Raising the Bar: The Definitive Guide to Bar Calisthenics

by Al Kavadlo

Master The Art of Bar Athletics and Forge the Upper Body of Your Dreams--Without the Need for Weights, Machines or Gym Memberships!The message is clear you can earn yourself a stunning upper body with just 3 basic moves and 1 super-simple, yet amazingly versatile tool.And what's even better, this 3 + 1 formula for upper body magnificence hides enough variety to keep you challenged and surging to new heights for a lifetime of cool moves and ever-tougher progressions!Cast in the concrete jungle of urban scaffolding and graffiti-laden, blasted walls--and sourced from iconic bar-athlete destinations like Tompkins Square Park, NYC--Raising the Bar rears up to grab you by the startled throat and hurl you into an inspiring new vision of what the human body can achieve.No more slinking around as an under-developed and under-achieving shadow of your real potential. . .Embrace Al Kavadlo's vision, pick up the challenge, share the Quest, follow directions--and the Holy Grail of supreme upper body fitness is yours for the taking.Raise the bar of your self-image, raise the bar on what it means to be a man, raise the bar on your fortitude, raise the bar on your toughness--and BE THIS: Stride down the mean streets with a whole new swagger--your etched set of washboard abs, your bristling pecs, your snarling forearms and your whipcord frame broadcasting a newfound strength and an animal vitality.Enter a room and command immediate, primal respect from male and female alike--as you exude a quiet sense of confidence and raw power.All this from a bar and 3 basic moves. . .A word of warning to the wise, though: you'll discover drills included in Raising the Barthat take the wildest skill and the greatest of functional strength to pull off. Like any true Quest there are dragons to be faced here at your peril.Be inspired by the ultimate vision of human performance you'll see in many of the astonishing photos--but as Al Kavadlo would be the first to recommend, find a righteous band of training brothers and a solid training mentor if you are intent on attaining the greatest of feats that lay before you in Raising the Bar.

Genres: Fitness, Health, Nonfiction

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another bodyweight calisthenics focused book by Al Kavadlo. He again demonstrated a plethora of primary exercises and their variations to focus on pull-up, dips, the abdominals on the bar. Next was the handstand, handstand pushs, levers, and one-arm pull-ups.


The Beyond the Bar words of wisdom chapter gave sample workout routines that one can adopt unto their own and advice on frequent, volume, and individual conditioning. This was another good publication by Dragon Door and I would recommend the two-volume Convict Conditioning books by "Coach" Paul Wade. Thanks!

[Mert Özenç · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains very good hints and techniques both for the starters and the advanced calisthenics

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of bar exercise pictures. But the descriptions are often on the light side, and there is not much discussion of progression. I'll be able to use it in my training, but I don't recommend it for those just getting into calisthenics and bar work. Go get convict conditioning instead, or check out gold medal bodies.

[Xavier Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly just a list of exercises. A couple of progression, but I found "Overcoming Gravity" a much better book for that. Short.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very quick read with lots of very useful photos to help with learning foundational upper body and core exercises of pull-ups, dips and leg raises. To counter all of those and avoid shoulder issues, handstands are also recommended and taught. This is a streamlined book and also outlines that consistency matters along with technique.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure this will inspire and challenge my training over the next year. Some very specific and helpful tips for the above and beyond of body weight training.

[John Tallett · Rating 4 out of 5]

very inspiring for this 90lb weakling.

[Eric]

Build massive upper body strength and manage your weight using nothing but a pull up bar. Progressions from novice to expert. I have a lot of work to do.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word "definitive" in the title is not misleading. Excellent resource from one of the best progressive body weight trainers out there.

[Seif-Ed · Rating 2 out of 5]

quick read the book doesn't contain a lot of info but the illustration was good