Nathan van Dompseler - Calisthenics Trainer

Biography

Nathan – Founder Calisthenics Educational Institution

About…

When I was 18 years old, I first got in touch with calisthenics trough YouTube and Facebook. Back then I was a personal trainer in the fitness industry. By watching those videos and reading about it, I tried getting to know more about it. I kind of had to discover the sport on my own, because where I lived it was hardly practised. With a group of guys and girls we started to workout and we were able to create a park in Putten.

The Institution was found because of our love for the sport and the entrepreneurship. Right now we have already educated more than 100 trainers.

What makes Calisthenics such a beautiful sport

First of all the functionality. If you compare it to fitness, it’s just much more functional. It’s nice to be able to do a benchpress, but it doesn’t really help you in your daily life. By practising calisthenics, you get stronger in a functional way. By doing this, for example you will be able to ride your bike longer or work a little longer in your backyard.  The movements in calisthenics are similar to the reality and that makes it functional. Besides that, it’s just fun. You work out in a playful way and you notice progress right away.

How accessible is Calisthenics

This is a question I hear very often. A lot of people think it’s for professionals. They watch the videos and they think; I could never do that. But simply do a push-up on your knees or squat, that’s all calisthenics. It’s working with your own strength. You decide how easy or how hard it is. Because you work with your bodyweight, there’s less chance for injuries and therefore suitable for all ages; both children who are still growing and the elderly.

How is the Calisthenics talent in Holland

We from Holland are mostly ‘freestylers’. Compared to the Eastern countries for example, we’re not so great in the purely strength exercises. We do okay, but the foreign countries are a lot better. On the other hand, the women are really doing amazing. Look at world champion Melanie. With the guys, there’s definitely room for improvement.

Why Calisthenics

This sport is able to get you fit in a functional and fun way. You learn to ‘listen’ to your body. A healthy body usually means a healthy mind. And ofcourse, that works both ways, if you don’t take good care of your body, there’s a big chance that you neglect other parts of your life aswell.

Calisthenics like an Olympics sport

Unfortunately, no. I still don’t see this happing even though I would like it to. The biggest issue right now, is the uncertainty about the contest rules. Still I think it will happen someday, because it’s a great sport and fun to look at. But first, let’s make sure people get more familiar with the sport.