Top Calisthenic Exercises To Get Fit
In this month’s article, we will give you a Vitnesse-tailored, full body, Calisthenics routine (exercises that use bodyweight as resistance) that you can do right now! It requires no equipment and is great for beginners or fitness junkies. You might need a little creativity at home, in a park or at a playground, but that’s half the fun. So what are you waiting for? Get in those gym clothes and get started as you read!
Feel free to in- or decrease the amount of repetitions, depending on your fitness level. Please make sure you follow these rules while exercising:
- Feet shoulder-width apart
- Keep knees and elbows bent slightly (5-degree angle)
- Keep your back straight
- Engage your core (by pulling in your navel)
UPPER BODY
1) Push-ups (3 x 10, 1 min rest)
Ahh, the quintessential push up! It may be the most popular exercise on the planet and we have all done it at some point. Not only is it effective, it’s highly modifiable. By varying the width of your grip or elevating your feet, it is very easy to add resistance or target different muscle groups. For now, place your wrists below your shoulders and slowly lower yourself down until your elbows are bent about 90-degrees and then push yourself back up. Keep your elbows close to your body. Great for working out triceps, chest and shoulders. (If you cannot push your full body weight just yet, start off on your knees.)
2) Sitting Triceps Dips (3 x 10, 1 min rest)
As long as you have some form of furniture or can find a park bench, this one should be easy enough to pull off at home or outdoors. Simply sit off the edge of a bed, chair or bench with your palms laying flat on the surface behind you. Keep your hands should shoulder-width apart or a little wider. Then slowly dip your body and raise it back up. Keep your elbows close to your body. Great for latissimus and triceps. (If this is too easy, dip your whole bodyweight by grabbing on to two rails, chairs, tables or whatever you can make work, safely.)
3) Pull-Ups (3 x 10 or as many as you can do, 1.5 min rest)
This one can be tricky to pull off without a pull-up bar at home, but if you have a good door frame or a tree with a nice branch, it could be easier than it sounds. Simply hang off the pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip with your palms facing away from you. Then, while flexing your arms and back, raise yourself up so that your chin reaches the same height as the bar. Then slowly lower yourself back down until your arms are almost fully extended (keep a 5-degree angle) and repeat. Amazing for your latissimus, posterior deltoid and biceps! (If you are new to pull-ups, support your bodyweight by using a stretch band.)
LOWER BODY
4) Bulgarian Split Squat (3 x 10, 3 sets per leg, no rest)
Similar to lunges but easier to perform at home, the Bulgarian split squat consists of one leg resting on a knee-level surface behind you while the other leg slowly bends to lower the body. When a 90-degree knee angle is achieved, slowly raise your body back up and repeat. This exercise works your balance, quads, gluts, and hamstrings.
5) Calf Raises (3 x 15, 1 min rest)
Stand with both feet on the step of a stair or something similar in height. Stand so that only your toes and ball of your feet are touching the stair (if you feel a little unstable, you can hold on to a railing). Allow your heels to drop a little, then use your calves to lift yourself back up. This exercise gives a really nice burn and is amazing for your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Besides, depending on how far you drop, it also stretches your heels, which is very beneficial to your posture and the health of your Achilles tendon.
6) Bodyweight Squats (3 x 20, 2 min rest)
Squats are still effective, even if all you have is your bodyweight. Getting off a chair once is easy, but getting off it 20 times in a row gets difficult. Also, they make for great mental reps to remember to stand up when spending a long day in front of the screen. Stand with your feet at shoulder-width then, while keeping your back straight, bend your knees and allow your buttocks to fall back and down towards your ankles (until max. 90-degree). Make sure your knees don’t come further out than your toes. Repeat. Great workout for your quads and gluts.
CORE
7) Lying Leg Raises (10 x 3, 1.5 min rest)
The lying leg raise is a great alternative to doing sit-ups or crunches. While lying flat on your back, raise your legs up so that your feet are facing the roof / sky while remembering to keep your legs almost straight (5-degree knee flexion) and your lower back flat on the mat. The Lying Leg Raise is amazing for abs! This one can be really tough if you don’t touch the floor in between reps.
8) Dynamic Plank Tap (1-2min x 3, 1.5 min rest)
The dynamic plank tap is a more engaging option to the vanilla plank and there are lots of different versions you can try out. The movements add depth to the planking experience by shifting your weight from side to side while maintaining the plank. Start by getting into the same position as if you were about to do push-ups. Pull your navel in, lift your right foot off the ground and move it towards the lefthand side of the mat by rotating your hip. Tap the ground, put your foot back and then do the same with your left leg, all while keeping your core engaged. Keep swapping between left and right until 1 or 2 minutes are up. Another great exercises for your core and abs.
9) Burpees (10 x 3, 1 min rest)
From a standing position, drop into a push-up position, do one push up, stand back up and finish by jumping and clapping your hands above your head. Burpees need to be done quickly as they test your endurance just as much as your strength. If you’re not huffing and puffing after this one, you didn’t do them fast enough. This one works your whole body and is great as a warmup or finisher for your workout!
Please, don’t forget to stretch after you’re done 🙂
We hope this article is of significant benefit to you. These 9 exercises are all you need in order to keep fit at home or train outdoors. They will improve your strength and endurance in no time! If you have any issues during or after performing an exercise, please consult your physician or see a personal trainer. They can make sure your execution is 100% correct to prevent injuries.
You can consider using a Mini Massage Gun or Heat Pack after working out to speed up recovery.
Also, have a look at some of our recent: Are Massage Guns Effective? What Is The Best Treatment For Back Pain And Neck Pain?, How To Get Rid Of Shoulder Pain?, Stress, Tension – Coping Mechanisms, Why Do You Need A Massage Gun (e.g. Mini Massage Gun), Massage and Muscle Recovery, Benefits of Heat Therapy (e.g. Neck & Shoulder Wrap), and many more.
