Ultimate Calisthenics Workout Plan with PDF (2024)

If you are looking for a calisthenics workout plan that is both challenging and fun, then you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve designed a couple of weekly calisthenics workout routines in this article that will develop your muscular strength, build lean mass, improve balance and flexibility, and help you achieve a better shape.

If you’re a beginner, you can download the first calisthenics workout plan PDF. And if you’re an intermediate, you can download the second one.

But before you download any program, let’s find see why you should do calisthenics and the results you can expect from it.

Contents show

Why Should You Do Calisthenics Workout?

Ultimate Calisthenics Workout Plan with PDF (1)

Calisthenics exercises are fun, challenging, efficient, and adaptable.

Who Can Do This Calisthenics Workout Plan?

You can follow this program if you want to

Improve your flexibility, muscle coordination, strength, balance, and body composition.
Perform bodyweight exercises with little or no equipment.
Burn a good number of calories and increase fat loss.

You shouldn’t do

If you have any health issues, such as injuries.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you want to beef up muscle mass like a bodybuilder or gain ultimate strength like a powerlifter.

Beginner Calisthenics Workout Plan (Weekly Routine)

Ultimate Calisthenics Workout Plan with PDF (2)

This routine will help you build strong, toned muscles and improve your overall strength and fitness level. You’ll be able to perform more difficult calisthenic exercises as well as pull-ups, push-ups, and dips with ease.

Brief info about the workout:

Training Frequency a week– 4 days
Daily workout duration– 30 to 45 minutes
Interval time between sets– 45 seconds to 2 minutes
Way to perform exercises: Complete all sets of one exercise before moving on to another.
Expected program duration: 12-16 weeks
Warm-up: It’s best to perform warm-up exercises for 5 minutes before starting bodyweight strength training.

Schedule

Monday – Push Workout and Legs

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Hindu Pushups	Upper Body	10 x 2
Bench Dips	Chest and Triceps	10 x 2
Triangle Pushup	Triceps and Chest	10 x 2
Lateral Lunges	Shoulder and Triceps	5/side x 2
Shoulder Taps	Upper Body	10 x 2
Inchworm	Full Body	10-sec x 2
Drop Squat	Legs	10 x 2
Standing Calf Raise	Calves	10 x 2

Tuesday – Back, Biceps, Core, Hamstrings, and Glutes

Inverted Row	Back and Biceps	8 x 2
Superman Pull	Back	AMRAP
Floor IYT Raises	Back and Rear Delt	8 x 2
Chin-ups	Biceps and Back	8 x 2
Single-leg Ham Bridge	Hamstring	10/side x 2
Glute Kickback	Glute	10/side x 2
Plank	Core	45-sec x 2
Side Plank	Core	20-sec/side x 2
Reverse Crunches	Core	10 x 2

Thursday –Chest, Shoulder, Triceps, Quadriceps, and Calves

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Incline Pushup	Chest	10 x 2
Standard Push-Ups	Triceps and Chest	10 x 2
Kneeling Pike Pushups	Shoulder and Triceps	6 x 2
Plank to Tricep Extension	Tricep	10 x 2
Bench Dips	Triceps	10 x 2
Step-up	Quads & Glutes	15 x 2
Reverse Lunge	Quads and Hams	10 x 2
Calf Raises	Calves	10 x 2

Friday –Back, Biceps, Core, Hamstrings, and Glutes

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Chinups	Back and Biceps	AMRAP
Bear Crawl	Upper Body
Assisted Pullups	Back and Biceps	AMRAP
Floor IYT Raises	Back and Rear Delt	10 x 3
Superman Pull	Back	10 x 2
Single-Leg Bridge	Hamstring	10/side x 2
Glute Kickback	Glute	10/side x 2
10-min Abs Workout	Core	–

Beginner Calisthenics Workout Plan PDF

Beginner-Calisthenics-Workout-Routine-PDFDownload

Calisthenics Workout Program For Intermediate

Ultimate Calisthenics Workout Plan with PDF (3)

Details about the workout:

Training Frequency a week– 5 days
Daily workout duration– 30 to 45 minutes
Interval time between sets– 45 seconds to 2 minutes
Way to perform exercises: Perform exercises in a circuit or individually.
Expected program duration: 12-16 weeks
Warm-up: It’s best to perform warm-up exercises for 5 minutes before starting bodyweight strength training.

Schedule:

Monday –Chest, Shoulder, Triceps, Quadriceps, and Calves
Tuesday –Back, Biceps, Core, Hamstrings, and Glutes
Wednesday –Full Body
Thursday –Rest
Friday –Chest, Shoulder, Triceps, Quadriceps, and Calves
Saturday –Back, Biceps, Core, Hamstrings, and Glutes
Sunday –Rest

Monday – Chest, Shoulder, Triceps, Quadriceps, and Calves

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Hindu Pushups	Upper Body	10 x 2
Standard Pushup	Chest	10 x 2
Bar Dips	Triceps and Chest	10 x 3
Pike Push-Ups	Shoulder and Triceps	10 x 3
Bench Dips	Triceps	10 x 2
Cursty Lunges	Quads	10 x 2
Standard Squat	Quads	15 x 2
Step-up	Quads and Hams	10 x 2
Standing Calf Raises	Calves	15 x 2

Tuesday –Back, Biceps, Core, Hamstrings, and Glutes

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Pullups	Back and Biceps	10 x 3
Inverted Row	Back and Biceps	10 x 3
Chinups	Biceps and Back	10 x 3
45-Degree Hip Extension	Hamstring	10 x 3
Single-Leg RDL	Hamstring and Glute	10 x 2
Glutes Bridge	Glute	10 x 2
15-minute Core Workout	Core	–

Wednesday –Full Body

5-minutes Warm-up

Exercise	Activity
Jumping Jacks	15-sec
High knees	30-sec
Mountain Climber	20-sec
Burpees	10 reps
Shoulder Tap	10 taps/side
Jump Squat	10 reps

30-minute Strength Workout

Exercise	Reps
Lateral Squat	10 x 2
Wide Arm Pushup	10 x 2
Bar Dips	15 x 2
Bulgarian Split Squat	10/side
Pike Pushup	10 x 2
Back and Forth Lunges	10/side
Pullup	15 x 2
Pistol Squat	10/side
Floor IYT Raises	8 x 2
Chinups	15 x 2
Hanging Leg Raise	10 x 2
Plank	1-2 min

10-min Cool Down Stretching

Exercise	Activity
Bird Dog Pose	10-sec/side x 2
Downward Facing Dog	30-sec x 2
Upward Facing Dog	30-sec x 2
Seated Bend Forward	30-sec x 2
Standing Bend Forward	30-sec x 2

Friday – Chest, Shoulder, Triceps, Quadriceps, and Calves

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Archer Pushup	Chest and Triceps	20 x 2
Narrow Grip Pushup	Chest and Triceps	20 x 2
Wall Handstand Push-ups	Shoulder and Triceps	10 x 2
Bench Dips	Triceps	10 x 2
Dive Bomber Push-ups	Shoulder and Chest	10 x 2
Sumo Squat	Quads	20 x 2
Jumping Split Squat	Quads	15 x 2
Lateral Lunges	Quads and Hams	10 x 2
Standing Calf Raises	Calves	10 x 2

Saturday –Back, Biceps, Core, Hamstrings, and Glutes

Exercise	Muscles Worked	Reps
Superman Pull	Back
Pullups	Back and Biceps	10 x 3
Inverted Row	Back and Biceps	10 x 3
Elevated Inverted Rows	Back and Rear Delt	10 x 3
Chinups	Biceps and Back	10 x 3
Archer Squats	Legs	10 x 3
Lunges to Single Leg RDL	Legs	10 x 2
Sissy Squats	Legs	10 x 2
20-min Core Workout	Core	–

Calisthenics Workout Plan Intermediate PDF

Calisthenics-Workout-Plan-Intermediate-PDFDownload

Final Words

Calisthenics is an excellent bodyweight training program that helps improve posture, strength, and body composition without the use of any major training equipment.¹ The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition – Isokinetics and Exercise Science

It is a great way to achieve overall fitness, but you need a well-designed and effective workout program.

A good calisthenics workout program helps you work out efficiently and yield maximum results.

That’s why I’ve shared two workout routines in this article, one for beginners and one for intermediate.

So if you’re starting out, follow the first one and if you’ve been working out for a while, follow the latter.

You can also make changes depending on your goal and fitness level. For example, increase or decrease the number of sets, repetitions, interval time between sets, and the number of exercises.

Download the updated PDF

Beginner

Intermediate

References

1

The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition – Isokinetics and Exercise Science

Ultimate Calisthenics Workout Plan with PDF (2024)

FAQs

Does the 28 day calisthenics challenge actually work? ›

Yes, a 28-day calisthenics workout plan works as it's designed to challenge your body in a holistic way. The exercises in this program are carefully chosen to target all major muscle groups and improve overall fitness.

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Is 20 minutes of calisthenics enough? ›

A 20-minute calisthenics workout is enough to build muscle and strength.

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What's the hardest calisthenics skill? ›

Here are the TEN MOST IMPOSSIBLE CALISTHENICS EXERCISES EVER!

One-handed Superman Push-up.
90-degree Push-up.
2-finger Push-up.
The Human Flag.
Nakayama Planche.
Manna.
One finger pull up.
One-arm handstand on pole.

More items...

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How many exercises should be in a calisthenics workout? ›

The number of exercises per session will be 6-9, 18-24 total sets. The number of repetitions per set will be from 12 to 6, starting the first week from 12 and going progressively towards 6. In this way in the weeks will decrease the volume in favor of greater intensity. The recovery between sets will be 2-5 minutes.

Get More Info Here ›

Can you get ripped off just calisthenics? ›

That's not to say that you can't or won't build muscle with calisthenics, you absolutely can and will, but working out with weights will make it easier for you to isolate and target specific muscle groups.

Read The Full Story ›

Can you get ripped with just calisthenics? ›

Yes definitely body weight exercises plus proper nutrition will definitely get you ripped if you are not trying to get super muscular which will require weights. For workouts you can definitely use calisthenics alone to build muscles especially if you are new.

Is calisthenics 3x a week enough? ›

'If you are a beginner with little to no training, then 2-3 times per week will be a great start to build strength with adequate recovery. Those who are experienced then you can do calisthenics workouts up to 4-5 times per week.

Is it OK to do calisthenics 5 days a week? ›

If you're serious about getting strong and flexible, you should try to fit in calisthenics at least 5 days per week. I hope showing you my realistic week of workouts, and my methodology behind summer training makes you feel inspired and motivated.

Learn More Now ›

Is 1 hour of calisthenics enough? ›

Including a proper warm-up and stretch, a callisthenics workout can last between 30 minutes and one hour. It's the same as other types of training: the benefits could be lost if longer than an hour, and you might not stress your body into adaptation if too short.

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Which is harder CrossFit or calisthenics? ›

Calisthenics, with its emphasis on compound exercises, teaches your body to work as a unified whole. In CrossFit, it's more challenging to pursue personal goals. Typically, the WODs (Workouts of the Day) are planned by the trainer, putting your training and progress entirely in their hands.

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What is better than calisthenics? ›

Generally speaking, strength training with weights is more effective in terms of muscle building. The reason is simply that the dumbbells offer more room to move upwards, so progress is faster. To explain, in calisthenics, your own body weight is the maximum resistance.

Who is the strongest calisthenics guy? ›

Vadym Oleynik calls himself the strongest calisthenics athlete in the world, and he's a sought-after coach and judge as well as holding several world championship titles. His feats of strength include incredible weighted muscle-ups that blend calisthenics with sheer strength sports.

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What are the best reps for calisthenics? ›

Sets: Aim for 3-5 sets per exercise.
Reps: Aim for around 6-12 reps per set. This rep range is generally considered ideal for hypertrophy.
Rest between sets: Rest for about 60-90 seconds between sets. This allows enough recovery for the muscles without letting them cool down too much.

Jul 31, 2023

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Should I bulk if I only do calisthenics? ›

Calisthenics is amazing for building functional, full-body muscle but there is a limit to the amount of sheer mass you can gain with calisthenics. Calisthenics will build as much muscle as free weights to a point, but if you want to push past that point then you'll need to train (and eat) like a bodybuilder.

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What muscles are most important for calisthenics? ›

You can't put an effective calisthenics workout plan together without the major muscle groups. This includes the back, chest, arms, shoulders, legs and core, according to Carracino. Once the gang's all there, you can practically feel the results roll in.

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Is the 28 day wall Pilates challenge any good? ›

"It's incredibly effective for the body and mind," shares Buttler. One of the biggest benefits of this particular challenge is that it'll help to build a sense of consistency and commitment to your workout routine.

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Is the 28 day Pilates Challenge any good? ›

On the pros of the challenge, Buttler told the magazine: "It's incredibly effective for the body and mind. Seeing a challenge as long as 28 days through can give you a huge sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue to keep moving your body in a healthy and loving way."

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Can you transform your body in 28 days? ›

You will be stronger than when you started

The fact that you can totally remake your body in as little as 28 days is enough motivation to keep your results going through the next coming months. Once you're stronger and more fit, you'll feel so good you won't want to quit.

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Do the 30-day workout challenges work? ›

A 30-day challenge alone isn't enough to see changes that will last for the rest of your life. In fact, research suggests it takes an average of 66 days for a new behaviour to become an ingrained habit. However, it can provide a stepping stone to making healthier lifestyle choices and a foundation for improved fitness.

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