To start calisthenics, you need just one thing: a bar to hang from. The rest is bought in order, when you need it. Here's what to get, when, and what can wait.
The short answer
Three items cover your first six months:
- A pull-up bar, for pulling. It's the only basic movement that's impossible to do without equipment.
- A resistance band, to help you until you get your first pull-up.
- Parallettes or dip bars, for pushing with straight wrists and learning dips.
Push-ups, squats and core work are done on the floor, with nothing. In our shop, these three items come to about €110 between them.
Park or home?
If you have a calisthenics park ten minutes away, you can start without buying anything. The bars are there, at every height.
Equipment at home serves another purpose: consistency. A bar in a door frame means a session is possible when it's raining, when it's dark at 5 pm or when you only have twenty minutes. It's consistency that makes a beginner progress, not the quality of the spot.
The pull-up bar
It's your first purchase. The right model depends on your home, not your level.
| Your situation | The model | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Renting, standard door | Multi-grip door pull-up bar | No drilling: it sits on a standard door frame and comes off after your session. Three grips: wide, narrow and neutral. |
| Door frame wider than 100 cm | Adjustable door pull-up bar | Adjustable from 65 to 130 cm. Measure before ordering. |
| Homeowner, load-bearing wall | Multi-grip wall-mounted bar | To be fixed into concrete or solid brick: see how to install a wall-mounted bar. |
To compare the models in detail, see how to choose a pull-up bar.
TipIf you can't decide, go for the multi-grip door pull-up bar. It requires neither a wall nor a drill, and its three grips let you vary your pull-ups from the first session.
The resistance band
Until you can do a full pull-up, the band carries part of your weight. You do the real movement, through the full range of motion, from the first session.
One is enough to start. The stronger it is, the more it helps you. The resistance band comes in yellow, purple, green and blue resistances, sold individually: the guide what resistance to choose gives you the right one for your weight.
It doesn't end up in the cupboard once you have your first pull-up. After that it's used for warming up your shoulders and for your first skills.
Parallettes or dip bars
Both are for pushing. They don't do the same job.
- The wooden parallettes: deeper push-ups, straight wrists, first L-sits. They fit under a bed. The right choice in a flat.
- Dip bars: dips, inverted rows, knee raises. They take up more space, but they open up more exercises.
Tight budget? A pair of push-up bars is enough for push-ups.
Your kit, depending on your home
Browse all our street workout equipment.
What can wait
These purchases are useful, but not in the first month.
| Equipment | The right time |
|---|---|
| Dip belt | When you can do 10 clean pull-ups. See where to start with weighted pull-ups. |
| Weighted vest | When bodyweight push-ups and squats become easy. |
| Gymnastic rings | Useful early on for inverted rows, if you have a hanging point. Ring dips come much later. |
| Ab wheel | When you can hold the plank for one minute without arching your back. |
| Grip tape, chalk | When the bar is smooth or your hands slip. |
Common mistakeBuying everything on day one. A weighted vest is no use until you can do ten pull-ups. Buy one item, use it for a month, then decide on the next.
What about clothing?
Nothing special: shorts or tracksuit bottoms that don't get in the way, a T-shirt, flat shoes. Gloves aren't necessary. The skin on your hands gets used to it in a few weeks, and many people prefer direct contact with the bar.
Buying for someone else? Our street workout gift ideas help you choose for their level and the equipment they already own.
Got your equipment? The next step is in the guide to calisthenics for beginners: your first session, how often to train and what you can expect in three months.
Mentioned in this guide
Adjustable Pull Up and Dip Station, 150 kg150 kg · 165 to 219 cm, 10 positions · Reinforced steel, 1.2 mm thick121,90 €
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