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A**N
Great book. Thank you to the author for writing it. Very useful and workable.
Great book. Gave me an understanding on how to implement an exercise program based on my schedule, of how and why to make my own precise program and how to progress. In the past 4 months I have moved up 4 levels on the progression chart in the book and I work out 4-5 times a week for about 45-60 minutes a week. I do not do the perfect program of a pro for time reasons, but I know what I need to adjust to make something work for me. For whatever sports you do, if you are serious about it, this book help you know what and how to train. If you teach or coach this is a great book to help you. Even if you do one of the below programs this book will help. Though it is geared toward gymnastic exercise it goes over the basics of the various types and how and when you use them. He does not tell you what is best but gives you the data to decide what works for your purpose.My friends were into Convict Conditioning and my physio friends are doing the Gymnastic Bodies program. This got me interested in doing a gymnastic based program. I researched online and found 4 basic ones that seem to be the most popular. I went with this book as it was not hundreds of dollars. I did not want to pay for a program that I spent a lot on and might not stick with. This had good reviews in terms of applicability. Even the section on injuries change my view on recovery. Now if I wake with a stiff neck or something like THAT, I handle it different and a lot more effectively. This alone made the book worth it.The other programs were:Convict Conditioning was 7 basic movements and was limited for me and has a slower progression than I liked. It has a basic book that was $30 ($10 used) but once you hit a point you need to buy other books from the author to advance.Gymnastic Bodies costs a couple hundred for the beginner program and about $750 for the full program. This is geared toward getting to the professional standards and is based on a very strict program. The author/coach is very strict and is very critical of anybody else's program. Some of his students are also like this but most seemed helpful with online questions. If one was going to go to competition levels this would be a good program. He keeps pushing how he was the junior nationals coach though the majority of us do not fit into that category and training a bunch of teenagers does not necessarily qualify one to train 30-70 year old people. Though I think he has a good workable program and can work for others.Gold Metal Bodies is similar to Gymnastic Bodies (but not per the above coach) and priced the same. If I get advanced enough I may pay for this program but that will be in a few years.Cons to this book are: it is a bit technical in vocabulary. When I started reading it I had zero gymnastic knowledge, no idea what the Victorian or iron cross was or some of the biology terms. I ended up using YouTube and Google to get a good understanding of these terms, it helped a lot to be able to actually see what he was talking about. I had 2 friends who saw me reading the book and tried to get through it but gave up. If you find it too complex there is a cheat sheet on how to get started fast, just Google it. Though I recommend reading the book. The main critical reviews were on how it was written. Yes there are some typos and sometimes it is a bit repetitive or not elegantly written but this is not why I bought the book. I wanted something that works and teaches me how to make a program and this does that. In the book he says to make your own program and not use his example programs. If you were like me and had no experience, just use his example programs, they work fine.So thank you Steven for a great workable book.
C**A
Is it worth it? (Calisthenics Edition)
The media could not be loaded. I will just come out and say that this is an invaluable resource for those into calisthenics and good old body weight workouts. What I love is how minimal equipment is needed. The illustrations show clear form and technique, progressions are given, training for different fitness levels are given. The book really helps you design a program to follow. This book is geared more towards helping you create your own progressive workout as opposed to giving you a set template. Which I think is great, as it lets you work on your specific goals. Also allowing for unlimited growth as its not a set program, although there are workout templates that you can certainly use. I think its a perfect book for beginners to grow with and advanced to perfect with. The equipment needed is very minimalThe only problem I had with the book, is when the author mentions charts. For instance "Print out the progression chart in the middle of this chapter" I have no idea what chart the author is referring to and its not clearly labelled. The next chapter the author asks to break down your goals in push and pull except the exercises aren't clearly labelled push or pull so you literally have to go through and determine which ones are which. This is done often and I think it would have been much easier to have a list of the exercises and a list of information given about each. At one point the author states you can go to the website and print off a sheet but its not in an easy to locate area, that clearly labelled.I have nicknamed Overcoming Gravity the Body Weight Bible. Hands down at the top of my list for workout books. Definitely worth the price tag and more. It available on Kindle but I preferred to have the actual book to mark up and look through. Excellent Book
F**N
Peerless
This magnificent work is like no other.Dr. Low deeply considered the full range of both his topic and his audience, empowering the committed layperson to identify and understand the components of setting and achieving goals. The research is comprehensive and perfectly summarized; no issue is trivial nor glossed over nor obscured by sloppy explanation. You go from the general to the specific, gaining a solid framework and understanding of your choices.I have been training with weights for some 30 years, reading broadly and deeply, from scientific papers to self-styled weight lifting gurus. I didn't think this book would offer much to me, because I am not a gymnast, but it totally transformed my situation. My deepest wish was to be free of one-size-fits-all programs and learn to create a successful program for my own goals, my own body, and to be able to customize it as I progress and as I age. I don't want to entrust this to others, yet I don't have the educational background to know how to do this.I got this book from the library when it came up on a search for bodyweight exercises. I was astounded at what it offers and bought a copy. The ability to knowledgeably chart my own path opens the door to my most cherished wishes.I also appreciate the way this book is written and edited. It is carefully structured, not tossed together like most books of this size that cobble notes together. It is not dumbed down and has no fluff. It is also not too technical with bits added for the sake of vanity or to pretend erudition. It is compelling and charming. It is uplifting to read the work of someone with this caliber of intellect. All the better that it is something I can put to practical use in something as fundamental to my life as wellbeing. It is a goldmine of information.I was surprised to find meaningful and original wisdom from this young man in his general advice about how to approach and manage achievement. These are not the usual glib admonitions people pick up and pass along but they come from his life. They are not vague, broad swipes but are very precise and systematic methods one can apply to exercise and to life.His understanding of science goes beyond scientific research. It goes to the heart of scientific method and science as a community. He recommends and refers the reader to the works of others that overlap or are beyond his scope. He does this with the enthusiasm to share and teach. Too many scientists let competition eclipse this fundamental underpinning of how science works and just try to settle scores with others and to batter the reader with their own constructs.It is a privilege to be able to benefit from this fine intellect. Steven Low, thank you.
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