3 Things I wish I knew before I started calisthenics
With lockdown in motion, calisthenics is a great way to get into shape. It is a form of exercise that engages larger muscle groups using your body weight as it’s the main form of resistance. It helps build flexibility, strength, endurance and you don’t need equipment or a gym membership to start.
The word calisthenics is the result of the combination of two Greek words. Kalos meaning beauty, and sthenos referring to both mental and physical strength. It was invented in the 19th century by two Germans, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn and Adolf Spiess who popularized it in gymnastics.
While calisthenic moves look cool, they require a lot of concentration, energy, time, and effort to perform. It takes more than just brute force to get good at it because of the precision and dynamics of these movements.
There are four basic exercises that you can begin with. Pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and dips. Other more advanced movements include the iron cross, front lever, and my all-time favorite, the muscle-up. Coming from a bodybuilding background, calisthenics offers different challenges with more emphasis on overall balance and core strength rather than muscular aesthetics.
- Core core core
This is the most important of the three tips in my opinion. You will need to spend a bit of time learning how to engage your core in every exercise you do. This will contribute towards maximizing your strength building and also sets a good foundation to help perform more difficult exercises in the future. It might not seem like it now but as you advance your core strength will be prominent in attempting the more difficult movements.
2. Start with the end in mind
Many people often want to do calisthenics because it’s impressive. They are drawn to the fancy moves and want to be able to demonstrate it in public. However, the level of skill required takes more than just a few training sessions and you will need to put in long hours. Having the end in mind or picturing yourself being able to successfully pull off these moves will help motivate you. Setting smaller goals will also aid in measuring your success and training with other calisthenic enthusiasts will drive you even more. Don’t rush, take it slow and remember, like all types of exercise consistency is key.
3. Weight training will boost your performance
Using your body weight is great but incorporating weight training along with practicing your calisthenic moves rapidly increases your progress. This goes without saying that lifting heavy weights will build your strength even more and practicing your calisthenics will help perfect your movements. Together, you will be able to perform the most difficult movements with ease.
Calisthenics is an incredible way to get fit, especially in times like these. With gyms closed and lack of available exercise equipment, all you need is your body weight, some forward-thinking, and a little drive. Make the change today and come out of this lockdown in the best shape you can be in.
