Calisthenics- WTF is that?

WHAT UP FAM!?

I want to tackle calisthenics in this blog today.  I feel like it may be misunderstood and possibly not known when to incorporate into a proper training plan.  So heres the break down on calisthenics or bodyweight training.  Calisthenics are great for a few reasons;

1. Do not need a gym membership- Unless you really just want people to watch you bust out pushups or air squats on a regular basis (no shame here, I've been guilty of waiting for people to watch me to start an exercise).  You don't need a gym membership or hardly any equipment at all.  Typically your body and a decent amount of space is all that is needed.  Expensive weight lifting equipment is not necessary either so the start up cost for calisthenic training is very small compared to joining a gym or starting your own in your garage.

2. Core benefits- Calisthenic training will typically involve core strength with every move.  Considering most people struggle with core strength this may very well be ideal for building a strong and functional core.  More core strength=more overall strength= deadlifting cars in random parking lots to pick up chicks.

3. ideal for fat loss- Most people want to lose fat, and if that's our prime goal then calisthenics may be for you.  It is SUPER easy to involve HIIT(high Intensity interval training), AMRAP(as many rounds as possible) training, and also tabatas.  All of which are excellent for fat burning and super time efficient for our busy schedules.

4.  great way to build overall strength- Typically calisthenic training will work the whole body as a unit.  When we work our body as a until all the muscle involved will become stronger, like a chain. So again if time is an issue, you may want to consider calisthenic training to work multiple muscle groups vs. isolation training which may take much longer without the benefit of multiple muscle groups being worked.

Here's some reasons you might want to avoid ONLY calisthenic training;

1.  Hard to isolate- if time is not an issue for us, and our main goal is develop certain areas that may be "weak" areas, then calisthenics might want to be avoided.  There really isn't a consistent way to isolate certain muscle groups such as biceps.  If isolation is your goal, weight training may be more ideal.

2. Limitations in leg training- Calisthenics can be great for developing flexibility and mobility in the lower body.  However, it can be challenging to build overall muscular strength in the quads and glutes without the ability to do heavy weight bearing exercises. So if chicken legs are an issue (guilty) then weight training may be more ideal for you.

3. hard to put on large amounts of muscle mass- While calisthenics can give us an overall muscular body, it is challenging to put on lots of mass for more of a "bodybuilder" look.  Weightlifting will allow us to lift more weight therefore making our body continually grow.

IN CLOSING- i believe that calisthenics should be incorporated to every individuals training plan.  Depending on one's goals should determine exactly what their ratio of weightlifting to calisthenic training should be.  If we want more of an overall toned appearance without a whole lot of mass, calisthenics is for you.  If we are more concerned with muscle mass and developing more muscle then weightlifting should be more of your primary focus.

I hope this helped!