Calisthenics exercises mean nothing more than working out with your own bodyweight. It is the ultimate in exercise convenience as you need go no further than the floor you’re standing on – indeed you could probably work out while reading this (don’t).

The military has understood this for years with the words “Drop and give me 20’” now passed into legend, but with gyms and tech forever evolving it’s easy to underestimate just how varied and powerful a bodyweight workout can be. You do not need rows of cardio machines, racks of weights and six different pairs of shoes to gain muscle, burn fat and improve your mobility.

Elliot Simmonds is a multidisciplinary coach and 5x the UK’s Fittest Man. He says calisthenics exercises are a great way to grow muscle despite the absence of barbells and dumbbells. “It’s about stimulating the muscles through training – you will probably need to work a little harder with your legs than your upper bodybecause they’re so big and so strong, so you need a higher volume of reps for your legs. But people who focus on callisthenics tend to be jacked – the amount of strength you need to perform those exercises is putting so much demand on the muscles they have to grow.”

Ben Harper, CEO of ARETE Gyms, is one of the UK’s leading movement specialists and specialises in functional strength-training and longevity. His take on calisthenics is that is it set apart by its adaptability. “By adjusting balance, leverage and points of contact, you can scale movements. It also requires minimal equipment, making it one of the most accessible and versatile ways to train.”

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The benefits of calisthenics

The weights section in the gym may be your familiar turf, but nothing says ego more than being able to manoeuvre your body over your head on a pommel horse – think Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades Darker (an old but gold reference). “Calisthenics strengthens not only your muscles but also your movement patterns. It promotes joint stability, improves coordination, and reduces injury risk – all while developing relative strength and endurance,” says Harper. “It is also an efficient way to boost cardiovascular fitness and metabolism, making it ideal for those looking for a well-rounded approach to training.”

Calisthenics vs weight training

The weight lifting vs bodyweight debate has a pretty inconclusive answer: neither is ‘better’ than the other. But most fitness expert will tell you that combining both is the key to a well-rounded fitness routine – and a fast track to steamy definition – which is the goal here, right?

“If you’re aiming to build muscle size or lift maximal loads, weight training will get you there faster. But if you want to enhance control over your body and build strength in a way that translates to everyday life, calisthenics is the way to go. Since you’re working with your own bodyweight, you naturally engage muscles that are often neglected in traditional weightlifting.” says Harper. “Ideally, your training programme should incorporate elements of both, allowing you to develop strength, aesthetics, and athleticism in equal measure.”

How do you increase the difficulty?

Weightlifting progression is foolproof. Heavier weight = more challenge. Calisthenics however, requires a bit more skill, as you’ll need to manipulate your body into different positions to leverage the difficulty.

Harper breaks down how: “Small adjustments, like elevating your feet in push-ups or widening hand placements in planks, can instantly make an exercise more challenging. Slowing down movements, particularly during the eccentric (lowering) phase, is another highly effective way to increase difficulty. Once you’ve mastered bodyweight variations, adding external resistance – whether through a weighted vest or holding a plate – allows you to apply progressive overload in the same way you would with weightlifting.” More on that last point later.

“The key is to keep pushing beyond what feels comfortable, while maintaining perfect form.”

Here, Simmonds and Harper detail several different workout routines of theirs for you to try.

For muscle building (upper body)

This workout utilises the timings of some of the exercises to maximise the strength gains using only gravity by increasing the time spent under the load (in this case, the bulk of your weight).

Every 2:00 minutes perform 5 sets (10:00 total)

8-12 tempo push-ups
This means with the push movement happening as fast as possible, a one-second hold at the bottom and top and lowering your body to the ground lasting three painful seconds.

Rest 2:00 minutes

Every 2:00 minutes perform 5 sets (10:00 total)

8-12 tempo strict pull-ups
As with the press-ups, fast in the upward movement, hold and a three count as you lower yourself.

Rest 2:00 minutes

3 sets of each of the following (resting 2:00 minutes between sets)

5 inchworms to maximum walk out
Starting with your hands on the ground while you remain standing and hand-walking your way out to plank and back.

10 alternate shoulder taps (in plank position)
In a static plank pose, tap each shoulder alternately with your hand. Keep your core tight throughout.

20 second side plank (each side)

Hang from the bar for as long as you can.

For muscle building (core)

“A strong core isn’t about having visible abs – it’s about stability, control and power transfer. The best core exercises aren’t necessarily the ones that make your abs burn the most, but the ones that challenge your body to resist movement and maintain tension under load,” says Harper.

3 sets of each (30-60 seconds rest between)

Plank hip rotation (20-30 seconds)
Keep you body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core, then rotate the hips and keep your shoulders as though trying to get each side closer to the floor. Squeeze as hard as possible.

Knee tucks (10-15 reps)
Sit on the floor, lean back slightly, lift your feet off the ground, and tuck your knees towards your chest.

Leg raises (10-15 reps)
Lie on your back, legs straight, and lift them towards the ceiling while keeping your lower back pressed into the ground.

Bird dog (8-10 reps)
Start on all fours, extend your right arm and left leg simultaneously, then switch sides.

Side plank (modified). 15-20 seconds each side
From a modified side plank position on your knees, hold your body in a straight line and focus on squeezing as hard as you can.

For increased difficulty:

Wide planche style plank with hip rotation (30-60 seconds)
Maintain a proper form with a straight line from head to heels take the hands as far apart from each other whilst being able to maintain the form with straight arms and rotate the hips, trying to touch them to the floor each side.

Hanging knee raises (10-12 reps)
Hang from a pull-up bar and raise your knees to your chest. The key here is to try to tuck up as much as possible in the hips, curving your lower spine and squeezing your core as hard as possible. If a bar isn’t available, you can perform these lying on the floor or suspended between two chairs.

Plank to push-up (5-10 reps)
Start in a plank position. Transition to a push-up position one hand at a time and then return to plank. If you want to take this to the next level, think about shifting onto the hands and then down to the elbows by moving the body in one smooth but controlled motion.

For muscle building (lower body)

This routine has isometric holds as its keynote move. These should be performed with everything tensed including abs.

3 sets of each of the following (30 secs rest after each exercise)

30 second wall sit hold.
This one is back against the wall, thighs parallel to the floor and accessing your inner strength to keep going.

30-second lunge isometric hold, one leg

30-second lunge isometric hold, the other leg

30-second calf raise isometric hold

10 air squats with the same tempo as above
Three seconds to lower and a one-second hold at the bottom, fast drive up.

Rest 1:00 minute

100 walking or static lunges

A full-body focused day

A set at each number 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

• Push up
• Squat
• Pull up
• Lunge

For fat loss (cardio)

3-5 sets of the following with one minute at each station and a two minute break in between sets

1. Burpee
2. Pull up
3. Push up
4. Hanging knee raise

For mobility (full body)

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1-3 sets of the following exercises:

**30-60 second hang **

30-60 second tabletop hold
This is performed on all fours but braced on the balls of the feet. Create a flat tabletop with your back by holding core, arms, shoulders and legs good and tight.

60-second cossack squats (alternate sides each rep)
The name originates from that legs out dance you’ve no doubt seen in old movies. Both feet start flat on the floor then you pull back onto one foot with the other leg extended, toe pointing up. These can be done with stabilising hands on the floor but the full works is hands-free, one side then the other. Keep the supporting foot flat on the floor.

60-second varied stance bottom squat hold
This is like the position a downhill skier would adopt, legs bent so thighs are parallel with the floor and hold. The stance should vary each time: narrow, medium, wide.

60-second big step reverse lunge with hands overhead (alt sides each rep)
This is a giant step backwards, hands up as if in a bank robbery.

30-second crossover stretch (alternate sides each rep)
This is lying on your back, arms outstretched across the floor then bringing one leg across the other while keeping your back flat and head turned away.

30-second Scorpion stretch (alt sides each rep)
This one involves lying on your front, throwing one leg across the other and touching the floor with your toes.

Weighted calisthenics

After everything we’ve just gone through, ‘weighted calisthenics’ may seem like an oxymoron. The following routine is for those who find that bodyweight exercises, even with increased difficulty, no longer provide enough of a challenge. The kind of weights you can use include weight vests, ankle and wrist weights, dip belts, weight plates, resistance bands.

Upper body focus

• Weighted push-ups 4 sets of 8-12 reps (using a weighted vest or plate)
• Weighted dips – 3 sets of 8-12 reps (on parallel bars or rings)

Lower body and core focus

• Weighted squats – 4 sets of 8-12 reps (hold a dumbbell or kettlebell)
• Weighted lunges – 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg
• Plank pull-throughs with weight – 3 sets of 30-60 seconds