Calisthenics for Beginners: Your Guide with Exercises & Training Plan

What you can expect:

• What is Calisthenics?
• Benefits of Calisthenics for Beginners
• What equipment do you need to start calisthenics?
• The best calisthenics exercises for beginners and the correct execution
• Calisthenics training plan for beginners
• How do I increase the intensity of my calisthenics workout?
• 5 typical mistakes of calisthenics beginners
• Tips: How to stay motivated as a Calisthenics beginner
• Conclusion

 

What is Calisthenics?

Calisthenics is a form of training in which you use only your own body weight to develop strength, fitness, and flexibility. Typical exercises for beginners include push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and squats. For many of the exercises, you don't need your own weights or equipment and can train almost anywhere. It's a simple and effective sport and method for getting fit and strengthening your body.

Benefits of Calisthenics for Beginners: Why Should You Do Calisthenics?

• Easy to get started : Calisthenics doesn't require special equipment or an expensive gym membership. You can start right at home or outdoors.

• Full-body workout : Calisthenics trains different muscle groups simultaneously. This improves your overall fitness and strengthens your entire body.

• Flexibility and mobility : Many calisthenics exercises not only promote strength but also mobility, which is especially important for beginners to avoid injuries.

• Progressive progression : You can adapt exercises to your fitness level and progress gradually. This makes it ideal for beginners who want to build up slowly.

• Calorie burning and fat loss : Due to the high intensity of many exercises, calisthenics effectively helps burn calories and reduce body fat.

• Improved body control : Calisthenics promotes coordination and body control as you learn to move and stabilize your own body weight.

• Motivation and fun : The variety of exercises and the ability to train almost anywhere make calisthenics varied and motivating, which especially helps beginners to stay on track.

• Strengthening core muscles : Calisthenics focuses on developing a strong core, which forms the basis for many other sporting activities.

What equipment do you need to start calisthenics?

To start with calisthenics, you hardly need any equipment.

Here is a short list of the basic equipment:

1. Comfortable sportswear : Clothing that allows you freedom of movement and in which you feel comfortable.

2. Non-slip sports shoes : Shoes with good grip are important, especially for outdoor exercises.

3. Pull-up bar : A sturdy pull-up bar is ideal for exercises like pull-ups and hanging leg raises. You can install one at home. Alternatively, you can use it at a calisthenics park or playground.

4. Resistance bands : These help you make exercises easier or more intense, especially pull-ups or dips.

5. Parallettes (optional) : Small, portable bars for dips, push-ups, and handstands that can protect your wrists and intensify your workout.

6. Water bottle : Hydration is important, even during shorter workouts.

That's it! Calisthenics is so effective because you train primarily with your own body weight and therefore require minimal equipment.

The best calisthenics exercises for beginners and the correct execution

🎬 Videos on how to do it correctly can be found here >

Push-ups

• Execution: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor, keeping your body in a straight line. Slowly lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, then push yourself back up. Make sure your back stays straight and your hips don't sag.
• Tip: If regular push-ups are too difficult, start on your knees or against a wall.

Squats

• Execution: Place your feet about shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and lower your hips as if you were sitting down in a chair. Go as low as you can (the goal is to get your butt as low as possible), then push yourself back up.
• Tip: Make sure that your upper body forms a straight line and that you do not hunch your back.

Pull-ups

• Execution: Grip a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar, then lower yourself back down with control.

• Tip: If regular pull-ups are too difficult, use resistance bands or try different grips. If you want more stress on your biceps, hold the bar with your palms facing you. More information in our blog post on pull-ups >

Plank

• Execution: Lie on your stomach and support yourself on your forearms and toes. Keep your body in a straight line, tighten your stomach and glutes, and hold this position for as long as possible.

• Tip: Make sure your back doesn't sag and your bottom doesn't stick up too high in the air.

Dips

• Execution: Using a stable edge (e.g., a chair or dip bars), support yourself with your hands on it, legs extended in front of you. Bend your arms and lower your body until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up.

• Tip: Keep your elbows close to your body to protect your shoulders and feel the strain more on your triceps. More information in our blog post on dips >

Lunges

• Execution: Step one foot far forward and lower your back knee toward the floor without letting it touch the floor. Push yourself back up with your front foot and switch legs.
• Tip: Keep your upper body upright and make sure that your front knee does not extend beyond your toes.

Lying leg raises

• Execution: Lie on your back with your hands under your bottom and slowly raise your straight legs until they're vertical. Slowly lower them again without touching the floor.
• Tip: Keep your lower back firmly pressed to the floor to avoid injury.

Burpees

• Execution: Start standing, squat, place your hands on the floor, and jump your feet into a push-up position. Perform one push-up, jump back into the squat, and then explosively launch yourself into the air.

• Tip: Perform the movement in a controlled manner and make sure that your back stays straight.

These exercises form the basis of an effective calisthenics workout for beginners. They help you build strength and fitness and improve flexibility without the need for equipment.

Pro tip from your FitnessKIT expert: LIFT - THE DREAM MACHINE

With the LIFT, you can perform every exercise with perfect technique right from the start, even if you lack the necessary strength. The LIFT works like this: You attach weights that reduce your own body weight, thus adapting your exercises to your current strength level.

This allows for optimal progression and continuous improvement – whether you want to master your first pull-up, muscle-up, or advanced calisthenics exercises like the planche. With the LIFT, anything is possible. Mastering your body has never been easier.

Calisthenics training plan for beginners | Calisthenics workout for beginners

A calisthenics training plan is usually created individually. However, especially for beginners, there are some basic exercises that can be combined as follows:

Training frequency: 3-4 times per week
Duration: 30-45 minutes per training session
Goal: Full body workout, focus on strength building and mobility

Day 1: Upper Body Focus

Warm-up (5-10 minutes)

Jumping jacks, arm circles, light stretching

Main part:

1. Push-ups: 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions

2. Pull-ups (Australian pull-ups): 3 sets of 5-8 repetitions

3. Dips (on a ledge or with a chair): 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

4. Plank: Hold for 30-60 seconds for 3 sets

Cooldown (5-10 minutes)

Stretching the arms, shoulders and chest, easy cool down

Day 2: Lower Body Focus

Warm-up (5-10 minutes)

Rope skipping, knee lifts, light stretching

Main part:

1. Squats: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions

2. Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per leg

3. Leg raises while lying down (leg raises): 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions

4. Calf raises: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions

Cooldown (5-10 minutes)

Stretching the legs, calves and hips, easy cool down

Day 3: Full Body & Endurance

Warm-up (5-10 minutes)

Easy running, mobility exercises for the whole body

Main part:

1. Burpees: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
2. Mountain Climbers: 3 sets of 30-45 seconds each
3. Jumping jacks: 3 sets of 30-45 seconds each
4. Plank with lateral rotation (Side Plank Rotation): 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions per side

Cooldown (5-10 minutes)

Full body stretching, breathing exercises to calm down

Day 4: Optional - Mobility and recovery

1. Light cardio (20-30 minutes): Brisk walking, easy jogging, or cycling

2. Flexibility training (15-20 minutes): Yoga or specific stretching exercises for the whole body

3. Breathing and relaxation exercises (5-10 minutes): breathing techniques for relaxation, short meditation

Tips for your training plan:

• Schedule rest days: Give your body 1-2 rest days per week to recover.
• Progression: After about 4 weeks, increase the repetitions or add additional sets to continuously improve.
• Pay attention to technique: Perform each exercise in a controlled and clean manner to avoid injuries.
• Nutrition: Make sure you eat a balanced diet to optimally support your body.

This plan is ideal for beginners to lay a solid foundation in calisthenics and strengthen the entire body.

How do I increase the intensity of my calisthenics workout?

Increasing the intensity of your calisthenics training is an important step to continue making progress and getting stronger.

Here are some effective methods:

1. Increase the repetitions and sets

• Repetitions: Once you feel comfortable with a certain number of repetitions of an exercise, gradually increase it. For example, from 10 to 12 or 15.
• Sets: Add additional sets. If you normally do 3 sets, try 4 or 5.

2. Shorten the breaks

• Less rest: Reduce the amount of time you rest between sets and exercises. Shorter rest periods increase the intensity because your body has less time to recover.

3. More difficult exercise variations

• Push-ups: Progress from regular push-ups to one-arm push-ups or incline push-ups.
• Pull-ups: Add weights or try not just getting your chin over the bar, but pulling the bar up to your chest.
• Squats: Try single-leg squats instead of regular squats.

4. Increase movement speed

• Explosive power: Perform exercises with a more explosive approach, such as plyo push-ups (explosive push-ups) or jump squats. These exercises increase intensity and promote explosive power.

5. Negative repetitions

• Slow eccentrics: Focus on the slow part of the movement, such as lowering slowly during pull-ups or slowly lowering during push-ups. This increases the load on the muscles.

6. Change the training frequency

• More sessions per week: Add another training session or divide the workout into different body parts to provide more specific stimulation.

7. Isometric training

• Hold the position: Incorporate isometric exercises like holding a pull-up in the top position or holding a plank for an extended period. This builds muscle endurance and increases intensity.

8. Resistance bands and additional weights

• Bands: Use resistance bands to make exercises more difficult, such as by using them for push-ups or squats.
• Weighted vest: A weighted vest can be added to many exercises to increase the load.

9. Supersets and circuit training

• Supersets: Combine two exercises without a break in between, e.g. push-ups directly followed by pull-ups.
• Circuit training: Perform a series of exercises one after the other without a break. This increases intensity and builds endurance.

10. Change the grip and foot position

• Variations: Experiment with different grip widths for pull-ups or push-ups (e.g. close grip, wide grip) or vary the foot position for squats to target different muscles and make the exercise more challenging.

These methods will help you increase the intensity of your calisthenics training and achieve consistent progress. It's important to increase the intensity gradually and listen to your body to avoid overload and injury.

5 typical mistakes of calisthenics beginners

Here are five common mistakes calisthenics beginners often make and how to avoid them:

1. Incorrect execution of the exercises

• Problem: Many beginners tend to perform exercises sloppily or with poor technique in order to achieve more repetitions. This can lead to injuries and reduce the effectiveness of the workout.
• Solution: Focus on the correct execution of each exercise. It's better to do fewer repetitions with perfect form than many with poor technique. It can be helpful to film yourself training or ask an experienced partner for feedback.

2. Too much, too fast

• Problem: Beginners often want to progress quickly and overexert themselves by training too often or too intensely. This can lead to overtraining and injury.
• Solution: Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your training. Give your body time to adjust and ensure adequate recovery.

3. Neglecting warm-up and stretching

• Problem: Many beginners skip warming up and stretching, which increases the risk of muscle injuries and strains.
• Solution: Invest 5-10 minutes before each workout in a thorough warm-up (e.g., light cardio exercises, joint mobilization) and stretch after training to promote flexibility and relax the muscles.

4. Uneven training

• Problem: It's tempting to focus on exercises you enjoy or are good at while neglecting others. This leads to muscular imbalances.
• Solution: Make sure your workout plan is balanced and targets all major muscle groups. Work both your upper and lower body, incorporating push, pull, and core exercises.

5. Lack of progression

• Problem: Some beginners stick with the same exercises and repetitions without increasing the intensity or difficulty. This leads to stagnation in their progress.
• Solution: Track your training progress and regularly increase the difficulty by increasing repetitions, sets, or intensity (e.g., by using more difficult variations or using resistance bands). Make sure you continually set new challenges to ensure continuous progress.

Avoiding these mistakes can help you train safely and effectively and will promote your long-term success in calisthenics training.

Tips: How to stay motivated as a Calisthenics beginner

Here are simple tips to stay motivated as a calisthenics beginner:

1. Set small goals: Start with achievable goals, like a few extra reps or a new exercise.

2. Stick to a plan: Create a simple training plan and stick to it.

3. Train regularly: Establish a consistent training routine to make continuous progress.

4. Celebrate successes: Reward yourself for goals achieved or progress made, even if it is small.

5. Find fun: Choose exercises that bring you joy and try new movements.

6. Train with friends: Training together is more fun and motivating.

7. Stick to a routine: Exercise at set times to build a habit.

8. Document progress: Write down your achievements or take photos to see your progress.

9. Keep things varied: Vary your exercises to keep your workout interesting.

10. Listen to your body: Avoid overtraining and give yourself breaks to prevent injuries.

Conclusion

Calisthenics is a great introduction to the fitness world, as it requires little equipment and offers a variety of exercises that improve strength, flexibility, and body control. For beginners, it's important to start with simple exercises, focus on proper technique, and gradually increase the difficulty. A structured training plan, regular exercises, and small, achievable goals will help you see progress and stay motivated. Keep your workouts varied and give your body plenty of rest to avoid injury and achieve lasting results.

Would you like to sweeten your calisthenics start with your own equipment?

You can find high-quality calisthenics equipment such as dip bars or parallettes in our shop >