Rise of the street workout

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/08/2014 (4306 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Travelling to other parts of the world allows me to see how different cultures approach fitness.

I’ve been in Eastern Europe for a good part of the summer. I’ve noticed that people in Bulgaria and Serbia gather in parks to perform calisthenics known as “street workouts.” Though not common in Winnipeg, it is akin to the circus folks training hand balancing in parks in Montreal in the summertime or the slackline and pull-up jams you might see by the beach in California.

It’s fun to watch as they take turns performing freestyle gymnastics routines on the bars in the park. Interestingly, most parks I’ve seen in the Balkans have an adult playground that is separate from the children’s playground.

The adult playground has exercise equipment and always includes pull-up bars of various heights, vertical poles, and parallel bars for tricks such as flags, dips, planches and handstands.

It didn’t take me long to realize that I’m not as strong as I thought I was. I can do chin-ups and muscle-ups but seeing these kids string together advanced movements such as planches and levers with ease and grace was humbling. In the gym we often train in one specific direction or plane, and focus on perfect mechanics, without giving any thought to artistry and flow.

Freestyle street workouts are artistic and creative in their own right. Using only the ground and bars, these athletes perform amazing feats and the best part is that they make it look effortless. We invest so much in gym memberships, equipment and supplements. We pay trainers and nutritionists, and spend so much time and resources trying to achieve a certain look or number on the scale, while these athletes sculpt amazing physiques with nothing but bars on a park playground.

Street workout used to be considered an underground art, but it is fast gaining recognition as a sport, with competitions all over the world. The World Street Workout and Calisthenics Federation held its first championship in 2011 and this year’s championship saw 67 participants from 48 countries vying for the top 16 spots in the final round.

In just a few years, the movement has gained millions of followers as a sporting activity but also as a social movement.  By its very nature, the sport is inclusive, available to anyone and everyone, bringing together people of all ages, cultures and social strata.

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at www.crossfitwinnipeg.com