May 27, 2025, 2:50 pm | Read time: 7 minutes

Bestselling author, record-holder in military freediving, elite soldier—Mark Lauren is a man of many extremes. Yet when it comes to functional training using one’s own body weight, few are as committed to efficiency and practicality as he is. His motto: Less is often more—as long as you do it right. In an interview with FITBOOK editor Julia Freiberger, he shares more about his concept.

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Calisthenics: Training Without Equipment, but With Impact

FITBOOK: You recently published the book “Calisthenics for Dummies”–a guide to functional training with your own body weight. What is the main idea behind the book?
Mark Lauren: “I’ve written two books. One is called ‘Fit in Nine Minutes,’ the other ‘Calisthenics for Dummies.’ The main idea: Many beginners do too much at once. They invest a lot of time and energy, experience severe muscle soreness, and then quickly stop. That’s not necessary. Especially in the gym, you lose a lot of time–just with commuting, changing clothes, and the actual training, you can easily spend an hour and a half per session. That quickly adds up to a whole workday per week. My concept focuses on short, effective workouts: three exercises, each for one minute, three rounds–that’s nine minutes. All as a full-body workout. It’s efficient, time-saving, and ideal for everyday life. Especially for beginners or people at an intermediate level, it’s important not to do too much right away. Many overexert themselves at first, get muscle soreness, and quickly stop. That’s not necessary. In my workouts, we combine an upper body exercise, a core exercise, and a leg exercise. This results in a powerful full-body workout.”

“With Calisthenics, You Learn to Use Your Body Better”

In your opinion, what fundamentally distinguishes calisthenics from traditional strength training with equipment–and why should one try it?
“Because it’s an extremely efficient way to stay healthy and fit. You need very little space. Often, 15 minutes including warm-up and cool-down are enough. Unlike equipment training, you learn to work with your own body–this promotes control, coordination, and flexibility. When you use equipment, you only learn to operate the equipment better. With calisthenics, you learn to use your body better–and that’s what it’s all about.”

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“These Movements I Train Specifically”

Are there muscle groups or skills that, in your experience, are often neglected in training, even though they are important?
“Yes, such as basic movement patterns like transitioning between lying, kneeling, and standing positions–that is, getting up from the ground and coming down to the ground. These movements are fundamental, but many neglect them. Also: Joint functions must be maintained because they are essential for mobility and quality of life. These transitions are learned as a child–and they are important throughout life. Those who can no longer do them in old age lose independence. That’s why I specifically train these movements.”

Exercises Even My Mother and Grandmother Could Do

It’s often said that you can’t make real progress with your own body weight. What do you say to that?
“Then I like to ask: What do Olympic gymnasts do? Of course, you can make tremendous progress with bodyweight training. The special thing about it is that even simple exercises–when performed correctly–are extremely effective. Even my mother or grandmother could do them. The goal is to master these simple movements perfectly. I see the greatest value not in the extremely difficult bodyweight exercises–but in the simple ones that you can perform perfectly. That’s the key.”

How Mark Lauren Trains Himself

Is there an exercise or routine you never skip–no matter where you are?
“Yes. I regularly use the beginner programs from my own app–for mobility and active recovery. The foundation always remains the same: simple, functional movements.”

What does your own training look like today? Do you have a daily routine or do you vary a lot?
“Both. I train very regularly, but with a lot of variety to keep it exciting–also for my readers and my app. The foundation is fundamental movement patterns. I train these in various ways to maintain both motivation and adaptation effects. Fundamental skills are the basis–they are needed in every movement. All more complex movements build on these foundations.”

Could you give an example of what that means?
“A good English saying goes: ‘If you adapt to your training, your training is no longer training.’ The body adapts, so you have to keep introducing stimuli–with progression, but not too quickly. Otherwise, you risk injuries or lose motivation. You shouldn’t constantly change your training, but there must still be meaningful progression. The starting point must be right–and the pace at which you progress.”

Who Mark Lauren’s “Fit in Nine Minutes” Concept Is Suitable For

With “Fit in Nine Minutes,” you’ve developed a minimalist training concept that is particularly time-saving. Who is this format especially suitable for–and what is important for it to work?
“The program is ideal for people who have little time–but also for anyone who finds it difficult to stick with it regularly. Continuity is crucial. Training should not only last weeks or months but become a habit over years. Regularity is key. It’s also suitable for people who actually have more time but not always the mindset for it. It simply helps to stay on track.”

The Military Mindset Influences My Training to This Day

Many know you as an elite soldier and martial artist. How does this past influence your training today?
“My experiences in competitive sports and the military have greatly shaped me. It’s important to me that training not only looks good but also promotes real physical abilities–improving performance in real life. I often see people in the gym who look strong there but are hardly flexible in everyday life. My goal is functional fitness–mobility, coordination, and transferability to real situations. It took years to develop this. In the military, it’s about survival–you can’t rely on others. This mindset influences my training to this day: It’s not just about appearance, but about real, functional performance.”

Gentle Start: Three Tips for Newcomers to Sports Over 45

What do you recommend for people who want to start sports at 45 or 55? Three specific tips?
“First: Start with the basic, simple exercises. Second: Start small–too much at once only leads to frustration. Third: Progress should be noticeable but not overwhelming. Building up step by step is the most sustainable way. You shouldn’t increase too quickly–but not too slowly either, or it becomes boring.”

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Training Should Require as Little Mental Effort as Possible

What role does mental strength play in long-term training success–and can it be specifically developed?
“I design my programs so that you need as little mental effort as possible. The entry is easy, the reward comes quickly–in everyday life, in movement. That motivates much more than complicated plans.”

What is the most important training principle for you?
“In the end, it’s about efficiency for me. Or as I like to put it: ‘Performance is efficiency.’ I want the benefits of training to be as great as possible–with as little energy and time expenditure as possible. And I want training to be as addictive as possible–by quickly feeling real rewards. When the effort is low and the effect is noticeable, you’re much more likely to stick with it.”