{"id":2584,"date":"2024-01-19T12:30:57","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T12:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indoorcardiopro.com\/why-do-calisthenics-athletes-have-small-legs-explained\/"},"modified":"2024-01-20T04:16:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T04:16:17","slug":"why-do-calisthenics-athletes-have-small-legs-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indoorcardiopro.com\/why-do-calisthenics-athletes-have-small-legs-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Calisthenics Athletes Have Small Legs? (Explained)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calisthenics athletes can do amazing things with their bodies and often achieve perfect physiques with little to no body fat, but one question they’re frequently asked is why are they muscular everywhere else, but they still have small legs?<\/p>\n

There are a few possible answers to this question; it could be because they don’t concentrate so much on legs, their genetic build, or because calisthenics mainly focuses on body weight exercise, which has limited potential to build muscle bulk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this article, we’ll uncover the real reasons why calisthenics athletes often have smaller legs and show you how you can focus more on building leg muscle mass in your sessions.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9Calisthenics 101<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Calisthenics Uses Body Weight as Resistance<\/h2>\n

One of the main reasons why calisthenics athletes tend to have smaller legs is because calisthenics focuses on body weight exercise rather than using physical weights as resistance. However, weights are sometimes incorporated into workouts to enhance muscle building.<\/p>\n

When performing calisthenics on an athletic level, the most common form of workout is freestyle, also known as bar-flow or street calisthenics.<\/p>\n

Freestyle involves constant flow from one move to the next and often incorporates more complex movements like 360\u00ba or 180\u00ba spins, pull-overs, pull-ups, and muscle-ups.<\/p>\n

Because this kind of freestyle calisthenics activity focuses primarily on high-bar work, there is often limited opportunity to incorporate weights, especially those that can work the legs \u2014 although it’s not impossible.<\/p>\n

Even though there is excellent strengthening potential using body weight alone, it’s not always enough for those who want to build muscle mass.<\/p>\n

This can be especially true when building up the legs, and many people find that no matter how much body weight work they do (squats, lunges, etc.), they don’t see a visible improvement in muscle growth unless they incorporate weights.<\/p>\n

Freestyle Calisthenics Focuses on Upper-Body Strength<\/h2>\n

Because calisthenics athletes tend to focus on freestyle and especially moves on the high bar, optimum upper body strength is vital for them to perform at their best.<\/p>\n

This means they might focus more on strengthening the shoulders, arms, back, and core while neglecting the legs, which aren’t so crucial for the kind of moves they need to perform.<\/p>\n

Although they might neglect the legs a little, this doesn’t mean their legs aren’t strong; it just means they could be better because they’ve not strengthened them to their full potential.<\/p>\n

Weight Training Concentrates More on The Upper Body<\/h3>\n

If an athlete chooses to incorporate weights into their training (which many do), they often put more effort into bulking up the upper-body region to enhance their performance on the bars.<\/p>\n

Using weights to enhance the upper body is often considered easier than leg work, making it more tempting to skip leg days.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9Muscle and Strength<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not All Calisthenics Athletes Go to the Gym<\/h2>\n

Some might find this shocking, but not all calisthenic athletes go to the gym, or not a traditional gym anyway.<\/p>\n

Many athletes find street-style freestyle calisthenics more enjoyable and authentic, so they perform all their workouts on the bars and often at outdoor gyms, which are equipped with all the bars needed for a freestyle workout.<\/p>\n

This can limit access to equipment that can help strengthen the legs, like barbells, leg press, or leg curl machines.<\/p>\n

Although weights and machines like this aren’t traditionally used in calisthenics, they can be used in a separate gym session if you want to improve leg strength and muscle mass.<\/p>\n

Calisthenics Athletes Have Different Goals<\/h2>\n

As well as the fact that it’s harder to incorporate leg strengthening and weights into certain kinds of calisthenics, it\u2019s also dependent on the individual’s goals.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, what a calisthenics athlete decides to focus on is their choice and is usually based on what helps them perform at their absolute best.<\/p>\n

How big their legs look might not be important to them, or how they look might just be down to their build and genetics.<\/p>\n

If they focus on freestyle bar moves, their end goals likely concentrate less on legs and focus more on upper body strength and perfecting complex moves.<\/p>\n

When a person is in the public eye or participating in competitions, they’re often open to criticism of how they look, especially when it comes to muscle building and when their bodies are on full display.<\/p>\n

For someone to be considered an athlete, they need to be an expert in their area of sport, which would suggest they’re able to make the best decisions on what they need to focus on to be at the top of their game.<\/p>\n

So, maybe some calisthenics athletes just don’t care if their legs are smaller as long as they can perform to the best of their abilities.<\/p>\n

Genetics and Build<\/h2>\n

Some people find that however much they try to make their legs look bigger by using strength training, they just don’t change that much, which can be frustrating if you’re desperate to bulk up your legs.<\/p>\n

There can be many reasons for this, such as not doing the right kind of exercises or not doing them enough. Another reason could be genetics.<\/p>\n

Genetics can play an essential role in a person’s ability to build muscle, and it can also depend on certain factors such as height and build. For example, if someone is very tall and slender, it might be harder for them to build bulky leg muscles.<\/p>\n

It’s also thought that it can be harder to increase muscle strength in certain body areas, for example, calves are notoriously harder to build.<\/p>\n

Scientists have found several genes that impact muscle growth and the decline in muscle growth. However, a person’s genetic makeup cannot be determined without a DNA test, making it almost impossible to know if you can’t build muscle strength due to genetics or because of another reason.<\/p>\n

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Is Leg Strength Important in Calisthenics?<\/h2>\n

We’ve examined why calisthenics athletes have smaller legs, but is leg strength in calisthenics even that important? And should you feel guilty about skipping leg day?<\/p>\n

The answer is that leg strength is important in calisthenics because it can help optimize performance and balance, and it can also help prevent small legs if additional weight resistance is used.<\/p>\n

The list below shows the potential benefits you can see if you regularly work on strengthening your leg muscles, especially if you incorporate weight training:<\/p>\n