If you want to transform your body from fat (or skinny) to fit with just calisthenics, you’ve come to the right place.
This article will not show you what exercises to carry out as there are plenty already on the web. But we will discuss the tips and techniques that will help you stay in the course and optimize the gain along the way.
Prioritize diet first, followed by the workout
It is well-known that calorie deficit is key to a healthy body.
The real challenge is we lack the discipline necessary to make the necessary changes in our diets. It was difficult for me to start the process, especially at the beginning.
For the first three months, I ate only fruits, chicken breast, or broccoli. I did eat one cheat meal, and that is for once only.
I gave up eating high-calorie foods like cookies and chips and instead ate apples whenever and wherever I felt hungry. Stick with your favorite low-calorie food and vegetables.
Intermittent fasting was also very helpful. In a hunger state, I am often able to perform my best. However, everyone is different.
Many people believe that eating less can lead to less energy. That eventually leads to poor performance.
This is only true if you are a professional athlete during your cutting phase. This is not true for intermediate or novice athletes.
We haven't tested our limits yet, and our beginner gains will often take us to new heights that we didn't imagine.
Find a sport that motivates you to reach your goals
You won't be able to do something purely out of willpower. We usually were hooked on something, because of the fun.
It wasn't something I had in mind to do when I decided to lose weight. I wanted to lose weight simply by eating healthier and eating less.
One day, my friends introduced calisthenics to me, which is a great fit for my weight loss journey.
I lost more weight and was able to do calisthenics faster.
The best part? The lighter weight of the body actually sped up the progression of my skills. For instance, you get to do the back lever in a much shorter time with a lighter body.
To retain my hard-earned skill and physique, it makes total sense to control my weight. In return, a great shape allows me to improve further. It is a positive cycle to keep everything in check.
Calisthenics is not for fats. I’m glad to prove the statement is false. If you are creative and determined enough, nothing can stop you from turning your weaknesses into strengths.
Weighted calisthenics is the next, once you have mastered your bodyweight
I began with the fundamental bodyweight exercises such as pullups, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges, and crunches. I soon realized that I was doing them in high repetitions for the sake of burning more fat.
High reps are difficult to build muscle without extra tension or load. This leaves me with two options: train harder and does the same moves or weighted bodyweight training.
So I added weights (weighted vests) to my workout and began working on harder progressions such as handstand pushups and back lever.
Another excellent tip for hypertrophy is to limit your reps to 6-8. Too low it lacks the training volume to trigger muscle growth. Above 10 reps, it is too high it becomes endurance training.
Weighted calisthenics has worked wonders in showing results for me.
To maintain the current condition, I do supersets and at least tri-sets with low to medium rep ranges. I found it works great to maintain my heart rate and build strength at the same time.
Mix in weight lifting to complement calisthenics training
There is no denial weight lifting is dominant in building muscle size. The ability to isolate a particular muscle group allows us to shape a particular spot.
Compound exercises make up the majority of bodyweight exercises. With compound exercises, you can target different muscle groups simultaneously. You will achieve a well-balanced body with calisthenics.
Bodyweight exercises can't stimulate all movements. It is well known that when it comes to leg training, calisthenics is a little inferior to weight training.
Our legs are a big muscle group. Merely using our own body weight cannot really build a thick and buffed leg. Of course, jumping squat and pistol squat is amazing. To me, they are good at gaining agility and mobility, instead of building size.
Combining weightlifting with calisthenics combines the best of both worlds. You get the functional strength from calisthenics, while the awesome muscle building with weightlifting.
Perform the full range of motion for every rep, with control
This is the best training tip I have ever used.
It is wrong to think that "just adding reps will make you progress" is the best way to go. You can optimize your skills if you're thinking of doing harder progressions or adding weight to existing skill practices.
Although I thought I was good at form, I discovered that is not the truth.
Many can pull up. However, not everyone can pull up in a strict form. Full elbows contraction behind your back, chest to the bar, engaged core, straight legs, and more.
Many people overlook the execution speed. I make sure each rep is completed at the proper pace, and that my weight is managed to the extent that my mobility permits me.
Train only calisthenics is enough to give you the best shape of your life
This is a popular question online: Does calisthenics build muscle?
Absolutely.
You can search Google for "Calisthenics result after and before" to find tons of real-life examples. Also, as a long-time calisthenics enthusiast before the hype, I can assure you calisthenics alone is enough to build a decent physique.
First, let me say that you won’t look like a hulk due to the nature of bodyweight training. This doesn't mean people won't notice your change. Especially you were a fat (or skinny) person.
You will definitely look more athletic.
At one point, people started to ask me about my interest and passion for sports. They assumed that I was a sporty person whole my life.
Another great thing about calisthenics, compared to weightlifting, is the promotion of mind-to-muscle connection.
You need to be more focused while performing the movements. You will need to use more muscle for stabilizers.
That’s the secret of why those who practice calisthenics are more functionally strong.
Now before you ask the next question: Will training calisthenics only limit my muscle growth?
The answer is the majority of us are not going to reach the maximum potential of what calisthenics is going to offer. And if you ever to hit a bottleneck in calisthenics, always pair up weight lifting for more gain. Be creative.
