(Newswire.net — January 14, 2021) — While the term may make it seem like a foreign concept or something you’re not exactly sure what is, calisthenics is actually an approach to fitness and strength training that you may have seen in action.
Whether in the gym, at the beach, fitness centers, or on television, that ripped guy that can lift himself up on a pole like a flag is practicing calisthenics. That gravity-defying muscle up that someone at your CrossFit practice is able to do – all due to them following calisthenic principles. Even the mandatory sit-ups you did at school were a form of calisthenics.
With its ubiquity, calisthenics is actually a commonly performed and practiced way of exercise than most realize. Workouts that leverage your body weight and work against gravity to engage core large muscle groups and challenge your fitness level with minimal equipment and supplemental weights fall under this category.
A Brief Look into its Roots
To further understand how it is changing the future of fitness, let’s take a look at its history and the etymology of the word calisthenics.
Greek words kalos and sthenos make up the word, which collectively means using strength to beauty the human body. In other words, it’s the art of using one’s own bodyweight as resistance to develop muscles and strength.
The roots of its etymology give away its history. Recorded history shows that calisthenics were used in Ancient Grace by the Spartans to train for the Battle of Thermopylae.
From there, it has found its way across the world in various forms, especially gymnastics.
How it Benefits the Human Body
Works Stabilizer & Core Muscles
Your body moves with the assistance of joints and muscles moving together in a certain rhythm. In addition to core muscles such as your biceps, other muscles like your triceps in harmony with the joint to support body movement, making it more efficient.
When you practice calisthenics, you work those stabilizer muscles and develop their strength so primary muscles more effectively. In addition to improving your form, firing primary and stabilizer muscles at the same time helps improve your overall coordination and balance.
Minimum Risk of Injuries
Since equipment used in calisthenics is close to none, your body relies on its natural flow of movements. Instead of overloading joints in strenuous activity such as lifting weights, your muscles build on your body’s functional movements.
It’s easier on your muscles, joints, and tendons. While it breaks down muscle so they build back up stronger and bigger, you recover quicker compared to other workouts.
Builds Aerobic Endurance
By engaging more muscles at once and burning more calories than other cardio workouts, calisthenic exercises increase your body’s resting metabolic rate while enhancing muscular and aerobic endurance.
It Develops Your Body’s Proprioceptors
Proprioception is your body’s ability to be aware of certain body movements and positions. This is sometimes referred to as our “sixth sense”. Proprioceptors or mechanosensory neurons present in muscles, joints, and tendons are responsible for signaling your central nervous system about body positions.
When working with your body’s natural movements by practicing calisthenics, you are developing your body’s proprioceptive capabilities.
No Equipment Required
One of the key features of calisthenics is that it only requires you to engage and use your muscles to build strength. By engaging your neural networks and hijacking your body clock, you can train your muscles to be stronger.
There is no need to spend thousands to buy unnecessary gym equipment such as weights or spending hundreds of dollars every month on gym subscriptions that end up going to waste out of sheer laziness.
You can work out in your home, in the street or in a park nearby.
The Future of Fitness
The last point is one of the reasons why calisthenics is posed to be a major component of the future of fitness and exercise. The current pandemic and closure of gyms have left many unable to sustain consistency in their fitness journeys, especially those who relied too heavily on using gym equipment and weights for their workouts.
With no limits on location and equipment, people can pursue fitness and even weight loss in their homes. Starting with basic push-ups, dips and squats and gradually making their way up to hanging-knee raises, pull-ups, and muscle-ups, it gives people more freedom and flexibility.
Further reduced risk of injury and faster recovery possibilities, calisthenics is also safer than other forms of exercise and strength training exercises. And with the addition of a coach or trainer that can provide them with a nutrition plan and workout regimen, sticking to workout routines becomes much easier.
What makes calisthenics even more opportune for fitness enthusiasts is its effectiveness with the addition of biohacking neuroscience. This idea explains how you can change your physique and reverse your epigenetic clock by actively changing your mindset and working on neuroplasticity.
You are essentially conditioning your brain to teach your body how to learn new exercises most effectively. There is sufficient scientific evidence in multiple fields that shows humans possess the capability to accomplish difficult goals by changing their mindset and removing barriers of resistance.
Since calisthenics focuses on your body’s functional movements, adding the layer of neural biohacking makes it even more effective for supporting your fitness goals.
Jean Fallacara, the brains and body behind CYBORGGAINZ, uses his expertise in biotechnology and experience in calisthenics in his book, Neuroscience Calisthenics. He explains the power of biohacking and how we can empower our brain to optimize our body’s muscle performance and functions.
You learn how to have better control over your muscles, joints, and tendons, which is critical when you’re practicing calisthenics. Instead of resorting to extreme diets and intense exercise regimens that end up doing more damage, your mind and body sync up in a way that makes obtaining physical excellence easier and more approachable.
In the end, calisthenics has made its way from Ancient Greece to the 21st Century without losing its core principles of bodyweight strength training. This is proof of its effectiveness, longevity, and applicability regardless of time.
Furthermore, the pandemic has made it apparent that we are not as reliant on gyms and fitness centers as we are led to believe. While they do help many people remain fit, you are able to achieve positive tangible results working out at home as well.