Calisthenics: A Beginner’s Guide

Working out is greeted with mixed emotions.
Some days it is a necessary activity, some days it is all one can think about doing. And some days, it just seems a daunting task.

Especially on days when motivation is low. When you don’t feel like leaving the house or you aren’t in the mood to sweat it out indoors. Given the current pandemic, gyms aren’t allowed to get crowded. This means the time slot you want may not be available. But skipping out doesn’t need to be the option. The next best alternative? Calisthenics.

A hassle-free workout that requires little to no equipment and still keeps you in shape. However, body weight workouts are often overlooked due to misconceptions. We take a look into it to clear some of them with this blog.

Calisthenics: Then To Now

Calisthenics was coined from ancient Greek; kállos (beautiful) and sthenos (strength). Put together, it can be defined as the art of using one’s body weight as resistance in order to develop an admirable physique.

Calisthenics is said to have originated in Ancient Greece, recorded as the regimen notably for the armies of Alexander the Great and the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Modern-day calisthenics is a form of street workout, performed as routines in urban areas. Individuals and groups train to perform advanced calisthenics skills such as muscle-ups, levers, and freestyle moves such as spins and flips. Today, these have gained so much popularity that they have an olympic-like community of its own, organised by the WSWCF. Athletes of all ethnic-groups and types come together to showcase their super-human feats on the world stage. It is quite the spectacle.

Why You Should Try It

Seemingly easy looking, calisthenics give the impression of a basic workout. But it’s far from that. Besides the regular benefits of exercise, Calisthenics offers some specific benefits too.

• Strength: Calisthenics is all about balancing against and resisting gravity. Thereby, it significantly increases strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and agility. It also strengthens the joints, tendons and ligaments while taxing the muscle to provide a more wholesome power-up.
• Aesthetics: Calisthenics engages major muscle groups – chest, core, back, arms and legs. Additionally, you’ll use multiple muscle groups at once, thus, effectively burning more calories. This causes you to lean out and effectively build muscle quickly, resulting in a ripped, enviable physique over time.
• Functionality: Calisthenics is one of the highest form of functional workouts. It incorporates and builds on all the basic movement performed by bipedal beings. This allows you to stay lean and still perform amazing feats of strength.

Though this may not be the best to get big in size, Calisthenics is ideal for a ripped, highly-functional body that lasts a lifetime. Longevity is the most guaranteed result from this.
We took the liberty of providing you with a starter video.

They basically are combinations and variations of pushups, pull-ups, squats, planks and jumps. Combine them with HIIT and you have a fat-burning, body-pounding workout ready. 

Some of you may already be at a good fitness level and hence feel that was too easy. See if you have what it takes and challenge yourself with this workout, presented by Nabeel Merchant and student Nesa Rassouli from Fit Inc gym, Dubai.

The combinations are endless and now you know what to search for. Get creative, workouts don’t have to be boring. What’ll be your excuse this time?

Tag us in your workouts and meals on Instagram @sunsandsports.
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