Calisthenic is a type of physical activity performed using your own body weight as resistance, without the need for additional equipment.
Some examples of calisthenics include planks and push-ups. These exercises can help you build and strengthen your muscles.
Discover the definitions and benefits of calisthenics in the article below!
What are Calisthenics?
Calisthenics are a form of exercise designed to improve strength, endurance, coordination, and flexibility.
Calisthenics are done using your own body weight, so you don’t need additional equipment.
This makes them different from weightlifting exercises. You don’t require any special calisthenics equipment.
Generally, calisthenics can be used as a warm-up before more intense physical training.
On the other hand, weightlifting requires equipment such as dumbbells or barbells.
Benefits of Calisthenics
Like other forms of exercise, calisthenics offer many benefits when practiced correctly and consistently.
Here are some benefits of doing calisthenics:
1. Training Muscle Strength
Some of you may wonder whether calisthenics can build muscle. Yes, this exercise can help build muscle because it involves using your body weight as resistance.
Moreover, calisthenics can effectively strengthen and develop muscles when performed regularly and consistently.
2. Helping You Lose Weight
The next benefit of calisthenics is to help you lose weight and burn calories, making it a suitable activity to include in your weight-loss program.
Additionally, calisthenics can be an effective way to lose weight because it requires little to no equipment.
3. Helping You Maintain Muscle Balance
If you are a beginner to weightlifting, try calisthenics first. The benefits of doing calisthenics for newcomers are improving overall body balance, stability, and muscle coordination.
If you are used to doing calisthenics, you will find it easier to transition into weightlifting.
4. Improving Joint and Bone Strength
The next benefit of doing calisthenics is improving joint and bone strength. Calisthenics use your body weight as resistance, helping strengthen your muscles, bones, and joints.
Moreover, if you have strong joints and bones, your risk of injury during daily activities may also be reduced.
5. Flexible
Lastly, one of the biggest advantages of calisthenics is its flexibility. This exercise can be performed anytime, such as in the morning, afternoon, or even while watching television.
This is suitable if you are busy and find it difficult to make time to exercise at a specific time of day.
Examples of Calisthenics
What are the examples of calisthenics that can be done by beginners?
In general, there are many types of calisthenics that beginners can perform without any equipment.
Here are some examples:
1. Push Up
One of the examples of calisthenics is push ups. This type of calisthenics is performed by many people to train the upper-body muscles.
Here are the basic ways to do a crunch:
- Lie on your back on a mat or floor, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Afterwards, cross your arms over your chest or position them behind your head.
- Lift your shoulders slowly and move them toward your knees.
- Lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat the movement several times.
2. Crunch
The next calisthenics example is the crunch, which helps train the core muscles and improve body balance.
Here are the basic ways to do crunch:
- Lie on your back on the mattress or floor, bend both of your legs with the sole on the surface of the floor.
- Afterwards, cross both of your arms on the chest or position them on the back of your head.
- Lift your shoulders slowly and direct them to your knees.
- Direct it downwards into the original position and repeat for a few times.
3. Squat
The next example of calisthenics is the squat. This is one of the fundamental calisthenic exercises for beginners.
In addition, squats are also an effective exercise to train multiple muscle groups, such as the glutes, back, and legs.
Here are the steps to perform a squat:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Position your hands in front of your chest.
- Bend your knees and lower your body into a half-squat position while pushing your hips back.
- Keep your chest up and ensure your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Hold this position briefly. Then return to a standing position and repeat the movement several times.
4. Lunges
The next example of calisthenics is lunges. This exercise helps strengthen the lower-body muscles.
In addition, this is also an alternative move to tone the thighs and legs.
Here are the steps to perform a lunge correctly:
- Stand straight and step one leg forward into a wide stance.
- Position your hands on your hips.
- Bend both knees, lowering your body until the front knee forms a right angle, and hold briefly.
- Go back to the original position and repeat the movement several times.
5. Pull Up
Another example of calisthenics is pull ups. This movement is done depending on the pull up bar or iron bar to train the arm muscles.
Here are the steps to perform a pull-up correctly:
- Stand below the bar. Hold the bar with your palms facing away from you.
- Afterwards, hang from the bar with your feet off the ground.
- Lift your body until your chin reaches bar level, then lower yourself back to the starting position.
- Repeat these movements several times.
6. Plank
Lastly, the plank is an example of calisthenics that helps strengthen the core muscles.
Here are the steps to perform a plank correctly:
- Lie face down in a push-up position. Straighten both arms and use your palms as support.
- Extend your legs behind you and balance on your toes.
- Hold this position for several seconds while keeping your head, neck, back, and legs in a straight line.
This concludes the information about the definition, benefits, and examples of calisthenics you can practice.
It can be concluded that doing calisthenics is good for maintaining overall health, especially the health of your muscles, bones, and joints.
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