Calisthenics: the perfect workout for sculpting and toning arms

Gravity-defying moves you'll want to put on the 'gram 
CaliFlow London

Seen those guys working out on the bars in the park? They're practising calisthenics, also known as 'the prison workout', and if you've dismissed it as something reserved for beefcakes, think again. It's probably one of the most effective ways to sculpt and tone your muscles.

Having gained popularity in outdoor gyms in London, the workout is increasingly making its way onto the schedules of fitness studios.

We went down to CaliFlow London, a new incredibly Instagrammable movement studio – think Aesop soap in the loos and chic monochrome interiors – which just opened its doors on Kensington High Street.

The studio offers calisthenics upstairs and yoga downstairs, two workouts designed to complement each other, according to founder Paddy Archer, who says: "Bodyweight training emphasises both strength and flexibility, not pursuing one is at the compromise of the other."

We went straight in for the 60-minute CaliStrength class, led by Harry who provided a perfect hip hop playlist to accompany.

The word "calisthenics" comes from the Greek words kallos (beauty) and sthenos (strength) and people have been practising it for years, though it's seen somewhat of a resurgence lately – type in #calisthenics on Instagram and over seven million posts come up. It's a form of training which teaches you to use your own bodyweight for resistance, and borrows some elements from gymnastics.

Equipment is minimal, and that's partly why so many people love it. CaliFlow has some basic apparatus like bars and hoops to hang and swing from – you'll feel like you're in a grown-up PE class.

Harry's class was based around a variation of push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats and lunges – so the likelihood is you're already incorporating elements of calisthenics into your current fitness routine – and the emphasis was heavily on form.

Beginners should fear not, as there were resistance bands in varying lengths provided for those less able to haul themselves up over the pull-up bar.

Beginners can use resistance bands to ease them into a full pull-up

The pull ups and dips will work your biceps and shoulders like no other class, and we already know that performing hanging leg raises (once you get to those) is one of the best ways to sculpt abs.

If you like taking a skills-focused approach to fitness, by setting goals based on physical achievements over aesthetics for example, this workout's for you. In just one class, you'll feel yourself making progress, pulling yourself up that bit higher or just by perfecting your form doing a push-up.

"These simple movements can be transformative when applied correctly," says Paddy, who was inspired to open the studio following his own injury. Having spent years competing in triathlons, he underwent knee surgery aged just 27.

"I realised I wasn’t necessarily willing to pay the price physically so I started out on a journey to find training methods that promoted physical longevity. We teach clients to move their bodies and reconnect with themselves," he says.

CaliFlow founder Paddy performs an 'L- sit'

And while calisthenics is popular among athletic types, Paddy says that because it's based around lifting your own bodyweight, it's accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.

With regular practice, he says, you'll build yourself up to achieve positions like the L-sit (above), planche and handstand – moves you'll want to show off on the 'gram.

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