A very common question among calisthenics athletes, and experienced streetworkout athletes is what is the difference between calisthenics and gymnastics? It’s no surprise that this question is often asked by athletes that prefer bodyweight exercises due to the similar looking bodyweight skills, and use of one’s own bodyweight for resistance.

In this article, we will go over the biggest differences between gymnastics and calisthenics as well as pass it over to 1 of our writers that have recently joined a gymnastics club after 3 years of training calisthenics.

What Is Calisthenics

Calisthenics is a form of exercise that primarily utilizes one’s body weight for resistance training. It includes a wide range of movements and exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, dips, and planks, among others. Unlike traditional weightlifting, which often involves external weights or machines, calisthenics relies on the individual’s body weight as the primary resistance.

The beauty of calisthenics lies in its simplicity and accessibility. It can be performed virtually anywhere, requiring minimal to no equipment. Whether you’re in a park, at home, or in a gym, you can engage in calisthenics workouts with ease.

Calisthenics not only helps build strength, endurance, and flexibility but also promotes functional fitness by engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

What Is Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a sport that involves a combination of strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance, and grace. It encompasses a wide range of movements and routines performed on various apparatus such as the floor, balance beam, uneven bars, parallel bars, rings, and vault.

Gymnastics can be divided into different disciplines, including artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics, and acrobatic gymnastics, each with its own set of rules and techniques.

However, the style of gymnastics that most calisthenics athletes think of when watching a gymnast is men’s artistic gymnastics.

What Is Men’s Artistic Gymnastics?

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) is a discipline within the sport of gymnastics that is typically only trained by male athletes. It involves performing a series of dynamic, isometric, and acrobatic routines on various apparatus, including the floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.

Here’s a breakdown of each event in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics:

Floor: The floor exercise is performed on a padded mat and allows athletes to showcase their tumbling skills, strength, and coordination through a choreographed routine set to music. Routines often include a combination of flips, twists, jumps, and dance elements.

Pommel Horse: The pommel horse is a specialized apparatus with handles (pommels) that athletes use to perform circular and swinging movements. Athletes demonstrate strength, balance, and control as they maneuver around the horse, executing various skills and transitions.

Still Rings: The still rings consist of two rings suspended from the ceiling, allowing athletes to perform static strength elements and dynamic swings. Athletes demonstrate upper body strength, stability, and control as they hold positions and execute swinging movements on the rings.

Vault: The vault involves sprinting down a runway and performing a powerful jump onto a vaulting table. Athletes showcase explosive strength and precision as they execute twists, flips, and somersaults in the air before landing securely on the mat.

Parallel Bars: The parallel bars are two horizontal bars mounted parallel to each other at adjustable heights. Athletes perform swinging, balancing, and strength elements on the bars, showcasing control, precision, and coordination.

Horizontal Bar / High Bar: Also known as the high bar, the horizontal bar is a single bar mounted high above the floor. Athletes perform swinging movements, releases, and regrasps, demonstrating strength, agility, and daring as they navigate the bar and execute intricate skills.

Of these 6 events, the 3 that relate closest to typical calisthenics training are the still rings, high bar, and parallel bars. Of these 3 gymnastics events, you will find many skills and training disciplines that resemble a calisthenics athlete’s training routine.

Calisthenics VS Gymnastics: Their Different Focus of Training

A major difference between calisthenics training and gymnastics training is the focus of their training. Most gymnast focus on several events and their training is split between each one. However, there are cases where strong gymnasts focus on a single event. A common example of the event some gymnastics will specialize in is the still rings. In fact, among high level calisthenics athletes, ring gymnasts are often revered for their extreme strength feats. Among them, Yuri Van Gelder is a name many top calisthenics athletes will recognize, and many more idolize.

Even in the cases of gymnasts specializing in a single event, their training is also focused around the Code Of Points.

What Is The Gymnastics Code Of Points?

The Gymnastics Code of Points is a comprehensive set of rules and regulations established by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) that governs scoring, judging criteria, and technical requirements for gymnastics competitions. The primary purpose of the Code of Points in Artistic Gymnastics is to provide a standardized system for evaluating and scoring gymnastics routines. It outlines the criteria by which judges assess the difficulty and execution of skills performed by athletes during competitions. Additionally, the Code of Points aims to ensure fairness, consistency, and transparency in the judging process across different competitions and countries.

A gymnasts’ training will typically focus on learning high-value skills in as little time as possible in order to compete said skill in at their next competition or meet. As a calisthenics athlete, the code of points might not make much sense to you but in essence, it ranks each skill as a letter from A-F. Each skill in a letter grade is worth the same in gymnastics judging regardless of it’s actual difficulty.

For example, a straddled maltese and an iron cross are both rated as B skills despite the maltese being a much more difficult skill. This system incentivizes gymnasts to train for the easier high value skills instead of more difficult skills that take much more time to learn and master.

Calisthenics has not yet developed any type of international standard for skill training and is more of a freestyle sport which gives athletes the freedom to train the skills they like at their own pace. There are also far fewer calsithenics competitions, and each competition has its own different set of rules for judging and scoring athletes. Even for non-competiting calisthenics athletes, their focus is often to train for the skills they like or for a physique they want to achieve.

Calisthenics VS Gymnastics: The Different Techniques And Skills

Another major difference between calisthenics and gymnastics is the difference in skills. Many skills in calisthenics do not exist in gymnastics, the most notable being the human flag, and spin 360. Not only do certain calisthenics skills not exist in the sport of gymnastics, there are also much less variations for the same skill. Straight arm skills are also much more emphasized in gymnastics than in calisthenics.

Calisthenics Planche Vs Gymnastics Planche

The loose rules of calisthenics allow athletes to train in a different style than gymnasts. The biggest example of this would be 1 arm and finger-supported skills. A high level calisthenics athlete who specializes in planche will often overload their training by reducing their supporting limbs. In the planche, they will take away their palms, then reduce the number of fingers in contact with the floor. In some cases, they will even change the surface they are training on to increase the difficulty. A gymnast on the other hand, once they learn the planche will often begin learning other skills like the maltese as their form of progression. Once again this is due to the limitations set by the code of points.

Gymnasts Point Their Toes

Form is the biggest and most important thing for a gymnast competition and learning a skill. Even the slightest flaw in their form, like forgetting to point their toes, will result in a deduction to their score when competing.

Calisthenics Is A Freestyle

Calisthenics freestyle is a branch of calisthenics that is closest to gymnastics in the sense that it combines static and dynamic skills. Unlike gymnastics, any calisthenics athlete can put their own twist on a skill and if they are at a high enough level create their own variations. You will find countless videos online of calisthenics athletes in competitions posing and hyping up the crowds during their routine. Even flexing their biceps and smiling while holding a 1 arm from lever. The trade off from having perfect form like a gymnast is having the freedom to experiment and perform jaw dropping skills that would never be seen in a gymnastics competition.

Calisthenics VS Gymnastics: Different Equipment Used For Training

Calisthenics workouts usually require minimal equipment, if any. Exercises are predominantly performed using one’s body weight and occasionally may involve simple equipment like pull-up bars, parallel bars, gymnastics rings, or resistance bands. Because men’s artistic gymnastics has 6 events, gymnasts use much more equipment like the pommel horse, vaults, and other types of training equipment like the mushroom and trampolines.

Calisthenics parks are also not standardized and each one will be unique with different size bars, bars at different heights, inclusion or exclusion of parallel bars, slanted bars, monkey bars, and more. This adds to the variety of different ways a calisthenics athlete can train or will train.

Another difference between calisthenics and gymnastics is the types of bars used. Most calisthenics athletes will just use any bar of any width to perform pull-ups and other exercises. However, when it comes to men’s gymnastics, their high bar is made of steel and is standardized to be 2.75 meters high, and 2.4 meters wide and the bar is 2.8 cm in diameter.

Often calisthenics athletes will use similar equipment like dip bars to simulate a gymnast’s parallel bars. If dip bars are unavailable, it is not uncommon for a calisthenics athletes to use chairs or other household items to train.

Calisthenics VS Gymnastics: Different Training Environment

The environments in which a calisthenics athlete and a male gymnast train are notably different, each tailored to the specific demands and requirements of their sport.

Calisthenics Parks Vs Home Gyms Vs Gymnastics Gyms

Calisthenics athletes often gravitate towards urban outdoor spaces, such as parks, playgrounds, and outdoor gyms. These environments provide ample opportunities for athletes to engage in bodyweight exercises using minimal equipment. They offer versatility and accessibility, allowing athletes to train at any time without the constraints of a formal gym setting.

street workout parks have emerged as popular training hubs for calisthenics enthusiasts. These purpose-built outdoor facilities feature bars, parallel bars, pull-up bars, and other equipment specifically designed for bodyweight exercises. Street workout parks foster a sense of community and camaraderie, as athletes gather to share knowledge, support each other, and push their limits together.

Many calisthenics athletes also opt to create home gyms tailored to their training needs. These home setups may include pull-up bars, dip bars, gymnastics rings, and other portable equipment that allows for a wide range of bodyweight exercises. Training at home offers convenience, flexibility, and privacy, allowing athletes to customize their workouts and progress at their own pace.

Gymnastics training environments are highly structured and supervised by experienced coaches who guide athletes through progressive skill development and routine preparation. Training sessions are carefully planned and organized, with a focus on skill acquisition, technique refinement, and physical conditioning. In addition to having equipment for each event, all gymnastics gyms will have mats to ensure the safety of their athletes. Despite how much we promote calisthenics athletes to use mats, in many cases, they are unable to due to specific reasons that make the calisthenics training environment more dangerous.

Calisthenics VS Gymnastics: The Different Styles Of Competitions

Another glaring difference between calisthenics and gymnastics is the different competitions.

Calisthenics Competitions

Due to calisthenics being a newer discipline, there are many different branches of the sport which means there are many different types of competitions. There are competitions for weighted calisthenics, high rep calisthenics, freestyle routines, battles, and timed challenges. Of these 5 types of competitions, only 2 resemble anything close to gymnastics, freestyle routines, and battles; but even those are nothing like a gymnastics competition.

During a freestyle routine, athletes perform pre-planned routines consisting of a series of bodyweight exercises and acrobatic movements. Routines are scored based on execution, difficulty, creativity, and presentation.

Battles are another form of calisthenics competition usually reserved for higher-skill athletes. Athletes showcase their skills in head-to-head or group competitions, where they improvise routines and perform skills based on judges’ scoring criteria. These battles typically consist of several rounds where improvising can make the difference between a win and a loss. Instead of aiming for a specific score with a preplanned routine, the goal in calisthenics battles is to outscore your opponent.

Judging in calisthenics competitions is not standardized which leads to judges scoring based on what they personally think looks good or know to be difficult. Often times during calisthenics competitions, the rules of the competition come into question during the judging. This is especially true when judging creativity, and crowd pleasing.

Gymnsatics Meets and Competitions

Male artistic gymnastics competitions consist of multiple apparatus, including floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. Each gymnast performs routines tailored to their strengths and specialties on each apparatus, aiming to accumulate the highest total score across all events.

Gymnastics competitions are highly structured and regulated, with athletes performing routines on designated apparatus in accordance with FIG rules and regulations. Athletes perform routines individually, with judges and spectators closely observing each performance.

Gymnastics routines are scored using a combination of Difficulty Value (D-score) and Execution Score (E-score), which are added together to determine the gymnast’s total score. The Difficulty Value reflects the complexity and difficulty of the skills performed in the routine, while the Execution Score assesses the quality of execution, form, and technique. Judges deduct points for errors, deductions, and deviations from the prescribed execution standards, such as form breaks, steps on landings, and missed connections.

Conclusion

Calisthenics and gymnastics stand as different yet similar sports and both offer great training methods to meet any fitness goal. Each sport offers its own blend of challenges and rewards. Calisthenics embodies simplicity and accessibility, empowering individuals to sculpt strength and endurance using their body weight alone.

Gymnastics represents the pinnacle of athleticism and precision, with male gymnasts navigating a world of specialized apparatus and structured training environments. From vaults to parallel bars, these athletes undergo rigorous training to execute flawless routines that showcase strength, agility, and artistry. Despite their differences, both disciplines unite in their celebration of the human body’s potential for greatness, inspiring individuals to push boundaries and embark on transformative journeys of physical and personal growth.

Continue reading to learn more about our writing team’s experience joining a gymnastics club as an experienced calisthenics athlete. Otherwise check out our blog to learn more about different bodyweight training topics.

My Experience Joining A Gymnastics Club As A Calisthenics Athlete

I started training calisthenics and bouldering in November of 2021. I started off as the average skinny-fat short guy that wanted to change after seeing how I looked in the mirror. I didn’t want to join a gym, I convinced myself I could train myself at home in my garage and similar strength to all the YouTubers I saw online. In my first year, I went from being unable to do a single dip to repping over 30 deep-range dips on gymnastics rings. My starting point was being able to do 8 pull ups, and 3 years later I can now do more than triple that amount. I kept training calisthenics almost every day for 3 years. I would read and watch as many videos and studies as I could to learn how to create a plan and train for specific skills. By my 2nd year training calisthenics I learned the strict muscle up on rings, back lever, handstand, straddle planche, and very basic dynamic skills like the pull up bar air walk and pull over. It is now my 3rd year training calisthenics and I focused on maintaining and improving my current skills as well as master the front lever. I would try for hours every week to learn dynamics I saw from youtube videos like Daniel Flefil but I wasn’t progressing. I couldn’t get over the mental block in my head. After months of making no progress with dynamics I decided in January 2024 to join a gymnastics gym and my New Year’s Resolution was to learn how to freestyle. When I first joined, I didn’t know what to expect. As an adult joining a gymnastics gym, I was worried I was too old, too inflexible, or too weak to perform with life-long gymnasts. But in my mind, I was strong. Stronger than the average person, so I had some confidence that I could succeed, especially after training on rings for 3 years now. On my first day of joining the gymnastics gym, the recreational coach worked with me to see what I could do and what I wanted to work on. I showed her what I can do on rings and I won’t forget the compliment she gave me. “Strength-wise you are probably stronger than most of the guys that come here.” Hearing that made me smile, and it gave me motivation to make my new coach proud. However, despite what I thought to be a good performance on rings, she quickly picked apart my form to the gymnastics stardard. Point your toes, straighten your hips, straighten your arms, engage your shoulders, all small form queues that I was never noticing or even thinking about. The next part of my skills assessment on my first day of gymnastics was the high bar. At the time I didn’t know the difference between calisthenics and gymnastics so I did a few pull overs and immediately started doing statics. Only afterward I was told gymnasts don’t do static skills on the high bar. We had a good laugh but I knew then that high bar is the event I wanted to train more of. I had a desire to get really good at high bar. The first new skill I learned as a gymnast is how to perform tap swings on the bar. I already knew how to swing but this method was different, it had a lot more of a focus on maintaining straight arms and a loose core until the moment was right when I would tighten my core. It took 2 sessions to perfect but learning this new swinging method opened up more dynamic skills for me and fixed the visual queues I had for the swing 180. After my first month of joining a gymnastics gym, my ring skills improved my flexibility improved and I learned the kip muscle up, tap swing, long swing pullover, and the baby giant. These skills felt amazing, a whole new world was opening up to me and during my home training I would throw in these new dynamic skills. During my 2nd month at the gymnastics gym, I learned the front hip circle, back hip circle, and the straight bar handstand. However, during my 2nd month, I had a scary realization when attempting to learn the full giant. Keep your arms straight! While training to do a giant I made the big mistake of bending my arms which caused me to fall onto the bar at maximum speed. I slammed sternum first into the bar and winded myself leaving a bruise across the top of my stomach. It was the most painful injury I’ve gotten in the last 3 years as a calisthenics athlete but I can’t let that stop me. After a week I healed up and was ready for the next month. I am now onto my first month of gymnastics training as a calisthenics athlete and I have learned the flyaway, muscle up jump over the bar 180,  and calisthenics olley. I am currently training the sole circle as my next skill and have had a blast during each gymnastics session. For those reading this, I want you to know that no matter what discipline you come from, no matter what your current fitness level is, setting goals for yourself will take you far. Whether your goal is wanting to build a beautiful physique, learn dynamic skills, become stronger, become more flexible, or improve your mental health, just start. Set a goal and start reaching toward it. You’ll never know how far you can go if you don’t try!