Lucy Lismore Fitness – Bodyweight Beginner

Lucy Lismore Fitness

As terrible as it sounds, I can only take so much of the online calisthenics community.  It is flooded with jacked dudes showing off crazy calisthenic moves that I can only dream of accomplishing, and then in that same post they’ll try to be all inspiring with their BS (“believe in yourself yadda yadda”) and then promote their “beginner calisthenic program” which is a cut above all the rest (according to them, at least).  Get real, dude!  You just want to show off, simple as that.  That all said, when I take a step back from the obnoxious bro-ness of this male-dominated community, I may find something as genuine and legitimate as Lucy Lismore Fitness.  Lucy Lismore is the real deal – she has been in many women’s shoes and takes a down-to-earth approach to inspire people from all walks of life to get in better shape.

 

With this review, my intention is to promote an expert who is very active online and just so happens to have an entire e-book that contains a bodyweight training program designed for beginners.  Whether you purchase her book or not, at least following Lucy Lismore will help you move forward in your calisthenics journey.

 

Program:  Lucy Lismore Fitness – Bodyweight Beginner

Creators:  Lucy Lismore

Length:  12 weeks

Required Equipment:  Pullup bar, light dumbbells

Optional Equipment:  Yoga mat

Cost: £25 ($34)

Purchase Here

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Lucy Lismore Fitness – Bodyweight Beginner: An Overview

Ms. Lismore’s calisthenics e-book is a 12-week program dedicated to get people of all fitness levels started with bodyweight training.  In addition to improving your base-level skills with common exercises like push ups and squats, Bodyweight Beginner is intended to improve your body’s overall movement on a functional level.  Very little equipment is needed – in fact, a pull up bar would be the only thing (even the dumbbells aren’t a requirement, in my opinion).  The book also includes nutrition advice and a progress tracker.  It is also important to know that this program has a no-refund policy, so only buy it once you’re sure it’s a good program for you.

 

Pros:

• Inexpensive.  Lucy Lismore Fitness’s e-book is only £25, which is just about $34 over here in the states!  Even if you only get to the six-week mark, I’d say this program has paid for itself.
• Become stronger.  The program includes the common bodyweight exercises and will have you repeat them throughout the weeks – you will improve your reps and get stronger the longer you stick with this program.
• Simple and easy to follow.  Each week’s plan is basically a grid with pictures of Lismore demonstrating how to do six moves.  You should be able to tell quite easily how to do each exercise, but if not, you can probably go to Lismore’s YouTube channel and find a video for it.
• Very little equipment needed.  Just a pullup bar really, but having a pair of light dumbbells is recommended.  Otherwise, you’ll be using a raised platform like a chair or step.
• Great for all ages and levels.  No matter what level you are with fitness, this program is a good starting place for people who want to do calisthenics specifically.
• Aerobics, HIIT, and more included.  You won’t just be pushing and pulling your bodyweight.  You will have to do some intense cardio and HIIT as well.  Your heart will be pounding, but you will feel great at the end of each workout.
• Helpful for weight loss.  The combination of bodyweight exercise and cardio helps you burn fat and calories, so not only will you get stronger, you will lose weight.
• Ongoing online presence.  Lucy Lismore doesn’t show any sign of stopping, so during and after this 12-week program you should still keep tabs on what she is doing.  As of this writing, she is working on an intermediate-level e-book that will most likely be a great follow-up to this one!
• Helps with functional mobility. Many of the workouts focus less on bodyweight moves and more on mobility, like burpees.
• Workouts change every two weeks.  This program is especially great because it never gets boring.  It gives you just enough time to adapt to new moves, but also advances quickly enough to keep things interesting.  You will get stronger and fitter but you won’t get bored.
• Can be done at home or the gym.  While it’s awesome that you can do this entire program at home, if you have a gym membership it may be easier to do it there if you don’t own a pull up bar.

 

 

Cons:

• Digital only.  Lucy Lismore’s e-book is not available in a physical version.
• Designed specifically for women.  Even though this program is great for everyone, Lismore tends to focus her work on women’s health and fitness.  Also, there is a women-only online forum for buyers of the program, so male buyers may feel a little left out on that front.
• Not as effective for those with more calisthenic experience.  While the workouts are always intense, if you have been doing calisthenics for 2+ years, you may not get the same benefits out of this program as a newcomer would.  Keep in mind that an intermediate program is being developed by Lismore as of this writing.
• Less focus on warmups and stretching.  Its simple layout may have benefited from including a couple stretching exercises to close out each workout, or at least a reminder to stretch.  Same thing goes for the warmups, which I think are critical to have an effective workout.

 

Lucy Lismore Fitness – Bodyweight Beginner: OVERALL

Whether or not you are brand new to calisthenics, you will get in better shape with Lucy Lismore’s Bodyweight Beginner e-book.  It is best, in my opinion, for those who have little or zero experience with bodyweight training, but you will see benefits no matter what.  At the end of the day though, my favorite thing about Lucy Lismore is that she is friendly and keeps her approach to health and fitness humble and down-to-earth.  Her goal is to remind all her followers that fitness is an ongoing journey, and it’s easy to believe her because she is currently going through a fitness journey herself.  And as always, remember to stretch!

 

Lucy Lismore Fitness Review – My Score:  4.5 out of 5

 

Do you follow Lucy Lismore, and have you done her 12-week Bodyweight Beginner program?  Let me know in the comments below!  And while you’re here, check out my other program reviews to find one that fits your calisthenic fitness goals.