What is calisthenics?
Calisthenics are high-intensity bodyweight exercises. Calisthenics exercises don’t use any additional equipment or resistance. Instead, you create a routine of bodyweight exercises, switching from one to the next without much rest time in between. The goal is to get your heart pumping and build strength, and you can scale the difficulty by performing harder variations, more reps, or longer workouts. According to personal trainer Landis Owens, beginner-friendly calisthenics exercises include “jumping jacks, squats, planks, pull-ups, and ball punches.” Because these exercises can typically be done at home, calisthenics offers great flexibility for beginners. As you progress, you may choose to add in exercises that do require some equipment, like pull-ups bars or calisthenics rings.
Best Calisthenics Exercises for Beginners
Crunches: Do crunches by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands behind your head, then tighten your abs and pull in your navel, squeezing your core to lift your shoulders as you exhale. Lower yourself back to the floor and repeat for a total of 10 crunches. Too challenging? Make the movement smaller, only lifting your shoulders slightly off the ground. Too easy? Lift your arms over your head during the crunch. Or, do bicycle crunches by touching your right elbow to your left knee and straightening your right knee as you lift. Repeat sides each time you do a crunch. What it works: Crunches are a great way to build core strength.
Planks: To do a plank, lie on your stomach so your elbows are under your shoulders and your palms are flat on the floor. Lift yourself up so only your forearms and toes are touching the floor, keeping the rest of your body in a straight line. Hold the plank as long as you can maintain good form, up to two minutes. Too challenging? It’s okay if you can only do 5–10 seconds at first—that’s normal, so keep practicing! But if you find it hard to hold a plank at all, try resting your knees on the ground. Too easy? Straighten your elbows so only your palms and toes are on the floor. What does it work? Planks work your core and your legs.
Side planks: Lay on your right side with your elbow under your shoulder and your right hand flat on the floor in front of you. Keep your knees slightly bent, then use your abs and glutes to raise your hips off the floor. Hold for 15 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Too challenging? Break the move into three 5-second planks instead of one 15-second plank. Too easy? Roll your top shoulder forward, then straighten back up before lowering out of the blank. Keep your hips and core stable as you do this. What does it work? Side planks work your core, inner thigh, and glutes.
Glute bridge: To do a glute bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms by your side. Make sure your feet are about hip-width apart, then tighten your core and glutes and push up with your feet until your body forms a straight line running from your neck through your knees. Hold this for a moment, then lower yourself back down. Do this move 10 times. Too challenging? Instead up pushing upward, inhale and pull your navel in so your pelvis tilts downward, then exhale and return your lower back to the floor. Too easy? Rest your shoulders against a bench, block, or box that’s about 12–14 in (30–36 cm) off the floor. What it works: Glute bridges work your glutes and abs, and they help improve hip mobility.
Lunges: To perform a lunge, stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with your right foot and bend your knees to lower your body until your right knee is at a 90° angle and your left shin is parallel to the floor. Then, push up with your right leg until you’re standing again, and bring your feet back together. Repeat this for a total of 10 lunges, then switch to the other leg. Too challenging? Try reverse lunges, where you step backward instead of forward. Too easy? Take a bigger step or add a leap between each lunge. What does it work? Lunges work your legs, butt, and core.
Squats: To do a bodyweight squat, stand so your feet are a little more than shoulder-width apart. Tighten your ab muscles to engage your core, then push your hips backward and lower your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping your back straight. Push up with your legs until you’re standing again. Repeat this for a total of 10 squats. Too challenging? Sit on the edge of a chair, then use your legs to push yourself up to a standing position. Too easy? As you push to stand up out of the squat, add a jump. What does it work? Squats work your lower body.
Push-ups: For a proper push-up, start on your hands and knees, with your palms flat on the floor and directly under your shoulders. Straighten your legs behind you, then bend your arms to lower your chest to the floor, keeping your elbows in and your back straight. Once your elbows are at a 90° angle, push yourself back up by straightening your arms. Do 5–10 push-ups to start, adding more as you build strength. Too challenging? Keep your knees on the floor, or place your hands on a bench or block. Too easy? Place your hands directly under your chest with your thumbs and index fingers in a diamond shape. What does it work? Push-ups work your arms, chest, and shoulders.
Jumping jacks: To do jumping jacks, stand up straight with your arms at your side. Jump your feet out to your sides and clap your hands above your head, bringing your feet back together as you land. Repeat this for a total of 20 jumping jacks. Too challenging? Lift your arms to shoulder-height instead of raising them all the way above your head. Too easy? Do more jumping jacks or add wrist weights to make them harder. What does it work? Jumping jacks work your arms and legs and provide cardio.
Burpees: Start a burpee by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower yourself into a squat, but instead of standing back up, place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Step back into a plank position, then jump your feet forward back and lift back up into a squat. Use your legs to push yourself up into a jump with your arms straight up above your head, and land back in the starting position. Do this 10 times. Too challenging? Work on each fundamental move individually to build strength, then try burpees again. Too easy? Add a push-up once you get into the plank position. What does it work? Burpees are a full-body workout.
Sample Calisthenics Workout for Beginners
Warm up for 5–10 minutes. You should always warm up before you exercise. And because calisthenics requires you to rapid switching from one exercise to another, it’s especially important to warm up to ensure your joints are ready for work. Spend a few minutes doing exercises that will get your heart rate up, like jumping jacks, sprints, or squats. Then, focus on stretches that target different parts of your body, like chest stretches and leg stretches.
Perform a circuit of exercises that work your whole body. A good calisthenics workout is well-rounded, with pushing and pulling moves that work your chest and arms, core, and lower body. Adjust the number of reps and sets based on your ability level. If you can’t hold a plank for 1 minute, for instance, try to hold it for 60 seconds. Here are three sample circuits: Workout 1: 10 push-ups, 20 squats, 10 crunches, 10 lunges, 1-minute plank Workout 2: 10 squats, 10 burpees, 30-second side planks (per side), 10 glute bridges, 10 push-ups Workout 3: 10 squats (3 sets), 10 lunges (3 sets), 1-minute plank, 10 jumping jacks (3 sets)
Cool down with stretches after your workout. Stretching after you exercise may help ease post-workout soreness and improve your recovery time. It’s also a good way to gradually bring down your heart rate. To cool down after a calisthenics workout, try stretches like: Child’s pose: Kneel on your hands and knees. Exhale and sink your bottom down onto your knees. At the same time, walk your hands away from you on the mat, lowering your forehead to the floor. Hold this for 20–30 seconds. Quad stretch: Stand with your feet together, then lift one foot behind you and grab it with your hand. Press your foot in toward your bottom, and hold for about 10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Hamstring stretch: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Lift your right leg, holding your thigh just below your knee with both hands. Keep your leg straight above you for 10–15 seconds, then repeat with the other leg.
Customizing a 30-Day Beginner Calisthenics Plan
Focus on basic moves first. At the beginning of a calisthenics program, work on perfecting foundational moves like squats, lunges, and planks. Include enough variety to work all of your muscle groups and keep your workout interesting, but don’t worry about changing it up too much at this point—it’s more important to nail down the basics and start building strength. As you progress, you’ll build on these exercises to make them more challenging, so it’s important to use the correct form to keep yourself safe from injury. Try to include moves where you push, pull, and twist. Be sure to work your abs and chest, shoulders, and core.
Work out for about 30 minutes a day. Most calisthenics workouts are about 30–40 minutes. But if that’s too much at first, it’s okay to start with about 10–15 minutes and gradually work up to a longer session. It’s important to listen to your body—if something feels too strenuous or you feel pain during an exercise, try an easier variation until you build up strength.
Start by working out 2 days a week. Bodyweight exercises are challenging, and if you’re a beginner, it’s easy to overdo it. For the first couple of weeks, try working out twice a week to see how your body feels, with at least a day between workouts. On the third week, if you feel up to it, add a third workout. Continue gradually increasing the frequency until you’re working out 4–5 days a week. If you want, you can add in less strenuous activities on your off days, like going for walks or stretching.
Gradually increase the intensity of your exercises. As you start to feel stronger, try adding in more repetitions of each exercise, or hold the exercise longer. For instance, you might do more jumping jacks or hold your planks longer. Start adding in harder variations of the exercises once doing more of the same exercise doesn’t feel challenging anymore.
Benefits of Calisthenics
Calisthenics is an effective cardio workout. One study found that calisthenics exercises were as effective at providing a full cardio workout as more intense exercises like interval running or sprints. And because you can go at your own pace, calisthenics allows you to customize your cardio to your ability level.
It helps you build strength. Most calisthenics exercises work a variety of muscle groups at the same time. This means they’re more useful for building the kind of strength you need for daily tasks like lifting heavy items or doing household chores. Calisthenics exercises are also good for improving mobility, balance, and posture.
You might find it easier to stick to a calisthenics routine. Consistency is an important part of any workout routine. Because calisthenics allows you to choose exercises you’re comfortable with, the workouts can leave you feeling more successful and confident—which might make it easier to keep going on days that you’re tired.
You can do calisthenics anywhere. Because you don’t need special equipment to do calisthenics exercises, this is a great workout program to do at home. You can also work in calisthenics at work, at the park, or on vacation, so it’s easier to stick to a program.
Who should try calisthenics?
Calisthenics is great for any fitness level. Because you can customize your workout, calisthenics can work for you even if you’re a complete beginner to exercise. But because the exercises can be scaled up, calisthenics is also a great way for even seasoned athletes to continue building strength. If you’ve previously had injuries or you haven’t worked out in a while, talk to your doctor before you begin a new exercise routine.
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