Bodyweight Training (calisthenics)
Body Weight Training
(Calisthenics) in SW1
Body weight Training (Calisthenics) requires virtually no equipment; there has never been a system of training more perfectly in harmony with the primal function of human movement and there never will be. Even the most ardent fitness enthusiasts will be impressed by what even the basic practitioner of body weight training is able to perform.
Bodyweight Training maximizes strength
Calisthenics movements are the most efficient exercises possible, because they work the body as it has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to work; not by using individual muscles, but by training the body as an integrated unit.
This means developing the muscles, tendons, joints and nervous system in synergy. This synergy in motion is what causes Calisthenics to build such impressive strength. In fact, it's the nervous system that causes the muscle cells to fire, so your strength and power are largely determined by the efficiency of your nervous system.The nervous system contribution of strength explains why one man can have muscles smaller than another, yet be vastly stronger.
Another reason why Calisthenics are so efficient in developing raw strength is that they train the athlete to work multiple muscle groups at once. A bodyweight squat, for example, works not just the quadriceps at the front of the thighs, but the gluteus maximus and minimus, the spine, the hips and more.
You are your own Gym!
For the practitioner of calisthenics, his or her body becomes their own gymnasium. Most body weight exercises require no equipment, except for a place to pull yourself up. You can purchase of a pull up bar for less than £20, but all you need is a place to hang from; a door frame, below a stairwell, or even the branch of a tree in your garden or local park!
Whereas other strength training systems use weights, cables or machines to produce resistance, the vast majority of calisthenics exercises exploit a free form of resistance, namely gravity. This means that you can train anywhere you happen to be; a hotel room, on holiday, in a different city, outside, at work - anywhere. In fact training in this way, away from the restrictions of a busy gym, can offer a much better workout. I am not saying that gyms are useless (on the contrary, they are great places to train and to hook up with others who think likewise) but training knowledge is power and this is what body weight training will provide you with.
Expert Training
To unlock your potential - at any age
We'll give you the knowledge to progress sequentially through the different stages of training and to be able to perform a one arm push up or a full pistol squat from a deconditioned beginning. You will find yourself as the only person in the gym doing a one arm push up with everyone else (including most of the staff) wondering how you did it!
Our highly qualified and experienced health practitioners / trainers will to guide you through the steps to physical independence. I have a 69 year old guy doing chin ups and he hasn't done these since he was 20 years old. He had major knee surgery last year, we are only three months into his training and you should see his deep squats!
Bodyweight Training Specialist
Jeff Murray
CHEK Level 2 Practitioner, NASM-certified
"Is there a better way to define strength than the ability to perform multiple pull ups /chin ups, or to be able to squat deeply on one leg taking the back of the thigh to the calf, and to perform multiple one-arm push-ups? Probably not - and it sure beats endless rounds of boring bench presses!"