The Calisthenics Renaissance
In gyms across the UK and beyond, a fitness revolution is quietly unfolding – one that requires little more than your own body weight. Calisthenics, the ancient exercise discipline that utilises minimal or no equipment, is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in our modern, time-poor society.
Sean Keogh, who runs Calisthenics Club Houston, exemplifies this trend. "That's all we do," he says of body weight training, yet his classes continue to attract new members eager to master moves like handstands and pullups.
Why Calisthenics is Capturing Attention
Multiple factors are driving this back-to-basics approach to fitness. According to Anatolia Vick-Kregel, director of the Lifetime Physical Activity Program at Rice University, our overscheduled lives make calisthenics particularly appealing. "We don't always have time to go to the gym," she notes. "This is what you can do at home or in your office."
Economic considerations also play a significant role, says Michael Stack, an exercise physiologist and president of the Physical Activity Alliance. With no expensive equipment required, calisthenics-based programmes are affordable for exercisers and profitable for gyms. The pandemic further accelerated this trend, Stack suggests, as people grew accustomed to exercising with minimal equipment during lockdowns.
The movement has even reached the highest levels of government, with President Donald Trump reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test in July 2025, encouraging young people nationwide to practice traditional exercises like situps, pushups and pullups.
Effectiveness and Limitations of Body Weight Training
Research strongly supports calisthenics for improving muscle strength and aerobic conditioning. "Body weight is phenomenal," affirms Vick-Kregel.
However, experts caution that there are limitations. John Raglin, a professor of kinesiology at the Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, explains: "It can be effective, but I think the idea that it can or should replace the use of even simple equipment is wrong-headed."
For those seeking significant muscle growth or strength gains, weights might deliver more dramatic results. Raglin notes that weight training "utilises more of your muscle and generates more force than you could otherwise." The progressive damage and repair cycle facilitated by weights also promotes muscle growth more efficiently.
Michael Stack agrees: "After you've done a couple workouts of squatting with your body weight, your body's going to need external load to get stronger or to build muscle tissue."
Nevertheless, for the approximately 75% of Americans not meeting federal physical activity guidelines – which recommend at least 75 minutes of vigorous or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly, plus two strength sessions – calisthenics represents an excellent starting point.
Beginning Your Calisthenics Journey
Starting safely is crucial. Vick-Kregel recommends first assessing your current fitness and mobility, potentially with help from a mirror, workout partner, or trainer. Ensure you can perform foundational exercises like planks, pushups and squats with proper form, using modifications like knee pushups if necessary.
Once comfortable with the basics, aim for 10- to 30-minute sessions, two to three times weekly. The Royal Canadian Air Force's classic Five Basic Exercises Plan (5BX) from the 1950s provides excellent structure for beginners.
"Gradual progression is critical," Vick-Kregel emphasises. As fitness improves, increase duration and intensity. Keogh maintains that calisthenics isn't just for beginners – advanced practitioners can perform highly challenging variations that remain incredibly effective.
For sceptics, Keogh offers straightforward advice: "Try it." In an era of complex fitness solutions, sometimes the simplest approach – using the body you already have – proves most effective.
