Top 10 Calisthenics Exercises for Building Functional Strength

Push-Ups – Great for chest, shoulders, and triceps. Modify with incline/decline to scale difficulty.

1. Pull-Ups – King of upper body pulling. Start with assisted or band pull-ups if needed.

2. Dips – Fantastic for triceps and chest. Try on parallel bars or rings.

3. Squats – Foundation of leg strength. Work up to jump squats and pistol squats.

4. Inverted Rows – Great beginner-friendly pulling movement for back and biceps.

5. Planks – Build deep core stability. Try side planks for variation.

6. Hollow Body Hold – Essential core exercise for all advanced calisthenics.

7. Leg Raises – Excellent for hip flexors and lower abs. Do them hanging or lying down.

8. Pike Push-Ups – Targets shoulders and builds towards handstand push-ups.

9. L-Sit – Trains core, shoulders, and hip flexors with static tension.