Progressive Calisthenics: The 20-Minute Dream Body with Bodyweight Exercises

Wow. I just finished this book and guess what? I’m impressed. Most of these types of books put me to sleep but not this one. I would consider buying this book in hardback because I think it’s really well written.This book is like two books in one! The nutritional chapters are better than some nutritional ebooks I’ve read!I have bad knees, so I would never get the full benefit out of a gym membership. I’m so glad I ran into this book! I highly recommend the body weight exercises because a) I have everything I need to start NOW b) it won’t cost me anything!! c) I have started following these exercises in my living room! I appreciate the included workouts. I like how I can modify some of them. Hey, I’m not Arnold, so it will take me some time to work up to some of them but I can do it! They are presented WITH VIDEO LINKS to insure that they are done correct!! I’m 45, and I’m working out already!! Using my own body to exercise is much easier on my knees. I take my time. I guess the best part is the extra pounds don’t get in the way when I workout either!! lol.This book is pretty! The illustrations capture exactly what the author intends, not to confuse the reader. Good info!! It explains all of the exercises in plain english!!I can’t go on enough about this book. I’ve been an avid reader for some time, and even the smallest mistakes in grammar irritate me. I’m happy to say I can honestly recommend this book to anybody that is looking for a change in themselves like me this year.Understanding my body and how it works allows me to want to work out. I want to improve my core strength, my endurance, with the help of calisthenics.I hope this review pumps you up to buy this ebook and/or hard copy because let’s face it… money is scarce these days. I assure you this is a quality product and you will be pleased. -Mike

Good Introduction.Nothing new for whom is already into calisthenics and bodyweight training, but it is well written and shows a good overall perspective on the subject.

First impressions, the intro was a bit long which quite unnecessary but is a good bonus along with some statistics. I have been lifting and into fitness for about 4 years now and I have read articles, books, watched videos etc… I have experimented with a lot of programs, diets, cooking methods and everything in between, taking the most effective way of losing fat while gaining or retaining muscle. In this book, I agree with the 30 minutes of working out ONLY if you’re using that 30 minutes and giving it all you’ve got. You can train long or you can train hard but you can’t do both. Usually, if you hit your workouts hard for about 30 minutes, you eventually hit your “minimum effective dose” which is the only thing that matters as far as losing fat. Anything else after that is just a waste of energy. Here’s an example: the boiling point for water is 100c or 212f, anything after that does not make it “more boiled”. It has hit its minimum effective dose and anything after that is a waste of potential energy.Calisthenics or bodyweight training is very important because its balanced and safer in my opinion versus lifting heavy weights. You gain muscle and lose fat. It is safer because you’re not dealing with lifting heavy weights and learning the proper form of lifting.If you are thinking of getting huge and entering a bodybuilding competition, this might not be the best method. Since you’re only using your bodyweight, eventually you hit a plateau and you wont gain any more muscle. It’s a good starting platform but you will want to lift weights after a while.Lots more of info and details in the book that I agree with. Highly recommended if you want lose weight, gain muscle, gain knowledge about fitness etc..

Hello,I like this book but it has so many graphic design errors which impair its function. For example there are a number of tables and images in the book yet they quite small & need to be scaled up. More importantly some are unusable which such low quality resolution, text cannot be read.The general wording of the book is fine and good information that people will like.The book has great potential but its application lets this edition down. The right designer could fix this. I would've given this 5 stars without the serious errors in design that affect the quality and legabilityAs a Graphic Designer I would happily provide advice to author/ publisher if wanted?Matt

I needed a Kindle book with examples of exercises I could do on my own without equipment. Progressive Calisthenics really delivered. All of the exercise use your own body and natural resistance to burn fat or tone and build muscle. They’re split up into basic and advanced exercises, and the author provides several different routines aimed at people with different fitness levels. (There’s even a special “couch potato” routine for exercising during commercials—which is probably perfect for me right now. haha)What really surprised me is how far into the book you read before hitting the exercise info. First, the author walks you through a lot of excellent information on how to make the most of calisthenics, including a big section on diet. He also helps you figure out how long it will take for you to see results.Some of the info you’ll have heard elsewhere, but there were a few things that surprised me—like calorie intake being based off of lean weight, not your scale weight, or how potatoes aren’t a healthy carb. There are pictures of what a good diet looks like, so you get real examples instead of just general info. I was surprised by all of the practical advice, and I liked the format.There’s a lot of science and even some history to read through, but it all helps explain things, so keep reading. Eventually you’ll get to the diet and exercise portions and be happy you did.