Being playful in your training

There are many inherent advantages to calisthenics training. There’s the simplicity, independence, and learning cool techniques you can show off at parties.

But a unique benefit is the inviting call to make training fun and more playful than feeling like a robotic drone in conventional strength training.

There’s just something about moving your body through space that invokes memories of messing around on the playground or schoolyard. Calisthenics can be such a great way to break out of the monotonous grind of conventional strength training, and here are 3 great ways to do that.

#1 Use total rep/time sets.

I use this strategy to break up my routine if it’s getting stale. Essentially, you decide on the total amount of reps you want to do, and then you do as many sets as you like to accomplish that. 

For example, you may have fifty total pull-ups to do, so you can start doing five at a time and then change to three or even two. The number of reps in each set isn’t important, just doing the total amount of work.

You can assign a given amount of time and then practice the technique of your choice for that duration. So you can decide to practice Australian pull-ups for six minutes. Just do what you can in that period. You don’t even need to count reps.

#2 Circuit strength works with crawling and athletic movements.

Circuits are always fun to build and work with, and calisthenics can be more fun when you incorporate crawling and short-duration cardio exercises like skipping rope. 

This strategy also effectively exposes your body to various stimuli and adds variety to your workout. You can even include low-key training like scratching and mobility work to mix things up with your strength training. 

#3 Try new variations with each set.

There are many variations on basic calisthenics exercises like squats, push-ups, and rows. Yet, it’s easy to get into the habit of always doing the same old techniques daily. Changing your technique or speed can bring some refreshing variation to your training while also helping you explore potentially beneficial exercises. 

Don’t be afraid to mix things up in your training. It can only serve you well to break out of the normal and do something new occasionally. You never know when a little fun and experimentation will help you discover the next level in your training.