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GTG is the idea that if you do five or less reps of an exercise thoughout the day, you will eventually get to the point where the exercise is effortless. When I purchased this book, I expected a book about working out with just ones bodyweight. This is tied to the idea that strength is a skill and that training to failure is counter productive because it requires a lengthy recovery time. This book is not that at all. Of course, at his point, I can only do pistols from a medium level bench, but believe that I can work them into my regular routine and improve to the point where full pistols are possible. Obviously, if you don't have weights handy, you must do body weight exercises. I, for one, normally use about thirty minutes of calisthenics and thirty minutes of aerobics for my workouts.
When doing bodyweight exercises, one must focus on either making the exercise exceptionally difficult or doing higher and higher repetitions. Therefore this book focuses on two exercises to get a good strength workout in until you find a barbell handy.Having said that, The Naked Warrior delivers on its intended topic. Doing higher and higher repetitions is not strength work, but rather endurance work. However, the discussion of proper form combined with discussion about the tension techniques (staying tight) are well worth the cost of the book.
The Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline is not what it seems. However, I hate doing more than thirty reps of anything. Therefore, I intend to work in OAPs and Pistols into my regular workouts. At this point, five pistols to a medium chair is test of my strength, flexibility, and balance.Additionally, this book discusses Greasing the Groove (GTG). Of course you can do easier versions of these exercises, for example pistols to or from a high chair, if your strength and flexibility is not quite where it should be. Nothing in this book is a super secret of Soviet Strongmen. It is a hypothesis that one wants to do some serious strength training, but due to travel, bad timing, or some other circumstance a barbell is not available. Additionally, there are some discussions about using breathing to generate extra strength and how to stay tight during exercises.
To make the exercise more difficult, you must shift your weight between your arms and legs so that one arm or leg is at a disadvantage or so that your arms (or legs) are carrying a higher percentage of your bodyweight.Two of the most extreme examples of this are the one-armed push-up (OAP) or the one-legged squat (pistol). These are the two exercises that are discussed in mind numbing detail in the book. All of these topics are helpful - at least to me - when attempting these two exercises.Bottom line: Nothing in this book is rocket science. My recommendation is to use this book as a handy reference prior to or just after exercising.
Garbage fire with full PPE - EASY. Not making myself stand out, but being a volunteer emt/firefighter, and mountain biking addict, this book is perhaps the biggest, most simple way to increase performance in any sport. The endurance, strength and control that this book teaches you (if you apply it correctly) will turn you into a mutant. Within two months of owning this book, and attempting (sometimes properly completeing) the exercises in this book have made me extremely resilient to the barrage of physical battering i put my body through. Three switchbacks coupled with intense bike climbing, EASY. Goodlooking muscle tone, extraordinary strength, and NO MEAT LOCKER look. ;) I hate gyms :)
The excersizes are tough; but they improve balance, total body tension, and useful strength. This was my first book by Pavel. A chronic shoulder injury is currently retarding my progress in the one armed push up, but the principles in "The Naked Warrior", "Power to the People", and "Relax into Stretch" are helping me with other excersizes that I can do despite my rotator cuff tear. I accidentally happened upon it in a bookstore and bought a copy for a friend. Naturally; I read it first, decided to keep it, and bought a second copy as the gift. I have found the deadlift especially rewarding. There is some overlap in each of these books, but each of them have been undeniably instrumental in my motivation, technique and continued strength gains.
Buying a book or training equipment and not applying them DOES NOT produce results to write a review. (low-weight is a HUGE factor in the Special Operations World / Airborne. The Naked Warrior is a book for True Warriors not you people who thought that they could get results by just reading. Especially Fitness Training books. For those of you who read my hat goes off to you. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to improve their power/strength without the hype. We have to be full of fight, violence of action, all the time everytime. Face it if you have a bigger body, your heart has to pump harder causing more stress.(research for your own benifit) For the record true warriors need to be as strong, slim and trim as you can yet not huge.
I challenge you to apply what you read and honestly following the training faithfully before submitting any review. This book is by far second to none. For those of you who actually apply what you read are priceless actions from noble spirits. Hence, we can hold so much gear factored into the lift capabilities of the aircraft we are deployed in) Think about it would you like to have the same power as a guy that is 3 times your size. (Enter poor reviews here) You actually have to train to get those results. (Yet I have yet to read Beyond Bodybuilding; Pavels most recent book) The Naked Warrior focuses on meat and potatoes to increase your strength not getting big. We dont have time to train wrong.
Like most Pavel's Dragon Door products, this program is big on hype and skimpy on substance. What could be a great program for natural strength, amounts to little in the way of routines, explanations and big on fluff, pictures and advertisements.Furthermore, I question the safety of the 'pistols' one legged squat, regardless of one's age (and definitely not for those of us over 50). Be especially careful of his advocating holding one's breath during the lift (ValSalva technique). This reduces venous return to the heart and will increase arterial blood pressure dangerously.Save your money and get Jeff Martone's Pullups for Tactical Athletes, or Steve Maxwell's 300 Workout.
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