When I first started on my journey into Calisthenics, I was like a baby that couldn’t even walk.

I was committed to learning all that I could and I want to be on the road to mastery.

Being a student of life as we all are, I knew that if I just focused on learning, studying and practicing each and every day, there was no where I could go but up.

I also wanted to learn from the very best. I wanted to know what programs were focused around calisthenics for beginners.

The most important thing as I began my training was to keep things as easy and simple as possible.

There are two areas of focus when it comes to calisthenics for beginners.

What will you need to get started?
What & How are you going to workout?

What you need?

To workout you need just three things:

1. Something Heavy
2. Something to Step On
3. Something to Hang From

1. Something Heavy

When it comes to “something heavy” that is purely up to you. It really depends on what relatively weighs a lot based on your fitness level and body type. I use any from water jugs to bags of grain. It’s not absolutely necessary to have something heavy, however this is a nice to have as it gives you more options.

Where you don’t have weights I would compensate with reps or more full body balance movements. Such as, lifting one leg  up in the air while doing pike press push ups.

Examples: Gallon of Water, Water Bottles, Chairs, Stools, Fill a Backpack (Put it on)

2. Something to Step On

Nowadays this one is pretty easy, especially if you are in a hotel. There is always a chair to step on to. The advantage of this is that you can alter the degree of the movement.

For example push ups or inverted push ups are a lot more fun when your feet are elevated on something like a chair or stool. Not to mention, one-legged raises and calf raises.

Examples: Chair, Stool, Bed Frame (Remove the Mattress)

3. Something to Hang From

Hanging on something is always great because it forces you to work with gravity (aka Mother Nature). The top of a door or something as simple as a tree is a no brainer and easy to find just about anywhere.

If you want to hang from the top of a door it’s best to use a towel(s) or shirt(s) to protect your hands from the edges of the door. You also may want to put something under the door to prevent it from moving. It’s your preference. I just do them without any type of door jamb as our door is pretty heavy and doesn’t tend to move that much.

Here is a great video by Steve Maxwell on just how to do door pull ups. (Time: 1:01 min)

What to workout?

There are four muscle areas:

1. Pull
2. Push
3. Legs
4. Core

A fantastic book on this is by Mark Lauren, You Are Your Own Gym.

Basically these four sections will cover just about everything you need to learn in terms of beginning your calisthenics training.

Start out realistically.

Muscle ups and human flags are nice to haves but I wanted to just be able to do 10 clean pull ups and 25 clean push ups.

Luckily for me I had a base to work with. But for those of you just starting out, don’t get discouraged if you can’t even do 1 or 2 pull ups. That’s par for the course.

Rome wasn’t built-in a day, and neither was a stellar physique.

It takes time.

So let’s take at look at each area and see some example from a beginner point of view.

The beauty of Calisthenics is that all the exercises are completely adaptable to your skill level.

The other challenge will be in trying to remember all the various moves. Don’t get fixated on the names, just focus on learning a few exercises in the beginning and working your way up from there.

1. Pull

Here is a fantastic video for beginners who might find it difficult to do just even one pull up. It’s from the guys over at Buff Dudes. Level: Beginner (Time: 5:09 min)

2. Push

Here is a great video from Pavel Rudometkin aka Fortress.  I had the good fortune to interview Pavel and he is one of the most humble and gracious people I have met. A true champion for good. (Note: Just like the Isometric Pull Up, Isometric Pus Ups can also be helpful, so you can incorporate isometric into the modified push ups that Pavel has demonstrated. Just hold yourself on the way down for as long as you can.) Level: Beginner (Time: 4:06 min)

3. Legs

This is one of the best beginner leg squat tutorials I have seen. It’s from Calisthenics Vs. Age.
Level: Beginner (Time: 4:04 min)

This second beginner leg routine is from none other than World Renown Calisthenics & Fitness Expert Ed from Barstarzz. Level: Beginner (Time: 3:49 min)

4. Core

Here is a great beginner core workout if you are just starting out. (Time: 3:55 min)

It consists of four exercises:
12-20 Rep/3-4 Sets – Supine Marching – Hold each leg for 2 second count
12-20 Rep/3-4 Sets – Floor to leg bridge, hold for 2 second count
12-20 Rep/3-4 Sets – Floor Prone Cobra – Hold for 2 second count
25 seconds – Plank

Putting it all together. Here is an awesome full upper body beginner workout from Kris at Calisthenics & Weight Training. (Time: 6:14 min):

And for all of you lacking a little inspiration and motivation enjoy this video of Luke Ericson. (Time: 2:32 min):