Is Calisthenics A Sport
With the 2008 YouTube popularization of calisthenics, everyone wants to know more about the activity. But, most are left confused about where it fits in the world of fitness. Is it a sport, a hobby, or just another gym-term?
To answer if calisthenics is a sport, no, it’s not. Calisthenics refers to all bodyweight exercises – such as pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. Like the name suggests, calisthenics is a type of exercise, not a sport. Think of it in the same way you consider weight training, circuit training, or HITT exercise.
When somebody says “I’m about to train calisthenics” it implies they’re going to exercise using their body weight. This is usually in their home, calisthenics park, or gym. They aren’t referring to the idea of them going to play sports or compete.
In the same context, you wouldn’t put Floyd Mayweather and a calisthenics athlete together. Put simply, calisthenics is a training method. It’s heavily used by athletes to build strength/ cut weight for their sport (such as swimming, boxing, or gymnastics) but, alone, it’s not a sport.
The misconception why many think it’s a sport are:
- It’s competitive nature and ease of comparing ability.
- Participants are extremely physically-able.
- It involves a degree of art and creativity.
What Is Calisthenics Classed As
If you’re new to calisthenics, its position in the fitness industry goes deeper than the way you train.
Yes, on the surface, calisthenics is a bodyweight training method, but due to the passionate community and ease of comparing ability, it’s become something more. To calisthenics participants, they deem it more of an activity. This is because it combines physical activity with socializing, events, and challenges.
So what’s a name you would classify calisthenics at?
Yes, it’s a training method, activity, and bodyweight exercise; but these still don’t justify its exercise principles enough. The best way to classify calisthenics is as a street workout – similar to those of parkour, stunt scootering, or skateboarding.
Its core value is using your body weight as a display of strength. However, the community developed it. Going to a calisthenics park isn’t just about the workout anymore. Many look forward to listening to music on a speaker, getting to know other calisthenics athletes, and learning new statics and techniques.
We wouldn’t class a calisthenics park in the same bracket you would a traditional gym. It’s closer to skateparks, climbing walls, and parkour gyms.
Apart from it mainly being classed as a street workout, there are other similarities calisthenics crosses over in, for example:
- Strength/ Resistance Training.
- Anaerobic Training.
- Mobility And Flexibility Training.
- Coordination and Balance Training.
- Endurance Training.
Is Calisthenics In The Olympics
Does calisthenics have its own competition in the Olympics? No. Is calisthenics involved in the Olympics? Yes.
At present, calisthenics isn’t in the Olympics. There is no sport that judges/ scores calisthenics ability directly; however, the fundamentals of current Olympic games (such as gymnastics and sport climbing) rely on having an excellent calisthenics ability.
Gymnastics and calisthenics are thought of very closely. In fact, some people think calisthenics is an Olympic sport because they get the two mixed up. Despite their similarities, this is far from true. Gymnastics focuses on the neatness of bodyweight movements, whereas calisthenics focuses on showing strength.
Will calisthenics ever enter the Olympics?
Never say never, but it’s unlikely. The Olympic Charter indicates that in order to be accepted, “a sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents.” Since we established calisthenics isn’t a ‘sport’ but a training method its application to the Olympics fails from a technicality!
So, tough luck. If you can’t compete in the Olympics why bother? Well, apart from the enormous physical benefits, private calisthenics competitions have become more and more popular.
Ninja Warrior, King Of The Bar, and the WSWCF world championships are some of the most well-known calisthenics competitions. Successful candidates are calisthenics experts who dedicate their lives to the activity. If you want to compete, they’re definitely worth looking into.
What Do You Call A Calisthenics Athlete
Body lifters, calisthenicists, or bodyweighters – the name given to athletes are endless. Which is appropriate? More to the point, which is better?
Despite many sports having their own label for participants, we call someone who trains in calisthenics a “calisthenics athlete.” No cool nicknames, abbreviations, or sleeker terms – just straight to the point.
Some people love it, others hate it. But, do we really need one? In our opinion, no. It’s just another unnecessary label. We are confident in saying, “We are calisthenics athletes” when someone asks. The term already floats around the fitness industry, so why change what isn’t broken?
Recognition, respect, and identity. Some individuals believe an established name for calisthenics athletes will shine these attributes on the activity. While it might make people more curious, do you think a name makes a change this significant?
Is Calisthenics Aerobic Or Anaerobic
Differentiating whether your movements are aerobic or anaerobic is key to achieving your fitness goals. So, by training calisthenics which threshold are you in?
Calisthenics is predominately anaerobic exercise. Movements performed on a pull-up bar, dip bars, or using your body weight require you to be explosive and powerful. So, your body demands lots of energy in a small space of time. As a result, each session tends to be short, but intense, leading to you catching a sweat and burning glucose.
Star jumps, handstand press-ups, muscle-ups: they all push your body to its limits, which is what calisthenics was intended to be like. These exercises (and the rest) require an immense amount of relative strength, a pillar of the activity, and something you can only gain through anaerobic exercise.
Without entering the anaerobic threshold, it’s near-impossible to learn calisthenics fundamentals. However, we know not everyone wants to do this. Some individuals prefer slow, relaxed bodyweight exercises…
The beauty of calisthenics is if your goal is to focus on aerobic training, you can make adjustments. For example:
- Swap exercises for less effortful ones, such as box jumps for step-ups.
- Proportion your workout to dominate the mobility and flexibility side of calisthenics.
- Focus on exercises that push you for time, rather than reps. For example, wall sits.
Is Calisthenics Endurance Or Strength Training
Lastly, we take a look at what calisthenics does for you. Let’s say you’ve trained calisthenics for a few months, which fitness components will progress?
Calisthenics is both endurance and strength training, specifically, muscular endurance and relative strength. It uses your body weight as resistance and uses statics (like the frog stand) to condition muscle fibers. Most exercises blend both components together; however, depending on your fitness goals you can tailor your workout to prioritize a specific component.
In a standard calisthenics workout, you train a range of statics, explosive movements, and techniques; so, both your fast and slow twitch muscle fibers activate. In this case, both components of fitness improve.
Nonetheless, not everyone wants this. Some athletes want to focus on a single component, in which case:
- A calisthenics workout engages muscular endurance more when you focus on timed bodyweight exercises. For example dead hangs, wall sits, or planks. There won’t be an eccentric or concentric movement – just holding your body weight.
- To focus on relative strength, focus on isolating and overloading certain muscle groups. For example, pistol squats, triangle push-ups, or the ab-roller. To maximize gains, take the negative movement slowly to increase time under tension.
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