6 Awesome Benefits Of Calisthenics And Why You Should Start Right Now

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The first time I noticed the benefits of calisthenics. And I mean really noticed, was way back in 2019 when I started to take my training a little more seriously.

Now, until that point, I’d mainly just stuck to basic bodyweight exercises like pullups, pushups, and dips in an attempt to keep my body in check.

But one day, I kind of hit a point where I wanted to get more out of myself. Which led me on a journey to understanding the real benefits of calisthenics.

Turns out, there’s a lot more to it than just basic bodyweight movements.

In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that kicks most other forms of exercise squarely in the nuts if you use it to the best of your ability.

I’m not trying to downgrade any other form of exercise, by the way. Because quite frankly, you should ultimately do what works for you and F*ck what everyone else thinks.

But since you landed on this page, I can safely assume that you’re more than a little bit curious about what this style of training has to offer.

Anyway…

Going back to the story, I finally decided to pull my head out of my ass and learn how I could go from the average joe who was just “Okay” at calisthenics…

…To being in a position where I had both the strength and power needed to perform advanced calisthenics moves like the front lever, human flag, and even the planche.

So I did what most people do in this situation and googled “how to get better at calisthenics” to see what the world wide web had to offer.

And that’s when I came across the Bar Brothers Program

This caught my eye for two reasons…

Firstly, the founders of the program “Lazar Novovic and Dusan Djolevic” were seriously jacked. Which kind of made me curious about how they built such an impressive physique using only their bodyweight.

And second, the program wasn’t massively overpriced like some of the other BS I’ve seen online. It was well within my budget and to be honest, seemed like a wise investment given the results I could get.

So long story short, I brought the program and implemented its teaching. And now, over a year later, I’m writing this lengthy blog post to share (what I’ve found) are the main benefits it provides.

WATCH VIDEO: Learn How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity

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Table of Contents

6 Awesome Benefits Of Calisthenics

To kick things off, I just want to highlight that this is by no means an extensive list.

It is, however, a list of benefits that I personally noticed when I started to implement all aspects of calisthenics into my life.

So here they are for your enjoyment…

Build Real Core Strength

So the first thing I noticed when I started training this way was the amount of core strength I developed in a short space of time.

I think this was mainly down to the fact that I added a lot of skills training into the mix when I changed the way I trained.

See, instead of just doing the basic bodyweight movements like pullups, dips, pushup, etc… (which are all still great by the way).

The skills progressions and isometric exercises I added required me to work my body as a unit. Which meant I had to learn how to engage my core correctly to progress.

Things like…

…L-sits

…Front lever progressions

…One-arm pushups

All of these exercises and their progressions require a great deal of core strength to pull them off successfully.

And when I started doing them regularly. My core genuinely felt tighter and stronger.

Another quick thing I’d like to mention before I wrap this subject up is the benefits that weighted calisthenics has on your core.

It won’t seem obvious when you’re hammering out endless reps of standard pushups. But strap 100-pounds to your back, and you’ll feel every single muscle fiber in your midsection working like a motherf*ucker.

Virtually No Equipment Needed

Now, I know some people will argue that you don’t need any equipment to do calisthenics.

And to be fair, you don’t if you’re just planning on doing basic floor exercises.

But here’s the thing…

For you to work your entire body, there are 6 specific movement patterns you need to adapt to make sure you’re hitting every muscle group.

These are…

Vertical Pull (pullups/chinups)
Vertical Push (parallel bar dips/handstand pushups)
Horizontal Pull (inverted rows)
Horizontal Push (pushups)
Squat
Hinge Movement (bodyweight deadlift/hip thrusts)

Basically, you need a pullup bar (and preferably a dip station) to work your whole body. So if you don’t have one, then it’s something I’d highly recommend getting.

Personally, I’ve got a little pullup and dip station that sits in the backroom of my house that cost me I around £50 (roughly $60-$65)

It’s not perfect, but it allows me to work my entire body without the need to go to the gym.

So if you don’t have one…

…Either get one.

…Or find a local calisthenics park where you can practice pullups regularly.

Practice Whenever You Want

Now, in theory, I could walk away from my computer right now…

…Perform a quick set of pushups

…Or a plank

…Or an L-sit

And you wouldn’t be any the wiser.

This is another awesome benefit of calisthenics that you can’t get from the gym.

You can do it whenever the hell you want.

Now, I’m not suggesting you drop do twenty pushups in the middle of the five o’clock work meeting.

But if you wanted to, there’d be nothing stopping you from breaking up your workout throughout the day.

This is actually something I used to do when I worked 12-hour shifts at my old job.

What I used to do a few years back was set my alarm 20 minutes before I had to wake up.

Go downstairs to the little gym setup I have at the back of the house.

And then I’d hammer out a quick set of 10 pullups, 20 dips, and 30 squats.

Then I’d go and make some make my breakfast. But before I ate it, I’d go back and do another set of 10 pullups, 20 dips, and 30 squats.

Basically, I continued to do this every time I had a spare few minutes between getting ready for work.

And what’s great is that it allowed me to get most of my workout done before I’d even started the day without really setting aside a specific time to do it.

It might seem a little weird, but it’s something that worked for me for a while, so if you struggle to get your workout in, I recommend trying it out.

Increase Your Relative Strength

First, let me clarify what relative strength is.

Basically, relative strength is the overall strength you have compared to your body weight.

So for example, if you had a 200-pound guy who could bench press, let’s say, 250-pounds for 5 reps…

…And compared him with a 150-pound guy who could only bench press only 200-pounds for 5 reps.

Technically, the 150-pound guy would have more relative strength.

Why?

Because he’s lifting 1.33 times his own body weight compared to the other guy who only lifts 1.25 times his body weight.

You can work it out like this…

200 divided by 150 = x1.33
250 divided by 200 = x1.25

And this is why calisthenics reigns supreme in the field of relative strength. Because you’re consistently practicing movement patterns that involve your own body.

See, even though someone can lift a lot of weight, it doesn’t mean they have relative strength.

In fact, I’d be willing to bet that at least 90% of the huge guys in the gym would struggle to do at least 8 pullups with perfect form.

It’s not that big guys don’t have strength. It’s just they don’t have relative strength.

Working Towards Goals Becomes Fun

I don’t know if this is just me, but I personally prefer the journey of working towards specific calisthenics skills.

It just feels more rewarding when you actually accomplish something you’ve been working towards for months.

For instance, I remember when I was working towards getting my first one-arm pushup.

I worked my ass off for 2 weeks solid only to fall flat on my face as my arm crumbled beneath my body’s weight.

But after going back to the drawing board (and having a little cry), I reevaluated where I was going wrong and came back stronger.

And after another 3 weeks of persistence, I managed to get not one, but three solid reps of the one-arm pushup on each arm.

To be honest, I felt like a boss once I was done. But it proved to me right then that there’s no better feeling than hitting your goals.

More Energy & Quicker Recovery

Now, there are other benefits of calisthenics.

For instance, I feel like I can accomplish more during my workout without feeling like sh*t days later. And that’s surprising because I often include weighted calisthenics in my routine.

But other than that, I also find it’s easier on the joints…

..I ache less

And I just genuinely find it a lot more interesting than anything I’ve ever tried before.

So if you’re wondering if calisthenics is worth your time. Then I’m happy to give it my official stamp of approval with a big fat YES!

As long as you’re willing to put the work in that is.

Getting Started With Calisthenics

So before I wrap things up, I just want to briefly touch on how you can not only start calisthenics…

But also get the most out of your workouts so you can see real results.

Now, as I’ve already mentioned, I personally followed a structured program called Bar Brothers when I first started.

There’s a few half decent programs out there but I went with Bar Brothers because it’s got a kind of hardcore approach to the whole thing and to be honest, that’s the way I like to workout.

It’s not the easiest program in the world by any means. In fact, it can be damn near torture at times.

But it’s also the one that gets results, so if you feel like you still need a little nudge in the right direction, or you just want to see what all the hype is about. I’d recommend checking out the video below to see if it’s a good fit…