Calisthenics is convenient, affordable, and versatile full-body training that mostly uses body weight for resistance. Weekly calisthenics workouts can attain these results for individuals who aspire to tone up, get stronger, and build muscle.
Shaping up requires time and energy, particularly when you decide to work out independently at home. Only you are responsible for sustainability and progressing the movements. Pulling off a personal calisthenics workout plan and incorporating it into your weekly routine is the foremost strategy for achieving your goals.
Today, we’re going to talk about calisthenics workout results: 5 real changes to your body.
You’re about to unlock 6 at-home calisthenics moves you can easily perform with or without weights.
Calisthenics workout results will depend on your body mass, consistency, nutrition, and progress. The more committed you are, the greater chance you have of attaining body transformations.
Whether you’re initiating a 30-day calisthenics challenge or using randomized workouts weekly, with enough progress and consistency, you’ll start noticing these 5 changes to your body.
During the first weeks of executing basic and progressive calisthenics exercises, you can acknowledge the strength and endurance improvements. Calisthenics workouts are a perfect intervention for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle and cannot afford to spend money on gym memberships.
Beginners can start with basic easier moves and progress to difficult exercises. As long as you’re following a consistent calisthenics workout, you’ll learn to adapt to new movements.
One study in 2022 highlighted the positive outcome of calisthenics intervention on sedentary people, which shows that this activity can potentially improve your muscle strength, thereby reducing future health-related complications (1).
Whether you’re looking to simply pep up your fitness routine, jazz up your diet with mouth-watering low-calorie recipes or want to get your act together and significantly drop that number on your scale – BetterMe: Health Coaching app has got you covered! Improve your body and revamp your life!
Getting ripped means having defined muscles and people, especially men, work a lot to attain well-shaped muscles in their arms, back, and legs. In fact, you can build muscle and get ripped with calisthenics by inducing progressive overload in your workouts. This means more repetitions, sets, and if possible, adding weights to continuously challenge yourself.
Increasing muscle mass with calisthenics moves and gravity was proven in a study that was published in Nature in 2023 (2). The study compared two groups of women – the first group performed progressive bodyweight exercises and the second did barbell back squats for 6 weeks. At the end of the 6 weeks, researchers discovered that both groups showed a significant increase in muscle thickness. However, women lost more fat in the barbell back squat group.
Another study demonstrated the efficacy of calisthenics on body composition. A 21-year-old male student with previous calisthenics experience underwent structured training sessions three to four days a week. The results showed an enhancement in physical fitness, endurance, strength, and body composition (3).
Calisthenics are functional exercises that can make you more flexible (4). The effect comes with different movements that target major and minor muscle groups. Resistance training is a direct way to improve your range of motion. (5).
In addition, we all know that calisthenics encompasses both lower-body and upper-body movements and this will allow you to perform functional movements easier over time. Honing various bodyweight exercises makes you mobile and more capable of daily activities, especially in older age.
It’s no wonder that practice and discipline help you turn from the basic practitioner to the advanced one. People who master basic calisthenics moves, such as squats or lunges, progress to both challenging versions of them and more advanced exercises, such as pull-ups or push-ups.
Initially, the exercise may seem difficult, but adding more reps and sets and increasing volume will make you powerful enough to perform them easily without catching your breath every time.
Ergo, as you master advanced movements, you increase your muscle strength and get closer to your fitness goals.
Your posture may get better during the first few months of a sustainable calisthenics routine. A 2017 study demonstrated that in addition to improved body composition and strength, calisthenics training can help you fix your posture (6).
The top calisthenics moves for posture improvements include push-ups, planks, pull-ups, and dead bugs.
Read more: Getting into Calisthenics: Master Basic Skills, No Gym Required
An average person may notice results during the first month. Calisthenics workout results commonly occur among people who commit to frequent training, three to four times a week. The above-mentioned studies showed that during the first months of doing calisthenics exercises, a person becomes stronger, more flexible, and more powerful in completing difficult movements.
Your goals matter here too. If you want to use calisthenics as your main weight-loss strategy, you’ll need to focus on your diet first. Replacing high-calorie foods with low-calorie meals and cutting your position sizes are vital for losing weight. In addition, you need to burn more calories than you consume to shed extra pounds in a healthy manner (7).
Calisthenics will become a powerful bonus for your overall physique: it may tone you up, give you strength, and even increase your endurance.
To build muscle, flexibility, and strength, your body should be engaged in consistent movements. Therefore, 3 calisthenics workouts per week is a great option for both beginners and intermediate practitioners.
Starting with a few calisthenics workouts a week can help you stick to your plan and goals. Ultimately, your ideal training frequency will depend on your schedule, goals, and ability to recover (rest days are necessary during the calisthenics workouts).
Aim for three full-body calisthenics workouts per week, resting at least one day in between workouts.
We shared the best calisthenics workout plan for beginners at home in another article. We understand how daunting it can be to create individual sessions on your own, so we’re happy to demonstrate a well-optimized workout that you can complete.
Read more: What Makes a Good Calisthenics Workout Plan?
Some beginners often want to know how long a calisthenics workout should be. However, there’s no perfect timing everyone should stick to. If you have only 20 minutes of free time per day, go for it – it will still be beneficial compared to not exercising.
A study conducted in 2022 showed that committing to 20 minutes of calisthenics can offer some health perks (8). It also stated that a person will get more benefits from mixing calisthenics with aerobics to improve flexibility, strength, and endurance.
Performing 20 minutes of calisthenics three times a week can be OK for beginners. Combining it with cardio activities can work to further improve your overall health and fitness.
In addition, people who consistently do 20 minutes of calisthenics may automatically switch to more frequent and lengthy workouts as 20 minutes may not seem like enough after a few weeks of consistent training. So, instead of analyzing the best timing, you should listen to your body and go at your own pace.
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Yes, a 30-day calisthenics challenge benefits your body. If you follow the plan, you’ll notice improvements in your strength, muscle definition, and endurance.
Calisthenics workouts are so impactful because they engage different muscle groups that promote functional strength, endurance, and muscle coordination.
We must highlight that the following challenge can affect your weight loss results. High-intensity exercises, such as burpees or jumping jacks, boost your heart rate, which leads to more calorie burn. When combined with a nutritious, hearty diet, calisthenics can reduce body fat and tone up your body (9).
Furthermore, with no necessity to use any weights or equipment, calisthenics is efficient and accessible for beginners. However, sustainable results require continuing the challenge or making sure calisthenics is part of your life fitness journey.
Finally, as you build a solid foundation in calisthenics, you can progress to advanced techniques, such as calisthenics with weights or cardio. This combination increases your chances of achieving greater fitness results.
Every calisthenics newbie needs to learn the basic moves to later engage in more challenging workouts. You can do them either at home, outside, or at the gym – any place will work.
Spoiler: Calisthenics isn’t only about pull-ups and push-ups. Squatting, burpees, and jumping jacks are also part of this training.
Today we’ll show you 6 calisthenics exercises you can easily incorporate into your home training.
Exercise #4: High Knees
Exercise #5: Modified Forearm Side Plank
Exercise #6: Glute Bridge
You can improve your body composition with calisthenics, but to reach your profound weight loss goals, it’s better to combine calisthenics with cardio and HIIT training. It’s also essential to burn more calories than you consume and choose healthier meal options. This is the case for any workout program. The best way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit and it is incredibly difficult to out-exercise a poor diet. It will depend on your consistency, body weight, and progress in exercises. Generally, an average person can learn calisthenics within a couple of months to several years. Of course, as long as you feel healthy, motivated, and don’t have any preexisting conditions that prevent you from exercising. If this is the case, you can start your calisthenics journey in your 30s or even later. Just make sure that you start with basic exercises and only progress to challenging moves once you’re ready for them. Calisthenics can help you attain defined abs as it engages multiple muscle groups, including the core, and it promotes overall strength and fitness. By adding more reps, kicking intensity, and improving volume, you have the chance to get well-shaped abs. However, you should remember that defined abs come in part from your genetics. Exercise can lower your overall body fat, which can eventually lead to defined abs, but without the proper diet, it will be incredibly difficult to accomplish. Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get fit from just calisthenics?
How many years does it take to learn calisthenics?
Can I start calisthenics at 35?
Does calisthenics give you abs?
We’ve discussed calisthenics workout results: 5 real changes to your body. They involve a stronger body, more defined muscles, better flexibility and mobility, improved posture, and enhanced strength to master more challenging moves.
People generally notice initial results after the first month of consistent training. Doing calisthenics 3 times a week is enough for beginners. Mixing it with other cardio or aerobic workouts can help you achieve results faster.
With these 6 basic calisthenics moves, you can jump into your home workout sessions today.
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