Hybrid Callisthenics Guide

When it comes to working out, most people make the mistake of copying their friends or neighbours, looking to build muscle mass quickly.

But the reality is that every individual’s body structure, metabolism, and requirements are different. It’s important to personalise the workout according to your needs to enjoy and meet your fitness goals. 

And one of the most popular strength training routines that combine traditional exercises with modern programs is hybrid callisthenics. It’s fun, exciting, and, most importantly, delivers proper fat burn to help people shed excess weight and flex their muscles.

What Is The Hybrid Callisthenics Routine?

Most people go to sleep at night and promise themselves that the next morning they will wake up early, eat healthily, hit the gym, and get in shape. Monday rolls into Friday, and you just don’t get time to squeeze in a 30-minute training routine due to all the work.

So, you target the weekends – aiming to spend hours in the gym on Saturdays and Sundays, building lower body strength and muscle growth. But often, you will spend a lazy afternoon at home, sleeping over at a friend’s place, or partying at a club.

Yes, it’s important to unwind and relax but not at the cost of your health. We realise going to the gym is tough and even more so when you have to perform the same exercises every day. 

Our suggestion would be to enrol in a callisthenics program and revive your passion for fitness. Like weight training, hybrid callisthenics is a resistance training style that helps increase muscular strength, endurance, and size. 

But callisthenics exercises are slightly different and deliver different results than traditional weight training. The best part is you won’t require any special tools, as most workouts depend on your body weight for resistance.

What Equipment Do You Need For Hybrid Callisthenics?

What makes a hybrid callisthenics routine popular is that you will only need a dip bar for performing dips and a pull-up bar for weighted pull-ups. Instead of a dip bar, you can also use a park bench, the side of the couch, or a sturdy chair. 

Some other well-known calisthenic exercises include – 

• Push-ups
• Planks 
• Crunches 
• Lunges 

Just as these exercises can be performed anywhere without any special setup, you can enrol for a callisthenics program because they are hassle-free. Although hybrid callisthenics has several aspects of weight training, traditional weight lifting requires a dumbbell, barbell, or other types of machines.

Even common weight-lifting exercises require equipment such as – 

• Bench presses
• Bicep curls
• Tricep extensions 
• Barbell squats 
• Military press
• Deadlifts 

Many of these exercises are also a part of callisthenics, like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, dips, lunges, and crunches. But practising callisthenics is affordable and convenient, so you can combine it with popular weight training exercises into a single workout.

There’s another workout routine called weighted callisthenics, for which you will require kettlebells, a bodyweight vest, etc. 

How To Use Callisthenics Equipment?

You can find high-quality dip bars and pull-up bars at most local parks or install them in your home gym. For home fitness routines, you can use one or more of the following exercise equipment – 

• Paralletts 
• Pull up bar
• Resistance band
• Dip bar
• Weight vest
• Gymnastic rings
• The iron neck
• Workout mat 
• Ab roller 
• Massage gun

The basic principle of weightlifting is to use the weights as resistance, so you will have to lift the weights for a required number of reps to target the muscle fibres. You can even use free weights for this purpose, particularly on leg raises and chin-ups.

With hybrid callisthenics, you can become a complete athlete, focusing on hypertrophy and strength. For the best results, you can lift heavy weights and combine this with conventional routines to increase motor unit recruitment so that the muscles develop contractile strength for hypertrophy.

What Are The Different Levels Of Hybrid Callisthenics?

If you see callisthenics videos, you will realise there’s no prerequisite for a particular fitness level. All you need is motivation and the desire to get in shape because these programs can be adjusted according to your current training level. 

But it’s important to understand your current fitness level to modify the workouts. If your progress is slow and stamina is low, you can make the workouts easier. For example, Australian pull-ups are easier than regular pull-ups, and knee push-ups are better for beginners.

This is one aspect where weight training is easier because you can lower or increase the weights depending on regression or progression training.

What Are The Benefits of Hybrid Callisthenics?

We can’t guarantee bulging biceps and arms of steel like Captain America, but you can experience reduced tension by following callisthenics. Here are some benefits of this unique program. 

1. Improved Muscle Strength And Endurance

The most common problem people face while working out is that exercise routines become boring. If you perform the same exercises week in, and week out, it becomes tougher to focus on the process, and that’s where hybrid callisthenics proves useful.

It provides more variations than weight training or callisthenics to help you stay motivated and achieve your workout goals. Studies have also shown that performing different exercises positively affects the body and mind while building strength and lean muscle mass.

2. Muscle Hypertrophy

With a hybrid callisthenics routine, the strength you gain from 2 different workouts is transferable between each other. Callisthenics is more suited to building your mobility and endurance, while weight training helps build muscle strength to lift heavier weights.

Overall, you can perform reps longer without tiring out, ensuring slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibres develop simultaneously.

3. More Variation

If you only perform weight lifting exercises, regularly working out will help build size and strength because by using external weights, you can exercise specific muscle groups. This will allow you to work on repairing the body and overcoming muscle repairs.

But people who combine weight lifting with callisthenics can also increase their body mass by targeting tension in muscle fibres to enhance growth. Since both are part of resistance training, you can see improvements in –

• Movement control 
• Physical performance
• Functional independence
• Walking speed
• Self-esteem
• Cognitive abilities 

Research also suggests that after 10 weeks of resistance training, your lean weight can increase by 1.4kg. Moreover, body fat might reduce by 1.8kg while the metabolic rate could rise by 7%. 

Training Program

Here are some popular training programs to help you get in shape and train according to specific needs.

1. Movement 20XX

If you want to avoid a crowded gym, enrol for the Movement 20XX program for greater mobility, becoming limber, and getting in shape. Some of the workouts include – 

• Progression for lizard crawl
• Working on pushing, pulling, and leg muscles
• Active flexibility exercises
• Mobility drills
• Flow routines
• Static skills

With this program, you can become more courageous and creative and expand your program. 

2. Warrior 20XX

For rapid fat loss, developing dense and athletic muscles, and building endurance, try out the Warrior 20XX course. There are 12 high-intensity routines and championship-level workouts to get the heart pumping. Moreover, this program is better than repetitive cardio workouts with more focus on breathing exercises, along with athletic and functional exercise selections.

3. Athlete 20XX

The Athlete 20XX routine is a precision workout program for athletes, targeting specific muscle groups, strengthening the joints, and enhancing performance without harming the body. The goal is to focus on sustainable development through stability, balance, and mobility by tapping into your unexplored potential. 

Workout For Callisthenics Goals?

If you are apart of a callisthenics group, you will know that there are multiple workout programs to build triceps and core strength and develop the confidence to overcome failure. We have shortlisted some popular programs for much-needed fat-burning.

1. Home Workout

This home workout from The Movement Athlete Academy uses adaptive callisthenics to help you get a gymnast’s body through home bodyweight strength training programs. It’s a lifelong program that combines the best bits of gymnastics and callisthenics, using AI to create a personalised, safe, mobile, strong, and healthy routine.

The best part is that you won’t have to worry about aches and pains, as the app tracks step-by-step progression to identify areas that need improvement. You can even visualise your progress and learn to take accountability while undergoing a physical transformation.

2. Mobility 2.0

All you will need for the Mobility 2.0 program is a broomstick, rings, and a pull-up bar. It’s a 7-month program split into 3 phases, including a preparation phase that focuses on regular progression and modification to boost movement.

With time your mobility and flexibility will increase, although the rate of progress will vary among individuals. Best of all, your physical fitness and well-being will rapidly change through specific training routines.

When you hit peak fitness, this program will ensure – 

• Greater control and coordination
• Daily wellbeing 
• More strength and stability
• Reduced weak points

3. Complete Callisthenics Level 1-5 Bundle

Complete callisthenics is suitable for individuals from Levels 1-5, providing a step-by-step course for monitoring and managing your body weight. This progressive workout program has been scientifically designed and lasts over 23 months as beginners slowly transform into masters.

There are 5 levels; you won’t need expensive equipment, only a pull-up bar and parallel bars or rings. If needed, you can repeat the exercises at each level for better results.

4. Body Transformation Bundle

As part of the body transformation bundle, you can choose from one or more of the following options – 

• Master callisthenics 
• Get mobile 
• Build muscle 
• Train at home
• Eat well
• Educate 

All of these are separate topics, and you can learn more about each to develop the most suitable fitness routine. These programs have been designed to help reduce injury, increase balance, develop new skills, build nutrition, and learn healthy habits.

Hybrid Callisthenics Routine

Day 1

• Diamond push-ups – 3 sets of 20 reps each
• Push-ups – 3 sets of 20 reps each
• Bench press – 8-12 reps
• Dips – 3 sets of 8-20 reps each
• Pec fly – 8-12 reps
• Chest press – 8-12 reps

Day 2

• Pull-ups – 3 sets of 5-10 reps
• Australian pull-ups – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated cable rows – 8-12 reps
• Chin ups – 3 sets of 5-10 reps
• Single-arm dumbbell row – 8-12 reps
• Lat pulldown – 8-12 reps

Day 3

• Lunges – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Bodyweight squats – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg press – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Barbell back squat – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Calf raises – 10-20 reps

Day 4

• Rest Day

Day 5

• Archer push-ups – 3 sets of 8-20 reps
• Push-ups – 3 sets of 8-20 reps
• Incline bench press – 8-12 reps
• Dips – 3 sets of 8-20 reps
• Cable crossover – 8-12 reps 
• Chest press – 8-12 reps

Day 6

• Pull-ups – 3 sets of 5-10 reps
• Australian pull-ups – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Bent over rows – 8-12 reps 
• Pull-up isometric hold – 3 sets of 10-20 second reps
• Single-arm dumbbell row – 8-12 reps
• Lat pull down – 8-12 reps

Day 7

• Lunges – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Bodyweight squats – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Reverse Romanian deadlifts – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Bulgarian split squats – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Calf raises – 10-20 reps 

Conclusion

You won’t have to worry about missing the gym several times a week and splurging on unused memberships anymore. With callisthenics training, you can get fit at home as all the information is available on smart devices.

Although you can learn the exercises from the internet, enrolling in a certified program and working out under expert supervision would be best. Moreover, you will be part of a community that will encourage and motivate you to meet daily targets.

So, try the latest callisthenics routines and kick, jump, and roll your way towards a fitter lifestyle.