Street fitness (street workout) in Estonia

Street fitness is bodyweight training you can do anywhere — at outdoor gyms along walking and cycling paths, on the beach, in the woods, at home or in a dedicated training hall. No added weights are needed: you’re your own boss, and all the resistance comes from your own body.

What is street fitness?

Here’s the simple truth: street fitness brings together exercises on the bar, parallel bars, the ground, wall bars and other similar equipment. In Estonian it is often also called street training or free body weight training. The sport is endless — you can keep finding new moves and combinations for as long as your body and creativity can keep up.

Why endless? Because there are many branches, and within each branch there are dozens of different directions. Some go for strength, some for tricks, some for pure endurance.

Street fitness branches

The sport splits into the following main directions:

• Recreational athletes — people who train beside running tracks and use outdoor gym facilities to stay in overall shape.
• Bodybuilding — those who want to build muscle without added weights, using only their own body weight.
• Static and dynamic — held positions and flowing movements on the equipment mentioned above: on the ground, on parallel bars, on the bar, on wall bars.

Dynamic splits further into two:

• Freestyle — tricks on the bar and parallel bars.
• Power moves — balance elements and moving horizontally while holding a fixed position.

Honestly, if you haven’t spent time on a pull-up bar before, it’s worth starting with something simpler. Basic pull-ups and push-ups are the foundation on which all the tricks are built.

Street fitness competitions

Competitions are divided into two types:

• Power & Strength — strength contests.
• Freestyle — trick competitions.

Power & Strength competitions are not currently held in Estonia. The nearest venue is Latvia, where the World Street Sports Federation organizes a world championship every year. It takes place in downtown Riga. Athletes are tested in squats, completing certain obstacle structures against the clock, performing repetitions on parallel bars and the pull-up bar, and push-ups on the ground.

Freestyle competitions, however, can certainly be seen in Estonia. The two best-known events are Kevad Battles and Cash Throwing.

Kevad Battles

Kevad Battles is one of the biggest street sports competitions in Europe. It has been held for 4 years in Pärnu. The level and the pull of the event are so great that people fly in from Israel, Hungary, Morocco and many other countries. The competition lasts several days and the world’s top class is there. The event is hard to describe in words — you have to come and see it yourself. In 2019 it took place at Martens Square. For 2020, the Pärnu Sports Hall has been booked for the event. The event takes place on 23-24 May. Tickets are available from 1 September 2019.

Cash Throwing

Cash Throwing is a new event series. It takes place several times a year in different locations. The competition is scored on points, and Estonians face competition from the neighboring countries Finland and Latvia.

How to get started with street fitness

You don’t need to join anything or buy equipment to get started. Find the nearest outdoor gym — you’ll find them along the walking and cycling paths in every larger Estonian town — and try the basic exercises: pull-ups on the bar, push-ups on the parallel bars, squats and planks on the ground. Once these feel easy, start experimenting with static positions such as the front lever or the planche support.

In winter, the workout moves to a shelter or your home balcony. In summer you can use the facilities on beach promenades. That’s the charm of street fitness — geography doesn’t get in the way.

FAQ

What’s the difference between street fitness and street workout?

The terms are essentially synonyms. Both mean bodyweight training on outdoor equipment. In Estonian, people also often speak of street training.

Is street fitness suitable for beginners?

Yes, it is. A beginner starts with the basic exercises — assisted pull-ups, push-ups on the knees, the plank. More complex variations come later. No added weight is needed, so easing in is gentler than in a gym.

Where in Estonia can you watch street fitness competitions?

Kevad Battles takes place in Pärnu every spring, and Cash Throwing several times a year in different cities. The calendar is above in the article.

Author: Erik Naissaar

Source: WHO – physical activity.

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