Beginning a new fitness program can be a daunting task at first. Whether you are sizing up how you will be approaching a new regiment or simply trying to find out which exercises are going to work best for you, the question of which will be the best fit is always a difficult one to ask.

Here are the best calisthenic programs available to you:

1. Cali Move
2. Vahava Fitness – Warrior 20XX
3. Bar Brothers
4. Fit Bod
5. The Movement Athlete

Thankfully within this article, we will be going over which programs can work best for you, considering time, effort, whether or not you are a beginner, and more!

It is worth noting that everyone’s bodies are different and require a balanced diet to supplement your investments in exercises to truly see progress. So, be sure to consider that as you begin.

Is Calisthenics Worth It?

An excellent question to be sure, and to put it bluntly, yes, calisthenics is worth it, for quite a few reasons too! The first of those reasons is the incredible coordination, endurance, strength, and general body control that come with doing them.

Calisthenics allows you to gain gradual mastery over your body by utilizing very minimal equipment to strengthen large muscle groups, primarily with just your body’s emotional weight.

Best Calisthenic Programs

Now that we’ve established it’s worth the time invested, let us do some digging and find out which calisthenics programs have the best chance of fitting into your lifestyle!

While we break down the best programs, we will be going over general prices of the programs, how long the programs typically last, and which parts of your body they will target specifically (assuming the program has focused portion calisthenics, of course!).

1. Cali Move

© Calisthenicmovement on Youtube

Putting your best foot forward in your workout is always a smart move, and doing so with picking a workout program is no different! Cali Move is one of the most celebrated calisthenics programs available, and with good reason too.

Cali Move supports an extremely beginner-friendly base but is flexible enough to fit into the more advanced levels. With workouts ranging from your traditional pushups and pullups into the more intricate and diverse handstand and handstand pushups, it’s easy to understand how a program like this could be endorsed by so many.

The average cost of getting into this program is roughly $59. Still, it is advertised with monthly payments starting at $4 a month, so you aren’t going to be breaking the bank to get fit using Cali Move either!

Cali Move supports multiple fitness courses on its website. Still, there is one note called the “eight-week all-around mobility introductory course.”

In this, you will find your most straightforward starting point to build a foundation on the rest of what they offer.

2. Vahava Fitness – Warrior 20XX

Vahava takes a much more direct approach. In place of a comprehensive course that can fit any beginner’s needs, Vahava fitness has four innate levels: 

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• The elite

Within these, there are scaling difficulties and exercises that will push your body to its limits.

Vahava functions in three traditional workout methods, dumbbells, body weight, and kettlebell exercises. These exercises include warm-ups, cooldowns, and breathing techniques.

The methods this program provides are to help you make sure you are getting the most efficiency out of your efforts and know-how to keep the pace going and finish strong.

In terms of overall pricing, you’d be looking at spending 97$ for their entire warrior program. While it isn’t nearly as endorsed or even glamorous with the moves they make use of, the progress will be undeniable.

The only downside to going with Vahava Fitness would be that they do not focus exclusively on calisthenics, obviously with the use of kettle and dumbbells.

3. Bar Brothers

Thus enter’s the Bar Brothers or, more importantly, their shining achievement to date the workout program called “The System.”

Their regiment is primarily geared at newcomers to get your foothold in the world of calisthenics and does so by giving you all the information you require to begin with a reasonably detailed video-based layout.

“The System” workout is typically priced at about $47. Still, discounts or other referral codes could allow it to cost less, and for the price, you are getting a decent amount of guidance.

The entire program lasts for three months, and the only fundamental requirements you need to begin are a dip bar and a pull-up bar, and you are off to the races.

You will gain access to 17 lessons in video format that are complemented with some PDFs that will allow you to organize everything with calendars and schedules to make the most of your time.

Detailed in the videos, you learn about several things:

• The time you need to recover
• Basics on nutrition
• Healthy nutritional options to enhance your efforts
• Psychology on better motivating yourself
• Staying focused on your goals

The only downsides to be found with the bar brothers program would be that for the money invested. You could probably do some digging and get something of a bit better quality, especially in terms of the videos themselves, and have a program that can grow with you.

If you are not a beginner, this probably won’t be the smartest choice for you unless you want to hammer out the basics again, and again, this is primarily video-focused.

4. Fit Bod

https://youtu.be/Jg8TSiTc538

© Fitbod App on Youtube

Fitbod differs dramatically from what we’ve got listed so far in the fact that it’s a mobile app/program. Due to this, it’s highly self-motivated and allows you to hold yourself accountable at all times.

The workout itself is $45 with a promo code. It focuses on all muscle groups with a staggering amount of exercises available to you and a difficulty scaling that can fit beginners and experts alike.

Fitbod is not strictly specializing in calisthenics, so that initial investment can get more value out of it depending on how you intend to use the program itself.

The program allows for a detailed breakdown of how you are progressing and shows in-depth how you are moving and an accurate display of resting and toggling between weight training and bodyweight-based exercises.

As for the negatives here, it is a mobile app, so if you want something a bit more engaging or interactive, you will need to look elsewhere.

This is especially true if you are the kind of person who needs a lot of motivation and struggles with accountability in your workouts, or simply needs a bit more guidance to make it through your training, this will not be the program for you.

5. The Movement Athlete

The movement athlete offers a program that breaks the mold of having a limited timeline to complete what it provides and gravitates more towards a self-paced narrative. Now, this can be a bonus to some people but as a primary workout.

That being said, the program itself promotes, as the name suggests, exceptional mobility and movement with your traditional calisthenic training exercises. Couple this with the stylish moves you can learn throughout the course, and you can begin to see how it’s gained popularity as of late.

Another unique aspect of this program lies in its ability to promote weight loss and gain agility while you are at it. This can be especially useful for those who have two left feet regardless of how much weight we lose!

One of the best aspects of this is that it comes with a 60 days money-back guarantee, so if you find the program just isn’t for you, you can jump off the bandwagon with no loss to you financially. Still, you will probably be missing out on learning how to do cool one-handed splits.

Is Calisthenics Better Than A Gym?

Now that we have some robust program options, let’s address the elephant in the room with the question above. The answer to that depends entirely on what your goals for fitness are. 

Suppose you are looking to lose some weight and get more in tune with how your body moves, learn nutrition, and get started on a journey to become fit.

In that case, calisthenics is the stronger pick, primarily because it focuses on weight loss. You will burn more calories using calisthenics workouts than bodybuilding ones.

Alternatively, if you are already in good shape but are looking to put on some muscle mass and generally gain strength, then going to a gym and using specialized equipment to target particular portions of your body, then a gym-based workout is more your speed.

Benefits Of Calisthenics

As we approach the end of things, let’s touch base on some of the primary reasons someone would want to do calisthenics in the first place. We also want to speak on some of the shining benefits of adding calisthenics to your workouts you can receive.

1. No Equipment Required

Calisthenics uses what you already have, your body, and more importantly, the weight you are at defines the workout you will receive.

Because of this, there is a myriad of different positions and techniques you can make use of that require no equipment at all, ranging from pushups, pullups, crunches, and lunges.

There are many workouts you can utilize to get yourself in shape without spending more than the base amount on a solid program for guidance.

2. Your Muscle Builds Drastically

Thanks to the extreme amount of effort it takes to do calisthenics, you are burning a high amount of calories, shaping and sculpting muscles at an excellent pace due to constantly having to move your body.

An addition with that, you will be focused on getting hypertrophy that can utilize calisthenics almost exclusively to build muscle. However, some muscle groups will always require “the right tool for the right job.”

3. You’ll Move Better

The ideology that you are training your body extensively lends credit to the understanding that you will be more dexterous and move more swiftly by association. As you spend time learning how your body works, what your limits are, and how to make the most of every movement, you will get better at moving more efficiently and staving off stiff joints and stagnation.

4. You’ll Be More Gentle On Joints & Connective Tissue

As you continue your journey in calisthenics, you will also obtain more substantial mastery over how you move in a casual sense. The endurance you gain from having a calisthenics-based lifestyle will allow you to know how to be gentler on your body during recovery phases and in daily life.

5. Improves Brain & Body Connection

Seeing as calisthenics is all about using your body as a tool to keep yourself healthy, you gain a massive understanding of yourself through your limits. The psychological side of fighting through your workouts and pushing yourself will allow you to become more at one with yourself through the same endeavor.

Conclusion

Choosing a calisthenics program that works for you is but a step in the road on your journey to calisthenics mastery. Still, you will always have a beginning regardless of where you start. With any luck, yours will be one made with a strong foundation, thanks to the information provided here!