7 Beginner Calisthenics Fitness Influencers and Platforms to Follow
Calisthenics isn’t just for the strong, it’s a way to get strong with minimal equipment, using your own bodyweight to train every single muscle in your body. It’s a blend of strength, flexibility, stamina, focus and fun. For beginners, it may seem confusing or near impossible to get started, especially when you’re looking at cool videos of pros doing one-armed handstands, backflips or muscle-ups.
Fret not. We’ve sifted through the sea of information and compiled the very best free videos, images, fitness plans and platforms to inspire and guide your beginner calisthenics journey. Expect everything from warm-ups, programming, rookie mistakes not to make, stretches and even basic lessons in anatomy below.
1. Yvguo’s Calisthenics for Complete Beginners YouTube Video
Yvguo is a talented, young, self-taught fitness influencer who has created one of YouTube’s most informative, and concise beginner guide to calisthenics. For anyone who hasn’t a clue about calisthenics, his 18-minute video gives a straightforward, no-frills lowdown about what these exercises are about, how to do the basics for push, pull, core and leg exercises and working out your own program for progression. Packed into this video is enough content to kickstart a consistent daily or weekly workout routine for your first few months – that’s why we love it too.
2. Start Bodyweight’s Visual Routine Guide
Pike diamond push-ups, close-grip pull-ups, inverted rows…huh?! If these references sound like Greek to you, you would be relieved to find images accompanying the extensive variations of push, pull, core and leg exercises displayed on Start Bodyweight’s Basic Routine Guide. Like putting a face to a name, the single-page image chart allows you to instantly associate a certain pose or drill with the name. Prerequisites to advance workouts are colour-coded for ease of reference, and you can easily figure out what you could possibly work towards with the different exercises.
3. Action Hiro’s Bite-Sized Strength, Mobility and Stretching Tips
Hiro Landazuri’s background in medicine (he left his dual master degree program in medical pharmacology and cardio pulmonary surgery to resume teaching yoga) allows him to break down poses, stretches and drills to show precisely what muscle group you should be working. His short Instagram videos feature tons of alignment cues, anatomy overlays and what mistakes students often make. While there is a larger focus on yoga poses with some inversions, his super digestible mini drills can make a big difference to your calisthenic journey in terms of achieving the right form early in your practice. Besides, who doesn’t learning something new in under 60 seconds?
4. Athlean-X’s Home Workouts & Bodyweight Exercises
With over 13 million subscribers, Athlean-X is one of the leading workout channels on YouTube. It’s easy to see why – physical therapist and strength coach Jeff Cavaliere has created regular training, nutrition and workout content for over a decade, and draws from his many years of experience with professional athletes and celebrity clients to provide his viewers with effective, accessible workout programs that is clearly demonstrated. His Home Workouts & Bodyweight Exercises is immensely popular, with over 50 million views and he gives beginner, intermediate and advance variations across many drills.
5. Summer Fun Fitness Calisthenics Workout – Full Body Edition
Calisthenics is still a largely male-dominated sphere, but for girls looking for fitness inspiration, Summer’s detailed Calisthenics Workout – Full Body Edition provides accessible workouts, fundamental routines and even a workout sheet for those who are starting out in calisthenics. Her approachable, friendly tone of voice makes it feel like you’re sweating it out with a friend!
6. Overcoming Gravity by Steven Low
For a full immersion into the world of gymnastics and bodyweight movements, take a big breather and read Steven Low’s highly rated Overcoming Gravity book. This book is not only just for beginners, it also offers intermediate and advanced practitioners a systematic look at progression, programming and injury management. It is a deep dive, but the mental effort will be super rewarding, and will give you a deeper understanding of other calisthenics or fitness material you come across.
7. Bodyweight Training Arena Basic Calisthenics Workout Routine
For a lighter read, Bodyweight Training Arena Basic Calisthenics Workout Routine offers a good general overview of calisthenics and for beginners, including a training plan, workout chart and simple rules to apply to all bodyweight exercises to make the most out of your workouts.
There’s some amazing content online but nothing quite beats having a trainer to correct your form and tailor a program to your needs. At The District Training, we offer both online and in-person, group and private calisthenics classes that will get you stronger and more mobile in no time. Drop us an email at TheDistrictTraining@gmail.com for more information!