Exercises and Workouts

What is Calisthenics?

Posted on by Marjie Nocura
Gorilla Calisthenics - Man working out on parallel bars in a park
22
Aug

Love to workout? Street Workout is every fitness enthusiast’s ideal exercise. Find out what Calisthenics is and why it can be life-changing.

Remember when your PE teacher asked you to do push-ups, pull-ups, or sit-ups? That’s right! Calisthenics is indeed the name of these routines.

For instance, a simple variety of movements like walking, grasping, and pushing are the oldest form.

In fact, a calisthenics workout is a strength training exercise that uses your body’s weight as resistance to promote muscle growth, strengthen your core, and build endurance.

Also, ‘Urban Calisthenics,’ or ‘Street Workout’ is the globally recognized modern name. They combine it with athletics, calisthenics, and sports in outdoor parks or public facilities.

Street Workout History and Origin 

The word ‘Calisthenics’ comes from ancient Greek. It is a combination of kalós, which means “Beautiful” and sthenos, meaning “strength.”

Alexander the Great and the Spartans were the first to use calisthenics exercises written in history.

American educator and author Catharine Esther Beecher introduced and promoted calisthenics in a course in Physical Education.

Gorilla Calisthenics - Man doing pull up exercise at the gym

Types of Calisthenics Routines

Here are some calisthenics workouts that will indeed help you improve your body coordination, agility, and balance. Above all, it keeps your body in shape if done correctly and with consistency.

Upper Body Exercises

Pull-up

A pull-up is a strength exercise in your upper body achieved by hanging onto a horizontal pull-up bar when your palms face away from your body and pulling yourself until your chin level is above the bar.

As a result, it strengthens your back, arms, and shoulder muscles if done regularly.

Chin-up

In the same way, they execute it like Pull-up by hanging onto a bar with your palms facing you or a reverse grip. It improves your grip strength that is important when lifting weights.

Muscle-up 

An advanced strength exercise executed with a combined routine such as radial pull-up followed by a dip.

Generally performed by a group of athletes that masters the muscle-up and its variations help improve overall performance.

Push-up

It is a common form of calisthenics exercise. You can achieve this by raising and lowering your body using your arms with your palms on the ground.

School sports or even in the military is using push-ups as a form of punishment.

Lower Body Exercises

Dip

A gymnastics exercise that carries out on a parallel bar where you lift both of your feet, lower your body down while bending and straightening your arms.

Consequently, an advanced variation such as weighted dip strengthens your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper and lower back muscles.

Lunge

Body position where your one foot is flat on the floor with one knee bent forward.

Also, you position your other leg straight at the back. It improves body shape, posture, and range of motion.

Squat

A lower body strength exercise is when you lower your hip from a standing position and then stand back up.

Plank

An abdominal and core exercise fit for beginners. It is more of a strength-building activity that helps you maintain and balance your body while increasing calorie burn.

Benefits of Urban Workout

Exercise used to be a lot less complicated than today. Aside from controlling your weight, working out helps reduce the risk of diseases and illnesses.

Furthermore, it improves your blood circulation and mental health.

 Why should you start calisthenics?

  1. Free.
  2. Carried out anywhere (outdoor or indoor).
  3. It requires no training or gym equipment.
  4. It promotes a good physique and healthy living.
  5. A social event.

Every fitness enthusiast loves doing this type of exercise because of its benefits with less equipment use.

Calisthenics Battles

Street workout sports, known as ‘Calisthenics Freestyle,’ is a style of calisthenics competition setup. The sportsperson uses expertise and momentum to accomplish powerful skills and abilities on the bar, where part of the routine is to combine them in a consistent flow.

WSWCF (Worlds Street Workout and Calisthenics Federation) is the official organizer of the championships below.

  • Street Workout Freestyle World Championship 
  • World Bar Games
  • Street Workout Power and Strength World Championship
  • World Pull-Up Day
  • Street Workout Freestyle World Cup series

Freestyle calisthenics requires smart control of strength and understanding of the bar and body mechanics.

Athletes were taking part in the sports, bringing in new skills to the sports. As a result, they adopted additional elements and crafts from other sports like gymnastics and break-dance.

Best Workout Places for Calisthenics

  • Gym. First, you need to enroll and pay for a membership so that you may able to use every piece of equipment available. So, you can have free access to a calisthenics workout machine and all kinds of material for all the different exercises you want.
  • Sport or Public Parks. Some public parks placed pieces of equipment free or cheaper to visitors. Thus, an ideal place for people who prefer doing outdoor workouts. 
  • Your Own Home.  Are you the person who values some privacy and is more satisfied doing exercises at your own home? Therefore, you need your bodyweight and equipment that you can connect to your door or your wall. A well-built personal home gym is a beneficial asset for anyone who enjoys working out. 

Street Workout Gears and Equipment

Indeed, we can do a calisthenics workout with no gears.

However, with the help of tools and gear, it heightens your simple exercises to a new level with safety and a lesser chance of harm if done with proper precautions.

Here is the must-have equipment that will boost up your practices to the next level. 

Is it for Everyone?

Yes, definitely.

Moreover, how your body can keep up with a calisthenics workout relies on your fitness level.

For example, beginners can do 10-15 repetitions at a time.

After that, if you’re already physically fit, you may progress to improve your exercise method by adding more weight, such as wearing a weighted vest or belt. 

In conclusion, with your body weight and proper gear and techniques, you will surely reach your ultimate body fitness.

Achieve your ideal body by starting your workout today.

Find out more quality-wise calisthenics equipment HERE!

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