The Best At Home Calisthenics Workout Plan [Only 30 Min/Day]

Do you want to get fit, build strength, increase your muscle mass, and be more agile?

This simple but effective at home calisthenics workout plan can be done from the comfort of your own home. 

As a beginner, you’ll only need 30 minutes, no need to go to a gym, no fancy equipment—just your commitment and your body weight.

Let’s get to it!!!

The At Home Calisthenics Workout Plan Explained

This calisthenics program and workout routine will help you build muscle and has been built around three types of calisthenics moves:

• Push Calisthenics Exercises
• Pull Calisthenics Exercises
• Leg Calisthenics Exercises

Push calisthenic exercises

Push exercises involve bodyweight movements where you push your body away from a surface or object. These exercises target the muscles involved in pushing movements, mainly the chest, shoulders, and triceps. 

The beginner program includes:

• Push-up
• Diamond push-ups
• Regular tricep dips
• Bench dips

Pull calisthenic exercises

Pull exercises involve movements where you pull your upper body towards a surface or object. These exercises primarily target the muscles involved in pulling movements, mainly the back, biceps, and forearm muscles.

The beginner program includes:

• Australian pull ups
• Bodyweight inverted rows
• Negative pull-up
• Chin up holds
• T flys with a suspension trainer 

Leg Calisthenic Exercises

Leg exercises involve movements that target the muscles in your lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and hip muscles.

• The beginner program includes:
• Bodyweight squats
• Jumping squats
• Walking lunges
• Calf raises

You can change these exercises with some other of your liking, e.g., pistol squats, sumo squats, etc. 

Is that a rep?

REPS = AMAYC (As Many As You Can). Just write down how many repetitions you did on the day and try to do one more rep (or more) the week after (this is progressive overload). 

What is progressive overload?

Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in strength training, including calisthenics. It involves gradually increasing the demands placed on your muscles over time to stimulate continuous growth and adaptation to the new stimulus. Resistance bands are a great weight to add resistance to the bodyweight exercise.

Warm-up

A proper warm-up is crucial before engaging in calisthenics to prepare your body for the upcoming physical activity, increase blood flow to your muscles, and reduce the risk of injury. Although you can design your own warm ups, the following is a list of a few that I like, and most people enjoy. Also, remember to focus on your breathing and to stay hydrated.

• Arm Circles (1 minute in each direction): Rotate your arms in circular motions to mobilize your shoulder joints.
• Leg Swings (1 minute each leg): Swing each leg forward and backward to warm up your hips and legs. These are great to improve your legs’ range of motion in preparation for calisthenics training.
• Arm Swings (1 minute): Swing your arms in different directions to improve shoulder flexibility. 
• Neck Tilts and Rotations (1 minute): Gently tilt and rotate your neck to improve flexibility.
• Jumping Jacks (2-3 minutes): Start with a few minutes of jumping jacks to elevate your heart rate.
• Jump Rope (2-3 minutes): If you have a jump rope, incorporate it for an effective cardiovascular warm-up.

Cool down

Cooling down after a calisthenics workout helps your body transition from a state of high intensity to a more relaxed state.

A proper cool-down routine can offer numerous benefits for your overall well-being and recovery:

• May promote flexibility

Gentle stretching during the cool-down helps improve and maintain flexibility. It may prevent muscle tightness.

• May reduce the risk of injury

Cooling down with static stretches helps relax and lengthen the muscles, reducing the risk of injury. It also allows your body temperature to gradually decrease, preventing abrupt changes that may contribute to injury.

• May encourage mental relaxation

After an intense workout, a cool-down provides a few moments of lower-intensity activity and stretching, which can help mentally transition from the intensity of the workout to a more relaxed state.

Simple Cool-Down Routine:

1. Low-Intensity Cardiovascular Exercise (5-10 minutes):
   • Gradually reduce the intensity of your exercise. For example, if you were jogging, transition to brisk walking.
2. Static Stretches (5-10 minutes):
   • Focus on major muscle groups, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds. Include stretches for the legs, back, chest, shoulders, and arms.
3. Deep Breathing and Relaxation (2-5 minutes):
   • Practice deep breathing exercises or meditation to promote mental relaxation.

Remember, the cool-down should be tailored to the intensity and duration of your calisthenics workout.

Taking the time to cool down properly contributes to long-term fitness gains and may reduce the risk of injury and excessive muscle soreness.

FAQ – At Home Calisthenics Workout Plan

What is A Calisthenics Workout?

A Calisthenics Workout refers to a form of exercise centered around using the weight of your own body to build strength and muscle.

The word ‘calisthenics’ comes from the Greek words ‘kallos’, meaning beauty, and ‘sthenos’, meaning strength.

This workout style involves compound movements that use multiple joints, increasing overall body strength, flexibility, and coordination.

Exercises such as push-ups, squats, pull-ups, and dips are all integral parts of this workout style, commonly referred to as bodyweight training.

How Can I Practice Calisthenics At Home?

Practicing Calisthenics at Home is quite possible and often encouraged.

All you need is a clear space on the floor for movements like push-ups, squats, lunges, and sit-ups. It is ideal to have a sturdy overhead bar for pull-ups and a sturdy chair for dips.

Calisthenics workouts can be made very challenging by changing the intensity, and number of repetitions, or alternating between different exercises.

What Are The Benefits of Calisthenics?

The Benefits of Calisthenics are many and varied, from improving body strength and muscle tone to promoting cardiovascular health and improving flexibility, this form of workout is beneficial for people of all age groups.

It is also cost-effective as it doesn’t necessarily require any fancy equipment, and can be done anywhere, even at home.

Calisthenics can also boost mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and improving self-esteem.

Can you build muscle with only calisthenics?

Yes, you can definitely build muscle with only calisthenics.

Muscle growth, or hypertrophy, occurs when your muscles are subjected to stress, causing micro-tears.

When your body repairs these tears, your muscles grow.

As long as you’re utilizing progressive overload — steadily increasing your workout intensity over time — and consuming adequate protein, you can build a significant amount of muscle using just your body weight.

How Long Should You Train For In a Calisthenics Workout?

The duration of a Calisthenics Workout can vary based on the individual’s fitness level and goals.

However, as a general guideline, a session can last anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes.

It is important to remember to start slow and gradually increase the intensity and duration of the workout as your strength and stamina improve.

How Long Should You Recover After A Calisthenics Bodyweight Workout?

Recovery time The recovery time after a calisthenics workout can vary depending on the intensity of the workout and the individual’s fitness level.

A general guideline is to allow at least 24 to 48 hours of rest between intense workout sessions to give your muscles time to recover and build strength.

It’s also recommended to alternate between upper body and lower body workouts to avoid overstressing a particular muscle group. Including 1-2 rest days a week in your workout routine can also be beneficial.

For any specific health concerns or personalized advice, it’s best to consult with a fitness professional or a healthcare provider.  

Is Calisthenics Better Than The Gym?

It’s not necessarily that one is better than the other, but rather they’re different and may be better suited to different people’s needs, fitness goals, and preferences.

In the end, whether calisthenics or a gym workout is better will depend on individual preferences, goals, cost and convenience.

For example, specific bodybuilding and heavy lifting goals might require gym equipment.

Someone wanting to improve functional strength, and agility, without equipment might prefer calisthenics.

Many people find a combination of both is the best approach for a well-rounded fitness routine.