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You Are Your Own Gym: The bible of bodyweight exercises
From an elite Special Operations physical trainer, an ingeniously simple, rapid-results, do-anywhere program for getting into amazing shape
For men and women of all athletic abilities!
As the demand for Special Operations military forces has grown over the last decade, elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at the front lines of preparing nearly one thousand soldiers, getting them lean and strong in record time. Now, for regular Joes and Janes, he shares the secret to his amazingly effective regimen—simple exercises that require nothing more than the resistance of your own bodyweight to help you reach the pinnacle of fitness and look better than ever before.
Armed with Mark Lauren’s motivation techniques, expert training, and nutrition advice, you’ll see rapid results by working out just thirty minutes a day, four times a week—whether in your living room, yard, garage, hotel room, or office. Lauren’s exercises build more metabolism-enhancing muscle than weightlifting, burn more fat than aerobics, and are safer than both, since bodyweight exercises develop balance and stability and therefore help prevent injuries. Choose your workout level—Basic, 1st Class, Master Class,and Chief Class—and get started, following the clear instructions for 125 exercises that work every muscle from your neck to your ankles. Forget about gym memberships, free weights, and infomercial contraptions. They are all poor substitutes for the world’s most advanced fitness machine, the one thing you are never without: your own body.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
For men and women of all athletic abilities!
As the demand for Special Operations military forces has grown over the last decade, elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at the front lines of preparing nearly one thousand soldiers, getting them lean and strong in record time. Now, for regular Joes and Janes, he shares the secret to his amazingly effective regimen—simple exercises that require nothing more than the resistance of your own bodyweight to help you reach the pinnacle of fitness and look better than ever before.
Armed with Mark Lauren’s motivation techniques, expert training, and nutrition advice, you’ll see rapid results by working out just thirty minutes a day, four times a week—whether in your living room, yard, garage, hotel room, or office. Lauren’s exercises build more metabolism-enhancing muscle than weightlifting, burn more fat than aerobics, and are safer than both, since bodyweight exercises develop balance and stability and therefore help prevent injuries. Choose your workout level—Basic, 1st Class, Master Class,and Chief Class—and get started, following the clear instructions for 125 exercises that work every muscle from your neck to your ankles. Forget about gym memberships, free weights, and infomercial contraptions. They are all poor substitutes for the world’s most advanced fitness machine, the one thing you are never without: your own body.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2010
988 people are currently reading
3113 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lauren
20 books46 followersToday, I am an international bestselling fitness author who has prepared over 700 trainees for the extreme demands of the most elite levels of the U.S. Special Operations Community. After winning several teen bodybuilding titles, I started my military career as 1 of 12 out of 100 trainees to graduate the Pararescue / Combat Control Indoctrination Course.
Not long after my military service, I trained and competed all across Thailand in Muay Thai. After two years of dedicated training, I managed to capture the Florida IKF Middleweight Championship and a professional belt in Thailand. My wild journey through physical and mental development has inspired a new approach to fitness that has allowed millions of people to move better without the confines of a gym.
Not long after my military service, I trained and competed all across Thailand in Muay Thai. After two years of dedicated training, I managed to capture the Florida IKF Middleweight Championship and a professional belt in Thailand. My wild journey through physical and mental development has inspired a new approach to fitness that has allowed millions of people to move better without the confines of a gym.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 265 reviews
January 25, 2012
This book,is, as the name suggests a book describing body weight exercises, and a program to use them to improve ones physical fitness. Many of the exercises actually use some equipment, but they are items one might easily find around the house; books, broom sticks, and other miscellany.
The book starts off with what is a lot of non-sense, disparaging weight training as "non-functional"-- which explains why it made me strong enough to do most of the advanced exercises in the book. While there are certainly silly ways of doing weight training, it is disappointing that he Lauren needs to condemn legitimate training methods in order to make his own work seem superior. As if there were only one way to train! There are compelling reasons to use body weight training, and his book could stand on its own with out hating on other training methods.
The chapter on nutrition is also disappointing; there is some good information in there but it is all mixed in with what are nothing but persistent hearsay (ex. "eating every 2-3 hours will boost your metabolisim"); no sources are given.
Next comes the descriptions of exercises. Since your only way of increasing resistance with body weight exercises is to progress to similar but more challenging exercises, you need many more exercises in a body weight book than you might need otherwise, and this book includes enough of them to keep most people busy for a long time. The illustrations are pretty good, but the description of form is often lacking (often only a few lines). A person with good intuition about how to move their body will be able to make good use of them, but I'd be slightly worried about a less athletic person. Still, with caution, I think most people will be able to make use of the exercises in this book.
Next comes a chapter describing several sample exercise programs. He has three, for three different levels of fitness. They all use the same basic periodized approach, but with harder exercises/longer intervals/etc. I already have my own thing going on, so I haven't tried any of these programs, but they seem pretty reasonable to me. The novice program might be a bit too complicated (i.e. for raw beginners, periodization probably isn't immediately necessary), but it would work.
Finally, there are appendixes. One of which lists a few simple items you can use to enhance your workout. The other one contains essential information about programming-- so I'm not sure why it is in an appendix instead of the programming chapter. The stuff here is pretty much required for making the programs work.
Although I've been critical, I think overall this is a very good book. Especially compared to the other body-weight/minimal equipment exercise books I've seen-- it is more comprehensive than Pavel's "The Naked Warrior" and more accessibly than Ross Enamait's "Never Gymless". I will definitely be incorporating some exercises from this book into my work out.
There are a few things that could make it much better and easier to use for a novice. For example, Laruen lists several exercises that should be preformed only "after a through warm up", but never describes how one might warm up. He also stresses good form, but often fails to describe what is good and what is bad form for various exercises. These flaws and the other ones I have already mentioned prevent this from being a five star book.
The book starts off with what is a lot of non-sense, disparaging weight training as "non-functional"-- which explains why it made me strong enough to do most of the advanced exercises in the book. While there are certainly silly ways of doing weight training, it is disappointing that he Lauren needs to condemn legitimate training methods in order to make his own work seem superior. As if there were only one way to train! There are compelling reasons to use body weight training, and his book could stand on its own with out hating on other training methods.
The chapter on nutrition is also disappointing; there is some good information in there but it is all mixed in with what are nothing but persistent hearsay (ex. "eating every 2-3 hours will boost your metabolisim"); no sources are given.
Next comes the descriptions of exercises. Since your only way of increasing resistance with body weight exercises is to progress to similar but more challenging exercises, you need many more exercises in a body weight book than you might need otherwise, and this book includes enough of them to keep most people busy for a long time. The illustrations are pretty good, but the description of form is often lacking (often only a few lines). A person with good intuition about how to move their body will be able to make good use of them, but I'd be slightly worried about a less athletic person. Still, with caution, I think most people will be able to make use of the exercises in this book.
Next comes a chapter describing several sample exercise programs. He has three, for three different levels of fitness. They all use the same basic periodized approach, but with harder exercises/longer intervals/etc. I already have my own thing going on, so I haven't tried any of these programs, but they seem pretty reasonable to me. The novice program might be a bit too complicated (i.e. for raw beginners, periodization probably isn't immediately necessary), but it would work.
Finally, there are appendixes. One of which lists a few simple items you can use to enhance your workout. The other one contains essential information about programming-- so I'm not sure why it is in an appendix instead of the programming chapter. The stuff here is pretty much required for making the programs work.
Although I've been critical, I think overall this is a very good book. Especially compared to the other body-weight/minimal equipment exercise books I've seen-- it is more comprehensive than Pavel's "The Naked Warrior" and more accessibly than Ross Enamait's "Never Gymless". I will definitely be incorporating some exercises from this book into my work out.
There are a few things that could make it much better and easier to use for a novice. For example, Laruen lists several exercises that should be preformed only "after a through warm up", but never describes how one might warm up. He also stresses good form, but often fails to describe what is good and what is bad form for various exercises. These flaws and the other ones I have already mentioned prevent this from being a five star book.
August 21, 2014
I really want to give this book 5-stars, because I think it's probably the most accessible bodyweight calisthenics book out there, but there's a few minor shortcomings that I just can't get over.
The good: There's enough information in here to keep a lot of people busy for a long time... without having to dish out a whole lot of dough for gym memberships or home equipment. For my money, this book also has the best, most accessible, easiest to incorporate bw calisthenic workout routines that I've seen. My disappointment with books like Convict Conditioning, Building the Gymnastic Body and The Naked Warrior is that they either do have a very detailed routine to build upon, or they don't have routines that are easily incorporated into daily life. This book definitely does have that.
The bad: The biggest issue for me, is, as thorough as the book is, that Lauren doesn't go over static holds (which are some of the best exercises for building strength and endurance with only your body) and he doesn't go over a lot of elite movements, such as a one-armed pullup and its variations, or a muscle-up. Furthermore, as others have mentioned, Lauren doesn't provide much detail for some of his movements, which isn't an issue for people like myself who have some experience in BW calisthenics, but can be a huge knock for those who are just beginning. Also, while I obviously agree that for general fitness and strength, bw calisthenics are the best way to go, I always feel a little annoyed when bw "aficionados" disparage pumping iron too much. Pumping iron is a good thing. It's better than doing nothing, and it's still the best way to develop the legs, in my opinion.
Overall, as someone who has read a lot of the bw calisthenic literature, I think this is the best use of one's money, particularly if one is not yet at an "elite" level (those who have been doing bw calisthenics for some time might be better of with something like Building the Gymnastic Body, but I personally have just incorporated what I liked about BtGB into Lauren's routines.). Dragon Door has some decent books, but it's hard to recommend them to someone when they cost $40 or so. Especially when something like Convict Conditioning--which is a book jam-packed with good information-- doesn't really provide useful examples of exercise routines (some will disagree with me, but none of the routines in CC gave me the results I was looking for).
On a side note, for those who are interested in seeing what bodyweight calisthenics is capable of, check out youtube for videos of the "barstarzz", "bartendaz" and "Hannibal for King" or Al Kavadlo's website. It's pretty hard to argue with the results shown by those guys, and I doubt the vast majority of people training only with weights are capable of the feats exhibited therein. The barstarzz instructional DVD is actually a pretty good investment itself.
The good: There's enough information in here to keep a lot of people busy for a long time... without having to dish out a whole lot of dough for gym memberships or home equipment. For my money, this book also has the best, most accessible, easiest to incorporate bw calisthenic workout routines that I've seen. My disappointment with books like Convict Conditioning, Building the Gymnastic Body and The Naked Warrior is that they either do have a very detailed routine to build upon, or they don't have routines that are easily incorporated into daily life. This book definitely does have that.
The bad: The biggest issue for me, is, as thorough as the book is, that Lauren doesn't go over static holds (which are some of the best exercises for building strength and endurance with only your body) and he doesn't go over a lot of elite movements, such as a one-armed pullup and its variations, or a muscle-up. Furthermore, as others have mentioned, Lauren doesn't provide much detail for some of his movements, which isn't an issue for people like myself who have some experience in BW calisthenics, but can be a huge knock for those who are just beginning. Also, while I obviously agree that for general fitness and strength, bw calisthenics are the best way to go, I always feel a little annoyed when bw "aficionados" disparage pumping iron too much. Pumping iron is a good thing. It's better than doing nothing, and it's still the best way to develop the legs, in my opinion.
Overall, as someone who has read a lot of the bw calisthenic literature, I think this is the best use of one's money, particularly if one is not yet at an "elite" level (those who have been doing bw calisthenics for some time might be better of with something like Building the Gymnastic Body, but I personally have just incorporated what I liked about BtGB into Lauren's routines.). Dragon Door has some decent books, but it's hard to recommend them to someone when they cost $40 or so. Especially when something like Convict Conditioning--which is a book jam-packed with good information-- doesn't really provide useful examples of exercise routines (some will disagree with me, but none of the routines in CC gave me the results I was looking for).
On a side note, for those who are interested in seeing what bodyweight calisthenics is capable of, check out youtube for videos of the "barstarzz", "bartendaz" and "Hannibal for King" or Al Kavadlo's website. It's pretty hard to argue with the results shown by those guys, and I doubt the vast majority of people training only with weights are capable of the feats exhibited therein. The barstarzz instructional DVD is actually a pretty good investment itself.
February 3, 2013
Gostei muito do livro. O conteúdo sobre nutrição e afins é bom, segue princípios corretos, embora falte embasamento científico. Faz um par perfeito com o aplicativo de ipad, que tenho seguido e tem dado bons resultados (esperei para poder fazer a resenha).
O livro e o aplicativo têm diferentes tipos de programa, para iniciantes à quem consegue fazer flexões plantando bananeira (!). É importante ler o livro antes de usar o aplicativo, inclusive para entender a ordem e dinâmica dos exercícios. O aplicativo é muito bom pelos vídeos dos exercícios, pelo acompanhamento do programa, com exercícios para completar e cronômetro.
O livro e o aplicativo têm diferentes tipos de programa, para iniciantes à quem consegue fazer flexões plantando bananeira (!). É importante ler o livro antes de usar o aplicativo, inclusive para entender a ordem e dinâmica dos exercícios. O aplicativo é muito bom pelos vídeos dos exercícios, pelo acompanhamento do programa, com exercícios para completar e cronômetro.
December 4, 2014
I've been a strength trainee for almost 6 months now. Before that I was a couch-potato of the worst kind. I work from 8 to 6 in an office (and eventually get up to go take care of something) and when I get home I sit on the couch and watch TV and scroll through Facebook. Until then only my fingers moved in any way.
Then I got a gym membership. I won't lie: I hated the first time, I dreaded the next couple times until I got used to it.
But that gym was unorganized and unsafe: some machines were half-broken, the improvised squat rack was also fixed with duct-tape and there were no Olympic barbells.
I was starting to get the gym seriously and decided to upgrade to a better gym where I would pay the same each month and have access to better machines and trainers. I liked it for a couple times, but there was this problem: I could only go after work, and, apparently, so would everyone else.
The membership was $US 100/month and still I have to walk through a crowd of people throwing weights all around. I didn't have a safe spot to deadlift and all the machines I wanted to use were taken. We would almost have to stand in line to use something.
Then I had to take a month business trip out of the country and in that month I signed up in another gym. I loved that gym but I knew it was temporary. I grew significantly in the time span.
When I came back I dreaded going back to that crowded and stupidly expensive gym, so I started searching.
I had heard of YAYOG before but I thought that bodyweight can only have a limit one can achieve and then you reach a plateau. Wait, I still think that way, but the limit, in my eyes, has changed a lot. What I thought would be easy became really hard.
Last week I decided to give this a go and read the book. Now this is where my real review starts. I usually make a little list of the ups and downs in the books I read (unless I just feel like writing a quick review). This is a fairly short book, only emphasizing most of its pages on how-tos to exercises and DYI workout plans.
Negative aspects:
- Athough Mark Lauren really wants to sound uninterested in making money out of this program - since you're not paying anyone to use your own body to evolve physically - this book is not for free. Nor could it be. But he could be a little more honest than that.
- I don't know what he hates so much about gym goers. There's not a single program in the Fitness world that works for everyone. Some people like Stronglifts better than Starting Strength. Some people like Pilates better than Yoga. Some people like HIIT instead of lifting weights. It all depends on the type of person and their goals. A million different programs could work to a single person. It's just up to the person to decide what they feel best with.
- He points out all the negative aspects - and some are pointed in a tremendously dramatic way - of going to the gym: Pack your bag, enter de car, drive, parking, changing clothes, saving your locker key and deal with other people in the same gym you go to. He shows things this way because he maybe thought that only people who've never been to a gym and dread going there would read this book. But further on he shows how this book is also for former strength trainees who come from the gym. Let's make some sense of this, shall we? You can't try to please and displease at the same time. It doesn't work like that. You could have written this book without indirectly dissing people who actually like to go to the gym. That's bad marketing for you.
Positive aspects:
- This program requires no accessories. All you need is a chair, a door, a table, a towel and, if you can afford it, a yoga mat (not mandatory though).
- He doesn't impose too many rules to follow the program, but to be honest, from someone who read some literature on fitness already, I would recommend you to read more about the food part that he didn't talk much about. It's extremely necessary to know what you're eating and what's the quality of the calories you're ingesting. If you can't tell what are the nutritive differences between a steak and sweet potatoes then you need to read about it.
- The book is written in an easy to understand way and has some funny and snarky comments along the way, which makes you feel at ease with the program right from the start.
- This point is not much about the book, but there's an app to follow his program (both for Android and iPhone) and it's much easier to follow the program that way because of how the sets are built (unless you're good at counting reps and seconds past at the same time, I'd recommend you to download the app with the same name).
All in all, I enjoyed the book and I'm following the program but it's too early to know if it's working or not. But if you're curious, well, my glutes, quads and hamstrings are on fire and I can't walk without the penguin waddle!
Then I got a gym membership. I won't lie: I hated the first time, I dreaded the next couple times until I got used to it.
But that gym was unorganized and unsafe: some machines were half-broken, the improvised squat rack was also fixed with duct-tape and there were no Olympic barbells.
I was starting to get the gym seriously and decided to upgrade to a better gym where I would pay the same each month and have access to better machines and trainers. I liked it for a couple times, but there was this problem: I could only go after work, and, apparently, so would everyone else.
The membership was $US 100/month and still I have to walk through a crowd of people throwing weights all around. I didn't have a safe spot to deadlift and all the machines I wanted to use were taken. We would almost have to stand in line to use something.
Then I had to take a month business trip out of the country and in that month I signed up in another gym. I loved that gym but I knew it was temporary. I grew significantly in the time span.
When I came back I dreaded going back to that crowded and stupidly expensive gym, so I started searching.
I had heard of YAYOG before but I thought that bodyweight can only have a limit one can achieve and then you reach a plateau. Wait, I still think that way, but the limit, in my eyes, has changed a lot. What I thought would be easy became really hard.
Last week I decided to give this a go and read the book. Now this is where my real review starts. I usually make a little list of the ups and downs in the books I read (unless I just feel like writing a quick review). This is a fairly short book, only emphasizing most of its pages on how-tos to exercises and DYI workout plans.
Negative aspects:
- Athough Mark Lauren really wants to sound uninterested in making money out of this program - since you're not paying anyone to use your own body to evolve physically - this book is not for free. Nor could it be. But he could be a little more honest than that.
- I don't know what he hates so much about gym goers. There's not a single program in the Fitness world that works for everyone. Some people like Stronglifts better than Starting Strength. Some people like Pilates better than Yoga. Some people like HIIT instead of lifting weights. It all depends on the type of person and their goals. A million different programs could work to a single person. It's just up to the person to decide what they feel best with.
- He points out all the negative aspects - and some are pointed in a tremendously dramatic way - of going to the gym: Pack your bag, enter de car, drive, parking, changing clothes, saving your locker key and deal with other people in the same gym you go to. He shows things this way because he maybe thought that only people who've never been to a gym and dread going there would read this book. But further on he shows how this book is also for former strength trainees who come from the gym. Let's make some sense of this, shall we? You can't try to please and displease at the same time. It doesn't work like that. You could have written this book without indirectly dissing people who actually like to go to the gym. That's bad marketing for you.
Positive aspects:
- This program requires no accessories. All you need is a chair, a door, a table, a towel and, if you can afford it, a yoga mat (not mandatory though).
- He doesn't impose too many rules to follow the program, but to be honest, from someone who read some literature on fitness already, I would recommend you to read more about the food part that he didn't talk much about. It's extremely necessary to know what you're eating and what's the quality of the calories you're ingesting. If you can't tell what are the nutritive differences between a steak and sweet potatoes then you need to read about it.
- The book is written in an easy to understand way and has some funny and snarky comments along the way, which makes you feel at ease with the program right from the start.
- This point is not much about the book, but there's an app to follow his program (both for Android and iPhone) and it's much easier to follow the program that way because of how the sets are built (unless you're good at counting reps and seconds past at the same time, I'd recommend you to download the app with the same name).
All in all, I enjoyed the book and I'm following the program but it's too early to know if it's working or not. But if you're curious, well, my glutes, quads and hamstrings are on fire and I can't walk without the penguin waddle!
February 1, 2020
The good
- Badass intro. Talks about how humans have trained with bodyweight (with no gym) since ancient times (e.g., ancient Greek Olympic athletes and Spartan warriors) through today, where the author trains special operations forces.
- A decent list of bodyweight exercises. I've been working out for years and still found quite a few new ideas in here, especially around how to do at home some exercises I thought always required a gym.
- Includes not only a list of bodyweight exercises, but also a basic background of exercise, anatomy, diet suggestions, motivation to start working out, and well thought-out workout plans for trainees of all levels. This makes it a great all-around intro to improving your fitness.
- Brings up some interesting research and data points. For example: 20 minutes of HIIT can burn more calories than 40 or even 60 minutes of "standard" cardio, as HIIT burns calories for many hours after the workout; the difference between being "satisfied" with a meal and feeling "full" is about 1,000 calories and the difference between feeling "full" and "stuffed" is an additional 2,500 calories! I'm going to have to do some research to check these claims.
The not so good
- While the list of exercises is good, it's oddly missing many well-known and useful bodyweight exercises. For example, the book doesn't cover L-sits, front or back levers, vertical jump, broad jump, running, sprinting, muscle-ups, clapping pull-ups, rope climbs, and many others.
- The book takes an overly negative view on working out at the gym. Yes, there are certainly some advantages to doing bodyweight exercises, and being able to do them anywhere, but that's not the same as saying gyms are bad! Depending on your goals and situation, the gym can be far more effective.
- Similarly, the book takes an overly negative view of using training with external resistance. In fact, the author takes every opportunity to talk about the advantages of bodyweight training over using machines or dumbbells, but oddly never mentions barbells, nor the fact that using external resistance has many advantages of its own. For example, there are some exercises that you can do with barbells that simply can't be matched with pure bodyweight: in particular, there's no bodyweight exercise that quite matches the impact of a 500lb squat or deadlift on the entire body. Moreover, the ability to add tiny increments to a barbell (e.g., just 1 or 2 pounds) allows for a longer, smoother progression than bodyweight movements, where you often have to make much larger jumps (e.g., two-legged squat to one-legged squat) to continue progressing. Worst of all, for many of the bodyweight exercises in the book, to do the harder variations, the author tells you to use... external weights! He typically recommends using household items (a backpack filled with books, water jugs, books), but again, this is a place where we already have a technology ideally suited to that task: it's called a barbell. The reality is that using bodyweight vs external resistance is a trade-off, with some advantages and disadvantages on both sides. I think the book would be stronger if the author acknowledged that rather than trashing one in favor of the other.
Overall
The book has a few flaws, but overall, it's a solid read for anyone interested in bodyweight training or an alternative to the gym.
Favorite quotes
"It blows me away every time I walk into a nice home and meet its proud, overweight, out-of-shape owner. They just don't get it. Your real home is not your apartment or your house or your city or even your country, but your body. It is the only thing you, your soul and your mind, will always live inside of so long as you walk the earth. It is the single most important physical thing in this world you can take care of."
"Whatever you do in life reinforces patterns and habits. Quitting or coasting, when it's time to drive on, reinforces that behavior and makes it more likely that you'll do it again the next time. Likewise, every time you push through discomfort and put your goals before your comfort, your resolve is strengthened. Your behavior now directly affects your behavior in the future."
- Badass intro. Talks about how humans have trained with bodyweight (with no gym) since ancient times (e.g., ancient Greek Olympic athletes and Spartan warriors) through today, where the author trains special operations forces.
- A decent list of bodyweight exercises. I've been working out for years and still found quite a few new ideas in here, especially around how to do at home some exercises I thought always required a gym.
- Includes not only a list of bodyweight exercises, but also a basic background of exercise, anatomy, diet suggestions, motivation to start working out, and well thought-out workout plans for trainees of all levels. This makes it a great all-around intro to improving your fitness.
- Brings up some interesting research and data points. For example: 20 minutes of HIIT can burn more calories than 40 or even 60 minutes of "standard" cardio, as HIIT burns calories for many hours after the workout; the difference between being "satisfied" with a meal and feeling "full" is about 1,000 calories and the difference between feeling "full" and "stuffed" is an additional 2,500 calories! I'm going to have to do some research to check these claims.
The not so good
- While the list of exercises is good, it's oddly missing many well-known and useful bodyweight exercises. For example, the book doesn't cover L-sits, front or back levers, vertical jump, broad jump, running, sprinting, muscle-ups, clapping pull-ups, rope climbs, and many others.
- The book takes an overly negative view on working out at the gym. Yes, there are certainly some advantages to doing bodyweight exercises, and being able to do them anywhere, but that's not the same as saying gyms are bad! Depending on your goals and situation, the gym can be far more effective.
- Similarly, the book takes an overly negative view of using training with external resistance. In fact, the author takes every opportunity to talk about the advantages of bodyweight training over using machines or dumbbells, but oddly never mentions barbells, nor the fact that using external resistance has many advantages of its own. For example, there are some exercises that you can do with barbells that simply can't be matched with pure bodyweight: in particular, there's no bodyweight exercise that quite matches the impact of a 500lb squat or deadlift on the entire body. Moreover, the ability to add tiny increments to a barbell (e.g., just 1 or 2 pounds) allows for a longer, smoother progression than bodyweight movements, where you often have to make much larger jumps (e.g., two-legged squat to one-legged squat) to continue progressing. Worst of all, for many of the bodyweight exercises in the book, to do the harder variations, the author tells you to use... external weights! He typically recommends using household items (a backpack filled with books, water jugs, books), but again, this is a place where we already have a technology ideally suited to that task: it's called a barbell. The reality is that using bodyweight vs external resistance is a trade-off, with some advantages and disadvantages on both sides. I think the book would be stronger if the author acknowledged that rather than trashing one in favor of the other.
Overall
The book has a few flaws, but overall, it's a solid read for anyone interested in bodyweight training or an alternative to the gym.
Favorite quotes
"It blows me away every time I walk into a nice home and meet its proud, overweight, out-of-shape owner. They just don't get it. Your real home is not your apartment or your house or your city or even your country, but your body. It is the only thing you, your soul and your mind, will always live inside of so long as you walk the earth. It is the single most important physical thing in this world you can take care of."
"Whatever you do in life reinforces patterns and habits. Quitting or coasting, when it's time to drive on, reinforces that behavior and makes it more likely that you'll do it again the next time. Likewise, every time you push through discomfort and put your goals before your comfort, your resolve is strengthened. Your behavior now directly affects your behavior in the future."
October 26, 2025
Има едно доста дразнещо нещо във повечето книги за фитнес – и то е, че те са писани от хора, които базират знанията си по темата на собствения си опит. Като ги погледнеш, наистина мислиш, че би могъл да им се довериш за това – те са с красиви, мускулести и релефни тела – точно такъв човек би трябвало да дава акъл как да се тренира, защото очевидно той е тренирал правилно, нали? Да, ама не…
Това, което изпускаме, е обърнатата причинно-следствена връзка. Дали тези хора имат такива тела защото са професионални треньори или… са станали професионални треньори защото имат добро тяло и хората им се доверяват? Най-чест, за съжаление, е втория вариант – някой си е мускулест по природа, започва да тренира, постига отлични резултати (както става с родените спортисти по принцип) и разбира се всички искат да научат как тренира той, за да станат и те като него.
Новият „треньор“ е готов – без никакви знания, но с впечатляваща реклама – собствените му мускули. Такива атлети започват да дават акъл на обикновените хора как да тренират, без да разбират, че каквото е имало резултат при тях едва ли ще има същия ефект върху някой който не е генетично благословен с широки рамене, тесен ханш и потенциал за мускулен растеж.
Марк Лорън, съвсем очевидно е от този вид треньори – тъй като в книгата му „Ти си собствената си зала за тренировки: Библията на упражненията със собствено тегло за мъже и жени“ той твърди, че още от годините си в Специалните части на армията е забелязал как хората, които не тренират в зала, а именно командосите имат мускулести и хармонични тела – и от там си вади извода, че само упражненията със собствено тегло (лицеви опори, набирания, бягане и т.н. които командосите изпълняват) са напълно достатъчни за да постигне всеки такава физика.
Разбира се, фактът, че командоси стават само физически най-силните и издържливи мъже, изобщо не му минава през главата… Затова 20 минути скачане и набиране 4 пъти на седмица, според него, ще ви превърнат в командос или най-малкото в този на корицата на книгата (т.е. в самия него).
Книгата наистина съдържа изненадващо разнообразие от упражнения със собственото тяло, за които сами никога нямаше да се сетите, но повечето от тях са трудни главно като техника на изпълнение (лицева опора на 1 ръка примерно) а не като изисквана сила, да не говорим колко са натоварващи за ставните връзки, защото трудността им често се предизвиква от неестествена поза и усукване на ставни и мускулни връзки.
Има и най-общи фитнес съвети и съвети за хранене, които не са лоши, но препоръката да се яде по 3 г. протеин на килограм телесно тегло ме разсмя най-искрено – това прави по 255 г. белтъчини на ден за нормален 85 килограмов мъж. Той би трябвало да изяжда по две пилешки пържоли, пет пъти на ден, отделно всичко останало (зеленчуци, въглехидрати) за да си набави толкова протеини… Абсурд.
Това, което изпускаме, е обърнатата причинно-следствена връзка. Дали тези хора имат такива тела защото са професионални треньори или… са станали професионални треньори защото имат добро тяло и хората им се доверяват? Най-чест, за съжаление, е втория вариант – някой си е мускулест по природа, започва да тренира, постига отлични резултати (както става с родените спортисти по принцип) и разбира се всички искат да научат как тренира той, за да станат и те като него.
Новият „треньор“ е готов – без никакви знания, но с впечатляваща реклама – собствените му мускули. Такива атлети започват да дават акъл на обикновените хора как да тренират, без да разбират, че каквото е имало резултат при тях едва ли ще има същия ефект върху някой който не е генетично благословен с широки рамене, тесен ханш и потенциал за мускулен растеж.
Марк Лорън, съвсем очевидно е от този вид треньори – тъй като в книгата му „Ти си собствената си зала за тренировки: Библията на упражненията със собствено тегло за мъже и жени“ той твърди, че още от годините си в Специалните части на армията е забелязал как хората, които не тренират в зала, а именно командосите имат мускулести и хармонични тела – и от там си вади извода, че само упражненията със собствено тегло (лицеви опори, набирания, бягане и т.н. които командосите изпълняват) са напълно достатъчни за да постигне всеки такава физика.
Разбира се, фактът, че командоси стават само физически най-силните и издържливи мъже, изобщо не му минава през главата… Затова 20 минути скачане и набиране 4 пъти на седмица, според него, ще ви превърнат в командос или най-малкото в този на корицата на книгата (т.е. в самия него).
Книгата наистина съдържа изненадващо разнообразие от упражнения със собственото тяло, за които сами никога нямаше да се сетите, но повечето от тях са трудни главно като техника на изпълнение (лицева опора на 1 ръка примерно) а не като изисквана сила, да не говорим колко са натоварващи за ставните връзки, защото трудността им често се предизвиква от неестествена поза и усукване на ставни и мускулни връзки.
Има и най-общи фитнес съвети и съвети за хранене, които не са лоши, но препоръката да се яде по 3 г. протеин на килограм телесно тегло ме разсмя най-искрено – това прави по 255 г. белтъчини на ден за нормален 85 килограмов мъж. Той би трябвало да изяжда по две пилешки пържоли, пет пъти на ден, отделно всичко останало (зеленчуци, въглехидрати) за да си набави толкова протеини… Абсурд.
July 27, 2012
Bible of bodyweight exercises is right: this book is full of functional movements that you can string together to make one hell of a workout. All of them can be done right in your own home or in your backyard - you don't need a gym or lots of equipment. The few times he does suggest a prop, he shows a household item (phone book, a bottle, or a broom stick). Lauren shares 125 movements (with countless variations possible) to add to your fitness arsenal. The real attraction is that these things can be done anywhere and don't involve a lot of time. In fact, he states that you should strive for short bursts (high intensity interval training or HIIT) throughout the day for best results.
You will be familiar with a handful of these moves - pushups, crunches, squats - but there will be a lot of new things too. I set the book aside several times in order to try one of his variations. You will undoubtedly discover some great challenges to add to your routine.
One criticism I have is that Lauren states that cardio training is completely inefficient and a waste of your time. Theoretically, I understand what he is saying. In terms of efficiency, you get more bang for your buck with strength training, but I don't think cardio is pointless and a waste of time. I quite enjoy my cardio routines (dancing, spinning, kickboxing), and if I am having a good time and it is helping me in other ways (mental health, better sleep, clearer skin, etc.) than it is not a waste of MY time. Of course, he says this, but then goes on to say that he is a triathlete and a Thai boxing champion... and both of those sports involve a lot of cardio work. So, grain of salt and all of that.
This book will not make me stop my cardio routines, but it will increase my strength training - I jumped right in with a nice routine today incorporating several of his moves like Beach Scissors, Superman, Bird Dogs, and even a Wall Handstand. I checked this book out from the library, but I will be buying my own copy - there are just so many things to reference.
You will be familiar with a handful of these moves - pushups, crunches, squats - but there will be a lot of new things too. I set the book aside several times in order to try one of his variations. You will undoubtedly discover some great challenges to add to your routine.
One criticism I have is that Lauren states that cardio training is completely inefficient and a waste of your time. Theoretically, I understand what he is saying. In terms of efficiency, you get more bang for your buck with strength training, but I don't think cardio is pointless and a waste of time. I quite enjoy my cardio routines (dancing, spinning, kickboxing), and if I am having a good time and it is helping me in other ways (mental health, better sleep, clearer skin, etc.) than it is not a waste of MY time. Of course, he says this, but then goes on to say that he is a triathlete and a Thai boxing champion... and both of those sports involve a lot of cardio work. So, grain of salt and all of that.
This book will not make me stop my cardio routines, but it will increase my strength training - I jumped right in with a nice routine today incorporating several of his moves like Beach Scissors, Superman, Bird Dogs, and even a Wall Handstand. I checked this book out from the library, but I will be buying my own copy - there are just so many things to reference.
August 17, 2012
Direi che è un manuale che rasenta la perfezione, ha tutto: una parte dove spiega perché allenarsi, una dove si sofferma sull'alimentazione, una che parla dei vari tipi di allenamento (ripetizioni ad alta intensità, bassa, endurance, strenght, ecc.), una dove illustra con parecchie immagini i vari esercizi, e una dove stila un programma da seguire in dieci settimane.
Gli esercizi, come fa capire il titolo, sono tutti basati sul bodyweight: non richiedono strumenti esterni, solo il peso del corpo. Si possono fare in una camera d'albergo, a casa, in giardino, in un bosco, in palestra; insomma, ovunque.
Riepilogando: hai un manuale che tratta della teoria, che spiega gli esercizi, e che ti dà un programma da seguire. Non ci sono scuse perciò per non allenarsi.
(L'unica pecca è la parte iniziale dove sfotte un po' gli esercizi fatti in palestra. Non sono completi, come dice lui, ma non sono neanche il male. Anzi, alcuni — se fatti bene — sono davvero utili (basta leggere Starting Strenght per capirlo).)
Gli esercizi, come fa capire il titolo, sono tutti basati sul bodyweight: non richiedono strumenti esterni, solo il peso del corpo. Si possono fare in una camera d'albergo, a casa, in giardino, in un bosco, in palestra; insomma, ovunque.
Riepilogando: hai un manuale che tratta della teoria, che spiega gli esercizi, e che ti dà un programma da seguire. Non ci sono scuse perciò per non allenarsi.
(L'unica pecca è la parte iniziale dove sfotte un po' gli esercizi fatti in palestra. Non sono completi, come dice lui, ma non sono neanche il male. Anzi, alcuni — se fatti bene — sono davvero utili (basta leggere Starting Strenght per capirlo).)
April 26, 2012
Good read. Straight forward and I like the soft sell. Lauren would prefer it if you would see things his way but if you choose to be an idiot he's not going to let it ruin his life. I should only read books on fitness written by men. There's no section on how awesome I am and my inner potential. Dudes writing books on fitness don't spend a lot of time on ego-stroking and self-esteem fluffing. I like that.
As the title suggest, Lauren advocates a strength/body building work out that relies on dynamic movements that use your own bodyweight rather than pumping iron or the silly contraptions taking up valuable real estate at the gym (how about 20 fewer ab machines and a few more squat racks, huh?) His workouts are short and intense and I haven't tried them yet but I'm already hurting.
The section on diet is marginally helpful. He hits the high points. Eat protein. Now eat more protein.
I'm planning to try his program on my vacation this year when gym access will be spotty.
As the title suggest, Lauren advocates a strength/body building work out that relies on dynamic movements that use your own bodyweight rather than pumping iron or the silly contraptions taking up valuable real estate at the gym (how about 20 fewer ab machines and a few more squat racks, huh?) His workouts are short and intense and I haven't tried them yet but I'm already hurting.
The section on diet is marginally helpful. He hits the high points. Eat protein. Now eat more protein.
I'm planning to try his program on my vacation this year when gym access will be spotty.
December 10, 2020
Absolutely Epic
May 18, 2015
Buy it!
January 15, 2021
The irony is not lost on me, that the last book I reviewed was a critique of the militant manhood culture of white evangelical Christianity, followed by this by a Special Ops trainer. Thankfully, no Christianity was implicated in this one (although I could have done without the militarism and chauvinism which occasionally surfaced).
I have been doing some bodyweight exercises over the past year and this book has a good amount of helpful information and ideas.
I have been doing some bodyweight exercises over the past year and this book has a good amount of helpful information and ideas.
January 16, 2020
Reminded me of what I can do without hitting the gym. I felt that the exercises would have been better throughout the book rather than just stuck at the end. If you're reading the ebook, I'd suggest something larger than a phone! The formatting for the exercises did not suit a phone - a bunch of text then the associated pictures on the next page.
July 4, 2018
I am not sure about the exercises that use a door, seems like a painful accident waiting to happen. Everything else is good to have in a fitness regiment. I would use bodyweight exercises to compliment not substitute for endurance activities.
May 31, 2025
Bought this one! A great resource for years to come!
January 21, 2011
Excellent fitness book written by a Special Operations military trainer based on the principle that form follows function. He defines fitness as the degree to which a person possesses muscular endurance, strength, power, balance, flexibility, coordination, speed, and CV endurance. His premise is that the best way to change your overall health - and your physique - is to focus on the development of these 8 components of fitness. He argues that your body changes in order to give you the required skills to perform the activities demanded of it. Thus to change body composition, one needs to focus on creating new physical demands and developing new athletic skills. For this reason, he is not a fan of steady state or endurance training, which he believes in the end lead to muscle loss, a slower metabolism, and fat gain. Rather, his program is composed of short, intense, interval type workouts using compound movements that engage many muscles at once (high intensity interval training [HIIT]). He believes that these intense and brief (sometimes as short as 20 minutes) workouts build muscle, improve strength and CV performance, and increase your metabolic rate for about 48 hours after you complete the workout. Additional benefits: you can do these body-weight exercises anywhere, you don't need a gym or any expensive equipment, and there's a nearly endless variety of exercises to choose from!
One additional note - I'm training for a half marathon (and eventually a marathon) and wanted some additional advice on how to work in the necessary distance runs without losing any of the gains made through HIIT. I emailed the author (Mark Lauren) and he responded nearly immediately with friendly encouragement and links to related training forums on his website. Very helpful and appreciated!
Highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about fitness!
One additional note - I'm training for a half marathon (and eventually a marathon) and wanted some additional advice on how to work in the necessary distance runs without losing any of the gains made through HIIT. I emailed the author (Mark Lauren) and he responded nearly immediately with friendly encouragement and links to related training forums on his website. Very helpful and appreciated!
Highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about fitness!
July 19, 2012
This book was on amazon's recommended item list, when I ordered a pull up bar. For me personally, a 30 minutes/day, 4-5 days/week home gym routine is more realistic and achievable than a gym membership.
Before I go any further, I want to make two points clear.
1) If you say you don't want to have a body like his, you are probably lying. You won't get a body like his if you just follow his program. Why? That's for marketing. However, if you follow his program (or other similar ones), you will improve your fitness for sure.
2) This book provides you a 10-week program with a 1-2 week break in between each 10-week cycle. It is a routine, not for one-month (or whatever length) then over.
There is a lot of reviews of this books. I try not to repeat things from other reviewers. Instead, I will just express my opinion on one subject from some of the reviews I read. Some reviews mentioned some of the book's exercises use milk jar, backpack filled with book, etc, so it is not really bodyweight excises. A few of the book's exercises do need some equipment. For most exercises, the use of backpack ( milk jar etc) is to use leverage to increase the difficulty of the exercises, if you need to rank up the difficulty. let's take push-up as an example. You start from hands elevated, then flat on the floor, then with feet elevated, then maybe use backpack with feet elevated. Then you may try one arm push-up with hand elevated and so on. It would take a average Joe a long time to reach the need for backpack use, or may be never for some people.
Before I go any further, I want to make two points clear.
1) If you say you don't want to have a body like his, you are probably lying. You won't get a body like his if you just follow his program. Why? That's for marketing. However, if you follow his program (or other similar ones), you will improve your fitness for sure.
2) This book provides you a 10-week program with a 1-2 week break in between each 10-week cycle. It is a routine, not for one-month (or whatever length) then over.
There is a lot of reviews of this books. I try not to repeat things from other reviewers. Instead, I will just express my opinion on one subject from some of the reviews I read. Some reviews mentioned some of the book's exercises use milk jar, backpack filled with book, etc, so it is not really bodyweight excises. A few of the book's exercises do need some equipment. For most exercises, the use of backpack ( milk jar etc) is to use leverage to increase the difficulty of the exercises, if you need to rank up the difficulty. let's take push-up as an example. You start from hands elevated, then flat on the floor, then with feet elevated, then maybe use backpack with feet elevated. Then you may try one arm push-up with hand elevated and so on. It would take a average Joe a long time to reach the need for backpack use, or may be never for some people.
April 14, 2012
This book presents a comprehensive exercises that require little or no extra equipment. The author is highly qualified, as a trainer for Special Operations soldiers. I understand why he condemns pure aerobic exercises, but I still don't understand why he hates free-weight exercises so intensely. Perhaps because free-weights require extra equipment, so the convenience factor comes into play.
In any case, the book describes a very comprehensive set of body-weight exercises. And, in case some of the exercises are too easy, the author describes a number of ways to increase their intensity. I like the numerous ways in which the author suggests to vary intensity vs. volume. That approach should be useful, regardless of the form of one's exercise program.
In any case, the book describes a very comprehensive set of body-weight exercises. And, in case some of the exercises are too easy, the author describes a number of ways to increase their intensity. I like the numerous ways in which the author suggests to vary intensity vs. volume. That approach should be useful, regardless of the form of one's exercise program.
August 8, 2022
Very good. I thought this was going to be some American "believe you will get it and it will come" rubbish but it is very good. There's a tiny bit of filler at the front about his life etc, which I wasn't too interested in but I guess that's his privilege to include in his own book! The exercises are explained very well and so are other things like why you need repetition and why it's beneficial not to use machines etc. Very good book and I'll be following the plans to see how they work.
July 11, 2010
The exercises here are practically comprehensive and a lot harder than you might think. The program is outstanding, the book is decent, and the author's view of fitness is right on. I definitely recommend it.
Read
May 14, 2017This fitness guide and philosophy are based upon using your own body weight and no equipment. Offers lots of exercises for varying levels of ability that you can do on your own. --Kathy S.
July 5, 2015
Great no nonsense advice and workouts for anyone that doesn't like to go to the gym or workout with weights. I am incorporating lots of his exercises into my routines this summer.
March 5, 2024
This seems like a solid fitness system for the long term. I'm on board with a lot of the info he presents and will be doing the Basic Class workout for a while. Right now I'm doing pushups and squats and working on pullups - well, working on doing ONE pullup, really. I recently added burpees to the mix. I like that no gym is needed for this, although amping up exercises seems challenging without the weights at the gym. However, for my purposes, I'll likely never need those weights because my bodyweight will be intense enough.
“Bodyweight exercises also use motions that keep you safe from the many chronic injuries, like joint problems, that come over time with weightlifting and other unnatural exercises which have little functional value in our daily lives. For an exercise or workout to be functional, it must resemble the event being trained for as closely as possible. The performance demands of the average person consists mainly of manipulating their own bodyweight throughout the day. So what could be more functional for developing better strength in day-to-day actives than bodyweight movements?” pg. 9
“Here are the four simple ways of changing the difficulty of an exercise without adding weight:
- Increase or decrease the amount of leverage.
- Perform an exercise on an unstable platform.
- Use pauses at the beginning, end, and/or middle of a movement.
- Turn an exercise into a single limb movement.” pg. 11
“So, my program develops the entire spectrum of physical skills: Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Cardiovascular Endurance, Power, Speed, Coordination, Balance, and Flexibility. The degree to which you possess these eight physical qualities defines your level of fitness.
It is only by focusing on these seven skills, rather than appearance, that you will make your best gains, in ability, well-being, and in appearance.” pg. 16
“Again, building and maintaining muscle, alone, is the most effective way to burn fat and calories.” pg. 36
“Your real home is not your apartment or your house or your city or even your country, but your body. It is the only thing you, your soul and your mind, will always live inside of so long as you walk the earth. It is the single most important physical thing in this world you can take care of.
We have a choice: The take care of ourselves, or to simply let time make us worse. And it is right now, at this moment, not later, that we must make this decision.” pg. 39
“Your goals should answer at least these two questions:
How much of something do you want to gain, lose, or do?
What is your timeline?” pg. 43
“Whatever you do in life reinforces patterns and habits. Quitting or coasting, when it’s time to drive on, reinforces that behavior and makes it more likely that you’ll do it again the next time. Likewise, every time you push through discomfort and put your goals before your comfort, your resolve is strengthened. Your behavior now directly affects your behavior in the future.” pg. 45
“Each muscle group only needs to be worked once a week. While the program splits them into four sections: Push, Pull, Core, and Legs, you can also replicate a standard gym training regimen. Break your muscles up into:
- Shoulders (8 to 12 sets)
- Triceps (6 to 9 sets)
- Chest (8 to 12 sets)
- Lats (8 to 12 sets)
- Biceps and forearms (6 to 9 sets)
- Core (6 to 9 sets)
- Thighs (8 to 12 sets)
- Calves (8 to 12 sets)
If you tackle two muscle groups a day, you’re only working out 4 days a week.” pg. 50
“Variety, regularity, specificity, progression, overload, and recovery—the 6 necessary training principles—are affected by periodically switching from high-volume, low-intensity training to low-volume, high-intensity training. Simply put, a program should transition from a lot of relatively easy work to a smaller amount of more difficult work. This increases athletic performance while avoiding common pitfalls such as overtraining and injury. Myriad studies have demonstrated that periodized programs yield greater changes in strength and body composition than non-periodized programs that consist of little or no fluctuation in volume and intensity, like those of so many other books.
In a periodized program, particular skills—muscular, endurance, strength, and power—are emphasized for set periods of time called ‘blocks.’” pg. 169
Book: borrowed from SSF Main Library.
“Bodyweight exercises also use motions that keep you safe from the many chronic injuries, like joint problems, that come over time with weightlifting and other unnatural exercises which have little functional value in our daily lives. For an exercise or workout to be functional, it must resemble the event being trained for as closely as possible. The performance demands of the average person consists mainly of manipulating their own bodyweight throughout the day. So what could be more functional for developing better strength in day-to-day actives than bodyweight movements?” pg. 9
“Here are the four simple ways of changing the difficulty of an exercise without adding weight:
- Increase or decrease the amount of leverage.
- Perform an exercise on an unstable platform.
- Use pauses at the beginning, end, and/or middle of a movement.
- Turn an exercise into a single limb movement.” pg. 11
“So, my program develops the entire spectrum of physical skills: Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Cardiovascular Endurance, Power, Speed, Coordination, Balance, and Flexibility. The degree to which you possess these eight physical qualities defines your level of fitness.
It is only by focusing on these seven skills, rather than appearance, that you will make your best gains, in ability, well-being, and in appearance.” pg. 16
“Again, building and maintaining muscle, alone, is the most effective way to burn fat and calories.” pg. 36
“Your real home is not your apartment or your house or your city or even your country, but your body. It is the only thing you, your soul and your mind, will always live inside of so long as you walk the earth. It is the single most important physical thing in this world you can take care of.
We have a choice: The take care of ourselves, or to simply let time make us worse. And it is right now, at this moment, not later, that we must make this decision.” pg. 39
“Your goals should answer at least these two questions:
How much of something do you want to gain, lose, or do?
What is your timeline?” pg. 43
“Whatever you do in life reinforces patterns and habits. Quitting or coasting, when it’s time to drive on, reinforces that behavior and makes it more likely that you’ll do it again the next time. Likewise, every time you push through discomfort and put your goals before your comfort, your resolve is strengthened. Your behavior now directly affects your behavior in the future.” pg. 45
“Each muscle group only needs to be worked once a week. While the program splits them into four sections: Push, Pull, Core, and Legs, you can also replicate a standard gym training regimen. Break your muscles up into:
- Shoulders (8 to 12 sets)
- Triceps (6 to 9 sets)
- Chest (8 to 12 sets)
- Lats (8 to 12 sets)
- Biceps and forearms (6 to 9 sets)
- Core (6 to 9 sets)
- Thighs (8 to 12 sets)
- Calves (8 to 12 sets)
If you tackle two muscle groups a day, you’re only working out 4 days a week.” pg. 50
“Variety, regularity, specificity, progression, overload, and recovery—the 6 necessary training principles—are affected by periodically switching from high-volume, low-intensity training to low-volume, high-intensity training. Simply put, a program should transition from a lot of relatively easy work to a smaller amount of more difficult work. This increases athletic performance while avoiding common pitfalls such as overtraining and injury. Myriad studies have demonstrated that periodized programs yield greater changes in strength and body composition than non-periodized programs that consist of little or no fluctuation in volume and intensity, like those of so many other books.
In a periodized program, particular skills—muscular, endurance, strength, and power—are emphasized for set periods of time called ‘blocks.’” pg. 169
Book: borrowed from SSF Main Library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2019
Guía de 111 ejercicios de musculación que pueden hacerse sin máquinas de gimnasio, haciendo un poco el McGyver con las cosas de casa. El autor, por supuesto, es entrenador de Navy Seals y ha probado su entrenamiento en combate ("No soy entrenador de estrellas de Hollywood, cuyo sueldo depende de su físico. Soy entrenador de soldados de élite, cuya VIDA depende de su físico [entra himno americano. Aplauso lento de uno del público que se levanta, siendo seguido poco a poco por el resto del auditorio hasta la gran ovación final. Fundido a negro]).
Tiene también una introducción en plan "Tú puedes, chaval" que está entretenida. Hablándonos de alimentación:
o de autoestima:
I saw it in Combat Control and Pararescue trainees all the time. The classes would start with what seemed to be boys and by the end there was something different about them.
They were muscular, lean, balanced, all around athletes, but there was more. They carried themselves differently. They knew themselves better. They dealt with the enemy within on a daily basis and they were winning because they were still there. Day in and day out, for months they were tried and tested, but they never quit. Those young men valued their per formance more than they valued their comfort, and they knew when to ignore the mind’s reasoning. They had became their own masters. It showed in everything they did. As it will with you.
Luego, los ejercicios están muy bien. Los divide en cuatro grupos: Push, Pull, Legs y Core. Y da unos cuantos planes de entrenamiento que los combinan.
Me ha gustado el libro (no sé si lo suficiente porque estoy empezando el entrenamiento de 10 semanas) y dan ganas de ponerse a sufrir.
Tiene también una introducción en plan "Tú puedes, chaval" que está entretenida. Hablándonos de alimentación:
Whether you are trying to gain muscle, loose fat, improve athletic ability, simply stay
healthy, or all of the above, you only adjust your calorie intake according to your goals. The rest stays the same: Consistently perform short, intense, strength training sessions, and eat a balanced diet. No matter your goal, you should consistently strength train, try to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep a night, and you should eat frequent meals, maintaining an even flow of energy, leaving that afternoon slump at the door. Your eating habits won’t be driven by hunger, and your cravings will be controlled. You’re not a caveman anymore. You do not need to stuff your face, thus storing a bunch of fat for warmth, because there’s a good possibility you won’t find another Wooly Mammoth for a few days.
o de autoestima:
I saw it in Combat Control and Pararescue trainees all the time. The classes would start with what seemed to be boys and by the end there was something different about them.
They were muscular, lean, balanced, all around athletes, but there was more. They carried themselves differently. They knew themselves better. They dealt with the enemy within on a daily basis and they were winning because they were still there. Day in and day out, for months they were tried and tested, but they never quit. Those young men valued their per formance more than they valued their comfort, and they knew when to ignore the mind’s reasoning. They had became their own masters. It showed in everything they did. As it will with you.
Luego, los ejercicios están muy bien. Los divide en cuatro grupos: Push, Pull, Legs y Core. Y da unos cuantos planes de entrenamiento que los combinan.
Me ha gustado el libro (no sé si lo suficiente porque estoy empezando el entrenamiento de 10 semanas) y dan ganas de ponerse a sufrir.
March 23, 2021
Musculacion sin aparatos. Es un excelente libro.
Los autores de este libro, Mark Lauren (militar: controlador de combate en las fuerzas especiales y titulado en Entrenamiento Fisico Militar) y Joshua Clark (entrenador personal certificado) , son entrenadores de fitnes con muchos años de experiencia y por varios años entrenaron a los cuerpos de élite del ejército estadounidense, incluyendo a los Navy Seals (lo mejor de lo mejor). Logrando soldados magros, fuertes y veloces.
En este libro encontraras un programa de ejercicio que puedes utilizar como complemento para enriquecer esa rutina aburridisima del gym.
Se abordan los siguientes temas:
1. ¿Por qué entrenar la fuerza?
2. En realidad, ¿que significa fitness?
3. Nutrición (basica, pero muy indispensable)
4. Los mitos del entrenamiento de fuerza.
5. Motivación (muy importante)
6. Intensidad.
7. Herramientas de entrenamiento.
8. Los ejercicios (incluye imagen de cada ejercicio)
9. El programa (rutinas).
Realmente es muy buena la información que brinda este libro, los ejercicios que vienen son muy buenos, los explican muy bien y al final de cada explicacion viene la fotografia del mismo, los ejercicios estan explicados para principiantes, intermedios y nivel máster.
Sin problemas los podras hacer en casa, en la calle, en el parque, en la oficina o en donde sea que estes, sólo es cuestion de disciplina, pues la mejor maquina ya la tienes: TU CUERPO.
Yo llevo ya unos años entrenandome con ejercicios de autocarga y me ha servido de mucho, pues, soy muy ágil, tengo mucha coordinación, soy rapido, tengo fuerza, tengo resistencia muscular, resistencia cardiovascular, tengo flexibilidad y equilibrio. Todas estas habilidades en conjunto es FITNESS.
En lo personal hay veces que entreno sólo 15 minutos y rompo muchas fibras musculares y son rutinas que un mounstro de gym no me aguantaria y eso se debe a que ellos sólo se ejercitan, más no se entrenan.
En fin, si estas en este rollo del fitness o quieres entrar te recomiendo mucho este libro.
Los autores de este libro, Mark Lauren (militar: controlador de combate en las fuerzas especiales y titulado en Entrenamiento Fisico Militar) y Joshua Clark (entrenador personal certificado) , son entrenadores de fitnes con muchos años de experiencia y por varios años entrenaron a los cuerpos de élite del ejército estadounidense, incluyendo a los Navy Seals (lo mejor de lo mejor). Logrando soldados magros, fuertes y veloces.
En este libro encontraras un programa de ejercicio que puedes utilizar como complemento para enriquecer esa rutina aburridisima del gym.
Se abordan los siguientes temas:
1. ¿Por qué entrenar la fuerza?
2. En realidad, ¿que significa fitness?
3. Nutrición (basica, pero muy indispensable)
4. Los mitos del entrenamiento de fuerza.
5. Motivación (muy importante)
6. Intensidad.
7. Herramientas de entrenamiento.
8. Los ejercicios (incluye imagen de cada ejercicio)
9. El programa (rutinas).
Realmente es muy buena la información que brinda este libro, los ejercicios que vienen son muy buenos, los explican muy bien y al final de cada explicacion viene la fotografia del mismo, los ejercicios estan explicados para principiantes, intermedios y nivel máster.
Sin problemas los podras hacer en casa, en la calle, en el parque, en la oficina o en donde sea que estes, sólo es cuestion de disciplina, pues la mejor maquina ya la tienes: TU CUERPO.
Yo llevo ya unos años entrenandome con ejercicios de autocarga y me ha servido de mucho, pues, soy muy ágil, tengo mucha coordinación, soy rapido, tengo fuerza, tengo resistencia muscular, resistencia cardiovascular, tengo flexibilidad y equilibrio. Todas estas habilidades en conjunto es FITNESS.
En lo personal hay veces que entreno sólo 15 minutos y rompo muchas fibras musculares y son rutinas que un mounstro de gym no me aguantaria y eso se debe a que ellos sólo se ejercitan, más no se entrenan.
En fin, si estas en este rollo del fitness o quieres entrar te recomiendo mucho este libro.
December 16, 2020
This book gives you information on fitness in a very palatable way.
Fitness has different facets to it and it depends on our choice how many of it we plan to attain and maintain.
If you wanna train your muscles with out gym equipment it gives you many ways and exercises on how to do it.
Here are the downsides and upsides. Some of the downsides can be cancelled out by the upsides in the book.
Downsides :
But the downside of the book is that some exercises still require you to have equipment, not gym equipment, but household items used for workouts and they have to be strong enough to bear your weight. For example, for 'Let Me In's he tells to hang on to the door with your hands on either side of door knobs of an open door. If repeated often, very soon the doorknobs will be in your hands and in other exercises, a smooth floor is required for chest workouts. The main purpose of choosing this book is to bypass the need of equipment and he simply shifts the burden to household items. To do some of the exercises in this book, one needs to have tables and doors as hard and strong as the rock ones.
Upsides:
- The book gives a lot of exercises which can be replaced with one another; which ones can be and which ones shouldn't be. So if you don't have rock hard tables, doors etc. and can't do some workouts. You can choose other exercises that work the same muscle groups.
- Brief yet good information on nutrition and how to plan sets and variation.
- than sticking to monotonous weightlifting, the exercises also focus on stability of muscles than strength alone.
- Many exercises for you to challenge yourself, if you have got body you planned for and still want variation or challenge, this book offers variety. After all, muscles too get bored of an unchallenging routine and won't grow.
Fitness has different facets to it and it depends on our choice how many of it we plan to attain and maintain.
If you wanna train your muscles with out gym equipment it gives you many ways and exercises on how to do it.
Here are the downsides and upsides. Some of the downsides can be cancelled out by the upsides in the book.
Downsides :
But the downside of the book is that some exercises still require you to have equipment, not gym equipment, but household items used for workouts and they have to be strong enough to bear your weight. For example, for 'Let Me In's he tells to hang on to the door with your hands on either side of door knobs of an open door. If repeated often, very soon the doorknobs will be in your hands and in other exercises, a smooth floor is required for chest workouts. The main purpose of choosing this book is to bypass the need of equipment and he simply shifts the burden to household items. To do some of the exercises in this book, one needs to have tables and doors as hard and strong as the rock ones.
Upsides:
- The book gives a lot of exercises which can be replaced with one another; which ones can be and which ones shouldn't be. So if you don't have rock hard tables, doors etc. and can't do some workouts. You can choose other exercises that work the same muscle groups.
- Brief yet good information on nutrition and how to plan sets and variation.
- than sticking to monotonous weightlifting, the exercises also focus on stability of muscles than strength alone.
- Many exercises for you to challenge yourself, if you have got body you planned for and still want variation or challenge, this book offers variety. After all, muscles too get bored of an unchallenging routine and won't grow.
March 14, 2020
The book's core philosophy is using just bodyweight exercises to reach "elite" levels of fitness. Whether this is actually possible or not requires systematic study. It's a good compendium of bodyweight exercises targeting most parts of the body - most of the book is that, with the preface laying out a brief history of the author and some useful, concise points about the theory.
What this book lacks is an easy way to create a set of exercises that one can follow daily. When it comes to exercising, automation triumphs over motivation for most people. The list of exercises is there, the steps are laid out, the principles are explained in detail. One needs to spend an (for me at least) inordinate amount of time to actually come up with a plan that has specific exercises, the number of reps, the periodization specifics.
It would have been nice if the book had included at least a few sample plans. I bought a used copy of this, and the previous owner had helpfully written down a few in pencil on the back pages. I finally managed to make better use of this book after installing a companion mobile app that has plans (but you still need to customize them). Once the ball gets rolling with the app, it's easier to consult and get more out of this book.
What this book lacks is an easy way to create a set of exercises that one can follow daily. When it comes to exercising, automation triumphs over motivation for most people. The list of exercises is there, the steps are laid out, the principles are explained in detail. One needs to spend an (for me at least) inordinate amount of time to actually come up with a plan that has specific exercises, the number of reps, the periodization specifics.
It would have been nice if the book had included at least a few sample plans. I bought a used copy of this, and the previous owner had helpfully written down a few in pencil on the back pages. I finally managed to make better use of this book after installing a companion mobile app that has plans (but you still need to customize them). Once the ball gets rolling with the app, it's easier to consult and get more out of this book.
July 10, 2018
Please don't go to GYM anymore. Why ? Because you are your own gym :)
Reading this book give me an entire understanding on how my body works. And I have 2 big realizations :
1. When you work out, Cardiovascular workout is very ineffective while Strength training workout is the ultimate. It helps the body to create more muscles, leaner, and stronger in every part of the body, and it lasts the whole lot more time later on after the training. While Cardiovascular only doesn't have a long-lasting effect on strengthening your body, it only focuses on your heart for a small period of time. So please only do Strength training workout.
2. Your body is your own gym, you can almost do 100+ different exercises with your own body without bothering to go to the gym (Unless you want to impress anyone there or find your husbands). This book shows me the different exercises that I can do with my body at my home without any equipments, upto 100+ varieties so that I could follow easily.
One of the strength training exercises I have been doing for last 3 months is Tabata, which works very well. Now I feel strong, lean, and more confident :)
Reading this book give me an entire understanding on how my body works. And I have 2 big realizations :
1. When you work out, Cardiovascular workout is very ineffective while Strength training workout is the ultimate. It helps the body to create more muscles, leaner, and stronger in every part of the body, and it lasts the whole lot more time later on after the training. While Cardiovascular only doesn't have a long-lasting effect on strengthening your body, it only focuses on your heart for a small period of time. So please only do Strength training workout.
2. Your body is your own gym, you can almost do 100+ different exercises with your own body without bothering to go to the gym (Unless you want to impress anyone there or find your husbands). This book shows me the different exercises that I can do with my body at my home without any equipments, upto 100+ varieties so that I could follow easily.
One of the strength training exercises I have been doing for last 3 months is Tabata, which works very well. Now I feel strong, lean, and more confident :)
January 18, 2022
Firstly, I have to declare my bias. This is my first exposure to bodyweight training.
Lauren is critical and blunt. No fancy gadget, diet or weight loss product can produce the body of your dreams. That requires hard work, consistency and patience. A mantra that no doubt has allowed has allowed him to flourish as a spec ops trainer. This guy means business.
Mark makes working out fun by imbuing some fun into the workouts either with funny names or by harnessing the environment and objects around you in creative ways.
Disclaimer he goes on a rant about aerobics and strength training in the beginning. Completely just saying how inferior they are compared to his regime. I’ll take his word for it I guess
Ultimately, this has aroused my interest. I’ll have to report my findings after I complete the 10 week beginner program which is achievable for anyone. It’s 4-5 times a week, 20-30 minutes a day
Lauren is critical and blunt. No fancy gadget, diet or weight loss product can produce the body of your dreams. That requires hard work, consistency and patience. A mantra that no doubt has allowed has allowed him to flourish as a spec ops trainer. This guy means business.
Mark makes working out fun by imbuing some fun into the workouts either with funny names or by harnessing the environment and objects around you in creative ways.
Disclaimer he goes on a rant about aerobics and strength training in the beginning. Completely just saying how inferior they are compared to his regime. I’ll take his word for it I guess
Ultimately, this has aroused my interest. I’ll have to report my findings after I complete the 10 week beginner program which is achievable for anyone. It’s 4-5 times a week, 20-30 minutes a day
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