Can Calisthenics Replace Cardio
Calisthenics is more popular now, than it’s ever been. And while it’s beneficial in certain parts, it’s introduced lots of false ‘bro science’ into the industry, for example, the idea that calisthenics can replace cardio. Unfortunately, this isn’t true.
No, calisthenics isn’t a replacement for cardio exercise. Each training method targets different fitness components; so, they aren’t interchangeable. Because of this, it’s essential you combine them both to fill in each other’s gaps.
For example, calisthenics focuses on relative strength, fast-twitch fibers, and upper-body muscles; whereas, running predominately relies on endurance, slow-twitch fibers, and lower-body muscles. They couldn’t be any more different!
Because of this, lots of calisthenics athletes combine cardio into their workout, for example, jogging, swimming, or cycling. It isn’t a critical part of calisthenics, rather they want to compensate for the lack of cardiovascular endurance bodyweight exercises offer.
Now, this isn’t to say you must train cardio if you train calisthenics, as some individuals don’t want/need to improve their cardiovascular endurance. Instead, the point we want to make is you shouldn’t go into a calisthenics workout expecting to see improvements in your cardio.
What Happens If You Train Calisthenics And Not Cardio
As we mentioned, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t incorporate additional cardio into your calisthenics workout; however, you won’t become as much of a well-rounded athlete. Here’s why:
Anaerobic and Aerobic
Calisthenics is super intense, so you’re constantly training within your anaerobic limit. This serves you well in short and explosive movements, but it completely voids any long-term energy release. Because of this, your aerobic tolerance will be limited without any additional cardio. Therefore, you’ll be quick to run out of breath and start panting at any given long-distance event.
Skipping Leg Day!
Calisthenics is upper-body dominated; so, unfortunately, it rarely engages your legs during a workout. And while traditional cardio methods are perfect to fill in this gap, if you don’t include it in your exercise plan you’ll likely notice muscle imbalances between your upper and lower torso. As well as an asymmetric body, this can lead to other health problems, such as joint pains and poor posture.
Diverse Workoutplan
Cardio exercise can be trained in countless amount of activities, for example, swimming, rowing, cycling, running, or dancing. This makes for an extremely fulfilling workout plan that’s engaging and varied. But, by exclusively training calisthenics, you miss out on all these opportunities as well as tunnel vision yourself to only doing bodyweight exercises – which aren’t as diverse.
Remember, we are focusing on what you miss, rather than what you gain. Even if you decide to not train cardio, the benefits you get from calisthenics are still extremely rewarding, for example, muscular frame, upper body strength, and a strong core.
At the end of the day, it’s your decision to make. Yes, there’s an opportunity cost of doing one and not the other, but you will still be a strong, functional athlete with calisthenics alone. It just depends on your fitness goals, and working towards what’s important to you.
What Happens If You Train Cardio And Not Calisthenics
Let’s take a look at it the other way around. What happens if you train in calisthenics and not cardio? Here are a few drawbacks to consider:
Slender Build
If you solely train in cardio activities, like running, you spend your whole time burning fat and not putting on muscle. This gives you a very slender physique, for example, similar to Mo Farrah. While calisthenics is the perfect training method to build a bigger upper body frame and put on more muscle mass, if you choose not to include it in your workout plan you’ll have a very similar body to him – flat and skinny.
Limited Upper Body Strength
Traditional cardio exercises are fantastic for working your legs, but the majority don’t involve any form of upper-body resistance. Because of this, there is no opportunity to strengthen your upper body – nor to improve power or explosiveness. Once again, calisthenics is the best solution since it fills in all of these gaps.
Limited Upper Body Endurance
Cardio is the best exercise for cardiovascular endurance, but it isn’t as good for muscular endurance. Calisthenics is ideal to supplement the shortfall; but, if you train cardio alone, your upper body will have limited muscular endurance. This means your muscles won’t be able to contract for long periods before they become fatigued.
To summarize, training cardio and not calisthenics limits your ability to do anything else that isn’t running, cycling, skipping, etc. It almost specializes you to be superhuman in anything cardio, but it leaves you vulnerable to anything else.
So, by incorporating calisthenics you enable yourself to be much more of a well-rounded athlete. By doing this, you future-proof yourself in case you want to change training methods or sports. Let’s take a look at the benefits of both in more detail…
The Benefit Of Training Both Calisthenics And Cardio
There’s one umbrella that covers every single benefit that training calisthenics and cardio has to offer. And while we have touched on it, it’s imperative to have a good understanding of why you should do both. Here it is:
Training both calisthenics and cardio makes you a more complete athlete as they make up for what each training method lacks. As a result, your fitness gains (strength, endurance, and flexibility) are much more functional during daily activities.
If you only did one activity, your skillset will be very limited. And because of this, it’s unlikely they’ll be practical in day-to-day use. By training both, you cover all bases; so, if you need to apply your strength, or endurance you’re equipped with the right fitness components.
Putting ‘day-to-day’ use aside for a moment, another fantastic benefit is they complement one another. This may be confusing since they are completely opposite training methods – but it’s true! If you train cardio, you also improve calisthenics ability (and vice versa.) Here’s an example…
- Calisthenics benefits cardio because it’s a core-dominated training method. A strong core is essential in all things cardio. For example, it helps stabilize your movements and improve posture, both of which improve performance, and cardio efficiency.
- Cardio benefits calisthenics as it speeds muscle recovery. When you train cardio, your cardiac output increases – in other words, it increases blood flow. This helps remove toxins and inflammation, which helps your muscles recover faster following an intense calisthenics session.
So, not only will they fill in each other gaps; but, they double up on their benefits too!
How To Combine Calisthenics And Cardiovascular Training
Now you know the significance of syncing both training methods, let’s take a look at an example workout plan:
Training Plan 1 – Beginners
| Day Of Week | Exercise Description |
|---|---|
| Monday | Calisthenics Upper Body: 3 sets of 10 push-ups, 4 sets of 10 sit-ups, and 3 sets of 7 pull-ups. Calisthenics Lower Body: 3 sets of 10 squats, and 3 sets of 10 lunges. |
| Tuesday | Rest. |
| Wednesday | Cardio: 800m track run. |
| Thursday | Rest. |
| Friday | Calisthenics Upper Body: 4 sets of 15 sit-ups, 4 sets of 5 tricep dips, 3 sets of 10 pike push-ups, and 3 sets of 5 pull-ups. Cardio: 20 minutes of cycling, and 20 minutes of swimming. |
| Saturday | Rest. |
| Sunday | Rest. |
Training Plan 2 – Experts
| Day Of Week | Exercise Description |
|---|---|
| Monday | Calisthenics Upper Body: 5 sets of 10 pull-ups, 4 sets of 10 tricep dips, 1-minute plank, and 3 sets of 15 diamond push-ups, and 1-minute dead hang. Cardio: 800m run and 3 sets of 3 box jumps. |
| Tuesday | Rest. |
| Wednesday | Cardio: 35 minutes of swimming, 10 minutes of skipping, and 30 minutes of jogging. |
| Thursday | Calisthenics Upper Body: pull-ups until failure, 3 sets of full monkey bars, 3 sets of 25-second handstand, 4 sets of 20 crunches, 1-minute plank, and 3 sets of 20 sit-ups. |
| Friday | Rest. |
| Saturday | Calisthenics Upper Body: 3 sets of 10 pull-ups, 3 sets of 10 push-ups, 3 sets of 5 ab rollers, 3 sets of 10 pistol squats, Calisthenics Lower Body: 5 sets of 10 lunges, 3 sets of 10 squats. Cardio: 15 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the bike machine, and a brisk walk. |
| Sunday | Rest. |
FAQ’s
Is Calisthenics Or Cardio Better For Weight Loss?
Calisthenics is far better for weight loss than cardio. This is because it demands more energy, so you burn significantly more fat. While cardio will burn calories, it’s not as intense, so you won’t burn as much.
Can You Make A Calisthenics Workout Cardio?
There is a clear distinction between the two: calisthenics involves strength training, whereas cardio doesn’t. Because of this, you can’t train both at the same time and make a calisthenics workout into cardio (or vice versa).
What’s The Best Order To Train Cardio And Calisthenics?
While it’s ultimately your decision, we recommend training cardio after calisthenics to encourage blood flow and speed recovery. By doing this you make the most out of both workouts in the most efficient way possible.
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