With us all slowly coming out of lockdown again, quite a few of us have decided to get into working out. Be it to improve on a self-imposed workout regime, or work to get rid of some of that lockdown weight!
If you want to learn how to do just that without the cost of expensive equipment, check out our list of the very best calisthenics and bodyweight training books.
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We’ll cover the following topics:
- What is the difference between calisthenics and bodyweight training?
- 5 Best calisthenic books for beginners
- Top 5 calisthenic books for advanced users
- 5 Best bodyweight training books for beginners
- Top 5 bodyweight training books for advanced users
- Our Best of the Bunch pick!
- Conclusion
Let’s get into our top 21 books on calisthenics and bodyweight training.
What Is The Difference Between Calisthenics And Bodyweight Training?
Calisthenics is a form of physical training that focuses on educating you to master your body weight whilst using minimal equipment such as weights. In addition to this, a lot of focus is placed on doing some skill-demanding movements.
Bodyweight training, however, is the art of physical training where the sole equipment used is your own body weight’s natural resistance.
Best 5 Calisthenics For Beginners
These books on calisthenics are our top choices for beginners. So if you’re just getting into it, or are coming back to calisthenic workouts after lockdown, we’ve got the right calisthenics workout book for you.
Download OriGym’s FREE 16-week home strength training program to kickstart your fitness journey!
#1 – Calisthenics Workout Bible: The #1 Guide for Beginners
by Bruce Harlow
Amazon: £15.75
Blackwells: £14.95
Waterstones: £19.95
If you’re an absolute beginner at calisthenics, then we recommend you check out this one first to comprehend the basics. It isn’t the most in-depth book, but it will certainly help you understand and take the first steps in your calisthenics training.
This book includes over 75 different bodyweight exercises, and has a Kindle edition as well as an audible version so you could listen to this book as you try out some of the exercises!
If you already know calisthenics, this might not be the book for you, but if you’re a total newbie, then we recommend you check this one out.
Many calisthenics book reviews recommend this particular guide if you’re just getting into a self-imposed calisthenics workout routine because of its simplicity and minimal types of exercises.
So, if you’re experienced in calisthenics training then try one of our best books on calisthenics in the advanced section.
#2 – Convict Conditioning
By Paul “Coach” Wade
Amazon Cost: £24.66
Kindle Cost: £6.32
Blackwell’s Cost: £30.95
Now, this pick has an intriguing title. It is so named because this piece of work is a culmination of the workout knowledge of former convict Paul Wade.
Wade had spent over two decades in California’s prison system and served alongside some of the US’s most hardened criminals. What he came out of prison with was the knowledge of prison-life workouts.
Of all the best calisthenics books we’ve looked at, this is probably the one most referenced in all of our research. Many reviews use this book to supplement many of their other workouts.
Wade’s idea of the balanced workout is to do six moves, as follows:
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Squats
- Handstands
- a forward abdominal bend
- a backward spinal bridge.
That’s it. And if you do them with “the right knowledge and a big bucketful of determination,” that’s enough.
Don’t expect to master everything in this calisthenics beginner book though! Despite being classed as one of the best calisthenics books for beginners that doesn’t mean that it won’t advance with you as you progress. This brilliant book has a few more advanced techniques that it slowly advances you towards.
This calisthenics workout book is the perfect guide to building your workout regime. If you’re looking for a more advanced version check pick number 6!
#3 – Calisthenics for Beginners: Step-By-Step Workouts to Build Strength at Any Fitness Level
By Matt Schifferle
Amazon Cost: £13.42
Kindle Cost: £7.38
Blackwell’s Cost: £12.53
A self-proclaimed all-inclusive training plan, this calisthenics beginner book is a simple straightforward book that explains valuable fitness principles and provides easy-to-follow diagrams for its exercises!
This book about calisthenics won’t require massive sacrifices to your time, energy, or wallet, and carefully guides the reader through each of the processes.
This book was written by Matt Schifferle, author of Smart Bodyweight Training (which we talk about later on!) who is a Certified Calisthenics Coach in Denver, Colorado, and a team leader for the Dragon Door Progressive Calisthenics Certification.
Schifferle has already released nine fitness-based books. He is also the founder of the Red Delta Project and has produced a collection of YouTube videos and podcasts.
One downside to this book is that to do all the exercises explained, you’ll need a chin-up bar! Of course, you can purchase one online or you can make use of your local park equipment (some swing sets make an ideal substitute).
#4 – Get Strong: The Ultimate 16-Week Transformation Program For Gaining Muscle and Strength
by Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo
Amazon Cost: £17.85
Kindle Cost: £7.72
Awesome Books: £19.79
Written by brothers Al and Danny Kavadlo, this book is probably the most time-scaled of our beginners’ picks. Get Strong is a detailed workout program disguised as a book!
The book’s main focus is to hammer the idea that progression is everything. Starting with some basic exercises the book develops onto intermediate and later advanced techniques. This progression is what the Kavadlo brothers credit for achieving the body of their dreams.
This might just be the best calisthenics book for beginners if you’re looking for a book that can give you a fully guided experience.
This book provides, much as the title suggests, a 16-week program, an explanation of the various areas of fitness and nutrition, general tips for success with the program, exercises you can do with a fitness partner or significant other, and mental tricks to keep your brain on task!
Little extras the book also includes six-pack advice, walking exercises, and explanations from the authors as to why they believe certain fitness exercises are essential.
The book is broken down into phases Phase 1 (The foundation), Phase 2 (Brick and Mortar), Phase 3 (Concrete and Iron), and finally Phase 4 (Forged from Steel). Each phase is concluded with a “test” and regardless of if you pass or fail, there is advice on what to do following the test.
Whilst the 16-week is a guide, place realistic expectations on yourself, if you’re an absolute beginner to the fitness world it might take you a little longer!
Overall this book is one of our favourite starters because the reader can work at their own pace, whilst still following some form of planned time scale.
#5 – You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women
by Mark Lauren
Amazon Cost: £13.25
Kindle Cost: £1.99
WHSmith’s Cost: £15.63
Although the name might suggest this is an equipment-less guide, some exercises do require some minimal equipment, which is why we’ve placed this guide in our calisthenics category!
In this workout book, the author breaks down each exercise throughout 80 pages, explaining each detail instruction. The program is easily adjustable to meet the needs of any reader or their goals.
Another bonus is that the paperback copy of this book is spiral-bound. This makes it easier for you to use and follow the book whilst training. Despite the plans for varying abilities (from basic to “chief class”), we’ve placed this at the end of our “beginners” category because of how simple and easy it to follow these routines are!
Mark Lauren, the author, has worked with some of the toughest athletes to date and has even worked with Special Operations Soldiers in developing this workout plan that can be done at home with minimal fitness equipment.
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If you’re interested in working in the fitness industry, why don’t you give these articles a read:
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- Personal Training Career Options
Top 5 Calisthenics For Advanced Users
The following calisthenics workout books are our top choices for those of you who are more advanced at calisthenic training. So if you’re just looking to expand your knowledge in this field, these might be of use to you!
#6 – Convict Conditioning 2
By Paul Wade
Amazon Cost: £31.59
Kindle Cost: £6.59
WHSmith’s Cost: £29.91
Of these two calisthenics books by Wade, this is the sort of sequel to pick as Convict Conditioning 2 picks up where its predecessor left off.
This calisthenics book reviews rave about how it builds on the foundations that Convict Conditioning has already established and allows the follower to move on to more advanced techniques. If you’re looking to get the first one, it might be in your best interest to pick up this one too, with a further 543 pages of information to add to your knowledge.
This sequel is longer than its first edition and takes the reader much further into the world of Calisthenics so it gives you a lot more to get your teeth into.
There are a bunch of new exercises and some older classics with new twists too! But just so you know, you wouldn’t want to pick up this amazing book without also picking up its precursor. We recommend getting both on the Kindle edition so you can always have this handy little book wherever you go.
Don’t forget to download your FREE home strength training program!
#7 – Calisthenics: The SUPERHUMAN Stack: 150 Bodyweight Exercises | The #1 Complete Bodyweight Training Guide
by Pure Calisthenics
Amazon Cost: £22.26
Kindle Cost: £10.95
Whilst, with its inclusion of a free beginner’s bodyweight training program, the book might appeal to beginners, it has a more advanced and wider range of bodyweight exercises which places this one on our more advanced scale.
If you’re looking for a book that’s going to push you, then this is the one for you. In its sizable range of exercises, there is a selection of intermediate to difficult techniques that you can aim to build yourself towards.
This book is written by Pure Calisthenics, a team of professional personal trainers, bodyweight training enthusiasts, and working nutritionists who are dedicated to teaching the art of calisthenics. The team was formed in 2015 and has since been producing an impressive range of quality books tailored around (as their name would suggest) calisthenics.
If nutrition is more your cup of tea then why not become a nutritionist with our nutrition courses?
If you’re looking for a slightly easier, beginner version of this book check out one of their other books: “Calisthenics for Beginners: 50 Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners”
#8 – Bodyweight Strength Training: 12 Weeks to Build Muscle and Burn Fat
By Jay Cardiello
Amazon Cost: £11.48
Kindle Cost: £5.88
WorldOfBooks Cost: £7.40
One of our more advanced calisthenics books, this book on bodyweight training is a simple, basic essential that is easily digestible for an absolute beginner. This book doesn’t overload you with unnecessary information.
With detailed descriptions of techniques such as Sumo Squats, Scapular Holds, Torso Twists, Push-Ups, Triceps Press-Ups, and much more, this book has all the essentials you need to learn about how to create your bodyweight regime.
This bodyweight workout book outlines 40 different exercises which are each fully illustrated and accompanied by step-by-step instructions.
Its three-month plan can be flexibly altered to meet your personal needs and increased or decreased in intensity to meet the level you are at.
This book is accessible for the beginner bodyweight trainer, but it can also be appreciated by the more experienced workout enthusiast!
This 224-page training guide is possibly the best bodyweight training book out there! We’ve placed it in our advanced user’s section because it’s also great to support new instructors and personal trainers who are looking for a simple yet clear manner on how to explain exercises and their purpose to students and trainees.
#9 – Urban Calisthenics: Get Ripped and Get Strong with Progressive Street Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
by Tee Major
Kindle Cost: £9.99
Amazon Cost: £19.23
This is one of our lesser-known picks, but we think it’s one of the perfect transitional calisthenics workout books! If you’ve gained a stronger upper body strength from the earlier books this one will help you continue on your progress!
One of this book’s first techniques is a one-armed pull-up – so if you can’t bear your weight, this probably isn’t the right book for you yet.
With 70 bodyweight exercises and 10 precision routines, this is certainly the book that will help expand your knowledge and range if you’re passionate about calisthenics.
Most exercises in this one are accompanied by detailed illustrations, to help show the reader exactly how a move is done. It reintroduces some classic Calisthenics exercises as well as introduces some newer variations.
We think this book’s key feature is its introduction to the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen and how it applies to fitness!
#10 – Street Workout A Worldwide Anthology of Urban Calisthenics
by Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo
Kindle Cost: £7.01
Dragon Door: £46.05
You’ll probably recognize the names of the authors of this one from our number 4 beginners pick!
This is one of the most universally referenced calisthenic books in most fitness blogs, simply because of how it optimises a person’s surroundings.
In this book, the authors explore the art of working out in the city. We think this book is perfect for how to use your environment to work on your calisthenics training – no need to go and buy equipment!
Chapters 4 to 8 of this masterpiece help guide you the reader to master the five foundational keys of full-body fitness: Push, Pull, Squat, Flex, and Bridge, with each chapter expanding on a different “key”.
Street Workout uses a mix of inspirational photography (which shows in detail what to do and when) and step-by-step blueprints to help you achieve body excellence!
Chapter 9 alone shows you 34 different progressive drills from the Frog Stand to the Ultimate Headstand, to the Scorpion Planche! These advanced fitness exercises are what’s made us place this magnificent read in our advanced user’s section because they certainly aren’t for the faint-hearted fitness lover.
This book uses a more informal tone, compared to some of our other picks, and it’s because of this that the bodyweight training book keeps the reader engaged and motivated!
Our 10 Best Bodyweight Training Books
Looking for the best book on bodyweight training? Sometimes the best bodyweight books are those that simplify the science and explain the basics. Here are our five best beginner books and our top five advanced books!
Best 5 Bodyweight Training Books For Beginners
#11 – How to Build Strong & Lean Bodyweight Muscle
by Anthony Arvanitakis
Amazon Cost: £11.63
Kindle Cost: £9.99
Sometimes the best books about calisthenics are those that explain the scientific reasoning behind the techniques. This 139-page book explains the science behind bodyweight training clearly and concisely and shows you what steps you need to take to achieve your goals.
With 4.7 out of 5, this is one of the more popular books about calisthenics.
If you’re looking for fewer gymnastics-orientated bodyweight books, then this is the one for you! The author focuses exclusively on what works best for building muscle and fitness using bodyweight training with an emphasis on health, well-being, and injury prevention.
The author also goes on to explain when it is appropriate to take breaks and even goes into details such as what to do on vacations and over the Christmas period.
If you enjoyed this, we recommend you also check out Arvantiakis’ additional Kindle booklet “How to Sculpt a Greek God Marble Chest with Push-ups” which explains the proper form for a push-up and manages to contain all the information essential for improved technique. It gives precise explanations of how the quality of the repetitions is more important than the number of repetitions.
#12 – Smart Bodyweight Training
by Matthew Schifferle
Amazon Cost: £44.56
Kindle Cost: £7.21
Abebooks Cost: £33.05
Matthew teaches you to boost your mind’s focus to transform your body. The author made his recommendations customizable so you can tailor these workouts to your lifestyle.
Schifferle discovered this type of training several years ago when he decided to change his workout from the usual cardio and weight routine and try bodyweight training. After only a few months Schifferle changed his workout strategy and focused on bodyweight training. Once he started his routines became less expensive and less time-consuming than the ones that required him to join a gym.
This book differs from other bodyweight guides because the author makes his recommendations customizable and interchangeable.
This calisthenics workout book helps you gain a more self-controlled and self-disciplined routine and allows you to work out and engage all the muscles of your body with smart and effective workouts.
One of this book’s best features is that it explains how to establish a neural connection with our body before moving through the natural muscle connections through the body.
Another popular feature of this bodyweight training book is the fact that it provides you with the tools you can use to adjust your training to suit your circumstances.
#13 – Bodyweight Bible: 44 Best Exercises
by Felix Harder
Amazon Cost: £9.99
Kindle Cost: £3.22
One of the best bodyweight workout books, Bodyweight Bible is a fantastic book that includes a variety of bodybuilding exercises and calisthenics.
Aimed at those who are new to calisthenics and looking to reach their fitness goals straightforwardly and effectively, this book was written by Felix Harder, a state-certified nutritionist and fitness coach turned Amazon bestselling author. Harder’s motto is getting ripped in a simplified way.
Bodyweight Bible was written to help you build lean muscle mass and gain strength and explores a variety of bodyweight workouts, bodybuilding exercises, and calisthenics. These exercises focus on different muscle groups including the chest, back, legs, arms, shoulders/neck, and abs.
Structured into six different chapters, this is one of the best books on calisthenics, as it explores each area in detail and covers all the important groups of muscles.
Each muscle group has a selection of 4-8 different exercises. Most importantly this book highlights its safety tips and provides illustrations and possible alternative variations of these exercises.
#14 – 30 Day Beginner Workout Program: Total Beginner Bodyweight Program
By Sean Vigue
Kindle Cost: £1.89
So if you were looking for bodyweight workout books with a difference then this one should grab your interest. This is a Kindle “interactive book” that provides you links for videos so that you can follow along with the author, Sean Vigue.
The reason we’ve included this in our beginners for bodyweight training is because of how easy it is to follow. This book provides you with a link to a video “master list” and provides you with a password to access them.
Each page has a screenshot of the video featured for that day as well as accompanied by a little commentary. Following these videos to the author’s YouTube page, you can find a variety of other videos that you can follow, to advance your routine.
Overall this “book” gives you a solid monthly routine for you to follow, and we think is an ideal way to get into bodyweight training.
This is one of the best books on bodyweight training if you’re a home-based worker, or a stay-at-home parent trying to get back into fitness; it’s the easiest to follow because you can do it alongside your instructor!
#15 – Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance
By Dr Kelly Starrett and Glen Cordoza
Amazon Cost: £44.82
WHSmith’s Cost: £62.69
This pick isn’t solely focused on bodyweight training and can just as easily fall into our Calisthenics category, however, we have placed this one here because Becoming a Supple Leopard shows you the right stretches you should do to build up the flexibility necessary for bodyweight training.
As well as including crucial stretches, most of the techniques shown are bodyweight focused, and only a handful of the exercises use equipment, meaning if you were looking for a variety of calisthenic exercises then this book would probably fall short in expectations.
This book uses a combination of illustrations and photos to carefully show and explain why certain posture inhibits muscle gain as well as can cause injury. Becoming a Supple Leopard has seen great success and was even a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling sportsbook.
Both authors are experienced in the field of fitness training and sports Dr Kelly Starrett received a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University in 2007 and is a CrossFit trainer, physical therapist, author, and speaker.
Glen Cordoza is a former professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai boxer. He is one of the most published authors on the topics of MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and general fitness. He currently has 24 other books published in his name.
Top 5 Bodyweight Training Books For Advanced Users
These bodyweight workout books are our top picks for those who have some experience with bodyweight training.
#16 – Your Body is Your Barbell
by BJ Gaddour, CSCS
Amazon Cost: £19.51
Kindle Cost: £8.49
WHSmith’s Cost: £19.32
In 2013, when Men’s Health decided that they wanted a bodyweight workout guide, they asked BJ Gaddour, Fitness Director for Men’s Health, to put together a new bodyweight workout plan. What he came up with was Your Body is Your Barbell: a bodyweight regime requiring no equipment and uses a combination of proven nutritional advice and an inclusive workout plan.
This nutritional plan is why we’ve placed it in the more advanced books, as it requires a stricter routine.
Each exercise described is paired with a clear description, to avoid confusion. The workout plan is designed with eight different exercises and has five levels of progression.
This book might be the best book on bodyweight training in combination with its nutritional plan as it provides the blueprint for anyone who is hoping to start their at-home workout.
Download your 16-week strength training program today!
#17 – 100 No-Equipment Workouts
By Neila Rey
Amazon Cost: £18.93
Kindle Cost: £7.19
This bodyweight exercise book is part of a series. It provides over 100 bodyweight workouts that you can choose from and alternate with, incorporating them into your at-home workout!
Readers can follow and mimic these workouts and slowly push themselves with their routines.
Did you know that calisthenics is a type of resistance training?
All workouts include a large variety of exercises that allow the reader to pick those that they feel comfortable with as they are depicted visually, guiding you from the first exercise of each workout to the last.
The book contains three levels of progression with each workout, to accommodate the beginner and the more experienced fitness-goer, but because of its large variety, we’ve placed them in our more experienced category because there’s just so much to pick from.
This first volume was released in September 2016 and since then two further volumes have been released, meaning that with Rey’s books, you’ll keep up with the latest no-equipment workouts that you’ll find in most calisthenics books!
#18 – 100 No-Equipment Workouts Vol. 2
By Neila Rey
Amazon Cost: £13.30
Kindle Cost: £8.69
This is, as its title suggests, the second volume of the aforementioned 100 No-Equipment Workouts. This volume was released in July 2017 and the third instalment of these easy-to-follow calisthenics books was released in August 2019.
We included and ranked both of the first two volumes because they both provide a very large and useful range of exercises to use and whilst volume I introduces you to the fundamentals of the techniques, Vol II has a lot more advanced techniques (and if you enjoyed the two of them there’s even a Volume III!).
The author Rey seems to have a passion for this genre of calisthenics books because as well as Vol I through III there are several other volumes to pick from and in addition to this, there are also 100 Office Workouts and Pocket Workouts.
These calisthenics books fit into our more advanced selection because whilst they provide an amazing range of techniques, it does not necessarily explain their necessity due to their compact and content-full nature. Because of this, we feel that a more experienced and knowledgeable calisthenics enthusiast is going to benefit more from them.
If you enjoyed Rey’s books it might be worth checking out the Author’s website: darebee.com which provides workouts, programs, recipes, and meal plans!
#19 – Complete Calisthenics: The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Exercise
By Ashley Kalym
Amazon Cost: £25.95
Complete Calisthenics is an ideal contribution to your collection if you’ve got some experience in Calisthenics and Bodyweight training, and especially if you’re looking for a no-nonsense approach.
This book explains some of the essentials that you need to know about bodyweight training and the information presented is approachable and easy to understand.
The reason we have placed this in our more advanced list is that although the book goes into great detail for some of the manoeuvres (and most exercises have some great accompanying images/illustrations), some exercises would need further clarification for an absolute beginner.
The author, Ashley Kalym, is a very passionate writer who has a long experience with calisthenics, gymnastics, and bodyweight conditioning. You can find out more about becoming a fitness writer in our article!
His passion for fitness started during training during his time with the Royal Marines. He also has a lot of experience with many different sports and disciplines.
This book explains many basic movements such as pull-ups, push-ups, and squats, and slowly goes into the more advanced exercises such as planche, human flag, levers, and so on. Therefore this is the ideal accompanying book for a beginner looking to advance, professionals or people who are somewhere in between.
#20 – The Naked Warrior: Master the Secrets of the Super-Strong – Using Bodyweight Exercises Only
by Pavel Tsatsouline
Amazon Cost: £57.62
Kindle Cost: £6.38
This book is written by a former trainer of Russian special forces Spetsnaz and an expert on strength training. In this book, he shares his 3 main principles for strength training in a very simple and easy-to-understand way. The author avoids using overly complicated language and keeps it simple.
The reason we’ve placed this in our advanced category isn’t that he includes a large variety of complex techniques, in fact, he only talks about two exercises in the entirety of the book!
That’s right!
This 210-page book consists of only two exercises: the one-arm push-up and the one-leg squat (or pistol). The reason this book only contains these two exercises is because the author demonstrates how to do these exercises, and their numerous variants, with many photos and simple instructions and how they can be used to acquire your desired muscle definition.
#21 – Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength (2ndEdition)
by Steven Low
Amazon Cost: £44.14
After looking over and analyzing countless calisthenics books and bodyweight training books we settled on this being our top dog of them all.
This is by far the most comprehensive and in-depth of all our picks and might just be the best book on calisthenics on our list. A 600-page detailed guide on how to perform different techniques that go on to explain how you can construct your routine. The author goes on to explain the benefits of programming and developing a plan to reach your goals.
Written by Steven Low, a former convict who has many years of training behind his back; Steven holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland. He also has a PhD in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which lends to how this book explains certain techniques and how they work, as well as demonstrates the correct, safe, positions for each.
Although most exercises require rings, some are possible to be performed on the ground and if you feel you want to move on to rings, it is possible to buy a set of gymnast rings for less than £25!
These rings are possible to be held from pull-up bars, a neglected soccer goal, a sturdy tree branch (though that is to your discretion), a basement joist, a pull-up, or even playground equipment!
This book is so intense that even its chapter contents have sub-contents!
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve found what you were looking for in our list of the best books on calisthenics training and bodyweight training in 2021!
These calisthenics books and bodyweight training books should help even the most inexperienced exercisers get on the path to affordable, equipment-free, and equipment-light workouts.
Here at OriGym, we love reading about all the new ways you can keep yourself in peak-performing condition, including new ideas about eating habits or training. Not everything can be found online, especially with in-depth detail, so it’s always a great idea to expand your range (which is why we’ve compiled a list of our best calisthenics and bodyweight training books)!
If exercise and fitness is your passion then join OriGym and take your fitness to the next level today. Become a Level 3 Personal Trainer! Download our course prospectus for all the information on our REPS and CIMSPA-accredited courses and packages.
