Plyometrics vs. Calisthenics: What’s the Difference and Which Is Best?

Published: November 24, 2022

Some of the most frequently used types of exercises are plyometrics and calisthenics. Both of them are great, but depending on what kind of results you want to achieve, one will be better than the other. Therefore, defining your goal is a must before you choose which type of exercise you want and need to do. While you are thinking about your goals, we are going to present you with everything you should know about both plyometrics and calisthenics. This way, you will know whether plyometrics vs. calisthenics is the best for you.

What is calisthenics?

Calisthenics is a wide range of body weight exercises, so you don’t need any additional fitness equipment. The main goal is to strengthen your body and increase muscle size. The term Calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek “Kallos,” which means “beauty,” and “Sthenos,” which means “strength”. The whole point of this practice is to harmoniously develop your muscles thanks to the use of your body weight as resistance.

Exercising regularly will tone your body, and you will gain a lot of strength. All the major muscle groups are targeted. What makes calisthenics great is the fact that you can practice it anywhere and whenever you want. Your body is all you need! So you won’t have any excuses not to train. No need to be a pro in order to do any of the exercises you can work your way up. With a little bit of effort and discipline, you will be able to build a harmonious physique while building real strength.

How intensive is calisthenics?

Since you are not using dumbbells or any other type of weight except your body weight, this will be way more gentle for your body. Apart from a great physique, one of the benefits of calisthenics is that you will improve your brain-body connection. Calisthenics manages to develop motor skills that require hard work from your brain. In order to pull off the most complex movement, you need coordination, speed, power, acceleration, strength, and agility. By doing these exercises, you will get to know your body better and learn how to control it, which is an excellent confidence boost!

To ensure the best results consider hiring a fitness trainer, regardless of what you go for – plyometrics vs. calisthenics. This way, you can discuss your goals with your trainer, and they can prepare a workout plan that will be perfect for your level. Don’t think that you will need to pay a lot for a trainer. You can find a cheap personal trainer Dubai that can provide you with fantastic services.

How to begin calisthenics training?

As mentioned, you don’t have to be a pro to start doing this. You can be a complete beginner and still be able to do some of the exercises. By training regularly, you will be able to do much more complex movements. This is why it is essential to show up for yourself and do the work. No one says that it will be easy, but it will improve with time.

Some well-known calisthenic exercises

A basic but important exercise in calisthenics is push-ups. If push-ups are too hard for you, there is no need to worry or give up; you can start with an easier version – the inclined push-ups. To do this, place your hands on a bench or any other similar-sized object that can support your body weight, and with your feet on the floor, do a push-up motion. Once this becomes easy, you can try to do regular pushups. Another great basic is squats! This one is going to make your legs burn!

To tone up your stomach and get the abs that you always wanted, you need to include an abs workout in your exercise plan. There are many different types of abs workouts therefore, you will never get bored doing them. They are beginner friendly, but they are also great for those who are on a higher level.

Calisthenics can help you improve your posture and lower your body fat. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, this is your sign to start exercising. Combine a good workout with a nutritious monthly meal plan Dubai, and you will have a winning combo. Eating food full of vitamins and minerals will fuel your body and give you the strength to perform various exercises. Consult a nutritionist and ask for a fitness meal plan. This way, you will have a tailored meal plan that you will be able to follow.

What is plyometrics?

Plyometrics is a group of high-intensity exercises. These exercises involve the use of vertical and broad jumping motions. You are stretching the muscle and contracting it right. By doing plyometrics, you are training your muscles to produce power. Your muscles will be able to produce power in a minimum time. The best example of this is sprinters. They need to have explosive power to go from stillness to a fast and high-intensity movement. This is why plyometrics are an important part of every athlete’s workout plan.

When it comes to plyometrics vs. calisthenics, you don’t need to be an athlete to do either type of exercise. However, you need to be aware that there is a high risk of injury. Therefore, it is recommended to hire one of the best personal trainers in Dubai, by your side, who can show you the right way to do them. One wrong move and you can severely injure yourself. Start with exercises for beginners and work your way up. There is no need to start doing squat jumps on the wooden platforms if you are not ready yet. First, you need to perfect regular squats, and then you can go onto the squat jumps. Plyometric exercises include jumping rope, jumping squats, long jumps, lateral jumps, and clapping pushups.

What are the benefits of doing plyometrics?

If you want to improve your speed, you will be able to achieve it with plyometrics. On top of that, you will improve your power, coordination, and agility. For athletes, this is important because the right exercise plan can improve their performance on the field. This means faster and longer jumps for long jumpers and higher jumps for basketball payers. Professional athletes that need to change directions quickly, like footballers and tennis players, can also benefit from plyometrics.

If your goal is to lose weight, you will see incredible results with plyometrics. Since these are high-intensity fat burning workouts, you will burn a lot of calories. The best part is that you will continue burning calories after your workout! Depending on the workouts that you do and their intensity, you will be able to burn around 1, 074 calories if you weigh 155 pounds. Everyone is different therefore, how many calories you will burn varies from person to person.

To lose fat and build muscle, you should have a clean diet. Forget about fast food and refined sugar and start eating healthy, nutritious food. Moreover, you need to cut down your calorie intake to achieve great fat-loss results. You should burn more calories than you consume. Therefore, make sure to reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories. You can enlist the help of a professional who will prepare a diet plan for muscle gain and fat loss that you will follow to get the desired results!

Should you hire a professional experienced in plyometrics to help you reach your fitness goal?

If you are interested in plyometrics, you should consider hiring a professional trainer. Only a licensed professional can create a routine that corresponds to your needs and possibilities. Before you get a personalized workout plan, you should disclose any problems that you might have. Telling your trainer if you have suffered an injury recently will let him know what kind of movements you are allowed to do.

As a beginner, it is important to start slowly and work your way up. The more you train, the more you will get used to the movements. Your trainer will change your workout program to more advanced exercises as you progress. Before you start working out, you should warm up. One of the best warp and cardio exercises is jumping rope. It is simple, and it can be both low and high-intensity!

You will not do the same number of repetitions at the beginning and a couple of months. What you find hard at first will be simple once your body strengthens. You need to be very careful when performing these types of exercises since the risk of injury is high. This is why having someone by your side who will monitor your posture and movements is key. 

Plyometrics vs. Calisthenics – which one should you do?

Calisthenics is great because you don’t need any equipment to exercise, while plyometrics requires some kind of equipment like boxes and trenches. You can do calisthenics anywhere you want, but this is not always the case with plyometrics. Another difference between the two is that in calisthenics, the risk of injuries is lower. Therefore, they are more beginner-friendly than plyometrics. But if you want to build power, you should opt for plyometrics. Another difference between the two is that you can perform calisthenics more frequently. When it comes to plyometrics, every few months, you should take two weeks’ rest.

One of the cons of calisthenics is that you are not going to gain in speed and power as much as you would by doing plyometrics. There are a few calisthenic exercises that can get you to the same level of speed and power, but only people that can perform exercises of advanced difficulty can reach it. Examples of these exercises are pistol squat and muscle up.

Stress differences between plyometrics vs. calisthenics

Because of the frequent jumping, you are putting a lot of stress on your knees and ankles when performing plyometrics. Someone who has suffered a joint injury should not be trying to do exercises that can damage their joints. Even if you use mats to make the impact less strong on your joints, this is not enough to protect you from injury if you have poor joint health. If this is your case, you should opt for lower-impact calisthenic exercises.

Which is better for building muscle mass, plyometrics vs. calisthenics?

If your goal is to build muscle mass and lose weight, then calisthenics is perfect for you. While you will be able to lose a lot of weight by performing plyometric exercises, you will not be able to build a lot of muscle. Your body will be leaner and tighter however you will not be able to develop a lot of muscle. This is because of the nature of the movements. In order to build mass, you need to put your muscles under tension. This can be achieved with repetitions. This is why calisthenics is great for muscle building. Professional bodybuilders opt for calisthenics when they want to increase the size of their muscles.

Hire a professional female bodybuilder personal trainer who will help you increase your muscle size and strength. Having someone that can track your progress will help you stay motivated. Moreover, you are more likely to see results when you have a professional by your side compared to exercising alone.

Choose between plyometrics and calisthenics based on your goals

At the end of the day, it comes down to your preferences and the things you want to achieve. You can do one or the other, or even both! This way, you will not have to choose between plyometrics vs. calisthenics. By mixing both, you will have a versatile workout plan. Therefore, you are less likely going to be bored. Calisthenics is a great base for some of the advanced plyometric exercises. If you are not able to do a pushup, you will certainly not be able to do a clap pushup. So you can start with calisthenics, and then as you progress, you can slowly start incorporating plyometrics into your workout regimen.