Are you interested in building muscle and working out? Yet, you don’t have the time or money to buy a gym membership/expensive equipment.

I suggest that you try calisthenics, which is a method of exercising entirely in the form of bodyweight exercises, meaning that you use your own weight and the force of gravity to build muscle. This method of exercising is excellent for those who are on a low-cost budget, yet still want an efficient way to workout and build strength and muscle.

Now what are some types of calisthenics exercises?

These exercises include Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups etc.

Unlike traditional weightlifting, you do not use progressive overload, rather you can increase the intensity and difficulty of your workout, by using harder variations, for example, instead of a normal push-up, do a diamond pushup. You can also introduce more reps for each exercise per set.

For those of you who are new to working out, a “rep” is a single repetition of an exercise, such as 1 rep of a pushup being performing 1 pushup, a set is a set is a collection of reps performed one after each other. Take a 30-to-60-second break in between each set.

Keep in mind, that most of these exercises will only work 1 or 2 muscles, but they will each have their own respective variations which when performed can be used to work different muscles, such as close-grip push-ups rely more on the triceps, while shoulder-width pushups relying more on the chest.

Plyometrics is similar to calisthenics, but instead of solely building strength, plyometrics focuses on building explosiveness, which is especially beneficial for athletes.

Now that you understand what calisthenics are, you need a plan of the exercises that you will do, thus, I have created a beginner calisthenics plan for you, which I used to use. You will require a pull-up bar for these exercises, which can be found for up to $60, and will be very beneficial to building your back muscles. I am currently using a Kakiclay pullup bar on Amazon, which can be used for multiple exercises on that single pullup bar. (This is not sponsored in anyway, it is just what I found on Amazon and seemed like it was worth its price.)

Day 1(Upper Body):

• Pull-Ups, 3 sets x 8 reps, Muscle Worked: Latissimus Dorsi
• Chin-Ups, 3 sets x 8 reps, Muscle Worked: Biceps, Lats, Rear Delts, Forearms
• Push-Ups: 3 sets x 12-15 reps, Muscle Worked: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
• Dips: 3 sets x 8-10 reps, Muscle Worked: Triceps, Chest, Shoulders
• Plank: 3 sets x 30-60 seconds, Muscle Worked: Core(Abdomen)

Day 2: Rest Day

Day 3 (Lower Body and Core):

• Squats, 3 sets x 12-15 reps, Muscle Worked: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, and Lower Back
• Lunges: 3 sets x 10 reps PER leg, Muscle Worked: Quads, Hamstrings, and Glutes.
• Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps, Engage lower abs.
• Russian Twists: 3 sets if 30 reps, Use a weight or water bottle if too easy, Strengthens: Oblique Muscles on the Sides of the Torso.

Day 4 (Plyometric and Conditioning):

• Box Jumps, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Calves, Hamstrings, and Hip Flexors
• Depth Jumps, 3 sets of 6-8 reps, Same muscles worked as box jumps
• Squat Jumps, 3 sets of 12-15 reps, Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Calves, Hamstrings, Hip Flexors, and Lower Back Muscles
• Lateral Bounds, 3 sets of 8-10 reps per side, Muscles Worked: Quads, Adductors, Abductors, Glutes, Calves, Hamstrings, and Hip Flexors
• Burpees, 3 sets of 10-12 reps, Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Core, Quads, and Hamstrings
• Tuck Jumps, 3 sets of 12-15 reps, Same as Box Jumps
• Clap Pushups, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, and Core

Day 5 (Upper Body and Endurance):

• Pull-Ups: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
• Push-Ups: 3 sets x 15-20 reps
• Diamond Push-Ups: 3 sets 10-12 reps
• Planks: 3 sets x 75-90 second

Day 6: Rest Day

Day 7 (Full Body Workout):

1. Pull-Ups: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
2. Push-Ups: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
3. Squats: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
4. Hanging-Knee Raises 3 sets x 12-15 reps.
5. Plank: 3 sets x 60 seconds

Remember that, the more proper form and less that you “cheat” out on your reps and workout, the better results that you will see, physically and mentally.

Make sure to stretch well before and after your daily workouts to avoid cramps and injuries. And make sure to consume protein after you work, out and carbs before you work out to supply you with energy.

Thank you for reading and viewing my calisthenics page! I wish you the best on your Calisthenics journey!