Calisthenics training is now possible at many public obstacle courses, playgrounds, and specially designated calisthenics parks. In this blog post, using the alla hopp! playground in Heidelberg as an example, I'll list the equipment these facilities have that is necessary for performing five basic calisthenics exercises.
The five basic calisthenics exercises are pull-ups, push-ups, dips, handstands, jumping squats, and hanging leg raises.
The calisthenics area of the alla hopp! playground in Heidelberg is shown in the photo below. Like most calisthenics parks, it has a very compact design. The park is well-suited for all but one of the five basic exercises. Dips have to be done on the outdoor dip bars, which are located about 20 meters from the calisthenics area. Most of the area has rubber flooring. Overall, the calisthenics section takes up about 10% of the entire playground and is located in a corner near the park's streetball court.
The park is free to use. In the summer, it's open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and in the winter, from 8 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Pull-ups and Hanging Leg Raises
For pull-ups and hanging leg raises, a calisthenics park needs to have a pull-up bar at a sufficient height. The park in Heidelberg has five pull-up bars, and therefore five places to do pull-ups. Three of the pull-up bars are 210 cm high and are attached to three vertical metal posts (see picture below), similar to our A1 Pull-Up Bar. The other two (the fourth and fifth) pull-up bars are attached to two somewhat thick wooden posts at two different heights. The fourth pull-up bar is 173 cm high. The fifth is about 125 cm above the ground. All five pull-up bars have a diameter of 30 mm.
Normal pull-ups and hanging leg raises can be done on the four higher pull-up bars (210 cm and 173 cm). However, only a maximum of four people can use them at the same time. This is fine for people up to 185 cm tall, although for both exercises, you'll have to bend your legs in the starting hanging position. On the lower pull-up bar, you can only do negative pull-ups. This exercise is especially relevant for beginners. You can find a description of how to do negative pull-ups correctly at the link.
Not far from the calisthenics area and over the playground's running track, there is another pull-up bar that is 230 cm high. The diameter of this bar is 40 mm. You can also do pull-ups and hanging leg raises on this slightly larger bar. However, due to the larger diameter, I only recommend it for people who are 190 cm or taller.
Push-ups and Jumping Squats
For push-ups and jumping squats, you need a flat surface in the calisthenics area. The ground should be comfortable for placing your hands, stable for standing, and suitable for jumping. This park has that. Specifically, the rubber flooring provides a safe and comfortable surface for push-ups and jumping squats. Push-ups can be done near the pull-up bars and between the vertical concrete walls (see more details below). It's estimated that about 30 square meters are available for this in the calisthenics area. This means about 8-10 people should be able to do push-ups or jumping squats here at the same time.
In general, push-ups and squats can also be done on the adjacent grassy areas or the nearby streetball court. However, the grassy areas are better suited for incline push-ups, as there are several large stones embedded in the ground there. About 8-10 people can do push-ups or jumping squats on the streetball court, as long as it's not occupied, of course.
Handstands
Every calisthenics park should have a place to support your feet for handstand exercises. This is especially important for beginners. This support can look very different technically. At the calisthenics area of the alla hopp! playground in Heidelberg, there are five concrete walls for this purpose. The highest concrete wall is 2.9 m high. There is also rubber flooring around the concrete walls. On the longest side, the concrete walls are about 4 m wide. Because of their L-shape and an additional concrete wall on the short part of the L, 8-10 people can do handstand exercises in the park at the same time.
There is graffiti sprayed on the concrete walls. The current extent of it doesn't really affect the training atmosphere. Vandalism at such parks, and at the alla hopp! playground in particular, is a problem.
Dips
For dips, you need a dip bar in the ground, on the pull-up bar, or a whole dip station. Most calisthenics parks have this. The park we're looking at here as an example does not—it's missing the dip bars. However, not far from the park are the playground's outdoor fitness machines. There you'll find two good dip bars for a variety of dips. For a group workout, this is not a convenient solution. But if you're training alone or with a partner, the 20-meter walk between the two areas shouldn't be a problem and could be used for a short break between exercises. Alternatively, you can just bring our dip bars with you.
Other Possibilities
The calisthenics section of the park is actually an obstacle course. Accordingly, you'll also find several large steps, beams as transitions between elevations, and a wall with several small ledges, in addition to the equipment described above. All of this can be used in a group workout or in your own calisthenics routine. For example, you can do jumping squats on the steps to increase the stimulus of the exercise.
Conclusion
The alla hopp! playground in Heidelberg offers a very good and free opportunity to do calisthenics. There are very good options for all five basic exercises (pull-ups, push-ups, dips, handstands, jumping squats, and hanging leg raises), even if dips can't be done directly in the calisthenics section of the park but a short distance away in the "gym" section. The park is compact and well-laid out. It is very suitable for individual calisthenics training or for a group workout with 8-10 people.
Useful Information
The park is currently used by various groups (see the City of Heidelberg's website for an overview). Among them is a calisthenics group called "HeidelBarz." The group trains twice a week, including at the alla hopp! playground, and would surely be happy to have new members.
