When we talk about calisthenics exercises for beginners, we are referring to aa form of resistance training with body weight where someone starts. This is the case with popular maneuvers such as squats, push-ups or lunges.
Instead of using exercise machines or equipment (such as dumbbells) to provide 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 for improving posture and strength, as revealed by a study published in 2017 in the journal Isokinetics and motor sciences. This research found that men who trained this way had improved their stance and decreased their body fat mass.
Rhythmic gymnastics exercises for beginners
Calisthenics exercises for beginners have many advantages. For example, it can be done anywhere. Also, they are usually full-body or involve large muscle groups.
Furthermore, they involve functional movements. They are perfect for improving and optimizing activities of daily living, increasing strength, coordination and balance as well as mobility and stability.
1. Squats
Bodyweight squats are a simple and effective calisthenics exercise for beginners. To perform them, spread your legs with your feet forward and lower your hips. You can go down to knee height or stand halfway up.
You can vary this exercise by opening your feet outward to engage the inner muscles of the extremities more. It is also possible to reduce the opening, aligning the knees to the hips. In both cases, you can add a resistance band.
Another way to work the squat is static, against a wall. Simply separate your legs and lower your hips to knee height, leaning your back straight against a wall and holding for at least 60 seconds.
2. Lunges
Lunges can be performed in several ways. To start, stand up and put one leg forward. Bend the front leg without letting it go beyond the ankle and lower the back knee. Repeat several times and switch limbs.
This calisthenics exercise for beginners can be performed alternately with the legs forward or by taking 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 exercise that’s great for stability, balance, and core strength. To do it, lie on your stomach with your hands directly under your shoulders (a little wider than shoulder-width apart), as if you were about to do a push-up or push-up.
Place your toes on the ground and squeeze your glutes to stabilize your body. Also activate your legs and do not lock or hyperextend your knees. The head should be in line with the back. Hold this position for at least 20-30 seconds.
A very interesting variant is the plank on the forearms. As the name suggests, you want to support your forearms, keeping your elbows in line with your shoulders. The rest of the exercise is the same. To give it more intensity you can lift one leg to hip height, hold for a few seconds and switch sides.
Another variant of the plank is the superman. For this exercise, from a normal plank or forearms position, reach one arm in front and the opposite leg in back.
4. Side plank
The side board engages the obliques better than a standard board. Lie on your side with one leg over the other. Then, support your body on your hand or elbow by keeping one foot on top of the other. Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.
You can make the plank more difficult by raising your upper arm or leg, or both. If you need to make the exercise easier, cross your upper leg in front of your body for additional support or flex your lower leg and straighten your upper leg, whether you can support it 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, get on all fours, with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
Then, extend your arms and bring your feet back with your legs straight. She lowers her body until her chest is near the floor. Pause and come up, extending your arms. You can simplify this exercise by supporting your knees.
A variation of this beginner calisthenics exercise is to spread your arms. This version works more on the chest. Also, you can complete it by spreading your legs further, which will give you a different challenge.
You can also do this by joining hands, bending 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 extended and hips up. The exercise consists in bending the arms from this position, so that the head falls to the ground.
6. Climber
The climber is another complete exercise in which you will need to activate the whole body. Start in plank position, with arms straight. Bring one knee to your chest and alternate it with the other. You can do this by always keeping one foot in support or with the aerial phase, i.e. bringing one knee to the chest while bringing the opposite foot back.
7. Leg lift
This is an abdominal exercise that is performed by moving the legs. Lie on your back and lift your elongated limbs up to 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 hold the pose.
With both legs at the same time it’s more difficult. The key, in this case, is to lift them from the hip without changing the posture of the lower back. The hardest part is slowly lowering your legs without arching past your natural curve.
Calisthenics routine recommended for beginners
Calisthenics exercises for beginners involve a large number of muscle groups, therefore with just a few you can make a full body routine. A good way to get organized is in a circuit, choosing several and doing laps with a short break.
The number of repetitions and rounds will depend on each one. The benefit is that you can increase the reps as you get better. Therefore, we will propose some calisthenics routine ideas for beginners. Don’t forget to warm up 5-10 minutes before you start and do a final stretch.
routine 1
- Iron (30 seconds).
- Squats (8 repetitions).
- Lunges (8 reps with each leg).
- Push-ups (8 repetitions).
- Leg raises (8 repetitions with each leg or 8 with both legs at the same time).
- Climber (8 double reps).
Rest 1-2 minutes and do at least 3 more rounds. You can increase the reps or time as you work out.
routine 2
- Plank on forearms (30 seconds).
- Wall squats (60 seconds).
- Squat with feet out (8 reps).
- Lateral plank (30 seconds each side).
- Push-ups with arms apart (8 repetitions).
- Walking lunges (8 double reps).
Rest 1-2 minutes and do at least 3 more laps. You can increase the reps or time as you work out.
What should I keep in mind if I want to do rhythmic gymnastics for beginners?
Calisthenics exercises are a good way to start playing sports, as well as a very interesting resource for training when we have no equipment. However, who can do everywhere That doesn’t mean that precautions shouldn’t be taken.
First of all, heating is essential. Walking or jogging for a few minutes is not enough. It is important to perform joint mobilization and dynamic stretching to prepare the body. This will help avoid injury.
Moreover, it is a critical point to witness the evolution of the physical state. This means increasing reps, rounds and resistance as we evolve.
Finally, it is important not to forget to stretch at the end of the calisthenics exercises. The stretch should target all muscle groups.
We must not lose sight there is a risk of injury if the technique is not taken care of and is done without planning. The good news is that you can progress a lot, including more complex movements as you learn the ropes.
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