When most people take up the decision to start doing calisthenics, they usually believe that after a short period of time they will be met with nothing but gains in strength and size. While some people may have this experience, this is not a typical experience for most people.
In fact, the first year or so of training is more of a learning curb than anything else.
That being said, just because the first year is more of a learning curb than anything else, this certainly does not mean you cannot effectively maximize your training!
So, if you’re looking to train more effectively with calisthenics, I’m pleased to say that you’ve come to the right place!
Keep reading to find out more…
Focus on grip strength
The strength of your grip, some would say, is a true measure of your strength. It not only determines how much weight you can hold but how long you can hold it for and as you probably know, calisthenics is filled with various static holds that all require a strong grip.
As you can now see, having a strong grip is very important to help you train more effectively with calisthenics but how can you improve your grip strength?
If you believe you need to improve your grip strength, follow these steps. Firstly, with every exercise you do, ensure that you squeeze as hard as you can. Secondly, practice the dead hang method. Lastly, prioritize the static holds.
If you successfully manage to implement these strategies, over time, your grip strength will surely increase!
Prioritise your core muscles
When it comes to training specific muscles to improve your overall performance, nothing competes with training your core muscles! For those of you who don’t know, your core muscles are the centralized muscles in your body. They are primarily responsible for core bodily stability and strength.
Perhaps more than any other form of exercise, calisthenic exercises deliver a great deal of stress to the core muscles. This is why if you have a weak core and you want to start doing calisthenics, let’s just say that your first experience with this form of exercise is going to be rough…
To set yourself up for success, I would recommend basic but effective core-building exercises such as the plank, crunches, mountain climbers, and a hanging knee raise.
While there are certainly other exercises you can do to optimize your core strength, these ones are beginner-friendly and can be done anywhere. Master these exercises, strengthen up your core and then move on to the more advanced calisthenic movements!
Train more effectively with calisthenics using resistance bands!
Resistance bands are perhaps one of the most versatile and convenient pieces of gym equipment. They can be utilized practically anywhere and they can be transported anywhere too as they are simply bands!
Perhaps one of my favorite things about resistance bands is that they can be used to make almost any exercise harder or easier. Now, in terms of training more effectively for your calisthenics, well, how we decide to utilize the resistance bands would depend on your needs.
For example, if training more effectively means that you need to focus on executing proper form, then utilizing the resistance bands to make the exercise easier would be the preferred method.
On the other hand, if you simply need to up the intensity of your workouts, then it would seem using the resistance bands to make the exercise harder is the way to go.
All in all, if you’re worried about the effectiveness of your calisthenic workouts, consider throwing resistance bands into the mix!
Contract the positive, slow the negative!
What most people fail to do during their earlier years of training is focused on both the positive and negative portion of their reps. For those of you who are unaware, the positive part of the rep is when the contraction of any limb occurs during the movement. The negative part occurs when extension of the limb occurs.
At this point, you may be a bit confused as to why all of this would matter and that is perfectly reasonable.
Why the positive matters
Contracting the positive matters for mainly one reason, it helps to build a strong mind-muscle connection. The mind-muscle connection is important because it helps to bridge the gap between yourself and any lacking muscle groups.
Essentially, this helps you to experience a far more effective workout than ever before in terms of soreness and pump.
Why the negative matters
The negative repetition, as mentioned earlier, occurs during the lengthening portion of the movement; for example, the lowering of a pull-up, the flattening of a sit up and/or the lengthening of your chest on the downward motion of a push-up.
Now, this lengthening motion occurring in the muscle combined with the added bodyweight resistance causes a stretch on the muscle. This stretch, if applied correctly causes micro-tears in the muscle which causes them to grow.
Overall, when you combine both a strong positive and a slow negative, you essentially end up with a more effective workload!
Train more effectively with calisthenics summerized
As you now know, focusing on developing both a solid core and grip strength is extremely vital if you want to thrive in the world of calisthenics. Alongside this information, you will also have learned about the most convenient and easy-to-use gym equipment known as resistance bands!
You will not only understand why they are so effective but specifically how to apply them to your workouts to maximize their effectiveness.
Lastly, you will have also been met with a double-barreled training method to further enhance the effectiveness of your workouts. With each method extremely easy to apply, you can rest assured that you will see results in no time!
If you have been struggling to get an effective workout in for a while now, you should no longer have this issue as you now possess the means to help eliminate yourself of this problem.