The new magic word in the fitness industry is calisthenics.
It is training with your own body weight, which requires full body control. But watch out: Anyone who thinks calisthenics is only suitable for professionals is seriously mistaken. Trainers should also try out the basic exercises with "normal" fitness athletes. Calisthenics expert Phil Heather shows what these are.
The secret of calisthenics athletes is the enormous core strength they use. Everything depends on it. It is the foundation on which calisthenics is built. The core includes everything below the neck up to and including the hips. The core stabilizes the body so that the arms and legs can generate forces that would otherwise not be possible. Without the necessary core tension, no considerable strength can be developed and injuries are inevitable. There are three large muscle groups that work together to give the body the greatest stability and every trainer should always check their activation with their clients:
- Gluteus (buttocks), abdominal wall and latissimus.
What should be trained?
Basic exercise:
the plank. This trains the entire core area. As the plank does not yet require any movement, the customer can concentrate completely on flawless control and technique in order to transfer the tension learned into complex movement sequences later on. The plank runs through the entire arsenal of all calisthenics exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, squats, handstands, etc.) - and is therefore suitable as a basic exercise for all exercisers. Regardless of whether you are a calisthenics athlete or hobby sportsman.
Stability of the hip and shoulder joints:
Stability and strength increase with the torque of the joints. Without the external rotation, the screwing of the hands or feet into the floor, for example during push-ups, squats or against the bar in pull-ups, advanced calisthenics exercises are virtually impossible. The trainer must ensure that the client uses this rotation at all times in order to maintain the integrity of the joints and be able to draw on full strength.
New and used functional training equipment is also available on fitnessmarkt.de!
Source: Phil Heather, www.trainer-magazine.com
Photo: GlebStock/shutterstock.com
Published on: 4 January 2016