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STRENGTH RULES
Danny Kavadlo
© Copyright 2015, Danny Kavadlo

A Dragon Door Publications, Inc. production
All rights under International and Pan-American Copyright conventions.
Published in the United States by: Dragon Door Publications, Inc.
5 East County Rd B, #3 • Little Canada, MN 55117
Tel: (651) 487-2180 • Fax: (651) 487-3954
Credit card orders: 1-800-899-5111 • Email: [email protected] • Website: www.dragondoor.com
ISBN 10: 1942812035 ISBN 13: 978-1-942812-03-6

This edition first published in November, 2015
Printed in China
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the
Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

BOOK DESIGN: Derek Brigham • www.dbrigham.com • [email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY: Michael Polito, Danny Kavadlo, Al Kavadlo, John Du Cane, Adrienne Harvey, Chia Messina, Michael Alago, George Pruitt, Maria Bryk, Neil
Gavin, Rosally Sapla, James Farrel, Grace Menendez & Robert Rimoczi. Additional photography provided by the Kavadlo Family Archives.
MODELS: Al Kavadlo, Wilson Kavadlo, Adrienne Harvey, Errick McAdams, Grace Menendez, Michael Polito, Sylwia Wiesenberg, Julie Briggs, JJ Kavacvich,
Elizabeth Earl, Justin James, Stephen Hughes-Landers
ADDITIONAL IMAGES: “Kavadlo Bros. Brooklyn Strong” sideshow banner on Page 4 was created by Coney Island Artist-In-Residence Marie Roberts and is
used with permission. (www.ConeyIsland.com) Jonas Salk image on Page 43 is in the public domain and is attributed to SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Bloodlet-
ting image on Page 47 is credited to Stanley B. Burns, MD & The Burns Archive and is used with permission. “Escalator” image on Page 62 and “Self Made”
image on Page 232 were illustrated by Mark Robinson (www.eatsharks.com.au) and are used with permission. “Escalator” image was inspired by the work of
R. Crumb and Charles Bukowski. Sugar photograph on Page 79 is in the public domain and is attributed to Laurie Andler.
Danny Kavadlo’s back and neck tattoos by Louis Andrew.
Danny Kavadlo does not use or endorse any specific brand of clothing, equipment or apparel whatsoever. Use watcha like!
STRENGTH RULES was conceptualized, conceived, written & edited in the months following the most difficult time of my life. To rise and become better be-
cause of adversity, not just in spite of it, is what makes us truly strong. Here’s to new beginnings. The saga continues…
DISCLAIMER: The authors and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the
instructions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dan-
gerous for some people and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them. The content of this book is for informational and educational
purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for
any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions because of information con-
tained within this publication.
— Table of Contents —
FOREWORD:
By Dan John............................................................................................................................................................... V
INTRODUCTION:
Why Strength Rules........................................................................................................................................... 3
PART I: WORDS
Chapter 1. You Talkin’ To Me?.................................................................................................................. 11
Chapter 2. Desert Island Workout....................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 3. Set In Stone.................................................................................................................................. 23
Chapter 4. Keep It Real..................................................................................................................................29
Chapter 5. That Voodoo That You Do............................................................................................... 41
Chapter 6. Strong Words From A Strange Man....................................................................49
Chapter 7. Things That Make You Go Hmmmm................................................................... 61
Chapter 8. Danny’s DOs............................................................................................................................... 65
Chapter 9. Danny’s DON’Ts....................................................................................................................... 75
PART II: ACTIONS

Chapter 10. Basic Training (Starting Out)....................................................................................87
Starter Squat................................................................................................................................................89
Starter Push.................................................................................................................................................. 95
Starter Pull....................................................................................................................................................103
Starter Flex, Bend, Extend..............................................................................................................109
Starter Workouts..................................................................................................................................... 119
Chapter 11. Beast Mode (Classic Strength)................................................................................ 123

Classic Squat.............................................................................................................................................. 125
Classic Push................................................................................................................................................ 135
Classic Pull.................................................................................................................................................... 147
Classic Flex, Bend, Extend.............................................................................................................. 155
Classic Workouts ................................................................................................................................... 163
Chapter 12. Like A Boss (Advanced Moves)............................................................................. 167

Advanced Squat......................................................................................................................................169
Advanced Push........................................................................................................................................ 175
Advanced Pull...........................................................................................................................................185
Advanced Flex, Bend, Extend...................................................................................................... 195
Advanced Workouts...........................................................................................................................203
Chapter 13. Stretch It Out.........................................................................................................................207
CONCLUSION:
With Liberty And Fitness For All.......................................................................................................219
About The Author.........................................................................................................................................225
Notes From The Underground.......................................................................................................... 227
Index Of Exercises.......................................................................................................................................... 231
IV Strength Rules
FOREWORD
By Dan John
S teve Martin changed comedy. In an interview with Charlie Rose, he answered the
great question that plagues everyone trying to shine in the limelight:
How do you make it?
“Be so good they can’t ignore you.”
Strength Rules, by Danny Kavadlo, is so good you can’t ignore it. It’s minimalistic. It’s low tech.
It’s simple.
It’s right.
The equipment required for this program is three-fold, and I quote: “Something to step up on,”
“something to hang from” and “something heavy.” The emphasis in the nutrition section is almost
out of my mom’s kitchen: eat real food. Supplements? Eat fish rather than fish oil.
From a laugh out loud point of view, Danny’s attempt to explain to someone about eating apples
is something that would make Steve Martin chuckle. You can’t make this stuff up and anyone who
has ever answered an email knows the punch-line. For clarity: eat an apple a day. It keeps the doctor
away.
Strength Rules V
Like Steve Ilg, one of the least appreciated fitness coaches in the world, Kavadlo’s work always
has me nodding along with a lot of “yeses” and “good points.” And like Ilg, he also stops me in my
tracks. Part of the Strength Rules system is to practice forgiveness and perform an act of kindness
every day. If litter on the streets is bothering you, pick it up. Throw it away. The world is now a better
place. You have made the community better.
This book is about true strength. The old kind of strength where heroes were people, like Beowulf
and Ulysses, who protected the community first. You can feel the “judgment free zone” of his
approach to coaching others. This book is about empowering yourself and others…without stepping
on their heads to get to the top.
In addition, he quotes one of my heroes, St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what’s necessary;
then do what’s possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” True strength, becoming the
best you can be, starts with what one needs to do rather than what one wants to do.
The entire work is based around free weights and calisthenics. Many have sneered at calisthenics
since the advent of machines, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells and the army of other pieces of loaded
apparatus. Yet, there is still something about moving your own body in space and across the envi-
ronment.
Perhaps you bench double bodyweight, but the elbow lever and hinge dip (the Russian Dip) are
going to teach you a few things about strength. I know there is a plethora of videos showing kipping
pull ups and momentum-driven chin ups, but show me a plyo-pull up where you clap behind your
back and I will listen to all you have to say about upper body strength.
We often ignore calisthenics because of one issue: they are really hard to do. Stop ignoring them.
Stop ignoring common sense in nutrition and supplements. Stop ignoring Danny Kavadlo.
Strength Rules is so good, you can’t ignore it.
Daniel John author Never Let Go
VI Strength Rules
Strength Rules VII

2 Strength Rules
Why
Strength Rules
D o you want to get strong? Think about it. Not “gym strong” or so-called “function-
ally strong”. Not “sport specifically strong” either. Not even strong in that you can
kick someone’s ass or look pretty in a body building pageant. I mean tensile strong.
Versatile strong. Pound for pound strong. Not in your ability to move inanimate
objects, but in your capability and competency to navigate yourself through this world. Physically
unyielding. Mentally powerful. Spiritually grounded. Emotionally sound.
In my last book Diamond-Cut Abs, I addressed our cultural obsession,

my personal journey and numerous time-tested training and lifestyle
methods for harnessing a shredded six-pack set of indestructible abdom-
inals. The manuscript was laced with observation, anecdote and personal
experience of a life well lived. Although DCA is much more than an abs
book, in the months that followed its release I received literally hundreds of
inquiries from many good people who loved the book, but wanted to know
more. They asked about full body training, full body health and of course
full body strength. Well, here it is, my friends: Strength Rules.
Even if you’ve never read DCA or heard of anything Kavadlo, this is a

great place to start. In fact, Strength Rules is the best place to start. This
work embodies all elements of strength, even how they work into our day-
to-day existence, the highs and lows of our being, for better or for worse.
Training (among other things) doesn’t always go according to plan in this adventure we call life
and we need to take that into account. Strength Rules teaches valuable lessons in rolling with the
flow, while still keeping the faith and staying true to yourself.
Strength Rules 3
This book is dedicated to those who are down with the cause. We want to work hard to get strong.
We deserve to build our own muscle, release our own endorphins and synthesize our own hormones.
We have no desire to chow down on the drugs being hocked by the supplement manufacturers,
locker room steroid dealers or the U.S. government. Let’s eat real, quality foods, not the commercial
grade, processed crap mass-produced by a largely uncaring industry. There’s a lot more to “strength”
than the workouts.
We have no interest in fly-by-night fitness fads either. Classic exercises have stood the test of time
for a reason. I also voice a loud “NO THANKS” to cumbersome, complicated workout equipment
and name-brand, overpriced “specialty” clothing every time, instead choosing a dusty pull-up bar
and my old sweatpants. We walk a path free from trendy diets, gratuitous chemical concoctions and
useless gear: We are the freaks and geeks of fitness! Having always had something to strive against,
we are prepared to have something to strive for. We know the value of hard work and how good it
feels to earn something. There are no quick fixes.
Are you one of us?
4 Strength Rules
In fact, if you’re looking for a quick fix, you picked up the wrong book. Put it down, walk away,
nobody’s feelings get hurt. This stuff is a process. The journey is the destination, man. Whether it’s
in the form of a Shakeweight, Viagra pill or fat-free Hot Pocket, most quick fixes are not your friend.
We don’t need that bullshit anyway. We are liberated, empowered. No, it’s not easy, but it is simple.
Minimalism is a recurring theme in this

book. Most equipment and diets are
thinly veiled sales pitches, preying on
those who don’t know any better.
Well, we do. There’s no reason to
overcomplicate our food, our training
or our lives.
Strength Rules 5
Sure, extreme moves

like this one are totally
badass, but you don’t
need them to get
truly strong.
6 Strength Rules
Almost every strength exercise comes down to the basics. Essentially, Squat, Push & Pull. These
three broad, essential movements really are the granddaddy of ‘em all. Throw in some Flexion,
Transverse Bends and Extension, and you’ve got yourself the tools for a lifetime of full body
strength training. Seriously. That’s why the exercises contained herein are divided into those few
categories. Everything else is a variation. There is no reason to overcomplicate it.
It’s also why there are no extreme moves like human flags or crazy bar levers here. The thing is,
as incredibly spectacular as a human flag is (and as much strength as you need to do it), it isn’t nec-
essary to get strong. (For detailed info on the flag, as well as every other move in the street workout
stratosphere, be on the lookout for Street Workout Worldwide, the eagerly anticipated, first offi-
cial Kavadlo Bros. collaboration, coming soon…) Sure, we will get advanced in these pages (Pistol
Squats, Hinge Dips & Plyo-Muscle-Ups, for example), but our goal is overall strength. My mission
in Strength Rules is to help anybody and everybody to get in the best shape of their lives. I intend
to lay out the truth clearly and succinctly, giving you, the reader, the tools needed to grow stronger
and persevere in this mad world, with your head held high and your body lean and powerful.
You will not find any cardio within these pages either. While I wholeheartedly believe that we all
need cardiovascular stimulation every single day, it is the subject for another book. We are sticking
with strength here. Sure I commute by foot and bicycle, but I do not consider it training. There are
many times a day in which I elevate my heart rate, but I consider it life, not exercise. My personal
reasons for training are strength, skill and power. There’s already a great deal of material available
about cardio, by authors far more interested in the subject than I. I don’t care to repeat it here. In
fact, I do not personally do any cardio-specific workouts ever.
The exercise portion of this book (appropriately titled ACTIONS) is split into three levels: Basic
Training (Starting Out), Beast Mode (Classic Strength) and Like A Boss (Advanced Moves).
Naturally, not everyone will fall 100% into one of these groups for all exercises in all categories
and that’s fine. In fact, it’s likely that even the same individual’s level will vary from move to move.
That’s cool; we all progress at different rates. Respect and acknowledge it. Trust your instincts.
Speaking of instincts, we are wired with them for a reason. If our instincts are wrong then that’s
millions of years of evolution lying to us. A large part of Strength Rules embraces empowerment,
faith in oneself and emotional awareness. I believe that being honest with yourself, physically,
mentally and spiritually is a magnificent (and necessary) component of true, overall strength. Yes,
sometimes the truth hurts, but it must be embraced if we are ever to be fit and free. We all have the
power within ourselves. Use it.
I cry out to all body types, age groups, backgrounds and disciplines. I’m talking to the beginning
student, just starting a program. I’m calling on the advanced practitioner, looking for new chal-
lenges. I’m speaking to the calisthenics enthusiast and all the hard working personal trainers! This
is for everyone who wants to get strong. Come with me, friends. Embark on this journey through life
and fitness. Learn with me. Train with me. Dare with me. Turn the page…
Strength Rules 7
8 Strength Rules
Strength Rules 9
10 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 1
You Talkin’
To Me?
W ell I’m the only one here.
In many ways, each of us is the only one here. Every single one of us is an individual. Highly per-
sonalized, specialized, but sometimes (sadly) hypnotized.
We are often made to feel shameful about ourselves. In the fitness world, we are given false
impressions and misleading advice. I’ve read dozens of articles claiming that with these five tech-
niques or those three superfoods, you can make unrealistic transformations. Not true. It ain’t about a
particular exercise, number of reps or specific food. It’s about you.
I can never be anyone but me and you can never be anyone but you. There is no improving your-
self until you can accept yourself. This assertion applies to many facets of life, from careers, to
relationships, to results in the gym. Don’t let the marketing departments, society or even your very
own mind trick you into believing otherwise. Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment every
single time, in all aspects of life.
From autumn of 2009 until winter of 2011, I trained a tall, intelligent and genetically gifted young
man. He stood six-foot-two, had long, strong arms, a full head of hair and perfect teeth. This dude
was not only ten years younger than me, he was also professionally at the top of his game, earned a
six figure salary and had one of the best New York City apartments I’d ever seen. (Seriously! It was
off the hook!) To say he had a lot going for him would’ve been an understatement.
To be perfectly honest, he was in fantastic shape before I ever even trained him. “What a great
client”, I thought. However, his biggest goal (and the reason he sought personal training) was, in his
words, “to improve the shape” of his biceps. Now, you must understand, I have major ideological
Strength Rules 11
No amount of training will shorten your bones or change

the insertion points of the muscle. I am all about
reaching and surpassing physical goals, but make sure
that the goal pertains to your body, not someone else’s.
issues with obsessing over one small, triv-

ial muscle. The biceps is approximately 1%
of your musculature. I believe that train-
ing the body as whole yields far greater
results in both function AND aesthetics.
But in this case, the greater and more obvi-
ous problem was that I could not change
the geometric “shape” of his muscles much
more than I could change the length of his
bones (and they were long!)
I explained this repeatedly to my client until

I was blue in the face, but to no avail. Yes, we
can produce mass, grow muscle and cut fat.
Indeed, we can affect proportions and build
arms, legs, shoulders, back or whatever. But Come with me if
alter the actual anatomical length? I don’t you want to live.
think so. Homie don’t play that. The mus-
cle inserts where it inserts. I remember tell-
ing him that even if Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Bruce Lee had been training partners
(wouldn’t that have been cool?), their muscu-
lature and overall appearance would still be
wildly different.
My client did not agree and he eventually

fired me. The funny part is that his biceps
looked great all along. He just wanted them to
look like someone else’s and, although they got
bigger, stronger and looked far superior after
training with me (I credit the addition of Pull-
Ups to his previous routine of Barbell Curls,
Dumbbell Curls and E-Z Bar Curls), I could
never help him be someone else. The biceps
muscle runs from the shoulder to the elbow on
the anterior upper arm. No amount of training
would change the length of his humerus. The
biceps inserts where the biceps inserts. His
issue, not mine. Damn shame.
12 Strength Rules
Sure some people have more

favorable genetics than others, but
unfavorable genetics should never
be used as an excuse. No one in
either category will get results
without hard work. Those who rest
solely on their laurels will never
know how it feels to rise against
and will remain mediocre, despite
any natural “advantages”. By the
Chin-Ups for biceps often trump same token, one who’s had to face
a stagnant routine of barbell, challenges in life and the gym will
dumbbell and E-Z bar curls, but always be better and stronger for
they will never make your arms it. Some people are born with little
look exactly like someone else’s. strength, some with lots. No mat-
ter what level of physicality you
are born with, you can accomplish
great things! We all play the hand
we’re dealt.
In reality, women and men in

our world are constantly focused
on comparisons to others, rather
than on being the best version of
themselves. It’s unfortunate. Sad,
really. Body dismorphism, eating
disorders and depression are seri-
ous issues and need to be treated
as such. Only self-empowerment
can save you. Harping on what you
don’t have will get you nowhere.
I pity the young man in the above
example. Despite a life and phy-
sique that would make others green
with envy, he focused only on one
made-up flaw. We all wrestle with body issues, believe it or not. You must realize what you have in
order to set yourself free.
This lesson applies to the soul as well. Any transformation, whether physical, situational or spiri-
tual has the potential to be a wild ride, filled with pain, fear and self-doubt. You must stay the course.
The ultimate measure of strength may be the ability to take this negativity (or any malevolent force
that surrounds us) and channel it into something positive, like push-ups, squats, painting a house or
writing a poem. When we harbor hostility, it will destroy us from the inside out, every time. Unleash
your inner warrior and channel the positivity.
Strength Rules 13
By the same token, the reason to get fit is yours and yours alone. There are many efforts you put
forth for your friends, your job or your family. This is about you. It goes without saying that everyone
around you, from you children to your lover, will reap the rewards of the stronger, more vital you, but
the journey is yours to walk and you must walk it alone.
Unleash your
inner warrior!
14 Strength Rules
Brothers Grimm
At the risk of coming across grim (something I generally try to avoid), I cannot omit the
following cold, hard fact of life: You can’t depend on anyone for anything. That’s right, son,
nobody for nuthin’. This is good. Basing your happiness on the actions of others is a formula
for disaster. We will always be disappointed when we make unrealistic expectations. Wel-
come to the real world.
Ultimately, all action and

accountability falls on you. We
all have the time; we each choose
what to do with it. No excuses.
Even the greatest workout buddy,
trainer or cheerleader can never
accomplish anything for you.
They can teach, help, motivate
and inspire, but the hard work is
yours. I understand that this can
be scary, but to see it as such is a
choice. I choose to see self-reli-
ance as empowering. I’m talking
to you.
Strength Rules 15
16 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 2
Desert Island
Workout
I think sharpest when my mind is clear. I cook best with few ingredients. The less I speak, the
more I understand.
My desk is free of gratuitous holdings-on: no overdue bills or expired pens populate my worksta-
tion. Zero old paperwork. Nada y nada. A clean, well-lighted place. I function optimally when I use
only what is relevant and abandon what is not. All killer, no filler, I like to say. I don’t own any fancy
shoes either. Minimize the complications in fitness and life.
I aspire to keep my heart and head as clutter free as my desk.
These simple life principles also apply to my feelings on workout equipment. I train at my fin-
est with no distractions. That’s the reason why this book consists 100% of bodyweight exercises.
Beyond the purity, clarity and boldness of such minimalism, belies a floating, artistic quality to cal-
isthenic movements, unhindered by bulky gear, gratuitous possessions and other such items.
I refer to this type of training as the Desert Island Workout because you can do every exercise
in this book, even if you were a castaway stranded on an island with nothing but coconut trees. All
you’ll ever really need to get in the best shape of your life is you and your environment. Further, free-
ing yourself from equipment keeps the spotlight on the quality of your movement, rather than on a
specific modality or shiny, new apparatus. This focus is necessary for making maximal strength and
performance gains. The improved physique is a by-product.
Strength Rules 17
Emancipating yourself from clunky workout equipment encourages your body to stabilize on its
own, applying full body tension and harmony to every rep of every set. When we train in this capac-
ity, even exercises that place emphasis on one muscle group or movement pattern (as the Hanging
Knee Raise emphasizes abdominal flexion, for example) become full body exercises (when we
factor in the upper and lower
body strength and synergy
needed to sustain the Hanging
Knee Raise). The result is that
we exert a larger amount of
energy, firing up more neurons
and creating greater intra-cel-
lular communication. This is
neurological strength. As an
added bonus, the greater mus-
cle recruitment burns more
fat, expends more stored fuel
and helps you look better with
your shirt off. A Push-Up uses
your abs. A Squat uses your
back. When it comes to gym
equipment, we get more when
we use less.
Often, when we talk about

strength training, we focus
predominately on the muscu-
lar gains and success stories.
But let’s not overlook the role
it plays in your bone strength.
Just about every credible
source available shows a
link between strength train-
ing and increased bone den-
sity. Stronger bones not only
When it comes to equipment, you make you more powerful but
can get more when you use less. also less susceptible to injury.
A chain is only as strong as
its weakest link, which is why
Desert Island Workout is
the superior way to train. It
strengthens your muscle, bone
and connective tissue more
than isolation-style training
and machines that coddle you.
18 Strength Rules
On that note, have you ever noticed how most

gyms have soft, padded handles in which to per-
form Pull-Ups? For some reason, this is how the
fitness scene evolved. If you compare the difference
between these “ergonomic” grips and, say, a bar (or
tree), you will find that not only do your hands have
to work harder, so does your connective tissue.
Ligaments, whose primary function is to connect bones to other

bones, also serve to keep tendons in place in the hand. When you see a
guy in the gym, wrapping and strapping his wrist to perform a Pull-Up
(or Deadlift, for that matter), he’s more concerned with the muscles
he can see, rather than with the connective tissue lurking beneath. It’s
this connective tissue, in conjunction with the muscle and bone, which
makes one truly strong. In reality you get stronger without the grips
and straps. Furthermore, you won’t have strong joints if you don’t have
strong connective tissue. Lose the straps, Jack.
Pull-Ups give you strong

muscles, bones and
connective tissue.
In fact, the Desert Island Workout encourages your joints to move as naturally as possible. Not
everybody’s mobility is the same. The hip joint for example, differs in everyone. Sure it’s a ball and
socket for us all, but the depth of the socket, the length of the femur and the size of the pubic bone
Strength Rules 19
can vary greatly from individual to individual. Many Squat machines, Smith machines and even
Leg Press machines impose limitations, even restrictions, on your body’s natural movement pat-
terns. (This is just an example; the same can be said about the shoulder joints in relation to various
Shoulder Press isolation machines.)
At their very best, these appa-

ratuses have the potential to limit
mobility and neglect the range of
motion that needs training the
most. At their worst, they’ll actually
make you weaker in the real world.
Rage against these machines!
The manufacturer of this

overly complex machine
assumes that everyone
has an identical movement
pattern…
…Your body knows better.
20 Strength Rules
STRENGTH RULES
As far as workout gear goes, you don’t need any more than your own body, the environment
around you, a strong will and creative mind. These Strength Rules are a list of all the workout equip-
ment you’ll ever need:
1. Something To Step Up On
This can be a bench, rock or step. Almost any solid, elevated surface will do. Besides stepping, use
this object to adjust inclines, declines and range of motion for exercises like Split Squats, Bench
Dips, Push-Ups and Planks.
2. Something To Hang From

It’s virtually impossible to execute a straight up vertical pull without something to hang and pull
up from. Use a bar, tree, bus stop, ledge or door frame. You can perform endless Pull-Up variations,
not to mention Abs, Dips, Levers and more with this piece.
3. Something Heavy
My favorite weighted object with which to train is my own body. There are infinite ways to
adjust the body’s length, leverage and weight-to-limb ratio. There is no need to use external
resistance at all.
Strength Rules 21
22 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 3
Set In Stone
T he best workout is the one you will do.

We’ve all been to the gym and seen
people stand around, not training, because they
were fixed on one exercise or machine that
was circumstantially unavailable. Rather than
doing something else that will get results, they
usually choose to do nothing.
Let’s get something straight: You are not

Medusa and nothing is set in stone, especially
not your workout.
This gargoyle is
set in stone.
THE WAITING GAME My workout is not.
To me, it is silly to wait for twenty minutes

for a treadmill, bench press, abs machine or
whatever because you can start doing Lunges,
Push-Ups or Sit-Ups right now instead. Just
doing something is always better than standing around, doing nothing. Again, this is one of those
lessons that applies to life outside the gym too.
You wouldn’t believe what I used to witness as a full-time personal trainer at the health clubs.
I’d see other trainers with their clipboards (these days, it’s i-pads) and a scripted workout planned.
They’d then proceed to shake in their proverbial boots when the piece of theoretical equipment that
Strength Rules 23
was called for in their hypothetical work-

out was in use. I could feel their panic. I
could smell the foul stink of terror. They
saw a cool workout on YouTube or read
about a particular plyo-box in a manufac-
turer’s catalog, and felt the need to make
every single person they train do the
workout that was written by a stranger
(who probably does not themself work
out). The only problem is, the gym is
more crowded than they thought. Now
the trainer has a choice: Continue with
Why wait? the embarrassing task of half-stepping an
inappropriate session OR admit that the
planned workout didn’t “work out”.
It’s not necessary to stick to a specific

sequence or particular part of the room
if it’s simply implausible, no matter how much sense it appeared to
have made on paper. The dog is meant to wag its tail; when the work-
out is dictated by anything besides what’s really happening in the
present, the tail wags the dog. Know what I mean?
Do not wag
the dog.
PRESENCE
There are proven methods, progressions, programs and tech-
niques that are part of the formula for success. (These are covered in
Part II “Actions”.) And while it’s often best to start with some sort of
a plan, we must be prepared to deviate from it as dictated by circumstances, including but not lim-
ited to mood, energy level, environment, how
well you slept, what you had for breakfast,
clarity of mind and timing. In fact, if we truly
want to be liberated and fit, we must autho-
rize ourselves with the confidence to be pres-
ent in the current moment. Don’t be afraid
to improvise. Lots of people are scared to do
it. Listen to your body. If you planned on five
sets of Pull-Ups but your elbows are in pain,
then roll with the flow and do something else.
This has at least as much to do with available Be flexible and balanced
equipment as it does with what’s available with your programming.
from your body. Be here now and take the
appropriate course of action.
24 Strength Rules
IN THE ABSTRACT
Studying something is not
When I was a kid I read every single program the same as doing it.
to the letter. If the piece of paper said three sets
of eight, that’s what I did, whether I found it
easy, hard, effective, impossible or anything in
between. I did the workouts exactly as written,
yet SOMEHOW my results were not exactly as
pictured. Imagine that? If I did a workout that
claimed to be written by Charles Atlas, amazingly
my young body did not look exactly like Charles
Atlas. I was taught that this stuff was an exact sci-
ence and it isn’t. It never will be, no matter how
many letters or credentials your trainer has after
his or her name. Much of the time, the “expert”
has read a lot of books, but hasn’t spent much
time in the gym practicing or observing. You can
get a college degree in exercise science without ever exercising. True story.
I will never look exactly like Charles Atlas, but I can be the best version of myself. That’s my cur-
rent goal: to be the best me, to do better than I did yesterday. And if I fall short? It’s ok, because I’ll be
back at it tomorrow!
It’s also important to understand that even workouts that claim to be written by celebrity trainers
or “experts” are probably not performed exactly as written by the authors themselves (if they even
do these workouts at all).
QUESTIONS
I get many emails asking the question “what should I do?”
Here are some true-life examples:
Strength Rules 25
This is a typical reply:

“Hey thanks for reaching out! It’s great
to hear from you, but it’s impossible for
me to personally evaluate/guide/advise
your form/performance/training if I
cannot personally observe it.”
This is not to say that I do not appre-

ciate the inquiries and questions. On the contrary:
I love ‘em and I can talk about this stuff all day! In fact, I consider it a tremendous honor that anyone
would value my opinion enough to ask me anything. It’s truly a blessing. However I simply cannot
give valid critique based on a Facebook comment. There are many online coaches who claim they
can and will gladly take your money, but I can’t.
I respond to every ques-

tion and comment I get,
but it’s a hypothetical
answer based on my com-
mon sense and experience,
as opposed to the experi-
ence of the person asking
the question. I’m eternally
grateful that people give a
damn what I have to say,
but actual, factual, tactual
training is different from
internet rhetoric. As a
matter of fact, if I ever do
give a plan, I want you to
deviate from it. You know
yourself better than I do
and I will never perpetrate
otherwise. Not to mention,
these emails are often only
selectively truthful and somewhat disassociated from reality. This is why I’ll never do online train-
ing. I simply don’t believe in it. Danny is an in-person experience and so are you!
Every workout is different. Every moment is different. That’s what makes life beautiful. I’m right
here, right now. You’re reading my words. That’s the best thing in my world, but how can I possibly
tell you from over here exactly what’s best in your world? Every workout is happening for the first
and only time, every time it happens. It’s great to have template but you must live in the moment.
26 Strength Rules
Danny is an in-person experience

and so are you!
Strength Rules 27
28 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 4
Keep It Real
K eep life grounded in reality; the menu is no exception. Bite into real food, the fewer
ingredients the better. Most of the time, you cannot go wrong consuming foods with
only one ingredient like asparagus, chicken, avocados, oranges, cauliflower, sardines or a T-bone
steak.
Many moons ago, I was obsessed with theoretical nutrition. I counted grams of proteins, carbo-
hydrates and fats. I paid fanatic attention to so-called “macros”. Calories too. I took my vitamins. I
owned a little scooper for measuring powders and creatine and crap, in addition to a little scale for
weighing my food portions. (Hard to believe now. WTF!) Ironically, I was less fit then as a young
man in my teens and twenties, with less energy and strength than I currently have as a grown-ass
man in my forties. Go figure.
I used to eat foods that were fortified with artificial extracts and nutrients, concocted by their
creators with detailed attention to the style of science and economics of the time. I read nutri-
tion books, consumed lots of processed brown rice and always had a post-workout shake. I wasn’t
unhealthy then. Quite the contrary: I was in excellent shape, just bloated, gassy and far from my true
potential. I ate lots of nutrients, yet not enough vitality.
The way that commercial nutrition was (and still is) defined had very little to do with food and lots
to do with theory, superfluous analysis and a general lack of keepin’ it real. The healthiest regions of
the world eat simple, locally grown, minimally processed foods and take their time to enjoy it. There
is no reason to overanalyze things when you’re eating good, clean ingredients. In fact, it’s unneces-
sary, even downright oppressive, for anyone other than perhaps a competitive body builder or ath-
lete trying to make a weight class, to ever measure anything they eat, have designated eating times
or aim for a specific amount of meals. (For the record, I’d like to dispel any misconceptions: I am far
from a body builder and certainly not an athlete.)
Strength Rules 29
Should you have three big meals a

day or six small ones? Who cares?
Eat when you’re hungry and stop
when you’re full. Don’t overthink.
Even when making an effort to eat well, we still tend to make things
more complicated than they have to be. My first book Everybody Needs
Training contains the following sentence: “Apples give you abs.” True
indeed. They fill you up and are loaded with dietary fiber, thereby occupying
valuable stomach space and leaving less room for a box of Ho-Ho’s, chili
cheese fries or White Castle hamburgers. Furthermore, apples satisfy that
craving for something sweet. They’re also delicious and vitamin-packed!
About three weeks after the release of the book, I received an email
inquiring, “Danny, what kind of apples should I eat?”
“All kinds,” I happily replied. “Whichever you like best. Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, McIntosh,
Honey Crisp. I love ‘em all and I eat whatever is in season.”
About a week later, I had another message in my inbox from the same gentleman: “Danny, how
many apples should I eat?”
I wrote back. “One. If you’re still hungry, have another. If you’re hungry after that, then eat a third.
Apples aren’t like potato chips; you’ll definitely be satisfied after three. If not, have a fourth.” After
all, I love apples, and that would be an awful lot, even for me.
30 Strength Rules
The following week, “Danny, what days

should I eat apples?”
“Uh, every day.” I meekly responded.
“Danny, what times?”
This time I did not reply. He’ll have to figure

this one out on his own. There are times when
even the most well meaning among us miss
the point.
Apples still give you abs.

Pull-Ups do too.
On Calories
I do not count calories because calories don’t matter when you eat good food. Trust me, if
you’re eating well, you’ll never need to think about calories again. Yes, I am aware of the concept
of Calories In/Calories Out. I also understand that it’s a fact that if you are in a caloric deficit, your
body will metabolize stored fat for fuel. That’s why people who overeat all the time are overweight
and people who don’t overeat non-
stop aren’t. I’m just saying that the
notion of calorie counting is com-
pletely irrelevant if you nourish
yourself with quality substances.
Now, there’s always some wise

guy or gal out there (usually over-
weight) who says, “Danny, if I eat a
calorically restrictive diet, then it
doesn’t matter if I eat Cheetos or
carrots.”
Bullshit. Yes it does. To find out

why, turn the page… 222
Strength Rules 31
Fruits, veggies, nuts, herbs and

seeds are loaded with true energy
and life. Nothing made in a laborato-
ry or factory will ever have the same
vitality as anything from the earth.
Cheetos (or any heavily processed
snack treat from Snickers bars to
Clif Bars) are devoid of any authen-
tic, life-giving nutrients. Even the
ones fortified or supplemented are
The notion of counting still pure junk. Not to mention that
calories is completely all the added sugar, salt and chem-
irrelevant when you
eat good food.
icals takes their toll on the body,
even if you’re in a caloric deficit.
In other words, not all calories are
created equal.
These foods are also lacking in dietary fiber. They slow down your metabolism and back up
your digestive system. They literally weigh you down. Let’s not kid ourselves, kids. Quality nutrition
yields quality of life. You can’t fake the funk.
THE THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE

I recently did a workshop for a team of elite fitness professionals in my hometown of New York
City. There were athletes of many disciplines, coaches representing diverse styles and professional
personal trainers all in the same room. You could practically feel the energy buzzing from all the
excitement! As is usually the case at such seminars, books from the Kavadlo Bros. are available for
purchase. One gentleman expressed interest in purchasing a book that I had written. That is, until
he noticed a caption amongst the pages that read: “Supplement Free Body”, after which he was no
longer interested in my nutritional musings.
It’s not entirely his fault. Both the fitness professional and the everyday layperson are constantly
bamboozled by the supplement industry. We don’t even realize it. This particular guy ate organic and
didn’t buy into the hoopla of bulky, silly, isolation machines (hence his attendance at our workshop).
He avoided fake foods at all costs, yet he was easily and willingly hoodwinked by the manufacturers
of nutritional supplements, the fakest of all foods. Despite shelling out hard earned dollars to attend
one of my seminars, he couldn’t support my product because it does not endorse supplements. Free
your mind, my people. The goal of the supplement industry is to pad their pockets, not to help you get
fit. You get everything you need from real food.
32 Strength Rules
m THIS m m NOT THIS m
I do not use, endorse or recommend any supplements at all. No vitamins, protein powders, athletic
green powders, plant gel-caps, herb extracts, creatine, glutamine, fat burners, fish oils, steroids, pro-
tein bars or recovery shakes. In other words, I’d rather eat ginger root from the ground than ginger
powder from Walgreen’s. I prefer an oily fish to fish oil tablets. I’ll take spinach over green powders.
You get the point. All nutrients are better when they come from the source, despite the handiwork of
clever marketing departments.
Strength Rules 33
LAND OF CONFUSION
It’s a fact that Americans have an escalating rate of obesity, heart disease and sickness. Is the
general population even aware of this? If so, why do so many decide to do nothing about it? I really
couldn’t say.
34 Strength Rules
I can say however that for the most part, fast food chains like McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and
even the brilliantly marketed Subway are complete garbage. Yet many folks look the other way
because the television commercial told them that to “eat fresh” means to gorge on heavily pro-
cessed, factory made, edible food product. It’s amazing that humankind chooses to eat what they
eat and drink what they drink. Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and Snapple (also brilliantly marketed) will
make you fat in the short term and sick or dead in the long run. Amazingly, however, most people in
this country willingly feed this stuff to themselves and their children on a frequent, almost non-stop
basis.
Most, but not all.
In fact the epidemic of low

quality, mass produced foods
has created a backlash of
“healthy” alternatives being
marketed to those who care
(or at least, think they care).
However, marketing is still
marketing…
Lots of foods masquerade as

healthful choices, pretending
to be other foods. Veggie (and
This is not food. It’s processed crap chemically rendered in a soy) burgers were invented
factory to simulate something it’s not. in my childhood. They rose in
A so-called “veggie burger” is completely unappealing to me, popularity around the same
despite my love for both veggies and burgers.
time as fat-free cookies. To
me, a veggie burger is as unap-
pealing as a chicken-chipped cookie would be. Veggies aren’t beef and chicken’s not chocolate. Yes,
I do love both vegetables AND burgers, as I love chicken AND cookies, but only when they’re honest
and true, not rendered to taste like something else. If given the choice between a veggie burger and a
hamburger, I’ll opt for beef every time.
It’s ridiculous that bizarre fake foods are frequently packaged to give the illusion that they are
healthy, honest products. Inventions like “organic brown rice syrup” are nothing more than pure,
processed sugar. Almond “milk” and deep fried kale chips exist only to dupe gullible hipsters.
They’re the modern day equivalent of sugar free desserts, Egg Beaters and margarine—nothing
more than misleading altered beasts that are not good for you, preying on the trendy and ignorant.
Not everything that appears healthful actually is.
Strength Rules 35
“What’s the deal

with almond milk?
It’s not an almond
and it’s not milk!”
It’s actually water, sugars, chemicals

and thickening agents, plus a small,
unconfirmed quantity of
mechanically processed almonds.
36 Strength Rules
BELIEVE NOTHING
Foods in packages are pretty much all processed, no matter what it says on the box. Some
words mean nothing when they appear on the front of a package, as there is no formal, agreed-on
definition. The following terms are completely unregulated: “humane”, “no animal byproducts”,
“pasture-raised”, “family farm”, “heirloom”, “heritage”, “locally grown”, “pesticide free”, “no
spray”, “sustainable agriculture”, “artisan”, “farmstead”, “vine/tree-ripened”, “beyond organic”,
“free-roaming”, “vegetarian diet” and “antibiotic-free”.
Of course, there are words and phrases do have some mean-

ing, but still guarantee very little. The word “natural” does not
include any standards of farm practice whatsoever, including the
use of antibiotics and growth hormones. “Free range” means the
livestock has access to the outside, but does not specify or regu-
late the quality or size of the outdoor facilities. It also does not
regulate how much time is spent outside, which is usually none.
Most “free range” animals (chickens for example) are crammed
The words “all natural” and “fresh” that into pens so tightly that the path leading outside is obstructed by
appear on this label mean nothing. literally hundreds of live and dead birds in their way.
For crops, the term “organic” indicates the lack of certain

prohibited pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified
organisms (GMO’s) and sewage. For livestock, it means, there
are no antibiotics or growth hormones and limited access to
outdoors. Interestingly, the US has no organic standards for
seafood whatsoever. It goes without saying that organic prod-
ucts are not necessarily good for you so do not be misled. An
organic candy bar is still a candy bar.
I believe that terms like “fat free”, “gluten free” and “sugar
free”, although technically accurate, are the most manipula- This is pure, processed sugar despite
tive of all. They in the enticing package and the phrases
no way equate to a “organic” and “gluten free”.
healthier choice in
any capacity. These foods are usually extremely pro-
cessed with very undesirable ingredients. Nutritional
claims are bullshit in general. Read the ingredients
instead of the boasts. If there are too many ingredients,
and you do not know what they are, stay away.
What’s in this stuff? I’d rather have the fat, gluten and sugar
than whatever chemical crap they swapped it out for!
Strength Rules 37
The best bet is to eat whole foods and get them as locally as pos-
sible. We live in a culture where “advertorial” and “infotainment”
are actual words. No wonder it’s so hard to know who to trust.
Combine that with brand tie-ins, uber-sublime promotions and
covert marketing. It’s trickery. A hoax. Don’t get rolled. Nothing
is real.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. Yes, gullible hipster
foodies will appreciate the “artisan” appearance of the package
and are certain to love the words “organic”, “fair trade” and
“quinoa”. But you and I know better. This is just a candy bar.
GOOD STUFF
Now that I laid into what not to eat, here is food that I do recommend:
Eat greens every day. I won’t get into detail of which

specific greens have more Vitamin K or calcium than oth-
ers because they’re all good. Eat spinach, lettuce, collard
greens, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, arugula and broc-
coli. In addition to green veggies, I recommend cauliflower,
cabbage, carrots, beets, peppers, garlic, onions, cucumbers,
celery and squash. I’m also a fan of herbs. Cilantro, ginger,
basil, dill, oregano, turmeric and parsley do the body good.
Somehow
along the way,
fruit got a bum
rap (maybe
from the same people who eat quinoa chocolate?) This is
absurd. In fact an overweight friend of mine once berated
me for eating a banana at 9pm. C’mon now! Eat as much
fruit as you want any time of day. I don’t recommend hav-
ing a giant bowl of pasta or slab of chocolate cake right
before bedtime, but a banana is just fine. Enjoy bananas,
apples, citrus, avocados (fat is good!), tomatoes, cherries,
berries, pineapple (great for digestion!), grapes, pears
and peaches. Yes, fruit contains natural sugar, but also
fiber and nutrients. Trust me, if anyone is overweight or
unhealthy, it ain’t because of fruit!
38 Strength Rules
I’m also nuts about nuts, beans, seeds and legumes. Black beans, kidney beans, peas, red beans, len-
tils, navy beans, garbanzos, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios and pine nuts are all on Danny’s
menu. Add nuts and seeds to your salads for some extra crunch!
I drink water all day, every day. It lubes my joints, makes

my metabolism move, keeps my skin (somewhat) youthful
and helps me think more clearly. I also eat natural fats like
olive oil, coconut oil and butter frequently and unsparingly,
in addition to plenty of beef, bison, bacon, fish, fowl, lamb,
pork, eggs and dairy. Yes I eat meat. Muscle builds muscle.
I don’t add sweeteners to anything. Honey, agave, cane,

nectar and syrup,
whether mar-
keted as natural
or not, are all just
sugar, the same
as table sugar or
high fructose corn syrup (HFC), and we can all stand to
eat less of it. That said, I absolutely indulge in dessert
from time to time, just not all the time. Food is meant to be
enjoyed. Dig in!
Strength Rules 39
40 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 5
That Voodoo
That You Do
M y head hurts. It’s raging and swollen and aching. Am I tripping? Hallucinating?
Who slipped peyote in my espresso? Experiencing. Sensory. Overload.
My eyes and ears are under siege by horrific words and images: “Are you suffering from Hypertension?
Insomnia? Anxiety? Nervousness? Are you depressed? Short of breath? Are you in pain?”
Who isn’t?
“You could benefit from Lipitor, Paxil, Prozac, Lithium, Lyrica, Oxycodone or Propofol. Ask your
doctor if Xanax, Lyrica or Abilify is right for you.”
Huh?
“Side effects include fever, hives, muscle cramps, itching, dizziness, watery or bloody diarrhea,
skin lesions, weakness, joint pain, decreased white blood cell count, increased risk of death, severe
headaches, constipation, nausea, blurred vision, vivid nightmares and suicidal thoughts”.
Is this the state of modern medicine? Is this supposed to make us healthy?
It’s all voodoo to me.
From shamans to scientists, healers to hucksters, psychologists to psycho-pharmacologists,

someone has a cure for just about everything.
And it seems that “research” is available to “statistically” back up any claim. Here’s the thing:
100% of all statistics have an agenda.
Strength Rules 41
100% of all statistics have an

agenda. In my case, the agenda is
to encourage you to question
everything. Even this.
BIG PHARMA IS BIG BUSINESS

I’ve never been one to hold back my views on the fitness
trade or the food industry. I have no intention of censor-
ing my opinion of modern medicine and its marketing
practices either. These motherf**kers are worse than big
tobacco and McDonalds combined!
Let’s face it: big pharma is big business. Everything

changed when the FDA began marketing their products
directly to physicians and then later on, to consumers.
Oftentimes, doctors pull out a prescription pad before
they even hear you tell them what’s ailing you. Biotech is
a biohazard.
Biotech is a biohazard.
42 Strength Rules
Years ago, I used to work for an event marketing company heading up liquor promotions in the US
and Mexico. (I eventually left that job to be a personal trainer; I wanted to help people get healthy
instead of making them sick.) Around that time, one of my colleagues left her job as a liquor “rep” at
one of my biggest accounts to change careers as well, but her path, while health-oriented in theory,
turned out to be less noble in practice. Her new occupation was to entice doctors with giveaways
(“spiffs”) for recommending certain drugs. That’s it. Instead of giving night-club owners free bar
mats and signage for selling a specific brand of booze, she gave doctors free trips to Hawaii for selling
certain brands of drugs. Liquor “rep” to pharma “rep”. True story.
Trust your instincts. You know your body better than any doctor, specialist or clinician, no matter
what their credentials are. Like cops, teachers, personal trainers and religious leaders, many medi-
cal professionals are upstanding humans, dedicated nobly to their cause. However, there are many
others who are corrupt pieces of shit. It’s a broad spectrum. You have to watch your back or this
world will eat you alive.
The objective of industry is to make money. Medications are invented, marketed and sold, not
with the intention of providing a cure or even a treatment, but for the almighty dollar. Oftentimes,
names and packaging materials for medications are con-
trived, patented and market researched before the prod-
uct is even invented. This way, in a few months or years,
when it is invented, the formula will already have a logo
previously proven to appeal to the target demographic.
Ca-Ching$!
It wasn’t always like this, but it’s been a long time com-
ing. In 1952, on the television program See It Now, leg-
endary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow asked Jonas Salk,
inventor of the polio vaccine, who owns the patent for
said vaccine. Salk’s response became the stuff of legend:
“Could you patent the sun?” he replied. My, my, how the
times have changed. These days, Salk couldn’t even get
“Could you patent the sun?” hired with an attitude like that. The profits of doom.
–Jonas Salk
THE OBVIOUS OBLIVIOUS

Sometimes we do not trust the obvious. I’ve known people who religiously take meds every day
for years, even if the meds make them feel worse all the time. They move from one doctor to another
to another. They switch from one prescription to next and never feel better or get healthier. Listen
up, if you’re taking pills and they make you feel worse, stop taking them. That should be obvious.
Why would we think that a doctor who spends 5 minutes with you could possibly provide a proper
diagnosis? Remember, the medical professional’s job is to sell you scripts and keep you coming back.
Strength Rules 43
If they do not keep you coming back, then your corrupt

insurance company will no longer pay them. See how this
works? The doctor’s job is to keep you as a patient and sched-
ule another appointment.
Fact: EXERCISE helps sleep, improves mood, promotes

weight loss and increases sex drive. Pills for insomnia,
depression, obesity and impotence treat symptoms and
place no emphasis on problems, which can be
treated by lifestyle changes. Get it?
EXERCISE IS THE BEST MEDICINE

I’ll never forget the morning of my fortieth birthday. I saw a TV commercial warning me of a
threat called “Low T”. By “T”, the television pitchman was referring to testosterone. The advertise-
ment was targeted at men exactly my age.
Such propaganda overlooks an important

truth: Exercise increases testosterone! We
don’t need synthetic testosterone to treat
“Low T”. By training right and eating well,
you gain physical competency, growing
stronger, leaner and more virile. Your tes-
tosterone goes up. So does your mood. You
sleep better at night. Naturally.
The same principle can be applied to

“happy drugs” as well. Most of us don’t need
them to treat anxiety. Exercise increases
endorphins and doesn’t fill your body with
synthetic hormones. Furthermore, we have
no idea of the long-term results of many of
these chemicals.
44 Strength Rules
We can provide the “movement is medicine” template to wild emotions too. Many of these
symptoms are often exacerbated by this mad world in which we live. We are overloaded with the
communication of graphic images, hostile emotions and hateful rhetoric. It’s audiovisual harass-
ment! If I look at the morning news (or even my Facebook feed), I see violent teenage beat-downs,
grandmothers getting shot, terrorist death threats and riots in the streets. I see suicidal pilots on
commercial airlines, car bombs, civilians murdering cops and cops murdering civilians. Here’s an
idea: Blow up the video and take a walk to deal with the stress, instead of staying glued to the i-pad
and taking a klonopin.
It’s very rare that a doctor will prescribe “Get daily exercise, eat quality foods and go outside.”
Where’s the money in that?
DON’T GET ME WRONG

Of course medical treatment saves lives. I am grateful for vaccines and for the fact that I will not
get measles, mumps or rubella. I’m overjoyed that my son will never have to go through chicken pox
or polio. If I have an infection, I’m thankful for the invention of antibiotics. I am indebted to modern
medicine and the age we live in.
Further, I do not wish to undermine the seriousness of

legitimate ailments, conditions and diseases. There are
cases where serious procedures or medical attention are
very much called for. That said, there are also countless
instances when drugs and even surgeries are recom-
mended with very little attention to an individual’s needs
or lifestyle. This is a major problem. Many of the med-
ications and treatments prescribed can be completely
avoided with proper changes in day to day habits.
The same is true for clinical mental disorders. Yes,

they do exist. Trust me, I have first hand, personal expe-
rience dealing with mental illness in someone I care
deeply about. The turmoil experienced by the mentally
ill can be debilitating not only to those afflicted, but also
to everyone around them. However the honest truth is
that these conditions are way over-diagnosed. A workout
program, a juice fast and a fair distance from toxic influ-
ences are better treatment for many sufferers than what
is often doctor recommended.
Again, don’t get me wrong: Medicine is good, not bad.

My grievance is when man-made chemicals are the first
“go-to” rather than the last resort. Don’t get me wrong.
Strength Rules 45
“I’m not a doctor but

I play one in this photo.”
Danny’s Rx: Get daily exercise and eat real,

natural foods. Spend time doing activities
you enjoy with people you care about.
Go outside. No pills needed.
46 Strength Rules
Bleed My Disease
Looking back, with what we now claim to know, it’s easy to scoff at some of
the health and medical procedures of yesteryear. But let’s not glance over the
fact that these practices were once taken with the same degree of seriousness
and legitimacy as our modern methods of extreme surgery, “pharmaceutical
phanaticism” and over-supplementation. For example, the antiquated proce-
dure of “bloodletting” was performed for thousands of years, even up until the
late 19th century. Patients were bled as a treatment for fevers, infections and
general pain. The worse the ailment, the more blood was let out.
Heroin was once revered as a “miracle tonic”. It was just as acceptable and
celebrated (but not as easily available) as prescription pills are today. How
about trepanning, the act of boring a hole into the skull to treat seizures, mi-
graines and mental disorders? Electroshock therapy, anyone? Even lobotomies
were used to treat bi-polar disorder and manic depression as recently as sixty-five years ago. According to
Encyclopedia Britannica, doctors used a hammer to insert a modified ice pick called an orbitoclast through
the eye socket of the patient to sever connections in the brain’s pre-frontal lobe. Ouch!
Physicians of the past recommended drinking all sorts of fluids as well. Liquids, such as urine and mer-
cury for example, were ingested to treat insect stings and toothaches (the former), or syphilis and typhoid
fever (the latter). Is that really any worse than the concoctions pedaled by the corporate Pusha-Men these
days? Only the future knows…
Don’t get me wrong.
Strength Rules 47
48 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 6
Strong Words
From A
Strange Man
T he choices we make en route to any particular goal usually matter more than the goal
itself. Day to day activities and attention to detail in the gym, at the dinner table, at your
job and in the bedroom are the qualities that really count. Seemingly small choices ultimately pave
the path to greatness.
Sometimes people want to achieve profound results without putting in the time. This is not a realistic
long-term plan for success in anything.
Being extremely consistent with your workouts is probably more important than being extremely
intense, although I recommend both. Sticking with delicious and healthful foods 80-90% of the time is
probably better than a binge-and-purge approach. Being honest and transparent with yourself and your
loved ones, as difficult as it can be at times, builds strength, health, wisdom and wealth.
ACCOUNTABILITY SWINGS BOTH WAYS

You wouldn’t believe how many mistakes, bad decisions, lapses of reason and exercises in foolishness
I’ve committed in this life. I accept this. Just as we are accountable to take care of our physical bodies,
to train and eat clean, we must also take care of our inner-selves and come clean, about both the good
and the bad. Accountability is a pendulum that swings both ways. We are taught to own our successes.
We must also own our failures. That’s okay; all successful people have failed again and again in their
journey. This is life.
Strength Rules 49
Being extremely consistent with your

workouts is probably more important
than being extremely intense,
although I recommend both.
50 Strength Rules
Strength Rules 51
I can be quick to blame others when things

take a turn for the dreadful, but I am
accountable for everything in my life, for
both better and worse.
52 Strength Rules
Glass Houses
Sometimes those who eat paleo have a piece of bread. Sometimes the most committed stu-
dents of physical culture skip a workout, have a smoke or drink a beer. People who make mostly
good decisions have been known at times to make bad ones. That’s OK. The world is heavily laden
with dogma, judgment and mutually exclusive “rights” and “wrongs”. But life is complicated. People
who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Strength Rules 53
THE ELEMENTARY RUDIMENTARY

A solid foundation is important for anything you construct, whether it’s a building, your character
or physical strength. When I was a kid, I started taking drum lessons. The first drum teacher I ever
had let me rock around the kit and taught me lots of rock beats, jazz fills, even bossa nova grooves.
Fun! However, after two years, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to find another
teacher. Some time passed and I found a guy with a great rep-
utation: Hell, he had even played on actual albums and done
real tours. I hadn’t taken lessons in a while and I was really
looking forward to rocking out!
On our first lesson I showed up early, ready to bash the

skins, so imagine my surprise when he spent an hour… teach-
ing me how to hold a drumstick!
It took the wind from the sails of my eager young heart. I did
not understand this level of discipline, but there was some-
thing about it I couldn’t walk away from. We practiced hold-
ing the drumstick properly for several weeks. Then and only
then did he teach me some basic rudiments of drumming.
Simply put, the phrase “drum rudiments” refers to a num-

ber of small patterns that serve as the basis for more
advanced ones. The first is called the “Single Stroke
Roll”. I was excited again! But it turned out the “Single In calisthenics, music and art, a solid foundation
Stroke Roll” was not as glamorous as it sounded. of the basics is usually necessary.
Turns out, it goes like this: Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left…
Right, Left, Right, Left…
I wound up studying with Howard Fields for twelve more years and
his approach helped me in my journey through music, life and even
physical culture. I learned a valuable lesson in those early weeks, one
that I remind myself of almost every day: You gotta know the rules
before you can break ‘em. I still train Squats, Push-Ups, and Pull-Ups
more than any other exercises. They are the rudiments of bodyweight
strength training. Howard, if you’re reading this, Thank You!
Like learning an instrument, calisthenic strength training is a pro-

cess. Almost everything is. We sometimes witness unbelievable feats
of strength which are made to look easy by advanced practitioners, but
trust me, they put in the time.
You gotta know the rules before you can break ‘em. In this case, gravity.
54 Strength Rules
AN ARMY OF ONE
I first began training for the dead hang One-Arm Pull-Up in 2006. For those of you not familiar
with this particular exercise, it is considered the pinnacle of upper body pulling power. Many of
the most world’s most dedicated strength and calisthenics aficionados have attempted to tame this
beast, while very few have accomplished it. It became my mission.
Perhaps I obsessed over the goal and lost sight of the process. It can take years to nail the One-Arm
Pull-Up, and even still, there are no guarantees. However my young, eager mind wanted it right then
and there, dammit! I got ahead of myself, sacrificing my mental clarity and focus. Furthermore, my
training started to become more like a job and less like fun, which is something, up until that point,
I always tried to avoid. I am not a competitive athlete by any means and I have no desire to train like
one. Needless to say, I had an on-and-off battle with tendonitis for years, as this particular exercise
has the potential to put a great strain on the connective tissue. Think about it; the entire weight
of the body is curled by one lonely elbow. Yes, every muscle assists in some way, but still, that one
relatively small part of the anatomy bears the brunt. This
doesn’t mean that this exercise should be avoided, simply
that I needed to allow ample recovery time and pace myself
better than I did. Many of my peers advised me of this, but
it was a lesson, I suppose, I had to learn for myself. As we’ve
discussed earlier, ya’ can’t tell anybody anything!
In time my workouts
became downright unpleas-
ant. Now understand, I am
blessed (or cursed?) with a
I have a high threshold for the unpleasant… extremely high threshold
for the unpleasant. It’s how
I can get tattooed for hours on end or drive cross-country in one shot.
It’s also how I stayed married for ten years. Perhaps this high level of
tolerance helped me endure my bout with frustration and injury. But
let’s be perfectly clear about something: working out should be fun!
Eventually, I really started to miss the playful aspect of my work-

outs and I backed up a bit. No more deadlines, timeframes or arbitrary
goals. I still trained with focus and frequency, but not obsession. I
gained a new respect for the journey and I’m proud to say I did my first
dead hang One-Arm Pull-Up in 2013, only seven years after I began
training for it! It wasn’t until 2014 that I did my second. I have yet to
do my third. In fact, I may never do another one again, but I’m having
a lot more fun!
…But working out should be fun!
Strength Rules 55
SKILL, STRENGTH & SIZE

Who’s stronger, the guy who can bench 365 lbs. or the guy who can do 15 consecutive One-Arm
Push-Ups? Because I got news for ya, it usually ain’t the same guy.
I often ask the above question during my seminars, as it encourages the listener to question what
exactly it means to be strong. And depending who you ask, you will get a different response.
When we train, there are different goals, even within the context of “strength”. People always
want to know how they should train to get better at calisthenics or to get big or to get ripped. And
while these inquiries don’t have a single, short, simple answer, there are a few broad strokes that can
be helpful on the long road to strength. Here are a few of the goals I get asked about most:
SKILL: Generally, when training for skills, I don’t advise going to failure on a particular
exercise. The method of skills training involves rehearsal of a movement pattern—whether it’s
handstands or swimming—so that we establish the neurological pathways and intra-muscular
communication of the movement. We want to program the body to get comfortable and confident in
it’s execution. Because this type of training is more like “practice”, I feel it’s wise not to go balls-out
every set.
I also recommend that you practice stellar form. Low reps of perfect (or, more realistically, near
perfect) One-Arm Push-Ups (as a skill) teaches your body/mind precision. When you do it sloppy,
you learn poor form and the skill of the exercise is sacrificed.
Do close to as many (or few) reps as you can do as flawlessly as
humanly possible and then rest a while. Sets of 1-3 reps of the
most taxing skills will usually suffice. Leave a little gas in the
tank for the next set or the next workout. It will allow you to
train these moves with greater frequency.
It’s also important to listen to the body. Advanced calisthen-

ics moves like the Muscle-Up, Elbow Lever or Pistol Squat
can be more jarring than they appear. It can be tempting to do
Muscle-Up after Muscle-Up after Muscle-Up and feel like you
can keep going, but unlike when you use external resistance,
bodyweight training employs the non-superficial muscles that
you can’t see (not to mention your cartilage, bone, tendons, lig-
aments, spatial awareness and proprioceptivity). The fatigue
usually sneaks up on you.
It can be tempting to do Muscle-Up after Muscle-Up after Muscle-Up and feel like you
can keep going, but the reality is that you will burn out. It is a demanding exercise,
particularly before the skill is refined. The fatigue usually sneaks up on you.
56 Strength Rules
By the same token we must learn to recognize the difference between fatigue and soreness, as
opposed to injury or pain. Yes, you must work hard to get results, and some discomfort may be nec-
essary, but as discussed in the tendonitis anecdote above, you need to know when to back off. It can
be a tricky balance to work hard and listen to your body.
STRENGTH: In weight training disciplines, raw strength is usually measured by a one rep
max. This means that there is a finite quantity of weight that you can Bench Press, Barbell Squat or
Deadlift for one time only. In bodyweight training, because you weigh what you weigh, your resis-
tance can be adjusted by progressions, as opposed to adding more iron to a bar. Therefore we must
ascertain what the most difficult variation of a particular exercise or modality is in order to deter-
mine the moves that will build strength most effectively.
In reality, calisthenic strength training and skill training aren’t all that different. In a way, strength
is a skill. Like we’ve discussed, there is a neurological component to strength in addition to the mus-
cular one. Like skill training, I generally recommend low reps with ample recovery time, although
perhaps a few more reps than when training solely for skill. That said, ALL of my recommended rep
ranges are highly subjective.
For the most part, stick with 2-6 reps of exercises that rock your muscles. Let me be clear, the exer-
cises you choose must pose a challenge. Sometimes when people hear that you can build strength in
6 reps, they ask “So, will 6 Bodyweight Squats build strength?” The answer is “No, not unless you
find 6 Bodyweight Squats to be extremely tax-
ing. If, and only if, you do, then yes.”
But they won’t be taxing for long.
Unless you are a complete newbie at the

earliest stage of your strength training jour-
ney (as we all were at one point), you will have
to pick a tougher exercise. Pistol Squats and
Shrimp Squats, for example, are Squat vari-
ants that have much greater strength building
capabilities in the low rep range for most indi-
viduals. As the difficulty of an exercise goes up,
the reps go down. With effort and consistency,
there will come a day when 100 consecutive
Bodyweight Squats will cease to build strength.
Do something that challenges you.
3-6 bodyweight Pistol Squats will build strength in most

individuals. 3-6 bodyweight 2-legged Squats will not.
Strength Rules 57
SIZE: One of the most frequently discussed subjects in regards to calisthenics is whether or
not you can get big muscles from practicing bodyweight strength training only. The answer is Yes.
Before I elaborate, I must first address our cultural tendency toward the need to categorize every-
thing. We want to break things down into compartments with steadfast rules, black and white, with
no areas of gray. While there are no doubt different approaches to the pursuit of different goals,
there is a huge carryover between skill, strength, conditioning, power, performance and, yes, size.
This doesn’t mean we train exactly the same for all of these goals, simply that there is an overlap.
Building muscle (gaining mass, training for hypertrophy, bulking up) is a biological process. At
the risk of offending the hardcore science nerds out there, allow me to present an extremely simpli-
fied version of what takes place: the muscle is broken down through exercise; it is repaired with rest
and nutrition; it comes back bigger and stronger. That’s pretty much it. Remember when I said to do
low reps with impeccable form when training for skill? Well this time, you will want to squeeze out
those few extra reps in order to tear up the fibers adequately. Like legendary bodyweight strength
training author Paul Wade says in
his groundbreaking masterpiece
C-MASS, “embrace reps”. I gen-
erally suggest the 8-12 rep range
for muscle building, where you
really gotta fight for it toward the
end of the set.
It’s tolerable if your form is

slightly less than perfect on the
last few reps, as you want to
exhaust the muscle. (Note my
choice of the word “slightly”.
Don’t go around saying “Danny
said poor form is okay”; if your form suf-
fers then the set is over!) Because you’re
exhausting the muscle with more reps,
you must train the muscle with less fre-
quency. While we can train for skills
almost daily (due to leaving some “gas
in the tank”), when adding those extra
reps for mass, we also add more recov-
ery time. That’s why a split routine of
training different body parts on different
days is often recommended for putting
on size—so your arms can rest on the
days you train your legs.
My brother Al and I (pictured here with renown bar athlete

Stephen-Hughes Landers) train purely for calisthenic skills, but
there’s an undeniable overlap of increased strength and size.
58
You also have to eat more. Just as you must eat less to lose weight, you must eat more to gain. Be
prepared for some increased body fat as you are putting on muscle. It is unrealistic to think that you
can pack on extra pounds of lean muscle without increasing your fat percentage to some degree.
That’s why people bulk and cut—because you cant do them both at the same time. Whatever your
fitness goals, you must work hard and pay attention to details to get results.
Child’s Play
This weekend, my son told me “Working out is fun when you
have a park to do it in!” If only more adults adopted this mentali-
ty. All too often, grown-ups view working out as something they
have to do rather than something they want to do. Phrases like “I
gotta get to the gym” and “No pain, no gain” have negative con-
notations. They imply that training is a chore at best and down-
right agonizing at worst. If you observe children at play, you’ll see
they’re pretty much doing basic modalities of physical training…
but without the attitude!
Strength Rules 59
60 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 7
Things That
Make You Go
Hmmmmm
?
? ?
W
?
?
hy do some people drive to the gym, only to ride an
exercise bike that goes nowhere? Hmmm.
Why do we as a culture spend so much time sitting? Hmmm.
Why do kids spend more and more time looking at screens, while
spending less and less time being outdoors? Hmmm.
Who would want to spend hours on a treadmill trying to lose weight and
then follow it with a high calorie shake at the smoothie bar? Hmmm. ? ?
?
? Why isolate one body part at a time, if you want your whole body
to get strong? Hmmm.
How could anyone think they’re getting

? ?
a workout if they are focused on a TV or
i-pad? Hmmm.
? ? ?
Strength Rules 61
Who invented the escalator?

“Who invented the escalator? Moving steps. Now, talk about crazy. People going up and down
escalators, elevators, driving cars, having garage doors that open at the touch of a button. Then
they go to health clubs to work the fat off. In 4,000 years we won’t have any legs, we will wiggle along
on our assholes, or maybe we’ll just roll along like tumbleweeds.”
—Charles Bukowski, from “The Captain Is Out To Lunch And The Sailors Have Taken Over The Ship”
62 Strength Rules
Strength Rules 63
64 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 8
Danny’s
DOs
1. DO ATTEND TO THE TASK AT HAND.
For that matter, do only one thing at a time. Do it slowly, deliberately and attentively. Not only does
this apply to your workouts, it’s also appropriate for daily tasks like cooking, gardening and washing
dishes. When training, don’t look at your phone or the damn TV. Keep your muscles activated and your
entire body present. This is part of the neurology of strength. My friend, living legend, Jack Arnow,
former training partner to the late calisthenics great Jasper Benincasa, used to tell me to “get inside the
muscle”. As anyone who’s ever met Jack knows, he has a way with words.
“Get inside the muscle”

—Jack Arnow
Strength Rules 65
2. DO DESIGNATE TIME FOR YOUR WORKOUTS.

Whether morning, afternoon, evening or midnight, make the decision to train. For me personally, the
later in the day it gets, the less likely it is that my workout will happen. But that’s me. Find a time that
works for you. Training partners can help. Don’t just assume you’ll get to it; training is an active process.
Develop rituals. Naturally, there are exceptions to everything as situations out of your control will inev-
itably arise, but do your best to stick with it. This is part of Danny’s formula for success.
Training is an active process.

Develop rituals.
Training partners can help.
66 Strength Rules
3. DO CELEBRATE WHAT YOU LOVE

INSTEAD OF BASHING WHAT YOU HATE.
It seems like you can’t walk down the street (or log onto the internet) without someone loudly declar-
ing his or her hatred for a style of training (or a celebrity, friend, politician, movie, TV show, band, etc.)
It’s really a shame. Why proclaim your intense hostility when there is so much in life to be enjoyed?
Interestingly enough, any time someone publicly cries out against anything, they actually promote it
simply by drawing attention, thus helping the object of their rejection, rather than harming it. Isn’t it
ironic? Don’t you think?
There’s too much good in this world to get bogged down on the negative. Be grateful for whatcha got,
not hateful for whatcha not.
“Peace begins with a smile.”

—Mother Theresa
Strength Rules 67
4. DO EAT WHEN HUNGRY AND SLEEP WHEN TIRED.
Many of us eat way past the point of

satiation and it’s important to know when
to say when. If you’re hungry, by all means
EAT. If you’re starving, EAT A LOT! But
all too often, we eat out of habit, boredom,
anticipation of potential future hunger
or just sheer gluttony. Not everyday is
Thanksgiving and we do not need to stuff
ourselves daily. Restraint in and of itself
is a form of strength.
I go to bed when I’m tired. If that’s

9pm so be it. I listen to my body. For
that matter, when I have difficulty
sleeping I get out of bed and read a
book instead of tossing and turning.
I don’t want to internally associate
bedtime with restlessness. Therefore,
I use the bedroom only for sleeping
or making love. I don’t eat or surf
the internet in bed. There is no TV
in my room. My phone is turned off
and placed in a different room when
I retire. I never use it for an alarm.
Using the cell phone as an alarm
clock creates nervous and/or inter-
rupted sleep, as there will inevitably
be pings, calls and texts throughout
your slumber. I use a good old-fash-
ioned alarm clock when necessary. I
even travel with one. Eliminate dis-
tractions and clear your mind. Sweet
dreams.
68 Strength Rules
5. DO PRACTICE FORGIVENESS.

I’m a forgiver. Your body is not the only thing that needs to heal. Our hearts, souls, and minds need
to as well. Just as picking at a scab will not mend a flesh wound, prodding at emotional injuries will not
help either. One of the greatest recipes I’ve observed in promoting emotional healing is a shot of forgive-
ness. To paraphrase the ancient proverb, holding a grudge is like holding onto a raging hot coal with the
hopes of throwing at those who’ve done you wrong. It harms you much more than the person it’s aimed
at. Put it down and move on.
Forgive others and also forgive yourself. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard people beat them-
selves up for missing a workout, skipping their daily run or having a cookie. Just because you made
a mistake yesterday, does not mean that your whole life (or workout regimen) has fallen to shit. Let
it go and move on.
Strength Rules 69
6. DO YOUR BEST.
Seems obvious, right? But think of how many times you’ve observed someone barely phoning it
in, exerting the minimum amount of effort needed the fool themselves (or their boss, lover, cus-
tomer, etc.) into thinking they give a damn. Here is my simple philosophy: When you are at your
job, do it to the very best of your ability, even if your co-workers do only the bare minimum. Go
above and beyond. If you’re painting a room, don’t be lazy. Prime the walls if needed. Apply a second
coat. When you’re having dinner with your loved ones, look them in the eye. Really pay attention to
what they say. When training, be diligent in your workouts. Apply focus and put forth extra effort.
Observing this principle will pay you back tenfold.
Be focused and put your

best foot forward.
70 Strength Rules
7. DO EAT LOTS OF GOOD FOOD AND NEVER DIET.

Americans are encouraged to diet from a young age, hyper-analyzing the foods we consume to the
point that we are detached from our hunger, lifestyle and metabolism. People weigh their food, time
their meals, starve themselves and eat supplements instead of nourishment. Ultimately, many people
become removed from the purity of food itself, often scrutinizing theoretical grams of invisible nutri-
ents and overthinking hypothetical meal plans. Well I got a plan for ya: Eat a lot of fruits, veggies, fish,
meats, nuts, seeds, beans and greens. Drink plenty of water and avoid junk food. Even have a glass of
wine if you want to, just not the whole damn bottle.
And never diet ever!!! The restrictive nature of dieting sets the practitioner up for repeated goal-ori-
ented failure—which is detrimental to both the waistline and the spirit.
You can even have a glass

of wine of you want to, just
not the whole damn bottle.
Strength Rules 71
8. DO PERFORM AN ACT OF KINDNESS EVERY DAY.

This one is self-explanatory. Hold the door open
for a stranger. Lend a hand when you see someone
carrying a heavy load. Help your elderly neighbor
shovel her walkway. The most meaningful thing
you can do in this life is to offer others what you
have to give. Both you and the recipients of your
deeds will be better for it.
Help your neighbor shovel

the walkway.
9. DO ACCEPT
RESPONSIBILITY.
Blaming others for our current state of life
has become the societal norm. Something bad
or unexpected happens and the first thing that
many of us do is point the finger elsewhere.
The truth is that we bring everything upon
ourselves. Any difficulties from which you suf-
fer are not because of your family, friends or
enemies. They’re not because of your ex-wife
or ex-husband either. Don’t blame your boss or
the President of the United States of America.
It is you and you alone. Deal with it. By the
same token, it is equally important to accept
credit for your accomplishments. Own both
your failures and your successes. This pertains
to your workouts too.
72 Strength Rules
10. DO THE RIGHT THING.

Not to show off or look good or because your god will punish you if you don’t. Do the right thing
because it’s the right thing to do. That’s it. Truth always overcomes lies. Justice wins over injustice. And
righteousness defeats evil. In life and fitness, you reap what you sow.
Strength Rules 73
74 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 9
Danny’s
DON’Ts
1. DON’T SHOW ME YOUR MOVES
UNTIL I SEE YOUR REPS.
I still do Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Squats, Lunges and Dips almost every time I train. For real. It’s import-
ant to have control of the basics. Trust me, I did Pull-Ups for nearly twenty years before I ever even saw
a Muscle-Up. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with showmanship. In fact, it’s a great way to train in
it’s own right. But when strength matters, you must put in the time.
Strength Rules 75
2. DON’T PRIORITIZE THEORY OVER EXPERIENCE.

Frank Zappa said “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” This philosophy has
many applications. There comes a point where all the talking in the world means nothing. Many aca-
demics, fitness writers, college kids and professors love to perpetrate knowledge when they lack experi-
ence. They’ll write a whole dissertation about something they know nothing about and never took part
in. Talk is cheap. You gotta practice what you preach!
You gotta practice

what you preach!
76 Strength Rules
3. DON’T WASTE TIME.

Not in your life, not with your loved ones, not day-to-day, and certainly not in the gym. Circuit
training (completing a series of exercises with little to no rest in between), super-setting (alternating
between two exercises, push/pull for example), active recovery (stretching or training another body
part during your rest period) and performing full-body, compound movements (Windshield Wipers
versus Crunches) are excellent ways of getting more done is less time.
Strange as it sounds, getting out of the gym altogether is probably a good idea. In fact, many modern
“big box” gyms were built to specifically to cater to time-wasters. Just look at all the merchandise for
sale, TV screens, dining areas and other distractions. You’re probably better off at the park! If you have
the space, build a backyard pull-up bar. You’ll get much more bang for your buck!
Strength Rules 77
4. DON’T MISLEAD PEOPLE.

Say what you mean, not what you think others want to hear. If you get invited to an event and you
know you won’t attend, then don’t say you will. Don’t even say you might. If you get off the phone with
someone, don’t say “I’ll call you right back” unless you’re planning on doing so. Don’t say you will show
up somewhere at a certain time and then show up at a different time. Always tell the truth. It’s amaz-
ing how many people provide lip service with no follow through. Personal trainers do it all the time. If
you’re a trainer, don’t promise unrealistic results. So many fitness professionals are afraid to be honest,
but the truth is, if you make unrealistic guarantees, you set up both yourself and your client for failure.
Misleading people sets

you both up for failure.
78 Strength Rules
5. DON’T EAT SO MUCH SUGAR.

Most of us could stand to reduce
the amount of sugar we eat day to
day. Don’t add sugar to your coffee,
tea or oatmeal. Avoid sodas, energy
drinks and other sugary beverages.
Americans consume an alarmingly
large quantity of sugar every day. It
can’t hurt to cut back. Remember,
honey, agave, nectar, brown rice
syrup and cane sugar are all pure
sugar, even if they are marketed as
healthy alternatives to high fruc-
tose corn syrup. It’s the same shit.
6. DON’T JUDGE OTHERS.

No one ever said it better than Wayne Dyer: “When you judge another, you do not define them. You
define yourself.” Words to live by.
Strength Rules 79
7. DON’T JUDGE THEIR WORKOUTS EITHER.

I was guilty of this as a young trainer. I criticized everyone’s workout. “Why are they doing that exer-
cise?” “Why this?” “Why that?” “That’s stupid!” It was really just my own insecurities. I didn’t know the
story behind the workout or the reasons for the choices they made. And it was none of my business any-
way. There are many effective modalities in which to train. You gotta do what you love.
There are many effective

modalities in which to train.
80 Strength Rules
8. DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE.

Keep your expectations guarded. The marketers’ job is to reel you in so I encourage you not to take
the bait. I’m not just talking to about fitness fads, gym memberships and supplements either. I’m talking
about talking heads in the media, salesmen, politicians, and gurus. Yes, there are many extraordinary
experiences to be had and life is beautiful. I encourage you to have it all. But trust your own intuition and
common sense over the propaganda of others. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Strength Rules 81
9. DON’T PAY ANY MIND TO THOSE WHO

TALK BEHIND YOUR BACK. THEY ARE
BEHIND YOU FOR A REASON.
When you argue with a hater, there will be two fools in the room instead of one. Always take the
high road.
Behind my back.
82 Strength Rules
10. DON’T TAKE “NO” FOR AN ANSWER.

There are occasions in life when failure is simply not an option. These are the times when we cannot
back down. Naturally, not every experience falls into this category and not everything will go as you
intended it to 100% of the time. Far from it…
Still, we must recognize that there are those moments in life (and training) where the only answer is
“YES, I’M DOING THIS!” Then actually do it!
Strength Rules 83
84 Strength Rules
Strength Rules 85
86 Strength Rules
CHAPTER 10
Basic Training
(Starting Out)
L et’s start at the very beginning. It is not uncommon to get ahead of ourselves, centering
on goals, yet closing our minds to the early steps required to achieve them. These are the
beginners’ fundamentals of calisthenic strength training.
There is a need for foundation and structure in beginning. It starts by learning the feel and getting
comfortable with the movements. Aim for precision as much as possible, but understand that in these
primordial stages, your form will most likely be imperfect. In fact, doing something imperfectly is often
the first step toward to doing it somewhat well and ultimately really well. However, I would not recom-
mend moving onto Beast Mode (Classic Strength) until these exercises are executed with close to flaw-
less form, which can take weeks or months. It is of note that your Squat, Push and Pull may progress at
different rates from one another and that is totally okay. Respect your level in each modality.
Vincent Van Gogh has been quoted as saying, “Great things do not just happen by impulse, but by
a succession of small things linked together.” Think of every rep and every set as one of these small
things on the path to greatness. (Just don’t cut your ear off and give it to a prostitute, like Vince did.)
Let’s do this!
Strength Rules 87
88 Strength Rules
STARTER SQUAT
The Squat is one of our most fascinating physical movements. It works both the anterior and pos-
terior chains of the legs, plus it also employs the upper body for posture and stability. Squats are also
hard wired in our DNA, but sometimes, deconditioned individuals say that Squats feel “unnatural”.
As children we had the potential to do impeccable Squats. However, spending too much time at the
desk, dinner table or steering wheel changed our bodies, but it’s not too late. We can get it back!
When we are new to working out, because mobility is often an issue, I do not recommend doing
Full Range Of Motion Squats (where your butt gets all the way down to your heels) if they do not
come easily. We will start with simple, regressed exercises and gradually progress. In time, anyone,
barring injury, disability or extreme deterioration will be able to do the full range of motion.
Strength Rules 89
SIT DOWN/STAND UP
This is the place to begin if you are just embarking on your journey. Sometimes we don’t have the
strength, flexibility or confidence to do unassisted Squats, so bringing a bench into this equation is a
big help for many. Start by sitting on a bench (or box, step, etc.) with your chest up, your feet flat on
the floor and your shoulder blades retracted. Now drive your heels into the ground, push your hips in
front of you and come to a full stand. That is one rep. Sit back down in a controlled fashion.
TRAINER TALK:
Start with a bench about knee height. This way your thigh will be parallel to the ground when you
begin. If this is too difficult, use a higher bench. This places you at a mechanical advantage. If it’s too
easy, then use a lower bench or proceed to Partial Range Of Motion Squats.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 20 is sufficient to move onto Partial Range Of Motion Squats.
90 Strength Rules
SQUAT (PARTIAL RANGE OF MOTION)

This is just like Sit Down/Stand Up, but without the bench. Start in the top (standing) position
and bend at your knees, hips and ankles while putting your butt out behind you as if to sit. Maintain
control and lower yourself down until your thigh is parallel to the ground. (Beginners may lack the
mobility for the full range of motion.)
TRAINER TALK:
You can play around with different distances between the feet. You will find that different widths
and foot positions affect which muscle are emphasized.
REP RANGE:
Shoot for 3 sets of 20.
Strength Rules 91
STEP-UP
This time instead of sitting on a bench and standing up, we are stepping from the ground onto the
bench. Stand up facing a bench. Now place one foot on the bench, maintain your posture and press
your foot down, stepping completely up. Step down and repeat on the other side.
TRAINER TALK:
It’s important to make sure that your foot is completely on the bench so you can really drive down
with that heel and get the most out of this exercise..
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10-15 reps on each side is good.
92 Strength Rules
SPLIT SQUAT (AKA STATIONARY LUNGE)

Stand with one foot in front of you, flat on the floor. Place your other foot behind you, with the heel
up and the ball of the foot and toes on the ground. Keeping your chest up, bend both knees to approx-
imately 90 degrees. (When setting up, it’s important to allow ample distance between your front and
rear feet to facilitate this bend.) At the bottom of the motion, the rear knee should come close to the
floor without touching it. Now push back up with the heel of your front foot and the ball and toes of
your rear foot. Repeat. Make sure you train both sides evenly. You may have to go slow to maintain
balance and control.
TRAINER TALK:
Although you can switch sides from rep to rep, I prefer keeping my feet in place and performing a
complete set with the same foot in front, then switching positions and performing another complete
set with the other foot in front. It’s worth noting that both the front and rear foot exert in both vari-
ations.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10-15 per side is solid.
Strength Rules 93
94 Strength Rules
STARTER PUSH
The Push-Up is the ultimate upper body exercise. It is infinitely scalable and works the entire
upper body, with emphasis on the chest and triceps.
For all Push-Ups, make sure to keep a straight line from your shoulder to your hip to your heel (or
knee, in the case with Knee Push-Ups). Try not to let your hips drop low or come up high. Also, avoid
tucking your chin; this will help set your spine up for proper posture. Sometimes beginners set up
with their hands too high. Make sure to keep your hands and elbows below your shoulders to avoid
excess strain. This will prevent you elbows from flaring out above your shoulders.
Dips are also an upper body pushing motion, not unlike Push-Ups. However, where Push-Ups
emphasize the chest primarily, with assistance from the triceps, Dips place the body at an angle that
emphasizes the triceps, with assistance from the chest. Exercises that target the shoulders are also
included in the “Push” category.
I recommend keeping the entire body (not just upper body) tense and active, including your abs,
back, quads and glutes. This generates greater tension throughout the body and will maximize
your yields.
Strength Rules 95
KNEE PUSH-UP
It begins here. The Knee Push-Up is the variation that shortens the body to the greatest degree,
thus putting less weight in the hands and making the exercise more mechanically advantageous.
Start out in a kneeling position. Place your hands on the ground, keeping a straight line from the
shoulder to the hip to the knee. Maintain a tense body while you lower your chest to the ground in a
controlled fashion. Now press up. That is one rep. Feel free to cross your feet if doing so makes the
exercise more comfortable.
TRAINER TALK:
These are spatially more challenging than one might initially think. Make sure you hinge at the
knee, NOT bend at the hip or thoracic spine.
REP RANGE:
30 is a solid baseline.
96 Strength Rules
INCLINE PUSH-UP
The Incline Push-Up is a also great place to start. Place your hands on a bench (or other such
stable, elevated object) and your toes on the ground. This elevated angle gives you more favorable
leverage. Keep your body tense and straight while you lower yourself toward the object, bending at
the elbows and shoulder. Come down until your chest is almost touching the object. Press yourself
back up. That is one rep.
TRAINER TALK:
This exercise can be progressed or regressed to suit any level by adjusting the height of the incline.
The higher the hand position, the more forgiving the leverage.
REP RANGE:
If you can do 3 controlled sets of 10-20 reps, it’s time for classic Push-Ups.
Strength Rules 97
FEET APART PUSH-UP

The Feet Apart Push-Up is an example of a Push-Up regression that requires no equipment at all,
not even a bench. This variation is done with both your hands and toes on the ground, feet spread
apart. Make sure to keep your body straight and muscularly active. Don’t raise your hips high or let
them sag low. Lower your body until your chest is close to the ground, bending at the elbows and
shoulder. Push into the floor and press yourself back up.
TRAINER TALK:
If you are brand new to Push-Ups, start out with a very wide footing. As you get comfortable, you
can start bringing them closer together to increase the resistance placed on the upper body.
REP RANGE:
If you can do 3 controlled sets of 10-20 reps, it’s time for Classic Push-Ups.
98 Strength Rules
How Low Should I Go?

Different schools of thought will have different answers. I believe a Push-Up should be done
until the chest is almost touching the floor (or bench for Incline Push-Ups). However, that defi-
nition is more open to interpretation than one may think. Because different body types move in
different ways (due to bone length, joint mobility and other factors), the distance from chest to
ground is subject to change from individual to individual. For that reason, I recommend bending
the arm until your elbows have flexed deeper than 90 degrees.
m THIS m
m NOT THIS m
Strength Rules 99
BENCH DIP
Place your hands on a bench behind you with your chest up and shoulder blades retracted. Keep
your legs extended out in front of you. Slowly bend at the elbow and lower your hips down in front of
the bench. Make sure to keep your chest up. It is also important that your elbows point out behind
you, rather than flaring out to the side. Be mindful not to shrug at the shoulders. When your elbows
have bent to 90 degrees or beyond, press down into the bench, extending at the triceps and come
back to the starting position.
TRAINER TALK:
Though the full expression of the Bench Dip calls for a straight leg, it can also be performed with
bent knees, which is an easier variation of the exercise.
REP RANGE:
Rep Range: 3 sets of 10-15 is solid.
100 Strength Rules

WALL PIKE PUSH-UP

The Wall Pike-Push-Up places the body at an angle that targets the shoulders. It’s as rudimentary
of a bodyweight shoulder exercise as there is. The purpose is not so much to build strength but rather
prepare the shoulder’s mobility and the practitioner’s neurology for more advanced shoulder exer-
cises like the Pike Push-Up and ultimately the Handstand Push-Up, which load more weight into
the shoulders. Begin with your palms flat against a wall. Lean forward, making sure to hinge at the
hip. In order to open up your shoulders, it may be helpful to envision “pressing” your chest down and
through you arms. Ultimately, you want your upper body almost parallel to the ground. This is the
starting position. Now, bend at the elbows and shoulders, bringing your head and shoulders closer
to the wall. Once you are close to the wall, extend your arms and press yourself back into starting
position.
TRAINER TALK:
When performing this exercise, I like to press my fingers into the wall and fire up my lats as well
as my shoulders. This connects me to my environment and helps me get prepped for the classic Pike
Push-Up.
REP RANGE:
Beginners should shoot for 5 to 10 reps to get stated. When you can do 3 sets of 20, you are probably
ready for Pike Push-Ups.
Strength Rules 101

102 Strength Rules

STARTER PULL
These exercises prepare the practitioner for the Pull-Up, the classic upper body pulling exer-
cise. Each one of the exercises that follow is a viable step on the path. Like the preceding pushing
exercises, we want to ensure good posture, keeping a straight line from the shoulder to hip to foot,
while maintaining active full body tension.
It is of note that the Australian Pull-Up is a different movement pattern (front to back) than the
classic Pull-Up (down to up). It is an exercise that should remain in your arsenal throughout your
fitness journey.
Strength Rules 103

AUSTRALIAN PULL-UP (AKA BODYWEIGHT ROW)

Grab a bar of waist height or greater. Place your feet out in front of you with your heels down and
a straight line from shoulder to hip to heel. Use your arms and lats to pull your body to the bar while
maintaining your straight body positioning. Hinge at the heel, not the hip. Return to starting posi-
tion.
TRAINER TALK:
Use a higher bar or bend at the knee to make the exercise more forgiving if necessary. By the same
token, elevating the feet makes this exercise more difficult.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10
Basic Australian Pull-Up.
104 Strength Rules

Here is a more difficult variation that places the feet and

shoulders at the same height in the starting position.
Strength Rules 105

BAR HANG (ACTIVE)

Actively hanging from the bar is an exercise in and of itself. Grab it tightly. Feel it in your hands
and forearms. Keep your glutes and abs tight too. It’s very important to maintain “packed” shoulders,
which means keeping your shoulder blades back and your chest up. We want to avoid shrugging.
TRAINER TALK:
Beginners may have a hard time performing Bar Hangs without flexing their elbows a little.
Ultimately, however, we want to keep our elbows locked and our arms completely extended.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
I recommend performing this as an isometric exercise, aiming to hang from the bar for 30 seconds
or more, with the shoulder blades completely retracted.
106 Strength Rules

FLEX HANG
Essentially the top of a Pull-Up position, the Flex Hang is a great precursor to the Pull-Up. Stand
underneath a pull-up bar and grab it with the grip of your choice. Pull the bar down until your chin
clears the bar. Beginners may need to jump up to the bar, or get some assistance from a workout
buddy. Try to pull the bar to your sternum, squeezing your shoulder blades back and pulling your
elbows to your sides. Remain at the top position.
TRAINER TALK:
A Flex Hang, like a Pull-Up can be performed with either an overhand or underhand grip. When
using an underhand grip, try to envision pulling your elbows almost behind you to get some serious
emphasis.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
This is an isometric exercise. Duration will vary greatly from individual to individual. Aim for 30
seconds before moving on to Pull-Ups. A hanging contest is always a fun way to train!
Strength Rules 107

108 Strength Rules

STARTER FLEX, BEND, EXTEND

By now you know that I consider the major three movement patterns of body weight strength
training to be Squat, Push and Pull. However, to be as well rounded and well grounded as possible,
I also recommend incorporating some form of full body flexion, twisting and extension in order to
work the anterior (front), transverse (side-to-side) and posterior (rear) chains of the body.
This is good stuff that should not be neglected for full body fitness.
Strength Rules 109

BENT KNEE RAISE

Lie on the ground with you hands at your sides, palms down, and your legs together. Bend your
knees. Now use your abs to flex the body and raise your bent legs up off the ground. The angle of the
bend should remain the same for the duration of the exercise.
TRAINER TALK:
Progress the difficulty of the exercise slowly by decreasing how much you bend your knees.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 15-20 is recommended.
110 Strength Rules

SIT-UP
Lie down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hand across your chest or
behind your head. Squeeze from the abs to bring your upper body toward your knees, smoothly with-
out jerking. Lower back down and repeat.
TRAINER TALK:
Beginners may need to keep their feet under an object or recruit the help of partner to help stabilize.
REP RANGE:
3 Sets of 20 is solid.
Beginners may need to keep their feet

under an object or recruit the help of a
partner to help stabilize.
Strength Rules 111

CROSSOVER
Start out lying in the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat. Cross your right leg over the
left, with your right knee pointing away from your torso. Place your left hand behind your head and
twist the left elbow toward the right knee. Train both sides evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
Make sure the knee stays in place and the elbow comes toward the knee, not the other way around.
REP RANGE:
Work toward 3 sets of 20.
112 Strength Rules

PLANK
Start out by placing your feet on the floor with your forearms on the ground (or whatever surface
you are performing it on). The body should be straight and unwavering from the shoulders to the
toes. Keep every muscle in the body actively tensed. A solid Plank is a key foundational step in pro-
gressive calisthenics.
TRAINER TALK:
Although to the untrained eye, it may not look like much, the Plank is a cornerstone in synergizing
the neuro-pathways of mental/physical communication. .
REP RANGE/DURATION:
The Plank is an isometric exercise. I recommend working up to and beyond one minute.
Strength Rules 113

STRAIGHT ARM PLANK

Similar to the forearm Plank, you can also perform a Plank with your arms fully extended and your
hands on the ground. This is sometimes referred to as a Straight Arm Plank and resembles the top
position of a Push-Up. While this variation grants more forgiving leverage on your body’s midsec-
tion due to the change in angle, it also places a greater burden on the wrists and shoulders.
TRAINER TALK:
Depending on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, the Straight Arm Plank can be consid-
ered a progression or a regression. These things are not always the same for everyone.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
The Plank is an isometric exercise. I recommend working up to and beyond one minute.
Classic Straight Arm Plank
A Straight Arm Plank can also be

performed on the side to emphasize the
obliques. This is called a Side Plank.
114 Strength Rules

TABLE TOP BRIDGE

The Table Top Bridge strengthens the entire posterior chain, including spine erectors, ham-
strings and glutes. Start by sitting on the ground with your hands at your sides just behind your hips.
Bend at the knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Now raise your hips high so that a straight line
is formed from your knees to your shoulders. Drop your head back to further extend the body. The
position of your body should resemble a table, hence the name.
TRAINER TALK:
If you are new to bridgework, it may be hard to feel when your hips are high enough. Think about
actively pressing your feet and hands into the ground, while you contract your glues to raise your
hips.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
The Table Top Bridge is an isometric exercise. Aim for 30-60 seconds, but it can ultimately be held
for longer.
Strength Rules 115

STRAIGHT BRIDGE (AKA REVERSE PLANK)

Lie down, face up on the ground with your palms and heels to the floor. Now, while keep-
ing your legs extended, dig your heels into the ground, press with your hands, straighten
your arms and raise your hips up to so that your body forms a straight line from shoulder to
heel. Drop your head back to further extend the body.
TRAINER TALK:
There is more shoulder strength and mobility required for the Straight Bridge than it may
seem. Be mindful.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Like the aforementioned Table Top, the Straight Bridge is an isometric exercise. Aim for
30-60 seconds, but of course it can be held for longer.
116 Strength Rules

Strength Rules 117

118 Strength Rules

STARTER WORKOUTS
The following beginner workouts are presented in order of difficulty, the first being the most
basic Squat-Push-Pull combo. Planks are included as well to emphasize full body tension and har-
mony. The second workout employs some more difficult variations. By adding Side Planks to the
mix, it also incorporates the lateral (side) chain of the body. The third one is pretty demanding. It
has more exercises than the previous two, as well as more advances angles.
I recommend simply practicing each exercise before going for the recommended rep ranges.
Form is priority, particularly at the starting stages, so please don’t increase your reps if it means
a sacrifice in form. In fact, it’s worth noting that all the recommended rep ranges are intended to
serve as mere guidelines, from which I encourage you to deviate. These workouts are only a rough
template; experiment with them.
I recommend working out 3-4 times

per week in addition to being
physically active every single day.
E R W ORKO UT #1
S T A R T
ta nd U p (3 sets of 10-20)
Sit Down/S
Pus h -U p (3 s ets of 10)
Incline
H a ng (1 5 -30 seconds)
Active Bar
econds)
Plank (30-60 s
Strength Rules 119

KOUT #2
ER W O R
START se t s o f 10-20)
R O M S quat (3
Partial se ts of 10-20)
sh-Up ( 3
K nee Pu
s et s of 5-10)
i an Pu ll-Up (3
Austra l
se ts o f 15-20)
t K n e e Raise (3 ac h side)
Ben d s e
k (3 0- 6 0 secon
n
Side Pla s ec o nds)
6 0
op (30-
Table T
120 Strength Rules

STARTER WOR
KOUT #3
Split Squat (3 sets
of 15 per leg)
Feet Apart Push-U
p (3 sets of 10-20)
Bench Dip (3 sets
of 10)
Australian Pull-U
p (3 sets of 10)
Flex Hang (15-30
seconds)
Sit-Up (3 sets of 2
0)
Straight Bridge (3
0-60 seconds)
Strength Rules 121

122 Strength Rules

CHAPTER 11
Beast Mode
(Classic Strength)
A t this point, the beginner progressions contained in the previous chapter should be
performed with a level of confidence, consistency and control. Be aware that not
everyone will progress at the same rate. In fact, even the same individual may be inconsistent with
their progress from exercise to exercise. For example, if you’ve mastered the Beginner Push exer-
cises, but not the Pulls, that’s okay. You can mix and match different exercises for different levels.
Every body is different.
On that note, some people may be able to start with this chapter depending on their current fitness
level. In other words, do not feel the need to start with Basic Training (previous chapter) if you can
already do those exercises with a certain degree of excellence. Of course, there are always advantages to
revisiting the basics and I highly recommend it; just don’t feel the unconditional need to start there. We
are all at different stages of our respective journeys.
For this reason, I do not impose a timeline on these exercises when it comes to moving beyond this
chapter either. Some folks need to spend weeks, others months and some, years building the strength,
skill and subtlety needed to perform the basics well. This chapter is the real deal. The nitty gritty. The
tried and true.
The information that follows includes classic Squats, along with many challenging variations. The
following Push-Ups and Pull-Ups go from the classics and beyond. I’ve also included Hanging Knee
Raises as well as the full Back Bridge, the fundamentals of flexion, extension and overall core power.
These exercises provide the material for a lifetime of bodyweight strength training. Dig in!
Strength Rules 123

124 Strength Rules

CLASSIC SQUAT
After working on Step-Ups and beginner Squat progressions, you are now ready to try these clas-
sic exercises. Remember, though the following are considered lower body exercises, I recommend
doing your best to keep tension throughout the entire body, including abs, back, chest, shoulders,
etc. All of the following will help you take it to the next level, from the Full Range Of Motion Squat
to the Shrimp Squat of the briny deep, your calisthenic journey continues with these classics.
Strength Rules 125

SQUAT (FULL RANGE OF MOTION)

This is the most foundational bodyweight exercise of all. It is just like the Partial Range Of Motion
Squat from the previous chapter, except we get lower. This time, the back of the practitioner’s
thigh comes in complete contact with the calf. Aside from being a strength challenge, there is extra
flexibility required from the hip and ankle. It could take several weeks to go from the partial range
of motion (see previous chapter) to the full expression for people with mobility issues. Be patient.
Depending on genetics and other variables, some folks may need to point their toes out slightly to
facilitate the full motion. Listen to your body. I am a firm believer that any healthy, uninjured indi-
vidual can master a complete Squat, ass to ankles, if given enough time. In fact, if you already have
the mobility, I recommend that you bypass Partial Range Of Motion Squats and begin here.
TRAINER TALK:
Some fitness professionals disagree with me that a Squat should be performed with a complete
range of motion. However unless there is a medical reason why, I don’t think this limitation should
be imposed. There are cultures in this world where the bottom of a Squat is a resting position. Infants
and toddlers of all cultures squat flawlessly in the full range of motion without even thinking about.
REP RANGE:
40 unbroken reps demonstrates a solid baseline.
Moving the feet wider or narrower

changes the emphasis of a squat. Wide Narrow squats place more emphasis
Squats emphasize the adductor muscles. on the quadriceps.
126 Strength Rules

PRISONER SQUAT
This exercise gets its name because prisoners are often depicted in the starting position. The
Prisoner Squat is just like the classic, except now you place your hands behind your head, with elbows
pointed out. This puts added emphasis on the posterior chain of the body, particularly the spine erec-
tors and lower back. Keep your shoulder blades retracted and your chest up, like with all Squats.
TRAINER TALK:
Generally it is diffi-
cult to get all the way
down when performing
a Prisoner Squat for the
first time. This is because
the arm position requires
your spine erector mus-
cles to work harder in
order to keep your chest
up, but with practice and
patience, the full range of
motion will be achieved.
REP RANGE:
Strength Rules 127

WALKING LUNGE
The Walking Lunge explores asymmetry, balance, stability and momentum. It is similar to the
Split Squat, but now we step into each rep, rather than remaining stationary. Begin in a standing
position. Step forward with your left leg and place the foot on the ground. Now drop down so that
both the front and rear knees are bent to approximately 90 degrees. (Do not let the rear knee touch
the ground.) Step forward with your right foot, bringing both feet together, returning to a full stand.
Maintaining good posture throughout. That is one rep. Now alternate by stepping forward with your
right for the following rep.
TRAINER TALK:
Don’t go too fast when lunging. I recommend pausing for a moment when your feet come together
between reps. This will keep you in tune with the body and prevent you from getting swept away by
momentum.
REP RANGE:
I generally stick with sets of 20 (ten per leg) with my clients,
however at the beginning it may be useful simply to prac-
tice the movement pattern. I
can also be fun to lunge for a
certain distance (across the
gym, for example), and dis-
regard rep counting.
1
2
4 5
128 Strength Rules

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

The Bulgarian Split Squat is similar to the standard Split Squat, except in this variation, the rear
foot is placed on an elevated surface such as a bench or step. Elevating the foot puts a greater weight-
to-limb ratio in the forward foot, increasing the resistance. Be certain to work both legs evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
This exercise is also an excellent stretch for the quadriceps and hip flexor.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10 per leg is a great standard, as with most strength training.
Strength Rules 129

HOVER LUNGE
The Hover Lunge is another remarkable Split Squat variation. In this exercise, the rear foot is ele-
vated off the ground and remains in the air, rather than being placed on an elevated surface. There is
an added balance factor here, so extend your arms forward in order to act as a counterweight to the
rear leg. With both arms extended and your right leg behind you (and bent at the knee) lower yourself
down with your left leg. Do not let your rear knee touch the ground. Now return to starting position.
That is one rep. Train both legs evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
Because your arms need to balance out the leg that’s behind you, there will be an inevitable for-
ward lean. That’s okay. Try to hinge at the hip and keep your chest up, as opposed to flexing exces-
sively at the spine. This will have a greater muscle recruitment and produce more yields.
REP RANGE:
When you can perform 3 sets of 10 per leg, getting the rear knee close to the ground, try progress-
ing to Shrimp Squats.
130 Strength Rules

MIGHT AS WELL JUMP

Adding an explosive element can be a great way to bring a new challenge to these classic exer-
cises! Explosive movements that remove your contact with the surface on which you are training
are referred to as plyometric exercises. Let’s get high!
Strength Rules 131

SIDE-TO-SIDE SQUAT
This is a fantastic precursor to the Pistol Squat, as it is basically a self assisted single
leg Squat. Start out with your feet in an extra wide stance and your toes pointed out at a 45
degree angle. Keep your feet wider than you might think. Begin bending at the right knee
and hip, while maintaining upright posture. Keep your left leg extended. Your body will shift
toward your right side, while your left foot will rotate up, toes toward the sky. How low can
you go? Return to the top position and do the left leg.
132 Strength Rules

TRAINER TALK:
The Side-To-Side Squat is also a fantastic stretch for the hamstrings and inner thighs.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
3 sets of 10 per side.
Strength Rules 133

134 Strength Rules

CLASSIC PUSH
Behold the beloved Push-Up in its infinite simplicity and splendor! Push-Ups were the first
strength training exercise I ever did and, dammit, when my time finally comes, I hope they’re the
last.
I recall having Push-Up contests with my brothers as a youth. Fond memories. No exercise
embodies strength and minimalism quite like the Push-Up. In this section we’ll include the basics,
as well as many variations, thus challenging yourself further and mixing it up. Remember, Push-
Ups emphasize chest, triceps and shoulders but I encourage you to actively recruit you glutes, abs,
back and even your legs to get maximal gains from every rep.
Also included in this section are Parallel Bar Dips (the gold standard for triceps, bar none!) and
Pike Push-Ups for shoulder emphasis. Push it real good!
Strength Rules 135

PUSH-UP
The starting position of a Push-Up places the body horizontally, facing the ground with arms fully
extended. Your hands and toes should be the only points of contact. Maintain a straight line from
shoulder to hip to heel. Now bend at the elbows and shoulders, lowering your body until your chest
is almost touching the ground. Your elbows should flex to a more acute angle than 90 degrees. Press
into the ground and return to starting position, elbows fully locked out at the top. That is one rep. It is
important your elbows do not flare out above your shoulders when executing a Push-Up; they should
point slightly toward your feet.
TRAINER TALK:
When doing any Push-Up variation, I recommend “gripping the ground”. By this, I am referring to
the active recruitment of all your muscles, including, but not limited to the primary movers. That’s
right, folks: your hands, forearms, chest and back all come alive, almost “pulling” the ground into you.
We want your entire body to be neurologically involved every step of the way.
REP RANGE:
30 is considered to be a solid benchmark before moving onto more advanced varieties. 50+ is
excellent.
136 Strength Rules

Full flexion.
Full lock-out.
Strength Rules 137

WIDE PUSH-UP
A wider placement of the hands shifts the emphasis slightly more to the chest (pectoral) muscles.
The wider you go, the more profound the shift.
TRAINER TALK:
There is always a “sweet spot” when performing exercises. Typically in a Push-Up, it is when the
thumb lines up almost directly underneath the armpit. Going wider (or narrower) with the hands
progresses us out of our comfort zone.
REP RANGE:
3-4 sets of 25-30 is very good.
A wide grip places greater

emphasis on the chest.
138 Strength Rules

NARROW PUSH-UP
Narrowing the hand placement puts greater emphasis on the triceps muscles and makes the
classic Push-Up more difficult. It is of note that the elbows may point more toward the feet in this
variation.
TRAINER TALK:
Sometimes it is helpful to think about the “eye of the elbow” rotating out in front of you as you
press down into the ground in order to help facilitate the motion.
REP RANGE:
3-4 sets of 20-30.
A narrow grip places

greater emphasis on
the triceps.
Strength Rules 139

FEET ELEVATED PUSH-UP

By elevating your feet, you increase the amount of bodyweight that your chest, shoulders and arms
have to bear. Place your feet on a bench or other stable, elevated surface, with your hands on the
ground. You will feel the difference instantly. The higher your feet, the more difficult the exercise
becomes.
TRAINER TALK:
With this variation in particular, be mindful of the position of your neck. Due to the change in your
body’s angle, it can be visually tempting to lift your chin up and compress the cervical spine. Don’t
take the bait.
REP RANGE:
3-4 sets of 10-30.
140 Strength Rules

ALTERNATIVE GRIP PUSH-UP

Doing Push-Ups on your knuckles or fingertips is a fantastic way to train! Knuckle Push-Ups are
a progression for some and a regression for others. While they increase the range of motion and are
tougher on the hands, they also pose less of a challenge to wrist mobility. Depending on one’s indi-
vidual physical characteristics, this variation can be harder or easier than classic Push-Ups. Life
is funny like that. Fingertip Push-Up are hard work, but believe it or not they have healing powers.
The fact that they work the extensors often proves to be therapeutic for practitioners who do lots of
aggressive gripping on bars and/or suffer some muscle and tendon pain in the forearms. Fingertip
Push-Ups help counter all the grip work. When you reach a point in which you are comfortable
performing Push-Ups on your fingertips, you can start eliminating fingers. Try them with only four,
three, two or even one finger. The Thumb Push-Up is not for the feint of heart!
TRAINER TALK:
Like any Push-Up, in the beginning, it can be helpful to do these Push-Ups on an incline. I recom-
mend a padded surface if you are brand new to them.
REP RANGE:
Sets of 10 is a solid goal, but in the
beginning, just practice one rep at a time
to build of the strength and subtlety.
Feet Elevated
Fingertip Push-Up.
Fingertip, Knuckle and Thumb Push-Ups.
Strength Rules 141

PARALLEL BAR DIP

The Parallel Bar Dip, for my two cents, is the unsung hero of the calisthenics kingdom. It
is a key component in developing true upper body pushing power. Start by gripping the par-
allel bars. Keep your chest up and shoulder blades back. Bend at the elbows and shoulders,
making sure your elbows point out behind you (not flaring out to the sides). Lower yourself
as low as you can in a controlled fashion. Now push yourself back up to starting position.
That is one rep.
142 Strength Rules

TRAINER TALK:
Dips are more challenging than Push-Ups because they remove a primary point of con-
tact—the feet—from the equation, thus putting a larger amount of weight in the arms than a
Push-Up does.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
I recommend 3 sets of 10-15, but like the Push-Up, 30 reps at a time is a powerful base-
line… and harder than it seems!
Strength Rules 143

STAGGERED DIP
Staggered Dips are similar to classic Parallel Bar Dips, except for one crucial difference: They
place one hand is in front of the other. This unique variation targets the upper-body muscles from
numerous angles and can be adjusted infinitely by increasing or decreasing the distance between
your hands. To ensure that both arms are training evenly, be mindful to practice equally on each side.
TRAINER TALK:
For an added challenge, try “walk-
ing” across the bars with your arms.
Just make sure to drop down low
and express the full range of motion.
REP RANGE:
Start with 8-16 reps. Keep it even!
144 Strength Rules

PIKE PUSH-UP
The Pike Push-Up is more loaded than the Wall Pike Push-Up and adds strength training to the
mobility work. The starting position of a Pike Push-Up requires keeping your hips up high and your
hands and feet closer together to each other than you would with a classic Push-Up. With your palms
down and hips up, lower the top of your head to the ground and then press yourself back up. The Pike
Push-Up is the precursor to Handstand Push-Ups.
TRAINER TALK:
Elevating the feet puts more weight into the upper body. The higher the feet, the more weight is
transferred to the shoulders.
REP RANGE:
When you can do multiple sets of 15, it’s time to try Handstand Push-Ups.
The classic Pike Push-up

has both hands and feet
on the ground.
Elevating the feet puts

more weight into the
upper body.
Strength Rules 145

146 Strength Rules

CLASSIC PULL
These are the exercises you can set your watch to. Although there are infinite types of Pull-
Ups, I’ve chosen to include the following due to their diversity and their universal application.
Employing these exercises will affect your lats, arms and abs from numerous angles, providing a
very well-rounded pulling regimen. Additionally, they are all accessible to anyone serious about
their pulling game. Let’s hit the bar!
Strength Rules 147

PULL-UP
The Pull-Up is the king of pulling exercises. Begin by gripping the bar with your arms fully
extended. Overhand or underhand is fine with me; you can also do a “switch” grip, with one hand
over and one under, which employs a bit more core strength to avoid rotation. I recommend starting
with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, but find what works best for you. With a
rigid body and a focused mind, pull yourself up so that your chin clears the bar. Pause. Now lower
yourself back down.
TRAINER TALK:
Keep the motion controlled. Do not swing or use momentum. Some disciplines actually encourage
wavering or “kipping”, but I believe that a solid strength foundation of uncompromised form is nec-
essary before experimenting with these techniques.
REP RANGE:
10 dead hang Pull-Ups is a solid baseline.
Overhand Pull-Ups
emphasize the lats slightly
more than their underhand
counterparts. Underhand Pull-Ups are often
called “Chin-Ups” and demand
more biceps flexion.
148 Strength Rules

INCLINE AUSTRALIAN PULL-UP

Like the starter Australian Pull-Up, the Incline Australian Pull-Up begins in a horizontal rowing
position. Only this time, your feet are placed higher than your shoulders as opposed to lower. You
can use a high bar or a partner to assist. The change in positioning makes it more difficult because,
by elevating your feet, you place more weight into your arms. As always, keep proper posture and
complete body tension. Pull your chest to the bar in a controlled fashion and lower yourself down.
That is one rep.
TRAINER TALK:
We mentioned in the preceding chapter that the Australian Pull-Up is a different movement
pattern than the classic Pull-Up (front to back as opposed to up and down). The Incline Australian
Pull-Up is a spectacular way to increase the resistance.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10 or more is a very fine goal.
Strength Rules 149

PARALLEL GRIP PULL-UP

Parallel Grip Pull-Ups require two high bars set up side by side. The traditional Parallel Grip
Pull-Up has the palms facing one another, with the practitioner hanging in between. From there,
pull yourself all the way up between the bars. Return to starting position.
TRAINER TALK:
Due to the unique hand position, Parallel Bar Pull-Ups tend to put less strain on the shoulder
and elbow of certain individuals. If you experience pain or discomfort with classic Pull-Ups, then
employing the parallel grip may be more appropriate for you.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10 or more.
150 Strength Rules

NARROW PULL-UP
By executing a Pull-Up with your hands closer together, you add emphasis to the biceps and fore-
arms. This exercise is deceptively difficult.
TRAINER TALK:
Many exercises have a “comfort zone”. Narrow Grip Pull-Ups can take you out of that zone.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10 or more.
Strength Rules 151

WIDE PULL-UP
A Pull-Up performed with an extra wide grip recruits more of the latisimus dorsi. Because there is
less of a degree of biceps flexion, the lats must work harder.
TRAINER TALK: REP RANGE:

This is how you get a wide back! 3 sets of 10 or more.
Wide Pull-Ups
give you wings.
152 Strength Rules

Odd Surfaces
Performing Pull-Ups on unconventional surfaces presents a new set of challenges. Besides
that, there are times when a traditional Pull-Up bar is simply unavailable. Different objects work
the biceps, triceps, hands, fingers and forearms in unique ways. Without a round bar from which
to pull, we have to get creative, which is something I love about bodyweight training! As I’m fond
of saying, you just need something to hang from. Have fun!
Strength Rules 153

154 Strength Rules

CLASSIC FLEX, BEND, EXTEND

As our strength and skill levels increase, we need to upgrade the difficulty of the Basic Training
exercises detailed in the last chapter. By changing the length and leverage of the body we increase
the resistance even if our bodyweight remains the same. The exercises become both more chal-
lenging and rewarding.
Strength Rules 155

LEG RAISE
This exercise is just like the Bent Knee Raise, except now we keep our legs fully extended. Begin
by lying on the ground with you hands at your sides, palms down, and your legs together, straight out
and locked at the knee. Now use your abs to flex the body and raise your legs up until they are per-
pendicular to the ground. Maintain control and attention throughout the entire range of motion and
return them to the ground slowly.
TRAINER TALK:
You can progress this exercise by increasing the range of motion. At the top position, raise your
hips straight up in the air for an added challenge.
REP RANGE:
Sets of 15-20 reps is a solid foundation before moving onto advanced abdominal flexion.
156 Strength Rules

HANGING KNEE RAISE

Begin by hanging from the bar. Keeping your legs together, bring your knees up to hip height or
higher. It can be helpful to point your toes slightly in front of you at the bottom range of motion,
rather than straight down, in order to avoid picking up excess momentum.
TRAINER TALK:
Sometimes people start to swing when performing Hanging Knee Raises. Squeeze that bar tight
and take it slowly to help to prevent this.
REP RANGE:
20 consecutive reps is a considered to be a solid baseline.
Strength Rules 157

HANGING KNEE RAISE WITH A TWIST

This exercise is exactly what it sounds like. While performing your Hanging Knee Raise, twist
your knees to your right, slowly and deliberately in a clean, fluid motion. Now return them to the
middle position and lower them down to the starting point. Repeat on the left side.
TRAINER TALK:
This transverse twist recruits the oblique muscles.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10-20 reps.
158 Strength Rules

GECKO HOLD
The Gecko Holds resembles a Plank, but with only one arm and one leg serving as points of con-
tact, thus creating an added stability challenge on the muscles that cross your trunk.
TRAINER TALK:
Gecko Holds can be done with a straight arm, using the hand as a point of contact or on the fore-
arm, which provides more stability, but also puts the abs at a less mechanically advantageous angle.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Start with 30 seconds, but Gecko Holds can ultimately be held for minutes on end.
Strength Rules 159

SUPERMAN
The Superman is performed lying belly-down on the ground, with your arms outstretched over
your head and your legs straight out behind you. Try to keep your elbows and knees locked. From
this position, lift your arms and legs up off the ground by contracting your posterior muscles and
hyper-extending your upper and lower back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and tighten your
glutes. Get your chest off the ground. This is an exercise works the entire backside of the body. The
Superman can be performed for reps or held isometrically. The top position is said to resemble the
Man of Steel when he flies through the air.
TRAINER TALK:
Be careful not to bend your knees when at the top position of a Superman, as it will compromise
the integrity of the exercise.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Go for 10 reps or a 30 second hold.
160 Strength Rules

BACK BRIDGE (AKA WHEEL POSE)

The Back Bridge is the epitome of bodyweight exercise for the posterior chain. Take this move
slowly. Some people require a very long time to develop the necessary mobility from the lumbar
spine and shoulders. Begin by lying on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat. Place your
palms beside your head slightly wider than shoulder width. Now press your feet and hands into the
floor, lifting your hips to form an arc with your body. Try to push your chest forward so that the body
forms as symmetrical of an arch as possible when viewed fro the side.
TRAINER TALK:
Allow your neck and spine to lengthen in order to open up the upper back. Be patient. Even
advanced bridgers may need to warm up for several minutes when training the Back Bridge.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
I like holding a Bridge as an isometric hold. 30 seconds is a good starting point, but it can ulti-
mately be held for minutes on end.
Strength Rules 161

162 Strength Rules

CLASSIC WORKOUTS
The following are basic combinations of the classics. The first one is about as simple and
straight-forward of a bodyweight strength workout as there is. In fact, all of these templates keep
it pretty simple, as there is no need to deviate from the basics.
As these workouts progress, more variations are included in order to challenge you at increased
degrees. That said, we revisit some beginner steps to get the body primed and warm. Again, it is of
note that these workouts are designed to be improvised upon and deviated from as you feel appro-
priate. The rep ranges are mere suggestions.
RK OUT #1
CLASSIC WO
f 20)
Squat (3 sets o
ts of 20)
Push-Up (3 se
s of 5-10)
Pull-Up (3 set
a ise (3 sets of 15-20)
R
Hanging Knee
Strength Rules 163

K OUT #2
IC W O R
CLASS f 1 5 p e r side)
p -U p (3 sets o
Ste
t ( 3 se ts of 20) each)
er S q ua f 1 5-20
Prison s h - U p (2 sets o
u
e/ N arrow P
W id
ip (3 s e ts of 10)
Bar D
Parallel ( 2 set s of 10)
tr a lia n Pull-Up s 5 -10 each)
A u s 2 set
r ro w P ull-Up (
a
Wide/N o f 15-20)
e (3 s e t s
Leg Rais
n ( 3 s e ts of 10)
a
Superm
164 Strength Rules

CLASSIC WORK
OUT #3
Squat (3 sets of 20
)
Side-To-Side Squ
at (3 sets of 20)
Fingertip Push-U
p (2 sets of 10-20)
Knuckle Push-Up
(2 sets of 10-20)
Pike Push-Up (3 se
ts of 10)
Incline Australia
n Pull-Up (2 sets o
f 10)
Parallel Grip Pull
-Up (4 sets of 10)
Hanging Knee Ra
ise With A Twist
(3 sets of 20)
Back Bridge (2-3
holds for 30-60 se
conds)
Strength Rules 165

166 Strength Rules

CHAPTER 12
Like A Boss
(Advanced Moves)
R emember earlier when I said that I was doing classic Push-Ups and Pull-Ups for many
years before training One-Arm variations and Muscle-Ups? Keep that in mind as you
read this chapter. I’m not saying you must take as long as I did. In fact, hopefully you can learn from
my experience and take far less time than I did. But please understand these are serious moves and
there is no overnight mastery. It is important, when progressing, for us to remind ourselves of the
need for a solid foundation. It is also worth noting that not everyone will advance in all planes of
movement at the same rate. If you get a One-Arm Push-Up before a Gecko Bridge, such is life. Be
proud of what you accomplished. Stay the course.
Every exercise contained herein is advanced. Don’t get caught up in seeing things on YouTube and
thinking that everyone in the world is a competitive Street Workout athlete. Far from it. Nurture the
process with respect to the goal. Every single one of these moves is within your reach if you are willing
to give enough time, patience and discipline.
Strength Rules 167

168 Strength Rules

ADVANCED SQUAT
To me, the following advanced single-legged Squats embody everything we strive for in calis-
thenics. Few exercises come close in terms of the required skill and power. One could easily argue
that single-legged Squats are the greatest fusion of strength, mobility and balance in the entire
world of calisthenics. They are a work of art not for the feint of heart.
Strength Rules 169

SHRIMP SQUAT (AKA SKATER SQUAT)

The Shrimp Squat is an advanced version of the Hover Lunge, except it places one of your hands
(or both for advanced Shrimpers) behind you, clasping your rear elevated foot, rather than extended
in front of you. This change in hand position puts more weight on your heel and shifts the balance
against your favor, making the exercise far more difficult. Make sure to train both sides evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
The Shrimp Squat provides a very
deep stretch to the quadriceps and hip
flexors of the rear leg. Take it slowly if
you have flexibility issues.
REP RANGE:
Multiple sets of 5-8 reps is an excel-
lent goal.
You can play around with hand

position to vary the difficulty.
AKA “Prawn Squat”.
170 Strength Rules

HAWAIIAN SQUAT (AKA FIGURE 4 SQUAT)

The Hawaiian Squat is a single leg squat variant in which the non-squatting leg is bent at the knee
and rotated at the hip, with the ankle placed on the thigh of the squatting leg, in a “Figure 4” position.
This creates a unique flexibility challenge.
TRAINER TALK:
Because of the addi-
tional mobility required
by the Hawaiian Squat,
the range of motion is gen-
erally not as great as with
the Pistol Squat. Further,
it can take some time to
open up, so the more you
train, the greater the like-
lihood of increased flexi-
bility.
REP RANGE:
Strength Rules 171

PISTOL SQUAT
The Pistol Squat represents the state-of-the-art of single leg Squat variants. Begin by standing
on your left foot, with your right leg extended straight out on front of you. Place your hands out in
front of you and squeeze them together. (This will help generate tension throughout the body.) In a
controlled manner, bend at the left knee, hip and ankle and lower yourself down. The full expression
of the exercise sees the calf coming into full contact with the back of the thigh at the bottom of the
movement, although employing a partial range of motion can be a helpful step along the way. Train
both sides evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
The hamstring flexibility in the non-squatting leg can
be challenging for some. Make sure to keep the quadriceps
of the forward leg (and every other muscle in the body, for
that matter) actively fired up in order to counter tight ham-
strings and yield maximal results.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10 reps is an excellent goal, but when learning
the move, keep reps low, 3-5 per set.
Bang!
The Sit Down/Stand Up technique

from Basic Training can also be
applied to Pistol Squats.
172 Strength Rules

Advanced Pistol Squat.
The “Wushu” Squat can be considered

a progression to some, yet a
regression to others. In this Pistol
Squat variant, the practitioner clasps
the toes of the extended, forward
leg. It demands greater mobility than
the classic Pistol, so if flexibility is
your weakness, you’re up for a real
challenge. However, the “Wushu” also
creates more tension throughout the
body, increasing stability.
This can be helpful to those who may
be flexible enough, but to who find
raw, muscular strength to be the
biggest obstacle.
Strength Rules 173

174 Strength Rules

ADVANCED PUSH
This section includes some of the most challenging bodyweight pressing exercises out there.
Each and every one of them will not only force you to “push your limits”, but is incredibly import-
ant in regards to pure strength gains. Additionally, they all possess a huge carryover into day-to-
day life.
I’ve included some of my very favorite examples of advanced Push-Ups and Dips, as well as
Handstand Push-Ups. Behold the beasts of upper body strength training. Hellyeah!
Strength Rules 175

PLYO-PUSH-UP
Plyometric Push-Ups are Push-Ups that generate such explosive power that the practitioner
becomes airborne. A key component for creating this force is to push into the ground fast and hard,
almost as if trying to push through the floor.
TRAINER TALK:
If you are new to Plyometric
Push-Ups, be mindful of the impact
on your hands and wrists. Try to
land gently in order to absorb the
impact, rather than just slamming
your hands into the ground.
REP RANGE:
15 or more is respectable.
Examples of Plyometric Push-Ups
176 Strength Rules

ONE-ARM PUSH-UP
Start in a classic Push-Up position, except with your feet slightly apart. This step is crucial, as it
is arguably impossible to keep a totally rigid body with your feet completely together. For a right-
handed Push-Up, pick up your left arm off the ground and bring it to your side. You will need to estab-
lish an extremely tense body, including the non-pushing arm. A great deal off cross tension—right
arm to left foot—is necessary to keep the body steady. Bend at the right shoulder and elbow, lowering
yourself down, making sure to keep your shoulders even and parallel to the ground. When you get to
the bottom, push yourself back up, without “snaking” or wiggling at the hips. Abs and glutes can be
your secret weapon here, as more core strength is required than many people anticipate. You see,
when you eliminate a crucial point of contact (your arm), these other muscles must pick up the slack.
TRAINER TALK:
When pushing up, think about a “corkscrew” motion at the arm. Push into the ground and rotate
the “eye of elbow” out in front of you. The floor won’t move but you will.
REP RANGE:
When practicing for sheer strength and form, keep reps low, in the 2-6 range. Once perfect form is
established, shoot for more.
The classic One-Armer.
One-Arm Push-Ups can be practiced

on an incline to build up strength
until you’re ready for the real thing.
Strength Rules 177

ONE-ARM ONE-LEG PUSH-UP

This is exactly what it sounds like. Start with a standard One-Arm Push-Up, but lift the leg oppo-
site of the non-pushing arm up off of the ground. The One-Arm One-Leg Push-Up is a great example
of how different people advance at different rates. It illustrates how progress in not always linear.
Some individuals may find that elevating the foot makes this exercise mechanically more forgiving
than the standard One-Arm Push-Up, as the body seeks to find a balance using the opposite limbs.
Believe it or not, sometimes the leg naturally feels like it “wants to” sneak up on some people. If that’s
the case for you, then go with it.
TRAINER TALK:
Maintaining a solid core with unbelievable cross tension is key. Even the most advanced Push-Up
practitioners have a tendency “snake” at the hip. Just as we found it was important in the One-Arm
Push-Up to keep tension in the non-pushing arm, when performing a One-Arm One-Leg Push-Up
you will need to keep a great deal of tension in the elevated leg, not to mention your abs, back, glutes
and shoulders.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Keep the reps low, shooting for 1-5 with perfect form.
Progression or regression?
178 Strength Rules

SKULL-CRUSHER
Some of you may be familiar with Skull-Crushers in the weight room. I find that equal or greater
yields can be achieved with bodyweight only. Start in a narrow grip Push-Up position, arms shoul-
der-width apart (or closer), with your hands on an elevated surface. Keep your hands close together
and your elbows pointed down. Bending only at the elbows (not the shoulders), lower your upper body
down until your forehead is between your hands. Pressing from the triceps, push yourself back up.
TRAINER TALK:
The lower the incline, the more challenging
the exercise.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Top and bottom position.
Advanced Variation
(Unfavorable leverage)
Strength Rules 179

STRAIGHT BAR DIP

Straight Bar Dips tend to be more difficult than their parallel bar counterpart. Start at the top posi-
tion of the exercise by gripping a pull-up bar of approximate waist height (or by Muscling-Up onto
a high bar). Your hands should be just outside your waist. While squeezing the bar hard, bend at the
elbows and lower yourself down until your chest comes close to the bar. Keep your elbows pointed
behind you and try not to let them flare out to the sides. Get as low as you can while remaining above
the bar, then press yourself back up. Keep the backs of your hands facing the sky.
TRAINER TALK:
On the way down, you will have to push your chest forward and extend your legs out in front of you
in order to keep yourself balanced around the bar. Unlike when you perform dips on parallel bars,
you cannot go between the bars this time, so maneuvering around the bar is necessary.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10-15.
180 Strength Rules

HINGE DIP (AKA RUSSIAN DIP)

Hinge Dips start out the same as Parallel Bar Dips, but they involve pushing your body back and
placing your forearms directly on the bars at the bottom range of motion. An ungodly amount of
force must be generated to hinge forward and press your body simultaneously. Try to use muscular
control rather than momentum.
TRAINER TALK:
When performing the negative, try to take it as slowly as possible. This will help you get maximum
yields from the exercise.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10-15
Strength Rules 181

PLYO-DIP
These dips require serious explosive power. You will need to generate enough force from the bot-
tom position of the classic Dip to push your body so hard that you come up off of the bars. You want
to get high enough that you can remove your hands from the bars when at the top position. This is an
advanced Dips variation that in not for newbies.
TRAINER TALK:
Plyo-Dips can be surprisingly tough on the hands. Be prepared for impact when your hands return
to the bars.
REP RANGE:
Just take these one at a time. Once you can get to 10 reps, you’re lookin’ real good!
182 Strength Rules

HANDSTAND PUSH-UP
Handstand Push-Ups are Push-Ups that put you in a position which shifts the emphasis from the
chest to the shoulders. (It also puts more weight in your hands.) Begin by kicking up into a handstand
against a wall. Now lower yourself down until the top of your head comes in contact with the ground.
Push yourself back up. Keep the entire body tight the whole time. Avoid flaring out with your elbows
TRAINER TALK:
You can perform this exercise with a narrower grip for addi-
tional triceps emphasis.
REP RANGE:
Aim for 3 sets of 10. It’s harder than it
sounds!
Standard HSPU
Narrow grip for added

triceps emphasis.
Strength Rules 183

184 Strength Rules

ADVANCED PULL
These are hard moves for the hardcore. Every single one of the following exercises requires a
considerable amount of time and effort. It goes without saying that a solid foundation in classic
Pull-Ups is recommended before embarking on these exquisite exercises. I suggest being able to
perform at the very least 10 full dead hang Pull-Ups before advancing onto these bad boys.
As always, be patient with your journey. Advanced Pull-Ups require not only a brutal amount of
raw strength and control, but also a solid core and very fine intra-muscular communication. There
is more subtlety than one might expect. Are you ready to work hard?
Strength Rules 185

BEHIND-THE-NECK PULL-UP
These Pull-Ups generally require a wider grip than the classic. Grab the bar with an overhand grip
and pull the bar behind your head, keeping your abs flexed and your shoulder blades retracted
TRAINER TALK:
People who don’t work out often decry these Behind-The-Neck Pull-Ups as saying they can injure
your neck or shoulders. While I don’t recommend any advanced variations to a complete novice, if
you have strong, healthy shoulders and can do 10 classic Pull-Ups as I suggest, then you have nothing
to fear.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10.
186 Strength Rules

COMMANDO PULL-UP
The Commando Pull-Up is a more advanced version of the Parallel Grip Pull-Up in which you
place your hands one bar, not two. In this variation, due to a smaller footprint (or “handprint”, if
you will), the body must work even harder to avoid twisting. Grab the bar in a parallel “mixed grip”
with your hands close together. Pull yourself up, bar to shoulder, making sure to alternate shoulders
between reps.
TRAINER TALK:
Make sure that you not only alternate which shoulder you pull toward between reps, but also
switch which hand is closer to you between sets.
REP RANGE:
2-4 sets of 10
alternating side
to side.
Strength Rules 187

VAMPIRE PULL-UP
This is also an advanced progression of Parallel Grip Pull-Ups. When you perform
Vampire Pull-Ups, however, you place your hands with your palms facing away from one
another as opposed to toward each other as with the classic Parallel Grip. This will require
bars that are slightly farther apart. The unique grip of a Vampire Pull-Up places a great deal
of extra emphasis on the forearms and lats. The form is said to resemble the hairy-legged
vampire bat, stealthy and steely in its ways.
TRAINER TALK:
Vampire Pull-Ups are phenomenal for strengthening the tendons in the arms, as well as
increasing hand strength.
REP RANGE:
188 Strength Rules

PLYO-PULL-UP
Start just like a standard Pull-Up, but this time, try to yank the bar down as quickly and explosively
as possible. Generate enough power so that you can let go of the bar at the top of the movement.
TRAINER TALK:
Begin by simply trying to take your hands off the bar for just a spilt-second when you get to the top
of the rep. In time, you can work toward more height, maybe even a clap. If you put in enough effort,
you may even be able to clap behind your back! To do so, not only must you give yourself enough air
time away from the bar to allow this additional movement, you will have to work on timing to exe-
cute it smoothly.
REP RANGE:
Shoot for low reps to develop the technique.
Ultimately you can work your way up to 3 sets
of 10.
Strength Rules 189

The Plyo-Pull-Up
190 Strength Rules

MUSCLE-UP
Muscle-Ups are the ultimate bar exercise. They represent the perfect combination of raw strength
and refined technique. And they’re totally bad-ass! Begin with an overhand grip, arms slightly wider
than your shoulders (typically narrower than a Pull-Up grip, however). Keep your hands cocked over
the bar as much as possible with the backs of your hands facing straight up at the sky; this will help
ease the transition from Pull-Up to Straight Bar Dip. In time, this beginning grip may not be neces-
sary, but it is a helpful step when first learning the exercise. Pull the bar as low down on your body
as you can in an explosive fashion. In the beginning, it’s usually necessary to jerk the bar down with
as much speed and force as possible. (Aim to get the bar to your hip, although it will probably wind
up low down on your chest.) At this point, press your chest forward, trying to get it over the bar. It’s
helpful to buck your hips out behind you to assist in this transition. Extending your legs forward can
also be helpful, as you will have to maneuver around the bar to some extent. Quickly, extend your
arms and “dip up” into full extension. It is not unusual for one arm to go over first in beginners. It’s
OK to get a sloppy one first and clean it up over time.
TRAINER TALK:
Muscle-Ups are gener-
ally easier to learn with an
shoulder-width overhand
grip, but in time can be exe-
cuted with a switch grip,
underhand, even a close
grip. The sky is the limit!
REP RANGE:
Go for one or two at a time,
as the second muscle-up in
succession can sometimes
come easier than the first if
you are new to this exercise.
10 in a row is an excellent
goal.
Strength Rules 191

Muscle-Ups Deconstructed
These movement patterns constitute the almighty Muscle-Up. I broke it down into four parts
and tried to keep each description as terse and concise as possible. It must be noted that the
basic Muscle-Up goes by very quickly (although they can be slowed down over time by advanced
practitioners). No amount of brevity in the written word can communicate how quickly and
closely these movements are linked. Ultimately, the following steps are really meant to go by in
one fluid motion.
1. It all starts with an 2. Push your chest over the

explosive pull. Jerk the bar bar and bring your elbows
down as low as possible, as high above the bar as
with as much speed and you can. Push your hips out
force as you can muster up. behind you, extending your
Practicing this movement legs in front of you so they
pattern alone is a viable act as a counterweight.
step in its own right.
3. Press the bar low down

on your body, raising your-
self above the bar. Extend
your arms like a Straight
Bar Dip, and maneuver the 4. Continue extending your
bar from your chest down arms and raise your chest
to your waist. The bar up. Congratulations! You
won’t move but you will. just did a Muscle-Up!
192 Strength Rules

PLYO-MUSCLE-UP
As we’ve discussed, a plyometric exercise is any explosive movement where we get some air at the
top and eliminate all points of contact. Plyo-Muscle-Ups are no exception. In order to perform this
exercise, you must exaggerate the final pressing phase and remove your hands from the bar at the top
of the motion. Like Plyo-Pull-Ups, in the beginning, you will only be able to remove your hands for
just a moment. Over the course of time, and with more practice, you can get your hands higher and
higher, for longer and longer. It should be understood that one would have a solid foundation in clas-
sic Muscle-Ups before attempting plyo’s.
TRAINER TALK:
Technique is important.
Really get explosive on the press
out, while at the same time,
aggressively lifting your hips
away from the bar. These subtle
methods will facilitate the possi-
bility of lifting your body higher,
giving you more air time. This
will allow you to remove your
hands from the bar for a lon-
ger period of time, resulting in a
greater range of motion.
REP RANGE:
Any quantity of this exercise
is excellent. 3-5 reps is a realis-
tic goal.
Strength Rules 193

194 Strength Rules

ADVANCED FLEX,
BEND, EXTEND
The following exercises require a certain degree of strength and balance, and put even the most
advanced bodyweight warriors to the test. Each one of them takes a classic movement and brings
it that much further, to insure the greatest gains possible from every repetition or static hold. As is
the case with all the exercises in these pages, some will come easier (or at least less difficult) than
others. Stay hungry and focused.
LOOK! I’m on TV!
Strength Rules 195

SHINS-TO-BAR
Start by hanging from the bar with your legs straight and your knees locked. Contract your body
and raise your legs, bringing your shins all the way to the bar, between your hands. Lower them back
to staring position with control
TRAINER TALK:
A certain degree of upper body pulling is also involved. It can be helpful to envision pushing the
bar down toward your shins as you raise your shins to the bar.
REP RANGE:
6-10 reps is a solid goal.
196 Strength Rules

HANGING LEG RAISE WITH A TWIST (AKA

WINDSHIELD WIPER)
Perform your Shins-To-Bar exercise, except this time bring your legs to the “10:00” position
instead of straight up the middle. Return to the starting position. Now raise them to the “2:00” posi-
tion. Train both sides evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
A great variation of this exercise is the Windshield Wiper, in which you rotate at the trunk from
the “10:00” to “2:00” position and back repeatedly, without pausing at the starting position. Hell, you
can even go from the “9:00”
to the “3:00”.
REP RANGE:
3 sets of 10 (5 per side) is
a solid goal.
Strength Rules 197

HYPER-SUPERMAN
The Hyper-Superman resembles the classic Superman, except that it is performed lying bel-
ly-down on a bench (not the ground), while actively gripping it. Keep only your upper body on the
bench, with your legs extended behind you off of the bench. By employing the bench, you can use
your entire upper body to “pull” the bench into you, generating more power and tension throughout
the body, increasing the work load and helping to facilitate a greater motion from the lower back,
glutes and hamstrings. The Hyper-Superman can be performed for reps or held isometrically.
TRAINER TALK:
If you find your knees bending at the top position, mentally focus on keeping your quadriceps
flexed.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Go for 10 reps or a 30 second hold.
198 Strength Rules

ELBOW LEVER
The Elbow Lever involves balancing your body on your hands in a horizontal plane, while lever-
aging off of your own elbows. It may be helpful to think of it like a Superman, except with your hands
being the only point of contact between you and your environment (as opposed to your upper body),
hence the balancing component. Start by rotating your elbows in medially, as far as possible, as you
will need to rest against them. Depending on your specific anatomy, your elbows may align with your
abdomen, your hip bones or somewhere in between. Place your palms flat on the ground (or off of a
bench or other elevated object). From there, retract shoulder blades and tighten your abs. Now lean
in, pitching your upper body forward while lifting your chest and opening your elbows to about 120
degrees Extend your back, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. Beginners often underestimate
how much lower back strength is required.
TRAINER TALK:
Levering off of an elevated surface has its advantages when learning this move. First, it allows you
to squeeze your hands tightly, helping to establish tension. Additionally, the distance off the ground
allows room to dangle your feet and establish the balance, before extending the body completely.
REP RANGE/DURATION:
Start by holding for just a few seconds. 30 seconds or more is a respectable goal.
Strength Rules 199

GECKO BRIDGE
The Gecko Bridge refers to a 1-Arm/1-Leg Bridge variant. It requires extraordinary strength and
balance. Start in the classic Bridge position and slowly pick up one hand. Now gently pick the oppo-
site foot off the ground, keeping tension diagonally across the supporting limbs. It takes time, dedi-
cation and patience.
TRAINER TALK:
Advanced practitioners can even remove an arm and leg from the same side!
REP RANGE/DURATION:
At first just a few seconds is fantastic. 20 seconds is very good. Advanced practitioners can hold it
for longer.
Traditional.
200 Strength Rules

Advanced.
Strength Rules 201

202 Strength Rules

ADVANCED WORKOUTS
Each of the following workouts is a bad-ass, full-body beast. Switch them up, mix and match,
have some fun.
Like the previous workouts, I recommend really rehearsing each individual exercise to the
point of ownership prior to embarking on any of these particular workouts. We stick mostly with
advanced moves here, but there are also some earlier progressions included in order to get the
body primed. Again, the rep ranges are only recommendations. At the end of the day, you are the
one who is best qualified to deter-
mine what is right for you.
ADVANCED WORKOUT #1 Let’s kill it.
Squat (2 sets of 20)
Pistol Squat (3 sets of 5-10 per leg)
Push-Up (1 set to warm up)
One-Arm Push-Up
(Multiple sets of 3-5 each arm)
Pull-Up (1 set to warm up)
Commando Pull-Up (3-4 sets of 8)
Staggered Dip (2 sets of 20)
Shins-To-Bar (3 sets of 10)
Strength Rules 203

KOUT #2
ED W O R
C
ADVAN
ts of 20)
Squat (2 se
f 5 - 10 per leg)
S q u at (3 sets o
Shrimp w a rm up)
(1 se t t o
Push-Up g Pu s h-Up
One- L e
One-Arm p s p e r arm)
le se t s of 3-5 re
(Multip )
D i p (4 sets of 5 et s of 10)
Hi n ge (3 s
- N e ck Pull-Up
The
Behind-
p (5 se ts of 5) se conds)
le - U 6 0
Musc
-3 h o ld s for 30-
ever (2
Elbow L
204 Strength Rules

ADVANCED WO
RKOUT #3
Side-To-Side Squ
at (3 sets of 20)
Hawaiian Squat (3
sets of 10 per leg)
Advanced Pistol S
quat, Hands Behin
d Back
(3 sets of 2 per leg
)
Skull-Crusher (3
sets of 10)
Plyo-Push-Up (3-4
sets of 10-20)
Handstand Push-U
p (3 sets of 5-10)
Pull-Up (1 set to w
arm up)
Plyo-Pull-Up (2 se
ts of 10)
Plyo-Muscle-Up (5
sets of 5)
Shins-To-Bar Wit
h a Twist
(3 sets of 10, altern
ating sides within
Gecko Bridge (2-3 sets)
holds for 20-30 se
conds)
Strength Rules 205

206 Strength Rules

CHAPTER 13
Stretch It Out
F lexibility is a big part of training and, ultimately, getting strong. When our mobility is limited,
so is the range of motion of our exercises. In fact, lack of mobility can also reduce the number
of exercises we are capable of performing in the first place, giving us less of a proverbial “toolbox” from
which to choose from when we design our workouts. For these reasons, both the quality and quantity of
our exercises are at stake if your flexibility is lacking. Simply put, being flexible helps make you stronger.
People often ask me “Danny, should I stretch before or after my workout?” My answer is typically
the same: “I stretch before, during and after my workout.” Do what feels right. Certain specified athletic
training may demand some adjustment to my blanket statement, but this book is about getting strong,
not about any sport-specific performance.
On that note, a lot of people in the strength world are quick to dismiss stretching as unnecessary at
best and a waste of time at worst. Not me! I say stretch it out, baby!
These are a few of my favorite stretches. I do all of them just about every time I train, frequently and
consistently. Check them out. Experiment and see what works best for you.
Strength Rules 207

STANDING HAMS
Stand up. Put one heel up on a bench or other elevated surface. Lean forward toward your elevated
toes, with your knee locked out and your leg fully extended. Take it slowly and lean in as far as you
can. Try to hold this position for thirty seconds. You will see your range of motion increase over time.
Repeat on the other side.
TRAINER TALK:
Make sure to keep your hips even and level with each other. Oftentimes, the hip of the extended
leg moves in front of the body. Don’t let that happen, as it will take away from the stretch.
208 Strength Rules

GROUNDED HAMS
Start at the bottom of a deep down squat. Keep your muscles relaxed. Extend your left leg out com-
pletely. You should start to feel the stretch in your hamstring already. Now, lean in and touch the left
foot with your left hand. For a deeper stretch, twist further and touch the left foot with your right
hand. Repeat on the other side.
TRAINER TALK:
Take your time with this one. You’d be surprised. After 15-20 seconds you’ll be able to get deeper
and deeper into the stretch.
Make sure to stretch both your

left and right sides.
Strength Rules 209

STANDING QUADS
Stand up straight. Bend at the left knee and grab your ankle. Really press deep and exaggerate the
knee bend to feel the stretch deep in the quadriceps. Keep your knees together. Return your foot to
the ground and repeat on the other side.
TRAINER TALK:
You can increase the bend to include the hip. This will target the hip flexors in addition to the
quadriceps.
Quads and flexors.
Quads.
210 Strength Rules

CHEST & SHOULDERS

Stand up and place your right arm straight out, bent 90 degrees at the elbow so that your forearm
is perpendicular to the ground. Place your forearm against a wall or pole, pressing it against the sur-
face and rotate your body away. This will target the chest and shoulder with emphasis on the chest.
Repeat on the other side.
TRAINER TALK:
You can repeat the exercise, keeping your arm straight, without bending at the elbow. This will
target the chest and shoulder with emphasis on the shoulder.
Emphasis on the chest. Emphasis on the shoulder.
Strength Rules 211

PASSIVE HANG
Grab a pull-up bar (or doorframe or tree) and hang. That’s it. This is a relaxed hang (unlike the
active Bar Hang in the Starter Pull section). Do not keep your shoulders packed and you scapula
retracted. The idea is to let your spine elongate and your lats and shoulders loosen up. Even your hip
sockets will feel this one. Ahhhhh.
TRAINER TALK:
Hanging is hardwired in our DNA. Children instinctually do it from as soon as they’re old enough.
All primates do.
212 Strength Rules

LATS ‘N’ LEGS

Find a bar about waist height. Cross your arms and place your hands on the bar. Drop down into
a deep squat and lean back. Feel the stretch in your lats, low back, hips and legs. Rock side to side,
backwards and forward.
TRAINER TALK:
Switch which hand is crossed over on top, to facilitate stretching evenly on both sides.
Strength Rules 213

ABDOMINAL ANIMAL (AKA UPDOG)

Start in the top of a Push-Up position and lower your hips to the ground, making sure to keep your
shoulders from shrugging. This will stretch out the entire anterior chain, particularly the abs. Press
your hands down and push your chest up.
TRAINER TALK:
If keeping your arms fully extended places too much pressure on your lower back, bending at the
elbows will help alleviate it.
214 Strength Rules

TRANSVERSE TWIST
From a low, close squat position, twist
your trunk to the left, placing your right
arm against your left knee. Turn your
head to the left too. You will feel the
stretch in the abs, lower back and shoul-
ders. Make sure to do the other side so
you stretch evenly.
TRAINER TALK:
Keeping your chest up and the palm on
the side to which you’re twisting flat on
the ground will help you maintain stabil-
ity and ultimately deepen the stretch.
CHILD’S POSE
Kneel on the ground with your feet close together and your knees spread apart. Lean forward,
extend your arms overhead and place your palms on the ground. Reach your hands away from your
head as you press your butt toward your feet; imagine pushing your chest down toward your knees.
You will feel this opening the shoulders, hips and back.
TRAINER TALK:
Try to gently drive your
chest between your knees.
This will push your palm fur-
ther against the ground and
increase the stretch in the
shoulders and hips.
Strength Rules 215

216 Strength Rules

Strength Rules 217

218 Strength Rules

1
With Liberty
And Fitness
For All
T hese pages do not contain “fitness for bodybuilders”, “fitness for models” or “fitness for
athletes”. This is not for any exclusive or particular niche. This is fitness for all of us,
baby. Right here, right now. We’re all cut from the same cloth.
Every man, woman and child on this great planet can stand to be a little stronger, wiser and more
resilient—to possess a higher aptitude for strength in all its forms. And all you need to do it is you.
As we’ve seen, the elements of strength comprise more than mere physicality. Mental, emotional
and spiritual endowment are all part of the program. Train hard, eat good food, be honest with your-
self and kind to others. Harbor peace and positivity. Love freely. Life is short; enjoy it while you can.
Yes, sacrifice is sometimes necessary and there are times in this journey where we must embrace
the unpleasant (even the unbearable) and plod forward with focus and conviction in spite of our cir-
cumstances. Just be leery of sacrificing too much or too often.
Strength Rules 219

THE LONG, NAKED RIDE HOME

Life is complicated. Those who know me personally are aware that I make it a point to wear my
heart on my sleeve. Honesty is the best policy and I have nothing to hide. Just prior to the writing of
this book, a ten-year relationship with the woman I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with ended.
Fast.
Things change. I’ve never needed strength more than I have this past year. I went from being a
family man to a full-time single dad. I had to be strong for myself, but even more so, for my son.
This change has been the most difficult obstacle of my life, but the truth is, I’m better for it. That’s
right, not in spite of it, but because of it. I am more empathetic, more forgiving, more compassionate,
less selfish. In a word: “Stronger”.
When you’re down in a hole, you

must embrace the unbearable.
220 Strength Rules

Yes, in my darkest hours, I suffer from despair as

much as anyone. As a guy who’s generally known for
positivity, I can be my own worst nightmare. Life is
not always black and white. The mind is not rational.
Emotions, by their very nature defy logic. I am aware
that at times I am a walking contradiction. We all
are. But regardless of what changes occur, we must
be strong and grow. Despite having less free time
than I’ve ever had in my life, I still find the time to
train. If I can do it, so can you!
Make time to work out; make time to love and to

be around the ones you love. No matter what our
individual circumstances are, we all have the same
24 hours in each day. Use them wisely. Give what
you got, to yourself and others.
At the end of the day, when the red hot sun sets
in the dark, midnight sky, there is something to be
gained from every situation, even if it doesn’t feel so
at the time.
Things change.
Mind your head and your heart. Embrace the
change.
On Doubt
We are all overcome with irrational emotions from time to time. Everyone on this earth has been
subject to fears, wild thoughts and terrifying prospects. Yes, we all have doubts.
I’ve never cared for the phrase “No Doubt” because I do not believe in suppressing anything that
clearly exists. I am convinced that it’s much more conducive to life to confront your doubt. Question
it. Expose it for the fraud it often is, rather than run away.
Regarding doubt, poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote: “Ask it, whenever it wants to spoil something
for you, why something is ugly, demand proofs from it, test it, and you will find it perplexed and
embarrassed, or perhaps rebellious. But don’t give in.”
When you challenge your doubt, it has to justify its existence. Don’t submit to it. Look your
doubt in the eye and tell it “You ain’t shit!” Set yourself free from this irrational oppressor.
Strength Rules 221

WHERE DO WE GO NOW?
As for calisthenics training, do it because you love it. Train because it feels good to get strong.
The purity of maneuvering around your environment without the distractions of superfluous gear
and gadgets is rewarding unto itself. Bodyweight training is an art form with direct physical and
emotional benefits. Train for the high, the freedom from mental oppression and the brother- and
sister-hood of the Progressive Calisthenics community.
If you don’t love it, then find a modality you do love. Run, swim, lift. Bodyweight strength training
is my passion. Find yours. Movement is movement and I encourage all exercise! If you are “one of
us” then I hope to see you at a Progressive Calisthenics Certification sometime down the road. After
all, you only live once. Let’s get strong, my friends! Carpe the hell outta this diem!
222 Strength Rules

Carpe the hell outta this diem!
Strength Rules 223

224 Strength Rules

A b o u t T he A u thor
D anny Kavadlo is one of the world’s leading authorities on calisthenics, nutrition and per-
sonal training. He is known globally for his minimalist philosophy, feats of strength and
motivational gifts..
Mr. Kavadlo is the author the #1 Best-Seller

DIAMOND-CUT ABS and the critically
acclaimed cult classic EVERYBODY NEEDS
TRAINING. Danny has been featured in the
New York Times, Men’s Fitness and is a
regular contributor to TRAIN magazine and
Bodybuilding.com.
Danny lives in Brooklyn, NY with his son,

Wilson and their dog, Rex. They enjoy food,
music and going to the beach. Life is good.
Strength Rules 225

226 Strength Rules

N ote s F ro m T he U nder g ro u nd
To my son Wilson: You are my heart, my soul, my flesh and blood.

You are the best pal I ever had and the brightest light that shines in my
universe. This past year has brought us even closer (I didn’t know it was
possible!) I’m the luckiest person who ever lived.
My brother Al: It’s a blessing to be Bonham to your Plant, a privilege to be

“The Anvil” to your “Hitman”, an honor to be Pinky to your Brain.
Let’s take over the world!
To Rosalie and Carl Kavadlo, you guys have given me more strength than
anybody. No matter what words I choose, I can never thank you enough
for all you’ve done and continue to do for me.
To John Du Cane, the fitness industry’s greatest revolutionary, the

facilitator of greatness himself, the OG of PCC and a man I am proud to
call a friend: thanks for believing in me. I’m so lucky to have met you.
Paul Wade: None of this would be here without you, Coach! Your wisdom,
knowledge and humility continue to inspire me every single day.
Thanks my friend. I’d love to shake your hand.
My friend and colleague Adrienne Harvey, thank you for your generous
contributions to this book. Progressive Calisthenics would not be the
same without you.
To visual genius Derek Brigham, once again thanks for making my writing
look good. You’re creativity and brilliance are unparalleled.
To my best friends Mike Anderson and Matthew Mangiaracina (AKA The

Kid): I love you guys forever and I’m so glad you’re still in my world.
It feels like ten lifetimes. Has it been?
Tremendous gratitude to Randy Schustal for your supreme wisdom

and amazing guidance through one of the most difficult (and important)
times of my life. You’re the best!
Strength Rules 227

Mad Love & Special Thanks To The Following:

Beth Andrews, Jack Arnow, Rob Avellan, Rekha Ayalur, Matt Beecroft, Eric &
Beth Bergmann, Martjin Bos, Jeff Bodnar, Paul Britt, Jasmine Brooks, Giorgio Capriata,
Edward Checo, Logan Christopher, David Colon, Dana Conte, George Corso, Tony Ebanks,
Zach Even-Esh, Mike Fitch, Nader Freij, John Gaczewski, BJ Gaddour, Angelo Gala,
Marty Gallagher, Chris Garay, Liz Gilbert, Steven Graves, Micke Haggstrom,
Adrian Harrington, Roger Herr, Steve Hitzone, Fredrik Hogstrom, Steve “Coach Fury”
Holiner, Ryan Hopkins, Tanner Hubscher, Stephen Hughes-Landers, Randy Humola,
Dan John, Kelly Jo Johnson, Nick Kenon, Tom Legath, Ronnie Love (Aka Zoolander),
Steven Low, Andi Lutz, Errick McAdams, James McConnell, Albert Matheny,
Grace Menendez, Robert Alexander Miller, Hannah Mirwald, Jose Mota, Josh Murphy,
Juanjo Nejara, Peter Ngo, Joel Omansky, Alby Owens, Johan Ottosson, Arlene Patruno,
Jose Perez, Katie Petersen, Michael Polito, Moritz Rammensee, Anders Randin, Eric Reyelt,
Robert Rimoczi, Adam Von Rothfelder, Lyall Rowan, Andrew Read, Elena Recinos,
Rick Richards, Laura Robertson, Raul Robinson, Trainer Steven Rowe, Rosally Sapla,
Shannon Scullin, Rob Severiano, Maria Simone, Andrew Speer, Mike Spiegel, Robby Taylor,
Jessica Viglotti, Annie Vo, Stacey Walder, Benji Williford,
Jennie Willink, Mike Wilson, Robb Wolf & Chunhua Yang.
228 Strength Rules

I am indebted to all my friends, family and followers from around the world.
Thank you for believing in me.
I am truly blessed to be part of the Progressive Calisthenics movement.
Thanks to everyone who has ever read one word I’ve written or had anything to say
(good or bad) about anything I’ve ever done.
Keep on spreading the word! I’d also like to give a shout out to every trainer—
and every soul--who promotes fitness, focus and positivity.
Stay strong! I am grateful to you all. HELLYEAH!
Keep The Dream Alive, My Friends!
Strength Rules 229

230 Strength Rules

I nde x of E x erci s e s
Abdominal Animal Stretch...................................... 214 Parallel Grip Pull-Up.................................................. 150
Advanced Pistol Squat............................................... 173 Passive Hang................................................................. 212
Alternative Grip Push-Up.........................................141 Pike Push-Up................................................................ 145
Australian Pull-Up...................................................... 104 Pistol Squat................................................................... 172
Back Bridge.....................................................................161 Plank.................................................................................113
Bar Hang (Active)........................................................ 106 Plyo-Dip.......................................................................... 182
Behind-The-Neck Pull-Up....................................... 186 Plyo-Muscle-Up........................................................... 193
Bench Dip....................................................................... 100 Plyo-Pull-Up................................................................. 189
Bent Knee Raise ...........................................................110 Plyo-Push-Up............................................................... 176
Bodyweight Row.......................................................... 104 Prisoner Squat.............................................................. 127
Bulgarian Split Squat................................................. 129 Pull-Up ........................................................................... 148
Chest & Shoulders Stretch........................................211 Push-Up.......................................................................... 136
Child’s Pose................................................................... 215 Reverse Plank................................................................116
Commando Pull-Up.................................................... 187 Russian Dip....................................................................181
Crossover........................................................................112 Shins-To-Bar ............................................................... 196
Elbow Lever .................................................................. 199 Shrimp Squat................................................................ 170
Feet Apart Push-Up...................................................... 98 Side Plank.......................................................................114
Feet Elevated Push-Up.............................................. 140 Side To Side Squat...................................................... 132
Figure 4 Squat...............................................................171 Sit Down/Stand Up ...................................................... 90
Fingertip Push-Up.......................................................141 Sit-Up............................................................................... 111
Flex Hang....................................................................... 107 Skater Squat.................................................................. 170
Gecko Bridge.................................................................200 Skull-Crusher............................................................... 179
Gecko Hold.................................................................... 159 Split Squat........................................................................ 93
Grounded Hams Stretch...........................................209 Squat (Full Range Of Motion)................................. 126
Handstand Push-Up................................................... 183 Squat (Partial Range Of Motion)..............................91
Hanging Knee Raise................................................... 157 Staggered Dip................................................................ 144
Hanging Knee Raise With A Twist........................ 158 Standing Hams Stretch.............................................208
Hanging Leg Raise With A Twist........................... 197 Standing Quads Stretch............................................ 210
Hawaiian Squat.............................................................171 Stationary Lunge........................................................... 93
Hinge Dip........................................................................181 Step-Up............................................................................. 92
Hover Lunge.................................................................. 130 Straight Arm Plank......................................................114
Hyper-Superman......................................................... 198 Straight Bar Dip........................................................... 180
Incline Australian Pull-Up....................................... 149 Straight Bridge..............................................................116
Incline Push-Up..............................................................97 Superman....................................................................... 160
Jump Squat.....................................................................131 Table Top Bridge..........................................................115
Knee Push-Up ................................................................ 96 Thumb Push-Up...........................................................141
Knuckle Push-Up.........................................................141 Transverse Twist........................................................ 215
Lats ‘n’ Legs Stretch................................................... 213 Updog.............................................................................. 214
Leg Raise........................................................................ 156 Walking Lunge............................................................. 128
Muscle-Up......................................................................191 Wall Pike Push-Up.......................................................101
Narrow Pull-Up............................................................151 Wheel Pose.....................................................................161
Narrow Push-Up......................................................... 139 Wide Pull-Up................................................................ 152
Odd Surface Pull-Up.................................................. 153 Wide Push-Up.............................................................. 138
One-Arm One-Leg Push-Up.................................... 178 Windshield Wiper....................................................... 197
One-Arm Push-Up...................................................... 177 Wushu Squat................................................................. 173
Parallel Bar Dip............................................................ 142 Vampire Pull-Up.......................................................... 188
Strength Rules 231

232 Strength Rules

Are You Dissatisfied

With Your Abs?
“Diamond-Cut Abs condenses decades of agonizing lessons and
insight into the best book on ab-training ever written. Hands down.”
—PAUL WADE, author of Convict Conditioning
A
re you dissatisfied with your abs? Does it seem a distant dream cut instructions on what to do, when. Supply the grit, follow the program and
for you to own a rock-solid center? Can you only hanker in vain you simply cannot fail but to build a monstrous mid-section.
for the chiseled magnificence of a Greek statue? Have you given In our culture, Abs are the Measure of a Man. To quit on your abs is to quit
up on owning the tensile functionality and explosive power of a on your masculinity—like it or not. Diamond-Cut Abs gives you the com-
cage-fighter’s core? plete, whole-life program you need to reassert yourself and reestablish your
According to Danny Kavadlo, training your abs is a whole-life endeavor. respect as a true physical specimen—with a thunderous six-pack to prove it.
It’s about right eating, right drinking, right rest, right practice, right exercise
at the right time, right motivation, right inspiration, right attitude and right
lifestyle. If you don’t have that righteous set of abs in place, it’s because you
Are You Dissatisfied With Your Abs?
have failed in one or more of these areas. In the Abs Gospel According to Danny, training your abs is a whole-life
endeavor. It’s about right eating, right drinking, right rest, right practice, right
With his 25-plus years of rugged research and extreme physical dedica- exercise at the right time, right motivation, right inspiration, right attitude
tion into every dimension of what it takes to earn world-class abs, Danny and right lifestyle.
Kavadlo is a modern-day master of the
art. It’s all here: over 50 of the best- So, yes, all of this Rightness gets covered in Diamond-Cut Abs. But let’s
ever exercises to develop the abs—from not confuse Right with Rigid. Apprentice in the Danny School of Abs and
beginner to superman level—inspi- it’s like apprenticing with a world-class Chef—a mix of incredible discipline,
rational photos, no BS straight talk on inspired creativity and a passionate love-affair with your art.
nutrition and lifestyle factors and clear-
“Danny has done it again! Diamond-Cut Abs is a “There are a lot of abs books and products promising
no-nonsense, results driven approach that deliv- a six-pack. What sets Danny’s book apart is the
ers all the goods on abs. Nutrition, training and realistic and reasonable first section of the book… His
progression are all included, tattoos optional!”— insights into nutrition are so simple and sound, there
ROBB WOLF, author of The Paleo Solution is a moment you wish this book was a stand alone
dieting book.”—DAN JOHN, author of Never Let Go
Diamond-Cut Abs
How to Engineer the Ultimate
Six-Pack—Minimalist
Methods for Maximum Results
By Danny Kavadlo
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m Here’s a Taste of What You’ll Get When You Invest in Diamond-Cut Abs m
Part I An Abs Odyssey • Why you need FAR less protein in your
diet…44
Chapter 1 Cultural Obsession
• Why there is no one-size-fits-all program
for training your abs…3 Chapter 6 Weighing in
• Danny’s big promise: why you will get ev- on Weight Loss
erything you need to know about sculpting • The 3 major keys to successful fat reduc-
and maintaining amazingly defined and tion…48
beautiful abs…4 • How to shed body fat now…48
• Why a food’s fat content has no bearing on
Chapter 2 Abs Defined whether it will fatten you…49
• You cannot fake the funk—getting clear • Why you should ignore the BMI…50
about what it’ll take to Man up and earn • The role of sacrifice in obtaining ripped
that six-pack of your dreams…11 abs…50
• The What of the What: basic anatomy and
function: know your abs-tech details so you Chapter 7 What I Eat
know what you are working on…12—15 • The secret of “mostly”…54
• What the core really consists of…it’s more • For the love and care of food…54
than most people think…15 Chapter 13 On Cardio • How to have complete body awareness
• Danny’s 3-Day sample food log…56—57
• The limitations of cardio for abs training— through progressive, isometric tens-
ing…116
Chapter 3 Personal Obsession Chapter 8 The Fat and what you should do instead…93—97
• The Plank…117
• The extreme value of push-ups and pull-
ups for Danny-like abs…18
and the Curious Part IV The Exercises • The Side Plank—to emphasize the obliques
• The 4 Steps of the Beginner’s Cleanse…60 and lateral chain…119
• Danny Obsessed: 300 reps, 5 days a week • Each drill comes with explanatory text,
for 10 years = close on 8 million reps!—yet • Fruit n Veggie Cleanse—optimal duration recommended set/rep range plus a special- • Lying Bent Knee leg Raise…120
Danny’s functionally stronger and aesthet- of…61 ized Trainer Tip • Lying Knee Tuck…121
ically more appealing NOW with WAY less • Juice Fast…62 • Sit-Up…122
reps. Discover why…19 • The 7-Day Plan—Fruit n Veggie/Juice • Modified Side Jackknife—to help begin-
• Danny’s personal mission for you: distin- fast…62 Chapter 14 Danny, ners target their obliques…123
guish the fitness BS from the hype…21 • Danny’s 4 favorite juices…63 What Do You Do? • Crossover…124
• Why protein supplements are a waste of • The True Fast…63 • Danny’s 50+ best abs and abs-related
• Bicycle…125
money…21 training exercises…101
• The Absolute Fast…64 • Straight Arm/Straight Leg Crossover…126
• 4 big tips for safe and successful fasting…64 • V-Leg Toe Touch…127
Part II Nutritional Musings Chapter 15 Core Curriculum • Why No Crunches?—And the #1 reason
Chapter 4 Primordial Soup • Crucial exercises for overall gains…105
Chapter 9 More Food for Thought not to bother with them...127
• How to bring back the joy to your fit- • How to perform the perfect squat—the
• The perils of genetically and chemically
ness-nutrition program…28 most functional exercise on the planet…105
compromised foods…67—69
• How to perform the perfect push-up—the
Chapter 17 Intermediate Abs
• Why you need to develop and maintain • How to avoid toxins in your food…69 • Unstable Plank—a fun way to add an extra
a love affair with food—if you want that ultimate upper-body exercise…108
• Food’s most powerful secret ingredient…69 challenge to he traditional isometric
manly six-pack… • How to perform the perfect pull-
standard… 130
up…111—112
Chapter 10 Top Tips • Seated Knee Raise—the missing link
Chapter 5 Common Sense Versus for Tip Top Abs
between floor-based and bar-based abs
Over-compartmentalization Chapter 16 Beginner Abs training…131
• Why water is SO important for your abs…72 • Full Body Tension Drill…116
• Why what we eat is single most important
decision we can make about our abs…31
• Why Danny’s Dietary Advice has proved
Part III Training Your Abs
100% effective for those who have followed Chapter 11 Make an
it…33 Executive Decision “As soon as I received Diamond-Cut Abs, I flipped to the table of
• The 3 golden keys you must consider contents. Amazingly I found what I have been fruitlessly looking for
• Why and how your abs training should be
when choosing the right foods to feed your like a martial art …79 in ab books for decades: 66 pages dedicated to NUTRITION. Kavadlo
abs…35 passed his second Marty audition by not echoing all the bankrupt
• Why you should eat THESE fats every day politically-correct, lock-step, mainstream nutritional command-
for great abs…36
Chapter 12 Fundamentals of ments. When Dan starts riffing about eating like a horse, eating
• Why sugar is the #1 nutritional enemy of
Abdominal Strength Training ample amounts of red meat, shellfish and the divine pig meat (along
defined abs…37 • The 10 Principles you must follow for every with all kinds any types of nutrient-dense food), I knew I had to give
rep of every exercise…83—89
• Why Danny’s abs were at an all-time my first ever ab book endorsement. When he noted that he drank
best after 90 days without THESE two • THIS principle makes you stronger, more whiskey while getting his abs into his all time best shape, it sealed
nutrients…39 shredded and more anatomically aware…83
the deal for me. Oh, and the ab exercises are excellent.”
• Why you should eat organ meat, for an • THE #1 Principle you’ll need to employ for —MARTY GALLAGHER, 3-Time Powerlifting Champion, Author of
extra edge in your abs training…42 spectacular abs…91
The Purposeful Primitive
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“Danny’s new book definitely hits “Danny flexes his expert advice in
the mark. Diamond-Cut Abs outlines a way that’s solid, applicable and
pretty much everything you’d ever often entertaining. If you want the
need to know about building the best abs of your dreams, stop looking
midsection your genetic potential for the quick solution everyone
allows for and without the need for claims to have and get ready to
any equipment. Keep up the great learn how to maximize your ef-
work, Danny!”—BJ GADDOUR, CSCS, forts towards your very own set of
author of Men’s Health Your Body is Diamond-Cut Abs.”—MIKE FITCH,
Your Barbell, CEO of StreamFIT.com creator of Global Bodyweight
Training
• The N-Sit—an iso that helps set you up for

the L-Sit…132 • Here’s another old school classic that with the GH…149 •F
ront Lever—this one tops the Manometer
• Jackknife—a fighter’s favorite and a most should be part of any serious practitioner’s • Ab Wheel Roll Out (Straight Leg)—in- for sure. A masterful and utterly unforgiv-
excellent motha for firing up those deeper arsenal. The explosivity will have your credibly challenging for all levels, full body ing move that will simultaneously torture
abs muscles, building better full body co- whole body screaming in indignation—for- tension is key, regressions included for your abs, lats, glutes, arms, shoulders and
ordination—and progressing to the Dragon tunately…138 ramping up to complete studliness…150 everything in between. No mercy here and
Flag and Hanging Straight Leg Raise…133 • Side Plank Hip Raise—notorious for being hopefully, none asked for…161
• Hanging Leg Raise—one of Danny’s favor-
• Side Jackknife—masochists will welcome deceptively challenging, includes leverage ites, for good reason, 6 controlled reps and
intensifying their abdominal agony when tips to progress the hardness…139 you’re doin’ good…151 Chapter 19
they flip the great classic on its side…134 • How to Hang…140 • Washing Machine—this infamous move is Supplemental Stretches
• Advanced Sit-Up—Bad Boy Danny’s • How to grip the bar to really squeeze the a key step to mastering the mighty Wind- • Why stretching IS important—and the
tweaks will up the ante here in a pleasantly most out of every rep…140 shield Wiper, regressions and progressions 9 surefire benefits you’ll gain from right
nasty way (curses optional)…135 • Why you should avoid Assistance Straps— to full MANitude provided…152 stretching…173
• Lying Straight Leg Raise—and how to make and the better alternatives…140 • Windshield Wiper—brace yourself buddy, • The Hands Up—the 4 main benefits to this,
it even harder…136 • How to employ a flex hang to add a unique the going just got a whole lot harder. Builds Danny’s first stretch before a workout…174
• Grounded Wiper…137 neurological twist and increase upper body and requires tremendous upper body • Forward, back and Side-to-Side Bend…175
• Danny adores the classic Windshield Wip- muscle activation—Highly Recommended strength…153
• Hands Down—another fantastic stretch for
er—but it’s a helluva challenge. The GW by da Abs Bossman!...140 • V-Leg Wiper—ho! This is a true brutalizer the entire front of the body…176
helps you rehearse the movement pattern • Hanging Contest…141 of the core plus a helluva glute-banger, to
before taking on the full-on manliness of • A fun competitive spin on hanging—but boot…154
the WW…137 here’s some important tips on how to keep • Perfect Circle—an exaggerated WW for the Chapter 20 Workouts
• Throwdown…138 it real…141 MEN who can hack it …155 • 9 sample combinations for different lev-
• Skinning the Cat—a precursor to many els—a beginning guideline…181—185
• One Arm Hang…142
extreme bar calisthenics moves and a phe- • On the importance of mixing it up and
• Did someone shout Man Maker? The OAH
nomenal abs exercise in its own right, with shocking the system…181
is a total body drill that will make the boys
cry and the men grin with pain—plus bonus some optional grip strategies…156
tips for optimal vengeance on that brutal- • One Arm Flex Hang—this just about Part V Abs and Lifestyle
ized six-pack…142 breaks the mercury on the Achievometer,
hyper-challenging, requires an incredibly Chapter 21 Viva La Vida
• Ab Wheel Roll Out (Bent Knee)…143 • Abs and the quality of your life…190
strong upper body …157
• An old time classic—incorporates stabil- • A life-oriented approach to training…191
ity, strength and focus in a truly unique • Dragon Flag—one of the all-time sexiest
way…143 moves on the planet and a Bruce Lee
trademark, you gotta get this one down if Chapter 22 The Mud
• Hanging Bicycle—last step before conquer-
you want to truly strut your Man Stuff. Bad
ing the Hanging Knee Raise, plus common
Boy Danny likes to hold it for an iso. Can
and the Blood and the Beer
mistakes and how to fix them…144 • Coffee, alcohol and other beverages—how
you?...158
• Hanging Knee Raise—one of the most im- to handle in regard to your train-
• Tuck Front Lever—this regressed version
portant of all abdominal exercises. Master ing…193—195
of the Front Lever still requires a brutal
it here…145
level of upper body power. Have at it!…159
• V-Leg Front Lever—another extremely dif- Chapter 23 Seasons
Chapter 18 Advanced Abs ficult move, with some favorable leverage • How to adopt and adapt your training to
• SERIOUS training now! These moves are variations to help progress it…160 the changing seasons…198
Diamond-Cut Abs all full-on, full-body. Emphasis is on every
cell in your bod. No mercy. Tremendous
How to Engineer the demand on the abs—requires heavy-duty “Danny Kavadlo’s book might be titled ‘Diamond-Cut Abs’ but the
injection of Will, complete harmony of truth is that it goes way BEYOND just ab training. Danny has actually
Ultimate Six-Pack— mind and muscle, steely strength. Think created a guide to Physical Culture & LIVING healthy. The traditional
Minimalist Methods for you are a Man? Measure your Manliness fitness industry has gone astray from what the body truly needs.
here and report back… Since 1989, I’ve read a ton of abs-related books—and they don’t
Maximum Results • The L-Sit—you will feel it everywhere. How scratch the surface of what’s inside Danny’s masterpiece. From
By Danny Kavadlo to do it and how to extract the ultimate powerful nutrition methods to training the entire body with a holistic
mechanical advantage…147—148
Book #B77 $39.95 • Gecko Hold—a “limited contact” plank
approach, Diamond-Cut Abs is a vital addition to anyone’s library. I
LOVE it!”—ZACH EVEN-ESH, author of The Encyclopedia of Under-
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“Danny Kavadlo’s training helped me to discover strengths I never knew I had, and I can take those les-
sons with me wherever I go, for the rest of my life. The wisdom and insight contained in Everybody Needs
Training not only relates to being a successful fitness trainer, but can be applied for peace and success in
many of life’s ventures. Danny is the best!”—ELIZABETH GILBERT, #1 New York Times Best Selling Author,
Eat, Pray, Love. One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World
M ost folk who embark on a career as a trainer, do so initially out of a personal passion for
fitness and a strong desire to help other achieve results. Be it weight loss, conditioning,
strength gains, flexibility or enhanced performance.
But a passion for working out and an earnest desire to help others—alone—does not a success-
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is over 80%. Why? It’s almost always because the trainer didn’t have a proper understanding of the
BUSINESS of being a fitness professional.
The bottom line is that without the appropriate success

blueprint, the most skilled and knowledgeable personal
trainer is usually doomed to failure. Unfortunately, until
now, there has been no such battle-tested blueprint avail-
able either to the novice trainer or the professional strug-
gling to stay alive. Now, however that’s all changed, thanks
to Danny Kavadlo’s Everybody Needs Training. Follow the
“Everybody Needs Training is quite ‘something.’ I don’t

think I have ever seen this kind of depth in the field. It’s both
obvious and ‘wow’ as you read it. Amazing stuff. It fills a gap in
the community that, frankly, surprises me no one has really “Christmas wishes DO come true….Danny Kavadlo has written a
filled.”—DAN JOHN, author, Never Let Go training book! Imagine if you could squeeze all the hard-earned
wisdom, secrets and tactics of one of the world’s hottest personal
trainers between the covers of a beautifully illustrated tell-all
“Danny Kavadlo has personally helped me become a more successful trainer manual, and you have imagined Everybody Needs Training.
and coach. I cannot recommend Everybody Needs Training enough. It’s
the best book I’ve ever seen on the subject of being a professional trainer.” Like Danny himself, this groundbreaking book is incredibly
—ADEL GABER, World Class Trainer & 3-Time Olympic Wrestling Coach smart, brutally honest, laugh-out-loud funny, and totally out of
left field…if you train others (casually or professionally), want a
career training others, or if you just love the now-famous “Kavadlo
“Everybody Needs Training is a solid collection of tried-and-true best practices approach” to getting in shape, you owe it to yourself to grab a copy
that can help personal trainers on any level reach their full potential in their chosen of this masterpiece. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
—PAUL WADE, author of Convict Conditioning
field.”—ROLANDO GARCIA, RKC II, CK-FMS
“Everybody Needs Training is a must-read for every personal trainer wanting

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trainer. This book allows you to get inside the genius PT mind of Danny Kavadlo, a
master of his craft, speaking off the cuff to you about training—priceless!”—ERRICK
Training
MCADAMS, Personal Trainer, Model, Fitness Personality Proven Success Secrets
for the Professional
Fitness Trainer—How to
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Reader Praise for Convict

Conditioning Ultimate
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Excellent
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C-MASS
How To Maximize Muscle Growth
Using Bodyweight-Only Training
I
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into THESE Ten Commandments.
• Reshape your arms with 2-3 inches of gnarly beef
• Triple the size of your pecs and lats
• Thicken and harden your abdominal wall into a classic six-pack COMMANDMENT I: Embrace
• Throw a thick, healthy vein onto your biceps reps!
• Generate hard, sculpted quads and hamstrin gs that would be the Why reps are key when you want to build mas-
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COMMANDMENT VIII: How to correctly work your hamstrings and

activate your entire posterior chain.
Sleep More! Why THIS workout of straight bridges and
How is it that prison athletes seem to gain hill sprints could put muscle on a pencil.
and maintain so much dense muscle, when
guys on the outside—who are taking supple- How to employ the little-known secret of the
ments and working out in super-equipped bridge curl to develop awesome strength and
gyms—can rarely gain muscle at all? power in the your hammies.
Discover the 3 main reasons why, sleep, the Why explosive work is essential for fully de-
natural alternative to steroids, helps prison veloped hamstrings—and the best explosive
athletes grow so big… exercise to make your own…
COMMANDMENT IX: Train the 3. Softball Biceps

THIS is the best biceps exercise in the world
Mind Along With the Body! bar none. But most bodybuilders never use it
Why your mind is your most powerful to build their biceps! Discover what you are
supplement… missing out on and learn to do it right…
How 6 major training demons can destroy And then you can make dumbbell curls look
your bodybuilding dreams—and where to like a redheaded stepchild with THIS superi-
find the antidote… or bicep blower-upper…
Another great compound move for the biceps
COMMANDMENT X: (and forearms) is rope climbing. As with all
bodyweight, this can be performed progres-
Get Strong! sively. Get the details here on why and how…
Understanding the relationship between
Despite what some trainers may ignorantly
the nervous system and the muscular sys-
tell you, you can also perform bodyweight
tem—and how to take full advantage of that
biceps isolation exercises—such as the clas-
relationship.
sic (but-rarely-seen-in-gyms) curl-up. Pure
Why, if you wish to gain as much muscle as power! If you can build one, THIS old school
your genetic potential will allow, just training piece of kit will give you biceps straight from
your muscles won’t cut it—and what more Hades.
you need to do…
The secret to mixing and matching for both
growth AND strength… 4. Titanic Triceps
Paul Wade has never met a gym-trained
COMMANDMENT III: Golden tip: how to take advantage of the bodybuilder who understands how the
Use Simple, Compound windows of opportunity your training 3. “Coach” Wade’s triceps work. Not one. Learn how the triceps
Exercises!
presents you.
Bodypart Tactics REALLY work. This stuff is gold—pay atten-
tion. And discover the drills that are going to
How to transform miniscule, incremental
Get the best bodyweight bodybuilding tech- CRUCIFY those tris!
Why—if you want to get swole—you need to gains into long-range massive outcomes.
niques for 11 major body areas.
toss out complex, high-skill exercises. Forgot those expensive supplements! Why
Why dynamic exercises are generally far keeping a training log can be the missing key 4. Farmer Forearms
better than static holds for massive muscle to success or failure in the muscle-gain biz. 1. Quadzilla! (…and Quadzookie.) Paul Wade wrote the definitive mini-manual
building. Why the Gold Standard quad developer is of calisthenics forearm and grip training
These are the very best dynamic exercises— squatting—and why you absolutely need to
for bigger bang for your muscle buck. COMMANDMENT VI: You master the Big Daddy, the one-legged squat…
in Convict Conditioning 2. But HERE’S a
reminder on the take-home message that the
How to ratchet up the heat with THIS kick- Grow When You Rest. So Rest! How to perform the Shrimp Squat, a forearms are best built through THESE exer-
ass strategy and sprout new muscle at an If you really wanted to improve on your wonderful quad and glute builder, which is cises, and you can build superhuman grip by
eye-popping rate. last workout—add that rep, tighten up your comparable to the one-leg squat in terms of utilizing intelligent THESE progressions.
form—how would you want to approach that body-challenge. Why crush-style grippers are a mistake and
workout? The answer is right here… Why you should employ THESE 7 jumping
COMMANDMENT IV: the better, safer alternative for a hand-pulp-
Ignore THIS simple, ancient, muscle-build- methods to put your quad gains through the ing grip…
Limit Sets! ing fact—and be prepared to go on spinning roof…
What it takes to trigger explosive muscle your muscle-building wheels for a VERY How to perform the hyper-tough, man-mak-
growth—and why most folk foolishly and long time… ing Sissy Squat—favorite of the Iron Guru, 5. It’s Not “Abs”,
wastefully pull their “survival trigger” way 10 secrets to optimizing the magic rest-mus- Vince Gironda—great bodybuilding ideolo- It’s “Midsection”
too many futile times… cle growth formula… gist of the Golden Era, and trainer of a young As a bodybuilder, your method should be
Why you need to void “volume creep” at all Why you may never even come close to your Mr. Schwarzenegger. He wouldn’t let anyone to pick a big, tough midsection movement
costs when size is what you’re all about. full physical potential—but how to change perform barbell squats in his gym! and work at it hard and progressively to
that… thicken your six-pack. This work should be
a cornerstone of your training, no different
COMMANDMENT V: Focus 2. Hamstrings: from pullups or squats. It’s a requirement.
on Progress—and Utilize a COMMANDMENT VII: Quit Eat- Stand Sideways With Pride Which movements to pick? Discover the best
Training Journal! ing “Clean” the Whole Time! Enter Lombard’s Paradox: how and why you drills here…
Why so few wannabe athletes ever achieve Warning—Politically incorrect statement: can successfully brutalize your hammies And the single greatest exercise for scorch-
a good level of strength and muscle—let Why, if you are trying to pack on more with calisthenics. ing your abs in the most effective manner
alone a great level—and what it really takes muscle, eating junk now and again is not only Why bridging is a perfect exercise for possible is THIS…
to succeed. okay, it can be positively anabolic. strengthening the hamstrings.
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9. Calving Season When to Move up the Programming Line

THIS squat method will make your calves If simpler, more basic routines are always
larger, way more supple, more powerful, and the best, why do advanced bodybuilders
your ankles/Achilles’ tendon will be bullet- tend to follow more complex routines? Pro-
proofed like a steel cable… grams with different sessions for different
bodyparts, with dozens of exercises? Several
Whether you are an athlete, a strength train-
points to consider…
er or a pure bodyweight bodybuilder, your
first mission should be to gradually build to The best reason is to move up the program-
THIS. Until you get there, you don’t need to ming line is THIS
waste time on any specialist calf exercises.
If you DO want to add specific calf exercises Fundamental Program Templates
to your program, then THESE are a good • Total Body 1, Total Body 2
choice. •U pper/Lower-Body Split 1, Upper/
The calves are naturally explosive muscles, Lower-Body Split 2
and explosive bodyweight work is very good • 3-Way Split 1, 3-Way Split 2
for calf-building. So add THESE six explosive
drills into your mix… • 4-Way Split 1, 4-Way Split 1
Methods like THIS are so brutal (and effec-
How to best train your obliques and lateral will swell up those cannonballs fast…
tive) that they can put an inch or more on
stubborn calves in just weeks. If you can train
5. Troubleshooting
chain… Why old school hand balancing is so great like this just once a week for a few months, Muscle-Growth:
The simplest and most effective way to train for strength, size and coordination, while
your transversus… surprisingly easy on the shoulders, especially
you better get ready to outgrow your socks… The FAQ
as you get a bit older… Q. W hy bodyweight? Why can’t I use
The number one go-to guy in the whole world 10. TNT: Total Neck and Traps weights and machines to build muscle?
6. Maximum Chest for hand-balancing is THIS calisthenics Do bodybuilders even need to do neck work? Q. I understand that pull-ups and chin-ups
The roll call of classical bodyweight chest master… Here’s the answer… are superior exercises for building mus-
exercises is dynamic and impressive. It’s cle in the lats and biceps. Unfortunately I
The best neck exercises for beginners.
an ancient, effective, tactical buffet of cannot yet perform pull-ups. Should I use
super-moves. Get the list here… 8. Ah’ll be Back HERE is an elite-level technique for develop- assistance bands instead?
ing the upper trapezius muscles between the Q. L ooking at gymnasts, I have no doubt
THE best chest routine is THIS one… THIS exercise is the finest lat-widener in neck and shoulders..
the bodybuilding world and should be the that progressive calisthenics methods
If super-sturdy arms and shoulders mean THIS is another wonderful exercise for the
absolute mainstay of your back training. This can build a huge upper body. But what
your pecs barely get a look in when you traps, developing them from all angles.
one’s a no-brainer—if adding maximum torso about the legs? Won’t it leave me with
press, then focus on THESE progressions
beef as fast and efficiently as possible appeals By the time you can perform two sets of stick legs?
instead—and your pecs will be burning with
a welcome new pain… to you… twenty deep, slow reps of THIS move, your Q. C oach, can you name the exercises that
Are you an advanced bodyweight bodybuild- traps will look like hardcore cans of beans. belong into an abbreviated routine for
Why Al Kavadlo has a lean, athletic physique, a total beginner? Which are the most
but his pecs are as thick as a bodybuilder’s… er? Then you may wish to add THIS to your If you want more neck, and filling out your
upper-back routine. Why? Well—THIS will collar is something you want to explore, for- essential without leaving gaps in my
THIS could be the ultimate bodyweight drill get those decapitation machines in the gym, ability?
blitz your rear delts, scapular muscles and
to get thick, imposing pectoral muscles… or those headache-inducing head straps. The Q. B ig” bodyweight exercises such as
the lower heads of the trapezius. These are
And here’s the single finest exercise for the “detail” muscles of the back, so loved by safest, most natural and most productive push-ups and pull-ups may target the
enlarging your pec minor—yet hardly anyone bodybuilders when they grow and thicken, techniques for building a bull-nape are larger muscles of the body (pecs, lats,
has figured it out… resembling serpents swirling around the THESE. biceps, etc.), but what about the smaller
Why you need to master the art of deep shoulder-blades. muscles which are still so important to
breathing, strongman style, to truly develop a the bodybuilder? Things like forearms,
Paul Wade demands that all his students
massive chest—and where to find unbeatable begin their personal training with a brutal 4. Okay. the calves, the neck?
Q. I have been told I need to use a weighted
advice from proven champions… regime of THIS punishing drill. Why? Find Now Gimme a Program vest on my push-ups and pull-ups if I
out here… If you want to pack on muscle using body- want to get stronger and gain muscle. Is
7. Powerful, Healthy Shoulders Real strength monsters can try THIS. But weight, it’s no good training like a gymnast this true?
you gotta be real powerful to survive the or a martial artist or a dancer or a yoga
All die-hard bodybuilders need to know is Q. I s bodyweight training suitable for
attempt... expert, no matter how impressive those skill-
that the deltoids have three heads. Here’s women? Do you know of any women who
how they work… Many bodybuilders think only in terms of based practitioners might be at performing achieved the “Master Steps” laid out in
“low back” when working the spinal muscles, advanced calisthenics. You need a different Convict Conditioning?
If you want to give any of your shoulder
but this is a mistake: find out why… mindset. You need to train like a bodybuilder!
heads an enhanced, specialist workout, a Q. I am very interested in gaining size—not
great tactic is THIS. How bridging fully works all the deep tissues Learn the essential C-Mass principles behind just muscle mass, but also height. Is it
of the spine and bulletproofs the discs. programming, so you can master your own possible that calisthenics can increase
How to make your lateral deltoids scream for
The single most effective bridge technique programming… my height?
mercy—and thank you later when you ignore
their pleas… for building massive back muscle… The most important thing to understand Q. Y ou have said that moving exercises are
Why back levers performed THIS way are about bodybuilding routines… superior to isometrics when it comes
If you really want to build your rear delts,
particularly effective in building huge spinal Simple programs with minimum complexity to mass gain. I am interested in getting
THIS drill should be your number one
strength and thickness. have THESE features huge shoulders, but Convict Condi-
exercise…
tioning gives several static (isometric)
THESE kinds of drills can result in shoulder Why inverse hyperextensions are a superb By contrast, programs with maximum com-
exercises early on in the handstand push-
injury, rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder and lower-back and spine exercise which re- plexity have THESE features
up chain. Can you give me any moving
chronic pain—what to stick with instead… quires zero equipment. Why Simple Beats Complex, For THESE 3 exercises I can use instead, to work up to
THIS is a fantastic deltoid movement which Very Important Reasons… handstand pushups?
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Q. I have heard that the teenage years are bodybuilder. And guess what? It seems like COMMANDMENT VI: COMMANDMENT X: Master
the ideal age for building muscle. Is there many of the new generation of athletes
any point in trying to build muscle after want to be bullzelles! With Paul Wade’s Train your tendons! the power of the mind!
the age of forty? C-Mass program, you’ll have what you need When the old-time strongmen talked about How to train the mind to make the body
Q. I have had some knee problems in the to achieve bullzelle looks and functionality strength, they rarely talked about muscle achieve incredible levels of strength and
past; any tips for keeping my knee joints should you want it… power—they typically focused on the integri- ferocity—as if it was tweaking on PCP…
healthy so I can build more leg mass? ty of the tendons. THIS is why… 5 fundamental ways to harness mental
Q. I‘m pretty skinny and I have always The concept of “supple strength” and how to power and optimize your strength…
had a huge amount of trouble putting on
COMMANDMENT I: Use low really train the tendons for optimal resilience
weight—any weight, even fat. Building reps while keeping “fresh”! and steely, real-life strength…
muscle is virtually impossible for me. If you want to generate huge strength Why focusing on “peak contraction” can
What program should I be on? without building muscle, here is the precise be devastating to your long-term strength-
Q. I’ve read in several bodybuilding maga- formula... health goals…
zines that I need to change my exercises
frequently in order to “confuse” my
muscles into growth. Is that true? COMMANDMENT II: Utilize COMMANDMENT VII: Focus on
Q. I read in several bodybuilding magazines Hebb’s Law—drill movements weak links!
that I need to eat protein every 2-3 hours as often as possible! THIS is the essential difference between a
to have a hope in hell of growing. They mere bodybuilder and a truly powerful human
How pure strength training works, in a
also say that I need a huge amount of being…
nutshell…
protein, like two grams per pound of
Why frequency—how often you train—is Why focusing all your attention on the
bodyweight. Why don’t your Command-
often so radically different for pure strength biggest, strongest muscle groups is counter-
ments mention the need for protein?
Q. I have heard that whey is the “perfect”
trainers and for bodybuilders… productive for developing your true strength
potential…
BONUS CHAPTER:
Training recipe for the perfect bodybuilder—
food for building muscle. Is this true?
and for the perfect strength trainer… Pay extra attention to your weakest areas by 7. Supercharging Your
Why training for pure strength and training
including THESE 4 sets of drills as a manda- Hormonal Profile
6. The Democratic to master a skill are virtually identical
tory part of your monster strength program…
Why you should never, ever, ever take ste-
Alternative…how to get methods. roids to enhance your strength…
COMMANDMENT VIII: Exploit Hormones and muscle growth
as powerful as possible Neural Facilitation!
COMMANDMENT III: Master Your hormones are what build your muscle.
without gaining a pound muscle synergy! The nervous system—like most sophisticated All your training is pretty secondary. You
There is a whole bunch of folks who either biological systems—possesses different sets can work out hard as possible as often as
want (or need) massive strength and power, If there is a “trick” to being supremely strong, possible, but if your hormonal levels aren’t
of gears. Learn how to safely and effectively
but without the attendant muscle bulk. THIS is it... good, your gains will be close to nil. Learn
shift to high gear in a hurry using THESE
Competitive athletes who compete in weight As a bodybuilder, are you making this huge strategies… what it takes to naturally optimize a cascade
limits are one example; wrestlers, MMA mistake? If you want to get super-power- of powerful strength-generating hormones
athletes, boxers, etc. Females are another ful, unlearn these ideas and employ THIS and to minimize the strength-sappers from
group who, as a rule, want to get stronger strategy instead… COMMANDMENT IX: Apply sabotaging your gains…
when they train, but without adding much Another great way to learn muscular coor- Plyometric Patterns to Hack Studies and simple experience have demon-
(or any) size. Some men desire steely, whip- dination and control is to explore THESE strated that, far from being some esoteric
like power but see the sheer weight of mass drills...
Neural Inhibition practice, some men have increased their
as non-functional—many martial artists fall Why it is fatal for a bodyweight master to diminished total testosterone levels by over
into this category; perhaps Bruce Lee was the focus only on tension-generating techniques a thousand percent! How? Just by following a
archetype. COMMANDMENT IV: Brace and what to do instead… few basic rules.
But bodybuilders should also fall under this Yourself! How very fast movements can hugely in- What rules? Listen up. THIS is the most
banner. All athletes who want to become as crease your strength—the light bulb analogy. important bodybuilding advice anyone will
If there is a single tactic that’s guaranteed to
huge as possible need to spend some portion maximize your body-power in short order, The difference between “voluntary” and ever give you.
of their time focusing on pure strength. With- it’s bracing. Bracing is both an art-form and a “involuntary” strength—and how to work on The 6 Rules of Testosterone Building
out a high (and increasing) level of strength, science. Here’s how to do it and why it works both for greater gains…
THESE rules are the most powerful and
it’s impossible to use enough load to stress so well. long-lasting, for massive testosterone gener-
your muscles into getting bigger. This is even
ation. Follow them if you want to get diesel.
truer once you get past a certain basic point.
So: You want to build power like a Humvee, COMMANDMENT V: Learn The iron-clad case against steroid use and
exogenous testosterone in general.
with the sleek lines of a classic Porsche? The old-school breath control!
following Ten Commandments have got you If there is an instant “trick” to increasing
covered. Follow them, and we promise you
cannot fail, even if you had trouble getting
your strength, it’s learning the art of the
breath. Learn the details here…
C-MASS
stronger in the past. Your days of weakness
Why inhalation is so important for strength
Calisthenics Mass: How To
are done, my friend…
and how to make it work most efficiently Maximize Muscle Growth
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There are guys who train for pure mass and
Using Bodyweight-Only
How the correctly-employed, controlled,
want to look like bulls, and guys who only forceful exhalation activates the muscles of Training
train for athleticism without mass, and are the trunk, core and ribcage…
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How to Lead, Survive and Dominate

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SUPERHUMAN POWER, MAXIMUM SPEED AND
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USING BODYWEIGHT-ONLY METHODS
Explosive Calisthenics is for those who want to be winners But Explosive Calisthenics doesn’t just inspire you with the
and survivors in the game of life—for those who want to be the dream of being the Complete Package. It gives you the complete
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resilient. Traditional martial arts have always understood this want and need to nail your dream and make it a reality. You, the
necessity of training the complete package—with explosive Complete Package—it’s all laid out for you, step by step
power at an absolute premium. And resilience is revered: the
joints, tendons, muscles, organs and nervous system are ALL “The first physical attribute we lose as we age is our ability to
conditioned for maximum challenge. generate power. Close behind is the loss of skilled, coordinat-
ed movement. The fix is never to lose these abilities in the first
Really great athletes are invariably that way too: agile as all place! Paul Wade’s “Explosive Calisthenics is the best program
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with no fancy equipment needed. Do yourself a favor and get
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prepare for and master the more ambitious moves.
Explosive
Calisthenics
Superhuman Power,
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Teach your body to be the lightning-fast,

explosive, acrobatic super-hunter
your DNA is coded to make you…
With Explosive Calisthenics, Paul Wade Discover how to move your entire body
challenges you to separate yourself from with lightning speed… P 6 “Explosive Calisthenics is an absolute Treasure Map for anybody
the herd of also-ran followers—to become
Agility defined…P 7 looking to tear down their body’s athletic limitations. Who
a leader, survivor and winner in the
physical game of life. But he doesn’t just Discover how to efficiently alter your doesn’t want to be able to kip to their feet from their back like a
challenge and inspire you. He gives you movement at high velocity…P 7 Bruce Lee? Or make a backflip look easy? Paul makes you want
the direct means, the secrets, the science, The difference between complex power to put down the barbells, learn and practice these step-by-step
the wisdom, the blueprints, the proven and simple power—and what it means for progressions to mastering the most explosive and impressive
methods and the progressions—that athletic success…P 7 bodyweight movements. The best part is? You can become an
make success inevitable, when you supply
Discover how to enhance your reflexes to absolute Beast in under an hour of practice a week. Way to go,
your end in consistent, diligent, skillful
application. generate higher levels of power speed and Paul! AROO!”
agility…P 9 —Joe Distefano, Spartan Race, Director of Training & Creator of
Now a legendary international bestseller,
Why most gym-trained athletes lack THESE the Spartan SGX Certification
Convict Conditioning can lay claim to
be the Great Instigator when it comes to qualities—and will therefore NEVER attain
the resurgence of interest in bodyweight true athleticism…P 10
exercise mastery. Jump and Power Pushup will set up your Step Three: Vertical Leap—Performance,
foundation by supercharging your nervous X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 48
And—while Convict Conditioning 2 ce- 2: EXPLOSIVE TRAINING: system, ramping up your reflexes and
mented Wade’s position as the preeminent FIVE KEY PRINCIPLES…P 11 Step Four: Block Jump—Performance,
amping your speed and power.
authority on bodyweight exercise—there X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 50
How modern Americans have become Expect to be remarkably and resiliently
is no doubt that his magisterial new the slowest, least agile members of our How to develop the ability to transfer force
accomplishment, Explosive Calisthenics is strengthened in your bones, joints, tissues
species in all history—and what we can do in dramatic fashion…P 50
going to blow the doors off, all over again. and muscles—over the entire body.
about it…P 11 Step Five: Butt-Kick Jump—Performance,
What makes Explosive Calisthenics so In other words: hard, dedicated work
How you CAN teach your body to be X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 52
exciting—and so profound in its implica- on just the Power Jump and the Power
the lightning-fast, explosive, acrobatic Pushup alone can turn a slow, clumsy Joe Step Six: Slap Tuck Jump—Performance,
tions? super-hunter your DNA is coded to make Average into a lightning-powered cyborg… X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 54
See, it goes back to the laws of brute you…P 12
survival. It’s not “Only the strongest shall Step Seven: Tuck Jump—Performance,
The 5 key principles for developing speed, X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 56
survive”. No, it’s more like: “Only the stron- power and agility… P 12 PART II: THE EXPLOSIVE SIX
gest, quickest, most agile, most powerful Confers some serious explosive power to
and most explosive shall survive.” To be How to be the COMPLETE explosive 4: POWER JUMPS: the lower body—and is a perquisite for
a leader and dominator and survivor in machine…P 13 ADVANCED LEG SPRING… P 37 becoming really fast…P 56
the pack, you need to be the complete Why traditional box work, core training and If you really want to become explosive,
package... Step Eight: Catch Tuck Jump—Perfor-
Olympic lifting simply won’t cut it—when then the legs are the source of it all—and
mance, X-Ray, Regressions, Progres-
A vanishing percent of people who work- your goal is high-level explosiveness…P 14 the best way to train the legs is with
sions…P 58
out even attempt to unlock their body’s progressive power jumps. Here is the
If you really want to build monstrous 10-step blueprint for achieving ultimate leg Step Nine: Thread Jump—Performance,
inherent power and speed—choose to be power, speed and agility in the shortest
different: reclaim your pride and dignity power… X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 60
possible time—HERE is what you absolute-
as a fully-realized human being by fully ly MUST stick with…P 18 Understanding the importance of develop- Master Step: Suicide Jump—Perfor-
unleashing your true athletic capacity… ing springy legs…P 37 mance, X-Ray…P 62
The 6 movements you must master—for the
Now—for those who have the balls and ultimate in hardcore explosiveness…P 19 Deconstructing the power jumps…P 38 The ultimate tucking drill—once you master
the will and the fortitude to take it on— this drill, kip ups, front flips and back flips
comes the next stage: Explosive Calis- The true essence of calisthenics mastery How to develop the crucial skills of launch-
will come much easier than you ever
thenics. The chance not only to be strong lies here—and only here…P 19 ing, tucking and landing…P 38—40
imagined…P 62
and healthy but to ascend to the Complete How to take advantage of Myotatic
Package. If you want it, then here it is… Going Beyond…P 64
3: HOW TO USE THIS BOOK: CORE Rebound—to correctly absorb and redirect
CONCEPTS AND ANSWERS…P 23 force… Reverse Suicide Jump…P64
PART I: POWER, SPEED, AGILITY Do you need to learn the Explosive 6 in any How to correctly block when you jump…P 41 Small Space Drills—3 useful speed and
1: POWER UP! THE NEED FOR particular order?...P 26 power techniques…P 69
SPEED Do you need Plyo boxes?...P 43
Do you have to start with Step 1?...P 27 Cossacks—for great supple strength and
Power defined—understanding the differ- Step One: Straight Hop—Performance,
balance…P 69
ence between strength and power…P 3 How to train short-distance speed…P 32 X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 44
Wide-to-Close Pop-Ups…P 70
Functional speed—and the golden mean Mastery of progressive calisthenics is like Step Two: Squat Jump—Performance,
for power in athletics…P 6 building an arsenal-full of weapons for X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 46 Wall Threads…P 71
your physical transformation. The Power
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— EXPLOSIVE CALISTHENICS —
How the clap pushup builds X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 114
exceptional levels of torso power
A fantastic conditioning exercise, which
and quick hands, whilst toughen-
strengthens the midsection, hips and
ing the arms and shoulders—in-
back…P 114
valuable for boxers, martial artists
and football players. Step Two: Rolling Squat—Performance,
X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 116
Step Five: Chest-Strike Pushup—
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, How to generate forward momentum.
Progressions…P 88 Step Three: Shoulder Pop—Performance,
Step Six: Hip-Strike Pushup—Per- X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 118
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, Strengthens and conditions the wrists
Progressions…P 90 and shoulders for the task of explosively
A killer bridging exercise between pushing the body up.
clapping in front of the body and Step Four: Bridge Kip—Performance,
clapping behind. X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 120
Step Seven: Convict Pushup— Learn how to generate enough lower body
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, power to throw the head, shoulders and
Progressions…P 92 upper back off the floor.
Step Eight: Half-Super—Per- Step Five: Butt Kip—Performance, X-Ray,
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, Regressions, Progressions…P 122
Progressions…P 94
Step Six: Half Kip—Performance, X-Ray,
Builds high levels of pure shoulder Regressions, Progressions…P 124
“Martial arts supremacy is all about explosive power and speed, speed—excellent for all martial artists.
and you will possess both once you’ve mastered the hardcore Step Seven: Kip-Up—Performance, X-Ray,
exercises in Explosive Calisthenics. Take your solo training Step Nine: Full Body Pop-Up—Perfor- Regressions, Progressions…P 126
to a level you never even imagined with these teeth-gritting, mance, X-Ray, Regressions, Progres-
sions…P 96 Impossible without an explosive waist,
heart-palpating exercises—from a master of the genre.”—Loren W. super-fast legs and the total-body ability of
Christensen, author of over 50 books, including Fighting Power: Master Step: The Superman—Perfor- a panther—which you will OWN when you
How to Develop Explosive Punches, Kicks, Blocks, And Grappling mance, X-Ray…P 98 master step seven…
and Speed Training: How to Develop Your Maximum Speed for A wicked, wicked move that works the
Martial Arts Step Eight: Straight Leg Kip-Up—Perfor-
whole body—both anterior and posterior mance, X-Ray, Regressions, Progres-
chains. sions…P 128
Get upper-body pushing muscles that Step Nine: Wushu Kip-Up—Performance,
Deconstructing Power Pushups…P 74 are king-fu powerful and robust as a
5: POWER PUSHUPS: STRENGTH gorilla’s…P 98
X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 130
BECOMES POWER…P 73 Correct elbow positioning and where to
place your hands (crucial)—to spring back Master Step: No-Hands Kip-Up—Perfor-
If God had handed us a “perfect” explosive mance, X-Ray, Regressions, Progres-
To round out a basic power training with optimal power…P 74 upper-body exercise, it might be this…P 98 sions…P 132
regime, you need to pair jumps with a
movement chain which performs a similar Why cheating with the Earthworm will only Going Beyond…P 100
rob you—if freakish strength gains are If there is a more impressive—or explo-
job for the upper-body and arms. The best
your goal…P 76 The Aztec Pushup…P 101 sive—way to power up off the floor, then
drills for these are power push ups. Here
humans haven’t invented it yet…
is the 10-step blueprint for becoming an How to apply the Myotatic Rebound effect The Crossing Aztec Pushup… P 102
upper-body cyborg… to maximal advantage in your power Master this advanced drill and your
The One-Arm Clapping Pushup…P 103
pushups…P 78 total-body speed and agility will start to bust
How to get arms like freaking jackham-
Small Space Drills…P104 off the charts…P 132
mers…P 73 The Power Pushup Chain…P 79
The Push Get-Up…P 104 Going Beyond—Roll Kip, Head Kip and
How to skyrocket pour power levels, Step One: Incline Pop-Up—Performance, Ditang Breakfall…P 134—136
maximize your speed and add slabs of X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 80 Round-the-Clock Pushups…P 105
righteous beef to you torso and guns…P Small Space Drills…P 137
A perfect way to gently condition the 360 Jump…P 106
73 Bridge Push-Offs, Sitting Kips and prone
shoulders, elbows and wrists for the Fast feet and hands go together like
How to develop upper-body survival-pow- harder work to come Kips…P 137—139
biscuits and gravy—here’s how to make
er—for more effective punching, blocking, it happen.
throwing and pushing…P 73 Step Two: Kneeling Push-Off—Perfor-
mance, X-Ray, Regressions, Progres- 7: THE FRONT FLIP:
How speed-power training trains the sions…P 82 6: THE KIP-UP: KUNG FU BODY LIGHTNING MOVEMENT
nervous system and joints to handle greater SPEED…P 109 SKILLS…P 141
loads…P 73 How to turn your strength into power—and
an exceptional way to build your punching The Front Flip is THE explosive exercise
The mesmerizing Kip-Up is the most explo-
The more power you have in your arms, force…P 82 par excellence—it is the “super-drill” for
sive way of getting up off your back—and
chest and shoulders, the stronger they any athlete wanting more speed, agility
Step Three: Pop-Up—Performance, X-Ray, is a surprisingly useful skill to possess.
become. And the stronger they become, and power.
Regressions, Progressions…P 84 Learn how here…P 109
the harder you can work them and the Discover how to attain this iconic test of
bigger they get…P 73 A nearly magical preliminary exercise to Deconstructing Kip-Ups…P 110
power and agility—requiring your entire
Gives you an extra edge in strength AND get better at clap pushups. The Roll-Up, Hand Positioning, the Kick and body, from toes to neck, to be whip-like
size…P 73 Step Four: Clap Pushup—Performance, the Rotation…P 112 explosive…P 141
Why the best way is the natural way…P 74 X-Ray, Regressions, Progressions…P 86 Step One: Rolling Sit-Up—Performance,

CALL: 1•800•888•5111 24 HOURS A DAY
Handspring
Step Four: Side Macaco—Per- “Explosive Calisthenics by Paul ‘Coach’ Wade
“Coach Wade saved the best for last! Explosive Calis-
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, is a masterfully constructed roadmap for
thenics is the book all diehard Convict Conditioning Progressions…P 188 the attainment of power, functional speed,
fans have been waiting for. There has never been any-
Step Five: Back Macaco—Per- and agility. The book is extreme in that only
thing like it until now!
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, a small percentage of the population would
With his trademark blend of old-school philosophy, Progressions…P 190 be able or willing to fully take the challenge,
hard-earned wisdom and in-your-face humor, Coach ex- but at the same time, brilliant in that the
pands his infamous system of progressive bodyweight Step Six: Monkey Flip—Per- path proceeds methodically and progres-
programming to break down the most coveted explosive formance, X-Ray, Regressions,
sively from relatively simple to extremely
Progressions…P 192
moves, including the back flip, kip-up and muscle-up. If advanced, allowing a discretionary endpoint
you want to know how far you can go training with just Step Seven: Back Handspring— for each individual.
your own bodyweight, you owe it to yourself to get this Performance, X-Ray, Regressions,
Progressions…P 194 The book is also refreshingly raw. The ex-
book!”—Al Kavadlo, author, Stretching Your Boundaries
ercises are all done using only bodyweight
Step Eight: One-Arm Back and little in the way of equipment. There are
Handspring—Performance, X-Ray, only five moves to master and yet each is a
Regressions, Progressions…P 196 proverbial double-edge sword—at the same
8: THE BACK FLIP:
Deconstructing Front Flips…P 142 ULTIMATE AGILITY…P 175 Step Nine: Four Point Back Flip— time dangerous yet potentially transforma-
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, tive.
Run-Up, Take-Off, Unfurl, land- The Back Flip is the most archetypal Progressions…P 198
ing…P 142—143 acrobatic feat—displaying inte- Take this on and I doubt you will ever again
grated mastery of some of the most Master Step: Back Flip—Perfor- be satisfied with the mundane bench press
The Front Flip Chain…P 144 mance, X-Ray…P 200
fundamental traits required for total or the other exercise machines found in the
Step One: Shoulder Roll—Per- explosive strength. Going Beyond…P 202 typical gym.”—Patrick Roth, M.D., author of
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, The End of Back Pain: Access Your Hidden
Progressions…P 146 If you want to be a contender for Small Space Drills…P 205
the power crown, then you have to Core to Heal Your Body, Chairman of Neuro-
Step Two: Press Roll—Performance, get to own the Back Flip—which One-Arm Wall Push-Aways (great surgery at Hackensack University Medical
X-Ray, Regressions, Progres- defines true agility… exercise for powerful, bulletproof Center and the director of its neurosurgical
sions…P 148 elbows)…P 205 residency training program.
Discover how to develop a
Step Three: Jump Roll—Per- super-quick jump, a massive hip Donkey Kick and Scissors Jump…P
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, snap, a powerful, agile waist and 206
Progressions…P 150 spine—and an upper body that can
Step Four: Handstand Roll— generate higher levels of responsive 9: THE MUSCLE-UP:
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, force like lightning… OPTIMAL EXPLOSIVE
Progressions…P 152 Simply put, this is the single greatest STRENGTH…P 209
Step Five: Backdrop Handspring— test of explosive power, true speed If ever one popular strength
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, and agility found in nature. Here is exercise qualified as a “complete”
Progressions…P 154 how to pass the test… feat, it would probably be the mighty
Deconstructing the Back Flip…P 176 Muscle-Up—one of the most
Step Six: Front Handspring—Per- jealously-admired skills in all of
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, General tips for the many skills bodyweight training…
Progressions…P 156 needed to master the Back Flip…P
176 The Muscle-Up requires a very
A phenomenal explosive drill in its explosive pull, plus a push—so
own right… 5 key exercises to strengthen you works almost the entire upper-body;
Step Seven: Flyspring—Per- arms and shoulders…P 178 the back and biceps pull, while the
formance, X-Ray, Regressions, How to achieve a powerful Tuck…P chest, triceps and shoulders push.
Progressions…P 158 179 Your grip needs to be insanely
strong, your stomach crafted out
Step Eight: Back Drop Flip— How to use the Depth Jump to fur- of steel and you require a highly
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, ther condition your joints…P 179 athletic posterior chain.
The Back Flip Chain…P 180 Discover the complete blueprint
Step Nine: Running Front Flip—
THIS is the most important consid- for achieving the planet’s hottest
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions,
Progressions…P 162 eration to have in place for finally bodyweight move… Explosive Calisthenics
achieving the Back Flip…P 180
Master Step: Front Flip—Perfor-
Learn how to achieve the elusive, Superhuman Power, Maximum
Step One: Rear Shoulder Roll— total-body-sync, X factor the
mance, X-Ray…P 164
Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, Muscle-Up requires—and build Speed and Agility, Plus
Going Beyond…P 166 Progressions…P 182 insane explosive power in a highly Combat-Ready Reflexes—
compressed time frame…
The Round-Off and the Cart-
wheel…P 166—167
Step Two: Rear Press Roll—Per-
Deconstructing the Muscle-Up...P
Using Bodyweight-Only Methods
formance, X-Ray, Regressions,
Small Space Drills…P 170 Progressions…P 184 211—214 By Paul “Coach” Wade
Kojaks, Thruster and Unilateral Step Three: Bridge Kick Over— The Muscle-Up Chain…P 217 Book #B80 $39.95
Jump…P 170—172 Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, Step One: Swing Kip—Performance, eBook #EB80 $19.95
Progressions…P 186 X-Ray, Regressions, Progres- Paperback 8.5 x 11 • 392 pages, 775 photos
A great antidote to fear of the Back sions…P 218

“Your body is the ultimate ‘training tool’. Paul Wade shows you how to transform your own “Once again, Paul ‘Coach’ Wade, inspires
body and turn it into a weapon! I’ve taken these methods and applied them to the training of with a life-changing approach to fitness
my athletes as well as my own training and the bottom line is that they work. The workouts that relies only on the weight of one’s
and exercises deliver. They are powerful and results driven. body. In his comprehensive new book,
If you are done wasting your time on fads and gimmicks and simply want a training program Explosive Calisthenics, he presents how
that works BIG time. This is it.”—Zach Even-Esh, author The Encyclopedia of Underground calisthenics can and should be taken to
Strength and Conditioning the next level. Starting as he always
does, with history of the early practi-
tioners of bodyweight training, Explosive
Calisthenics explains the widely misun-
derstood difference between ‘strength’
A fantastic conditioning exercise, which conditions the Double Dips: Explosive Variations…P 245
and ‘power’ as perhaps the key theme.
deep tissues of the shoulders, spine and hips as well the
Dipping drill for speed-strength…P 245 This crucial distinction is what defines
grip and forearm/elbow complex...
Walking Dips…P 245 truly functional exercise as a life-long
Step Two: Jumping Pullup—Performance, X-Ray, Regres- endeavor that has been a fountain of
sions, Progressions…P 220 Hopping Dips…P 246 youth since ancient times.
A key progression so you can develop the necessary To step up the shock factor… To that, Wade ties his dynamic calisthen-
power for the Muscle-Up... Clap Dips…P 247 ics to popular disciplines including my
Step Three: Kipping Pullup—Performance, X-Ray, Regres- own, martial arts—drawing on exercises
Power Dips…P 248 specific to the combative arts, but ap-
sions, Progressions…P 222
This will add that much extra explosivity and agility into plicable to any physical activity. Wade
The cornerstone of all power-training on the bar... your Dip work… also includes basic jumps, rolls, and
Step Four: Pullup Hop—Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, somersaults as key parts of the regimen.
Swing Dips…P 249 Correctly, Wade prefers not to define
Take things even further and build total-body power and these as ‘gymnastics’ but as whole-body
Step Five: Clap Pullup—Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, coordination…P 249 explosive power and speed training.
Going Beyond…P 250
While this may not be for everyone at
Step Six: Chest Pullup—Performance, X-Ray, Regressions, first, I would encourage the calisthen-
Progressions…P 228 Underhand Muscle-Ups…P 250 ics-advanced non-gymnast, to give these
Step Seven: Hip Pullup—Performance, X-Ray, Regres- Throws new power demands on the body, particularly the ‘explosive’ movements a try.
sions, Progressions…P 230 grip and biceps…P 250 Of particular note to me as a long-time
Once you can achieve the Hip Pullup you will have mas- Archer Muscle-Up…P 251 proponent of time-tested, more function-
tered the pulling portion of the Muscle-Up… al fitness training, I very much appre-
The asymmetrical performance makes this version even ciated Wade’s discussion of developing
Step Eight: Jumping Pullover—Performance, X-Ray, more demanding—and therefore rewarding, for the the senses as a fundamental part of
Regressions, Progressions…P 232 power-fiends amongst us… Explosive Calisthenics. As a professional,
Builds the skill of correct technique for pulling your torso Full Kips…P 252 more traditional martial artist and Chen
over the bar… Taijiquan practitioner, development of
Small Space Drills…P 253 the senses through exercises that utilize
Step Nine: Bar Pullover—Performance, X-Ray, Regres- Sideways Pop-Up…P 253 whole-body movement and stringent
sions, Progressions…P 234 eye-hand-foot coordination practices,
Requires outrageous ab strength and is a fantastic move-
An incredible exercise for harnessing nuclear-level ment to build a super-powerful core…
Wade’s presentation of total senses
explosive strength—having this technique under your belt development as part of advanced calis-
might even save your life… Pike Slaps…P 254 thenics training is fantastic to see.
Master Step: The Muscle-Up—Performance, X-Ray…P Jump Kick…P 255 And lastly, Wade’s emphasis on solo
236 A useful, fairly low-stress exercise for healthy hips… training, which he explains so well, is
An incredible exercise for harnessing nuclear-level something not to be over-looked. The
explosive strength—having this technique under your belt importance of solo training not only
might even save your life… PART III: PROGRAMMING: builds true functional fitness, but as
THEORY AND TACTICS Wade describes, provides an inner
Bonus Progressions: Dips…P 238 strength and focus that spoke directly to
10: MAKING PROGRESS: me as a traditional martial artist. In my
If you can comfortably perform a horizontal bar dip, then THE PARC PRINCIPLE …P 259
your chances of completing a Muscle-Up have skyrock- teachings I’ve always maintained that
eted… If you can work your way up to the ice-cold, bad-ass mas- relying on no one else or any apparatus
ter Step for all Explosive Six—you will become the most other than your own body for core train-
The Ten-Step Chain of Dip Progressions explosively powerful athlete you know. No question… ing is what truly separates the master
Bent Dips, Straight Dips, Feet-Elevated Dips, Feet-Up from the student and from those who
So how DO you move safely and effectively upwards
Parallel Bar Dips, Self-Assisted Parallel Bar Dips, through these chains—and achieve bodyweight immor-
can’t let go of psychological and physical
tality? The answers, my friend are fully contained in these baggage that holds them back, from
Self-Assisted Parallel Bar Dips 2, Parallel Bar Dips, Legs
next sections… those whom depend on nothing other
Forward Parallel Bar Dips, Perpendicular Dips, and Hori-
their own strength. Wade’s discussion
zontal Bar Dips…P 238—241 Progression Standards for the Explosive Six…P 259 of this ageless wisdom is magnificent
Russian Dips and L-Hold Dips…P 242—243 3 reasons why “rep-building” simply won’t cut it for to see and is to me the heart and soul of
Korean Dips…P 244 fast-power techniques…P 261 Explosive Calisthenics.”—Stephan
Berwick, author True Strength Yang
How to take your dipping to superhuman levels… How to know when to move up from one step to the next
in the chain…P 264

CALL: 1•800•888•5111 24 HOURS A DAY
Understanding how to train sensory media- These animal agility drills increase
tion and sonic location… strength and efficiency while reducing the
“Paul Wade’s series Convict Conditioning continues with the newest chance of injury. The legs stay “springy”
addition, Explosive Calisthenics. I applaud the loss of the convict/ Training the Kinesthetic…P 313
whatever your age and total-body coordi-
prison shtick and we get to explore what Wade does best: he pro- Training the Olfactory/Gustatory…P 313 nation improves…
gresses a movement from the basic and simple to, in this case, it’s
most complex (and awesome). The chapter on programming, the Super-Speed Tactic # 4: Exploit Reflex Bear Walk…P 328
sets and reps of things, has a series of rules that you will instantly Channelling …P 314
Great for beginners and experts alike…
claim as your own. Understanding the Yerkes-Dodson Law and
Panther Stalk…P 329
how to program your reflexes…
I can’t believe we abandoned traditional calisthenics in our schools
This wriggly beaut is AKA Spiderman
and training programs, but this book is the best argument I know Understanding Hebb’s Rule as it applies to
Crawls
for carrying signs in front of schools proclaiming ‘No More Dodge- training-mastery…P 314
ball’ and ‘Calisthenics Progressions for All!’”—Dan John, author, Dog Sprint…P 330
Super-Speed Tactic # 5: Utilize the Plyo-
Never Let Go metric Edge …P 315 Locust Jumps…P 331
How to take proper advantage of “shock” A wonderful total-body warmer
training…
How to build a bigger and more turbo- 14: Sample Programs: Session Tem- Crab Walk…P 332
charged “power vehicle”—fail to achieve plates…P 293 Super-Speed Tactic # 6: Lose Weight…P 317
A fantastic workout for the back muscles
this and you will be like a speedster Why calisthenics is the perfect discipline and the triceps…P 332
Why you should focus on progressions, not
running on empty…P 276 to accompany a weight management
templates…P 293 Duck Walk…P 334
Injury bulletproofing…P 276 program…P 317
Some fundamental, applicable approaches Builds tension-flexibility in the hips, thighs,
How should you program your basic power to training plans that will fit different goals Super-Speed Tactic # 7: Optimize Joint
knees and ankles—very, very valuable to
moves?...P 276 and objectives…P 294 Health…P 319
radically improve mobility and enhance
How to apply the simple engineering of 2 Warm-Up Protocol…P 295 How to cultivate supple strength and stay joint health…P 334
basic rules—so your power will take off injury-free…
How much and how should you warm Kangaroo Hop…P 335
like a ramjet…P 276 Super-Speed Tactic # 8: Explore B-Ball
up?...P 295 Chimp Swing…P 336
The Rule of Three…P 277 Drills…P 321
4 keys to an effective warm-up proto- Bat Flips…P 337
The Rule of Six…P 279 col…P 295 Super-Speed Tactic # 9: How to Master the
Speed Illusion…P 322 Wonderful explosive grip exercise that
The time-tested formula for determining Pure Power, Sacred Trinity, 4-Leaf Clover, also works the forearms, elbows, shoul-
the optimal rep range for your sets. 25’s, 2-Day Split and their variants…P Super-Speed Tactic # 10: How to Think
ders and abs…
296—300 Yourself Faster…P 323
THIS is the bread-and-butter rule-of-thumb Monkey Turns…P 338
followed by most successful explosive The Muscleman…P 301 Bonus Section 2! Animal Agility Drills…P 327
athletes and coaches…P 280 10 major animal-type movements that can
THE EXPLOSIVE 6 COMPLETE
How to integrate explosive work with PROGRESSION CHARTS…P
Definitions of Beginner, Intermediate and strength and bodybuilding programs… be your wild card/X-factor in your power
342—344
Advanced…P 282 P 301 and strength training…P 327
How long should you rest between Johnny Kung Fu and variants…P 302
sets?…P 283
13: Skill Development: Time Surfing and “I have found in my work with world-class athletes that they have a
Consolidation Training…P 285
BONUS MATERIAL common skill; the ability to generate explosive power. Paul Wade’s
Bonus Section 1! Advanced Speed Train- new book shows you not only how to generate explosive power, but
Consolidated Training…P 285
ing: “Coach” Wade’s Top Ten Tricks and how to direct and control it as well. If you have ever wanted to join
How to choose the right exercise…P 285 Hacks…P 307 the rank of superhuman, this book gives you the road map of how to
Hebb’s Law—and what skill training The Top 10 Tips and Tactics for becoming get there. The progressions allow anyone to master the skills of the
primarily improves...P 286 faster than a speeding bullet… P 307 athletic elite. Plus you’ll also learn Speed Hacks that will give you
lightning quick reflexes and Animal Drills for agility. Get this book
Time Surfing…P 287 Super-Speed Tactic # 1: How to Hack the and become amazing!”—Jon Bruney, author, Neuro-Mass
Speed Cycle…P 308
The 3 main benefits of time surfing…P 288
The 5 stages of the Speed Cycle…P 308
When to employ Consolidated Training…P
289 Super-Speed Tactic # 2: How to Exploit
Gretsky’s Law…P 310
Why Consolidation Training is the most
natural way to train…P 289 Super-Speed Tactic # 3: Train the
Explosive Calisthenics
Senses…P 311 Superhuman Power, Maximum
Speed and Agility, Plus
“Explosive Calisthenics is aptly-named. This book is a pow-
er-boosting ‘smart-bomb’ that delivers a payload of immensely Combat-Ready Reflexes—
practical info. The content is not only interesting and unique, it Using Bodyweight-Only Methods
practically screams at you to try it out. You will love the skills
and their associated progressions. For multi-sport athletes, pro- By Paul “Coach” Wade
spective parkour-enthusiasts, budding badasses and aspiring Book #B80 $39.95
ninja warriors everywhere, here is your textbook!”
—Mike Gillette, author, Rings of Power
eBook #EB80 $19.95
Paperback 8.5 x 11 • 392 pages, 775 photos

Al Kavadlo’s Progressive Plan

for Primal Body Power
How to Build Explosive Strength and a Magnificent
Physique—Using Bodyweight Exercise Only
W
hat is more satisfying than owning a primally The brothers Kavadlo walk the bodyweight talk—and
powerful, functionally forceful and brute- then some. The proof is evident on every page of Push-
strong body? A body that packs a punch. A ing the Limits!
body that commands attention with its etched physique, Your body is your temple. Protect and strengthen your
coiled muscle and proud confidence…A body that can temple by modeling the methods of the exercise masters.
PERFORM at the highest levels of physical accomplish- Al Kavadlo has modeled the masters and has the “temple”
ment… to show for it. Follow Al’s progressive plan for primal body
Well, both Al Kavadlo—the author of Pushing the power within the pages of Pushing the Limits!—follow in
Limits!—and his brother Danny, are supreme testa- the footsteps of the great bodyweight exercise masters—
ments to the primal power of body culture done the old- and you too can build the explosive strength and possess
school, ancient way—bare-handed, with your body only. the magnificent physique you deserve.
“When people ask me about bodyweight strength “Whether you are an advanced bodyweight
training, I point them to Al Kavadlo. Pushing the conditioning athlete or a wet behind the ears
Limits! is a must-have for bodyweight training newbie, Al’s Pushing the Limits! has something for
enthusiasts or anyone looking to build strength you. Easy to follow progressions allow you to master
without lifting weights. Al lays out dozens of advanced push up, squat and bridging variations. All
effective exercises for every fitness level, while you need is the will to do it! No gym required.”
making the journey fun and encouraging.” —ROBB WOLF, author of The Paleo Solution
—MARK SISSON, author of The Primal Blueprint
Pushing the
Limits!
Total Body Strength
With No Equipment
By Al Kavadlo
Book #B69 $39.95
eBook # EB69 $19.95
Paperback 8.5 x 11
Order Pushing The Limits online: CALL: 1•800•888•5111 24 HOURS A DAY

www.dragondoor.com/b69 Visit: www.dragondoor.com ORDER NOW
“I LOVE this freaking Book!!! Every time you put out

a new book it becomes my NEW favorite and my
Reader Reviews of Pushing the inspiration! I love the blend of strength, power, health
Limits submitted on DragonDoor. and overall athleticism in this book! This book covers
the BIG picture of training for ALL aspects of human
performance.
Time to work smart hard!
“I’m a physical therapist in orthopedics with all the frame wear and I will use it with my athletes, with the adults I train, in
tear of a lifter. I use Al’s stuff for myself and for patients and always get my own training and absolutely these books will be
good outcomes. On my field there are those that make it happen, those
the books I share with my kids. This stuff reminds me
that watch it happen, and those that dash in afterwards and ask “Hey,
what just happened?” Grab a copy of Al’s book. Make it happen.” of the old school Strength & Health Magazine, I’m fired
—GARRETT MCELFRESH, PT, Milwaukee, WI UP!”—ZACH EVEN-ESH, author of The Encyclopedia of
Underground Strength and Conditioning
Al you did it again!

“I’m a doctor that uses functional rehab to get my patients better.
This book has helped so much with all the great pics and showing and “This is the book I wish I had when I first started
explaining what and why they are doing these exercises. Also when I working out. Knowing Al’s secrets and various
get down and show them myself they can see that it is totally achiev- progressions would have saved me years of wasted
able! If you are wavering on getting this book, get it! I promise you time, frustration and injuries. The variations of The Big
won’t regret it! Three and progressions Al lays out will keep you busy
From a functional stand point Al, Danny, and Paul are spot on! I’ve for years.”—JASON FERRUGGIA
seen and experienced “miracles” from doing these workouts! I have
had a bad shoulder, low back, and hyperextended both knees in college
football and was told I needed multiple surgeries and was always going
to have pain..... WRONG! I am completely pain free and thank these
hard working guys for everything they do! I can’t wait to see what’s
next!”
Pushing the
—DR. ROB BALZA, Cincinnati, OH Limits!
Total Body Strength
With No Equipment
One of the best fitness books By Al Kavadlo
I have purchased! Book #B69 $39.95
“I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys being active. No
matter what sport or training regimen you are currently following, Al’s
eBook # EB69 $19.95
Paperback 8.5 x 11
book has something for everyone. Novices and advanced practitioners 224 pages • 240 photos
alike, will find detailed movements that help increase their strength,
24 HOURS A DAY CALL: 1•800•888•5111 Order Pushing The Limits online:

Sample Spreads From The Interior

of Stretching Your Boundaries
—TABLE OF CONTENTS —
Foreword by Elliott Hulse
PART ONE- Stretch Manifesto

2 Stretching For Strength. . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Taking Your Medicine. . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Kid Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2 Mobility Matters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2 Breath is Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PART TWO - The Stretches

2 Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
2 Dynamics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2 Standing Statics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
2 Grounded Statics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
PART THREE - Programming

and Sample Routines
2 Standards of Practice. . . . . . . . . . 153
2 On Mats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
2 Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
2 Hypothetical Training Splits. . . . . 171
2 Sample Routines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Order Stretching Your Boundaries online: CALL: 1•800•888•5111 24 HOURS A DAY

Stretching and Flexibility Secrets To Help

Unlock Your Body—Be More Mobile, More
Athletic, More Resilient And Far Stronger…
“The ultimate bodyweight mobility manual is here! Al Kavadlo’s previous two Dragon Door
books, Raising the Bar and Pushing the Limits, are the most valuable bodyweight strength
training manuals in the world. But strength without mobility is meaningless. Al has used his
many years of training and coaching to fuse bodyweight disciplines such as yoga, martial arts,
rehabilitative therapy and bar athletics into the ultimate calisthenics stretching compendium.
Stretching your Boundaries belongs on the shelf of any serious athlete—it’s bodyweight
mobility dynamite!“
—“COACH” PAUL WADE, author of Convict Conditioning
“In this book, Al invites you to take a deeper look at the often overlooked, and sometimes
demonized, ancient practice of static stretching. He wrestles with many of the questions, dog-
mas and flat out lies about stretching that have plagued the fitness practitioner for at least the
last decade. And finally he gives you a practical guide to static stretching that will improve
your movement, performance, breathing and life. In Stretching Your Boundaries, you’ll
sense Al’s deep understanding and love for the human body. Thank you Al, for helping to bring
awareness to perhaps the most important aspect of physical education and fitness.”
—ELLIOTT HULSE, creator of the Grow Stronger method
“An absolutely masterful follow up to Raising The Bar and Pushing The Limits,
Stretching Your Boundaries really completes the picture. Both easy to understand and fully
applicable, Al’s integration of traditional flexibility techniques with his own unique spin
makes this a must have. The explanation of how each stretch will benefit your calisthenics
practice is brilliant. Not only stunning in its color and design, this book also gives you the true
feeling of New York City, both gritty and euphoric, much like Al’s personality.”
—MIKE FITCH, creator of Global Bodyweight Training
“Stretching Your Boundaries is a terrific resource that will unlock your

joints so you can build more muscle, strength and athleticism. Al’s pas-
sion for human performance radiates in this beautifully constructed book.
Whether you’re stiff as a board, or an elite gymnast, this book outlines the Stretching Your
progressions to take your body and performance to a new level.”
—CHAD WATERBURY, M.S., author of Huge in a Hurry Boundaries
Flexibility Training
for Extreme
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resource that I wish I had twenty years ago. Finding great material on flex- By Al Kavadlo
ibility training that actually enhances your strength is like trying to find Book #B73 $39.95
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—JASON FERRUGGIA, Strength Coach 214 pages • 235 photos
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How Do YOU Stack Up Against These

6 Signs of a TRUE Physical Specimen?
According to Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning you earn the right to call
yourself a ‘true physical specimen’ if you can perform the following:
one-arm pushups each sid

e— Here’s just a small taste of what you’ll
1. AT LEAST one set of 5
sets each side get with Convict Conditioning:
with the ELITE goal of 100
e-leg squats each side—
2. AT LEAST one set of 5 on
ts of 50 each side Can you meet these 5 bench- One crucial reason why a lot
with the ELITE goal of 2 se marks of the truly powerful?... of convicts deliberately avoid
Page 1 weight-training… Page 24
arm pullup each side—
3. AT LEAST a single one- The nature and the art of real How to progressively strengthen
ts of 6 each side strength… Page 2 your joints over a lifetime—and
with the ELITE goal of 2 se Why mastery of progressive even heal old joint injuries…
with Page 25
nging straight leg raises—
calisthenics is the ultimate se-
4. AT LEAST one set of 5 ha cret for building maximum raw
strength… Page 2
Why “authentic” exercises
like pullups are so perfect for
30
the ELITE goal of 2 sets of A dozen one-arm handstand strength and power develop-
pushups without support—any- ment… Page 25
-stand bridge—
5. AT LEAST one stand-to one? Anyone?... Page 3 Bodyweight training for quick
physique perfection… Page 26
ts of 30
with the ELITE goal of 2 se
How to rank in a powerlifting
championship—without ever ____________
training with weights… Page 4
Well, how DO you stack up? ____________ How to normalize and regulate
your body fat levels—with body-
Calisthenics as a hardcore weight training only…
strength training technology… Page 27
C
Page 9 Why weight-training and the
hances are that whatever athletic level you have achieved, there are some Spartan “300” calisthenics at psychology of overeating go hand
the Battle of Thermopolylae… in hand… Page 27
serious gaps in your OVERALL strength program. Gaps that stop you short of
Page 10 ____________
being able to claim status as a truly accomplished strength athlete.
How to cultivate the perfect
body—the Greek and Roman The best approach for rapidly
The good news is that—in Convict Condi- way… Page 10 strengthening your whole body is
tioning—Paul Wade has laid out a brilliant ____________ this… Page 30
6-set system of 10 progressions which al- This is the most important and
lows you to master these elite levels. The difference between “old revolutionary feature of Convict
school” and “new school” calis- Conditioning…. Page 33
thenics… Page 15 A jealously-guarded system for
And you could be starting at almost any age going from puny to powerful—
and in almost in any condition… The role of prisons in preserv-
ing the older systems… Page 16 when your life may depend on the
speed of your results… Page 33
Strength training as a primary ____________
Paul Wade has given you the keys—ALL the survival strategy… Page 16
keys you’ll ever need— that will open door, ____________
after door, after door for you in your quest The 6 “Ultimate” Master
Steps—only a handful of ath-
for supreme physical excellence. Yes, it will The 6 basic benefits of body- letes in the whole world can
be the hardest work you’ll ever have to do. weight training… Pages 22—27 correctly perform them all. Can
And yes, 97% of those who pick up Convict Why calisthenics are the ulti- you?… Page 33
Conditioning, frankly, won’t have the guts mate in functional training… How to Forge Armor-Plated Pecs
Page 23 and Steel Triceps… Page 41
and the fortitude to make it. But if you make
it even half-way through Paul’s Progres- The value of cultivating Why the pushup is the ultimate
self-movement—rather than ob- upper body exercise—and better
sions, you’ll be stronger than almost anyone ject-movement… Page 23 than the bench press… Page 41
you encounter. Ever. The real source of strength—it’s How to effectively bulletproof the
not your muscles... Page 24 vulnerable rotator cuff muscles…
Page 42
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Observe these 6 important rules for cise for building melon-sized biceps… How to own a spine that feels like a Why “cycling” or “periodization” is un-
power-packed pushups… Page 42 Page 115 steel whip... Page 193 necessary with bodyweight training…
____________ Why the pullup is THE safest upper How the bridging series will grant you Page 266
back exercise… Page 115 an incredible combination of strength How to make consistent progress…
How basketballs, baseballs and The single most important factor to paired with flexibility… Page 216 Page 266
kissing-the-baby all translate into consider for your grip choice… Why bridging stands alone as a total
greater strength gains… Page 44 Page 118 training method that facilitates de- ____________
How to guarantee steel rod fingers… ____________ velopment in practically every area of
Page 45 fitness and health… Page 216 5 powerful secrets for busting through
____________ your plateaus… Page 267
Do you make this stupid mistake with How to earn lats that look like wings The nifty little secret of consolida-
your push ups? This is wrong, wrong, and an upper back sprouting muscles tion training… Page 268
wrong!... Page 45 like coiled pythons… Page 138 How to look exceptionally masculine—
How to achieve 100 consecutive one- How to be strong enough to rip a body- with broad, etched, and powerful shoul- Living by the buzzer—and the impor-
arm pushups each side… Page 64 builder’s arm off in an arm wrestling ders… Page 219 tance of regime… Page 275
Going Beyond the One-Arm Pushup… match… Page 138 Those vulnerable shoulders—why 5 major Convict Conditioning train-
Pages 68—74 How to take a trip to hell—and steal a they ache and the best way to avoid ing programs… Page 276
Satanic six-pack… Page 149 or fix the pain… Page 220 ____________
____________
The 5 absolute truths that define a How to choose authentic over artifi-
genuine six-pack from hell... Page 150 cial shoulder movements… Page 223 The New Blood training program…
Going up!— how to build elevator-cable Page 278
thighs… Page 75 This is the REAL way to gain a six-pack Why an understanding of instinctive
from hell… Page 152 human movement can help solve the The Good Behavior training pro-
Where the real strength of an athlete shoulder pain problem… Page 224 gram… Page 279
lies… Page 75 3 big reasons why—in prisons—leg
raises have always been much more Remove these two elements of press- The Veterano training program…
Most athletic movements rely largely ing—and you will remove virtually all Page 280
on this attribute… Page 76 popular than sit-ups… Page 152 chronic shoulder problems…
The first thing to go as an athlete begins Why the hanging leg raise is the great- Page 225 The Solitary Confinement training
to age—and what you MUST protect... est single abdominal exercise known to program… Page 281
man... Page 153 The ultimate solution for safe, pain-
Page 76 free, powerful shoulders… Page 225 The Supermax training program…
THE best way to develop truly power- 10 waist training secrets to help you Page 282
master the hanging leg raise… Pages ____________
ful, athletic legs… Page 77
____________ 154—155
The mighty handstand pushup…
How to correctly perform the greatest Page 226
The phenomenon of Lombard’s all-round midsection exercise in exis-
tence… Page 174 Using the handstand pushup to build
Paradox—and it contributes to pow- incredibly powerful, muscularized
er-packed thighs… Page 78 ____________ shoulders in a short span of time… Page
Why bodyweight squats blow barbell 225
squats away… Page 79 Going beyond the hanging straight leg How to strengthen the vestibular sys-
raise… Page 178 tem—using handstand pushups… Page
The enormous benefits of mastering the
one-leg squat… Page 80 Setting your sights on the most power- 225
ful midsection exercise possible—the V 8 secrets to help you perfect your
15 secrets to impeccable squatting—for raise…. Page 178
greater power and strength… Pages all-important handstand pushup tech-
81—82 How to develop abdominal muscles nique… Pages 228—229
____________ with enormous contractile power—and ____________
iron hip strength… Page 178
Transform skinny legs into pillars of ____________ Discover the ultimate shoulder and arm
power, complete with steel cord quads, exercise… Page 248
rock-hard glutes and thick, shapely How to combat-proof your spine… Going beyond the one-arm hand-
calves… Page 102 Page 185 stand pushup… Page 252
How to achieve one hundred perfect Why the bridge is the most import- The master of this old technique will
consecutive one-leg squats on each ant strength-building exercise in the have elbows strong as titanium axles…
leg... Page 102 world… Page 185 Page 255
Going Beyond the One-Leg Squat… How to train your spine—as if your ____________
Pages 106—112 life depended on it… Page 185
How to add conditioning, speed, agility Why you should sell your barbell set The cast iron principles of Convict
and endurance to legs that are already
awesome…. Page 107
and buy a cushioned mat instead... Page
188
Conditioning success… Page 259 Convict
The missing “x factor” of training suc-
____________ How to absorb punitive strikes against cess… Page 259 Conditioning
your spine—and bounce back smiling…
How to construct a barn door back— Page 188 The best ways to warm up… Page 260 How to Bust Free of
and walk with loaded guns… Page 113 Why lower back pain is the foremost How to create training momentum… All Weakness—
plague of athletes the world over… Page 262
Why our culture has failed to give the Using the Lost Secrets
pullup the respect and attention it de- Page 189 ____________
serves… Page 113 ____________ of Supreme
Benefits of the pullup—king of back How to put strength in the bank…
Why bridging is the ultimate exercise Page 263 Survival Strength
exercises… Page 114
The dormant superpower for muscle
for the spinal muscles… Page 189 This is the real way to get genuine, last- By Paul “Coach” Wade
growth waiting to be released if you The 4 signs of the perfect bridge… ing strength and power gains… Page 265 Book #B41 $39.95
only do this… Page 114 Page 191 Intensity—what it is and what it
isn’t… Page 265 eBook #EB41 $19.95
Why pullups are the single best exer- How to master the bridge… Page 192 Paperback 8.5 x 11
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Dragon Door Customer Acclaim for

Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning
ll Never Be Duplicated!
A Strength Training Guide ThatthatWiI was in for something special and unique. The
this book
“I knew within the first chapter of reading Body Weight
same feelin g was when readi ng Power to the People! To me this is the
last time I felt this
equivalent to Pavel’s masterpiece.
nces of doing
Wade went through a unique set of circumsta
Books like this can never be duplicated. Paul Paul took these lesso ns from this 70 year old strong
calisthenics.
time in prison with an ‘old time’ master of then taugh t these meth ods to
years while ‘doing time’. He
man and mastered them over a period of 20 .
to perfection
countless prisoners and honed his teaching
erpiece. I know that
this are what it takes to create a true mast
I believe that extreme circumstances like weig ht book I have read (and
as close as it gets. No other body
‘masterpiece’ is a strong word, but this is as gaini ng incre dible stren gth from body weight
to this as far
I have a huge fitness library)...comes close
exercise.
ng the principles that
will read this over and over again...masteri
Just like Power to the People, I am sure I
Paul Wade took 20 years to master.
ess Black Book - Seattle, WA
Outstanding Book!”—Rusty Moore - Fitn
Brutal Elegance.
“I have been training and reading about training since I first joined the US Navy in
the
A must for all martial artists years, this book is exactly 1960s. I thought I’d seen everything the fitness world had to offer. Sometimes twice.
But I was wrong. This book is utterly iconoclastic.
“As a dedicated martial artist for more than seven
what I’ve been looking for.
The author breaks down all conceivable body weight exercises into six basic move-
For a while now I have trained with machines at my local gym to improve my ments, each designed to stimulate different vectors of the muscular system. These
six
muscle strength and power and get to the next level in my training. I always are then elegantly and very intelligently broken into ten progressive techniques. You
felt that the modern health club, technology based exercise jarred with my master one technique, and move on to the next.
martial art though, which only required body movement.
The simplicity of this method belies a very powerful and complex training paradigm
,
Finally this book has come along. At last I can combine perfect body move- reduced into an abstraction that obviously took many years of sweat and toil to de-
ment for martial skill with perfect body exercise for ultimate strength. velop.
All fighting arts are based on body movement. This book is a complete text- Trust me. Nobody else worked this out. This approach is completely unique and fresh.
book on how to max out your musclepower using only body movement, as
different from dumbbells, machines or gadgets. For this reason it belongs
I have read virtually every calisthenics book printed in America over the last 40 years,
on the bookshelf of every serious martial artist, male and female, young and
old.”—Gino Cartier - Washington DC and instruction like this can’t be found anywhere, in any one of them. Convict Condi-
tioning is head and shoulders above them all. In years to come, trainers and coaches
will all be talking about ‘progressions’ and ‘progressive calisthenics’ and claim they’ve
been doing it all along. But the truth is that Dragon Door bought it to you first. As with
kettlebells, they were the trail blazers.
I’ve packed all of my othern.tra ining books away!

yweight Who should purchase this volume? Everyone who craves fitness and strength should.
I have purchased a lot of bod
’t put it dow
“I read CC in one go. I couldn ppointed. They all Even if you don’t plan to follow the routines, the book will make you think about your
the pas t, and have always been pretty disa
trai nin g boo ks in n whatsoever on how to physical prowess, and will give even world class experts food for thought. At the very
different exercises, and no pla
seem to just have pictures of one. The information least if you find yourself on vacation or away on business without your barbells, this
ss with them. But not with this
implement them and progre cal pla n of progression to fol- book will turn your hotel into a fully equipped gym.
ESO ME ! I like to have a clear, logi
in this boo k is AW er training books away.
k gives. I have put all of my oth
low, and that is what this boo favorite training book I’d advise any athlete to obtain this work as soon as possible.”—Bill Oliver - Albany,
ng to follow. This is now my
CC is the only system I am goi NY, United States
ever!”—Lyndan - Australia
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More Dragon Door Customer Acclaim

for Convict Conditioning
d Real Strength e iron junkie. A lifetime of lifting...and contin
Fascinating Readreainlgeyean
opener if you’ve been a lifetim
“I have been
ued learning.
working out diligently since
“Coach Wade’s system is a book and begin work- school and college before tha 1988 and played sports in hig
h
ng (or weak) you are? Get this t. My stint in the Army saw
Wanna find out how really stro ple ntly surprised by
asa thenics, running, conditioni me doing calis-
the 6 power exercises. I was ng courses, forced marches,
ing through the 10 levels of dow nrig ht humbling. If I were levels of strength and fitness
. I have been as big as 240 in
etc. There are many
a few of the exe rcises...but some are strongman days and as low my powerlifting/
my abi lity on ditioning this would be as 185
one book on strength and con everything under the sun: the -190 while in the Army. I think I have tried
on a desert island with only count them as one???!) high intensity of Arthur Jon
ked Warrior” to the back and the Super Slow of El Darden es and Dr. Ken,
it. (Could I staple Pavel’s “Na .”— Jon Schultheis, RKC , and the brutality of Dinosa
innovative new author Kubic made famous. ur Training Brooks
Thanks Dragon Door for this
(2005) - Keansburg, NJ This is one of the BEST boo
ks I’ve ever read on real stre
also covers other just as imp ngth training which
ortant aspects of health; like
feeling healthy and becoming staying injury free,
flexible. It’s an excellent boo
why and the how with his pro k. He tells you the
Single best strength training book ever! worth 100 times what I paid
gressive plan. This book is a
for it!”
GOLD MINE and
“I just turned 50 this year and I have tried a little bit of everything over the years: —Horst - Woburn, MA
martial arts, swimming, soccer, cycling, free weights, weight machines, even
yoga and Pilates. I started using Convict Conditioning right after it came out. I
started from the beginning, like Coach Wade says, doing mostly step one or two
for five out of the six exercises. I work out 3 to 5 times a week, usually for 30 to
45 minutes.
Long story short, my weight went up 14 pounds (I was not trying to gain weight) This book sets the
but my body fat percentage dropped two percent. That translates into ap-
proximately 19 pounds of lean muscle gained in two months! I’ve never gotten
standard, ladies
this kind of results with anything else I’ve ever done. Now I have pretty much and gentlemen
stopped lifting weights for strength training. Instead, I lift once a week as a test “It ’s difficult to describe jus
to see how much stronger I’m getting without weight training. There are a lot of t how
much this book means to
great strength training books in the world (most of them published by Dragon me. I’ve
been training hard since
Door), but if I had to choose just one, this is the single best strength training I was in
the RAF nearly ten years
book ever. BUY THIS BOOK. FOLLOW THE PLAN. GET AS STRONG AS YOU ago, and
to say this book is a breakt
WANT. “—Wayne - Decatur, GA hrough
is an understatement. Ho
w often
do you really read someth
ing so
new, so fresh? This book
contains a
complete new system of
ining book so far! ation
calisthenics
Best bodyweightbeetran trai
drawn from American pri
son train-
ing methods. When I say
ning for years with a combin ‘system’ I
“I’m a martial artist and I’ve both (but mean it. It’s complete (ra
ning and had good results from nk begin-
of weights and bodyweight trai training). I prefer the bodyweight stuff ner to expert), it’s compre
weight hensive
had the usual injuries from ch more than
though as it trains me to use my whole body as a unit, mu
in the ring. Since
(all the exercises and ph
here), it’s graded (progr
otos are Convict
difference on the mat and
weights do, and I notice the s a bre ak and foc use d purely on exercise to exercise are
essions from
Conditioning
n the weight
reading this book I have give ‘Co ach ’ Wade and my smooth and
gressions as described by pre-determined) and it’s How to Bust Free of
the bodyweight exercise pro ore . So far I’ve bui lt up to 12 strict totally
than ever bef original. Whether you lov
strength had increased more . e or hate All Weakness—
5 uneven pull ups each arm the author, you have to list
one-leg squats each leg and en to him.
stuff builds solid
And you will learn someth
ing. This
Using the Lost Secrets
d of strength before - and this
I’ve never achieved this kin nin g. I am so con fident in and book just makes SENSE.
In twenty of Supreme
y intense trai
muscle mass as well. It’s ver trai n for a fitness/ years people will still be
Survival Strength
ting that I’ve decided to buying it.”—
happy with the results I’m get techniques, no weights, just to show for Andy McMann - Ponty,
Wales, GB
his
bodybuilding comp just using sum, I cannot rec- By Paul “Coach” Wade
d of a phy siqu e these exercises can build. In
rea l wh at kin
ugh - it is by far the best of its kind Book #B41 $39.95
k highly eno
ommend ‘Coach’ Wade’s boo in Sou th Korea eBook #EB41 $19.95
tralia, currently living
ever!”—Mark Robinson - Aus Paperback 8.5 x 11
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The Experts Give High Praise to

Convict Conditioning 2
mind THE BEST book ever
first book Convict Conditioning is to my
“Coach Paul Wade has outdone himself. His . Now, with the seque l Conv ict Cond itioning 2, Coach Wade “I’ve been lifting weights for over 50 years and have
s down
written on bodyweight conditioning. Hand the ultim ate resis tance tool: our bodies. trained in the martial arts since 1965. I’ve read vora-
ces of training with
takes us even deeper into the subtle nuan ciously on both subjects, and written dozens of mag-
y and, go figure, psychology,
rstanding of anatomy, physiology, kinesiolog azine articles and many books on the subjects. This
In plain English, but with an amazing unde just as impo rtant areas of the body such as the hands
work the smaller but book and Wade’s first, Convict Conditioning, are
Coach Wade explains very simply how to
in serious functional ways.
and forearms, neck and calves and obliques by far the most commonsense, information-packed,
insight into exactly how the and result producing I’ve read. These books will truly
s the complexity of his system and the deep
His minimalist approach to exercise belie change your life.
body works and the best way to get from A PAGES 52—63
to Z in the shortest time possible.
away from this exercise Paul Wade is a new and powerful voice in the strength
the hard-to-reach extensors of the hand right
CC BOOK 1 AND 2 PLUS THE
I got the best advice on how to strengthen
Master I have ever seen. It’s so simple but
so completely functional I can’t belie ve no one else has thought of it yet. and fitness arena, one that is commonsense, inspir-
ing, and in your face. His approach to maximizing
Just glad he figured it out for me.
FIVE DVD PACKAGES
s with the simplest of movements while at
the same time balancing our
your body’s potential is not the same old hackneyed
material you find in every book and magazine piece
Paul teaches us how to strengthen our bodie the whol e body . that pictures steroid-bloated models screaming
that work
structures in the same way: simple exercises as they curl weights. Wade’s stuff has been proven
lity training is brilliant
. His novel approach to stretching and mobi
ADAPT FROM PGS 26 TO 37
And just as simply as he did with his first book
and fresh as well as his take on recovery and
healing from injur y. Sprin kled throu
ledge
ghou
the hard
t the
way
entire book are too-
and knows exactly of
effective by hard men who don’t tolerate fluff. It will
work for you, too—guaranteed.
man who has come to his know
many-to-count insights and advice from a
what he speaks. As an ex-cop, I’ve gone mano-y-mano with ex-cons
ised as a book on calis- that had clearly trained as Paul Wade suggests in
ey into the history of physical culture disgu
This book is, as was his first, an amazing journ r than any before him is his unbelievable progressions on EVERY his two Convict Conditioning books. While these
bette
thenics. But the thing that Coach Wade does down and tells us EXACTLY how guys didn’t look like steroid-fueled bodybuilders
EXERCISE and stretch! He breaks things
of stren gth and development we want. (actually, there were a couple who did), all were
to proceed to get to whatever level
us the exact metr ics we need to know when to go to the next level. incredibly lean, hard and powerful. Wade blows
AND gives
many commonly held beliefs about conditioning,
diately useful insights into nutri-
Adding in completely practical and imme strengthening, and eating out of the water and
mind set neces sary to deal not only with training but with life,
tion and the replaces them with result-producing information
that will stand the test of time.
makes this book a classic that won’t cost you a dime.” —Loren W. Chris-
ind, Master RKC, author of Mas- tensen, author of Fighting the Pain Resistant
Bravo Coach Wade, Bravo.” —Mark Reifk Attacker, and many other titles
tering the HardStyle Kettl ebell Swin g
le equipment-big
Convict Conditioning 2 is ‘litt
“The overriding principle of arts , the section on
the throwing and fighting
rewards’. For the athlete in g, is a uni que and per haps singular
turing the Fla
Lateral Chain Training, Cap ily of side mu scles. This “Convict Conditioning is one of the most influ-
ques and the whole fam
approach to training the obli g and wel l wor th the tim e and ential books I ever got my hands on. Convict Con-
und breakin
section stood out to me as gro Lite rall y, this is a new ditioning 2 took my training and outlook on the
and attempt to complete.
energy by anyone to review is wel l bey ond side ben ds and suitcase power of bodyweight training to the 10th degree—
ning that
approach to lateral chain trai from strengthening the smallest muscles in a
deadlifts. maximal manner, all the way to using bodyweight
nce of many of training as a means of healing injuries that pile
stretching reflects the experie
Convict The author’s review of passive the rea son I am goin g to recommend up from over 22 years of aggressive lifting.
might be
us in the field. But, his solution cov ers wha t the author
Trifecta. This section
Conditioning 2 this work for everyone: The
and gives a seri es of sim ple pro gres sion s to I’ve used both Convict Conditioning and Con-
calls The Functional Triad for the stre ngt h athlete vict Conditioning 2 on myself and with my ath-
Advanced Prison three holds that promise to
oil your joints. It’s yoga
el’s Loaded letes. Without either of these books I can easily
would find , for exa mp le, in Pav
Training Tactics for Mus- and supports the material one say that these boys would not be the BEASTS
cle Gain, Fat Loss Stretching. they are today. Without a doubt Convict Con-
ctically insisting ditioning 2 will blow you away and inspire and
and Bulletproof Joints k, but I come away from it pra
I didn’t expect to like this boo boo k mix ed wit h yog a mixed with educate you to take bodyweight training to a
strongman
By Paul “Coach” Wade that everyone read it. It is a whole NEW level.”
e it, but I love it.”
street smarts. I wanted to hat ength —Zach Even-Esh, Underground Strength
Book #B59 $39.95 n, aut hor of Don ’t Let Go and co-author of Easy Str
—Dan Joh Coach
eBook #EB59 $19.95
Paperback 8.5 x 11
Order Convict Conditioning 2 online: CALL: 1•800•888•5111 24 HOURS A DAY

“Paul Wade’s section on developing the sides of the body in Convict Conditioning 2
is brilliant. Hardstyle!” —Pavel Tsatsouline, author of The Naked Warrior
Online Praise for Convict Conditioning 2

Best Sequel Since The Godfather 2! Just as brilliant as its predecessor!
to the material on Convict
“Hands down the best addition
“Just as brilliant as its predecessor! The new exercises
I already add to the Big 6 in a keep-it-simple kind of way. Anyone
Conditioning that could possibly be put out. who will put in the time with both of these masterpieces Convict
es, calf and hand training to
implemented the neck bridg will be as strong as humanly possible. I especially liked
pushups
my weekly sche dule, and as soon as my hand stand
flags . Than k you, the parts on grip work. To me, that alone was worth the Conditioning 2
and leg raises are fully loaded I’ll start the price of the entire book.” Advanced Prison
Coach!” —Timothy Stovall / Evansville, Indiana
— Daniel Runkel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Training Tactics for Mus-
cle Gain, Fat Loss
and Bulletproof Joints
If you liked CC1, you’ll love CC2
The progressions “CC2 picks up where CC1 left off with great information
were again sublime about the human flag (including a version called the clutch
Book #B59 $39.95
eBook #EB59 $19.95
“Ne ver have I heard such in dep flag, that I can actually do now), neck and forearms. I
th and yet easy to under- Paperback 8.5 x 11
stand description of trainin couldn’t be happier with this book.”
g and physical culture. A per 354 pages • 261 photos
fect complement to the first - —Justin B., Atlanta, Georgia
book although it has its own
style keeping the best attribu
tes of style from the first
but developing it to something
unique. The progressions
were again sublime and des
of ability. The two books tog
igned for people at all levels From the almost
closely resemble superhum
ether can forge what will
an strength and an incredi-
laughably-simple to
ble physique and yet the step
and easy to understand.”
s to get there are so simple realm-of-the-gods
—Ryan O., Nottingham, Un “Co nvict Conditioning 2 is a gre
ited Kingdom at com-
panion piece to the original
Convict Con-
ditioning. It helps to further
build up the
athlete and does deliver on phe
nomenal
improvement with minimal
Well worintethresth e wait , opinionated book and space.
equipment
“Another very ting, and as before

I
ough the CC1 progressions, The grip work is probably the
by Paul Wade. As I work thr ula r rate , wh ich superstar of
if unspectac the book. Second, maybe, is
find it’s paying off at a steady the attention
just fine . No trai nin g injuries worth the name, devoted to the lateral muscle
suits me s with the de-
h. I expect the same with CC2 velopment of the clutch- and
convincing gains in strengt press-flag.
the kind of material I was
which rounds off CC1 with just
Door deserve to be highly Convict Conditioning 2 is mo
looking for. Wade and Dragon re of the
the se techniques. A same - more of the systematic
commended for publishing and method-
n out side of the gym ecosystem.” ical improvement in exercises
tremendous way to trai that travel
smoothly from the almost laug
—V. R., Bangalore, India hably-simple
to realm-of-the-gods. It is a soli
d addition to
any fitness library.”
—Robert Aldrich, Chapel Hil
l, GA
Very Informative
e
“Convict Conditioning 2 is more subversiv
training information in the same style as
its Br illiant
original. It’s such a great complement to the “Convict Con ditioning books are all the boo
original, but also solid enough on its own. life. As Bruce Lee used to say ks you need in
-a , it’s not a daily increase but
The information in this book is fantastic- a daily decrease. Same with
life. Too many things can lead
great buy! Follow this program, and you will you down many paths, but to
have Simplicity is perfect.”
get stronger.” —Brandon Lynch, London
, England
—Chris B., Thunder Bay, Canada
24 HOURS A DAY CALL: 1•800•888•5111 Order Convict Conditioning 2 online:

— Table of Contents —
Foreword
The Many Roads to Strength
by Brooks Kubik
Opening Salvo: Chewing
Bubblegum and Kicking Ass
1. Introduction: Put Yourself
Behind Bars
Neck and Calves

ulldog Neck: Bulletproof
10. B
Convict Your Weakest Link
17: Twist Progressions:
Conditioning 2 alf Training: Ultimate
11. C Unleash Your Functional
Advanced Prison Training Tac- Lower Legs—No Machines Triad
tics for Muscle Gain, Fat Loss Necessary
and Bulletproof Joints
PART I: SHOTGUN PART III:
By Paul “Coach” Wade MUSCLE WISDOM FROM
Book #B59 $39.95 Hands and Forearms PART II: CELLBLOCK G
eBook #EB59 $19.95
Paperback 8.5 x 11 2: Iron Hands and Forearms: BULLETPROOF 18. Doing Time Right: Living
354 pages • 261 photos Ultimate Strength —with JOINTS the Straight Edge
Just Two Techniques
12. Tension-Flexibility: The he Prison Diet: Nutrition
19. T
3: The Hang Progressions: A Lost Art of Joint Training and Fat Loss Behind Bars
Vice-Like Bodyweight Grip
Course 13: Stretching—the Prison endin’ Up: The 8 Laws of
20. M
Take: Flexibility, Mobility, Healing
4: Advanced Grip Torture: Control
Explosive Power +
Titanium Fingers he Trifecta: Your “Secret
14. T
Weapon” for Mobilizing
ingertip Pushups: Keeping
5: F Stiff, Battle-Scarred
Hand Strength Balanced Physiques—for Life
6: Forearms into Firearms: 15: T
he Bridge Hold
Hand Strength: A Progressions: The Ultimate
Summary and a Challenge Prehab/Rehab Technique
he Mind: Escaping the

21. T
Lateral Chain True Prison
7: Lateral Chain Training:
Capturing the Flag !BONUS
8: The Clutch Flag: In Eight CHAPTER!
Easy Steps Pumpin’ Iron in Prison: Myths,
9: The Press Flag: In Eight
Not-So-Easy Steps 16: The L-Hold Progressions:
Cure Bad Hips and Low
Back—Inside-Out
Order Convict Conditioning 2 online: CALL: 1•800•888•5111 24 HOURS A DAY

1•800•899•5111
24 HOURS A DAY • FAX YOUR ORDER (866) 280-7619
O R D E R I N G I N F O R M A T I O N
Telephone Orders For faster service you may place your 100% One-Year Risk-Free Guarantee. If you are not
orders by calling Toll Free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, completely satisfied with any product—we’ll be happy to
365 days per year. When you call, please have your credit give you a prompt exchange, credit, or refund, as you wish.
card ready. Simply return your purchase to us, and please let us know
why you were dissatisfied––it will help us to provide better
Customer Service Questions? Please call us between products and services in the future. Shipping and handling
9:00am– 11:00pm EST Monday to Friday at 1-800-899-5111. fees are non-refundable.
Local and foreign customers call 513-346-4160 for orders
and customer service
Complete and mail with full payment to: Dragon Door Publications, 5 County Road B East, Suite 3, Little Canada, MN 55117
Please print clearly Please print clearly

Warning to foreign customers:
Sold To: A Sold To: (Street address for delivery) B The Customs in your country
may or may not tax or otherwise
Name__________________________________ Name__________________________________ charge you an additional fee for
Street _________________________________ Street _________________________________ goods you receive. Dragon Door
Publications is charging you only
City ___________________________________ City ___________________________________ for U.S. handling and international
shipping. Dragon Door Publica-
State _____________________ Zip ________ State _____________________ Zip ________
tions is in no way responsible
Day phone*_____________________________ Email__________________________________ for any additional fees levied by
* Important for clarifying questions on orders Customs, the carrier or any other
entity.
Item # Qty. Item Description Item Price A or B Total
Total of Goods
HANDLING AND SHIPPING CHARGES • NO CODS
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$300.00 and up Add $24.00
tax
Canada and Mexico add $6.00 to US charges. All other countries, flat rate, double US
Charges. See Kettlebell section for Kettlebell Shipping and handling charges. MN residents add 6.5% sales
METHOD OF PAYMENT ____Check ____M.O. ____Mastercard ____Visa ____Discover ____Amex

Account No. (Please indicate all the numbers on your credit card) EXPIRATION DATE
Day Phone: ______________________

Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _________________
NOTE: We ship best method available for your delivery address. Foreign orders are sent by air.
Credit card or International M.O. only. For RUSH processing of your order, add an additional
$10.00 per address. Available on money order & charge card orders only.
Errors and omissions excepted. Prices subject to change without notice.
1•800•899•5111
24 HOURS A DAY • FAX YOUR ORDER (866) 280-7619
O R D E R I N G I N F O R M A T I O N
Telephone Orders For faster service you may place your 100% One-Year Risk-Free Guarantee. If you are not
orders by calling Toll Free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, completely satisfied with any product—we’ll be happy to
365 days per year. When you call, please have your credit give you a prompt exchange, credit, or refund, as you wish.
card ready. Simply return your purchase to us, and please let us know
why you were dissatisfied––it will help us to provide better
Customer Service Questions? Please call us between products and services in the future. Shipping and handling
9:00am– 11:00pm EST Monday to Friday at 1-800-899-5111. fees are non-refundable.
Local and foreign customers call 513-346-4160 for orders
and customer service
Complete and mail with full payment to: Dragon Door Publications, 5 County Road B East, Suite 3, Little Canada, MN 55117
Please print clearly Please print clearly

Warning to foreign customers:
Sold To: A Sold To: (Street address for delivery) B The Customs in your country
may or may not tax or otherwise
Name__________________________________ Name__________________________________ charge you an additional fee for
Street _________________________________ Street _________________________________ goods you receive. Dragon Door
Publications is charging you only
City ___________________________________ City ___________________________________ for U.S. handling and international
shipping. Dragon Door Publica-
State _____________________ Zip ________ State _____________________ Zip ________
tions is in no way responsible
Day phone*_____________________________ Email__________________________________ for any additional fees levied by
* Important for clarifying questions on orders Customs, the carrier or any other
entity.
Item # Qty. Item Description Item Price A or B Total
Total of Goods
HANDLING AND SHIPPING CHARGES • NO CODS
Total Amount of Order Add (Excludes kettlebells and kettlebell kits): Shipping Charges
$00.00 to 29.99 Add $7.00 $100.00 to 129.99 Add $14.00 Rush Charges
$30.00 to 49.99 Add $6.00 $130.00 to 169.99 Add $16.00
$50.00 to 69.99 Add $8.00 Kettlebell Shipping Charges
$170.00 to 199.99 Add $18.00
$70.00 to 99.99 Add $11.00 $200.00 to 299.99 Add $20.00 OH residents add 6.5% sales
$300.00 and up Add $24.00
tax
Canada and Mexico add $6.00 to US charges. All other countries, flat rate, double US
Charges. See Kettlebell section for Kettlebell Shipping and handling charges. MN residents add 6.5% sales
METHOD OF PAYMENT ____Check ____M.O. ____Mastercard ____Visa ____Discover ____Amex

Account No. (Please indicate all the numbers on your credit card) EXPIRATION DATE
Day Phone: ______________________

Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _________________
NOTE: We ship best method available for your delivery address. Foreign orders are sent by air.
Credit card or International M.O. only. For RUSH processing of your order, add an additional
$10.00 per address. Available on money order & charge card orders only.
Errors and omissions excepted. Prices subject to change without notice.

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Sold to LAKMAL WICKRAMASINGHE (#OVF4J6Q9)

Sold to LAKMAL WICKRAMASINGHE (#OVF4J6Q9)

© Copyright 2015, Danny Kavadlo

ISBN 10: 1942812035 ISBN 13: 978-1-942812-03-6

Danny Kavadlo’s back and neck tattoos by Louis Andrew.

PART II: ACTIONS

Chapter 11. Beast Mode (Classic Strength)................................................................................ 123

Chapter 12. Like A Boss (Advanced Moves)............................................................................. 167

Chapter 13. Stretch It Out.........................................................................................................................207

About The Author.........................................................................................................................................225

Notes From The Underground.......................................................................................................... 227

Index Of Exercises.......................................................................................................................................... 231

How do you make it?

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.”

Strength Rules is so good, you can’t ignore it.

Daniel John author Never Let Go

Strength Rules VII

In my last book Diamond-Cut Abs, I addressed our cultural obsession,

Even if you’ve never read DCA or heard of anything Kavadlo, this is a

Are you one of us?

Minimalism is a recurring theme in this

Sure, extreme moves

W ell I’m the only one here.

No amount of training will shorten your bones or change

issues with obsessing over one small, triv-

I explained this repeatedly to my client until

My client did not agree and he eventually

Sure some people have more

In reality, women and men in

Ultimately, all action and

I aspire to keep my heart and head as clutter free as my desk.

Often, when we talk about

On that note, have you ever noticed how most

Ligaments, whose primary function is to connect bones to other

Pull-Ups give you strong

At their very best, these appa-

The manufacturer of this

…Your body knows better.

2. Something To Hang From

T he best workout is the one you will do.

Let’s get something straight: You are not

To me, it is silly to wait for twenty minutes

was called for in their hypothetical work-

It’s not necessary to stick to a specific

This is a typical reply:

This is not to say that I do not appre-

I respond to every ques-

Danny is an in-person experience

Should you have three big meals a

The following week, “Danny, what days

“Uh, every day.” I meekly responded.

“Danny, what times?”

This time I did not reply. He’ll have to figure

Apples still give you abs.

Now, there’s always some wise

Bullshit. Yes it does. To find out

3. DO CELEBRATE WHAT YOU LOVE

5. DO PRACTICE FORGIVENESS.

7. DO EAT LOTS OF GOOD FOOD AND NEVER DIET.

10. DO THE RIGHT THING.