If you want to get fit and strong in 2025 without ever setting foot in a gym, you need to consider starting calisthenics or bodyweight workouts. You can perform these exercises at home or anywhere you want, and they will help you build a powerful and impressive physique. Now, this is a simple and beginner-friendly guide on how to start calisthenics this year. Let’s get straight into it without wasting any time.
The foundation of calisthenics is built on 6 key movements. These exercises not only help you build muscle and get stronger but also prepare you for more advanced exercises. It’s really important to remember that progress takes time.
Many of you probably won’t be able to do a perfect pull-up or lunge on your first day, and that’s okay. Calisthenics is about starting with foundational exercises and gradually challenging yourself to do more. So, I’ll also tell you how you can start these exercises as a complete beginner.
Push-ups
Push-ups are one of the most well-known bodyweight exercises. They work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, which makes them a compound movement. If regular push-ups feel too hard, you can start by doing them on your knees or against a wall. Keep your body in a straight line and focus on controlled repetitions. Also, push-ups come in multiple varieties.
Don’t just do standard push-ups. You want to incorporate the following: diamond push-ups, incline push-ups, decline push-ups, Pike push-ups. There are more advanced types of push-ups such as handstand push-ups or one-arm push-ups, but leave those for later if you’re a beginner.
Squats
Squats are not only great for building strong legs and glutes, but they are also great for stimulating muscle growth across your entire body.
In fact, a study published by the NIH revealed that performing 6 sets of squats seems to drive hormonal responses of growth hormones like GH, C, and IGF-1, which may play a significant role in stimulating muscle growth and tissue regeneration.
To perform a proper squat, stand with your feet as wide as your shoulders, lower your body like you’re sitting in a chair, and then stand back up. Keep your back straight and knees aligned with your toes. If you find squats challenging, try holding on to a sturdy surface for balance. There are also different variations of squats you can throw in the mix to target different muscle fibers.
These include sumo squats (stand with feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointing outward), narrow squats (stand with feet closer than shoulder width apart), jump squats (explode upward from the squat position, jumping off the ground onto a sturdy bench or platform), and pistol squats (the most advanced of all, perform the squat on one leg while the other leg extends forward).
Planks
Planks are awesome for strengthening your core. Start in a push-up position, but rest on your forearms instead of your hands. Keep your body straight and hold the position for as long as you can. Even 10 seconds is a good start. You can gradually increase the time as you get stronger.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups work your back, shoulders, and arms. They’re tough for beginners, but you can use resistance bands or a low bar to practice assisted pull-ups. If you don’t have access to a pull-up bar, focus on other back exercises like inverted rows using a low bar or a sturdy table. Try different grips when doing pull-ups, including wide, narrow, and regular grips. You can also vary pronated and supine grip, which means facing inwards or outwards. You put more stress on your biceps when the palms are facing you.
Lunges
Lunges strengthen your legs and glutes while improving balance. Step forward with one foot, lower your body until both knees are bent at a 90° angle, and then return to the starting position. Switch legs with each step. If balancing is hard, use a wall or something steady for support.
Glute Bridges
Glute bridges target your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push through your heels to lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Lower your hips back down and squeeze your glutes at the top for the best results.
How often you should train each week?
Beginners usually face 2 main challenges: first, your body isn’t used to heavy workouts yet, and second, calisthenics is something new in your daily routine.
Many beginners start off overly excited and push themselves too hard. This often leads to sore muscles, making it impossible to train for a couple of days. If you’ve planned to work out 7 days a week, it’s just not realistic.
What happens next? You don’t reach your big goal, feel discouraged, and may quickly lose interest in the sport altogether. To avoid this, I recommend 5 training days a week as a beginner. Now, let’s talk about how you can turn these exercises into a full workout plan for the week. This one-week beginner calisthenics workout balances exercise days with rest days to ensure your body has time to recover and grow stronger.
Before you start the workout, it’s important to prepare your body. Calisthenics involves a lot of joint movement and flexibility, so warming up is very important to avoid injuries. Start with 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio like jogging in place or doing jumping jacks to get your blood moving. After that, do some dynamic stretches, especially for your shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles, since you’ll use these joints a lot during your workout.
Monday
Start your week by focusing on your upper body, especially pushing exercises. Begin with push-ups, doing 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. If regular push-ups are too hard, try doing them on your knees or against an incline like a counter or bench. Next, do incline push-ups to work your chest and shoulders. Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Finish with plank shoulder taps, which work your core and help with stability. Do 3 sets of 10 taps on each side, keeping your hips still.
Tuesday
Tuesday focuses on your lower body. Start with bodyweight squats to strengthen your legs and glutes. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, making sure your knees don’t go past your toes and your chest stays up. Next, do glute bridges to work your glutes and lower back. Lie on your back, push your feet into the floor, and lift your hips up as high as you can. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Finish with calf raises to strengthen your lower legs. Do 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps, holding onto a wall or chair for balance if needed.
Wednesday
Wednesday is all about your core and flexibility. Start with a forearm plank, holding for 15 to 30 seconds, and do it 3 times. This strengthens your whole core while improving endurance. Next, do dead bugs, where you extend opposite arms and legs while lying on your back to challenge coordination and stability. Do 3 sets of 8 reps on each side. Then try bird dogs, extending one arm and the opposite leg to improve balance and core control. Do 3 sets of 8 reps on each side. Finish with about 10 minutes of stretching or yoga to improve flexibility.
Thursday
Thursday is a rest or active recovery day. Let your muscles recover by staying lightly active. You can walk, do some gentle yoga, or stretch. This helps reduce fatigue and keeps you moving.
Friday
Friday focuses on your upper body again but with pulling exercises. If you have a pull-up bar, try assisted or negative pull-ups for 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps. If not, do bodyweight rows using a table or railing to pull yourself up. Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Finish with plank to push-up transitions to build upper body and core strength. Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps, smoothly moving between positions.
Saturday
Saturday is a full-body workout to ensure balance and comprehensive conditioning. Start with push-ups, doing 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Then do squats again, performing 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Finish the session with a forearm plank, holding for 15 to 30 seconds, doing 3 sets. This workout targets multiple muscle groups for a well-rounded routine.
Sunday
Sunday is another rest or recovery day. As I told you earlier, focus on fully recovering by walking, stretching, or doing mobility work. By the end of the week, you’ll have followed a balanced plan that strengthens your body and sets a foundation for more workouts.
Stay consistent and you’ll see improvements in your strength, endurance, and overall fitness. The great thing about calisthenics is that it allows for progression. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start exploring more advanced variations. For example, you can move from knee push-ups to regular push-ups and eventually try archer push-ups or clap push-ups.
Similarly, you can progress from assisted pull-ups to unassisted ones and then to chin-ups or wide grip pull-ups.
The goal is to keep challenging your body without overdoing it. Listening to your body is really, really important. If something feels painful or uncomfortable, stop and check your form. Pain is a signal that something might not be right, and pushing through it can lead to injury.