"Convict Conditioning"

My personal thoughts on this new 304 page strength training manual authored by Paul "Coach" Wade. I was turned on to this book by my friend Jim from Beastskills; he thought I would be especially interested in the chapter devoted to the pull up and the photos included there.....more on that later.

As I have said often, I don't pretend to be an expert, just a fitness enthusiast, passionate about pull ups and a guy trying to stay healthy. I call it like I see it from my own "average" training perspective and personal experiences.

Well, I devoured this read quickly and really liked it; very different from most fitness books and articles I have read for sure. It's hard to say exactly why, but I sense that it's because the author comes across as believable and supremely credible. I connected with the material and can definitely see myself using it daily; not just reading and filing it. The writing style is gritty, authentic, backed with historical context and surprisingly entertaining for a "manual".

The authors passion and theory behind "old school" body weight training as compared to modern day gym training is presented in the first part of the book. His no nonsense writing leaves no question where he stands on the topic of body weight strength training as the most effective way to build real, functional and supreme strength. This is followed by a deep dive into the "Big Six" with a dedicated chapter for each of six major muscle movements: Push Ups, Squats, Pull Ups, Leg Raises, Hand Stands and Bridges. For each of the six, he outlines 10 steps to mastery, a simple to follow progression from the easiest to the most skilled variation of each major movement along with other variants and things to consider and try.

The manual is well organized and presents a compelling and unarguably convincing case that dumbbells, barbells and all weight machines are simply modern day obstacles to achieving real strength. It left me excited to incorporate the methodology into my work out plans for sure. I'm afraid however, it won't convert me to a practitioner in the purist sense; can't see myself giving up everything I do today and starting over. I would imagine that for many this may be the case. While the author concedes to this reality in a brief mention, finding the right balance between cardiovascular conditioning, functional weight training, in concert with body weight training is certainly what I plan to do next.

WHAT I LOVED:
There is a lot I really LOVE about this book and as stated, I'll be using and sharing it for certain. First, there are no promises of quick fix strength gains. This is not an infomercial or fad work out program and the author preaches the virtues of patience, discipline and hard work. I love the methodical approach prescribed for progressing through the major muscle movements and the true commitment required to earn success. Second, and needless to say, an entire chapter was devoted to the Pull Up; my passion. The king of all back exercises in my view, is affirmed as totally under-rated for its endless benefits. In this instance, I too can't wait to start from the beginning and work my way up to the master step. Finally, but certainly not all that I love, is the validation that serious training does not require serious money, fancy gyms and the like; no frills input for superior output.

WHERE I STRAY:
Unless you are completely new to any form of strength training, going cold turkey without any added weight seems unlikely. While I can appreciate the argument that heavy external weight could create unnatural imbalances, some high intensity weight training strikes me as an appropriate complement. Also, not ALL weight comes in the shape of man-made plates, barbells and machines. My afternoon in the yard hauling large stones, removing downed tree limbs and flipping 200 pound railroad ties reminded me of that. The author references the natural evolution of man in the earlier sections of the book. For me, I think about the men from earlier civilizations who were responsible for building grand palaces, pyramids, coliseums, etc. I suspect that moving objects heavier than their bodies aided in some fashion to their strength development.

As it relates to the Kipping Pull Up, I am in disagreement with the characterization that they are "cheating". As I have chronicled in the past, kipping is only cheating if you kip while intending to execute a strict variety of pull up. Kipping pull ups are a different exercise altogether, providing unique benefits as is the case with most compound movements. I am of the the belief that the only cheating that occurs is if you opt for one variety over the other.

So what about those photos in the chapters on Pull Ups and Leg Raises Jim thought I would like? Unknowingly, the exercises were all demonstrated on the original Steelfit pull up bar we built. WOW!! Feeling like a proud father, it is validation for certain of our commitment to the real deal; rugged, authentic and serious bars as an integral ingredient for any serious strength training regime. Our Pursuit of the Perfect Pull Up continues...."Convict Conditioning" will help many on the journey. It's a Must Read!!!