Try our free calisthenics program with 28 bodyweight workouts – no gym equipment needed!
Want to learn more about calisthenics? I'm Céciliane, a sports coach, and with my partner Valentine, we’re offering a 28-day bodyweight program to build strength and functional fitness for your daily life. Are you ready to challenge yourself? Let’s get started!
Calisthenics is a fitness workout methodology. Used in "street workouts" and cross-training sessions, calisthenics is a strength-training technique based on bodyweight exercises such as squats, push-ups and pull-ups. Calisthenics is a versatile type of training that can be done with or without gym equipment, at the gym, outdoors, or at home.
Many calisthenics exercises can be done from the comfort of your home. Put on some comfortable clothes, with or without fitness shoes. You don't need an exercise mat. All you need for your at home gym room is a chair and a wall you can lean against. Here are some exercises you can incorporate into your callisthenics workout sessions at home:
I'm pleased to introduce our 28 day calisthenics program for beginners that you can do at home without any gym equipment. These are short daily sessions consisting of 4 or 5 exercises each, ideal for when your daily schedule doesn't allow much time for sports.
As you do these sessions, be sure to take the recommended recovery times. Always keep in mind that the goal of the program is to help you maintain a so-called "functional" body that will serve you well each day. Listen to your body and adjust the difficulty of the exercises based on how you feel. This program is designed for people who already know how to perform the basic strength training exercises (squat, knee push-up, plank), from beginner to advanced levels. If you feel pain or discomfort, it's likely that you're doing the exercise incorrectly. In this case, decrease the level of difficulty of the exercise, for example, by doing the push-ups or planks on your knees. If you're not comfortable or ready to do this program on your own, I recommend using the guidance of an online coach who can check that you're doing the exercises correctly in order to reduce the risk of injury and ensure you get the most out of each exercise.
Take 1 minute of rest and recovery between each exercise.
Knee lifts without jumping
Raise your knees to your chest, alternating left and right legs, and bring the opposite elbow to your knee with each lift.
Keep your breathing calm and steady, and exhale as you raise your knee.
Do 3 sets of 20 knee lifts each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Squats
Stand upright, feet apart a bit more than hip width. Bend your knees until your buttocks are vertically aligned with your knees. Push your buttocks out behind you; keep your abs contracted and your back straight.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Dips
Sit on the edge of the chair and place your hands on either side of your hips. Press down on the palms of your hands to lift your body and slide down along the front of the chair until your buttocks are no longer resting on the chair. Your legs are in front of you, bent at hip width. Bend your arms so that your elbows are behind you.
Keep your back straight, chest out, shoulders low, and look straight ahead.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Wall push-ups (chest)
Face the wall and place both hands on it in front of you, slightly more than shoulder width apart. Bring your chest towards the wall by bending your elbows while keeping your back straight. Then return to your starting position by pushing on the wall using your arms and chest muscles. Keep your shoulders low by locking your shoulder blades in a low position.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Take 1 minute of rest and recovery between each exercise.
Jogging in place
Jog in place with calm and steady breathing.
Do 3 sets of 1 minute each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Squats
Stand upright, feet apart a bit more than hip width. Bend your knees until your buttocks are vertically aligned with your knees. Push your buttocks out behind; keep your abs contracted and your back straight.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Glute Bridge
On your back, knees bent and feet apart at hip width. Lift your pelvis off the floor so that your shoulders, hips and knees are diagonally aligned.
Inhale on the way down, and exhale on the way up.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Wall Sit
Stand with your back against the wall and your feet slightly in front of you. Slide your back down the wall until you are in a seated position with your knees at a right angle and aligned with your ankles. Remember to contract your perineum and your transverse abs a little more each time you exhale.
Do 3 sets of 30 seconds each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Take 1 minute of rest and recovery between each exercise.
Knee lifts without jumping
Raise your knees to your chest, alternating left and right legs, and bringing the opposite elbow to your knee with each lift.
Keep your breathing calm and steady, and exhale as you raise your knee.
Do 3 sets of 20 knee lifts each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Wall push-ups (chest)
Face the wall and place both hands on it in front of you, slightly more than shoulder width apart. Bring your chest towards the wall by bending your elbows while keeping your back straight. Then return to your starting position by pushing on the wall using your arms and chest muscles. Keep your shoulders low by locking your shoulder blades in a low position.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Dips
Sit on the edge of a chair and place your hands on either side of your hips. Press down on the palms of your hands to lift your body and slide along the front of the chair, until your buttocks are in the air. Your legs are in front of you, bent at hip width. Bend your arms so that your elbows are behind you.
Keep your back straight, chest out, shoulders low, and look straight ahead. Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend. Do 3 sets of 15 reps each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Floor push-ups (chest)
Get into a plank position with legs bent and knees touching the floor. Place your hands further apart than shoulder width, and fingers pointing out in front of you. Bend your elbows so they point behind you. Your head, chest and abdomen should make a single unit.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Take 1 minute of rest and recovery between each exercise.
Knee lifts without jumping
Raise your knees to your chest, alternating left and right legs, and bringing the opposite elbow to your knee with each lift.
Keep your breathing calm and steady, and exhale as you raise your knee.
Do 3 sets of 20 knee lifts each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Squats
Stand upright, feet apart a bit more than hip width. Bend your knees until your buttocks are vertically aligned with your knees. Push your buttocks out behind; keep your abs contracted and your back straight.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Side plank on elbow
Place your pelvis, shoulders and knees in a line while resting on your elbow and your knees. Make sure to keep your pelvis in a neutral position and to contract your abs.
Keep your breathing calm and steady.
Do 2 sets of 30 seconds on the right side, then repeat on the left side, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Superman
Lay on your abdomen and lift your arms and legs off the floor while keeping your head in alignment with your spine.
Inhale, then exhale as you lift your arms and legs off the floor.
Do 3 sets of 15 lifts each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Knee lifts without jumping
Raise your knees to your chest, alternating left and right legs, and bringing the opposite elbow to your knee with each lift.
Keep your breathing calm and steady, and exhale as you raise your knee.
Do 3 sets of 20 knee lifts each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Squats
Stand upright, feet apart a bit more than hip width. Bend your knees until your buttocks are vertically aligned with your knees. Push your buttocks out behind; keep your abs contracted and your back straight.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Glute Lifts
Stand on one leg and kick outward with the other leg. Make sure to keep your ab muscles contracted.
Keep your breathing calm and steady.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Lunges
Stand with your feet apart at hip width. Move one leg in front of you and lift the heel of your back foot off the floor. Bend your knees at the same time, while making sure to keep your back straight.
Inhale on the way down, and exhale on the way up.
Do 2 sets of 30 seconds on the right side, then repeat on the left side, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Jogging in place
Jog in place with calm and steady breathing.
Do 3 sets of 1 minute each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Wall push-ups (chest)
Face the wall and place both hands on it in front of you, slightly more than shoulder width apart. Bring your chest towards the wall by bending your elbows while keeping your back straight. Then return to your starting position by pushing on the wall using your arms and chest muscles. Keep your shoulders low by locking your shoulder blades in a low position.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Front-facing plank on elbows
On the floor, chest facing the floor, resting on your toes and elbows, elbows apart at shoulder width, make a plank with your body. Make sure to keep your pelvis in a neutral position and to contract your abs.
Breathe calmly.
Do 3 sets of 30 seconds each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
Dips
Sit on the edge of a chair and place your hands on either side of your hips. Press down on the palms of your hands to lift your body and slide along the front of the chair, until your buttocks are in the air. Your legs are in front of you, bent at hip width. Bend your arms so that your elbows are behind you.
Keep your back straight, chest out, shoulders low, and look straight ahead.
Inhale as you flex, exhale as you extend.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps each, with 30 seconds of recovery between sets.
1- Jumping jacks
2- lunges
3- Glute Bridges
4- Plank – Arms Extended
5- Wall push-ups (chest)
1- Jogging in place
2- Wall Sit
3- Glute Lifts
4- Squats
5- Glute Bridges
1- Knee Lifts
2- Wall push-ups (chest)
3- Dips
4- Floor push-ups (chest)
5- Mountain Climbers:
1- Jumping Jacks
2- Side plank on right elbow
3- Side plank on left elbow
4- Plank on Elbows
5- Glute Balance
1- Jumping Jacks
2- Lunges
3- Wall Sit
4- Glute Bridge
5- Glute Lifts
1- Knee lifts without jumping
2- Floor push-ups (triceps)
3- Dips
4- Floor push-ups (chest)
5- Plank – Arms Extended
Now that you've made progress in how to do each exercise properly, you can increase the level of intensity! Repeat the same program as week 3 but add one more set to your circuit.
28 days ago I decided to start this calisthenics program for beginners, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share my experience! This program has provided me with a body-workout routine that is simple but effective. Right from the start, I liked the way that this training program is structured. The workout sessions are designed to gradually increase the level of intensity as the days go by.
It starts out at a moderate level of difficulty, which allowed me to easily get used to doing bodyweight workouts. The rate of progress was such that each day I could feel my muscles being exercised a bit more than before. The techniques used in this program helped me to not only increase my strength but also my endurance.
One aspect that I particularly liked is that this training program is very complete and well rounded. It covers all the main muscle groups and helps you build out your body evenly. In only 28 days I saw a noticeable increase in my muscle mass and my strength.
The effectiveness of this workout regime rests on how it combines simple exercises with a gradually increasing level of intensity. The fact that it only relies on bodyweight instead of gym equipment makes it easily accessible to anyone. Plus the length of the workouts is perfect for those who have a full schedule!
Hope you enjoyed this beginner bodyweight program! You now have the basics. To progress, increase your reps and sets, or add resistance bands, dumbbells, and pull-up bars.
I'm a big fan of artistic activities, and always ready to admire and cheer at major sporting events!
