Although you can start practicing calisthenics at home without any equipment, if you want to achieve better results here is some basic equipment so you can work all your muscles at home without having to go to a calisthenics park or a gym
Unlike weight training, calisthenics does not require much equipment to work the whole body with intensity and although some elements such as the pull-up bar or parallel bars may involve an initial outlay, they are a great long-term investment if you plan to train at home
Why practice calisthenics at home?
Before showing the advantages of having your own calisthenics gym at home, let’s mention the main disadvantage, discipline
Doing calisthenics at home is easy but it requires a level of discipline on your part. If you go to a professional gym, you go there for a reason. You have made a mental resolution to go to that gym and train for a certain amount of time or do a certain routine. Once you’re in the car or on the bike or on the train, chances are you’re going to keep going until the end. It’s just taking that first step out the door that will trigger something in your brain and you’ll follow through.
This may be different if you have a home gym. You’re already at home and the gym is always there. Physically, it’s much easier to get to your home gym, but mentally it’s much easier to tell yourself: I’ll do it in half an hour, I’ll do it tomorrow, I’ll do it after the weekend. Procrastination is the beginning of defeat and having such convenient and easy access makes it easier to procrastinate.
With that said let’s tell you some of the reasons why you might be interested in having your calisthenics gym at home
1- Save time
do you get home from work late and don’t have time to go to the gym? Having your own home gym may be the perfect option for you. Sometimes going to the gym also means moving to go to it and if the gym is far away, it is an additional time investment that not everyone can afford and that can even demotivate us to think that we have to take the car to go to the gym or take a long walk
2- Privacy
Although no one should be ashamed of their body, we have to be realistic. Many people don’t go to the gym because they don’t feel comfortable with their physique and feel anxious about what other people think of their body
Having a gym at home can be the beginning to start working out your body and overcoming those fears and complexes
Another reason is simply to save yourself from waiting to use some of the equipment because someone else is using it.
3- Long-term investment
Building a calisthenics home gym with all the necessary equipment does not have to be expensive. Going to a professional gym is not free either. If you are committed to calisthenics and maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle, then the cumulative costs of gym membership fees will far outweigh what you spent on your home calisthenics equipment.
Basic equipment for calisthenics at home
1- Pull-up bar
Pull-ups are one of the fundamental calisthenics exercises that will help you work your entire upper body in one exercise
Pull-up bars are essential for exercising your back muscles and body strength. The upper back, lower back and abdomen can all be trained with a pull-up bar. A pull-up bar is responsible for many calisthenics exercises such as dominas, knee raises, back levers and many variations thereof
There are many options when it comes to choosing a pull-up bar. Since it is one of the most ubiquitous pieces of calisthenics equipment in home gyms, you will also find many poor quality examples.
A basic pull-up bar consists of a horizontal top bar, attached to an anchor point. Pull-up bars come in 3 main varieties: freestanding pull-up bars, door frame mounted, and wall mounted
The freestanding pull-up bar stands on its own and has its own legs and base. Door-frame and wall-mounted pull-up bars need a door frame or wall to be mounted.
More expensive pull-up bars may have additional grips or functionality other than the horizontal top bar. Others have more novel designs. We recommend choosing one with a simple, long horizontal top bar. Other grips or functionalities are a plus, but should not sacrifice quality. For a home gym calisthenics situation, we do not recommend a door-mounted variant.
That leaves the choice between wall-mounted pull-up bars or free standing pull-up bars. Free standing versions do not require permanent attachment to the wall, but they generally take up more space and are a bit more expensive.
2- Parallel bars
Along with pull-ups, dips are another must-have exercise in the routine of any self-respecting calisthenics practitioner
There are two main types of parallel bars: the larger ones are used to perform exercises such as triceps push-ups, while the smaller models are used to practice push-ups and handstands.
The smaller ones work in a similar way to resistance bands. They can be used to make push-ups easier, or to make them more demanding by introducing a greater range of motion.
Fundus exercises help strengthen the muscles of the chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back and lower back.
When done correctly, weighted bottoms can add muscle mass to the upper body.
Another benefit of bottoms is the ability to work opposing muscle groups at the same time. This is due to the fact that bottoms are a closed kinetic chain exercise.
In kinetic chain exercises, the hands or feet are pressed against an immovable surface, in this case, parallel bars or a bench. These exercises are beneficial because they work several opposing muscle groups at the same time and isolate the targeted muscles.
3- Resistance bands
Resistance bands are one of the most versatile additions you can add to your calisthenics routine. You can practically use them to make an exercise easier or to add difficulty to it, making it perfect for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
For example, if you have trouble with pull-ups, you can tie one to the bar and hold the other end between your feet to make the pull-up easier.
For the price that an elastic band has, it is almost mandatory that you have it in your calisthenics equipment at home
4- Abdominal wheel
Although calisthenics exercises are compound exercises, it doesn’t hurt to focus on the core as part of a beginner calisthenics workout, especially considering its role in helping the rest of the body.
The ab wheel is the perfect way to do this. Not only does it target most of the abdominal muscles in a small number of sets, but it strengthens the arms, shoulders, chest and lower back simultaneously.
Like resistance bands, the abdominal wheel is an item you can get at very affordable prices
5- Jumping Rope
The rope is not only good for warming up before your calisthenics workout at home, it’s also a great exercise in itself. In addition to exercising your legs, you will burn fat, improve your cardiovascular capacity, your agility, balance and coordination
want to learn more? Check out our article on the 10 benefits of jumping rope
6- Gymnastic rings
Rings are not for beginners. That said, everyone is different and some may benefit from including them in their list of home calisthenics equipment for the first few days.
Exercises with rings are much more physically demanding. If you use them for push-ups, your muscles will find the exercise much more challenging than classic push-ups.
This is because the rings move in all directions and your stabilizers have to work twice as hard to balance your body.
The advantage of this is that, with a lot of practice, you can double the balance and strength you had before, and prepare yourself even more for the harder calisthenic movements.
What about you, what are you waiting for to train calisthenics at home?
If you are planning to start training calisthenics at home and you already have the necessary equipment, here is a list of the equipment you need basic calisthenics guide for beginners so you can start your training as soon as possible
do you train calisthenics at home? Tell us in the comments what your workout is and what equipment you use in your calisthenics routine
