Because of the long periods spent at home, or because there is no time to go to the gym, many people today decide to work out at home.
Among the various types of training that can be followed, free body workouts are those that require more commitment, but limited expenses. That’s why ProduceShop has selected for you the best Tools for Calisthenics!
Of the various fitness disciplines in vogue at the moment, very few are as effective and practical as Calisthenics; exercises that use body weight and strength to train practical skills, muscle strength and to improve the musculoskeletal system as a whole.
If the use of tools for Calisthenics is reduced to a minimum, it is not completely absent, which is why, if you want to train at home, it is best to equip yourself with good calisthenics equipment.
The reason is simple: not everyone can go to the gym regularly.
Although it’s always better to rely on the advice of a professional personal trainer, nowadays it’s quite easy to find programs, apps and sites that can give you all the support you need to compile a practical and efficient workout schedule.
So what are we waiting for? Let’s find out what are the best tools for calisthenics at home!
A few facts about Calisthenics
This is a discipline of which is difficult to trace its history and path, unlike crossfit.
The name calisthenics comes from two Greek words: kalòs (beautiful) and sthenòs (strength); this is because the aim of this discipline is not only to train the muscles to increase performance in terms of strength and endurance. Central to calisthenics is also the assumption of a form that is ‘beautiful‘, i.e. elegant and disciplined; not only because the exercise is more pleasing to the eye but above all because, by getting used to assuming the best position during training, you will tend to avoid injuries and joint problems.
Based on the gymnastic training of the ancient Greeks (both professional athletes and soldiers), over the centuries it has borrowed practices and exercises from various disciplines; in the 1800s it began to become organised into different branches, until it was completely theorized in the 1990s and 2000s. Thanks to the Internet, it has quickly spread like wildfire. In addition to the numerous gyms, there are clubs and groups of professionals and amateurs who train together, thanks to the limited need for equipment and the easiness of performing in the open air.
What does the training consist of?
Strengthening the entire muscular system has a specific aim in calisthenics: to improve control over your body in order to perform each exercise and movement in a functional manner.
As it is a discipline that can be practiced by anyone, there are several levels of difficulty; the ideal is to start from a basic level and progress to a more complex one. A training session is normally divided into
- warm-up
- technical work
- strengthening work
- cool-down
Respecting the order of the phases, especially by preceding an adequate warm-up, is very important; the only real contraindication of calisthenics, in fact, is performing the exercises incorrectly and with cold muscles, risking strains and other annoying injuries. The most common exercises, which can be performed at different levels of difficulty, are
- pull-ups
- arm push-ups
- plank
- dips on parallel bars
- handstand and vertical exercises
- squats and pistol squats
- back e front lever
- muscle up
- abs of various kinds
The final target is to master the skills, i.e. a whole series of static and isometric exercises that athletes must perform to the best of their ability, respecting beauty in execution and demonstrating adequate strength and endurance.
Benefits of Calisthenics
As calisthenics is a discipline that involves all muscle groups, the benefits are equally distributed throughout the body. And that’s not all: by combining weight training with dumbbells we have a complete functional workout, which can go beyond the limits of the discipline itself and bring more benefits.
In addition to promoting a healthy lifestyle (something that ProduceShop has long set as its mission, among others), free body training has several extremely positive consequences
- increased coordination, control and balance skills
- improved flexibility and muscular mobility
- improved posture
- increase in muscle mass, strength and endurance
- reduction of problems and lower back pain
- harmonious development of the body
- increased energy consumption
- general improvement in athletic performance
What are the Best Tools for Calisthenics?
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Power Tower Multifunctional Fitness Station Home Gym Hannya
Since most calisthenics exercises are free-body exercises, having a complete structure to perform them is essential. On the Hannya power tower you can test yourself with pull-ups, squats, dip and more.
Power Tower Multifunction Home Gym Fitness Station Hannya -
Professional Wall Traction Bar Multi-socket Steel Scraper
One of the top products for calisthenics enthusiasts and beyond; the Scraper pull-up bar is a complete, easy-to-assemble, solid system. Made of metal, with an ergonomic handle for a perfect grip, it also has a ring for a punching bag; maybe after the strength training a couple of punches at the bag to release the tension, what do you think?
Professional Wall-Mounted Multi-Grip Steel Pull-Up Bar Scraper -
Kirin Screwless Pull Up Door Traction Bar
Many fitness enthusiasts are often faced with a lack of space per gli attrezzi da calisthenics; so ProduceShop brings you Kirin, the screwless pull-up bar. It’s easy to mount, anywhere: a door or jamb is all you need, and the press-fit tubular metal frame allows you to place it at the perfect height and store it after use.
Door Pull-Up Bar Without Screws Kirin -
Parallel Bars Training Station Calisthenics Fitness Crossift Yasuke
The endless training possibilities offered by a good pair of parallel bars is indispensable when when it comes to calisthenics, and the Yasuke is a perfect match. Made from solid steel, perfectly balanced for stability, they will allow you to improve your dips, squats and many other skills to the highest level.
Parallel Bars Training Station Calisthenics Fitness Crossift Yasuke -
Tengu Space-saving Adjustable Multifunctional Sit-Up Curved Abs Bench
Not all environments allow you to take advantage of adequate surfaces for a floor workout; the Tengu bench is the perfect compromise for those who want to take their abdominal exercises to their peak. Designed for various disciplines, we include it in this ranking because of the enormous contribution it can make to exercising your abs on a comfortable and functional support.
Multifunction Space-Saving Adjustable Curved Sit-Up Abdominal Bench Tengu -
Iron Kettlebell Weight 10 Kg Ball Handle Crossfit Fitness Kotaro
Moving into the domain of functional training, which integrates free-body exercises with the support of weights, we cannot ignore a useful tool like the kettlebell. Our Kotaro, available in a variety of weights, will be the ideal companion to give squat, lunges and other calisthenics exercises an extra boost.
Iron Kettlebell Weight 10 Kg Ball Handle Crossfit Fitness Kotaro -
Set Pair of 2 Hexagonal Crossfit Rubber And Steel Dumbbells 8 Kg Goemon
A pair of dumbbells like Goemon can only be a positive support for all workouts. Designed to give the ultimate in strength and power training, these solid steel dumbbells, available in different weights, are designed with hexagonal weights to act as small parallel bars; thanks to the ergonomic dumbbell, held on the ground they can be used as a support for squats and to vary exercises.
Set Pair of 2 Hexagonal Crossfit Rubber And Steel Dumbbells 8 Kg Goemon
Bonus History!
Do you know the name of any of the disciplines in which the brave soldiers of Sparta (and all of Ancient Greece) trained and competed?
We asked Fortu, our Copywriter and Literary Advisor, for some information.
Although calisthenics tools were practically unknown at the time, we have a couple of interesting ones to tell you about:
- pankration, a kind of fight in which the ultimate goal was to subdue the opponent by any means possible (from the Greek pan “all” and kratos “strength”, hence “omnipotence“)
- stadion, the classic circuit race. A peculiarity (perhaps uncomfortable today): they ran strictly naked and oiled!
- oplitodromìa, i.e. the “horse race in arms“: a sport for real tough guys, no doubt about it
- the pentathlon, which, like today, consisted of five (in Greek ‘pentes‘) different disciplines in a battery, as today, discus, javelin and shot put.
The patron saint of the athletes could only be the divine and very strong Hercules, of course!
Better not wait any longer then. Take a quick look through the ProduceShop catalogue, do a quick warm-up and put yourself to the test with the best Calisthenics equipment of the moment!
