The trainer of Special Ops gives everyone the tools to get in elite shape

Mark says, "The popularity of training equipment, systems, and fad diets is mostly the result of marketing --- not a genuine attempt to help a generally out-of-shape society reach higher levels of fitness and well-being. In this age, where our homes and gyms are cluttered with fitness gadgets, the simplest and most effective method for developing strength and losing fat has been largely overlooked ---knowing how to train using nothing more than your body."

He adds, "Most weight training exercises isolate only certain muscles, requiring a fairly small portion of your body's total muscle mass, unlike bodyweight exercises that incorporate many at once. These exercises have the added benefit of being much more demanding of core strength (6-pack anyone?) than exercises that require weights and machines."

The heart of the program is interval strength training. This is one area where these exercises work well with PACE.

Many people are turning from aerobics (cardio) and other forms of exercise because of injury and discomfort as they age. The author says, ". . . things like running are extremely high-force, damaging to your knees, hips and back." Oh, is this ever true! And when you get my age, you'll really feel it if you've spent a lifetime pursuing these activities.

Even Kenneth Cooper who started the aerobic era now says it's a bad thing.

Mark says, ". . . interval strength training is superior to aerobic activity in burning fat, as well as building strength, speed, power, and even cardiovascular endurance. All this in far less time than tedious 'cardio' sessions."

I like the fact this is a no-nonsense book. Moreover, Mark doesn't limit the information to men like many military and fitness writers. He writes to both men and women and treats both equally. He gets lots of points with me for that and I appreciate it. We all face survival and the need to function in daily living, regardless of our sex.

There's also a nutrition section in the book. No recipes. Just some good, solid nutrition advice that's pretty much on the mark as far as I'm concerned.

In some of the exercises you will need some sort of equipment. But it's equipment most anyone has around the house such as a broom or telephone book. You won't need any equipment with most of the exercises, however.

Frankly, in the few exercises that suggest a phone book, I'd rather use dumbbells. But, if you're in a hotel room, a phone book is handier.

I put a bar between two chairs to do the chin-ups. You can also use a broom, anything that won't break.

He gives all sorts of ways to work out. I like the Tabatas: 20 seconds of exercise followed nonsense guy who knows what he's doing and who presents it in a really great way. He trains for function, not beauty. And function is what gets us through life and helps us survive when called on to do so.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

Best bodyweight exercise book out there

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INTRO

This is an awesome book with a great introduction using the author's military experience. I've been using the workouts for a short while and already notice my ass getting kicked week workout plans are awesome, and the beginner workouts will challenge strong guys that come from a weight training background. They are written in such a way that a beginner can jump in and get in shape with less than an hour a day (usually 15-30 minutes). They are very detailed and describe which exercises to do on which days. They also describe what type of set/repetition methodology to use, such as: ladders, tabatas, interval sets, etc. Slowly the workouts transition from high-volume/low-intensity to high-intensity/low-rep and finally alternates between the two rapidly. It may remind a lot of people of P90X, except it's a fraction of the price and with more sensible theory explained.
* This book is an excellent fitness reference with over 100 bodyweight exercises categorized legged Romanian dead lifts will hit other muscles you neglected while improving stability.
* Diet theory and suggestions are included in a dedicated chapter, but not so much data that it overloads the reader. The main emphasis of the book is still on exercises.

BOTTOM LINE
Great job Mark on putting together these 10-week programs. This is a great book and I hope to buy another copy from the next edition of "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren!

Really great work out book

Just started using this exercise book and being a 50 year old woman found the excercises not only easy to use but am noticeing faster results than my old regimine at the gym where I was using the equipment. I have more time being able to do them at home which is a big plus in my busy schedule.