Losing weight is one of the most common concerns of many. Especially with the lifestyle, we have adapted where we are sitting down at our desks for almost the whole day. It has even become more challenging to stick to our exercise routine as fitness centers have been closed down every now and then due to the current pandemic. 

A Calisthenics home exercise routine will be one of the best options for the time being as you don’t need any equipment. So how effective is it to lose weight with Bodyweight training?

Calisthenics Training is a very effective method to lose weight. On average, a 75kg (165lb) adult can burn 600 calories in 60 minutes, exerting a vigorous effort of Calisthenics exercises. This makes it just as effective as high-intensity Circuit Training done at the same duration.

Let’s go deeper into the topic where you can compare the different exercise routines and how many calories they burn so you will have a better idea for your exercise of choice to effectively lose weight.

Which exercise burns more calories?

I have done thorough research to compare some of the common exercise routines and activities that we do at home and how many calories they burn in a 60-minute session. 

I made these tables so it is easy for you to view based on your weight and which activity you are doing. I have derived my calculation based on this Metabolic Calculator by Metscalutor.com. 

Based on the table above, doing Vigorous Calisthenics training will burn just as many calories as High-intensity Circuit training in the same duration. Even a moderate effort in Calisthenics training burns more calories than a general weight training routine, which is a big surprise. 

Considering that you don’t need any equipment to do Calisthenics exercises, it is definitely a much better option than exercise activities requiring you to be in a fitness center. 

Suppose you only consider the number of calories burnt in a certain period. In that case, we know that High-Intensity Circuit training and vigorous Calisthenics training will be the best choice. Still, you may have to consider a couple of things when selecting your exercise routine.

Your adherence to your exercise program

This article from PubMed says that high-intensity exercises are better than moderate-intensity exercise for weight loss but there is decreases adherence to the routine and less completion of the exercises. We know that losing weight will not be a short journey, so you need to make sure you can sustain your weight loss routine and not give up halfway.

In that case, it may not be a good idea to rely solely on a high-intensity type of training. A good combination of moderate exercise done more frequently plus a couple of intense workouts evenly spread in the week might be a good option. According to Jama Internal Medicine’s article, even with diet’s absence, overweight subjects will still benefit a lot from doing light to moderate exercise.

What is an effective way to start an exercise program?

One of the best ways to start an exercise program is to know your current level first and go through a self-education process by learning how to do the exercises properly. Of course, this will be best done with the guidance of a good coach, but if you are in it for the long haul, it will be better to gradually go into an exercise program where you learn how to do it yourself safely and know when to progress without overstraining yourself physically and mentally.

I wrote an article about learning the push-up properly by knowing which progression you should be doing first. Even if you are a beginner and slightly overweight, you will always have a version of doing push-ups. If you want to read more, you can click here.

Why is Calisthenics exercise effective in losing weight?

Calisthenics exercises are mostly compound exercises which means they involve more muscles to complete a certain movement. More muscles working at a given time leads to higher energy consumption than equipment-dependent exercises commonly done in a gym that works on isolated muscles.

A good example is a bicep curl to work on the upper arm muscles. You can do this movement seated or standing still, which requires less contraction of the other muscles of your body. Whereas in Calisthenics, your option could be doing incline rows or chin-ups depending on your level. Both will require you to contract the biceps and your lats and your entire body fully, so your body will stay rigid the whole process.

Are Calisthenics exercises safe?

As a whole, Calisthenics exercises are safe as long as you follow a good routine that is suited to your level. It is hard to go wrong doing a beginner’s exercise routine where you do push-ups, ring rows, bodyweight squats, jumping jacks, planks, and core exercises done on the floor. 

If you compare it to equipment-based training where one has to make sure the machine is properly set up, and one has to learn how to use it properly. There is just a higher chance of making a mistake in this kind of setting.

How does diet affect your weight loss?

"It’s no secret that the amount of calories people eat and drink has a direct impact on their weight: Consume the same number of calories that the body burns over time, and weight stays stable. Consume more than the body burns, weight goes up. Less, weight goes down." according to this article by Harvard T.H. Chan

To simplify it for you, I have gathered a few common meals and food that all of us recognize and create at a table of how much calories do these meals contain. I used WebMD food calculator to gather the data. If you want to know more about other food, you can follow this link. Then you can compare it with the exercise of choice you available in the table above and you will have a good estimate on what is going in to your body and how much energy you are burning. 

Bear in mind that diet is a deep topic that is beyond my capacity to write in this article. Not only the calories you consume, but the quality of the food that you are taking will also matter not just for weight loss but also to be healthy in general. Best is to consult a Medical professional when seeking advise for you diet especially if you have an underlying health condition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as long as you watch how many calories going in to your diet, Calisthenics training done a few times a week is a very good option for a weight loss routine. It burns as many calories as high-intensity circuit training do and you can easily do it at home. Mix it up with moderate walking exercise on your rest days and make sure you are consistent then you'll get the best result.