You finally want to start with calisthenics at home, but are unsure if you need special equipment for this? Don’t worry, you don’t have to turn your entire living room into a gym right away. With little but indispensable calisthenics equipment, you can set up your minimalist home gym and get started. In this article I will show you which top 3 calisthenics equipment are indispensable for your training and which other gadgets serve well as a supplement. Let's start!

Why You Should Start Home With Calisthenics

Calisthenics has many benefits and is a great way to exercise effectively at home. One of the biggest benefits is that you can exercise whenever it suits you best. You don’t have to go to a fitness center and fight your way through crowded studios. In addition, you can use calisthenics to increase your strength and build muscle over the years without hitting limits. Through your own body weight and gravity, you learn to use your body to create resistances that act like weights in the gym on the muscles. So calisthenics not only helps you get fit and strong, but also better understand and control your body.

Do you need equipment for calisthenics?

Wondering if you need special equipment for calisthenics? The answer is, it depends. There are a lot of tools and equipment for calisthenics, but much of it is often unnecessary. You can even do a lot of exercises without equipment, but there are natural limits here. For example, you can hardly train muscle parts such as your back with your own body weight. Therefore, a minimum of sports equipment is necessary to be able to train all muscle parts effectively and holistically.

I now introduce you to the most important equipment with which you can achieve long-term success and maintain the fun of training. The training equipment is selected mainly according to the criterion that you can continue to increase in calisthenics training and do not neglect any muscles.

Which calisthenics equipment is indispensable?

You’ve probably quickly realized that there is a variety of equipment that can help you with your calisthenics training. Turning rings, pull-up bar, parallettes, resistance bands, chalk, weight vest and weight belt are just some of the many options available to you.

Ultimately, it depends on your goals and training plan which equipment is best for you. It may make sense to start with some basic equipment and then slowly expand your home gym to see which equipment will help you achieve your goals the most. The first, in my opinion, the most indispensable sports equipment is a pair of turn rings.

Gymnastic Rings - The All-rounders in the Calisthenics

Turning rings, also known as Gymnastic Rings, are an indispensable equipment for any calisthenics enthusiast. Turning rings are available in various embodiments. You can choose between plastic gym rings or wooden gym rings. We clearly recommend rings made of wood, as they have a natural grip and at the same time are durable and resilient.

Build strength and learn calisthenics skills with gym rings - endless opportunities for full-body strength training

The rings give you strength training for the whole body and give you endless opportunities to improve your fitness, build strength and learn calisthenics skill. On the rings you can both train in the slope and learn exercises such as the pull-up, as well as strengthen your pressure muscles with dips and push-ups. Due to the fact that you can adjust the gym rings in height, they can replace a pull-up bar and at the same time allow a lot of other exercises in the middle and low position.

Versatile application possibilities and endless growth potential: Wooden gym rings are the perfect calisthenics equipment

Wooden gym rings are lightweight and compact, so you can take them anywhere, whether for a workout in the park or on vacation. They are ideal for beginners, because you can learn basic exercises such as pushups and rowing with them. But even advanced people can learn with wooden gymnastics elements such as Back Lever, Front Lever and Muscle Up.

Due to the versatile application possibilities, the practicality and the ever-lasting possibilities for improvement, there is no question that a high-quality pair of Gym Rings take first place in the most important equipment for calisthenics. So if you’re ready to take your training to the next level, be sure to get a pair of high-quality wooden gym rings.

Parallettes - the perfect complement to gym rings

Parallettes are not only an important and versatile training device in the field of calisthenics, but also the perfect complement to a pair of gym rings. Both devices together form almost a perfect minimalist home gym for calisthenics. With the Parallettes & Turnringen you have the opportunity to take your fitness, strength and calisthenics skills to a whole new level.

Discover the benefits of Parallettes for your calisthenics training: More exercises & more options

Parallettes allow you to do a variety of exercises you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, such as handstands, L-Sits, or Planches. They come in different shapes, sizes and heights, as well as from different materials such as wood, plastic or metal. Ultimately, however, they all have the same goal in your training: to offer you a safe way to perform exercises in different support positions. Of course, you could also do handstands and the L-Sit on the floor, but the Parallettes allow you to keep your wrist neutral during these exercises and balance yourself in both directions, for example. The L-Sit is easier to learn on Parallettes, because the Parallettes increase the distance between you and the floor and allow you to choose from easier progression options.

Optimize your calisthenics training with the right parallettes: high, low and medium-high parallettes in comparison

There are different types of parallettes, depending on height and area of use. High Parallettes, with a height of about 30 cm, are particularly suitable for exercises such as the L-Sit, Dip and Planche, as they offer a greater distance from the floor and straight climbers do not have to keep the legs at a strenuous height. They offer more ways to simplify the exercises. The disadvantage, however, is that high parallels are more bulky and therefore harder to stow and transport.

Low Parallettes, with a height of about 10 cm, are ideal for handstands or pushups. In handstanding, it is convenient if the base is not far from the ground, as it is easier to make the uplift. Pushups also become more intense when the parallettes are flat and you can work with a larger range of motion than on the floor. In addition, flat parallettes fit better in the backpack and can be taken anywhere. The downside, however, is that with exercises like the L-Sit there is hardly any space under you and you must have bent the hip at at least 90 degrees in order not to touch the floor with your legs.

Medium-High Parallettes try to combine the advantages of high and low parallels, but have their own limitations. With a height of 15-20 cm, they offer more versatility, but they are still bulky and less easy to stow than low parallettes. The swinging into the handstand is made more difficult by the extra height, since every centimeter counts. In addition, it may happen that they offer neither the complete stability and possibilities of the high nor the compactness and practicality of the low parallettes. You often get a product that doesn’t take full advantage of either.

The Solution: Low Parallettes from DIE RINGE

We at DIE RINGE have consciously chosen the advantages of the low parallettes for our parallettes. With a height of 9 cm, they provide a perfect base for your handstand training and are both practical and easy to transport. Our wide stand ensures maximum safety in training. A common disadvantage of low parallels, the small space in the L-Sit, can be easily avoided by targeted pre-exercises. In the DIE RINGE App you will find an L-Sit training plan with many exercises that lead you step by step to the L-Sit without needing much space under the parallettes.

Our low-level parallettes are designed to provide you with effective and safe training while being easy to store and transport. So if you’re still looking for a high-quality pair of low-parallettes, check out our shop and discover the benefits our parallettes have to offer.

Ultimately, choosing the height of the parallettes depends on your individual need for training and personal preferences. It is important to consider which exercises you want to train most often and which height is best for it.

Resistance Bands - Versatile and flexible training device for your Calisthenics-Home Gym

Resistance bands take place in the Calisthenics equipment ranking due to their versatility and flexibility. Resistance bands are one of the best and at the same time cheapest and easily accessible training equipment. They are very versatile and can be used for almost any type of calisthenics exercise. There are different types of resistance bands that can be used for different purposes. Each type of band has different thicknesses, with the thicker bands being more difficult to stretch. Thicker bands can therefore make the exercises more difficult, but also provide more support for band-assisted exercises.

Resistance Bands - Create resistance for muscle growth

And this is why resistance bands should not be missing in your home gym. With the different thicknesses of the bands, you can create different resistances, which can cause you to fail muscles in squats, good mornings, deadlifts or push ups, for example, without needing weights at home. On the other hand, the ligaments can be used in such a way that they support you in exercises and, for example, reduce your body weight by their pull. Therefore, resistance bands are often used for learning the pull up, muscle ups or preliminary exercises for front lever, back lever or planche and allow you to develop new calisthenics skills in small steps of progression.

The resistance bands are also ideal for warming up before the workout, the cool down after training or for many mobility exercises. They are therefore versatile, whether for outdoor workouts or training at home.
If you do not yet have a suitable set of resistance bands, you will find resistance bands in various strengths for your training equipment here.

Which calisthenics equipment is still available and is good for supplementing?

In addition to the top 3 calisthenics equipment, gym rings, parallettes and resistance bands, there is also other equipment that can complement your training. The following home gym equipment is not essential for your calisthenics training at home, but it can help you incorporate more resistance and exercises into your training and also further increase the fun factor in your workouts.

Weights - muscle building and strength increase in calisthenics through weights

Weights can make a lot of sense in calisthenics, especially if your goal is to build muscle and strength. With weights in the form of dumbbells, barbells or kettlebells, many other strength exercises, such as bench presses, deadlifts or shoulder pressing, can be integrated into your training that would otherwise not be possible. The complication of typical calisthenics exercises, such as dips or pull-ups, can also be implemented with weights.

However, it is important to note that weights are not necessarily necessary to perform good calisthenics training. They form another possibility of training, which I would like to consider neither better nor worse. Calisthenics with weights or weighted calisthenics is a subcategory of calisthenics in which competitions are also carried out. With regard to your simple home gym, I therefore see additional weights more as a supplement for more fun and variety.

Weight Vest - The tool for targeted intensity increase

If you still have the necessary space and money and simply want to incorporate additional weights into your training, then a weight vest or weight vest is one of the best additions to spice up your training. 
A big advantage of a weight vest is that it makes it possible to increase the body weight and thus intensify the training.

It is particularly suitable for body weight exercises such as push ups, rowing, handstand push-ups, muscle ups or explosive jumps, as the additional weights sit close to the body center of gravity and the weights are safely stowed on the body by Velcro fasteners. 
The disadvantages of a weight vest are that they can only carry a limited total weight and you quickly reach limits for squats, for example. Also make sure that you decide on a suitable size when buying and choose a high-quality weight vest. There’s nothing more fun than a scrubbing vest in your workouts.

Weight Belts - For tremendous strength in pull-ups and dips

A weight belt is another tool to establish additional weights in your training. The weight belt or weight belt is designed to fix weight discs or kettle bells on your hip with the help of a chain to increase your actual body weight in the respective exercise.

The advantage of a weight belt compared to the weight vest is that you can load yourself with a lot more weight. However, the exercise selection is much more limited than with a vest. As a rule, in Weighted Calisthenics, only the dip and the pull up with the weight belt are made more difficult, because in these two exercises your body works perpendicular to the floor and the weight can hang securely on your body.

Increase leg strength and jumping power: The Plyo Box as versatile calisthenics equipment for your home gym

The last device I want to introduce you to is the Plyo Box. A box can be an important part of your calisthenics training, especially if you want to focus your leg training with your own body weight. By training with a box you can increase your strength, endurance and jumping power. The Plyobox can give you various exercises in your home gym.

You can use them for explosive and reactive jumps, but you can also use them to train strength exercises like Bulgarian Split Squats or pre-exercises for the Pistol Squat. A box allows you to train at different heights and thus vary and intensify your training.

However, it is important to make sure that the box is stable and safe and that it is made of a material that minimizes the risk of injury. Often a Plyo box is quite space-consuming and therefore a sports device that comes into question if you do not have to worry about enough space and high ceilings in your home gym.

Conclusion - Choose targeted calisthenics equipment for maximum training success

If you are looking for an effective and minimalist training program at home, but don’t feel like spending vast sums of money on your strength training, then hopefully you now know what calisthenics equipment is really necessary to build long-term and successful muscle. 

In calisthenics, it is important to create as many movement and training opportunities as possible through a little, but high-quality and meaningful equipment. With a good pair of gym rings, a set of Parallettes and Resistanca Bands, you’ll be well equipped to start at home with calisthenics. With this trio, you have the opportunity to make several years of progress without having to make your home look permanently like a gym.

If you want to expand these 3 tools, you can think about gaining some weights and, for example, using a weight vest or weight belt to make your training more versatile or to build strength in certain exercises.