How to Start Calisthenics in 2025 (Best Guide for Beginners & Intermediates)

if you want to get fit and strong in 2025 without ever setting foot in a gym you need to consider starting calisthenics or bodyweight workouts you can perform these exercises at home or anywhere you want and they will help you build a powerful and impressive physique now this is a simple and beginner-friendly guide on how to start calisthenics this year let's get straight into it without wasting any time the foundation of calisthenics is built on six key movements these exercises not only help you build muscle and get stronger but also prepare you for more advanced

exercises it's really important to remember that progress takes time many of you probably won't be able to do a perfect pull-up or lunge on your first day and that's okay calisthenics is about starting with foundational exercises and gradually challenging yourself to do more so I'll also tell you how you can start these exercises as a complete beginner let's get into these six key movements number one push-ups are one of the most well-known body weight exercises they work your chest shoulders triceps and core which makes them a compound movement if regular push-ups feel too hard you

can start by doing them on your knees or against a wall keep your body in a straight line and focus on controlled repetitions also push-ups come in multiple varieties don't just do standard push-ups you want to incorporate the following diamond push-ups incline push-ups decline push-ups Pike push-ups there are more advanced types of push-ups such as hand stand push-ups or one arm push-ups but leave those for later if you're a beginner number two squats are not only great for building strong legs and glutes but they are great for stimulating muscle growth across your entire body in

fact a study published by the NIH revealed that performing six sets of squats seems to drive hormonal responses of growth hormones like GH C and igf1 which may play a significant role in stimulating muscle growth and tissue regeneration to perform a proper squat stand with your feet as wide as your shoulders lower your body like you're sitting in a chair and then stand back up keep your back straight and knees aligned with your toes if you find squats challenging try holding on to a sturdy surface for balance there are also different variations of squats you

can throw in the mix to Target different muscle fibers these include sumo squats stand with feet wider than shoulder width apart toes pointing outward narrow squats stand with feet closer than shoulder width apart jump squats explode upward from the squat position jumping off the ground onto a sturdy bench or platform pistol squats the most advanced of all perform the squat on one leg while the other leg extends forward number three planks are awesome for strengthening your core start in a push-up position but rest on your forearms instead of your hands keep your body straight and

hold the position for as long as you can even 10 seconds is a good start you can gradually increase the time at as you get stronger number four pull-ups work your back shoulders and arms they're tough for beginners but you can use resistance bands or a low bar to practice assisted pull-ups if you don't have access to a pull-up bar focus on other back exercises like inverted rows using a low bar or a sturdy table try different grips when doing pull-ups including wide narrow and regular grips you can also vary pronated and super grip which

means facing inwards or outwards you put more stress on your biceps when the Palms are facing you number five lunges strengthen your legs and glutes while improving balance step forward with one foot lower your body until both knees are bent at a 90° angle and then return to the starting position switch legs with each step if balancing is hard use a wall or something steady for support number six glute Bridges Target your glutes hamstrings and lower back lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor push through your heels to

lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees lower your hips back down and squeeze your glutes at the top for the best results now the big question is how often you should train each week beginners usually face two main challenges first your body isn't used to heavy workouts yet second calisthenics is something new in your daily routine many beginners start off overly excited and push themselves too hard this often leads to sore muscles making it impossible to train for a couple of days if you've planned to work

out 7 days a week it's just not realistic what happens next you don't reach your big goal feel discouraged and may quickly lose interest in the sport altogether to avoid this I recommend five training days a week as a beginner now let's talk about how you can turn these exercises into a full workout plan for the week this one-week beginner calisthenics workout balances exercise days with rest days to ensure your body has time to recover and grow stronger before you start the workout it's important to prepare your body calisthenics involves a lot of joint movement

and flexibility so warming up is very important to avoid injuries start with 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio like jogging in place or doing jumping jacks to get your blood moving after that do some dynamic stretches especially for your shoulders wrists hips and ankles since you'll use these joints a lot during your workout Monday start your week by focusing on your upper body especially pushing exercises begin with push-ups doing three sets of 8 to 12 reps if regular push-ups are too hard try doing them on your knees or against an incline like a counter

or bench next do incline push-ups to work your chest and shoulders aim for three sets of 8 to 12 reps finish with plank shoulder Taps which work your core and help with stability do three sets of 10 Taps on each side keeping your hips still Tuesday Tuesday focuses on your lower body start with body weight squats to strengthen your legs and glutes do three three sets of 10 to 15 reps making sure your knees don't go past your toes and your chest stays up next do glute Bridges to work your glutes and lower back lie

on your back push your feet into the floor and lift your hips up as high as you can do three sets of 10 to 15 reps finish with calf raises to strengthen your lower legs do three sets of 15 to 20 reps holding onto a wall or chair for balance if needed Wednesday Wednesday is all about your core and flexibility start with a forearm plank holding for 15 to 30 seconds and do it three times this strengthens your whole core while improving endurance next do dead bugs where you extend opposite arms and legs while lying

on your back to challenge coordination and stability do three sets of eight reps on each side then try bird dogs extending one arm and the opposite leg to improve balance and core control do three sets of eight reps on each side and with about 10 minutes of stretching or yoga to improve flexibility Thursday Thursday is a rest or active recovery day let your muscles recover by staying lightly active you can walk do some gentle yoga or stretch this helps reduce fatigue and keeps you moving Friday Friday focuses on your upper body again but with pulling

exercises if you have a pull-up bar try assisted or negative Pull-Ups for three sets of 5 to eight reps if not do body weight rows using a table or railing to pull yourself up do three sets of 8 to 12 reps finish with plank to push up transitions to build upper body and core strength do three sets of six to eight reps smoothly moving between positions Saturday Saturday is a full body workout to ensure balance and comprehensive conditioning start with push-ups doing three sets of 8 to 12 reps then do squats again performing three sets

of 10 to 15 reps finish the session with a forearm plank holding for 15 to 30 seconds doing three sets this workout targets multiple muscle groups for a well-rounded routine Sunday Sunday is another rest or recovery day as as I told you earlier focus on fully recovering by walking stretching or doing mobility work by the end of the week you'll have followed a balanced plan that strengthens your body and sets a foundation for more workouts stay consistent and you'll see improvements in your strength endurance and overall Fitness the great thing about calisthenics is that it

allows for progression once you've mastered the basics you can start exploring more advanced variations for example you can move from knee push-ups to regular push-ups and eventually try Archer push-ups or clap push-ups similarly you can progress from assisted pull-ups to unassisted ones and then to chinups or wide grip pull-ups the goal is to keep challenging your body without overdoing it listening to your body is really really important if something feels painful or uncomfortable stop and check your form pain is a signal that something might not be right and pushing through it can lead to injury

if you are a gym freak guy and want to know the m major differences between calisthenics and Jim this video