The gym and pounding the pavement aren’t the only ways to get strong and fit. If you’re looking to train with minimal equipment and using nothing more than your bodyweight as a form of resistance, then calisthenics could be right up your street. This beginner-friendly routine is a great introduction to the style of training and will help improve your full-body strength, mobility, and develop better body control.
Calisthenics has existed for centuries, with the term itself derived from the ancient Greek words for ‘beauty’ and ‘strength’. The exercises are typically multi-joint, compound movements performed using just your bodyweight or minimal equipment – like a pull-up bar or parallettes. By engaging multiple muscle groups at once, calisthenics is an effective way to build functional, full-body strength and muscle. Many of the movements mimic real-life patterns, so you're not just training to look strong – you’re training to move better, too.
In the video above, Calisthenics Family share three weekly workouts to help you progress your training – but we especially liked the first one, as it requires minimal equipment. Don’t be fooled by the bodyweight-only approach – this full-body challenge packs a punch, and every muscle in your body will be left seriously feeling it afterward. Complete each exercise below with 60 seconds rest between rounds, and take a two-minute break before moving on to the next move.
- Diamond push-ups: 4 x 5 reps (target 4 x 10 reps)
- Australian pull-ups: 4 x 6 reps (target 4 x 12 reps)
- Scapular push-ups: 4 x 5 reps (target 4 x 10 reps)
- Pull-up hold: 4 x 5 secs (target 4 x 15 secs)
- Floor windshield wipers: 3 x 6 (target 3 x 12)
- Bulgarian split squat 3 x 5 es (target 3 x 10)
- Forearm plank 3 x 20 secs (target 3 x 45 secs)
If you liked that calisthenics workout, here’s another beginner-friendly session to add to your routine. You won’t need any fancy home gym gear – a chair at most and about 25 spare minutes. Since core strength is essential in calisthenics and comes into play in nearly every movement, we’ve also included a quick, Pilates-inspired three-move core workout to help you build deep, functional strength where it counts.
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