It’s not too late to live a healthier life while we are still alive and kicking. There are also a lot of diet and workout plans you can choose to do.
Diet and meal plans? There’s Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Pescetarian, and so on. If you are not willing to sacrifice your favorites, you can do Intermittent Fasting.
Planning to start an active lifestyle? You can try out various workout programs like Crossfit and calisthenics. These two may look the same. However, these types of workouts actually differ in how to do it and the expected results.
This article will help differentiate calisthenics and Crossfit. How these two workouts do discipline work? What are the pros and cons of each workout routine? Which of the two will work best for you depending on your fitness goals?
What is calisthenics?
The word “calisthenics” comes from the Greek words kallos (translated as “beautiful”) and stenos (translated as “strength”). In other words, calisthenics is about achieving a strong and attractive body.
For starters, the art of calisthenics uses your own body weight as resistance. Learning calisthenics will help develop a lean and fit physique. You can choose from different calisthenic exercises that will help achieve your fitness goals.
Calisthenics utilizes our body strength instead of using equipment and weights during exercise. In fact, you might already be doing common routines that are actually considered calisthenics. These include:
Calisthenics starts with a warm-up, then you can proceed with more intense activities. It is done slowly and rhythmically, using your own body as your “weights”. It requires the right form and repetitive movements for better results.
Calisthenics can be effective as long as performed the right way. It also lessens the risk of injury as long as you know the right technique in doing calisthenics. At the same time, calisthenics will help improve one’s strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. Likewise, it will improve your cardiovascular health and stamina.
However, calisthenics also has a set of cons. For one, it can be difficult especially for first-timers to use their bodies in exercising. You might experience delayed onset muscle soreness which can last for days. The heavier you are, the more difficult you have to endure calisthenics.
When you see someone doing push-ups and pull-ups with ease, it’s due to years of training. You cannot master the art of calisthenics overnight. But like any other health and fitness routines, you will get used to it eventually and achieve positive results.
What is Crossfit?
Meanwhile, Crossfit is another popular workout that combines different exercise programs. Crossfit can be a combination of calisthenics, weightlifting, plyometrics, and gymnastics.
The main principle of Crossfit is to keep your heart rate up through high-intensity sets of activities. Calisthenics can be customizable exercise programs that can also be used by others. On the other hand, Crossfit is a pre-determined exercise program that you should strictly follow.
As mentioned, Crossfit uses other workout aids aside from your own body weight. Like calisthenics, it also starts with a set of warm-up exercises. Then, you will proceed at the “main event” of your entire Crossfit workout. This is where you should experience intense fat-burning and breath-taking workout routines.
A lot of people prefer Crossfit due to their fast and effective fitness results. But because these routines are timed, some people tend to rush the workouts and ignore proper form. This can result in injuries and sub-par quality of workouts.
Due to the risk of injuries, some people may not give their all when doing Crossfit. That is why when doing this, it is important to take note of your form as well. Otherwise, the entire workout program may not give you the fitness goals that you want.
Which workout you should choose?
Calisthenics and Crossfit are two popular workout routines that can help achieve your fitness goals. Whichever you choose, it will be effective as long as you do it properly. However, it depends on what you want to achieve as part of your fitness goals and current lifestyle.
Calisthenics can be done anytime and anywhere, in the gym or in your home. There is no need to go to the gym for some good sweatin’. Plus, you won’t have to spend on expensive gym memberships to do calisthenics.
There are also a lot of calisthenics workouts available online. However, expect to feel muscle and body pains after your calisthenic workouts. Then again, it is important to pay attention to your form when doing calisthenics. It also aims to improve your body form.
CrossFit is another great option if you have limited time to squeeze in some workouts. CrossFit is designed to pump up your heart rate by following a series of workout routines. If you are aiming to improve your speed and stamina, then you should try CrossFit.
At the end of the day, there is no wrong and right answer here. It’s up to you which type of workout you think will work on you best, neither calisthenics or crossfit. More importantly, you should stick to your exercise plan to achieve your fitness objectives.
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