calisthenics x weights

[jamie113]

Hi everyone, i started calisthenics a week ago after 6 months of lifting. I stopped lifting because of school, and i cant really spend 4 hours (including travel time and preparation) because my house is far from the gym. I bought a pull up station with dips and abs. One thing i noticed is that, i lift for 6 months but im weak at calisthenics, like i cannot do a single pull up, only a few dips and just 8-10 pushups. Currently doing a PPL calisthenics split without weights at all. Can i build an aesthetic physique just with calisthenics? or should i invest in some adjustable dumbells and adjustable bench? wdyt guys? what is the ideal weight for me? and if you have some tips to share i'm really glad to hear it! much love

CURRENTLY:
5 10 - 5 11 not sure
171.9 lbs

 

[ront76]

@jamie113 were almost the same height and weight lol im 5'11 76kg

anyways yeah calisthenics is definitely enough to build a good looking physique. same concept as lifting weights except you leverage your body in different ways to increase the difficulty instead of adding weight. the only major difference is most of the movements are compound movements so they are more taxing on your CNS.

when you get to 12+ reps on any given exercise just switch to a harder progression and eat enough protein and youll be good

 

[thespiritoftruth]

@ront76 On that point of 12+ then progression, I am doing horizontal rows with my feet elevated. Recently switched from a bar to rings to make it more difficult, but I can still do 3x sets of 12. How would I progress?

 

[js0174]

@thespiritoftruth How wide you are pulling also affects rows, if you’re pulling back very narrow then you could try going wider.

 

[ront76]

@thespiritoftruth try doing/working towards pullups or adding weight somehow (wearing a backpack full of books for example)

 

[thespiritoftruth]

@ront76 Yeah, pullups are a different story—I can do 3x sets of 5 or 6. I think adding weight to the horizontal rows is a great idea, thanks

 

[ront76]

@thespiritoftruth quick way to increase pullup numbers is emom training. you could try that if you want but yea normal sets and reps work better for hypertrophy.

 

[hamuda]

@thespiritoftruth You might not be doing full ROM on rows. Try this

 

[yhjmkiop]

@thespiritoftruth (tuck) front lever rows

 

[thespiritoftruth]

@yhjmkiop Wow, that looks pretty serious! I don’t think I can do that on rings

 

[yhjmkiop]

@thespiritoftruth Tuck your knees to your chest, you should be able to do a few rows since you can do bw rows with elevated feet.

 

[jlau]

@jamie113 Strength is specific. If you have never practiced a movement you will be at first relatively weak at it even if you have the muscles for it.

Muscles do not know if you are lifting a barbell, dumbell, cable rack or your own weight. All that matters is you pick an exercise that of right difficulty and which you are somewhat proficient and then do enough sets per week and it will grow the muscles involved. Getting the basic proficiency for most moves wont take long, typically a few sessions.

 

[power1]

@jamie113 Calisthenics can get you really far for sure. Dips, push ups and pull ups definitely work your major muscle groups in the upper body and can help you develop lots of size. Where you might run into some issues is a lack of horizontal pulling like rows which help develop the upper back along with balancing push pull volume. You also don't have access to isolation movements which can help fill in the gaps for things like arms, or just add extra volume to muscle groups you think need more attention. Adjustable dumbbells and a bench could be used for things like rows, chest flys, bicep curls and triceps extensions. However, a simpler option that would be much more cost and space efficient is a set of rings or a suspension trainer. You can do all the aforementioned movements I laid out and much more!

 

[taigagirl]

@jamie113 Can you recommend your routine im also starting but i dnt.have anything to go by I really want a routine to follow

 

[nikki_virginia]

@jamie113 Both calisthenics and weights can be great for building an aesthetic physique! It depends on your personal preferences and goals. If you enjoy bodyweight exercises and find them challenging, stick with calisthenics! You can build muscle and definition with them. If you prefer the variety and control that weights offer, investing in dumbbells and a bench might be a good option. Ultimately, the most important thing is to be consistent with your workouts and eat a healthy diet.

 

[texasjo]

@jamie113 I am 5’10 82.5kg approx 25%bf am planning to switch to calisthenics.
Can do 10 proper pushups in 1 set

 

[lostandfoundproverbs31]

@jamie113 Do what you like! For hypertrophy, there aren't important differences between the two. If you can't do many reps of things like chinups, regress to easier variants.

 

[raymo]

@jamie113 Just calisthenics can work. You might get to the point where adding weight gets you into a more effective rep range with calisthenic movements. Like with a weighted vest or dip belt.

Also some lifts are just easier to overload with things like dumbbells or barbells. Mostly legs and hinge movements. Also some things like lateral raises are easier to figure out with weights. You might also prefer some movements over the equivalent calisthenic movement.

For pullups the equivalent would be something like lat pulldowns. If you didn't do those lifting or didn't go very heavy a pull-up will be challenging. Rows would also work similar pulling muscles. You'd want to do an easier version of a pull-up to work up to doing regular ones.

 

[jamie113]

Thanks for answering guys