You don’t need a gym membership to train hard in Amsterdam. You need a bar, a bit of open space, and a plan. This city has more of the first two than most people realize. Here’s where to go, and more importantly, what to actually do once you’re there.
Rembrandtpark
Rembrandtpark sits right on the edge of Amsterdam West and is one of the most reliable spots for outdoor bodyweight training. Wide open grass, decent tree cover if it’s a hot day, and enough space to string together a full session, pull-ups on a bar, dips on a low ledge, sprints across the open field for finishers.
Use it for: a full-body session. Pull-ups or rows first while you’re fresh, push-ups and dips in the middle, core and leg work on the grass to close it out.
Sloterpark
Bigger, more open, and closer to Amsterdam West’s residential edges. Sloterpark has more space to move, which makes it good for anything that needs distance, lunges, sled-style bodyweight drags if you’re feeling creative, or just longer interval work between static exercises at a bar.
Use it for: conditioning days. Pair short bodyweight circuits (push-ups, squats, mountain climbers) with stretches of jogging or sprinting between sets.
Erasmuspark
Smaller and more central, Erasmuspark is easy to drop into for a quick session if you’re short on time. It won’t give you the space of Sloterpark, but for a focused 30 to 40 minute upper body session, it does the job.
Use it for: a fast pull day. Pull-ups, rows, curls using a low bar and your own bodyweight leaned back, and a core finisher.
Westerpark
Slightly further out but worth the trip, especially on a weekend. Westerpark has more foot traffic and a livelier atmosphere, which some people find motivating and others find distracting. Go early morning if you want it quiet.
Use it for: a social session. If you’re training with a partner or a small group, the open lawns give you room to run circuits without waiting for space.
What to Look for in Any Park, Anywhere in the City
You don’t need to limit yourself to the four spots above. Amsterdam has small neighborhood playgrounds and fitness corners scattered across nearly every district, and most of them are usable for a real session if you know what to look for.
A bar at two different heights. One high enough for a full hang and pull-up, one low enough to use for rows if you’re not at full pull-ups yet. Plenty of playground equipment doubles as exactly this, even if it wasn’t designed with calisthenics in mind.
A flat, dry patch of ground. For push-ups, planks, and core work, you want something reasonably level. Grass is kinder on your hands and knees than pavement, but pavement dries out faster after rain, which matters more often than you’d think in Amsterdam.
A bench or low wall. Useful for dips, elevated push-ups, and step-ups. Most parks have at least one.
Enough open space for movement. Sprints, lunges across distance, or just room to not feel boxed in while you train.
How to Actually Use a Park (Not Just Stand in One)
Showing up to a park with no plan is how most people’s “calisthenics journey” ends after two sessions. A bar and some grass are tools, not a program. Here’s a simple structure that works in any of the parks above:
Warm-up (5 minutes): arm circles, bodyweight squats, a slow jog or brisk walk to raise your heart rate.
Strength block (20-25 minutes): rotate through pull-ups or rows, push-ups or dips, and squats or lunges. Three to four rounds, resting as needed.
Core finisher (5-10 minutes): planks, leg raises, or hollow holds.
Cool down (5 minutes): walk it out, stretch what feels tight.
That’s a complete session, repeatable two to three times a week, using nothing but a park bar and your own bodyweight.
The One Thing a Park Can’t Give You
Parks give you the equipment. What they don’t give you is feedback. Are you actually doing a full range-of-motion pull-up, or swinging your way through it? Is your plank actually engaging your core, or just holding a shape? Most people training alone in a park plateau within a few weeks because nobody’s watching their form.
That’s the gap between training in a park and training with Famba. We use the same parks around Amsterdam West, the same bars, the same grass, but with a coached group session and people progressing alongside you instead of guessing solo.
