequence.
Benefits of calisthenics. How it changes the body
The main goal of calisthenics is to strengthen the muscles and improve the coordination of movements. Calisthenics develops the body harmoniously and has many advantages. Almost all the exercises use multiple muscle groups at one time, and the hardest muscles to build are included in the workout. Along with the muscles, it develops the ligaments and joints. Athletes practicing calisthenics have strong arms, developed back and chest muscles and abs.
Including both strength and static elements, calisthenics workouts improve physical strength and endurance and work out the whole body perfectly. Therefore, calisthenics athletes always have excellent control over their bodies and are able to perform the most difficult bodyweight tricks.
It should be noted that calisthenics is one of the variations of functional training. Its exercises are as close to daily movements as possible and the skills obtained can be used in life situations requiring the use of explosive muscular strength.
Calisthenics: the best exercises
Most of the exercises are multi-joint, that is, they involve more than one of your muscle groups. In fact, exercises of calisthenics can’t be performed in isolation – even if you lift yourself up with your hands, the rest of your body is also involved in this process.
Bar pull-ups
Exercises on the horizontal bar are the basis of any training program in calisthenics. They are considered to be one of the most important exercises for the back and arm pump.
Straight bar dips
Exercises on the parallel bars are the key tool for building the chest muscles, strengthening the triceps and core. Can be performed in both dynamic and static variations.
Burpees
Burpees (a pushup followed by a leap in the air) are one of the key bodyweight cardio exercises.
Rope exercises
They can be used both in strength exercises (for example, climbing a rope) and in cardio.
Exercises with tires
Calisthenics also allows the use of boxes, heavy tires, etc. mainly for jumping.
Resistance-band workouts
With the help of resistance bands, you can not only strengthen your muscles but also improve your flexibility and joint mobility.
Kettlebell exercises
Some workout programs allow the use of exercises with kettlebells or other free-weights.
Exercises for the abs
Most of the exercises in calisthenics, either explicitly or indirectly affect the abdominal muscles. In addition, there are special exercises for the core like hanging leg raises or plank variations.
These exercises target not only upper and lower abs, but also obliques and transversus abdominis. As a result, workouters not only develop their abdominal muscles but also have a low level of subcutaneous fat.
The Calisthenics Diet
The best diet in calisthenics is considered to be 16/8 intermittent fasting. This scheme not only allows to build dry muscle mass but also to use the body’s energy reserves efficiently, as well as give rest to the digestive system and prepare it for the next meal.
Checkout Article: 16/8 intermittent fasting
Basic rules for training
In order to progress in calisthenics, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Start your workout with a 10-minute warm-up. The best warm-up is joint gymnastics, which includes rotations in both directions of all large joints of the body
- Strictly follow techniques of execution
- Choose the complexity of each exercise so that you can perform it no more than 10-20 times otherwise, instead of power training it will turn into ordinary cardio
- The maximum number of repetitions-until muscle failure. The number of approaches -from 3 to 5
- Finish your workout with a cooldown and stretching exercises
- Work out every other day giving your muscles time to recover
- Eat balanced
- Update your training program every 2 months
Calisthenics in UAE
Two options to find Calisthenics classes in the Emirates.
The first one, find gyms in UAE that offer some Calisthenics classes in their memberships or with a pay per class offer.
The second option is to visit one of the Calisthenics clubs that are present in the UAE.
Among them we can cite:
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