Sidharth Malhotra's 'mid-air' plank workout: What's it all about?

Param Sundari fame actor Sidharth Malhotra has been sharing glimpses of his gym regime with his social media followers, of late. The actor, who is already blessed with washboard abs and ripped muscles, has been trying a hand at some advanced calisthenics moves. On Saturday, he shared a video of performing a slanting horizontal plank holding on to a bar, mid-air. A few days ago, too, he had shared photos of a move that looks similar to a 'front lever in inverted progression,' in which he hangs from a bar, lifting legs and torso, with his head facing down. If you are a fitness enthusiast, you too might have seen many exercise influencers and trainers trying a hand at various calisthenics moves and praising its benefits. Can the layman, too, give it a try? Here's what you should know

Calisthenics moves
Calisthenics is a resistance training that uses your body weight. It's mostly performed without equipment and can be combined with your regular strength training and cardio workouts. According to the Cleveland Clinic, such a combo can improve your endurance and also build muscles better. While the calisthenics moves showcased on social media can look extremely fancy and tough, those who want to try it can start small. Experts say that it's best to start small, with at-home claisthenics moves like sit-ups, jumping jacks, chin-ups, squats, burpees, planks and push-ups, which are all calisthenics workouts. They can easily give you the benefits of a high-intensity-interval-training (HIIT), improving your strength, posture and helping with weight management. Once you improve, you can slowly modify the workouts to challenge you further.

What to be careful of
1) Start doing calisthenics under the supervision of a qualified trainer
2) Warm up well before a calisthenics session
3) Do no rush. Too much, too soon can only result in injuries. Build your moves and repetitions gradually
4) Good form is as important as being consistent in your workouts. This is also important to avoid injuries
5) Give enough recovery time for your muscles and joints after a session. The recommended number of sessions a week is two or three.
6) Ensure that you aren't locking your joints and work in a pain-free, comfortable range of motion.