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Dynamic Strength by Harry Wong
Book by Wong, Harry. Dynamic strength is a unique exercise program, as it offers all the benefits of weight training without using weights.
- GenresMartial ArtsNonfiction
136 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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March 22, 200924 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative book on a unique training method!, March 19, 2007
By Shawn Kovacich "Author of the Achieving Kicki... (The Greatest Little City in the World)
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Harry Wong's, "Dynamic Tension." I have owned this book for over 20 years and have not only used the specific exercises contained within it, but I have also adapted the techniques for several different exercises that I not only use, but also teach in my classes.
Harry starts off his book by pointing out the benefits that can be obtained through using this method compared to the more conventional method of weightlifting. Some of the benefits described are as follows:
1. Increased physical strength.
2. Improvement in your balance.
3. Improvement in your flexibility.
4. Increased body awareness.
5. The ability to heighten all five or your senses through force of concentration.
6. No injuries from lifting weights improperly.
This is followed by a very in-depth section on mental preparation and breathing. Harry stresses that you must breathe correctly not only during the performance of every exercise, but also during every moment of life. Although it may seem like a funny or somewhat absurd statement, we seem to lose our ability to breathe correctly as we get older. This is a bad habit that can be unlearned and should be in order to enhance your every day life.
The mental preparation section covers such things as;
1. Define your goals.
2. Having a positive mental attitude no matter what you are doing.
3. No matter what you are doing, have fun doing it.
4. Free your mind of negative thoughts.
5. Focus completely on your body and the exercise you are doing.
6. Have proper body posture during all exercises.
7. Concentrate on each individual body part for that particular exercise.
8. As hard as you focus during an exercise, you must totally relax after it is done.
9. Breathe properly during each and every exercise.
The following section gives you some of the basic principles that should be followed when you are warming up. Harry then gives you a brief overview of some of the basic warm-up exercises that you should perform prior to executing any of the "dynamic tension" exercises featured in this book.
Now here is the meat and potatoes of this entire book, the dynamic tension exercises, which covers 24 different exercises for everything from your neck, chest, upper body, and arms to your legs. Each exercise follows the same outline in providing you with the following information:
1. Description of the exercise.
2. Number of repetitions you should perform.
3. The count for each exercise.
4. The effects of each exercise.
5. Variations of the main exercise.
6. The martial arts benefits of each exercise.
This book then finishes up with a brief section on training. Included in this section are;
1. Exercise routines for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users.
2. How to set-up a time and place to train.
3. How to do a self-evaluation.
This book offers another great alternative to the standard forms of exercising. I have even modified these exercises and incorporated the principles behind them into my own training routine. I now utilize this type of exercise while doing my forms, practicing combinations (whether it be hand and/or foot combinations), or as a compliment to my normal weight lifting routine. I highly recommend that you buy and practice the exercises in this book. If you do, you will notice an improvement in your overall physical abilities. I personally saw results after about 6 weeks of training.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative book on a unique training method!, March 19, 2007
By Shawn Kovacich "Author of the Achieving Kicki... (The Greatest Little City in the World)
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Harry Wong's, "Dynamic Tension." I have owned this book for over 20 years and have not only used the specific exercises contained within it, but I have also adapted the techniques for several different exercises that I not only use, but also teach in my classes.
Harry starts off his book by pointing out the benefits that can be obtained through using this method compared to the more conventional method of weightlifting. Some of the benefits described are as follows:
1. Increased physical strength.
2. Improvement in your balance.
3. Improvement in your flexibility.
4. Increased body awareness.
5. The ability to heighten all five or your senses through force of concentration.
6. No injuries from lifting weights improperly.
This is followed by a very in-depth section on mental preparation and breathing. Harry stresses that you must breathe correctly not only during the performance of every exercise, but also during every moment of life. Although it may seem like a funny or somewhat absurd statement, we seem to lose our ability to breathe correctly as we get older. This is a bad habit that can be unlearned and should be in order to enhance your every day life.
The mental preparation section covers such things as;
1. Define your goals.
2. Having a positive mental attitude no matter what you are doing.
3. No matter what you are doing, have fun doing it.
4. Free your mind of negative thoughts.
5. Focus completely on your body and the exercise you are doing.
6. Have proper body posture during all exercises.
7. Concentrate on each individual body part for that particular exercise.
8. As hard as you focus during an exercise, you must totally relax after it is done.
9. Breathe properly during each and every exercise.
The following section gives you some of the basic principles that should be followed when you are warming up. Harry then gives you a brief overview of some of the basic warm-up exercises that you should perform prior to executing any of the "dynamic tension" exercises featured in this book.
Now here is the meat and potatoes of this entire book, the dynamic tension exercises, which covers 24 different exercises for everything from your neck, chest, upper body, and arms to your legs. Each exercise follows the same outline in providing you with the following information:
1. Description of the exercise.
2. Number of repetitions you should perform.
3. The count for each exercise.
4. The effects of each exercise.
5. Variations of the main exercise.
6. The martial arts benefits of each exercise.
This book then finishes up with a brief section on training. Included in this section are;
1. Exercise routines for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users.
2. How to set-up a time and place to train.
3. How to do a self-evaluation.
This book offers another great alternative to the standard forms of exercising. I have even modified these exercises and incorporated the principles behind them into my own training routine. I now utilize this type of exercise while doing my forms, practicing combinations (whether it be hand and/or foot combinations), or as a compliment to my normal weight lifting routine. I highly recommend that you buy and practice the exercises in this book. If you do, you will notice an improvement in your overall physical abilities. I personally saw results after about 6 weeks of training.
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January 11, 2024First published under the title "Dynamic Tension", this is a program of "dynamic" (or moving) self-resistance exercises, designed to develop strength evenly and naturally, free of weights or other equipment (except two chairs and a short stick). This is a pretty complete program, focusing on all major body parts.
Although the Dynamic Strength exercises are geared specifically toward martial artists, anyone can beneifit from these exercises. The workout begins with a short series of warm-up exercises, followed by supplemental strengh exercsises and finally, the Dynamic Tension exercises.
In addition, Harry Wong offers advice on training and suggests 3 possible programs... Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced. He also includes a general Introduction and some thoughts on mental preparation and breathing.
NOTE: There seems to be some confusion regarding the phrase "dynamic tension", so I would like to stress that the exercises in this book inovlve movement, by pitting one set of muscles against another, through a natural range of motion. In my experience, these exercises are much more beneficial than "static" exercises, which involve pitting one group of muscles against another, but without any actual movement.
Although the Dynamic Strength exercises are geared specifically toward martial artists, anyone can beneifit from these exercises. The workout begins with a short series of warm-up exercises, followed by supplemental strengh exercsises and finally, the Dynamic Tension exercises.
In addition, Harry Wong offers advice on training and suggests 3 possible programs... Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced. He also includes a general Introduction and some thoughts on mental preparation and breathing.
NOTE: There seems to be some confusion regarding the phrase "dynamic tension", so I would like to stress that the exercises in this book inovlve movement, by pitting one set of muscles against another, through a natural range of motion. In my experience, these exercises are much more beneficial than "static" exercises, which involve pitting one group of muscles against another, but without any actual movement.
January 25, 2025
Interesting concepts regarding how to train for strength without using weights (tension and release techniques). Good for martial artists who want twitch muscle speed vs bulk.
April 2, 2016
Several months ago I suffered a cartilage tear that made most exercise routines using weights impossible for me to do. I've been looking to get back into exercising because ever since then, I feel my overall fitness and flexibility has declined since then. I remembered buying this book off of alibris at the suggestion of a former roommate who believed it to be one of the best books on isometric exercises available, so I got it out of storage and read it, and tried some of the exercises.
The books is really written towards the practicing martial artist, but anyone with a little imagination can see it being applicable to general health and flexibility as well.
There's a bit of bad science in it, but then most martial arts books are filled with that kind of stuff, and this one is relatively low in it. The instructions are clear and illustrated.
As for the results? Well, obviously, I can't give you a long term call on it at this point, but it seems to be working the muscles and joints as it should. There's no real "burn" as in weight lifting, but you do sweat and your muscles do feel tired after a workout. Is it going to make you as ripped as Harry Wong on the cover? No. In fact I doubt it will increase your functional strength at all, much less muscular definition, but then Wong himself makes no claims as to it doing that, as he focuses more on speed, flexibility and muscle efficiency. This workout isn't going to make you lift more or get beastmode, it's to keep you from losing what you do have, as well as finding ways to exercise every muscle and joint in the body with only two chairs and a stick. In that, it succeeds well enough.
That said, this isn't the only book one should use. It needs to be supplemented. One wishes Wong wrote a bit more in depth, or how to slot it into an aerobic or traditional weight training regiment other than just giving the practices and a small suggested routine.
The books is really written towards the practicing martial artist, but anyone with a little imagination can see it being applicable to general health and flexibility as well.
There's a bit of bad science in it, but then most martial arts books are filled with that kind of stuff, and this one is relatively low in it. The instructions are clear and illustrated.
As for the results? Well, obviously, I can't give you a long term call on it at this point, but it seems to be working the muscles and joints as it should. There's no real "burn" as in weight lifting, but you do sweat and your muscles do feel tired after a workout. Is it going to make you as ripped as Harry Wong on the cover? No. In fact I doubt it will increase your functional strength at all, much less muscular definition, but then Wong himself makes no claims as to it doing that, as he focuses more on speed, flexibility and muscle efficiency. This workout isn't going to make you lift more or get beastmode, it's to keep you from losing what you do have, as well as finding ways to exercise every muscle and joint in the body with only two chairs and a stick. In that, it succeeds well enough.
That said, this isn't the only book one should use. It needs to be supplemented. One wishes Wong wrote a bit more in depth, or how to slot it into an aerobic or traditional weight training regiment other than just giving the practices and a small suggested routine.
November 18, 2011
I found this book quite helpful in supplementing a weight lifting routine, about 10 years ago. The warmup stretches and isometric exercises seemed quite helpful for getting the heart rate up, improving flexibility, balance, and improving core strength a bit. I wouldn't use it on its own, but incorporated into a routine I found it useful.
December 20, 2012
Are you looking for a great book on self resistance? Look elsewere. It´s intended for martial artist and not just for begginers, or intermediate, artists as ir provides no information on What is Dynamic Tension on HOW do you use it properly.
If you are a martial artist looking for a way to increase your strength that´s directly applicable to your trade, this is it.
If you are a martial artist looking for a way to increase your strength that´s directly applicable to your trade, this is it.
September 9, 2012
A good book on isometric workouts - with the exercises geared towards the martial artist. No weights necessary.
August 6, 2013
Straight up some of the best take with you exercises I've ever been exposed to. I'm stronger already.
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