Calisthenics for women: here is where you should start
Business trips, ever-shifting work hours and generally hectic lives: keeping up a training regime can be tricky, let alone starting a new one. But the benefits of calisthenics are hard to ignore – using your own weight and resistance to build strength, tone muscle and create balance in the body. Despite the myths, it’s also brilliant for women.
Another reason there’s an appetite for calisthenics is due to its no-gym nature. While top-quality equipment can truly elevate your exercise (our freestyle training playground has everything from gymnastic rings to Swedish bars… and even a bespoke octagon functional frame), it’s still completely possible to develop your functional fitness without being at the gym.
All you need is your own bodyweight to complete these movements and you can conquer calisthenics in your lunch hour, from the sofa and even on the beach. From pulling and pushing to squatting and sprinting, these compound moves are natural, but we’ve lost our ability to perform over time.
Getting back to ‘basics’ in a playful, purposeful manner is the simplest way for beginners to kick start their journey into calisthenics. Regular training will see the female body shaped, sculpted and strengthened. You’ll build functional power, support weight loss. This calisthenics routine is the perfect starting point:
Calisthenics workout for women
1. Bodyweight squats: One set of 10 squats
The squat works far more than your thighs – you’ll shape-up your hamstrings, glutes, core and boost your fitness endurance. If you’re not able to do a full bodyweight squat completely, start with a bench squat – stopping when your butt hits the bench. Once you advanced, try practicing deep squats for optimum lower body strength and upper body mobility.
2. Plank push-ups: One set of 10 push-ups
Assume a push-up position and give us 10. Once you’ve done that, hold a plank for 20 seconds. This is a brilliant move for woman who want to sculpt their arms (particularly troublesome triceps), but also works the chest, shoulders and core. If you’re struggling, start with a wall push-up, moving on to a knee push-up until you’re strong enough to do a proper push-up.
3. Burpees: Two sets of 4 burpees
No one likes a burpee. But it’s genuinely one of the best calisthenics moves women can do. It blitzes the full body, from the chest and arms to your back and legs. It doesn’t matter where you are or how much time you have, you can perform a quick couple of sets anywhere, in minutes.
4. Jumping jacks: 1 minute
That’s right, star jumps. Much more fun than a burpee, full of nostalgic playfulness and excellent for relieving stress, boosting your mood and activating muscles. Since it’s a cardio calisthenic exercise, you’ll burn overall fat, tighten your abs and workout your calves. Perfect for a sculpted female body.
5. Mountain climbers: Perform for 30 seconds, rest for 10 and repeat for 3 rounds
Women wanting a killer physique, particularly a toned stomach, can step away from the crunches. Mountain climbers will fire up your entire body and work almost every muscle in the body. They can be performed anywhere without any special equipment and work wonders on belly fat and overall strength.
Next step: Pull-ups
Once you’ve conquered the calisthenic basics, you can move onto harder bodyweight moves. Perhaps one of the more advanced for women is the pull-up, or chin-up. It requires you to lift your entire bodyweight and might look daunting at first – but with regular training and preparation, you can totally perform them!
You can buy a cheap doorframe pull-up bar to practice on, or head to you EVO in Berggasse 21 to use our special equipment. Our personal trainers will show you the moves you can do in the lead up to that first pull-up. Believe us, you can do it.
