Introduction:
The beautiful thing about calisthenics exercise is that you can do it anywhere—no expensive equipment required! The power of bodyweight training lies in its simplicity and efficiency, allowing you to build lean muscle tissue, strength, and endurance with just your own body weight as resistance. For all these reasons, the best calisthenics workout exercises are the ones that not only challenge you physically but also make you feel great while doing them. Here are the top 10 calisthenics workout exercises to get you ripped!
1. Squats (Bulgarian Split Squat):
This move targets your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings simultaneously. For added resistance, use a weighted vest or carry a heavy bookbag around in front of you as you squat up and down. Make sure that your knees are lined up with your toes and that they never go past your toes while you're doing this exercise. Hold the position for 3-5 seconds and keep your weight in the heel of your foot as opposed to on the balls of your feet.
Squats strengthen all of the muscles in the lower body from shins to thighs, hips, stomach, back, abs and chest!
2. Wide stance squat (45 degrees):
Wide stance squats are a great way to work the legs, but can be hard on the knees. Position your feet at least shoulder width apart with toes pointing out slightly and place hands on the hips for balance. Keeping your back straight bend the hips back pushing through the heels until you're deep in a squat position. Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor and then push yourself back up straightening your legs in one fluid motion.
3. Bulgarian Split Squat:
Bulgarian Split Squat This exercise is great for developing single-leg strength and stability. To perform this exercise, set up a bench near a wall, so you can have support on one side if needed. Place the back foot flat on the ground, directly in front of the bench. Put all your weight on that foot and lean against the other foot and place it on the bench in front of you. Squat down until your back knee almost touches the ground. Return to starting position by standing up with control then repeat with your other leg or turn around so you are resting both legs on either side of the bench at once.
4. Jackknife sit-up:
If you've been slacking on your stomach exercises, it's time to stop with the excuses and give the plank a break. Sit on the ground with legs extended in front of you. Lean back onto your hands and lift your legs off the ground. Inhale as you reach up towards your toes with both arms. Contract your abs and crunch up bringing shoulders off of hands while exhaling as you lower down as far as possible.
5. Pushups (From Knees):
A muscle up from a high box or bench requires a good amount of upper body strength and coordination. This can be achieved by doing several reps on the pull-up bar, gradually increasing the difficulty level until you are able to pull yourself up so that your chin is over the bar. Once you've managed this, raise your feet off the ground and climb onto the box or bench and place your hands on either side of it. When you're ready, do a push-up and try to use as much of your chest as possible. From here, extend one arm out and grab at an angle away from the centerline of your body. With this hand in place, bend at the elbow while keeping hold of it with your other hand and switch sides.
6. Dive bomber pushup:
Dive bomber pushups are a plyometric pushup with an explosive pull up at the top of the movement. With dive bomber pushups, you'll use your lower body as a base while taking off and throwing your upper body weight forward into the air. When you land, let your upper back touch the ground for stability before exploding upward again with a jerk. Shoot for 4 sets of 8-12 reps on this one.
7. Muscle up from high box/bench:
Start by doing a few sets of pull ups as a warm up before getting on with the real workout. Use an overhand grip and do sets of 8-10 repetitions. Make sure you are pulling hard throughout the exercise, squeezing your back and shoulders together at the top of the movement, and avoid any kipping (twisting) motions.
Maintaining momentum is key here, so go as fast as you can while maintaining good form. Next set aside 45 seconds for these calisthenics exercises: jumping jacks, pushups, air squats, running in place or side steps, bicycle crunches or regular crunches. Aim for three sets of each exercise during this time period.
8. Dip on a chair/bench/steps:
This simple, but challenging exercise tones and tightens your chest, shoulders, arms and back muscles. Do this by placing your hands on the edge of a chair/bench/steps, then bend at the hips so your body is parallel with the ground. Hold this position for three seconds and press yourself up again. The higher you place your feet when doing this exercise, the more challenging it will be on your arm muscles. Make sure to maintain a neutral spine throughout this exercise and only push up from the hips - do not jerk from your upper body.
9. Pull ups (Warm Up sets):
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Bodyweight pull ups are a fantastic addition to any workout. The first pull up is often the most difficult and it’s important that you take your time with this movement. To start, stand on a bench or chair and grab onto something above you with both hands using an overhand grip. Your hands should be in line with your shoulders and face, as if you were about to do push-ups. Pull yourself up by extending your arms so that the body rises up and then back down until the arms are fully extended again. After repeating this movement 3-5 times, take one step back on the bench or chair, creating an L shape with your body while still holding onto something above you.
10. Diamond Pushup:
Diamond Pushups are a difficult exercise for anyone at any fitness level, and it might not be the best idea to start with this one. The start position requires balancing on your hands, with fingers pointed outward. Make sure you have something nearby that you can hold onto if you need to keep from losing balance. Then lower yourself down until your chest touches the ground then push yourself back up. Keep alternating between pushing your body down and back up in the air while touching your chest each time until you've completed one set of Diamond Pushups.