Ditch the thought that you need every new gadget or that sparkly weight set to get toned because you don’t. With calisthenics—really, a technical word for bodyweight training—you don’t need to buy anything to get in a serious sweat. It’s a no-equipment-needed modality that dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks (really) that you can do anywhere. And, you may be doing calisthenics workouts already without even knowing it.
Calisthenics workouts have stood the test of time thanks to way you can craft beginner-friendly circuits with straightforward moves (think: pushups, squats, and lunges). And they come with serious benefits. “Calisthenics are movements performed with just your own body weight,” says Angelica Segura, CPT, the co-founder and trainer for MELTPrjct, a boxing-inspired fitness program. “So a calisthenic workout relies on a person’s body weight for resistance and can always be progressed or intensified by the use of rings, bars, or wands.”