Which Is Better For You?

Calisthenics are a fantastic way to start your fitness journey because you won't need a gym membership or any special equipment to get started. Getting started is as simple as doing a quick internet search for "calisthenics workout," which will return a plethora of body weight exercise routines you can complete at home, at work, in the park, or just about anywhere. Plus, the benefits you can expect to reap aren't too shabby. In fact, according to researchers, calisthenics and weight training produce very similar results in the short term, meaning it's an ideal way to create a baseline of strength before investing in weights, a personal trainer, or a gym membership (via Healthline). 

However, calisthenics aren't just for fitness beginners; they're actually better than weight training when it comes to building endurance, improving balance, flexibility, and coordination, not to mention functional strength. While weight lifting only builds the muscles required to lift weights (while the rest of your muscles rest), exercises like planking work out most of the muscle groups in the body and improve posture, flexibility, and coordination (via Healthcorps). Of course, that doesn't mean that weight lifting isn't also beneficial.