4 Reasons why you should do Freestyle Calisthenics

If your goal is to integrate statics and dynamics into your training, freestyle calisthenics is the right place for you. In freestyle calisthenics, there is no end to an athlete's creativity. It is about combining different skills in the area of statics and dynamics. Many athletes create their own style and use different variations of skills, which results in new combinations.

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Aug 31, 20210 comments

4 Reasons why you should do Freestyle Calisthenics

In freestyle calisthenics, there is no end to an athlete's creativity. It is about combining different skills in the area of statics and dynamics. Many athletes create their own style and use different variations of skills, which results in new combinations. It is of great advantage to have built up a solid base of strength beforehand, as many skills require a lot of strength.

Good agility is also a big advantage, as it makes dynamic skills like 360, shrimp flip or geinger much easier to learn.

Once you have mastered the basics and don't feel the need to continue focusing on them, you can move on to the skills. It is important not to completely neglect the basics. Continue to build training days with basics into your workouts to keep your joints healthy and strong. Besides freestyle, there is also the area of statics, which is about mastering any kind of strength moves. The dynamics section is completely omitted in this case.
If your goal is to integrate statics and dynamics into your training, freestyle calisthenics is the right place for you.
To get a better idea of what is possible in freestyle calisthenics, you can watch this short video:

Now let's get to 4 reasons why you should start doing freestyle calisthenics.

1. Reason: Master your body

Freestyle calisthenics requires not only strength, but also endurance, agility, balance and lots of perseverance. You don't have to be the best in all areas. You can set the focus in those areas, which you like most. However, it's a great benefit that you can improve in many areas at once and get many steps closer to mastering your body.

2. Reason: Breaking boundaries & overcoming fear

Especially the dynamic part of freestyle calisthenics requires a lot of overcoming, as unfamiliar movements can cause fear. However, the good thing is that you always overcome your fear and rise above yourself when you learn a new skill. You can then use the self-confidence you gain to move more confidently into new combinations of skills, and thus constantly learn new things. It is important to take care of a sufficient regeneration in order not to injure yourself.

3. Reason: Freedom

In freestyle calisthenics, there is no right or wrong. You can give free play to your creativity and incorporate your own elements into your combinations. For example, many athletes who come from free running use variations of flips to score more points in dynamics. In statics, you can also vary skills like planche or front levers by changing the grip. You are not bound to a fixed set of rules and can work on the skills that you enjoy the most.

4. Reason: Lifestyle

You can think of freestyle calisthenics like skating. For most athletes, it's a lifestyle. You meet with friends at the calisthenics park, train together, try new skills and learn from each other. Over time, new people join and so a community develops, all with the same goals: To have fun and develop new skills.

Tips for a better start into Freestyle Calisthenics

Train together with friends
Use mats or a foam pit for a safe workout
A wide bar is more comfortable to train on, as there is plenty of room to try out skills
Incorporate basics training days into your workout to strengthen your joints regularly and avoid injury (pull-ups, dips, push-ups)
Stretch regularly, work on your mobility and pay attention to your recovery. Check out our interview with Moving Monkey:
Get tips from other athletes. In our interviews, you will find a lot of tips from successful calisthenics athletes
Don't lose hope if some skills don't work out. Even the best athletes have had a lot of setbacks

Tools for your freestyle training

1. Wrist Wraps

Wrist Wraps keep your wrists warm and provide more stability during your performance while your freedom of movement is not restricted. Especially during statics, your wrists feel a high load, which can lead to pain.

athlete wearing wrist wraps for calisthenics

2. Elbow Sleeves

Elbow sleeves have the same effect as wrist wraps. Your elbows are better stabilized and kept warm. The risk of injury is minimized, and you benefit from a safe workout. It can happen that you bump your elbows on the bar if a combination doesn't work out. Elbow sleeves absorb this impact and protect your elbows.

athlete wearing elbow sleeves for calisthenics

3. Liquid Chalk

In freestyle calisthenics, a good grip is very important, otherwise the performance can suffer. It also prevents slipping off the bar. When learning new skills, a lack of grip can be the reason why you can't catch a 360.

4. Parallettes

Parallettes are used in statics training to learn or improve skills such as planche, handstand or handstand flag. Statics are more difficult on the floor and not always possible. With parallettes you can add more variation to your training and take a skill to a new level.

5. Resistance Bands

Resistance Bands help you learn all kinds of strength skills. Whether it's front lever, planche, hefesto or back lever. Read more about exercises and benefits of resistance bands in our blog article.

athlete holding front lever with resistance bands

6. Workout Grips

Dynamics in particular can cause calluses to form on the hands very quickly, which can lead to pain. Often you have to take a break for a few days and can no longer devote 100% to your workout. Workout Grips offer your hands not only protection, but also provide you with a better grip on the bar.