Beginner Calisthenics Workout Plan + Free PDF [No Equipment] - Bodyweight Training Academy (2024)

With calisthenics, we are able to use our own bodyweight as resistance in order to build muscle, making it a great option for those who want to stay fit but don’t have access to a gym or gym equipment.

However, many beginners still do struggle to workout when having limited or no equipment.

So because of that, we decided to create a complete beginner calisthenics workout plan that gives you different options, whether you only have a pull up bar, rings, or no equipment at all.

Table of Contents

This workout plan is designed to stimulate muscle growth even if you’re a complete beginner. It will help you build muscle, strength, and start mastering the basics of calisthenics.

This calisthenics workout plan was designed with beginners in mind, with a few options for each exercise in the workout that you can choose from to fit your level.

This will include exercises that will require no equipment and a couple options in case you have a pull up bar or gymnastic rings (NOT necessary).

This workout plan is for you if:

• You're looking to build muscle efficiently with calisthenics
• You're a beginner wanting to start on the right track
• You want to include bodybuilding into your calisthenics training
• You have no equipment, but want to have a highly effective workout
• OR you want to see the best results with just a pull up bar or gymnastic rings

Which people have the biggest muscles in the world?

Bodybuilders.

So, if you want to build the most amount of muscle, EVEN with calisthenics, you must still apply bodybuilding principles into your training. So, we created this workout to do just that.

Here’s how it works:

Make sure to follow this calisthenics workout plan with a “Sets & Reps” structure. When do you ever see bodybuilders running around doing circuit for muscle growth? Almost NEVER! And there’s a reason for that.

Sets and reps are better for muscle growth; and this is simply because you allow your muscles to rest and push harder in each set instead of accumulating fatigue or tiring out your cardiovascular system. Therefore, you can use harder exercises, move through progressions faster, and stimulate more growth.

In each exercise you should aim to do about 6-12 reps in each set. You will have 3 exercise levels for each muscle group and a target amount of reps. Simply choose ONE exercise variation that you can do for 6-12 reps and do it for each set.

If you can do less than 6, then choose the the easier variation, if you can do more than 12, than choose the harder variation. Of course you can choose a variation that is not provided, if you’d like, if it fits your level.

As mentioned in our last article, you need adequate recovery; and a proper workout schedule will allow a good amount of recovery and growth. In this workout, you will have a total of 3 days of working out and 4 days of rest in the week.

Why full body? As a beginner, your body will be able to adapt faster with lower amount of volume. So, we can have less volume for each muscle group in each full body workout, but we can do it 3 times per weeks as apposed to hitting each muscle group 1-2 times per week like in most other workouts.

The key is to leave skip a day between workouts; and after 3 workouts, you skip 2 days. Then repeat the routine each week until you’re ready to move up to a harder workout level, aka you’ve leveled up to a “beginner-intermediate.”

Here are a couple examples of how that looks.

Look, I know this one can become very repetitive.

It extremely IMPORTANT to maintain perfect form when doing your exercises, specially as a beginner. This will allow you to BUILD MUSCLE FASTER by helping you target your muscles properly and avoid injuries (meaning you can stay consistent long term).

Using perfect form can even help you “lift more weight” aka move through harder progressions faster or go up in weight if you decide to lift weights along with your calisthenics training later on.

It can also help improve balance and stability, which are important for overall fitness and athleticism, as well as maintaining proper alignment of the spine and joints, which can help to prevent pain and injury (as said before).

A proper warm up is crucial before working out, specially for your joint when doing calisthenics as it helps prepare your body for the workout ahead as well as maximize the amount of force you perform with.

Warming up increases blood flow to the muscles, which helps bring nutrients to your muscles and helps them use energy more efficiently and effectively. It also helps alleviate tightness, allowing you to perform with a better range of motion, which will help you perform exercises with better form and maximize results.

A proper warm up should include a combination of light cardio and dynamic stretching, focusing on the specific muscles and joints you will be working during your calisthenics workout. Not warming up properly can lead to muscle strains, pulls or tears and decrease the intensity and effectiveness of your workout.

Here’s an example of a 7-8 minute warm up for this calisthenics workout (will also be included in the PDF download below).

• Light Jog - 5 Minute
• Arm Circles - 15 Reps (Forward + Backwards)
• Wrist Rotations - 30 Second (Clockwise + Counterclockwise)
• Shoulder Taps - 15 Seconds
• High Knees - 30 Seconds
• Bent Over Reverse Flyes - 15 Reps