Calisthenics & Weight Loss
Calisthenics require no special equipment. These exercises use your body weight as resistance. They also provide strength and cardiovascular conditioning when the principles of circuit training are applied to a calisthenics workout. Cardio and strength training, when combined, support weight loss.
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What are calisthenics?
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When doing calisthenics, you use your body weight as resistance. These exercises can be done anywhere you can find the space and some time. This form of exercise also lends itself to a wide range of variations. For example, the basic push-up targets the arms, shoulders, back and chest. Changing the position of your hands targets different areas of the chest, back and arms. When your hands are placed close together under your shoulders, it brings the focus of the push-up to the front area of the shoulder muscle group and triceps muscles at the back of the upper arm.
An Effective Combination
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To maximize weight loss, combine strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise provides an immediate calorie burn that taps into the body's fat stores. Strength training builds muscle, which raises your resting metabolic rate; the body uses more energy to build and maintain muscle than it does fat, so the body burns more calories while at rest. When the two are combined, you burn a greater number of calories and increase the intensity level of your workout as well. This means that you burn more calories overall and for a longer period of time.
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Calisthenics for Cardio and Strength Conditioning
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Calisthenics can be done as aerobic or cardiovascular conditioning as well as strength training. Push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks and squats are common calisthenics that most people have done, if only in gym class. When you do several calisthenics continuously as part of a circuit (a series of exercises performed back to back with little to no rest and then repeated), your heart rate becomes elevated, providing the benefits of strength and aerobic exercise. The resistance provided by your body weight and gravity challenge the muscles, building muscle strength and endurance.
Form Matters
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Performing calisthenics requires great attention to form. Each exercise must be performed correctly to ensure the maximum benefit and prevent injury. When the body is not aligned properly for a given exercise, other muscles must compensate, which can lead to muscle strains and other injuries. Push-ups done with poor form can lead to back strain or muscle-bound arms that don't extend through their full range of motion.
Benefits
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In order to see the benefits of calisthenics, muscles must be worked to the point of fatigue and ideally as part of a circuit training program. Muscles exercised to the point of fatigue and then allowed to recover become toned. Fatigue causes the muscle to re-knit its fibers more tightly and densely to meet the challenges of exercise. When done according to the guidelines of circuit training, calisthenics provide the cardiovascular workout necessary to burn fat and reveal lean, sculpted muscles.
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