Whether you know it or not, you’ve probably done a calisthenics workout before. The term “calisthenics” just refers to bodyweight resistance training, so it’s any workout that uses repetitive bodyweight exercises to build strength, increase flexibility, and get your heart rate up.
Calisthenics is ideal for the at-home environment because you can do it anywhere, it doesn’t take up too much space, and all you need is a mat. It’s also great for beginners: You can take your time to really focus on form, without having to worry about loading moves up with extra resistance in the form of dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells—which, if you take on too much too soon, can lead to injury.
“Not only does calisthenics build strength, but it builds more physically functional strength, which consists of compound moves that reflect our everyday movement and give us a higher quality of life,” Alicia Jamison, C.P.T., trainer at Bodyspace Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. “With enough push-ups, pull-ups, squats, hip bridges, and other basic bodyweight moves, you’ll be able to perform manual labor tasks—like picking things up, carrying heavy items, and playing with kids—much easier.”
And yes, you can build strength and muscle with just your bodyweight—you don’t need to lift weights to do that. “Calisthenics accomplishes the same muscle growth as weights,” explains Jamison.
Depending on your fitness level, calisthenics will work your body a bit differently. “For beginners, people who are maxing out at 10–12 reps [of each move], the work is lending more toward muscular hypertrophy, or the enlargement of the muscle,” says Jamison. “But as you get more advanced and you can do 15–20 reps, then calisthenics helps build muscular endurance—training the muscles to work harder for longer.”
Jamison created this strength-focused calisthenics workout to challenge your whole body. Every other exercise is a core move, and in between are some challenging lower body and upper body moves, like the curtsy lunge to squat and the Superman pulldown. You’ll be feeling it in your big muscles—your chest, glutes, hamstrings, and quads—and your smaller, stabilizing muscles too.
You can do calisthenics moves as a standalone routine (like the calisthenics workout Jamison created below), or you can also mix in the moves to your regular workout routine. For instance, Jamison likes to add high-intensity calisthenic exercises to the beginning of her strength training, to serve as an extra core and power boost. She also suggests using a quick calisthenics circuit as a finisher to end your workout on a breathless note before you cool down.
Whether you’re an exercise pro or are just getting started, a good calisthenics workout can leave you sweaty, out of breath, and feeling strong. Ready to give this full-body, no-equipment workout a go? Here’s everything you’ll need.
The Workout
What you’ll need: An exercise mat for extra cushioning.
The Exercises
Circuit 1
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Curtsy Lunge to Squat
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Plank Up-Down
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Superman Pulldown
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Forearm Side Plank With Twist
Circuit 2
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Single-Leg Glute Bridge
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Alternating V-Up
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Push-Up
Directions
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Perform 12–15 reps of each exercise in Circuit 1 without resting. For the single-leg moves, you’ll do 12–15 reps per side. After all four exercises are done, rest for 45 seconds. Complete 2–3 rounds total.
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Perform 12–15 reps for each exercise in Circuit 2 without resting. For the single-leg moves, you’ll do 12–15 reps per side. After all three exercises are done, rest for 45 seconds, Complete 2–3 rounds total.
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Beginners can start with between 12 and 13 reps, while more advanced exercisers can go up to 15.
Demoing the moves below are Angie Coleman (GIF 1), a holistic wellness coach in Oakland; Shauna Harrison (GIF 2), a Bay Area–based trainer, yogi, public health academic, advocate, and columnist for SELF; Cookie Janee, (GIFs 3–4, 6–7), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; and Grace Pulliam (GIF 5), who teaches aerial yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and a fall prevention class for senior citizens.
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Kelsey McClellan1 Curtsy Lunge to Squat
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips or relaxed by your sides. This is the starting position.
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Step your right foot diagonally behind you and lower your right knee until it almost touches the floor. Your front knee should bend to about 90 degrees.
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Drive through your left heel to stand back up and drop into a squat position, with feet hip-width apart. Then repeat on the other leg.
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Continue alternating sides until you’ve done 12–15 reps on each side.
With this combo move, your quads and your glutes will be firing.
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2 Plank Up-Down
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Start in high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged. Place your feet hip-width apart.
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Lower your left arm down so that your forearm is on the floor. Then do the same with your right. You should now be in forearm plank position.
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Place your left hand back on the floor to extend your arm, and follow with your right arm, so that you end back in high plank. That’s 1 rep.
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As you move, keep your hips as still as possible so that they’re not swaying from side to side. To make this easier, try widening your legs a little more.
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Continue for 12–15 reps.
To make this move easier, drop your knees to the mat.
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Katie Thompson3 Superman Pulldown
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Lie on your stomach with your arms extended overhead by your ears.
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Lift your chest, arms, and legs off the ground and squeeze your butt.
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Keeping your arms and legs off the ground, pull your elbows in toward your sides, then punch overhead, hovering your arms and legs above the ground and engaging your glutes the entire time.
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Repeat this punching motion for 12–15 reps.
This exercise hits pretty much your entire posterior chain, or the backside of your body.
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Katie Thompson4 Forearm Side Plank With Twist
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Start in a forearm side plank by propping your body up on your left forearm, with your elbow stacked underneath your shoulder and your hand in front of your body. Extend your legs and stack your right foot on top of your left, and then squeeze your abs and glutes to lift your hips off the floor.
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Place your right arm behind your head, with your elbow bent and pointing up toward the ceiling. This is the starting position.
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Rotate your torso toward the floor, bringing your right elbow to meet your left hand. Don’t let your hips drop—the movement should just come from your core.
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Then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
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Continue for 12–15 reps. Then repeat on the opposite side.
Your core muscles—especially your internal and external obliques—will be working hard in this move as you rotate.
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Katie Thompson 5 Single-Leg Glute Bridge
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Lie on the floor faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. With your hands at your sides, your fingertips should come close to grazing your heels. Engage your core to press your low back against the floor.
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From this position, lift your right foot off the floor and extend your leg.
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Push off your left foot, engage your core and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips and do a glute bridge.
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Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
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Do 12–15 reps on one side, then repeat on the other side.
To make this move easier, keep both feet on the floor for a standard glute bridge.
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Katie Thompson6 Alternating V-Up
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Lie faceup with your legs extended and arms by your sides. Contract your abs to press your low back to the floor.
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Squeeze your thighs and glutes, and lift your left leg and upper back off the ground, reaching your right hand forward to meet your left foot. Your torso and your left leg should form a V.
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Keep your core engaged as you slowly lower to return to starting position.
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Repeat on the other side, and continue to alternate for 12–15 reps on each side.
To make this move easier, bend your knees.
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Katie Thompson7 Push-Up
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Start in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
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Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor.
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Push through the palms of your hands to straighten your arms.
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Continue for 12–15 reps.
To make this move easier, elevate your hands on a table, step, or bench for an incline push-up.
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