6 Best Calisthenics Exercises for Beginners

Calisthenics exercises are bodyweight-based workouts performed with different levels of intensity.

These exercises are ideal for beginners as they help enhance muscle flexibility, increase coordination, and boost overall body strength and endurance. Apart from these, calisthenics exercises also improve agility, promote metabolism leading to faster weight loss, and put less stress on joints and bones. This reduces the chances of muscle injuries that are otherwise high in weight lifting. Also, the best part is that calisthenics exercises require minimal equipment, which makes them a great form of training for at-home exercises.

This article discusses the 6 best calisthenics exercises for beginners. For each exercise listed below, it is important to go slow to prevent pain and injuries, especially if you are a beginner.

Best calisthenics exercises for beginners

Here’s a look at a few beginner-friendly and effective calisthenics workouts.

1. Jumping jacks

Jumping jacks are one of the foundational exercises for shedding calories and strengthening the muscles. This exercise offers great cardio and is useful for the lungs and heart as well. It targets the chest, shoulders, glutes, hamstrings, lats and core muscles.

Start the exercise by standing tall with your feet together and arms alongside your body. Jump high while kicking your legs wide and out and lift your arms over your head at the same time. You can even join your hands or clap. Now jump again and bring your hands and feet back to the start and repeat the entire movement for a few more reps.

2. Wall push-ups

Wall push-ups are an easy push-up variation that is ideal for beginners. It improves arm and chest muscles and develops upper body strength. This exercise targets the biceps, chest, lats and core muscles.

Stand at least 3 steps away from the wall and position your palms flat on it. Keep your hands at shoulder distance and lean towards the wall by bending your elbows. Continue to lean on it until your chest nearly touches the wall. Push yourself back to the initial position and repeat the exercise.

3. Jump lunges

Jump lunges are another very beneficial calisthenics exercise that is great for strengthening and toning the leg muscles. This exercise also improves coordination and body balance and is useful in burning calories and developing lower body muscle endurance. It works great on the calves, hamstrings, lower abs, glutes and quads.

Start the exercise with your feet positioned at shoulder distance and your shoulders rolled down and back. Keep your gaze on the front and your chest lifted. Now move your right foot forward and bend your knees to lunge until your right thigh gets parallel to the ground. Make sure your knees do not go beyond your heels and jump high and land on the floor with your left leg in the front and right leg behind. Lunge down again by bending your knees and performing the same movement and continue alternating legs and repeat.

4. Side lunges

Side lunges are an effective exercise that works on your entire lower body muscles, especially the inner thighs. This exercise helps develop balance, lower body strength, and targets the glutes, quads, hip flexors, and hamstrings.

Stand tall with both your feet at shoulder distance and your palms together. Keep your chest out and shoulders rolled back. Take one step to the left with your left leg, bend your knee and slowly lower your body to the left. As you do this, make sure your hips are pushed out and your entire weight is on your left leg. Now push your body back and get to the initial position and do the same on the other side and repeat for a few sets.

5. Burpees

Burpees are the ultimate fat-burning calisthenics exercise that works on the entire body. It is a cardio-strength combination exercise that targets major muscles in the lower and upper body, including the glutes, quads, hamstrings, chest and core.

Start the exercise by standing upright with your feet positioned at shoulder distance, arms on your side, and weight on your heels. Push your buttocks back, bend your knees and lower into a squat position and place your palms down on the ground a little wider than the distance between your feet. Now put your weight onto your hands and jump your feet back simultaneously, landing on the balls of your feet and positioning your body into a straight plank position. Do not allow your back to bend or sag, rather keep your spine stable and straight at all times. Jump your feet forward near your hands and push your hands overhead while jumping again into the air.

6. Donkey kicks

Donkey kicks are an ideal exercise for toning the glutes and boosting the muscle tone of the lower body. It also helps develop upper body and core strength and muscle endurance.

Take a position on all fours with your elbows below your shoulders and your legs extended behind. Engage your core muscles and lift your left leg off the floor. Push your left foot up without extending the leg. Slowly bring it back to the start and kick it up again. Perform a few reps and then change legs to repeat.

Bottom line

Calisthenics exercises are a great way to keep your body active and healthy while also managing your weight. But performing these exercises without taking care of your posture and form can lead to injuries. Therefore, as a beginner, you need to focus on your form rather than worrying about reps to get the most out of each exercise.