Let’s look at the definitions of each of these and compare (Note:Source Wikipedia):

Calisthenics are a form of exercise consisting of a variety of exercises, often rhythmical movements, generally without using equipment or apparatus…, using only one’s body weight for resistance

Bodyweight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require free weights; the practitioner’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement.

Street workout is a physical activity performed mostly in outdoor parks or public facilities. It is the combination of  athletics, calisthenics, and sports. Street Workout is a modern name for bodyweight workout in outdoor parks.

Six Ws

Often called the Six Ws questions, in fact its Five W’s (Who,What,Where, When, & Why)  and One H (How), “are questions whose answers are the basics in information-gathering.”

If we apply each of these to the comparisons between:

• Bodyweight Exercises
• Calisthenics
• Street Workout

We get the following:

The above table is an oversimplification but I believe you get the general idea. If three (Bodyweight Exercises, Calisthenics, & Street Workout) were in the same family they’d be fraternal triplets.

With the exception of Street Workouts which are primarily done in outdoor parks and/or on a bar.

All three are the same, just different names, for pretty much the same thing.

Of course, those that are strict practitioners will argue against my logic and reasoning.

The purpose of this post is not to spark a debate. It’s too simply shed some light on the subject. We oftentimes make thing far more complicated.

In my humble opinion all three are varying degrees of the same thing:

A form of strength training, no gym required where the athlete uses his/her own bodyweight as resistance.

I think you will find that all three genres fall under the above definition.

In conclusion, aside from the difference in what each is actually called all three are actually quite similar. If you really wanted to get technical, you could say that each is a different style or type of using one’s own body-weight to strength train. Think of the three as variants on the same philosophy.

So there you have it folks, a rinsed down or watered down explanation regarding the differences or more so likenesses between bodyweight training, calisthenics. and street workout.

Let’s take a closer look at what exactly is Street Workout?

According to Wikipedia,

Street workout is a physical activity performed mostly in outdoor parks or public facilities. It is a combination of athletics, calisthenics, and sports. Street Workout is a modern name for body-weight workout in outdoor parks.

In layman’s terms, it’s Calisthenics a.k.a. body-weight training at the park or what might be called a monkey bar gym or jungle gym.

Nowadays, most metropolitan cities and even towns have some sort of outside gym.

For example, here in Spain, I live in this small town of roughly 50,000 people, and we have many great places to practice Calisthenics, outdoors.

Here is a photo:

We must first qualify “park”.

Below is a design of a typical Street Workout park.

I must say, that in truth, I am not an expert on this subject. This is just one person’s slanted perspective.

If I would to compare street workout with calisthenics the two could be considered very similar, however think of street workout as a combination of calisthenics and bar gymnastics exercises

There is even a World Cup Final held each year in a different global location.

The World Street Workout & Calisthenics Federation (WSWCF ) is the current governing body of this sport.

“WSWCF is international non-governmental non-for profit organization operating worldwide pursuant to international law. It was founded on April 08, 2011 and their main office is located in Riga, Latvia.”

To get a better understanding of what street workout is, check out this video (Time 8:06 minutes)

These guys and gals are pretty amazing and border on the incredible.

I have been a fan of street workout for some years now, and it’s great to see with each passing year, that it’s popularity continues to increase.

I would not be surprised to see it become more mainstream in the future and maybe even an Olympic event.

That of course might be wishful thinking on my part.

But certainly Street Workout is becoming a mainstay in the world of health and fitness.

     1: Be Proactive

     2: Begin with the End in Mind

     3: Put First Things First

     4: Think Win-Win

     5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

    6:  Synergize

    7:  Sharpen the Saw

So how does this apply to Calisthenics?

Well I decided to try to apply these 7 pearls of wisdom to the world of Calisthenics Training with the intention of providing a better frame of reference. It is my hope that by applying these practical success principles from the Business/Self Help world, the domain of health and fitness especially Calisthenics will positively benefit as well.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Being proactive really means taking initiative. It’s about being action oriented in everything you do, especially with regards to your workout routine, nutrition and sleep.

If you want C.A.N.I. (Constant And Never-ending Improvement) you have to go after it and get it. (For a moment I felt like Rocky Balboa giving a lecture to his son)

All kidding aside, when you take action in your life towards the attainment of your goals, an interesting thing begins to happen. You develop momentum like a snowball on top of a mountain peak.

As the snowball ascends down the mountain it gains speed (aka momentum) and gets bigger with each gyration and spin.

You too will gain momentum as each day passes as you complete your workouts, eat right and sleep. Each day builds upon the next.

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind

This habit is all about focusing on what is important to you. What matters most to you? What drives you? This is really about self-discovery. In terms of working out, it’s really about what is your driver? Only you know the answer to this question. It’s the reason you workout even when you sometimes don’t feel like it.

When you know your why the hows become a whole lot easier. This habit is all about introspection. It’s about getting to know what you really love and the fuel the keeps the fire stoked.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Prioritization. It’s really that simple. Probably one of the best images on this came from Covey himself.

It’s called his Time Management Matrix.

This is great little tool for asking yourself is this something I need to be doing now?

On the left side is labeled Important versus Not Important and on the top it’s labeled Urgent versus Not Urgent.

Next time you find yourself in a dilemma as to whether or not you “should” do this or that run it against this handy dandy matrix. It will squash any doubts you had about whether or not to do whatever you were in a pickle deciding what to do.

Here’s a nice formula to remember :

Urgent  + Important = ACT

Urgent  + Not Important = DELEGATE

Not Urgent  + Important =  PLAN

Not Urgent  +  Not Important = ACT

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

When you think win win, you are considering all those that may be directly and indirectly affected by your action(s).

This habit is about looking for the advantage for all involved.

Think Win Win, really means, asking yourself, how is what I am doing contributing to the greater good.

Some of you may be thinking, it’s just working out, come on, do we have to be so serious?

It’s not about being serious, it’s about, thinking about more than just yourself. it’s about thinking about your family & friends, your community, etc. and how they too can be positively impacted and benefit from your actions.

The Native Americans Iroquois have a what is called, Great Law of the Iroquois – which holds appropriate to think seven generations ahead (about 140 years into the future) and decide whether the decisions they make today would benefit their children seven generations into the future.

Now that is thinking win win.

Here is a great diagram that really shows all those that can be directly and indirectly by your influence.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Knowledge is very important, yet knowledge without action is useless. How many people do you know that “know what to do, they just don’t do what they know.”

There are a lot of smart people in the world just barely surviving.

Why is that?

I think it goes back to this concept of seeking to first understand the other and their point(s) of interest and view(s).

With exercise it is the same thing.

The great and late speaker and writer, Zig Ziglar, once said, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

And what do most people crave?

Attention and the chance to for someone to just listen.

In your training, no man nor woman is an island. We need the help and support of others. It’s through our constant and never-ending attention to others that we too benefit.

Habit 6:  Synergy

This is good old fashion teamwork. Working together to build, create, construct, produce something that alone would have been virtually impossible.

Yet in the company of others, something great happens.

The formation of a “mastermind”, thus the phrase, mastermind group.

When we come together, we create a MASTER mind. A mind greater than the sum of its parts.

This is the real definition of genius.

And why sports such as CrossFit and Street Workouts have been so popular.

They are collaborative group endeavors.

Synergy is just that, the coming together of like minded people to create something much greater than themselves.

Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw

 This is what i like to call, your own private down-time. This is why men create man caves and people love to meditate. It’s the reason we like to unwind. Like a battery that is on its last charge or a car on it’s last gallon of gas. We all need to re-charge and re-fuel. For some it’s watching a movie and for others it’s working out.

Sharpening the saw, is time for you, to re-collect and re-gather your thoughts.

Each of us knows what it is that recharges us.

For me it’s working out. Its my own private re-charging station.

After a great workout, I feel re-vitalized, renewed, refreshed.

We all have to do this step. it is essential to our own well being and sanity.

In conclusion, I have shared my own take on the wise and profound wisdom of Stephen R. Covey. I hope it benefits you as much as it has me, and that you can begin applying the 7 habits not only to working out but to all aspects of your life.

Here is the literal definition of the root word and its origin.

 Definition:

1. Push ups
2. Pull up
3. Dips
4. Crunches
5. Squats
6. Lunges
7. Sprints: He uses High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.); he runs fast for 15 seconds and rests for 30 seconds then repeats the cycle  for 12-15 minutes. This helps to lean the body and improve recovery.Pre Workout
   1 Apple: 30 minutes before workout

Post Workout

• Sun Warrior: Warrior Protein – 1 Scoop
• Maca Magic:: Maca Root Powder – 1 Scoop
• 2-3 Bananas

1. FREE: No gym memberships, no long lines, no crowds, no expensive exercise equipment. Only the use of your own body weight.
2. It’s FUN: What is life if you can’t have a little fun. There are different movements and you feel like a kid in a playground. What could be better than that?
3. Potential: All of us have an unlimited amount of human potential, it is our choice whether we choose to live the life of our dreams. With Calisthenics you have a sense of positive well-being in knowing that you are creating and sculpting the body you want on your own. Of course a better body also translates to better health which is a great consequence of reaching your potential.
4. Self Confidence: Believing in one self, more so confiding or talk to & trust in one self is probably one of the greatest values a person can have, and Calisthenics affords one this possibility. When you workout and train you begin to feel good about yourself which directly and affects your
5. Self Esteem: How you value yourself and what you have done and are doing is invaluable. With body weight training AKA Calisthenics, you begin to value yourself in a way that was not possible before because you are doing something positive for yourself which begins to show inwardly and outwardly in everything you do.
6. Connection: Calisthenics gives you the wonderful opportunity to connect with others and the world as you train. You can choose to train indoors or outdoors, alone and or you can choose to workout with others in a group. I love working out in nature at the local park. Contact with nature and others that might be also their training gives me a sense of connection.
7. Self Discipline: Working out and training day in and day out, begins to create a sense of determined focus and spills over into other aspects of your life. As you train you and stick with it, you begin to notice that same drive and intensity to train regularly helps you to focus on other areas of your life.
8. Natural movements/More muscles are engaged: The movements such as push ups, pull ups, and dips are more fluid in motion and as such engage many muscle groups at the same time thus growth is proportional.
9. Easy to learn: The exercises are relatively easy to do and can be varied to adapt to each person’s strengths and weaknesses.
10. Flexible & On the go: The exercises can be done when and wherever you want.
11. Breaking down stereotypes: Calisthenics is a one size fits all and is one of the few exercise that just about anyone can do, it does not matter your age, race, height, weight, sex, income level, religion. The exercises are can be adapted for any lifestyle.

1. Time:  Of course I need to stay as objective as possible, and this one is a bit of a stretch but it goes without saying that working out requires time that could otherwise be used for something else. (However I see no better use of time than to spend with one self and being active.) Also time to be patient and stick with the exercises day in and day out could also be construed as a negative.
2. Humility: Like anything in life, as a beginner you need  to start from ground zero and for many that sense of being comfortable being uncomfortable is just too unbearable. That is probably the main reason many quit before they even get started. You have to start where you are and not where others are.
3. Learning Curve: Practice makes perfect and learning the different moves can be somewhat intimidating at first. Just stick with it.
4. Improper form: Like all exercise and pretty much anything in life. If you don’t do the exercises properly it can lead to injury.
5. Repetition: The movements can seem repetitive in nature after a while and some like to incorporate other forms of exercise like yoga, martial arts, weight lifting, core training.
6. Isolation of muscle groups: As they say there are advantages and disadvantages to just about everything, and the advantage of being able to work many muscle groups at the same time could pose a challenge for those wanting to isolate just one muscle group.

In conclusion, Calisthenics, is a form of exercise that can benefit just about anyone. It really all begins with just that first decision to just do it.

Before Calisthenics, I use to go to the gym, and often there were days when quite frankly I just did not feel like working out, but I remember hearing a saying, that 50% of working out is just showing up at the gym. I can say from personal experience that although a bit trite it is true.

I will slightly alter this phrase for the purposes of this post, and state, that 50% of Calisthenics is just doing it, You can start with something as small as push ups or alternatives like doing pushes assisted on your knees if you can’t do them. There are a ton of ways to modify the movements for your level.

So give it a try, and prove me wrong.