How street style calisthenics is taking over Mumbai

The art of street style calisthenics which uses the body weight for strength training and endurance is finding plenty of momentum in Mumbai.

If you find yourself heading to park in Malad in Mumbai in the first hour of the morning for a quick jog or a walk, you may be surprised by what you encounter. Chances are that you may come across a bunch of people with well crafted and chiselled bodies and defined musculature performing moves that seem straight out of a gymnast or a trapeze’s routine.

A horizontal bar, a bench and maybe a rope is all they need to perform these gorgeous and awe-inspiring moves of body balance and endurance. While at first glance it may seem like they are gymnasts or acrobats who do this for a living, what is actually unfolding before your eyes isn’t an elaborate dance performance, but a modern style of body-building called calisthenics. Street-style calisthenics to be precise.

Now, unless you’re a millennial or someone who is into the world of fitness and bodybuilding, you may find yourself asking what is calisthenics? A simple Google search result will then indicate that calisthenics is the art of strength and endurance training that engages different muscle groups with a variety of movements that require timing and rhythm. What differentiates calisthenics from usual body-building is its insistence on not using elaborate gym equipment and relying simply on the body weight instead.

The resistance is not provided by dumbbells and big machines, but by the own body. Calisthenics can provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility, and coordination.

A few pull-up bars, parallel bars or horizontal beams are enough for fitness enthusiasts to start performing their calisthenics moves. While the lack of equipment makes it seem simple enough, the movements and action are more complex and require body awareness and good sense of timing.

It’s becoming a great fitness workout routine for Mumbaikars though and the youth say that they don’t begin their day without it.

“My friend, Dev, used to go there and he lost 20 kilos in just about three months; his progression impressed me. I went there and I found the vibe crazy. I now skip the gym and do calisthenics most of the time,” says Aishwarya Sharma who heard about calisthenics and where it is practiced from a friend.

Then there’s freestyle fitness artist Rohan Singh who has gone from gym workouts to parkour and dancing to being a hardcore calisthenics enthusiast. His favourite move - the one-arm handstand and the 360-degree turn in the air - is wildly popular on social media and clips of it often go viral.

“It’s part of the free-styling moves in calisthenics,” he explains, adding, “When I upload my pictures doing these, my friends love it; I’ve got strangers messaging me saying, ‘Bro, that’s cool!’” But it looks easier said than done? “True, this is an advanced move, you have to grab the bar at the right time and it also puts pressure on the shoulders and forearms. Let’s say, I’ve had my share of injures when I started.”

Calisthenics is a wonderful way to add variety to your body’s workout routine and escape the dreary and monotonous nature of a gym or a swimming pool. “Gym workouts can get monotonous. But this is such a fun adrenalin rush every day. I didn’t dream that I would end up doing bar flips or take part in a calisthenics push-up competition and do 57 at one-go after becoming a mother. Calisthenics helped me do so and I make it a point to come across town for it,” says Pearl Monteiro, the mother of a two-year old and a resident of Borivali.

Kirsten Varela had founded the calisthenics park in Mumbai in March 2018. He says that he has clearly noticed an upsurge in Mumbaikars taking an active interest in this fitness regimen and coming to practice at his park.

“I came across such parks when I was studying in Australia and I loved them. When I returned to India, I realised there were just a few open areas and gyms, but no dedicated park for calisthenics. I set one up in a small space and called a few guys over to train. We shot a video doing flips, etc and posted it online. It went on to create such a huge noise!

“The best part of calisthenics is that it is for everyone, regardless of age and fitness level.

“We hope to put Mumbai and India on the calisthenics map with it,” he says.