Street workout: how to pump your body to the fullest without a gym

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You now have a ready-made lesson plan. Just go outside and find a horizontal bar.

Who is the training for and what is it for?

The workout is suitable for beginners and those who already know how to pull up and do push-ups, but do it somehow.

Exercises will help you stretch stiff muscles and harmoniously develop the whole body: pump your arms, chest, back, abs and legs, increase strength and coordination of movements.

We will show each exercise of street training in progression: from a beginner to a well-trained lover of calisthenics.

Where to start your workout

So that the joints do not crunch on the entire sports ground, and you do not feel like an old wreck, do a warm-up before training.

1. Run for 5-7 minutes at a calm pace.
2. Make bends and turns of the body, as in childhood in physical education. Twist your shoulders, elbows and wrists, hips, knees and feet in the joints. Do everything smoothly and without aggression - leave the fuse for training.

Don't be afraid to look stupid. The one who rushes into battle without a warm-up looks stupid.

How to choose the difficulty level

Each exercise (except squats) has four levels:

• Level 1. Absolutely anyone can do these exercises. They are suitable for those who have not studied for a long time and do not know the correct technique. Be sure to go through this step, check if you are doing the exercises correctly.
• Level 2. The exercises are more difficult and require more strength and flexibility. At this level, you are very close to the classic execution.
• Level 3. You are doing the exercises in the classic form. Here it is important to follow the technique and, if there are deviations, return to the previous step.
• Level 4. This level is for those who perfectly do the classic version of the exercises, want to diversify the workouts and shift the emphasis to certain muscle groups in order to work them out better.

All exercises, except squats and planks, are performed in 5 sets of 10 times, squats - 5 sets of 20 times, the bar is held for 60 seconds. You only go to the next level when you can do the specified number of repetitions technically and relatively easily.

If you can perform the first approaches the recommended number of times, and you no longer have strength for the rest, do the muscles until the muscles fail, and then switch to an easier option and finish the approach.

Pay attention to technique. It is very important! Follow all guidelines, otherwise your workout will look bad and feel worse. Less effect, more strain and injury.

Push ups

Exercise loads the triceps and pecs, shoulders, and core. Do 5 sets of 10 reps.

Level 1. Knee push-ups

• Place your hands shoulder-width apart, wrists under the shoulders, shoulders are lowered, shoulder blades are brought together, the press is tense.
• Be sure to keep your elbows pointing backward and 45 degrees or less between your torso and shoulder during the push-up.
• Look at the floor in front of you, do not raise your head.
• At the lowest point, touch the floor with your chest.

Level 2. Push-ups from the support

• Remember, the higher the support, the easier it is to do push-ups. By changing the height of the support, you can adjust the load.
• Lower your shoulders, bring your shoulder blades together, do not spread your elbows wide to the sides. The angle between shoulder and body should be about 45 degrees.
• Make sure that the lower back does not collapse; for this, strain the abs and buttocks.
• At the lowest point, touch the support with your chest.

Level 3. Classic push-ups

• Observe all the technical features described in level 2.
• While lifting, do not bend your lower back, strain your buttocks.

Level 4. Difficult push-ups

If you can do 10 classic push-ups with good technique, try these popular variations.

Diamond push ups

This type of push-up shifts the load on the triceps, the muscle on the back of the shoulder.

• Place your wrists close to each other, connect your thumbs and forefingers - as if a diamond appears between them.
• Follow the push-up technique described in the previous levels.

Push-ups with wide arms

This variety works well on the pectoral muscles.

• Place your palms at a distance of 1.5–2 times your shoulders, point your fingers forward.
• At the lowest point, touch the floor with your chest.

Push-ups with hands off the floor

• Do a regular push-up.
• At the exit from the push-up, push off the ground with your palms in order to tear off your palms at the top point.

Dips on the uneven bars

Exercise will develop the muscles of the chest, triceps and shoulders. It is important to do it correctly so as not to injure the shoulder joint. Do 5 sets of 10 reps.

Level 1. Reverse push-ups

• Find a low support, put your hands on it, lower your shoulders.
• Lower yourself to the parallel of your shoulders with the floor and squeeze yourself back.
• Legs can be bent at the knees or straightened, the former is easier.

Level 2. Eccentric push-ups

• Jump up, slowly lower back down.
• Follow the technique: lower your shoulders, keep your body straight and tense.

Level 3. Classic push-ups

• Stretch out on the uneven bars, tighten your abs and glutes, and lower your shoulders.
• In a slow, controlled motion, lower yourself down until your shoulders are parallel to the floor.
• Squeeze yourself up without jerking or swinging.

Level 4. Push-ups with repulsion

This is an explosive movement for those who have already mastered the classics.

At the exit from the push-up, with a sharp explosive movement, push yourself off the horizontal bar with your palms, and then lower yourself down again.

Pull-ups

Excellent exercise for the muscles of the back, arms and shoulders. Do 5 sets of 10 reps.

Level 1. Australian pull-ups

• Find a horizontal bar 50–70 cm high. The load depends on the height of the bar: the lower it is, the more difficult it is to do.
• Grab the bar with a grip shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, lower your shoulders, bring your shoulder blades together, stretch your body in one line, tighten your abs and buttocks, straighten your knees.
• Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. Do not lift your shoulders while moving.

Level 2. Eccentric pull-ups

• Find a bar that is low enough for you to hold on to while standing on the ground.
• Jump up to the bar, and then very slowly lower yourself down. The slower you descend, the greater the load on the muscles.

Level 3. Classic pull-ups

• While pulling up, keep your legs straight, do not cross them or bring them forward.
• Do the exercise without jerking or swinging. If your muscles and ligaments are not yet ready for pull-ups, you could be injured.
• Before pulling up, hang on the horizontal bar, lower your shoulders and bring your shoulder blades together. Maintain this position throughout the exercise.
• Do not pull your neck up, fix the straight position of your head and do not change until the end of the exercise.

Reverse grip

The focus shifts to the biceps of the shoulder, a muscle located on the front of the arm. As a rule, it is easier to pull up with this grip.

Direct grip

With this grip, the back muscles get a lot of stress.

Level 4. Pull-ups with narrow and wide grips

Narrow grip

Pull-ups with a narrow back grip work well for the biceps. You can experiment with the width of the grip: the narrower, the greater the load on the biceps.

Wide grip

A good option for pumping back muscles. Grasp the horizontal bar with a straight grip, the distance between the hands is 1, 5-2 times wider than the shoulders. Pull up to your chin or, if you can, until your chest touches the bar.

Squats

Squats will help you develop hip and ankle mobility and strengthen your hips and glutes. Do 5 sets of 20 reps.

Level 1. Elevated squats

• Stand with your back to the eminence at a distance of 15–20 cm from it. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes and knees slightly turned to the sides.
• Take your pelvis back and lower yourself onto a bar or bench. Keep your back straight, your knees over your feet, and your heels on the ground.
• You can vary the load by gradually lowering the support height.

Level 2. Classic Squats

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your toes to the sides.
• Squat with a straight back, turn your knees slightly outward, do not lift your heels off the floor.
• Sink deeply so that the hip joint is below the knee. If at the same time you begin to slouch, squat until the moment you manage to maintain a straight back.
• Proceed to the next step only when you can sit in full range, keeping your back straight.

Level 3. Jump squats

• Do a squat, then jump out of it and back into a squat.
• Make sure that your knees do not curl inward, do not lift your heels off the floor, keep your back straight.
• You can help yourself with your hands or leave them on your belt.

Squat "pistols"

Proceed to this exercise only when you have mastered the usual squats in full range: at the bottom, the thigh touches the lower leg, the knees are turned to the sides, the back is straight, and the heels do not come off the floor. Otherwise, you run the risk of overloading the knee joints and spine.

Pistols are an excellent exercise for pumping the quads, large muscles located in the front of the thigh, calf and gluteal muscles. Do 5 sets of 20 reps.

Level 1. Squats "pistols" to the elevation

• Stand next to a bench or bar, lift one leg straight.
• Sit on the bench without lowering your leg, and then get up from it.
• Fold your arms in front of you, keep your back straight.
• The lower the bench, the more difficult it is to do. By adjusting the bench height, you can control the load.

Level 2. Squats "pistols" with support on a rack

• Stand next to a counter that you can grasp comfortably.
• Raise your straight leg and grab the rack with your hands.
• Helping yourself with your hands, go down the rack to a full pistol squat.
• Keep your back straight, turn the knee of the supporting leg outward slightly, press the heel firmly against the floor.
• Helping yourself with your hands, stand up.

Level 3. Classic pistols

• Turn the toe and knee of the supporting leg slightly to the side, straighten the other leg and lift it off the ground, fold your arms in front of you.
• Do not fall at the end of the movement: do not let the pelvis go down sharply and the back - do not round.
• Do not make sudden movements: everything is smooth and under control.

Level 4. Pistols with a stick overhead

Take a stick with a wide grip, raise it above your head and take it slightly behind your head. Do the pistols in this position, keeping your back straight.

Raising legs to the horizontal bar

Good exercise for abs and hip flexors. It also develops grip strength and pumps the shoulders. Do 5 sets of 10 reps.

Level 1. Raising the knees to a right angle

• Bring your shoulder blades together, lower your shoulders.
• Bend your knees and raise your hips to parallel with the floor.
• Lower your legs and repeat.
• Do the exercise slowly and smoothly.

Level 2. Raising the knees to the chest

• Pull your knees up to your chest without swaying or jerking.
• At the top point, slightly tilt the body back.

Level 3. Raising the legs to the horizontal bar

• Raise your straight legs until your toes or shins touch the horizontal bar.
• Move smoothly, keep your knees straight, do not separate your legs.

Level 4. Raising the legs to the horizontal bar with slowing down

Bring the socks or shins of straight legs to the horizontal bar, and then lower them down as slowly as possible.

Plank

This exercise is great for building both core strength and stability. Hold the bar for 60 seconds.

Level 1. Knee plank

• Stand upright on your knees, place your palms under your shoulders.
• Hold the bar for 30-60 seconds.

Level 2. Forearm plank

• Stand on your forearms, place your feet on the pads, and straighten your knees.
• Tighten your glutes to avoid excessive lower back arch.
• Lower your shoulders, keep your neck straight, look at the floor in front of you.

Level 3. Classic plank

• Stand upright on your palms. Place your hands shoulder-width apart, lower your shoulders, bring your shoulder blades together, look at the floor in front of you.
• Tighten your buttocks to protect your lower back, do not bend your knees.
• If your wrists start to hurt, move to the forearm plank.

Level 4. Plain and side planks

• Start with a regular plank, hold it for 60 seconds.
• Turn to the right side, lift your right hand off the floor and extend it to the ceiling. Your body should look like a straight line. Spend 60 seconds in this position.
• Go back to the classic plank and stay idle for another 60 seconds.
• Rotate to the side plank to the left and stand for another 60 seconds.

Great challenge to your core muscles.

How to end a workout

After training, you need to stretch. Fear not, it only takes 10 minutes. Pick one exercise from each section of this article, set a timer, and hold each pose for 30-60 seconds.