3 Surprising Calisthenics Warm Up Secrets From Experts
I hear you. It happens to me too. I feel so pumped to get into my workout that I forget to warm up.
The reality is that warm-ups are crucial for priming your body for an intense workout and reducing injury risk from those high-impact bodyweight moves.
So, what’s the secret to an effective calisthenics-focused warm up?
Well, based on our research into improving calisthenics performance and injury prevention, proper warm-ups are beneficial but often overlooked.
There are specific mobility, activation, and light cardio drills that science and experts suggest help prime your body for the intense demands of bodyweight training.
In this post, you’ll discover three warm-up techniques used by athletes.
Implement them yourself and watch your performance, consistency, and comfort with demanding moves skyrocket.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
➡️ How Should You Warm Up For Calisthenics?
If you want to create a semi-injury-free environment for your calisthenics workout, you have to include one or more movements part of the following categories:
- ✅ Mobility drills
- ✅ Dynamic Stretching
- ✅ Muscle Activation
✅ Secret 1 – Mobility Drills
In its simplest definition, mobility is using a joint’s full range of motion.
It improves flexibility and helps perform correct movements during workouts.
Warm-up exercises better use your range of motion and so that you can get the best out of your workouts.
Here are a few examples that you can incorporate into your warm-up routine:
- Cat-Cow
- 90/90 Hip Mobility
- Quadruped Thoracic Mobility
- Band Shoulder Mobility
- Quadruped Hip Mobility
✅ Secret 2 – Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching is a type of active stretching recommended before calisthenics.
It involves a small rehearsal of the exercises to be performed in an easier environment, accelerating blood circulation and activating our nervous system.
By earlier environment I mean, in stead of performing 15 reps, just do 8 or 6. Another example is, in stead of doing the full walking lunges, just do a squats.
You get the point.
This creates a mind-muscle connection, which can help you get better results from your workouts and may help you stay injury free.
✅ Secret 3 – Muscle activation
It’s important to know that muscle activation is vital in boosting muscle endurance and performance.
Warm-ups help increase muscle temperature and blood flow, improving exercise performance and preventing injuries.
In this section, we will focus on activating some essential muscle groups that also contribute to warming up.
During activation, we aim to target specific muscle groups rather than activating all muscles in the body.
Here are some good movement patterns for better muscle activation:
- Push-ups
- Bodyweight squats
- Bodyweight lunges
- Lateral walks
Related article: Calisthenics Transformation – Are These For Real?
➡️ What Type Of Stretching Should You Avoid?
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✏️ The most apparent opinion on this issue is that you should avoid static stretching longer than 60 seconds!
Static stretching is when you hold a position to increase flexibility and reduce muscle tension.
But why is it not considered optimal?
✏️ Static stretching prior to exercise has been shown to temporarily reduce muscle strength, power output, nerve activation and muscle coordination. This is like a little elf trying to steal your strength before your workout.
According to this article from PubMed, short static stretches (lasting less than 60 seconds) as part of your warm up routine can actually decrease the risk of injury.
✏️ For most people, really short stretches during warm-ups is safe and beneficial.
✏️ Although I use both types of stretching, I mostly prefer dynamic warm ups with my clients.
➡️ Do You Need To Stretch Before Doing Calisthenics?
✏️ When practicing calisthenics, mobility and joint range of motion is key for executing bodyweight exercises like muscle-ups, planches, or bridges safely.
✏️ Stretching is not exactly what your body needs prior to training these dynamic, explosive movements.
✏️ Proper calisthenics preparation requires first warming up your muscles and elevating your heart rate.
✏️ This means starting your session with 5-10 minutes of mobility movements, dynamic stretching and light cardio like jogging or jumping jacks.
➡️ What Are Five Warm Up Exercises And Stretching Movements You Should Be Doing As Part Of Your Calisthenics Warm Up?
💪 Upper Body Warm Up
Let’s start preparing your body with an upper-body warm-up for bodyweight exercises!
Calisthenics warm-up should include a proper introduction to prepare the muscles in upper-body practices for the workout.
✅ Shoulders – Arm Swings: The Shoulder Mobility Enhancer
1️⃣ Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2️⃣ Swing your arms in circles forward and backward
3️⃣ Extend your arms to the sides and swing them from left to right
4️⃣ Make sure your movements are smooth and controlled
5️⃣ Gradually increase the range of motion
✅ Band Dislocations
1️⃣ Choose a light to medium resistance band
2️⃣ Start with straight arms, holding the band wider than shoulder-width
3️⃣ Lift the band overhead and behind you in a circular motion
4️⃣ Bring the band back to the front
5️⃣ Keep your arms straight and move in a controlled manner
6️⃣ Gradually bring your hands closer for a more challenging workout
If you’re a beginner, start with a wider grip on the band and gradually work towards a narrower grip as you become more flexible.
✅ Torso – Superman
1️⃣ Lie face down on a mat
2️⃣ Fully extend your arms and legs
3️⃣ Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously
4️⃣ Squeeze your glutes, engage your core, and hold
5️⃣ Lower back down slowly
✅ Shoulder Extension – Reverse Bridges
1️⃣ Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart
2️⃣ Lift your hips into a bridge position
3️⃣ Walk your arms underneath your body, reaching towards your feet for shoulder extension
4️⃣ Hold this position for a moment
5️⃣ Lower your hips and return your arms to the starting position
✅ Wrist Rocks
1️⃣ Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees with shoulders over wrists and hips over knees.
2️⃣ Without moving your upper arms or legs, rock gently forwards and backwards –
3️⃣ Focusing solely on controlled wrist flexion and extension mobility.
4️⃣ Make sure not to overextend the wrist joints during the rocking motion.
5️⃣ Keep the movements smooth and comfortable
✅ Hand Clasp Wrist Circles
1️⃣ Sit or stand with a straight spine
2️⃣ Extend your arms at shoulder height and clasp your hands
3️⃣ Make circular motions with your clasped hands
4️⃣ Rotate your wrists clockwise, then counterclockwise
5️⃣ Change the hand clasp and repeat the exercise
🦵 Lower body warm-up
Remember, to ensure efficient bodyweight training, it’s essential to warm up both the lower and upper body!
✅ Ankles Circles
1️⃣ Lift one foot off the ground and rotate your ankle clockwise for 10-15 seconds
2️⃣ Then, turn it counterclockwise for another 10-15 seconds
3️⃣ Switch to the other ankle and repeat the process
✅ Glutes/hamstrings
There are various warm-up exercises for glutes/hamstrings, but we have listed two of them below:
✅ Bodyweight Squats
1️⃣ Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2️⃣ Lower yourself into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up
3️⃣ Perform 10-15 bodyweight squats
✅ Dynamic Leg Swings (Front and Side)
1️⃣ Hold onto a support and swing one leg forward and backwards
2️⃣ Perform 10-15 swings in each direction for each leg
✅ Hip Circles
1️⃣ Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2️⃣ Rotate your hips in a circular motion ten times in one direction, then ten times in another
🤸 Entire Body Warm-Up Exercises
✅ Mountain Climbers
1️⃣ Start in a plank position
2️⃣ Lift one knee toward your chest
3️⃣ Quickly switch and bring the other knee forward
4️⃣ Continue alternating legs in a running motion
5️⃣ Keep your core tight and maintain a straight line
✅ Burpees
1️⃣ Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart
2️⃣ Squat down, placing hands on the floor
3️⃣ Jump your feet back to the plank position
4️⃣ Jump feet back toward hands into a squat
5️⃣ Explosively jump up, reaching arms overhead
6️⃣ Land softly and repeat
7️⃣ Perform at a controlled pace
✅ Skipping The Rope
1️⃣ Choose a proper-length jump rope
2️⃣ Stand with feet together
3️⃣ Swing the rope using wrist motion
4️⃣ Jump just high enough to clear the rope
5️⃣ Land softly on your feet
6️⃣ Establish a consistent rhythm
7️⃣ Gradually increase speed and try variations
Related article: Benefits Of Calisthenics
➡️ Why Should You Warm Up?🤔
Now, We will discover together why we need to warm up!
✅ Reduce The Risk Of Injuries
Let’s delve into the compelling scientific evidence together! Don’t worry, I will explain it clearly.
Professionals once believed that stretching was an effective way to prevent injuries during physical activity, and this was supported by studies such as one conducted in 1983.
However, recent research challenges this idea, suggesting that compliance or flexibility might not necessarily reduce the risk of injury.
This article from the Canadian Science Publishing reports that studies found the relative risk of sustaining an acute muscle injury was 54% lower when participants stretched and warmed up prior to activity compared to when they did not do it.
✏️ What this means to you is that stretching and warming up (>5 mins total time) targeting task-relevant muscle groups was associated with a greater reduction in muscle injuries based on the current research.
✅ Improved Mobility
✏️ Warm-up exercises are essential for improving exercise performance, increasing muscle temperature and blood flow, and achieving better exercise outcomes.
✏️ Additionally, warm-up exercises positively impact balance, flexibility, power, and agility, making them crucial for enhancing mobility and overall physical performance.
✅ Better Mind-Muscle Connection
✏️Calisthenics warm-ups engage multiple muscle groups, enhance body control, and improve muscle activation.
They prepare the body for subsequent exercises, leading to a more efficient workout.
✅ Improved Flexibility For Day-to-Day Activities
Calisthenic warm-up exercises are also crucial in improving flexibility for day-to-day activities.
✏️ By increasing blood flow to muscles and joints, warm-ups help raise tissue temperature and reduce stiffness, making achieving a more excellent range of motion more accessible.
✏️ This enhanced flexibility gained through warm-ups improves mobility and overall ease in performing daily tasks.
➡️ Is Calisthenics A Cardiovascular Warm-Up?
❌Short Answer: NO
Let’s start by understanding what cardio exercise means.
✏️ Cardio exercise boosts your heart rate and promotes the efficient functioning of your cardiovascular system, including T blood vessels and lungs. Cardio exercise aims to improve the health and functionality of these organs.
To clarify this issue further, let me explain it by comparing it to a calisthenics exercise.
✏️ Calisthenics exercise primarily focuses on building strength, flexibility, and endurance. While it can elevate your heart rate, it might not provide the sustained aerobic activity that traditional cardio exercises do.
✏️ On the other hand, cardiovascular exercise usually involves rhythmic and continuous activities that elevate your heart rate over an extended period. Cardio challenges the cardiovascular system, it improves endurance and cardiovascular health.
Related article: Calisthenics Disadvantages
➡️ Conclusion
So there you have it
The inside scoop on crucial calisthenics warm-up methods from mobility drills to activation.
While a proper warm-up takes some time, it primes your body to train at maximum capacity and with lower injury risk.
To recap, an effective calisthenics preparation includes:
✅ Mobility Movements: Cat-cows, hip rotations, and wrist circles lubricate joints through full range of motion.
✅ Dynamic Stretching: Light calisthenics rehearsals enhance flexibility while avoiding static stretching pitfalls.
✅ Muscle Activation: Waking up muscle groups that stabilize skills demands coordination.
✅ Avoid Prolonged Static Stretches: Impairs power output, dampening your workout potential.
Now, you have no excuses to skip warming up properly before calisthenics!
Ditch the static stretching in favor of a dynamic warm up focused on joint mobility, stability, and muscle readiness.
The small time investment will pay dividends in strength gains, skill progression, and injury reduction.
Put these expert-approved techniques into your next bodyweight session and feel the difference!
This article has been written in collaboration with Nilsu Nam, who graduated from college with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She specializes in sports and weight loss nutrition.
