Calisthenics (American English) or callisthenics (British English) (/ˌkælɪsˈθɛnɪks/) is a form of strength training that utilizes an individual's body weight as resistance to perform multi-joint, compound movements with little or no equipment.[1]
Origin and etymology
[edit]The Oxford English Dictionary describes callisthenics as "gymnastic exercises to achieve fitness and grace of movement".[2] The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words κάλλος (kállos), which means "beauty", and σθένος (sthenos), meaning "strength".[2] It is the art of using one's body weight as resistance to develop muscles.
The practice was recorded as being used in ancient Greece, including by the armies of Alexander the Great and the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae.[3]
Calisthenics was also recorded to have been used in ancient China. Along with dietary practices, Han dynasty physicians prescribed calisthenics as one of the methods for maintaining one's health.[4][5][6][7]
Common exercises
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The more commonly performed calisthenic exercises include: