Calisthenics exercises for weight loss: Do they work?

The gym can be a rather daunting place with heavy equipment all around you, and people who know how to use these effortlessly. So, if you are not a gym person, and want to work out at home, calisthenics may be worth being your best friend! Calisthenics exercises for weight loss require minimum equipment, almost no gym time, and are super effective for burning calories. These exercises boost your metabolism, and aid fat burning, getting you back in shape in no time. Since there is no heavy equipment or elaborate techniques here, the chances of injuries are also much less.  Read on to learn how to lose weight with calisthenics.

What is a calisthenics workout?

Calisthenics is a form of exercise that involves using your body weight as resistance to build strength, endurance, and flexibility. “It requires little to no equipment and can be done anywhere. Common calisthenics exercises include push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, among many others,” explains fitness expert Spoorthi S. It involves using your body weight as well as gravity to push the limits of your body. It can help to enhance your strength as well as burn fat. This is why many people choose calisthenics exercises for weight loss. Since a lot of muscles are put to work during these exercises, you end up burning fat. What’s more? Anyone can do these exercises as they don’t require specific training or equipment. Check out this beginner’s calisthenics workout guide to get started right away!

Benefits of calisthenics exercise for weight loss

When it comes to losing weight with calisthenics exercises, these workout regimes come with a variety of benefits.

1. Burns calories

Calisthenics exercises engage multiple muscle groups at once. This leads to higher calorie expenditure, especially when performed at a high intensity. A study, published in the Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education, states that it helps to tone all the muscles of the body, which helps to burn more calories. Also, this calorie-burning effect stays throughout the day.

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2.Boosts metabolism

High-intensity calisthenics exercises for weight loss focus on the full body. This, in turn, can increase your metabolic rate, resulting in continued calorie burning. Check out other fat-burning exercises to boost metabolism.

3. Builds muscle

It also increases muscle mass. A study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, states that progressive calisthenic push-up training has a significant impact on muscle strength and thickness. By increasing muscle mass, calisthenics elevates the resting metabolic rate. This, in turn, helps one burn more calories even at rest.

4. Supports fat loss

Calisthenics exercises for weight loss can combine strength training and cardiovascular work. This helps to promote fat loss while retaining muscle mass. Since it uses multiple muscle groups, it might be better than using the gym as well! If you want to focus on exercises for weight loss, then pick those calisthenic workout regimes that target different muscle groups at the same time.

5. Versatility and flexibility

Since one can perform calisthenics anywhere, it is easy to maintain consistency, which is key for long-term weight loss. These exercises work on improving posture, strength and body composition without the use of any major equipment, states this study, published in Isokinetics and Exercise Science.

What to remember while trying to lose weight with calisthenics exercise?

If you want to lose weight with calisthenics, make the exercises more challenging as your strength increases It is very important to keep adding more repetitions or decreasing rest time, explains Spoorthi. This will help one keep burning calories. Balance is also a very important factor, so pair calisthenics with cardio exercises to maximize calorie burn and improve overall fitness. Check out how to do cardio exercises for weight loss, and to understand how much is enough. Lastly, your nutrition and recovery also play an important role in fat loss, so remember to keep that in check as well.

Risks of losing weight with calisthenics exercise

While calisthenics exercises for weight loss or overall health don’t require any major equipment, the chance of injury is also much less. However, there are some things that you need to be careful about to avoid any chance of getting hurt.

“Repeated movements, especially with poor form, can lead to injuries like tendonitis or muscle strains,” explains Spoorthi A study, published in the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, analysed the injuries that can be caused by calisthenics exercises. It was seen that calisthenics athletes showcased a high proportion of strain as well as sprain injuries in the lower limb and lumbar spine. Additionally, excessive focus on calisthenics without adequate rest can result in fatigue, reduced performance, and increased injury risk.

Calisthenics exercises for weight loss

Here are some calisthenics exercises that can help you with muscle strength as well as aid weight loss.

1. Push-ups

• Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.
• Push back up to the starting position, keeping your body in a straight line.

Check out these push-up variations for weight loss.

2. Pull-ups

• Suspend yourself on a bar with hands shoulder-width apart
• Pull yourself up by bending the elbows and bringing the chin towards the bar
• Lower back down and extend your arms completely.

Make sure to learn how to do pull-ups the right way to avoid injuries.

3. Squats

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Push your hips back and knees out and descend down
• Once your hip crosses your knee, extend your knee and hip to stand back up.

Squats are great for burning calories as well as strengthening your core. Check out the benefits and variations of squats that you can try.

4. Lunges

• Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
• Step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your right thigh is
• parallel to the ground.
• Push off with your right foot to return to the starting position.
• Repeat with the left leg.

There are two types of lunges – walking lunges and static lunges. Check out the major differences between them and choose the one that suits you the most.

Summary

Calisthenics exercises are great for weight loss. They promote fat burning and help you to get in shape in no time. Calisthenics exercises for weight loss help to boost metabolism which helps in burning more calories throughout the day. These help increase your flexibility as well as improve your posture. However, some points need to be kept in mind while doing calisthenics exercises. If the same muscle group is over-exerted, it can lead to injuries, hence adequate rest between sets is a must. Also, it is important to exert yourself to do more sets when you are ready, as this will aid in weight loss.

FAQs

Can you get lean with calisthenics?

Yes, you can. When we work without the help of any equipment such as weights and dumbbells, we use our body weight. This can help you get a lean body.

Do calisthenics exercises make you more flexible?

Yes, calisthenics exercises work on flexibility. You can also do your workout regime for a longer time.

Is 20 minutes of calisthenics enough?

Yes, you don’t need to do calisthenics exercises for very long sessions. A 20-minute workout is just fine as long as your speed is maintained throughout.