Convict Conditioning

This is by far the best book I have read on building strength through bodyweight. It has singlehandedly changed my way of training and is why I adopt a bodyweight approach for most parts of the year. It goes into detail about 6 exercises he calls the big 6.

The Big 6

Pullup
Push up
Squat
Hanging leg raises
Handstand pushups
Bridge

So the program centres around these and builds up to the master steps, you can see them by clicking here. Come back here with your jaw dropped. One arm pull-ups, no way. One arm hand stand push ups, dayum. Yes those are some of the feats you can expect to achieve if you dedicate yourself to this program. This isn’t a quick fix however and can take years to accomplish. There are 10 steps with a list of progressions to get onto the next step, and coach Paul Wade says to start from the beginning so you can put strength in the bag, as he likes to put it. This exercise program builds up your tendons and ligaments, which is often ignored in weight training which can lead to chronic problems. A lot of weight training gives people shoulder problems.

I don’t personally agree with everything the book says. I do use weights to gain an advantage during certain parts of the year. It also lacks a proper cardio and diet section and some doubts rise about the credibility of the author. Some of the progressions I don’t agree with and frankly think are quite ridiculous, so I am in the process of writing my own book with progressions just up to the basic 6, as I believe that every one that trains should be able to do these 6 movements before they even think about touching weights.

The book is a bit pricey but I like to always think of it like this, how much would you pay for an hour with a good personal trainer. Then remember the quote Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This book will give you information you can use for a lifetime.

This conditioning book contains some of the best bodyweight exercises and is the best conditioning book I have read period. the area i benefited from the most was the section on bridges and hanging leg raises. I was dropped as a baby and suffered a twisted vertebrae and since I incorporated this exercise into my program, over the weeks my back began straightening out and I am actually an inch taller now from this. The leg raises are responsible for my new powerful abs, and the book goes into detail of where the crunch originated from and why it is useless. This conditioning book is right up there with Pavel’s Power to the People, which is also a great strength training program. Click here to order yourself a copy of Convict Conditioning and let me know how you get on with it.