Calisthenics are exercises that challenge muscular and cardiovascular strength and endurance, also known as stamina, generally without the use of equipment. Some calisthenics are done with equipment, such as dumbbells, a jump rope, weighted vest or a bench or box. You can use calisthenics to create workout programs that target specific muscles or muscle groups, to create a total body workout and to improve muscular and aerobic endurance.
Muscle Endurance Workout Programs
Endurance, or stamina, is the ability to perform physical activity over a period of time. Unlike weighted exercises which are primarily focused on muscle building, endurance exercises use lighter weights and more repetitions.
To create a calisthenics workout program which focuses on improving muscular endurance, use the following exercises: push-ups, sit-ups, weighted or non-weighted lunges, crunches and squats, pull-ups, chin-ups and calf raises.
Warm up before workouts for five minutes to coordinate heart, blood and muscle activity. Do not perform static, stretch-and-hold stretches before workouts. These types of stretches decrease power if done less than 30 minutes before activities, according to researchers at Wichita State University, the University of Alabama and others.
Alternate exercises by body area, working on arms, then legs, then core, then back and shoulders, to prevent fatigue. Use less than the maximum weight, and weights that allow performing 10 to 15 repetitions of an exercise before fatigue or failure.
Leave at least 24 hours between workouts for muscles to recover. Rest body areas for 24 hours if you work out every day. For example, work on upper body one day, then lower body the next.
Cardio Workout Programs
Unlike interval training, which improves anaerobic cardiovascular strength, cardio endurance training relies on aerobic exercise. To create an aerobic workout, do exercises at an intensity level that gets the heart rate between 70 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR). You maximum heart rate is the number of beats your heart would make per minute working at maximum capacity. To calculate MHR, subtract your age from 220.
For example, if you are 30 years old, your MHR would be 220-30 = 190. Multiply 190 X .7 to .8 to get an target heart rate for aerobic exercise of 133 to 152 beats per minute.
Perform the exercises in the endurance program using light enough weights to let you work for 15 minutes or longer without taking more than a short (30-second break) between sets. Ideally work for 30 to 60 minutes per session, at least three days per week, to improve and maintain cardiovascular capacity and stamina. Add such calisthenics as jumping jacks and jump rope.
Abdominal Workout Programs
The core of the body is critical to many weightlifting exercises and many sports movements, such as hitting and throwing. Calisthenics are an excellent way to build and maintain abdominal strength and endurance.
Use sit-ups and crunches that emphasize continuous tension. To do this, do not lower your back all the way to the floor during these exercises, using the floor as support while the muscles relax. With this type of exercise, it's easy to fatigue and to use compensatory movements, such as pulling yourself up with your hands behind your head, or lifting one buttock off the floor to twist yourself up. Use only the abdominal muscles to raise and lower yourself to maximize the benefits and prevent injury.
Perform crunches that require turning side to side to work the obliques. Placing an ankle on one knee, and performing a crunch by moving an elbow to your opposite, crossed knee is one such exercise. Bicycle crunches start with your legs bent toward you, knees even with your hips, and have your push one leg forward while you bring the other leg toward you. Simultaneously perform your crunch by moving your right elbow toward your left knee when your left knee is moving toward you, and vice versa. Keep your back straight on the floor during crunches.
References
- Man-Health-Fitness-Solutions.com: Calisthenics Workout Guidelines For The Best Calisthenics Workout Programs
- BodyBuilding4U.com: Calisthenics - Calisthenics Workouts and Exercise Program for a Complete Fitness Workout Routine
- BodyBuilding.com: What is the Best Calisthenics Workout
- Wichita State University: Static vs. Dynamic Stretching on Vertical Jump and Standing Long Jump
- Society for Tennis Medicine and Science: Is static Stretching for Tennis Beneficial?
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