7 calisthenics exercises for beginners

When we talk about calisthenics exercises for beginners we mean a form of resistance training with body weight in which someone starts. This is the case with such popular maneuvers as squats, push-ups or lunges.

Instead of using exercise machines or implements (such as dumbbells) to exert resistance, calisthenics uses body weight in conjunction with gravity to achieve that resistance.

It should be noted that calisthenics training is an effective training solution to improve posture and strength, as revealed by a study published in 2017 in the journal Isokinetics and Exercise Science. This research found that men who trained like this had improved their position and decreased their fat mass.

Calisthenics exercises for beginners

Calisthenics exercises for beginners have many benefits. For example, can be done anywhere. Also, they are usually full-bodied or involve large muscle groups.

On the other hand, they involve functional movements. They are perfect for improving and optimizing activities of daily life, increasing strength, coordination and balance, as well as mobility and stability.

Read this too: This is the best way to train with your own weight

1. Squats

Bodyweight squats are a simple and effective calisthenic exercise for beginners. To do them, spread your legs with your feet forward and lower your hips. You can go down to knee height or stay midway.

You can vary this exercise by opening the feet outwards, to involve more the internal muscles of the limbs. It is also possible to reduce the opening, aligning the knees with the hips. In either form you can add a resistance band.

Another way to squat is static, on a wall. Simply spread your legs and lower your hips to the level of your knees, leaning your back straight against a wall and holding for at least 60 seconds.

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2. Lunges

Lunges can be performed in a number of ways. To start, stand up and put one leg forward. Bends the front leg without going over the ankle and lower your back knee. Repeat several times and switch limbs.

This calisthenic exercise for beginners can be done alternately in front of the legs or by bringing them back; first one and then another. One way to add intensity is to swap legs in a jump.

3. Iron

Planks are a simple and excellent exercise for stability, balance, and core strength. To do it, lie on your stomach with your hands directly below your shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder width), like you're about to do a push-up or push-up.

Place your toes on the floor and squeeze your glutes to stabilize your body. Also activate the legs and do not lock or hyperextend the knees. Your head should be in line with your back. Hold this position for at least 20-30 seconds.

A very interesting variation is the plank on the forearms. As the name suggests, you should support your forearms, leaving your elbows in line with your shoulders. The rest of the exercise is the same. To give it more intensity you can raise one leg to the height of the hip, hold for a few seconds and change sides.

Another variation of the iron is the iron superman. For this exercise, from the normal plank or forearm position, one arm is stretched in front and the opposite leg behind.

4. Side plank

The side plank engages the obliques better than a standard plank. Stand on your side with one leg on top of the other. Then support your body on your hand or elbow while keeping one foot on top of the other. Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds on each side.

You can make the board more difficult by lifting your upper arm or leg, or both. If what you need is to facilitate the exercise, cross the upper part of the leg in front of your body for additional support or bend the lower leg and stretch the upper one, which you can support or not.

5. Push-ups

Push-ups are an exercise that involves the whole body, but above all they develop the muscles of the shoulders and chest. To do them, stand in quadruped, with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.

Then stretch your arms and bring your feet back with your legs straight. Lower your body until your chest is close to the ground. Pause and go up, stretching your arms. You can facilitate this exercise by supporting your knees.

A variation on this calisthenics exercise for beginners is to spread your arms further apart. This version works the chest more. In addition, you can complement it by spreading your legs more, which will offer you a different challenge.

You can also do it by bringing your hands together, flexing the arms with the elbow back, for a more intense activation of the triceps. Another variation is the pike push-ups, starting from the inverted V position; that is, with legs and arms stretched out and the hips up. The exercise consists of flexing the arms from this position, so that the head drops to the ground.

6. Climber

The climber is another complete exercise in which you will need to activate the whole body. Begin in a plank position, with your arms straight. Bring one knee to the chest and alternate with the other. You can do it by always keeping one foot supporting or with an aerial phase, that is, bringing one knee to the chest while bringing the opposite foot back.

7. Leg raises

This is an abdominal exercise that is done by moving the legs. Lie on your back and raise the stretched limbs to the vertical. You can do it alternately or with both legs at the same time. Placing your hands on the floor, palms down, will help you maintain your posture.

With both legs at the same time it is more difficult. The key, in this case, is to raise them from the hips without modifying the posture of the lower back. The hardest part is lowering your legs slowly without arching past the natural curve.

Recommended routine of calisthenics exercises for beginners

Calisthenics exercises for beginners involve a large number of muscle groups, so with few it is possible to do a full body routine. A good way to get organized is on the track, choosing several and doing rounds with a short break.

The number of repetitions and rounds will depend on each one. The advantage is that you can increase repetitions as you improve. Therefore, we are going to propose some ideas of calisthenics routines for beginners. Don't forget to warm up 5-10 minutes before starting and doing a final stretch.

Routine 1

1. Iron (30 seconds).
2. Squats (8 repetitions).
3. Lunges (8 repetitions with each leg).
4. Push-ups (8 reps).
5. Leg raises (8 repetitions with each leg or 8 with both legs at the same time).
6. Climber (8 double reps).

Rest for 1 to 2 minutes and do at least 3 more rounds. You can increase the reps or time as you get more trained.

Routine 2

1. Plank on forearms (30 seconds).
2. Squat on the wall (60 seconds).
3. Squats with feet out (8 repetitions).
4. Side plank (30 seconds on each side).
5. Push-ups with arms separation (8 repetitions).
6. Walking lunges (8 double reps).

Rest for 1 to 2 minutes and do at least 3 more rounds. You can increase the reps or time as you get more trained.

What should I keep in mind if I want to do calisthenics for beginners?

Calisthenics exercises are a good way to start doing sports, as well as a very interesting resource to train when we don't have equipment. However, just because it can be done anywhere does not mean that there are no precautions to be taken.

First, warming is essential. Just walking or jogging for a few minutes is not enough. It is important to do joint mobilization and dynamic stretching to prepare the body. This will help prevent injury.

On the other hand, it is a critical point to attend to the evolution of the physical state. This means increasing reps, rounds, and endurance based on how we evolve.

Finally, it is important not to forget to stretch at the end of calisthenics. Stretching should target all muscle groups.

Do not lose sight of that the risk of injury exists if the technique is not taken care of and it is done without planning. The good news is that you can go a long way, including more complex moves as you master the basics.