ISBN:0938045555Book Description
Master the Secrets of The Super-Strong Using Bodyweight Exercises Only
The Graduate Course In Instant Strength Gains
"I went from 5 to 10 pullups in one week."
"I could do one wobbly one-legged squat…
[Two weeks later] I did 5 clean, butt-to-ground pistols."
"Last night I did 15 one-arm pushups with each arm.
Two months ago I couldn't do one complete rep."
Have you noticed—the greater a man's skill, the more he achieves with less? And the skill of strength is no exception. From the ancient days of Greek wrestling, to the jealously guarded secrets of Chinese Kung Fu masters, to the hard men of modern spec ops, warriors and allied strongmen have developed an amazing array of skills for generating inhuman strength.
But these skills have been scattered far and wide, held closely secret, or communicated in a piecemeal fashion that has left most of us frustrated and far from reaching our true strength potential.
Now, for the first time, Russian strength expert and former Spetsnaz instructor Pavel has gathered many of these devastating techniques into one highly teachable skill set. In The Naked Warrior Pavel reveals exactly what it takes to be super-strong in minimum time—when your body is your only tool.
Gain more brute strength in days than you did in years of bodybuilding or calisthenics
Discover the martial secrets of instant power generation—for rapid surges in applied strength
Discover how to get a world-class powerlifter's quality workout—using your body only
Master the one-arm/one-leg pushup for crushing upper body force
Forge super-piston, never-quit legs with the Spetsnaz favorite "Pistol"
Discover the magic of "GTG"—guaranteed the world's most effective strength routine
Be tow-truck strong—yet possess the rugged looks of a stripped-down racer
Get a harder, firmer, functionally-fitter body—and be as resilient as hell whatever you face
No gym, no weights, no problem—get a dynamite strength workout at a moment's notice—wherever you are
Chapter 1
The Naked Warrior Rules of Engagement
`The Naked Warrior', or why strength train with bodyweight?…Strength. Pure strength…the definition of strength…strength classifications…examples of the three types of strength…the focus of The Naked Warrior…The Naked Warrior rules of engagement…the only way to build strength…high resistance and mental focus on contraction…tension generation skill…the importance of `practice` over `workout`…a powerful instant-strength mix…The Naked Warrior Principles…the six keys to greater strength…How do lifters really train?…`best practice' secrets of powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters…How do gymnasts get a good workout with the same weight?…five strategies for making 5-rep exercises harder…how gymnasts achieve super strength…how to customize the resistance without changing the weight.
Chapter 2
The Naked Warrior Workout
"Grease the groove," or how to get superstrong without a routine…the secret success formula…Some GTG testimonials from the dragondoor.com forum…how does the GTG system work?…turning your nerves into superconductors…avoiding muscle failure…strength as a skill—the magic formula…"The Pistol": the Russian Spec Ops' leg strengthener of choice…rate yourself against the Russian hard guys…how to do it—the basics…doing fewer exercises better…The one-arm/one-leg pushup: "an exercise in total body tension"…what gymnastics has to teach us…another advantage of the one-arm pushup…GTG, the ultimate specialization program.
Chapter 3
High-Tension Techniques for Instant Strength
Tension. What force is made of…the relationship between tension and force…high-tension techniques…'Raw strength' versus 'technique'…the power of mental focus…Low gear for brute force…speed and tension…putting explosiveness in context…"Doesn't dynamic tension act like a brake?"… a dirty little secret of bodybuilding…the dangers of mindless lifting…The power of a fist…the principle of irradiation…Accidental discharge of str/p>
Reviews From AMAZON.COM
Good Info, But...
...the book, as many have noted, is pricey. The other thing that bothered me was the tone. Pavel more than occasionally dismisses other perspectives in the most childish ways, referring to preferences for "pink dumbbells" and making declarations like, "Go get a manicure" to "effeminate" people who apparently don't train correctly. Can we be interested in improving our bodies without acting childish?
The Skill of Strength....and some advertisements to boot
What can I say? Pavel is always a blend of the best and the worst in the fitness genre. He has some of the most intriguing, refreshing, hard-to-find, scientifically proven information out there. Like him or hate him, one cannot deny his genius and authority. At the same time, he is a salesman without peer. I'm glad to see him enjoying the benefits of free-market capitalism, but he could do without adding so much fluff and hyperbole to his books. His rhetoric can leave the uninitiated distrusting numerous other exercise methodologies, many of which are legitimate. Yes, as Pavel says there has been a softening of the fitness industry in america, but one does not have do subscribe to his version of "hardcore" fitness to see results.
The book itself is a tomb of information on how to build maximum strength using just your body and some floor space. Pavel covers only two exercises - the one-arm pushup and the one-leg squat (he calls it "the pistol" not a bad marketing techqnique). Despite this, as with most of Pavel's books, one can apply the techniques to a number of different exercises. Some of his techniques (such as body-tension, etc.) can be applied to traditional weight-lifting exercises, and are even covered in his book Power to the People. That's the reason this book receives 3 stars. It is packed with useful information.
The problems with this book are typical of all of Pavel's works. He argues that his is THE WAY to build muscle and strength. This is simply not so. Stuart McRobert, Mejia and Berardi, Zatsiorsky, etc. all have ideologies that disagree with Pavel on certain issues, and all of them work.
Pavel also charges too much for his books. He could easily meld this, Power to the People, and Russian Kettlebell Challenge into one book. The raw "lifting methodologies" are not so different between the two. Indeed much of the same information is covered in all three. The difference is in the implement used for exercise. With the few exercises Pavel includes in each (body-weight, barbell, and kettlebell) he could easily throw it all into one book for $34.95 and that would be worthwhile.
Last, Pavel has this annoying habit of throwing in product ads and intentionally leaving certain segments incomplete. He keeps selling future books by leaving certain chapters incomplete, and he pushes his "Ab Pavelizer" to no end. All in all this is fine, but it makes me question his commitment to true fitness versus his commitment to his wallet.
My recommendation? Buy it if you have a general background in lifting methodology and you can find it for less than list price. If you can't satisfy both of those requirements this book isn't worth your time.