Making Money And Calisthenics – A Detailed Breakdown
Calisthenics is increasing in popularity as a training method. Therefore, it’s no surprise athletes want to find career routes and side hustles to make money with it.
As a team of experienced athletes, we’ll detail exactly how we monetize calisthenics and what you can do to get started…
- What’s A Calisthenics Athlete’s Salary
- How To Make (Serious) Money With Calisthenics
- How To Become A Pro Calisthenics Athlete
- What Jobs Involve Calisthenics
- What Are The Advantages Of A Career In Calisthenics
- What Are The Disadvantages Of A Career In Calisthenics
- Is Calisthenics A Good Long-Term Career
- Is A Career In Calisthenics For You
What’s A Calisthenics Athlete’s Salary
Let’s get the main point out of the way. Money.
Quantifying the exact amount that enters their bank is difficult. Some athletes are only rewarded with a few free products, while others can exceed millions of dollars. Because of this, it’s better to consider a median on how much you can expect to make.
Brands and advertisements bring the average calisthenics athlete’s salary to $26,000 – $61,000p/a. The exact amount depends on their social media following. The more followers a professional calisthenics has, the more brands pay to represent their products.
This isn’t to say professional calisthenics athletes don’t have the potential to earn more. Suppose you are posting videos online and gaining substantial traffic. In that case, your salary depends on how well you monetize your content.
If you’re serious about making money with calisthenics you shouldn’t look at it as “a professional calisthenics athlete’s salary.” Instead, you must become an influencer. And, as we all know, their salaries are the most varied – it’s quite literally $0 – $1 billion+.
The key takeaways: How much you can earn, depends on how many you can influence.
How To Make (Serious) Money With Calisthenics
The days of Hannibal For King, where you could put your workout online and get millions of views, are over. Now, it’s all about trust between you and your audience.
Like most professional athletes, the bulk of their money isn’t earned through winning competitions. There sometimes is a cash prize for competitions when athletes have a podium finish, but it’s unlikely to be enough to sustain their lives. More of a bonus.
Calisthenics athletes get checks from sponsorships, affiliate links, brand endorsements, and social media influence. They get paid on commission per sale and are also likely to have a set fee for representing the company’s brand.
For example, Nike won’t pay an athlete for holding a human flag, but they pay a slice of how many trainers they can sell while holding the static.
To do this, follow our blueprint. Trust. Content. Sell. Here’s the sketch of how you get started:
Building Trust With Your Audience
You must prove to the internet you’re a reliable source by uploading clips of your calisthenics ability. It’s essential to build a fan base before you even consider the dollar signs. Once you attain a loyal audience you can monetize your content and start selling your products/ courses.
- Everyone loves a calisthenics journey video. Using historic clips, stitch together a video of you as a beginner to where you are now. This helps establish experience and knowledge.
- Create helpful content. Luckily, the fitness niche makes it easy to make helpful content. For example, how to hold a handstand, what muscle groups front lever targets, etc. If nobody needs your content you won’t even get the chance to build trust.
- Show your body. Nobody will listen to someone’s fitness advice if they’re out of shape. Highlight to the audience that you know what you’re talking about
Making Calisthenics Content
Once you have proven yourself as a reputable source, start creating calisthenics content.
Create Short Form Content
TikTok, Reels, or Shorts have taken over the internet. They’re a great way to get your face/brand to a bunch of people. Influencers such as Austin Dunham have boomed from this loophole and is on track to become one of the most well-known calisthenics athletes.
Write A Blog
Don’t want to be on camera? No problem, write a blog. Remember content is king, so the more blogs you write, the more likely one is to be a hit and get thousands of monthly viewers.
YouTube
It’s likely your favorite calisthenics content creator has a YouTube channel, and how they make you feel, is what you want to create for others. It could be educational, entertaining, or a tutorial; but, whatever it is, make sure it’s integrated into your brand.
Social Media Influencer
Instagram is the go-to if you want to post calisthenics content to a social media platform. While it’s more saturated than other forms of content, you can still build a large following if your content has an insight into calisthenics and is unique.
Sell, Sell, Sell
Last, but not least, you need to monetize your calisthenics content. There are hundreds of ways you can do this, the most common ways being:
- Putting ads on your blogs or YouTuve videos e.g. Adsense.
- Joining an affiliate scheme e.g. Amazon Affiliates.
- Creating a course e.g. exclusive calisthenics programs.
- Selling your products e.g. fitness vests.
How To Become A Pro Calisthenics Athlete
Assuming you have elite calisthenics ability, what steps do you have to take to make it pro?
Unfortunately, your skills aren’t enough.
To make it professional you must attend calisthenics competitions and create a social media following to build recognition. These realms put you in the best position to show off your skills in front of the right people and brands which can fund a professional calisthenics lifestyle.
Yes, you need hard work, determination, and commitment. But, if you don’t put yourself out there nobody will know who you are; so, it’s only natural organizations and companies won’t represent you.
The best place to get started is at the World Street Workout and Calisthenics Federation (WSWCG) website. They host the world championship for calisthenics. All sorts of fitness, health & nutrition, and clothing brands attend too – making it an excellent opportunity to sign a contract.
If this is unattainable, take your skills online. Fitness companies have marketing departments that scout calisthenics athletes to represent them. If you fit the brand ethos, they reach out to negotiate a contract. To increase your odds ensure your content is high quality and reputable.
Once you sign a contract, the process is similar to this:
- After signing the contract you’ll be eligible for your benefits. High-level pros establish a salary, while newcomers may only be offered a few free products a month.
- There will be a term in the contract that details the duration of which your calisthenics training will be partially/fully funded.
- At the end of the term, depending on the success, companies can renew the contract. If not, your experiences make you more attractive to other brands which may give you an offer.
What Jobs Involve Calisthenics
If being an influencer isn’t for you it doesn’t mean you can’t include calisthenics in your day-to-day life. Many jobs include you to train calisthenics. Getting paid, for calisthenics? Sounds like the dream, right!
You can build a secure career incorporating calisthenics into your daily routine. Work such as being a professional athlete, personal trainer, firefighter, building a calisthenics-themed gym, lifeguard, and event planner all have a degree of calisthenics fitness attached to the job, though some career choices incorporate it more than others.
Personal Training And Calisthenics
A personal trainer is an experienced fitness instructor who creates programs and diets to suit the needs and wants of their clients. They must be knowledgeable in all fitness areas, including calisthenics, and have excellent conversation skills. They can either be self-employed or be a member of another company.
To become a personal trainer, you must achieve a CIMSPA Level 3 Personal Training qualification from a CIMSPA-endorsed training provider. The main barrier to gaining this qualification is the cost; of $1,400. The course takes eight weeks to complete, but once you have the certificate, you’re industry-level recognized. From here, you can apply for most vacancies listed; some require other needs, such as experience.
However; remember not all of your clients will want to train in calisthenics. For example, some clients prefer weight training, cardiovascular training, or HITT training, and your role as a personal trainer is to appreciate this and build programs around this. Personal trainers will always be involved in fitness on a daily basis, but not necessarily in calisthenics.
An average personal trainer earns $52,000 annually, according to Indeed.
Firefighters And Calisthenics
Firefighters don’t spend their whole time responding to emergencies. An average day will include cleaning, preparation, and physical training when they aren’t fighting a fire. This physical training involves some calisthenics; there tends not to be a strict training program, and you are given lots of flexibility to train appropriately to your likes and skills.
Functional strength is imperative in firefighting because you must lift heavy fire hoses and climb in and out of buildings. The primary consideration of applying to be a firefighter is, do you want to expose your body to fire? When responding to emergencies, you’ll be expected to risk your life.
A wholetime firefighter will have a base starting salary of $28,000 and can increase all the way to $115,000 to a fire chief, according to Glassdoor.
Private Calisthenics Gym Owner
Building your own gym is a great way to commit a lifestyle to calisthenics. It’s an excellent alternative to being an athlete due to the long-term opportunities.
A calisthenic gym has equipment such as a bar unit, monkey bars, an abs bench, gymnastic rings, soft mats, resistance bands, and pull-up bars. This equipment, plus additional costs like land, building materials, and labor, highlights the fact you need capital before you can build your private calisthenics gym.
Moreover, your gym has to be branded correctly and include innovative and hard-to-get equipment. This is imperative because calisthenics can be exercised at home with no equipment for free! As a result, you need to build a strong local community, implement cutting-edge equipment and offer a premium service, so they want (and have a valid reason) to pay to use your gym.
A private calisthenics gym has no average yearly earnings; it depends on attitude and business focus in making it a success!
Lifeguards And Calisthenics
Similar to other emergency lines of work, lifeguards do not spend their whole time saving drowning victims. On a daily basis, they clean, practice basic first aid, water test and participate in some form of physical exercise. This physical exercise includes both cardiovascular and calisthenics exercises.
While swimming drills help prepare lifeguards for the swim out to sea, they must also be strong enough to carry vulnerable people. Weight training may seem the best training method, but you can become too heavy and deteriorate your swimming ability. Therefore calisthenics is the best option for lifeguards to increase their muscle strength yet maintain their weight low.
Lifeguards have dedicated time to train in calisthenics, swimming, and running (up to 45 minutes each day.) These workouts aim to improve the lifeguards’ muscular endurance, strength, and reaction time. To assist this, pool lifeguards may get free access to the leisure center, while beach lifeguards may get free access to the beach!
A lifeguard’s average salary is $31,200 annually, according to Indeed. However, it is unlikely you will be able to work full-time as a lifeguard due to it being seasonal. It would be best to be a part-time lifeguard and find another line of work to fill the free time during the off-season.
Calisthenics And Fitness Event Planning
If you want to meet hundreds of people, organize events, and love fitness, you will love the idea of a fitness event planner! A fitness event planner will schedule days out for companies, schools, clubs, or gyms where all members meet and share their time working out.
In general, a fitness event planner will have lots of responsibilities that require a variety of skills. For example, managing a budget, creating a marketing promotion, choosing a date and location, sending out invitations, and many more. Although it can seem like a lot, a large amount of work you delegate to numerous team members.
Returning to calisthenics, the fitness event planner can dictate the type of workout for its clients. Sometimes it may not be appropriate to plan a calisthenics day. For example, if you have no mats, you won’t want your clients doing sit-ups on the floor. Otherwise, you have complete flexibility and the creativity to put into your events; the more your clients enjoy the day, the greater the chances of you planning another day!
According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a fitness event planner is $36,000. However, there are many scope and growth opportunities to further your career and become more professional.
What Are The Advantages Of A Career In Calisthenics
There are many advantages of working in a calisthenics-based role, which other industries lack. For example, the variety of people you meet, staying fit and healthy, and helping others.
Opportunities To Meet New People And Network With A Range Of Different People.
Whether you enjoy social interaction or making new friends, a career in calisthenics gives you the chance to do so. A job involving calisthenics guarantees you stay outside your home. This prevents loneliness or social exclusion that could arise from other careers. What’s better is calisthenics will be a shared interest with everyone new you meet, attracting like-minded people that engage in similar activities, people, and experiences.
Maintaining A Fit And Healthy Lifestyle.
Many jobs with an element of calisthenics will include dedicated time to practice physical exercise. This elected time, as well as incorporating calisthenics in other day-to-day tasks, gets the heart rate racing and blood pumping, a massive perk that different industries don’t provide, for example, your time is spent sitting at a desk in an office role.
Positive Influence On The Public.
The majority of your tasks involve helping others one way or another. For example, a personal trainer assisting a client in losing weight, a lifeguard saving a life, or a fitness event planner organizing a fun day to lift team spirits. You’ll be surrounded by positive energy for most of the day; as it’s appreciated and valued.
What Are The Disadvantages Of A Career In Calisthenics
Several aspects can get tiring day-to-day when your career involves calisthenics. The lack of flexibility to work from home, constant exhaustion, and risk of injury could put you off ever wanting to do calisthenics as a career.
Relying On Mobility And Functional Strength.
Unlike other industries, getting an injury can put a complete stop to your whole career. Movement is a vital aspect in all calisthenics roles; without fluidity, you will struggle with day-to-day tasks. I recommend building a skill set so; if you have a career-ending injury in calisthenics, you have backup skills that make you marketable to other roles.
No Working From Home.
While more employees are working from home, this isn’t an option with a job involving calisthenics because you always have to be on-site. Thus, you must consider the distance you have to commute. While the boundaries were tested during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, there were massive inefficiencies and limitations.
Daily Exhaustion
Calisthenics is a high-intensity activity that uses anaerobic respiration. Therefore, there will be lots of muscle ache, out-of-breath, and sweating daily. This reality often means your fitness levels already have to be high before starting a career in calisthenics; otherwise, it becomes too overwhelming and demotivating.
Is Calisthenics A Good Long-Term Career
The jobs mentioned all have a degree of mobility involved with the day-to-day roles, some more intense than others. As a result, many calisthenics jobs won’t be sustainable as you get older and your body becomes more fragile. However; many chosen careers have a progression that becomes less body-demanding and but more senior.
For example, your body wouldn’t be able to fight fires as you get older however, you can still apply your skills and experience to stay involved with the fire department as a fire chief.
While the practical calisthenics aspect reduces with age and career growth, you can still practice in your spare time!
Another consideration is the automation of calisthenics. Luckily, this is highly unlikely. The human mobility, computation, and conversation skills involved in calisthenics make it an impossible task for robots to replace.
Therefore, yes, calisthenics is a great long-term career! While you become less physically involved the older you get, there are still vast opportunities that open up from the skills you learn. Your age brings experience and knowledge that you can teach to younger, inexperienced recruits. Furthermore, there is job security, as even with technological advancements, calisthenics remains human.
Is A Career In Calisthenics For You
Different lines of work have various involvement in calisthenics. Some roles, such as professional athletes, are fully invested, whereas a firefighter only spends a portion of their day training. The amount of calisthenics you want to integrate your career with will depend on what job you go into.
You must consider if you can put up with minor nuisances calisthenics can cause. For example calluses, muscle fatigue, or burning too many calories. While you overlook these when it’s a hobby, dealing with certain factors daily can become frustrating.
The benefits and drawbacks of a career in calisthenics are another way to determine if you want a career in calisthenics or not. For example, if you don’t like social interaction or prefer to sit during working hours, then calisthenics isn’t a great career choice for you. However, if the opposite excites you, you should consider calisthenics as a career route.
Lastly, you should acknowledge your current fitness level and knowledge. The majority of individuals who start calisthenics as a career have had a previous background in the activity. This is because it began as a hobby and developed into a line of work. Suppose you’ve never had an interest in fitness. In that case, picking a career in the industry is inadvisable as extensive knowledge, training, and research must be completed prior.
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