Get Fit Without a Gym - Calisthenics

You know that working out is important for your health. But between work, family, friends and the latest season of Game of Thrones there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get down to the gym.

It’s not as if we lack motivation; we often catch ourselves daydreaming about what it would be like to have washboard abs or a firmer butt like the many beautiful people that continuously pop up on our Instagram feed. We buy ourselves the newest, highest-tech, sweat-wicking, smartphone connected workout gear and a new gym membership every January 1st and tell ourselves “this year will be different”. But one week in and you discover that eating a packet of Wagon Wheels is so much easier and more effective at curing the discomfort of envy than actually lifting weights.

Or maybe you’re just not into the dizzying techno music, the grunting, the clashing of weights on the floor and the ever present judgement by sweaty beefcakes. Maybe it’s the exorbitant fees charged for membership. Whatever your gripe, welcome to the world of calisthenics.

Calisthenics is all about using your own body weight for resistance. All of the muscle building pushing, pulling, lunging and lifting movements typically done in the gym can be done with little to no equipment, meaning that you can train any place and any time. And by decreasing the amount of time between bouts of work we can also condition our body for greater muscular endurance and better cardiovascular health - without the treadmill.

Here are some of our favourite bodyweight workouts that can be slipped in to any situation:

The Commercial Break Workout

This workout fits perfectly in the commercial break of your favourite TV show. Perform all exercises in sequence without any rest. Stop when your show comes back on and repeat for three commercial breaks.

• Push-ups x 10
• Sit-ups x 10
• Lunges x 10

The Early Morning Pickup

This workout is great for getting the blood pumping first thing in the morning.

• Burpees x 10
• Jump Squats x 10
• Push-ups x 10
• Mountain Climbers x 10

The Beach Body Builder

This workout can be done anywhere you can find a few square metres of space. With an emphasis on core and legs, you will have a beach ready body in no time. Perform the following exercises one after the other repeat the whole circuit three times.

• Crunches x 10
• Side Sit-ups x10
• Supermans x 10
• Push-ups x 10
• Fire Hydrants x 10

The Playground Workout

This workout makes use of play equipment available at many parks and beaches. Utilising bars will allow you to perform pulling movements to target your back and biceps. Perform in a circuit with minimal rest.

• Pullups x 10
• Bench Dips x 10
• Jump Squats x 10
• Hanging knee raises x 10
• Australian Pullups x 10