1. It’s fun
Being able to control your body and do the “party tricks” like pull-up dancing or push-up flows is FUN. It unlocks the creative child like side in all of us and at the end of the day we should all be training to move better and enjoy life.
2. Increased Body Awareness, balance and Coordination
Unlike lifting where you’re typically isolating certain muscle groups in one plane of movement , calisthenics focuses on the entire body as a whole through different planes. This focus increases body awareness and overall coordination. Not to mention, the core involvement in all bodyweight movements, which are key stabilizers for balance and body alignment.
3. Strengthens Joints and Neuroplasticity
Lifting weights is great for increasing muscle size, but just because you’re getting stronger doesn’t mean your joints are-or your brain. Bodyweight exercises are actually less stress on the joints than lifting and since your body has to work as a unit the increased brain plasticity from balancing and learning new movement skills enhances brain function. Trust me, there’s nothing that causes you to focus like handstand push-ups. Being upside down trying not to fall while your face gets closer to the floor, then pushing yourself back up and maintaining position…..brain level genius unlocked.
4. Increased Mobility, Flexibility, and Explosive Power
Mobility is defined as the ability to move freely and easily. As you move through the various progressions in calisthenics you’ll become stronger and more flexible-this increase in flexibility will allow you to Control your body through full ranges of motion in more advanced calisthenics movements-movements like planches for instance.
Just like lifting requires explosiveness as you push weight outta the hole, or off your chest, calisthenics movements like plyo push -ups teach you to control this explosiveness and target the right muscles. In plyo push-ups, for instance, you must keep the core and hips tight, isolating the power through the chest, shoulders and triceps.
5. Strength From Calisthenics Will Carry Over To Your Lifting
Lifting and bodyweight training aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, any good program should have a combination of them both. The increased coordination, explosiveness, brain function and mobility that come from calisthenics can only make you stronger under the barbell. When you unrack heavy weight, have the mobility to get the bar in the right spot, feel your positioning and have the body awareness to maintain it throughout the lift you’ll have a better bar path and the weight moves a lot easier-as an added bonus your confidence also increases.
