Does Calisthenics Build Muscle? | Is It A Myth Or Fact?
If you’re wondering whether building muscle with calisthenics is possible, then you’re not alone.
It’s a common question that deserves a thorough answer.
I’ve done the research and gathered all the crucial details so that you don’t have to.
Let’s dive in together and explore the muscle-building potential of calisthenics!
Table of Contents
➡️ Does Calisthenics Build Muscle?
Various studies have shown that calisthenics training can improve muscle building and strength.
Therefore, calisthenics is a valuable exercise option for individuals seeking to build muscle and improve overall strength.
So how does Calisthenics achieve this?
Keep reading!
➡️ How Does Calisthenics Build Muscle?
Let’s think about the first exercise that comes to our mind as an answer to the question of what kind of exercises we can do with our body weight: Push-ups.
✏️ As we push our body up with our arms, we resist a resistance that is almost half of our weight.
✏️ To put it plainly, an individual weighing 70 kilograms pushes an average of 35 kilograms of weight in each repetition of a push-up movement!
When we repeat an exercise, the strain on our muscles increases, leading to their development. This principle applies to all muscle groups in the body.
✏️ We force our muscles to work and grow stronger by subjecting our muscles to resistance.
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research states progressive calisthenic push-up training can improve upper-body muscle strength.
➡️ Does Calisthenics Build As Much Muscle As Bodybuilding?
Let’s start by understanding what bodybuilding means.
✏️ Bodybuilding involves building muscle mass by regularly performing weight training.
Consistent workouts aim to increase muscle structure and size over time.
✏️ Calisthenics is an exercise that uses bodyweight movements like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. It can help to gain muscle.
✏️ However, the resistance provided by a person’s body weight may have limitations compared to the gradual resistance created by gym equipment.
Bodybuilders typically adhere to well-structured training programs that involve high-volume resistance training, emphasizing specific muscle groups.
✏️ This targeted approach in bodybuilding, combined with proper nutrition and rest, produces greater and substantial gains in muscle mass when compared to body weight exercises like calisthenics.
✏️ Note that in calisthenics, you’ll also need a structured program, proper nutrition and rest.
Bodybuilders often utilize techniques such as progressive overload, which entails gradually increasing resistance over time to promote muscle growth.
I will explain this topic by touching on and comparing a few different details.
ℹ️In Bodybuilding:
- ☑️ Emphasizes isolation exercises, targeting individual muscles to create hypertrophy (muscle growth).
- ☑️ It often involves gym equipment such as dumbbells, barbells and machines such as bench presses.
- ☑️ It focuses on lifting weights.
- ☑️ Utilizes techniques like progressive overload, gradually increasing resistance to challenge and stimulate muscle growth.
ℹ️In Calisthenics:
- ☑️ It involves compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Compound movements make it challenging to focus on a single area.
- ☑️ Requires minimal equipment, making it accessible and adaptable for those without access to a gym.
- ☑️ Progression is achieved by increasing repetitions or the number of sets. Increasing weight may be a limiting factor.
➡️ What About Weighted Calisthenics?
Weighted calisthenics workout involves adding external resistance, such as weights or weighted equipment, to traditional bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, dips, and squats.
✏️ This method intensifies the workout, promoting greater muscle development by providing additional resistance during bodyweight training.
✏️ Weighted calisthenics may provide an avenue to progressive overload, a fundamental principle for stimulating muscle adaptation.
The added resistance increases muscle strength and muscle size over time.
Progressively adjusting the weight is essential to continue challenging the muscles for development.
➡️ What Is Hypertrophy?
✏️ Hypertrophy is an increase in muscle mass, a complex process involving mechanical damage and metabolic stress.
Now let’s go a bit nerdy. But don’t worry, I will explain it as simply as possible!
There are two types of hypertrophy training: myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
- ☑️ Myofibrillar hypertrophy focuses on the growth and proliferation of structural elements within muscle fibers. It is associated with strength.
- ☑️ Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy aims to increase the fluid content of the muscle cell and can boost energy and endurance.
Several factors can impact hypertrophy results, including:
- ☑️ Training frequency
- ☑️ Training volume
- ☑️ Nutrition
- ☑️ Genetic factors
A well-planned training program encourages muscle adaptation and growth, leading to an increase in muscle mass. However, each individual may respond differently, and genetic factors also play a significant role.
➡️ Calisthenics Workout Program for Hypertrophy (Upper Body)
If you feel pumped up with all that you have read and want to start exercises, here are some simple exercises you can do.
Beginner:
- Push-ups: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Inverted Rows (using rings): 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Bench Dips: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Intermediate:
- 1. Triangle Push-ups: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- 2. Pull-ups: 4 sets x 8-10 reps
- 3. Decline Push-ups: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- 4. Dips: 4 sets x 10-12 reps
Tips:
- Warm up before workout (5 min)
- Focus on proper form
- Cool down after the workout
- Don’t forget to enjoy!
➡️ Key Rules For Hypertrophy And Strength Gain
Now that you know what that fancy word (hypertrophy) means, let’s find out the keys to unlock it.
ℹ️ Genetics
Genetics plays a significant role in determining how much muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) an individual can achieve, influencing various factors that affect muscle development.
Here are some key genetic factors that impact muscle hypertrophy.
⚠️ Warning: Just keep in mind this is not a university lecture, and it doesn’t pretend to be a full list with much scientific detail. In fact, I have written this as if I was explaining to my 11-year-old daughter ⚠️
✅ Hormonal Levels
✏️ Hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factors play crucial roles in muscle growth. Genetic factors influence the natural levels of these hormones in the body.
✏️ For example, individuals with naturally higher testosterone levels or a better hormone profile may experience more significant muscle growth when compared with other individuals whose hormone profile is not the best for building muscle.
✅ Myostatin Levels
✏️ I found this fact interesting. As per this article, Myostatin is a protein that inhibits muscle growth.
Each individual will have different levels of myostatin, affecting their muscle growth potential.
✏️ Lower natural levels of myostatin can result in greater muscle mass and hypertrophy.
But we don’t want these levels to be too low because that can turn into a medical problem.
✅ Muscle Recovery and Injury Risk
✏️ Genetics also play a role in how quickly muscles recover from exercise and the risk of injury.
✏️ Faster recovery can allow for more frequent and intense training, leading to greater hypertrophy.
Similarly, a lower risk of injury can lead to more consistent training.
Unfortunately, as we age that recovery rate (the speed we take to recover) may decrease, taking us longer to recover.
✅ Metabolic Responses
✏️ Genetic variations affect how the body metabolizes nutrients and responds to different diets, which can indirectly influence muscle growth.
✏️ For example, some individuals may naturally process and utilize protein more efficiently, aiding in muscle repair and growth.
✏️ Also, as we age, how effective our body is utilizing the protein decreases. This is why some Dr recommend the use of digestive enzymes, which help the digestive tract better utilize the nutrients we consume.
✅ Response to Training
Individuals vary in how their bodies respond to the same training stimuli, partly due to genetic differences.
✏️ Some people may experience rapid gains with certain types of training, while others may see minimal improvement.
I call these individuals ‘freaks of nature’, and they are really out there. They can put muscle on by just thinking about exercising (just kidding, but they do exist).
In his book – The Black Book Of Training Secrets, Christian Thibaudeau shares with us his two additional keys for hypertrophy and strength, and they are:
ℹ️ 2) Intramuscular Tension
Refers to the effort of the muscle necessary to produce a certain force.
✏️ The higher the load or resistance, the greater the effort required to move the load.
✏️ The higher the intramuscular tension, then the higher is the rate of protein degradation and subsequent amino acid uptake by the muscles.
✏️ What this means is, if you move a load (and this could be using your body weight or even better if it is weighted calisthenics), there is a good chance that you will activate the chemical processes required to build muscle.
ℹ️ 3) Total Time Under Tension
✏️ It is the time the muscular tension is applied.
✏️ For example, the more reps or sets you perform, the more your muscles will be under tension (or time under tension) compared to if you only do one rep.
More physical work leads to greater protein degradation and subsequent amino acid uptake by the muscles.
Again, what this all means is that you’ll be releasing those chemical processes in your body to create muscle.
There are other terms you may want to know about, and these are:
ℹ️ 3.1) Intensity
✏️ To sum up, this means how hard (or how easy) a workout is.
ℹ️ 3.2) Volume
✏️ The volume is the amount of reps and sets in your program.
ℹ️ 3.3) Frequency
✏️ This means how often you exercise a particular body part.
ℹ️ 4. Progressive Overload
I created a full article on progressive overload and how to apply it to Calisthenics.
➡️ Conclusion
The resistance provided by body weight MAY NOT BE as efficient for muscle growth as in bodybuilding.
If your fitness goal is muscle gain, combining bodyweight exercises with weighted calisthenics or bodybuilding can provide you with holistic benefits and maximize muscle growth.
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.
