Are you ready to transform your fitness routine into something that will unlock your full potential? Get ready because at St. Pete Calisthenics, we believe that the ultimate workout plan is about more than just physical exercise—it's a combination of shifting your mindset and fostering a deeper understanding of your body's needs. 

Whether you’re just starting out on a wellness journey or you’ve been honing your exercise regimen for years, our calisthenics workout plan is helpful for everyone. 

Here, we’ll break down the steps that make our calisthenics workout plan effective. Welcome to our comprehensive guide to embracing calisthenics and achieving a total transformation.

3 Mindset Shifts for Transformation

Think exercise is all about the body? Think again. Your mind is a powerful tool when it comes to working out. If you’re in a negative headspace, it can wreak havoc on your fitness. By changing your mindset, you’ll start to see real progress, all while feeling better and stronger.

 

Here are three areas we suggest focusing on:

Mindset Shift #1: From "I HAVE to Work Out" to "I GET to Move My Body!"

One of the biggest mindset shifts we advocate is transforming how you perceive exercise. Instead of seeing it as something you have to do, we encourage you to view it as an opportunity to reward your body. Our ancestors stayed lean and fit because of physically demanding lifestyles and scarce resources. But today, we have the luxury of choosing how and when we move. It’s time to embrace that freedom.

At St. Pete Calisthenics, we want you to look forward to moving your body. Think of all the amazing things your body can do and how it can move. Exercise should be something you enjoy and anticipate, not something you dread.

By shifting your mindset, you’ll find more joy in your fitness journey and a more profound appreciation for your body's incredible capabilities.

Mindset Shift #2: From "I Want to LOSE WEIGHT" to "I Want to Learn a NEW SKILL"

Many people consider exercise a means to a very specific end—the numbers on the scale. But moving your body serves innumerable purposes, from boosting your mood and helping you sleep better to keeping you limber and strong into your later years.

Focusing solely on your weight can be stressful and harmful. Instead, set your sights on mastering new skills. For example, the excitement and satisfaction of unlocking a new calisthenics move may provide long-term motivation that far outweighs temporary weight loss goals.

When you learn a new skill, whether it’s a handstand or a movement sequence (flow), you gain confidence and pride in your achievements. This shift in focus can make your workouts—and overall journey—more sustainable and enjoyable over time.

Mindset Shift #3: Understanding the WHY Behind Your Calisthenics Workout Plan

Finally, to truly benefit from your workout plan, it’s crucial to understand why you’re doing each exercise and how it fits into your overall fitness goals. This deep, personal reason for why you’re embarking on a fitness journey will help you stay consistent, overcome obstacles, and build the right training plan for you.

Finding your source of motivation takes work. Try reflecting on your “why” and writing about it. This will serve as a reminder for why you started. You can also set goals and visualize your success to keep you motivated. 

Getting Started with Our Calisthenics Workout Plan

Now’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: Our workout plan. From warm-ups and movements to our suggested workout schedule, here’s a breakdown of our ultimate calisthenics workout plan:

Warm-Ups: Preparing Your Body

A proper warm-up is vital for injury prevention and optimal performance. Your warm-up should target the stabilizing muscles of your joints and open up your range of motion necessary for the desired activity to follow. 

Here are some options we recommend:

• Animal Flow®: This fun, dynamic practice uses animal-inspired movements to improve flexibility/mobility, endurance, strength, and coordination. Some examples include the bear crawl, crab walk, and lateral traveling ape. 
• Steel Mace Flow: Combining the power of the mace with fluid full-body movements, this tool as a warm-up is great for priming your body and getting you ready for more intense exercises by strengthening tendons and ligaments.

Spend 2-10 minutes on these flows to ensure you’re warmed up and prepared for your workout.

 

The Workout: Challenging and Varied

Your workouts should be hard enough to stimulate change and promote muscle growth. How can you do this? By lifting enough weight, easy right?

There’s a common misconception that we must be constantly out of breath when exercising. But more time doing cardio with high intensity is not always the answer. In fact, it can be counterproductive, as most of us aren’t fueling our bodies correctly for this type of training. 

Instead, we recommend structuring your sessions by:

1. Lifting Heavy Throughout the Week: Aim to lift weights that are above 85% of your one-rep max at least 1-2 times a week. This stimulates muscle growth and enhances bone density, which is crucial for longevity.
2. Incorporating Variety: Ensure your workouts incorporate balance and cover all planes of motion, including lateral movements that are often neglected in traditional routines. This includes sequences like skaters, lateral band walks, and side-to-side lunges. Incorporating these exercises keeps you well-rounded and reduces the risk of joint dysfunction later on, like in the hips, knees, or ankles.
3. Understanding Heart Rate (HR) Zones: Different exercises target various energy systems. Here’s a quick breakdown of heart rate zones:
• Zone 1: 50-60% of HR max (Sleeping or at Rest)
• Zone 2: 60-70% of HR max (Walking or 15-20 reps VERY lightweight)
• Zone 3: 70-80% of HR max (Jogging or 10-15 reps LIGHT weight)
• Zone 4: 80-90% of HR max (Running or 5-10 reps MODERATE weight)
• Zone 5: 90-100% of HR max (Sprinting or 1-4 reps HEAVY weight)

If weight loss is your goal, then you want to aim to stay in zones 1 and 2 during most of your exercises. Dong so ensures the body is using fats as fuel.

The only exception to this might be during your heavier-lifting sessions, sprinting sessions, and other intense weekly bursts. However, even in between these sets, the goal should be to downregulate (recover) quickly over time, further helping to keep fat as the primary source of fuel.

Put more simply: You want to work HARD for a short burst (20-30sec) to elevate your HR quickly, but then rest (downregulate) for about 60 seconds to let your HR come down into zone 2 between sets to recover.

Recommended Workout Schedule

To stay balanced and engaged, mix and match the following activities throughout your week:

• Vary your movement timing: Lift/move in the morning, midday, and evenings!
• Lifting Weights/Strength Training: 2-3 days a week
• Outdoor Hobbies/Sports: 1-2 days a week
• Walks/Runs/Bike Rides: 1-2 days a week
• Calisthenics Parks Play: 1-3 days a week for variety
• Fitness Classes (e.g., Animal Flow®, Yoga, Pole, Barre): 1-2 days a week

Don't Forget the Final Piece: Wellness

Stretching, lifting, cardio. It’s easy to overlook the final piece of any complete workout with many other things to focus on. But wellness is about more than building muscle and getting your heart racing. It’s about maintaining homeostasis in your mind, body, and spirit.

You might be wondering, what is homeostasis? This term refers to the critical balance of your body's physical, chemical, biological, and physiological systems.

Finding balance within your body might sound tough at the beginning. But we promise with these steps, it’s much easier than it appears:

1. Recognize Imbalance: The first step is acknowledging that your homeostasis is off balance. Signs of this differ from person to person, but you might feel anxious, irritable, or confused, or have an increased heartbeat or high/low blood pressure.
2. Remove Negative Influences: Identify and eliminate negative habits, substances, or relationships that disrupt your balance. Maybe certain friendships or lifestyle factors are contributing.
3. Re-establish Positive Habits: Introduce positive habits, substances, or relationships that help restore and maintain homeostasis. This could look like starting your day with your favorite smoothie or nurturing a friendship with your new workout buddy.
4. Holistic Remedies: Consider holistic herbal remedies or supplements to support your return to balance.
5. Pharmaceutical Interventions: Use these as a last resort after thorough research and consultation with a healthcare provider who looks for root causes, such as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.).

Remember, wellness should be a lifelong pursuit, not a fleeting interest. Investing in your health now pays off in the long run. Think of it this way: The stronger and healthier you stay, the fewer (and less costly) medical bills you may have later. Wellness should be considered an investment, not an expense. Health is the real wealth in the end.

You’re also enhancing your quality of life as you age. More lean muscle mass means fewer aging-related problems, so stay committed to your fitness journey, even if you feel discouraged or face obstacles over time. Never forget your “why.”

There is an element of discipline required, yes, but maintaining motivation over the years is the real goal.

Put It into Action at St. Pete Calisthenics

It’s okay if all this sounds daunting. At St. Pete Calisthenics, we’re here to guide you through every step of your transformation. With our varied membership plans, training sessions, class options, and spa amenities, you’ll find everything you need to succeed under one roof.

Join us today and discover the joy of movement and lifelong wellness.

For a discounted rate on our Premier Membership check out our Founders Rate Presale happening now!