Strength trainer and assistant football coach Charlie Takesian advocates adding calisthenics into your daily routine. 

“My main goal is to help the football team with their core so they can perform better on the field,” Said Takesian. It works with other sports, too, he said.

Lifting weights targets individual muscles and is usually not a natural motion that you would do during your everyday life. Calisthenics targets muscle groups and uses natural movements that you will use during your day. 

In the United States, the number of adults who are considered to be in physical shape is 1 out of 4. Many have excuses like how they can’t make it to the gym, but with calisthenics, that excuse is invalid.

“Among all adults aged 18 and over, 24.2% met the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, 22.7% met only the guidelines for aerobic activity, 6.8% met only the guidelines for muscle-strengthening activity, and 46.3% did not meet the guidelines for either type of activity” according to a study conducted by The National Center for Health Statistics. 

 Takesian said, “People skip doing calisthenics because they stick to traditional weight lifting exercises.” 

Calisthenics are an alternative exercise to weightlifting, but they can be more effective for muscle building than lifting weights. While weight lifting makes you stronger, those exercises only target one muscle group at a time. Calisthenics targets various muscles all at once and can lead to muscle strength that most others don’t have. 

“I highly recommend that people have some knowledge about calisthenics and incorporate them into their daily routine to have a healthy, functioning body,” Takesian said.

Calisthenics builds functional muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance, while weight lifting builds muscle mass and individual muscle strength. Working out also makes you look better. Working out can improve your skin complexion, confidence, and physical appearance. Physical activity also improves mental health by releasing endorphins. 

The most common calisthenics exercises include push-ups, pull-ups, squats, planks, and sit-ups, but there are many more calisthenic workouts available. Calisthenics targets different muscles, but they all require a strong core. Calisthenics have different levels to them, and you can find more advanced calisthenic workouts online 

Senior baseball player Beckham Zizza recommends calisthenics as well. 

“Pullups are my favorite because I feel like I build the most muscle doing them,” Beckham Zizza said.