Calisthenics comes from two Greek words ‘ Kalos’ and ‘ Sthenos’ which means Beauty and Strength respectively. Even though it can be done with just bodyweight and from anywhere with minimal equipment, it is one of the most versatile forms of training. This training form has been there since old times when there were no machines or fancy equipment to work out with.
What is Calisthenics?
Calisthenics is an exercise tool that can help an individual achieve multiple things:
● Strength : Doing tough compound movements which could only be done for a few repetitions and using a load of the body or additional load could help increase the strength of an individual. Example: Weighted Push-Ups, Weighted Pull-Ups.
● Hypertrophy : Hypertrophy is muscle growth and the body adapts to whatever demands we place on it. When we take our muscles close to failure, we increase the chances of muscle growth. The only thing to note here is that the reason for failure should be a muscular failure.
● Explosiveness : Doing strength work with an explosive factor can be done with the practice of skill work and related strength. Movements like clap push-ups and monkey pull-ups are an example of explosive strength.
● Muscular Endurance : The endurance of muscles could be increased if we aim at doing more repetitions for a particular movement. Example: Push-ups for as many repetitions as possible.
● Skill Work : Calisthenics is known for skills like Muscle-up, Human Flag, Back Lever, handstand, etc. It requires you to practice progressions which are steps to build a skill. Also, it has a dependency on the strength and mobility of related muscles. Skill work would require a lot of practice and it should be done at the start post warm up when you are fresh.
● Flexibility and Mobility : Flexibility and mobility work has an important role to improve in the Calisthenics movement. Since it is also achieved by doing bodily movements, it comes under Calisthenics. You can use various stretches to get better at flexibility and mobility.
● Precision and Coordination : The timing and muscle coordination improve when you keep on practicing a movement several times. It helps you jump from one bar to another without falling.
● Balance : A lot of Calisthenics movements are done using one limb at a time so it is essential to have good Core strength and balance ability to be able to execute such movements. Movements like pistol squats and single-arm push up emphasize the balance aspect of Calisthenics.
The above-mentioned points explain the versatility of Calisthenics as a training technique. One can choose to expertise in one or more areas as per preference. It might sound so overwhelming but if the progression in Calisthenics is followed properly, anyone and everyone could do it.
