You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women
by Mark Lauren, Joshua Clark
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joshua Clark, Mark LaurenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-05-30
ISBN: 0971407614
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Light Of New Orleans Publishing
Book Reviews of You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women
Book Review: "You are your own gym" vs. the gym
Summary: 5 Stars
The first paragraph of the book sums up what you can aspire to with this program: "...I do not train movie stars, television celebrities, models, or other personalities whose livelihoods hinge on being fit. I train those whose lives do." Yet--don't be intimidated. Whether you are totally out of shape, an athlete, or something in between, this book can work for you. Read on!
I've spent a fair amount of time in well-equipped gyms, and have at my home a Bowflex Ultimate, a set of free weights, and a good weight bench and accessories, which I have used with some regularity. I got this book because I'm on the road a lot with my work. I wanted some exercises I could do in my hotel room, and as well to get a few exercises to supplement my gym equipment.
I got a whole lot more than that. This book has 111 exercises that will work every muscle you knew you had, as well as many you were never aware of. These exercises can completely replace gym equipment, and then some. For every exercise, ways are shown to step it up or down, depending on your fitness level. And I mean, WAY UP--or equally, WAY down--so that there's truly something for everyone. The exercises are broken down into 4 10-week programs: basic, first class, master class, and chief class. How you perform these exercises varies from work-out to workout by varying the way that the repetitions are done, so that for different weeks, you are developing either muscular endurance, strength, or power. That might sound more complicated than it is: just follow the program. At the upper levels, there are exercises that I can only dream of doing right now.
In the gym, equipment is usually designed to isolate certain muscle groups so you can concentrate on them. That's good for bulk, but what about overall fitness? Mark Lauren spends a chapter defining overall fitness--a combination of muscular strength, power, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, speed, co-ordination, balance, and flexibility. What I quickly discovered is that many bodyweight exercises are much more challenging than gym equipment. At first, some exercises felt awkward. I quickly found the weak links in my chain. Gym equipment had not taught my body co-ordination and balance. These exercises do. So I have had to take it slowly. I do what I can, and push myself a little further each workout. The awkwardness fades quickly. These exercises are not to be under-estimated; you will have no trouble whatsoever in bringing yourself to exhaustion, achieving that "burning" feeling--and waking up the next morning with a few aches in places that you previously did not know existed!
I feel the progress, workout to workout. The core exercises are great--an area I had been neglecting. My back feels better and my posture has improved. In the arms and legs, changes are obvious. Overall, I have a sense of increased strength and well-being. Feeling better is all the motivation I need to stick with the program.
My suggestion in using this program: start out slow, and ENJOY it. Be consistent, and work your way up rather than making yourself miserable. Don't think about what you can't do--or how much you could do when you were in great shape "back in the day"; think about the progress you are making, and how much better you are feeling. It's not about where you are at; it's about where you are going.
The first several chapters have very good information on nutrition, and practical suggestions for improving your diet (the right foods, eating in vs. out, and keeping junk out of your pantry). There's a great discussion on why it is important to add muscle mass. Muscle mass burns calories, even while at rest--a LOT of calories. Once you have it, you burn more calories outside of your workout than you do during your workout. Adding muscle mass also means that you have to be ready to push yourself to muscle failure during a workout--where you can't do another rep. Yet, Mark Lauren also balances this fact with a discussion on not over-doing it: your muscles also need time to recover and build themselves back up. Follow the workout, and while you will be aching at first, you will see progress, workout to workout.
I'll probably sell the Bowflex. The only thing preventing me from doing so is guilt: I feel like I'd be ripping off the buyer. I could be recommending an inexpensive book that will do a better job for a lot less!
More You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women reviews:
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