You might not know the word “calisthenics,” but you’ve seen it. Picture the strong guy at the gym pulling himself up above the bar.
That’s a muscle-up, and it’s calisthenics.
Or the person who looks like a human flag, holding themselves straight out from a pole. And the person doing dips at the park? Yep, that’s calisthenics, too.
Kenneth Gallarzo, the guy who started Systematic Calisthenics, says it’s all about using gravity and your body’s weight to push your fitness further. He’s been at it for years, teaching himself and others how to get better using their own bodyweight.
And he made a guide on calisthenics. No matter if you’re just starting, somewhere in the middle, or already know a lot, we have tips on how to get better at controlling your bodyweight.
What’s Calisthenics?
The word “calisthenics” comes from Greek words that mean “beauty” and “strength.” It started as a way to make kids healthier and stronger at school. Now, it’s a lot like gymnastics but you can do it outside and people call it a “street workout.”
A lot of people first see calisthenics when they watch someone doing something awesome with it. For many, it was Hannibal Lanham, or “Hannibal for King,” doing his thing in parks in Queens, New York.
That got millions of people interested. Gallarzo got into it after seeing someone do muscle-ups at the gym.
He was already into fitness and working as a personal trainer. Seeing those muscle-ups made him want to try bodyweight training himself.
Want to get stronger using just your body? Click here to read the full guide.