Man proves calisthenics critics wrong
Dima Sergeevich does a straddle planche. • Photos Submitted
By Tom Victoria
Dima Sergeevich proved people wrong. He developed strength and a physique not going to the gym. Dima, 19, of Belarus drastically improved his fitness by doing calisthenics, the exercise regimen utilizing body weight to create resistance.
“Many people believe that with calisthenics you can achieve some small body changes, but I proved the opposite,” he said. “So, a lot of my friends were approaching to me and asking about training together.”
Dima said part of the appeal of calisthenics is that gym equipment is not required.
“You can train in whatever place and whenever you want,” he said.
Dima can be seen doing planches, muscle-ups and levers on his Instagram account. He started his fitness journey in 2018 after a friend invited him to a training session. Dima enjoyed the exercises and never stopped. It only took one month of training to see results.
“I did my first muscle-ups,” he said about the extreme version of pull-ups in which you pull your waits up to the bar. “I was really motivated because when you see results from training, it pushes you to train more and even harder. With time, I also saw great improvement in my body shape. It was like a gift from my training sessions.”
Dima said discipline is the key to success with calisthenics.
“It was a long journey,” he said. “It all started with motivation. In the beginning, I looked up to famous athletes. And they were really inspiring me to start my training session. Sometimes, I needed to watch motivational YouTube videos and after that, I could train hard. But over time, I realized that calisthenics is my passion. I decided to set goals, especially long-term. Now, every time I feel some weakness or laziness, a sense of discipline pushes me even harder because calisthenics for me it's not just sport, it's a lifestyle.”
Dima does a handstand on parallettes.
Dima shares that lifestyle with others. He already trains people in person and plans to create training programs, courses and online coaching. Dima also works out with other athletes, taking on physical challenges (or exercise dares).
“From my point of view, calisthenics challenges are a great way to test your capabilities and build a team,” he said. “Calisthenics is about community, where athletes can share their experiences with each other, so it's wonderful. I like challenges a lot. Some of my favorites are "bring Sally up push-up challenge" (which entails the most reps alongside Moby’s song “Flower”) - and "impossible pull- or push-up" — when you go up and down 1 minute each direction.”
Dima works with resistance bands.
Dima trains five times a week during sessions that last 2 hours, not counting stretching.
He began posting online content to expand his reach.
“It’s my mission to inspire people,” Dima said.
He estimates he consumes an estimated 2,000 calories daily.
“I drink a lot of water,” Dima said. “When you train, it’s not only physical, it’s mental.”
Dima performs a front lever exercise.
He continues to run following athletic competition in track and field for his former school and region as well as cycling and football (or soccer as it’s called in America) with friends.
Dima is a student at the University of Pinsk studying to become a physical education teacher.
He advised those wishing to start their own fitness journey to seek a trainer, watch online videos and go to a park to meet people already engaged in exercise in an effort to learn and prevent injuries.
Dima does a one-arm handstand.
“I think you should start with calisthenics,” Dima said.
He said an individual can always go to the gym after reaching a minimum fitness level.
“It’s about your situation,” Dima said. “You need to set goals. Maybe you find people who inspire you.”
He stressed the one thing that is most vital to training or any other endeavor.
“Never give up.”
The link to Dima's Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/dimaa_sw/