Starting Calisthenics When You're Overweight? Do THIS!

Summary

In this fitness video, Ryan addresses the challenge of starting calisthenics when overweight. He offers three key recommendations: adopting the 16/8 intermittent fasting method, incorporating low-impact cardio like walking, and utilizing angle of leverage to ease into exercises. By focusing on these strategies, viewers can safely lose weight and build strength, progressively advancing in calisthenics and improving their relative strength without risking joint damage.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♂️ For those overweight starting calisthenics, basic exercises like push-ups and pull-ups can be difficult due to the extra weight.
• 👨‍🏫 Ryan, a personal trainer, suggests starting with less weight to make exercises easier, similar to how beginners in weight lifting start with just a barbell.
• 🔥 The first recommendation for weight loss is intermittent fasting, specifically the 16/8 method, which involves a 16-hour fast and an 8-hour eating window.
• 🍽️ Intermittent fasting can be as simple as skipping breakfast and having two reasonable-sized meals within the 8-hour window to create a calorie deficit.
• 🚶‍♂️ Low impact cardio, such as walking, is recommended for those with a sedentary lifestyle or who are significantly overweight to start with.
• 🚶‍♀️ Walking is beneficial as it's low impact on joints and gently moves internal organs, with a suggestion to start with a pace of 1 mile in 20 minutes.
• 📈 The concept of angle of leverage can be used to make calisthenics exercises easier by starting with less challenging variations, like push-ups against a wall.
• 💪 As weight is lost and strength is built, gradually progress to more difficult exercises by changing the angle of leverage, such as moving from wall push-ups to incline push-ups.
• 🚫 Avoid high impact or explosive exercises when overweight to prevent joint damage, focusing on low impact activities and gradual progression.
• 🔗 For more information on intermittent fasting, a link to a how-to video by Ryan is provided for viewers interested in learning more.
• 📹 Ryan's channel focuses on achieving fitness and health at home without a gym, using calisthenics, and encourages subscribing for more content.

Q & A

What is the main challenge for overweight individuals starting a calisthenics workout program?

Overweight individuals may find it difficult to perform even basic exercises like push-ups and pull-ups due to the extra weight they carry, which makes calisthenics or bodyweight exercises more challenging compared to leaner people.

Why is it important to start with less weight when learning new exercises, as mentioned in the script?

Starting with less weight makes any exercise easier, allowing beginners to learn proper form and technique without the added strain of heavy weights. This principle applies to both weightlifting and calisthenics.

What are some of the reasons why advanced calisthenics athletes are often very lean?

Advanced calisthenics athletes are lean because having less body fat makes exercises easier and prevents it from slowing them down or holding them back.

What is the first tool or piece of advice recommended for overweight individuals wanting to start calisthenics?

The first recommendation is intermittent fasting, specifically the 16/8 method, which involves a 16-hour fast and an 8-hour feeding window, helping to create a caloric deficit and facilitate weight loss.

How does walking serve as an effective low-impact cardio for overweight individuals?

Walking is an accessible and low-impact form of cardio that is gentle on the joints, helps to gently jostle internal organs, and can elevate the heart rate for an extended period, contributing to weight loss.

What is the recommended starting pace for walking to aid in weight loss for beginners?

The recommended starting pace is to walk 1 mile in 20 minutes, gradually increasing the pace to walk a mile in 15 minutes, and eventually working up to 2 miles in 30 minutes.

What is the concept of 'angle of leverage' and how can it be used to make calisthenics exercises easier for beginners?

The angle of leverage refers to adjusting the body's position to decrease resistance in exercises. For example, doing push-ups against a wall reduces the difficulty, allowing beginners to perform the exercise more easily as they build strength.

How can relative strength be improved while reducing body fat through calisthenics?

By gradually increasing the difficulty of exercises using progressions and angle of leverage while also reducing body fat through methods like intermittent fasting and walking, an individual's relative strength, which is the ratio of strength to weight, can be improved.

Why should overweight individuals avoid high impact or explosive exercises when starting calisthenics?

High impact or explosive exercises can be damaging to the joints, especially for those who are significantly overweight, so they should be avoided until some weight is lost to reduce the risk of injury.

What additional advice is given for those who are new to the channel and interested in fitness without a gym?

New viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the channel and tap the bell to get notifications for every new upload, ensuring they stay updated with the latest content on achieving fitness at home without a gym.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Starting Calisthenics as an Overweight Individual

In this video, Ryan addresses the challenges overweight individuals may face when starting a calisthenics workout program. He emphasizes the importance of weight loss to make calisthenics exercises easier and safer. Ryan introduces himself and the purpose of his channel, which is to promote fitness and health through calisthenics without the need for a gym. He acknowledges the difficulty of bodyweight exercises for those with extra weight and compares it to the approach of a personal trainer who would start with lighter weights for beginners in a gym. The video aims to provide recommendations for overweight individuals to begin their calisthenics journey safely.

05:02

🍽️ Intermittent Fasting and Low Impact Cardio for Weight Loss

Ryan offers three key recommendations for overweight individuals looking to start calisthenics. The first is intermittent fasting, specifically the 16/8 method, which involves a 16-hour fasting period and an 8-hour eating window. He suggests reducing meal frequency and emphasizes the importance of a caloric deficit for weight loss. The second recommendation is low impact cardio, with walking being the most accessible and beneficial form. Ryan advises starting with a manageable pace and gradually increasing it to improve cardiovascular health and support weight loss. He also mentions the benefits of walking for organ health and joint preservation. The third recommendation involves using the angle of leverage to make exercises more manageable, which will be explained in the next paragraph.

Keywords

💡Calisthenics

Calisthenics refers to a form of exercise that consists of various movements, typically without the use of equipment, using one's body weight as resistance. In the video, calisthenics is the central theme, as the speaker discusses how to safely start a calisthenics program when overweight. Examples include push-ups and pull-ups, which are fundamental exercises in calisthenics.

💡Extra weight

Extra weight, as mentioned in the script, refers to having a higher body weight than what is considered healthy or ideal for an individual's height and body type. The video addresses the challenges faced by individuals with extra weight who wish to start a calisthenics workout program, as carrying additional weight can make exercises more difficult.

💡Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. The script recommends the 16/8 method, where the individual fasts for 16 hours and eats within an 8-hour window. This approach is suggested as an effective way to reduce calorie intake and promote weight loss, which can facilitate the start of a calisthenics program.

💡Low impact cardio

Low impact cardio refers to cardiovascular exercises that are gentle on the joints and do not involve high-impact movements. In the video, walking is highlighted as a recommended low impact cardio activity for overweight individuals as it is accessible, easy on the joints, and beneficial for overall health and weight loss.

💡Bodyweight exercise

Bodyweight exercise is a type of physical exercise that uses the weight of one's own body as resistance for strength training. The video script emphasizes that bodyweight exercises, like calisthenics, can be more challenging for individuals with extra weight, hence the focus on weight loss strategies to ease into such exercises.

💡Progressions

Progressions in the context of the video refer to the gradual increase in the difficulty of exercises as one builds strength and loses weight. The script mentions using different angles and positions to modify exercises, such as push-ups against a wall or incline push-ups, to make them more approachable for beginners or those with extra weight.

💡Angle of leverage

The angle of leverage is a concept used to describe how the body's position can affect the difficulty of an exercise. The video suggests using this concept to make calisthenics exercises easier initially by starting with positions that reduce resistance, such as doing push-ups against a wall, and gradually progressing to more challenging angles as strength increases.

💡Explosive exercises

Explosive exercises are high-intensity movements that involve quick, powerful contractions of the muscles. The script warns against these types of exercises for significantly overweight individuals due to the risk of joint damage, recommending a focus on low impact activities and gradual progression instead.

💡Relative strength

Relative strength is the measure of an individual's strength in relation to their body weight. The video emphasizes the importance of increasing relative strength by losing body fat while building muscle through calisthenics and other exercises, which makes the exercises easier to perform as one gets leaner.

💡Morbidly obese

Morbid obesity is a term used to describe a level of obesity that is significantly higher than what is considered healthy and can lead to serious health risks. In the script, the speaker advises those who are morbidly obese to initially avoid certain calisthenics exercises and focus on weight loss through methods like intermittent fasting and walking before starting resistance exercises.

Highlights

Starting a calisthenics workout program can be difficult with extra weight, even for basic exercises like push-ups and pull-ups.

For those who are overweight, calisthenics or bodyweight exercises are more challenging due to the extra weight.

The video aims to provide recommendations for overweight individuals to start calisthenics safely and effectively.

Advanced calisthenics athletes are lean to make exercises easier and avoid the hindrance of body fat.

Intermittent fasting, specifically the 16/8 method, is recommended as an effective way to drop weight.

During the 8-hour feeding window, consuming only two meals can help create a caloric deficit for weight loss.

Low impact cardio, such as walking, is recommended for overweight individuals starting exercise routines.

Walking is beneficial for joints and gently moves internal organs, promoting overall health.

A gradual increase in walking pace and distance can help in weight loss and fitness improvement.

Taking advantage of the angle of leverage can make calisthenics exercises more accessible for heavier individuals.

Progressions like push-ups against a wall can decrease resistance and make exercises easier for beginners.

Explosive exercises should be avoided by overweight individuals to prevent joint damage.

Combining walking, intermittent fasting, and angle of leverage exercises can build strength and reduce body fat.

Relative strength, or strength in proportion to body weight, is crucial for calisthenics and can be improved with the right approach.

Bodyweight rows and partial squats are examples of exercises that utilize angle of leverage and range of motion to adjust difficulty.

The video emphasizes the importance of a gradual and safe approach to calisthenics for overweight individuals.

Subscribing to the channel can provide ongoing support and guidance for those looking to stay fit and healthy at home.

Transcripts

if you're starting a calisthenics

workout program but you have a lot of

extra weight on you you might find it a

bit difficult even with the most basic

exercises like push-ups and pull-ups so

in this video I want to share with you

guys my recommendations to start

dropping the weight and begin your

calisthenics program safely how's it

going everybody I'm Ryan and this is -

the gym where we talk about how to be

fit and healthy without a gym using

calisthenics and if that sounds good to

you keep in mind that subscribe button

is right down there below I've gotten

some requests down in the comments but

hey I want to start calisthenics but I'm

overweight where should I start and that

question has come up a few times now so

I want to make this video just to

address it that if you are really

overweight like morbidly obese or you're

just carrying a lot of extra weight on

you you're going to find calisthenics or

bodyweight exercise to be more difficult

than the leaner people and I think

that's obvious but the reason why is if

you take a look at for example weight

lifting right as a personal trainer if I

was going to be training someone in the

gym I would start them off whether I was

teaching them benchpress or squats or

deadlifts or anything like that I would

always first explain the exercise

demonstrate it myself and then have them

try it with only a barbell no extra

weight on the bar you know no plates

nothing just the bar itself and the

reason for that is any exercise is going

to be easier with less weight and the

same thing applies to calisthenics the

less weight you have on you then the

easier it will be to do the push-ups

pull-ups dips squats lunges and all

those exercises even even going up into

the more advanced things like levers and

flags and handstand push-ups all of that

is easier when you're leaner and that's

why a lot of the really advanced

calisthenics athletes and street workout

athletes out there they're so shredded

it's because they don't they don't have

room for body fat they that just slows

them down and holds them back so they

are purposely very lean to make the

exercises easier so I'm going to share

with you three tools or pieces of advice

that I recommend you try if you are

overweight or obese and you want to

start

calisthenics and the first thing I

recommend this is hands down probably

the easiest and most effective way to

drop weight is intermittent fasting all

right this is really popular right now

it's been something people have been

using for decades probably if not

centuries but it's really making a

resurgence right now online especially

on YouTube a lot of people are using it

and I already made a video a couple

videos on intermittent fasting so make

sure you check those out but the type of

intermittent fasting I recommend is

called 16/8 where you have a 16 hour

fast an 8 hour feeding window and if you

do it right all right sometimes I tend

to cram 3 meals into the 8 hour window

but if during your 8 hour feeding window

you only eat 2 meals you're essentially

cutting out an entire meal right your

breakfast just doesn't exist anymore

and as long as those 2 meals that you

eat aren't unreasonably large you will

be eating significantly less calories

than you were before and this will help

put you in a caloric deficit and a

caloric deficit is key to start dropping

weight if you want to learn more about

my method for intermittent fasting how I

recommend easing into it I will put a

link below to my intermittent fasting

how-to video and I'll also put one of

those cards up on the screen here so

make sure you check that out after you

watch this video the second thing I

recommend if you are overweight or obese

and you want to start exercising and

body weight exercise especially if you

are coming off of a sedentary lifestyle

like you're currently not exercising

that would be low impact cardio and

there's multiple forms it could be

swimming it could be bicycling but the

number one thing I recommend I think

it's most accessible for everyone is

walking a lot of people they'll say oh

start jogging but if you're really

overweight jogging or running is gonna

be really tough on your ankles and your

knees it's just not it's not easy on

your joints but walking is good for

everybody

aside from being low-impact under joints

walking is also really good because the

way you move it kind of gently jostles

your organs it's actually very good for

your organs and it's just a really good

form of cardio your heart rate is

slightly elevated for an extended period

of time I recommend

aiming for about 1 mile and getting that

in 20 minutes that's a good starting

pace and then try to increase your pace

so you're doing a mile in 15 minutes and

once you're doing one mile in 15 minutes

trying to double that try to go 2 miles

in 30 minutes and once you reach that

point you're walking two miles a day and

you can do that every day 7 days a week

combined with intermittent fasting you

will be losing weight and the third

thing I recommend is taking advantage of

angle of leverage now if you don't know

what I mean by that just bear with me

for a minute but if you're extremely

overweight for morbidly obese then

you're probably going to want to hold

off on push-ups and and other

calisthenics exercises in the beginning

because those will be just too tough all

right though you'll be too heavy and it

could be damaging to your joints so I

recommend sticking with the walking and

the intermittent fasting in the

beginning and once you've dropped enough

weight then start the resistance

exercises but if you're not morbidly

obese and you just have some extra

weight on you what you can do is you can

start the exercises taking advantage of

angle of leverage to make the exercises

easier if you haven't seen my beginner

video yet my beginner routine make sure

you check that out because I demonstrate

progressions where you start off for

example with push-ups you can actually

do push-ups against a wall that's the

easiest variation where you're standing

a couple feet away from the wall of

meaning into it and this is going to

decrease the resistance dramatically and

for a very heavy person this will make

it more approachable and more accessible

once you're able to do the push-ups

against the wall consistently and you've

dropped some weight you can start doing

them on an incline platform ok meaning a

raised platform so your body is on an

incline maybe 45 degrees or so and what

you'll find is that as you do these

angle of leverage exercises and you get

yourself closer and closer to the floor

you'll be making them more difficult and

if you do that gradually combined with

the walking and the intermittent fasting

you're going to be gradually building

strength while reducing your body fat

and that increases relative strength

relative strength is basically just how

strong you are versus how much you weigh

you can also apply the concept of angle

of leverage to

pull-ups by getting beneath your dip

station and doing bodyweight rows you

can do them with straight legs that's a

little harder than bent legs right so

you can gradually progressively make it

more difficult you can do the same with

squats except with squats instead of

England leverage it's more like range of

motion doing a partial bodyweight squat

will be easier than doing you know

halfway to the ground and then in a deep

squat and so on so take advantage of

progressions angled leverage and a quick

word on explosive exercises those are

high impact so if you're overweight

okay significantly overweight definitely

avoid any high impact or explosive

movements wait until you drop the weight

so you don't risk damaging your joints

so I hope this video was helpful for any

of you who want to start calisthenics

but you're overweight and you find that

your weight is holding you back alright

you might need to reprioritize just a

little bit you know focus on

intermittent fasting focus on daily

walking or other low impact cardio you

won't regret it as you drop the weight

you'll see that it's actually helping

you progress faster into calisthenics

and guys don't forget if you're new to

my channel and the idea of keeping

healthy and fit at home without a gym

sounds good and exciting to you hit that

subscribe button and tap the bell so you

get notified every time I upload alright

and I'll see you guys in the next video

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