How should calisthenics athletes eat? Nutrition and macros for calisthenics

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Richard Skidmore

Most calisthenics athletes want to get stronger, and nutrition plays a big part in that. But you don’t need a special “calisthenics diet”, and I definitely don't think you should cut carbs or weigh every gram of food you eat.

What you eat should support what you're trying to do (that’s good advice for any sport, tbf). If you're training for calisthenics skills, you need enough energy to train hard and recover. If you want to get leaner, you'll need to manage your calorie intake. If you just want to get stronger and enjoy training, a balanced diet with enough protein, carbohydrates, fats, and micronutrients will take you a long way.

Here's how I'd approach nutrition if you were training with me.

What is the best nutrition for calisthenics?

The best nutrition for calisthenics is pretty much the same as good nutrition for any strength sport: eat enough, get plenty of protein, include carbohydrates and healthy fats, and get the majority of your calories from whole foods.

I wouldn't overcomplicate it. A good starting point is to build most meals around a source of protein, a carbohydrate, some fruit or vegetables, and a source of healthy fat.

For example:

Eggs on toast with fruit
Greek yoghurt, oats, berries, and nuts
Chicken, rice, vegetables with a bit of butter
Salmon, potatoes, and vegetables
Tofu stir-fry with rice
Lentil curry with rice or flatbread

You don't have to eat “clean” 100% of the time, either. I much prefer an approach you can stick to than a perfect diet you have to give up on after two weeks.

Protein is important because you're asking your muscles to adapt to resistance training. The International Society of Sports Nutrition puts the general protein requirement at around 1.4-2.0g per kg of bodyweight per day, with strength athletes tending towards the higher end. So if you weigh 75kg, aim for around 105-150g of protein across the day.

How many calories do you burn in a calisthenics session?

I advise calisthenics athletes to be careful about calorie calculators. A 60-minute calisthenics session could involve anything from long rests between weighted pull-ups to a circuit of bodyweight movements. Those won’t use the same amount of energy.

The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities gives calisthenics a value of 3.8 METs at moderate effort and 7.5 METs at vigorous effort, which shows how much the energy cost can vary.

For context, a 75kg person exercising at 3.8 METs would use roughly 285 calories per hour, and 7.5 METs would be around 560 calories per hour. That's an estimate, not a number that dictates how much food you’ve “earned”.

This is particularly important with calisthenics because your bodyweight is part of the exercise. Your goal isn't to burn as many calories as possible, it’s to produce enough force to control your body.

If you're trying to lose body fat, focus on overall calorie intake and progress over time rather than trying to calculate exactly how many calories your session burned.

Do you need carbs or fats for calisthenics?

You don't need to choose between carbs and fats. I see a lot of people trying to get leaner immediately start cutting carbohydrates. That's not an approach I’d ever recommend for someone who wants to get stronger at calisthenics.

Carbohydrates are the body’s favourite source of fuel for training, particularly when you're doing higher-volume sessions or lots of training across the week. Carbs also make a practical pre-training meal.

Try something as simple as porridge with fruit, yoghurt and honey a couple of hours before training, or rice and chicken if you're eating a meal earlier in the day.

Fats are also an important part of a balanced diet, and foods like nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, eggs, and oily fish are a great way to include them.

I’d much rather see a calisthenics athlete eating a balanced diet than bouncing between low-carb, low-fat, fasting, or elimination diets because of something they saw on socials.

Should you eat during a calisthenics training session?

For most people, eating during a session isn’t necessary (although you can if you want).

If you're doing a 45–90 minute calisthenics session, I'd recommend a meal or decent snack beforehand, train, then your next meal afterwards.

For example, if you're training at 6pm, you could have a proper lunch, then a snack around 4–5pm. After training, have your evening meal.

Where my advice changes is if you're doing a very long session, training more than once a day, or combining calisthenics with another demanding sport. In those situations, getting some carbohydrate in during training might be useful.

What nutrition lessons can we learn from elite calisthenics athletes?

One thing I’ve learned from experienced athletes is that there's rarely one magical way of eating.

Take Chris Heria. He's publicly talked about changing his carbohydrate intake depending on the type of training he's doing, with more carbohydrates on lifting days. His diet still includes protein, carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, and sources of healthy fats.

I wouldn't advise anyone to copy his exact diet, but the useful lesson is that even a highly trained calisthenics athlete can adjust his food intake around his training rather than following one set of rules.

The nutrition basics I want every calisthenics athlete to get right

If you don't want to track calories or macros, that's fine. Start here instead.

1. Eat enough protein.

Include a decent protein source at every main meal. If you're struggling to get enough from food, protein powder can be a convenient option.

2. Don't fear carbohydrates.

Rice, potatoes, oats, pasta, bread, fruit, and other high carb/low fat foods all have a place in a strength-focused diet. They're the best source of fuel.

3. Eat your fruit and vegetables.

This sounds boring, but it matters. A variety of fruit and veg gives you a lot of micronutrients, vitamins and fibre.

4. Drink enough water.

Don’t turn up to training already dehydrated. Aim for at least 2 litres a day and get into good hydration habits.

5. Eat around training when it helps.

You don't need a perfect “anabolic window”, but going into a hard session hungry won’t make training easier. A meal or snack with carbohydrates and protein before training is a good place to start.

6. Don't automatically try to be lighter.

This is the big one. Yes, being lighter can make certain skills easier but deliberately under-eating can leave you weaker, less recovered, and less able to train consistently.

I've seen people be so focused on getting their weight down for a skill that they forget the real goal - getting stronger.

What should you eat before and after calisthenics?

If you've got 2-3 hours before training, have a normal meal with protein and carbohydrates.

If you've only got 30-60 minutes, go for a snack that’s smaller and easier to digest.

After training, have a normal meal with protein and carbohydrates when you're hungry. If your next proper meal is several hours away, a protein shake and piece of fruit is a practical option.

Eat to train, don't train to diet

Calisthenics doesn't need a special diet. If anything, the more you train the more important it is to get the basics right. And remember that your bodyweight is part of your equipment. Getting stronger and staying healthy is always the goal. Give your body the fuel it needs to enjoy training.