Highlighted a few years ago by YouTubers, street workout is increasingly taking over our urban landscapes and attracting more and more fitness addicts. How to get started? What are the interests of this new discipline? We answer all your questions.
Calisthenics or bodyweight training
What mainly differentiates street workouts from indoor training is that the different exercises are performed using body weight. The purpose of street workout is therefore not a significant development of muscle mass, but rather to strengthen yourself while using your creativity. Street workout also allows you to develop physical qualities that are rarely worked on in bodybuilding, such as flexibility, balance and even cardio. It's not for nothing that we often hear that street workouts are a mix of bodybuilding and gymnastics. Street workout is accessible to everyone, whether already practicing bodybuilding or not. The important thing is to know where to start and how to properly develop your practice.
Sets & reps: main exercises
For beginners in street workout, it is advisable to start with "sets and reps", or in French series and repetitions. This won't be too disorienting for fans of bodybuilding in the gym! The basic exercises to master to progress into street workout are:
- The sheathing.
- The pumps.
- Pull-ups.
- Dips.
Initially, in order to build a basic level of street workout, a pace of 3 sessions per week is ideal. During these sessions, you can start with 3-4 sets of each exercise with 8 to 12 repetitions each time. Allow approximately 2 minutes of rest between each set. Once these exercises are well understood, you can develop them by moving on to their variations, which are always more physically engaging. We consider it time to upgrade an exercise to its higher variation when we can do 12 repetitions with ease. A little tip if an exercise is too difficult at the start (we're especially thinking of pull-ups!): don't hesitate to perform the exercises in a negative way, that is to say, jump at the start of the movement and hold the body on the way back.
Think about the legs!
Almost all street workout exercises only work the upper body, so consider integrating into your routine a few exercises to also work the legs: squats, lunges, etc.
Freestyle
Once you are confident and physically ready, you can embark on the famous freestyle sessions that panic and impress the web. Flag man, hand stand, muscle up, try the most extravagant tricks and give free rein to your imagination!
Where to practice street workout?
Some cities have areas designed for street workouts. You will find pull-up bars, parallel bars, rings... If your city is not equipped, get creative, many urban places can be transformed into street workout grounds with a little imagination: fitness trails , games for children, street furniture... If you don't dare to go it alone, more and more street workout clubs are popping up all over France. If practicing street workout allows you to get some fresh air instead of being cooped up in a gym, it can also be a disadvantage in the event of bad weather. In this case, your house or apartment can become your playground! Once again, be creative and use your furniture, your floor, your walls to practice. You can also find in specialized stores something to decorate your interior: pull-up bar, parallettes, etc.
