Fitness and Strength are meaningless qualities without Health.
With proper training, these three qualities develop
naturally, going hand in hand. Everything in this book
efforts were made to convey the importance
safe teaching methods, but despite all this, all
People and their needs are sometimes very different. Take action
with caution, at your own peril and risk. Your body is under
It is your own responsibility to take care of it.
All medical experts agree that you should
consult your doctor before starting
studying programs. Be careful!
This book is intended for informational purposes. This one is not
biography. Names, stories and circumstances under which they
occurred, described in this book, were subjected to complete or
within the framework of this technique are effective. Use them and
become the best.
DISCLAIMER!
Preface…………………………………………………………………………………4
PART I. PREAMBLE
01. Introduction. Journey of power……………………………………………………….8
02. Old school gymnastics.
The Lost Art of Strength…………………………………………………….16
03. Prisoners Manifesto: Training
with its own weight and modern methods……………………………..26
04. Prisoner training. About this book…………………………………….36
PART II. BIG SIX:
POWER MOVEMENTS
05. Push-ups. Armored Chest
and steel triceps……………………………………………………………….46
06. Squats. Lifting force……………………………………………………..80
07. Pull-ups. Powerful back and biceps……………………………………..118
08. Leg raises. Six hellish dice………………………………………….154
09. "Bridge". The Battle for the Spine…………………………………………………………….190
10. Handstand push-ups.
Healthy and strong shoulders……………………………………………………..226
PART III. SELF TRAINING
11. Wisdom of the body. Iron rules……………………………………………………….261
12. Training. Training programs……………………………………………………..277
Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………………290
PRISONER TRAINING 4
Preface
yainelKvbo gudbdald-aitgyoo sgvko i1v9he 6ym9n ogonoyad htuo.i vN shchaiikhntaeal, l pin oyekmya u s dtlvueodkeets niztai kKoue ttmaabynrnniaydkhkh w mave sdshiidateafltsr, iasing o itr ibpbireotsshsv kiistkh- .
The monks radiated peace and lightness. A sparkle of humor sparkled in their eyes, like
as if they were telling a joke whose meaning only they knew. “Everything is fine, nothing matters,” they seemed to imply. Their words filled my head
young man, mostly empty, while his mind raced from one
restless thought to another.
One monk began to talk about the inner freedom that arises when
practice of deep meditation. The monk used the analogy: “You can be
locked in a prison cell, even chained, and at the same time remain free
hungry inside yourself. No one can take away your inner freedom.”
The student jumped up from his seat with an angry cry. "How can you do this
speak? A prison is a prison, shackles are shackles. There can't be any
freedom, because you are being held there against your will!” His deepest string
the soul was hurt, forcing me to resist the monk’s analogy.
The monk smiled affectionately at the young man. "That's a good question," said
he speaks with absolute sincerity and without the slightest hint of irony. And the monks
They continued their conversation, like a river bending around a boulder on its way.
Forty years later. year 2009. A young Cambridge student has become wiser and gentler
in judgments. He launched a dynamic and rapidly growing publishing house under
called Dragon Door Publications - for those who want to achieve physical fitness
excellence.
And I'm about to present to the world one of the most exciting books that...
ry I have ever read. This is a book about prison. This is a book about freedom. This is a book about
survival. This is a book about humanity. This is a book about strength and power. This is a book that
heaven belongs to our military, police, firefighters, all those who protect
our country. This is a book for universities and colleges. This is a book for professionals
athletes and for shapeless office rats. This is a book for homeowners
ek. This is a book for old farts who want to turn back time. This is a book
for those seeking the secrets of ultimate survival power.
This book was written by a former prisoner who was imprisoned
twenty year period; he was imprisoned in some of the harshest prisons in
America. Forced to survive. A man deprived of everything except his body
and reason. A person who decided to develop himself and create his own
freedom so that no one can influence him. Freedom of a strong body and strong
This book is called Prisoner Training.
PRISONER TRAINING 5
Prisoner training? How and why does Dragon Door dare to publish
forge a book with that title? Surely this is some kind of triumph of crime, as it deserved the attention of one of the leading publishing companies on fitness
Many of our country's leading fitness experts have read the book.
chat version of Prisoner Training and fell in love with its content. On sa-
In fact, they even raved about her. But, in many cases, they stopped and sea-
were wondering about the name. Prisoner training? “John, the material is excellent, but it deserves a better name. Every military man needs this book.
every law enforcement officer, every parent is required to give
I admit I had my doubts. Not in the book, but in the title. Can I and the author, Paul
Wade, should I sell this title? Will these two words be: “Training Concluded”
nykh", make those hundreds of thousands of people who will benefit turn away
from the information contained on these pages? Will such a name be preserved?
share these amazing secrets only with a small group of enthusiasts who
who don't care about the cover because they see the beauty of Paul's Big Six?
But the more I thought about it, the more confident I became that
the title should remain exactly that way. Because "Prisoner Training"
suggests that the power of survival was born in some of the most dangerous conditions
yah, where only a person can find himself. "Prisoner Training" tells the story
This is how to raise your strength and power to such a level that any predator would not
will be able to consider you as a target for attack. "Prisoner Training"
speaks of achieving an aura of strength and power, which sends to everyone the subconscious
a strong and completely unambiguous signal: “Don’t even think about it!”
If I had given this vast body of knowledge another name, I would have
a disservice to him. I couldn't do it.
The most important thing to highlight: there is a freedom that cannot
to be taken away from you - no matter how small a box you are imprisoned in. And this
freedom consists in developing the splendor of your own body and mind, in
independence from external conditions. And Paul Wade created a stunning witness -
the realization of this truth - a master plan on how you can achieve it yourself
splendor.
Immerse yourself in Prisoner Training and you will quickly realize that
this is not the work of a famous “prisoner”, not the literary equivalent of a gang
sta-rap. In fact, this book will make you sincerely wish you never
to be where Paul spent so many years. But it will also inspire you to
Training area. Secret physical training system
DISCLAIMER!
This book is intended for informational purposes. This is not a biography. The names, stories and circumstances in which they occurred described in this book have undergone complete or partial changes. Despite this, the author claims that the methods, ideology, as well as all the principles of exercises within the framework of this technique are effective. Use them and become the best.
Preface........................................................ ...............................................4
PART I. PREAMBLE
01. Introduction. Journey of Power................................................... ................8
02. Old school gymnastics.
The Lost Art of Strength........................................................ .................16
03. Prisoners Manifesto: Training
with its own weight and modern methods...................................26
04. Prisoner training. About this book........................................36
PART II. BIG SIX:
POWER MOVEMENTS
05. Push-ups. Armored Chest
and steel triceps................................................... ........................46
06. Squats. Lifting force................................................... ...............80
07. Pull-ups. Powerful back and biceps....................................................118
08. Leg raises. Six hellish dice................................................... ..154
09. "Bridge". The Battle for the Spine......................................................... .......190
10. Handstand push-ups.
Healthy and strong shoulders.................................................... ................226
PART III. SELF TRAINING
11. Wisdom of the body. Iron rules................................................... ....261
12. Training. Training programs........................................................ ..277
Acknowledgments........................................................ .........................................
Preface
Sometime in 1969. The brash Cambridge student sat hunched in reverent silence as two saffron-clad Tibetan Buddhist monks lectured him on the mysteries of meditation and enlightenment.
The monks radiated peace and lightness. There was a sparkle of humor in their eyes, as if they were telling a joke whose meaning only they knew. “Everything is fine, nothing matters,” they seemed to imply. Their words filled the young man's mostly empty head as his mind raced from one troubled thought to another.
One monk began to talk about the inner freedom that arises from the practice of deep meditation. The monk used an analogy: “You can be locked in a prison cell, even chained, and at the same time remain free within yourself. No one can take away your inner freedom.”
The student jumped up from his seat with an angry cry. “How can you say that? A prison is a prison, shackles are shackles. There can be no freedom there, because you are being held there against your will!” A deep string of his soul was touched, forcing him to resist the monk's analogy.
The monk smiled affectionately at the young man. “That's a good question,” he said with absolute sincerity and without the slightest hint of irony. And the monks continued their conversation, like a river bending around a boulder on its way.
Forty years later. year 2009. The young Cambridge student became wiser and softer in his judgment. He launched a dynamic and rapidly growing publishing house called Dragon Door Publications - for those who want to achieve physical perfection.
And I'm about to introduce the world to one of the most exciting books I've ever read. This is a book about prison. This is a book about freedom. This is a book about survival. This is a book about humanity. This is a book about strength and power. This is a book that belongs to our military, police, firefighters, all those who protect our country. This is a book for universities and colleges. This is a book for professional athletes and for shapeless office rats. This is a book for housewives. This is a book for old farts who want to turn back time. This is a book for those who seek the secrets of the ultimate power of survival.
This book was written by a former prisoner who was imprisoned for twenty years; he was imprisoned in some of the harshest prisons in America. Forced to survive. A person deprived of everything except his body and mind. A man who decided to develop himself and create his own freedom so that no one could influence him. Freedom of a strong body and a strong mind.
This book is called Prisoner Training.
Prisoner training? How and why does Dragon Door dare to publish a book with such a title? Surely this is some kind of triumph of crime, how did it earn the attention of one of the leading fitness publishing companies?
Paul Wade's book "The Training Zone" is a body of knowledge about physical culture, training methods, health and beauty. On the one hand, it tells about the history of the emergence of methods for developing human strength and their significance, and on the other hand, it represents a full-fledged step-by-step system for the development of physical abilities, with a detailed description of exercises and implementation schedules.
What is this book about? About freedom. About survival. About humanity. It was written by a former prisoner, a man who had been imprisoned for more than twenty years. A man who has been in the grindstones of America's harshest prisons. A man forced to turn to strength to survive. A man deprived of everything except his body and soul, and who decided, no matter what, to develop and gain his personal freedom, which no one could take away from him. Freedom of a strong body and strong spirit.
Walk into any gym anywhere in the world and you'll see a plethora of steroid-heavy jocks with bulging muscles under their open shirts who can easily bench press a heavy barbell while boasting eight-inch biceps.
Are they really that strong?
- How many of them can use their athletic strength?
- How many of them can do twenty push-ups on one arm?
- How many of them have such a flexible, strong and healthy spine that, bending backwards, they can reach the floor?
- How many of them have strong enough hips and knees to do single leg squats?
- How many of them can do pull-ups with one hand?
Simple bodyweight exercises are beyond the capabilities of many modern bodybuilders. However, the image of a jock as a model of strength, physical beauty and health has been strengthened in people's minds.
The pumped up body of a bodybuilder has become almost a standard. From my point of view, this is real madness. What difference does it make how many kilograms you can lift in the gym or on the machine? Can one be considered “strong” if he cannot lift himself up?
Gym enthusiasts care only about their appearance, but not about their abilities. A person may have large, artificially pumped up arms and legs, but all this increased volume is muscle, while the joints and tendons remain weak. Ask an average bodybuilder to do a couple of deep squats on one leg - with his butt touching the floor - and his knee ligaments are likely to tear. As a rule, the strength that bodybuilders possess is not used for its intended purpose; if you ask one of them to walk on his hands, he will fall head first on the first step.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see young people shelling out a fortune for gym memberships and home workout equipment in hopes of getting fit and fit. This is a real robbery! The fitness industry has convinced the world that sports and fitness are impossible without special sports equipment, which is sold or rented (in the case of a club membership) for exorbitant fees. And this is a tragedy, because almost every athlete who does not use steroids progresses very slowly in both muscle development and athletic ability.
To become truly strong, you don’t need barbells, cables, fancy machines and everything that the fitness industry and advertising pushes on you. You can become strong, muscular and tough like Hercules without any special equipment. To discover this power within yourself - the power of your own body - you need one thing: the right approach. Real art.
And such an approach exists. It is based on traditional (ancient) forms of training. With its help it is easy to turn from a frail boy into a steel fighter. This approach is called progressive calisthenics - the art of using the human body to maximize its physical development. Rhythmic gymnastics today is the basis of aerobics, cyclic training or endurance exercises. Unfortunately, this method was not taken seriously at first. But in the past, until the second half of the 20th century, all the strongest athletes in the world, with the help of rhythmic gymnastics, gradually became stronger - day after day, week after week, year after year.
Unfortunately, this approach is not taught in any gym in the world today. This art has been forgotten by many modern athletes due to the fascination with the latest training methods - from metal barbells to high-tech simulators. The art of rhythmic gymnastics has been overshadowed by fitness fads and fitness equipment manufacturers who want to sell you the right you are born with to exercise your body and soul.
Unable to withstand such an assault, the traditional art of gymnastics degraded and turned into physical education for schoolchildren. Nowadays, “gymnastics” includes push-ups, pull-ups and squats. These are all good exercises that, when repeated frequently, increase endurance, although they do little to build strength. A true master of the old school knows perfectly well how to develop his physical abilities and achieve real strength. Almost everyone who trains at the gym desperately hopes to build strength with a barbell or machine. I've seen guys train old school, and they were so strong that they broke steel handcuffs, easily broke wrought iron chains, and literally smashed brick walls to smithereens.
Do you enjoy this incredible physical strength?
In the pages of this book, I will try to teach you techniques that will allow you to achieve the kind of strength and physical perfection that will never happen if you train on machines. Only traditional gymnastics can transform your body, develop superhuman endurance and strengthen your flesh.
Fortunately, the old school system survived thanks to the efforts of people who did not have access to barbells or dumbbells, who had to survive in the inhumane conditions of colonies and prisons - where civilization is on the other side of the bars.
My name is Paul Wade, and unfortunately, I know all about life behind bars. I was first incarcerated in 1979 and spent nineteen (of twenty-three) years in prisons like Angola (also known as "The Farm") and Marion, a hell built to replace Alcatraz.
I know more about the old school than anyone else. During my last sentence, I was given the nickname Entrenador, which means “coach” in Spanish. All sorts of young people came to me with a request to turn them into strongmen in the shortest possible time. I've gotten a hell of a lot of kudos, but the most valuable thing I've received is confidence that my technique works. I myself got to the point where I could do over a dozen handstand push-ups without support, a feat that not even Olympic champions can replicate.
I won the annual Angolan prisoner push-up/pull-up championship for six years in a row, even while working full time at The Farm (prisoners were forced to work until they were completely exhausted so they would be less of a "problem"). I was also third in the California Institutional Powerlifting Championships in 1987, despite never using weights in my training (and only competing to win the bet). For twenty years, my training system allowed me to be stronger and tougher than the vast majority of those psychopaths, veterans and other eccentric individuals with whom I had the good fortune to meet. Most of them were actively training. It's unlikely that their training methods and achievements are featured in fashionable fitness magazines, but, ironically, some of the most impressive athletes in the world are ex-cons.
In prison, my “profession” became strengthening my body, building strength and keeping myself in excellent physical shape. I did not learn this art in a comfortable room surrounded by tanned musclemen and spandex-clad girls. I did not take the certification, having completed a three-week course, as is now customary for personal trainers. And, damn it, I’m not some scribbler with a fat ass who has never really sweated in his life, like those who write about fitness and bodybuilding in newfangled books. Moreover, I was not strong by nature. The first time I was in prison, just three weeks after my twenty-third birthday, I weighed only 68 kg, stood 183 cm tall and looked like a fire tower: lanky, thin, with underdeveloped twig arms and almost complete absence of any or physical strength. Having received several unpleasant lessons, I quickly realized that all prisoners play on the weaknesses of their fellow sufferers and intimidation is a bargaining chip in the hole where I was taken. And since I had no intention of becoming anyone's target, I quickly realized that the easiest way to avoid becoming someone's target was to build muscle on myself, and quickly.
Luckily, after a few weeks in San Quentin, I was transferred to a cell with a former Navy SEAL. He was in excellent physical shape and taught me the basics of gymnastics - push-ups, pull-ups and deep squats. Several months of training under his strict guidance increased my strength and helped me gain some muscle mass. Training in the chamber every day built up my endurance, and soon I was doing over a hundred repetitions at a time. But I stubbornly wanted to be bigger and stronger than anyone ever, and I tried to extract any information that would help me achieve my goal. I learned from everyone I could find - gymnasts, soldiers, Olympic weightlifters, yogis, wrestlers, and even a couple of doctors.
At that time, I did not go to the gym, but trained in the cell. I had nothing but my body. Training became an obsession for me - I immersed myself in this process. Six months of hard work gave me a ton of strength and weight, and after a year I became one of the strongest and most powerful guys in the prison. And all this thanks to the methods of the traditional gymnastics school! Unfortunately, the technique has been successfully forgotten in the world of freedom, but in prisons, knowledge about it is passed on by word of mouth, from generation to generation. In conclusion, there are not many options for training, no Pilates or aerobics classes for you. Nowadays there is a lot of talk about gyms in prisons, but believe me, this is a relatively fashionable trend and if there are gyms anywhere, they are extremely poorly equipped.
One of my mentors was named Joe Hartigan. He was seventy-one and in his fourth decade of a life sentence. Despite his age and many injuries, Joe continued to train every morning. He was strong as a bull - he could easily do pull-ups on his index fingers and do push-ups on the thumb of one hand. These were his signature tricks. He knew a lot more about actual training than most "experts." Joe trained old school before the world knew about dial-up barbells. At the time, the emphasis was on bodyweight exercises, a technique that is now more common in regular gymnastics than in bodybuilding or strength training. Thus, the bench press was performed not on a comfortable gym bench, but with large, heterogeneous objects - heavy barrels, anvils, sandbags and other “human” weights. This press produced qualities that cannot be achieved in modern gyms - endurance, tendon strength, balance, speed, coordination and incredible control.
Done efficiently, with full dedication and in compliance with all the rules, this type of training made athletes incredibly strong.
In 1930, in St. Louis, Joe trained with one of the world's most famous strongmen, the Mighty Atom. Atom is a phenomenon in strength sports: he is only about 162 cm tall and weighs about 63.5 kg. Every day he performed such feats that modern bodybuilders nervously smoke on the sidelines. He broke chains, drove screws into pine boards and drove half a nail into a beam with his bare hands. Once in 1928, he held a plane taking off with the hair on his head! Unlike modern gym-goers, Atom was really strong and could use his strength in any, even the most ordinary life situation - he could easily change car tires without using a single tool - he simply unscrewed bolts with his bare hands, then lifted car and put the spare tire on! In the mid-1930s, he was attacked by six angry longshoremen, and as a result of the fight, all six were sent to the hospital with injuries of varying severity. It’s good that he didn’t go to prison because of this, since he regularly practiced twisting steel bars, and did it as easily as if they were not steel bars, but hairpins. Like Joe, Atom did his tricks in the pre-steroid era and did not need stimulants for his puffy muscles. Atom was incredibly strong and even at 80 years old he remained an unsurpassed strongman. During long breaks, Joe regaled me with stories about the world-class strongmen he knew and trained with during the Great Depression.
I was lucky to learn a lot about old school philosophy. So, Joe always emphasized that strength is gained only in training with your own weight, and all the athletes of the past knew this. Yes, they demonstrated their strength by manipulating various objects - barrels and nails, but in most cases their strength was based on control of their own body. In fact, Joe hated weights and dumbbells. “This is such stupidity - these barbells and dumbbells! - he told me during lunch. - You can achieve a much more impressive result using your own body. The ancient Greeks and Romans trained this way - look at the statues from that era. They have such impressive muscles that no other jock has today!” And it is true. Just look at the sculpture of Hercules Farnese or Laocoon. The athletic guys who posed for these sculptures definitely had developed muscles and could easily win any modern bodybuilding competition. It should not be forgotten that the collapsible rod was invented only in the 19th century. If you still don't believe me, look at modern gymnasts. These guys train exclusively with their own bodyweight, and many have physical characteristics that would make any bodybuilder blush.
Joe unfortunately died, but I promised him that his principles and wisdom would never die. They are presented in the book you are holding in your hands. Rest in peace, Joe.
In recent years, I have observed more than once how some prisoners train in the yard (if there was one) with weights, while others train in their cell, without anything. For many of them, training is a religion, a way of life, and I have spoken with the vast majority of them - athletes of the highest class. Over the years, I have collected advanced techniques and valuable tips from them, which I later incorporated into my system. To be fair, I learned most of my knowledge about physical fitness in prison. Experimenting on myself, I did not rest for a single day, always translating the acquired knowledge into pain and sweat. And as a result, having eaten dog during training, I was always in excellent physical shape. Any incident I was involved in quickly collapsed - my power was explosive and dangerous. Over time, having mastered the secrets of mastery, I earned the respect of my fellow inmates and even the prison guards. In the nineties, after the murder of two guards at Marion Prison, all prisoners were assigned to solitary confinement. To avoid potential problems, guards checked prisoners every forty minutes. Thus was born the joke that the guards, seeing me doing a series of push-ups, would come forty minutes later to check how I was doing.
In recent years, newly convicted prisoners have approached me almost every day with requests to teach them how to train in order to become strong and resilient in a short time. Everyone wanted to learn about the forgotten art - training without special equipment, because many of them, due to their prison status, were not supposed to lift weights, like veterans, in the yard.
So I became a trainer for hundreds of prisoners. The experience I gained from this was invaluable and allowed me to refine my system so that it was equally effective for different body types and metabolic levels. I noticed that the motivation and mental aspects of training vary greatly from person to person, so I had to quickly adapt my system to suit the individual needs of each of my students. Gradually, I polished the technology so that any sane person could use it, regardless of their level of training.
The book you are holding in your hands is mostly my secret “training manual” written in prison. It is the fruit of endless hours of training in proper training techniques. This is my brainchild. And it works. Should work! If I had not been able to train one of my guys to the maximum limit of strength and power, the matter would not have been limited to simply losing in competitions. Prison is cruel. Survival is the main goal of your stay in it. If you're a weakling, you're dead. All my charges are alive and well, for which I thank them very much.
I could write an entire book about how power and reputation are key qualities for surviving in prison. Someday I will do it. But this book is not about prison life. This is a book about physical training. I have given several examples from prison life to show the brutal, isolated and yet traditional environment in which the old school system survived. This does not mean that you must necessarily find yourself in such conditions in order to train using this system. Not at all necessary! However, if my methods worked for people in the harshest and most inhumane conditions, then they will be no less effective for you.
They work!
Sequential calisthenics is a term you don't hear often in sports circles. Moreover, many coaches don’t even know what it means. This term has been used in English since the 19th century, but has ancient origins. The term comes from the Greek words kallos - “beauty” and sthenos - “strength”.
Sequential gymnastics is the art of working with your own weight and the properties of inertia, the goal of which is physical perfection. The system offered in this book is a progressive form of calisthenics designed to maximize strength and athletic ability. Unfortunately, modern progressive calisthenics are not considered as a basis for good strength training. Most people mistakenly assume that progressive gymnastics is just high-intensity repetitions of push-ups, crunches, and other lower-energy exercises such as jumping jacks and running in place. This gymnastics faded into the background and became a common form of cyclic training like aerobics. But it was not always so.
Bodyweight exercises have been an excellent means of achieving excellent physical fitness and developing endurance since ancient times. Even in prehistoric times, when primitive man wanted to show his strength, he demonstrated the ability to control and control his body by lifting it up, bending his knees, squeezing his body off the surface of the earth, using the strength of his arms and legs. Subsequently, these actions turned into what we now call the art of sequential rhythmic gymnastics.
Gymnastics was never considered by ancient athletes as endurance training - it was a system for developing strength and powerful muscles in the warriors of ancient times.
One of the first mentions of gymnastics is found in Herodotus in his description of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC). The Persian king Xerxes, leading a huge army, sent troops of scouts to monitor the valley in which the camp of his enemies was located - the Spartan Greeks, led by King Leonidas. The scouts reported that the Spartan warriors were performing gymnastic exercises. Xerxes had no idea how to take this fact and suggested that they might be warming up for battle. The curious thing about the situation was that the army of the Persian king Xerxes numbered more than 120 thousand people, while the Spartans were only three hundred. Xerxes invited the Spartans to lay down their arms, to which he received the legendary answer “come and take it.” The Spartans managed to hold back the onslaught of Xerxes' army of thousands until the arrival of the Greek coalition forces. Based on these events, Zack Snyder made the film “300” in 2007.
The Spartans are still considered the strongest warriors in the world, and, as you can see, they did not disdain gymnastics. Moreover, consistent gymnastics is the only reason for their physical strength and prowess. As Pausanias testifies, all the great athletes of the ancient Olympic Games, including pugilists, strongmen and wrestlers, practiced progressive gymnastics. A frequent subject of ancient mosaics, sculpture and architecture was real training in the style of sequential gymnastics. The “Greek God,” a modern term for the ideal body, referred to those Olympic athletes who achieved the highest level of physical development through the practice of consistent gymnastics. The beauty of their bodies has inspired artists and sculptors for many centuries. In contrast to modern, disproportionately pumped up bodybuilders, the Greeks knew very well that gymnastics, performed correctly, allows you to achieve the highest level of physical strength in an ideal, harmoniously developed body. The naturalness of physical proportions in gymnastics is achieved without much difficulty, because the body itself is used as a counterweight - not too light and not too heavy. Nature has made sure that we have the perfect counterbalance. The Greeks also knew that gymnastics not only gave strength and athleticism, but also ease of movement.
The art of sequential gymnastics - as well as many other things - was adopted from the Greeks by the Romans. And if the Roman army represented the pinnacle of military organization, then gladiators were always considered the cream of athletic society - warriors who fought among themselves (or with animals) for the amusement of the public in special arenas. “Super warriors” was what the historian Titus Livia called them for their daily bodyweight training in ludi (training camp), which corresponds to today's advanced level of gymnastics. Regular training made the gladiators so strong that the crowd created legends about them: as if they were the illegitimate sons of mortal women and titans, mighty giants who fought with the gods long before the advent of man. Gymnastics, combined with military training, rewarded them with incredible physical strength, which almost destroyed the Empire in the 1st century BC. e., when Spartacus and his gladiators challenged the emperor and smashed numerous Roman legions to smithereens.
Of course, there were other training systems in the ancient world. But what we do know for sure from extant sources is that the bodyweight training system used by warriors and athletes bore little resemblance to what is now commonly called “bodyweight gymnastics.” Their workouts were more like gymnastics than a light form of aerobics, and when done regularly and consistently, allowed them to gain such legendary strength and power.
Sequential gymnastics remained the main form of physical training even after the fall of the Roman Empire. Throughout almost the entire history of mankind, the only possible way for any athlete to become stronger and stronger was gymnastics, that is, exercises with one’s own weight.
Centuries later, the art of ancient athletes was revived in the armies of Byzantium and Arabia. Classical gymnastics returned to Europe thanks to the Crusades, which presented the half-forgotten art as an absolute means of achieving strength at a time when militant Europeans were more concerned than ever with issues of physical strength and beauty. It is well known that a major part of a squire's preparation for knighthood was physical training, and there is ample evidence that training was based on progressive gymnastics. Extant manuscripts and tapestries show squires doing push-ups against trees and wooden structures and performing various power feats that closely resemble handstand push-ups. Undoubtedly, medieval soldiers - centuries before the invention of barbells and dumbbells - trained in this way precisely to develop strength. European medieval warriors had incredible strength. According to contemporaries, the archers of King Henry V were so strong that they could tear a tree out of the ground along with its roots. This may be an exaggeration, but the bow taken from Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose, required an incredible amount of force to pull the string, amounting to approximately 900 newtons (90 kg). Today, no archer could handle such a weapon.
During the Renaissance, progressive gymnastics was part of military training, and even more, it was spread throughout Europe by troubadours, traveling acrobats, singers and jugglers, for whom strength tricks and “unprecedented” exercises performed in villages and cities with crowds of people served as a way to earn their daily bread . The art of gymnastics also spread during the Enlightenment, when any knowledge was considered blessed and was highly valued.
Bodyweight training continued into the 19th century. In fact, if the period of the emergence and flourishing of classical gymnastics in Ancient Greece represented the first golden era of physical culture, then the end of the 19th century, without a doubt, is the second golden era of gymnastics. All over the world, health experts have recognized the effectiveness of bodyweight training. In Prussia, the former military leader and “father of modern gymnastics” Friedrich Ludwig Jahn introduced into use such gymnastic equipment as uneven bars, beam, pommel horse and free suspensions (gymnastic rings). This is how “gymnastics” appeared, as we know it now. The strength shows of the Renaissance, which migrated to the circus arena, marked the beginning of the era of strongmen. This period gave the world phenomenal athletes such as Arthur Saxon, Rolandov and even Eugene Sandow, whose ideal body was immortalized in the bronze Mr. Olympia statuette - the highest award given to the winner of a bodybuilding competition. The world has never known stronger people than these men, they were much stronger than modern steroid musclemen. Saxon could bench press about 174 kg with one arm; Rolandov could effortlessly tear three decks of cards at once - an incredible feat that few people can repeat now; Sandow was tearing apart the steel chains wrapped around his torso. Considering that plates, dumbbells and barbells were invented only in the 20th century, it was gymnastics that played a huge role in the physical training of these athletes.
Even in the first half of the 20th century, athletes' training was largely based on bodyweight exercises. At that time, only those who could do one-legged squats, pull-ups, or handstands were considered “strong.” And only after mastery in all exercises with one’s own weight was achieved, barbells and dumbbells appeared in the training.
So, all weightlifters could easily perform the most difficult of the bodyweight exercises. British strongman and 1930s wrestler Bert Assirati drew thunderous applause from spectators as he performed a bridge from which he moved into a one-arm handstand - while weighing more than 100 kg. Assirati is the heaviest athlete in history who could perform an incredibly difficult technique - hanging on gymnastic rings, or the “iron cross”.
In the 1940s and 50s, the world's strongest athlete was Canadian Doug Hepburn, a great weightlifter who could lift about 225 kg from the rack and about 160 kg from behind his head. And all this - in the pre-steroid era. Despite the fact that Hepburn exceeded the existing limit of 135 kg, the basis of his training was bodyweight exercises. And it showed - his upper body was the size of a Buick, and his shoulders were wider than a standard doorway. Although he was an excellent lifter, Hepburn attributed his amazing strength to his mastery of handstand push-ups. In preparation for unsupported push-ups, he regularly used special parallel bars that allowed him to go lower than usual. And this giant proved once and for all that one’s own muscle mass is not an obstacle to excellence in gymnastics. Despite his height and weight, Hepburn was never a hulking brute with overly developed muscles; on the contrary, he took bodyweight training with all the seriousness that is so lacking in modern bodybuilders.
Perhaps the last great champion in strength training - "The Most Balanced Man in the World" - is Angelo Siciliano, better known as Charles Atlas. His Dynamic Tension, a course mailed to subscribers, sold hundreds of thousands in the 1950s and 1960s. His training is a hybrid of traditional gymnastics and some isometric methods. He taught a whole generation of comic book fans not to doubt their own strength and capabilities, training without weights and machines.
But he was the last of a dying breed.
The second half of the 20th century left behind many traditional training methods. The Industrial Revolution made us forget many of man's achievements as technology began to dominate our lives. And this is especially noticeable in physical culture - the training process itself has changed significantly.
The invention of dumbbells and stacking barbells is the main legacy of the 20th century. Despite the fact that barbells and free weights have always existed, it was only in the 20th century that they became widespread thanks to the British athlete Thomas Inch, who invented the dial barbell. Just after the advent of cables and weight stacks, the world was introduced to strength training machines that had nothing in common with the free weights that had previously been trained with. In the 1970s, everyone started training on the Nautilus machine, so named because its main arm was shaped like a shell. Even dumbbells and barbells have faded into the background. What can we say about exercises with your own weight! Despite a handful of advocates such as Charles Atlas, the exercise gradually and quietly fell out of practice.
Technological progress has quickly and radically changed the nature of training, depriving it of a number of beneficial properties.
For thousands of years, humans have performed bodyweight exercises to develop strength and endurance. The art and philosophy of training has been passed down from generation to generation. The training technique has been honed over the centuries, and in the end only the best techniques remain for the effective and harmonious development of physical strength, endurance and beauty. Training helped the athlete become stronger and reveal his physical potential - not only strength, but also agility and power. This is exactly what I call old school gymnastics.
With the advent of barbells and exercise machines, the priceless art of gymnastics has become unnecessary in the modern world. Newfangled devices and techniques gradually pushed the ancient and time-tested art into the background. Only some exercises practiced by the so-called “experts” “survived”, such as push-ups, deep squats, etc. Sometimes absolutely useless exercises such as crunches were added to them. Gymnastic exercises have become an attribute of school programs and warm-ups. This approach is called the new school of gymnastics, which is fundamentally different from the old one, where the basic principles of training are based on the consistent and gradual development of strength and endurance.
However, there is one place on earth where the traditions of gymnastics are cherished like the apple of one’s eye - a prison.
The reason is obvious. Dramatic changes in training methodology have destroyed the old school of gymnastics almost everywhere except in prisons. Perhaps the modern approach to training will sooner or later reach prisons, but not now. Barbells and dumbbells became incredibly popular in the 1950s and 1960s around the world, but only primitive weights were common in prisons until the late 1970s. The “life-sustaining” exercise equipment that no gym was without in the 1970s is still missing from prisons.
As a result, the prison became a sanctuary for the most valuable bodyweight training techniques, protecting them from destructive modernization. Modern methodologies and money associated with the introduction of artificial technologies have bypassed prisons, turning them into a unique “oasis” of ancient practices. In the 18th and 19th centuries, knowledge of the real art of gymnastics was passed on to fellow prisoners by gymnasts, acrobats and strongmen - they were the ones who thoroughly mastered this technique. And this knowledge was always worth its weight in gold in a prison where there was no equipment, except for the floor and iron bars over the head. Strength and intelligence were two qualities that were necessary for survival in the prisons of those times.
Life in prison today is not easy, but a century ago things were even worse. Beatings and abuse were the order of the day, and inmates mutilated each other for fun. Therefore, those who trained in the chamber had a practical goal - to survive. And in this sense, the prisoners were not much different from the Spartans - in order to stay alive, they practiced traditional gymnastics.
Prisoners around the world still practice the principles of old school progressive gymnastics. Throughout my time in prison, I was obsessed with the idea of physical strength, which somewhat transformed over time, turning me into an adept at bodyweight training. It was only a few years later that I began to understand the true nature and value of such training. It was years before I mastered all the secrets of the old school and realized the role that prisons played in preserving this art.
At one time, I read all about training, various exercises and techniques for building strength without the use of special equipment. Additionally, I was able to watch hundreds of incredibly strong prisoners training with their body weight like maniacs. Most of them had phenomenal abilities and truly Olympic forms, but in the social hierarchy they occupied one of the last places. I watched what they did and how they did it, talked with them about the nuances of the training process. These representatives of the previous generation told me about the strongmen they trained under during the second golden era of physical culture; These guys knew firsthand the previous generation of strongmen, their methods and exercises that they used in their training. Following their example, I, without sparing myself, trained day and night until I was completely exhausted and had bloody calluses on my hands. In addition, I also trained other inmates, honing my knowledge of bodyweight training.
Moreover, I set out to learn as much as possible about the old school of progressive gymnastics. After some time, I collected a large number of notes, ideas and descriptions of exercises for building titanic strength, developing agility and athletic form without equipment in a minimum time and with a minimum complexity of exercises.
Essentially, this system represents the best of the best. A system I call the Training Zone. And despite its name and origin, the Training Zone is not just for prisoners - anyone can benefit from the techniques described in this book on their path to strength, beauty and physical health.
Many people enthusiastically listen to my stories about progressive calisthenics, bodyweight exercises, strength, iron muscles and agility. However, not everyone gets around to it, and some even return to the gym, where they immediately begin working exclusively on machines and free weights.
I don't blame them. It is extremely difficult for people to move from common methods to little-known techniques. The only feat that needs to be accomplished is to realize the real state of affairs. It is necessary to understand the enormous difference between unproductive, expensive and harmful training and the incredibly effective, completely free and safe method of bodyweight training - a traditional art that will certainly become the most progressive method in the near future.
I will talk about the differences between traditional gymnastics and modern training methods in the next chapter.
I am, in fact, living proof that state-of-the-art gyms and modern exercise equipment are nothing more than a legal way of taking money from the population, they are not intended to develop strength and power. My “students” training in prisons across the country only confirm my words.
However, to many lovers of physical training, my non-standard methods may seem strange and unacceptable, violating accepted and widely accepted rules. My technique was formed in the era of the absence of protein mixtures, collapsible barbells and exercise machines. Thanks to her, men with a lot of free time and unrealized aggression, using their body as a tool, turned into a steel alloy of strength and power. I, like many others, achieved my goals by training my body using time-tested technologies, not trusting fashionable exercise equipment.
Some people, convinced that they need to train with barbells or on machines, and pursuing the illusory ideal of being muscular with unnaturally bulging muscles, will never be able to understand the methods of old school gymnastics. If you are still going to use my technique, you will need to accept the facts stated in it as truth until the result speaks for itself. And I want to tell you why modern methods are not as effective as many people think.
I like fitness. But the way training techniques are evolving today makes me nostalgic for the old days at San Quentin. The old school of bodyweight training is degenerating, as is physical culture in general. She has never been in such a deplorable state as she is now.
Some will disagree with my opinion, arguing that the science of physical culture has not reached such heights as in modern times, and using titled athletes and their world records as evidence. But if you forget for a second about the world championships, which are broadcast in abundance on television, then it becomes clear that the majority of titled athletes (whether you like it or not) owe their (temporary) results to chemicals such as anabolic steroids, growth hormones, insulin, etc. The sports career of everyone who deals with sports in one way or another cannot do without painkillers, cortisone, tranquilizers, analgesics and muscle relaxants, which help the joints (again temporarily) fight unnatural physical activity. Not to mention the soft drugs that are widespread in professional sports, such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and even crack (!), widely used by weak-minded athletes who are unable to cope with high loads. And these are new training methods? Despite everything you may have seen or heard, the number of professional athletes who know how to properly train and improve their physical fitness without harming their health is extremely small. Most talented athletes tend to be mentored early on by coaches and mentors who think for them.
Let's forget now about professional athletes and participants in world championships, as well as about prisoners and their training methods. Is there anything else we haven't considered?
Modern sports magazines and television programs, as well as “experts” and even government organizations, as if in agreement, incessantly tell us that fitness is impossible without exercise equipment. So what does this mean? In general, this implies two types of fitness - cardio and strength, using weights and exercise machines.
It’s even difficult to think of something more useless, depressing and tiring than the cardio line in modern gyms. Many must have had the good fortune to observe this pitiful picture: endless rows of unfortunate people, moving their feet in silence, pedaling virtual bicycles and climbing imaginary stairs in pursuit of high results.
What about strength training? There are two styles of this training. The first, mannered one - it is also called the ladies' one - is to go to the machine, sit down leisurely, carefully take the lightest weight and meditatively repeat one movement until you turn blue in the face. Such behavior, of course, looks good in a sparkling chrome hall, but believe me, such “training” will not give you either strength or beauty. The second - the style of a real macho - is a tough workout aimed at developing sculpted abs and biceps. No one seems to care that these exercises will leave you with sore joints and torn ligaments. Such macho men destroy the muscles that are the foundation of athleticism - the erector muscles of the back, abdomen, arms and legs, neck and deeper muscles such as transverse and rotator cuffs. But all this is nonsense if under the T-shirt of such “athletes”, thanks to the exercises, a mountain of muscles is formed.
Due to their absurdity, both approaches are dead on, but nevertheless, almost everyone who goes to the gym trains this way.
I bow to everyone who finds the strength to get off the couch and start training. But look at those who work out in the gym - to what extent did they achieve their goal? To tell the truth, most people achieve such insignificant results when training in the gym that they simply lose faith in themselves and their capabilities. Months and even years of such training are unlikely to inspire anything more, let alone realize your full potential.
And despite all this, they continue to study! But 90% of them end up leaving the room. And how can you blame them for a lack of willpower and motivation if it’s not them who are bad, but their coaches and training methods?
In the 1950s, there was a chain of gyms in California that offered lifetime memberships at a fairly modest rate. “Lifetime Membership” meant that you could train at the gym any time of the day or night for the rest of your life. Sounds good? Especially for gym owners. More than 99% of those who purchased memberships stopped visiting the gym after a few months and never returned. Naturally, that was the reason - the owners of this network quickly figured out how to make money. It's always like that with gyms - you also have to pay to cancel your membership.
Perhaps you too have found yourself in a similar situation. Have you bought a membership to a fitness club, were full of enthusiasm, but quickly got discouraged after a few months? Unfortunately, such sad stories are not uncommon. But if almost every corner says that physical training is vital and beneficial for health, then why do so many people give up before they even start? The answer is simple - people cannot get what they want, despite the time, effort and money wasted in the gym.
In addition to being inefficient, gyms are, to put it mildly, inconveniently located and getting to them is a constant problem. As a rule, a lot of space is needed to accommodate sports equipment, and owners are not always ready to rent premises in the city center due to the prohibitively high rental price. That's why you have to get to the hall through traffic jams - by car or public transport. Moreover, you need to prepare for training in advance: change clothes, pack all the necessary supplies (towel, drink, etc.)... How many of you are ready for such regular tests after a hard day of work?
Let's say you're mentally prepared for a tough workout, you arrive at the gym with the intention of moving mountains and find that all the machines are occupied. The evening is irretrievably lost - you can hardly find anything pleasant in a room full of sweaty men.
Then why do people continue to fall for this bait? Because they were once instilled with one simple “truth”: if you want, do it. If you want to get the body of your dreams, go to the gym. If you want abs on your stomach, pump up your abs. If you want a sculpted torso, do special exercises on the machine. You need muscle mass - eat pills. And so on and so forth. And why are they telling us all this? To get more money out of us. “Experts” in commercials constantly say that we need this, and that, and this, but we simply cannot do without this. This only means one thing - they need to sell it. I'm not even talking about sports nutrition and dietary supplements. Articles about professional bodybuilding in various sports publications are usually custom-made and sponsored by manufacturers of equipment and special nutrition. Moreover, bodybuilders who directly or indirectly advertise them, as a rule, do not use this nutrition - they are on steroids.
Like everything in the modern world, people have a material point of view on fitness imposed on them: if you want to exercise, you need to buy a card for a cool club and buy the right sneakers. But in reality, all this is nothing more than a scam for money.
All you really need is your body, knowledge and a lot of stubbornness and patience.
I can go on for hours about how the old formula of bodyweight training differs from modern training principles: the use of machines. But I will be brief and give only the most significant differences between one and the other. So, here are the six most important benefits of bodyweight training compared to modern methods.
1. Bodyweight training requires minimal equipment.
There is no more harmonious training system in the world that would be so economical and independent. Even the most ardent barbell fan will admit this fact.
For a gymnastics master, his own body is the most important tool. Most of the exercises do not require any equipment, although, if desired, the workout can be varied with some items from your everyday life. You will also need to adapt something for pull-ups, such as a ladder, or a skylight, or just a strong enough tree branch! Yes, you will still need a hall, but the size is probably no more than the length of your body, or even less.
While new-fangled training systems try to find the perfect artificial counterweight such as metal scales, cables and machines, bodyweight training uses natural gravity. Moreover, there is no need to clutter the apartment with sports equipment - they are simply not needed. An additional bonus is that you can train at any time and anywhere, no matter where you are - in another city, at work or on vacation. This is an important factor, and it explains why the method of bodyweight training survived in prisons, where there was no equipment and prisoners could be placed anywhere without warning, even in solitary confinement.
And the last but most important bonus is that the training is absolutely free. You don't have to spend money on equipment and membership cards for a fitness club. Never.
2. Bodyweight training develops useful practical skills.
Consistent training is absolutely functional training. One of the reasons why bodyweight training is so popular in prisons is to develop the most essential skill for survival - quick reaction. Ordinary showing off and bragging may be acceptable in a nightclub, but not in prison, where it is extremely important to be able to control yourself and your body.
Under natural conditions, people had no time for barbells and dumbbells. He was concerned with developing those strength skills that would help him perform his daily tasks - running away, fighting, or dragging heavy prey. He trained his legs to run faster, and his torso and arms to fight his enemies.
Unfortunately, modern bodybuilders do not realize this. First of all, they train with artificial counterweights. This may be a good thing, but this approach compromises the main principle of athleticism - moving yourself. I've met massive guys who can easily push up more than 200 kg, but at the same time they get short of breath when climbing stairs. I also knew one powerlifter who could bench press 180 kg, but could not comb the hair on his head due to an unbalanced and unnaturally toned torso.
By training with your own weight, you will avoid these types of problems with moving your body, because movement is the foundation of my system. This type of training is guaranteed to help you develop strength, no matter how far you progress in mastering the exercises. Moreover, you will easily become fast and agile because your muscles will be trained to improve the coordination of your own body and not some foreign objects.
3. Bodyweight training builds strength.
The bodyweight training method considers the human body as a single system, rather than individual muscles or muscle groups, so the exercises it includes are the most effective of all those currently available. Moreover, it strengthens not only muscles, but also tendons, joints and the nervous system.
It is the coordination of movements that gives such incredible strength. Many athletes, no doubt influenced by the philosophy of bodybuilding, believe that a well-pumped muscle is real strength. In fact, the muscle cell is activated by the nervous system, so strength is largely determined by the state of the latter. This is what explains why a person with little muscle mass can be much stronger than someone with more muscle mass.
Very strong and experienced guys will confirm that strong tendons are more important for real strength than muscle mass. Bodyweight training strengthens joints and ligaments through exercises that rely on the natural movements of the joints, preventing them from becoming overstressed, unlike modern methods (see reason 4).
Another reason why bodyweight training is effective in developing natural physical strength is due to the complex effect it has on the human body. Exercises involve several muscle groups at the same time. Squats, for example, work not only the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, but also the gluteus minimus and maximus muscles, the spine, the abdominal and waist muscles, and even the muscles of the toes. Careful execution of the “bridge” involves more than a hundred muscles! Many areas of bodybuilding, especially those that use machines, work individual muscles and muscle groups, which leads to unnatural and uneven development of muscle mass. During exercise, most of the muscles are not used. Bodyweight training, on the other hand, forces the entire body to work, requiring coordination, consistency, balance and even mental focus. All this not only strengthens the nervous system, but also develops incredible physical strength.
4. Bodyweight training protects and strengthens joints.
Excellent physical shape, regardless of age, is a calling card in prison. Weak joints and ligaments equal physical vulnerability, no matter how big your muscles are. Paradoxically, training with artificial weights made prisoners weak.
Modern fitness is extremely dangerous, especially for tendons and joints. All joints are served by sensitive soft tissues - joint capsules, tendons, fascia and ligaments - which are not designed for weightlifting. Typically, the weakest areas of the body are the wrists, elbows, knees, lower back, hips, rhomboids (levator scapulae), spine and neck. Shoulders are especially susceptible to injury. If you can find one weightlifter who lifts weights for a long time and does not suffer from chronic joint pain, consider yourself lucky.
If you don’t believe me, go watch a bodybuilder train. You'll likely see athletes wrap their knees and wrists in wraps, support their backs with high-tech belts, and use elbow pads to stabilize them. In the locker rooms there is a terrible smell of menthol ointment and liquid analgesics that help get rid of chronic pain. Sore joints are constant companions of bodybuilders. The problems get worse when bodybuilders start using steroids - muscle mass grows at such a rate that the joints simply cannot cope. By the age of thirty, the pain becomes chronic, and the bodybuilder’s health is irretrievably lost, regardless of whether he continues to train or not.
Bodybuilding puts unnatural stress on the body, and that is why it is dangerous for the body and health in general. Basic bodybuilding techniques are aimed at building muscle mass, the body is trained by lifting extremely heavy objects that can hardly be found in nature. A side effect of this self-torture is torn ligaments and inflamed joints, which are raped with enviable regularity using indecently cruel methods. The joints become inflamed, scar tissue forms, and sometimes a process of calcification begins, which destroys the already fragile joints. The goal of bodybuilding is muscles; they adapt to excessive loads faster than joints and tendons, and as a result, the greater the muscle mass, the more problems the bodybuilder has.
Bodyweight rhythmic gymnastics exercises, performed carefully and consistently, will not cause damage to the joints; on the contrary, they will strengthen them and even heal old injuries. This beneficial effect can be explained by two reasons. The first reason is physics. The natural counterweight never exceeds the athlete's own body weight. In rhythmic gymnastics you will not find the ridiculous and excessively heavy weights so revered by bodybuilders. The second reason lies in kinesiology, the science that studies body movement. The human body has evolved over hundreds of millions of years primarily to learn how to painlessly move the weight of its body in space; the body was not “designed” to regularly lift extremely heavy objects.
Kinesiologists may note that rhythmic gymnastics is more authentic than methods based on the use of artificial weights. For example, in squats and pull-ups, the musculoskeletal system naturally adapts to the weight of its own body and works more efficiently using natural mechanisms of movement. And when bodybuilders lift heavy weights, nothing natural happens - the body tries to survive, finding itself in unnatural conditions. Pull-ups are the most successful example of the “authentic” nature of progressive gymnastics. Like our primate relatives, humans had to pull themselves up on branches to move through trees. Thanks to anatomical memory, a person can quickly learn how to perform pull-ups correctly and safely. Bodybuilding replaces pull-ups with the bent-over press exercise, but a person has never performed this type of movement and does not have the internal mechanisms to perform it. This is why many bodybuilders develop problems with their spine, lower back and shoulders while performing these exercises.
The natural movements on which rhythmic gymnastics is based affect the joints in a natural way - in a way that nature itself created. This is why the muscular system develops harmoniously; it strengthens day after day, without weakening or wearing out the body. Joint tissues are rebuilt, healing old injuries and chronic pain, and reducing the risk of possible future damage.
5. Bodyweight training improves fitness quickly.
Strength and health are the main principles of your training. Your task is to gain strength and flexibility and maintain these qualities for the rest of your life. And all this can only be given to you by consistent training with your own weight.
Of course, a little muscle mass won't hurt. And not even “a little.” In other words, powerful biceps are a direct path to self-esteem and a loud statement of “don’t mess with me!” This is an important part of prison culture. In freedom, of course, muscles are also highly valued, especially by women!
The practice of modern rhythmic gymnastics increases endurance and slightly tones, but has nothing to do with physical development. On the other hand, old school gymnastics can bring the muscular system into ideal condition and give any physique a harmonious, athletic look. Moreover, the results you achieve will not be unnatural. It is unlikely that you will be able to pump up your muscles so much that you will look like a gorilla with a mountain of ridiculous steroid muscles preventing you from moving normally. Quite the contrary: your harmoniously developed, like a Greek god, and healthy body will become the standard of athletic build, health and beauty.
In the pre-steroid era, men cared primarily about the aesthetics of the body, and not about the muscles themselves. The most famous for his physical fitness was John Grimek, who received the title of “Ideal Man” in 1939 and was the only one who won this title several times in a row: in 1940 and 1941. His physical form was so memorable that many are still in awe of this athlete. Strong and muscular, Grimek represented the ideal of the male body. In addition, he was a phenomenal athlete, unlike modern bodybuilders. To end the performance, he did a handstand, did some push-ups, lowered his legs and did a perfect “bridge”, and then did the splits. Grimek constantly talked about how it was his handstand exercises that allowed him to achieve such outstanding results, but it seems that few people listened to him.
Modern gymnasts are indisputable proof that bodyweight training can build powerful muscles. These guys have massive biceps, shoulders the size of closets, and lats like wings, all thanks to traditional gravity training.
6. Bodyweight training normalizes and balances body fat levels
Typically, bodybuilding promotes fat accumulation. Forget about the sculpted muscles of athletes from fashion magazines. Most bodybuilders look nothing like they do in the picture. These photos are preceded by months of rigorous training and an unhealthy diet. Outside of the season, athletes gain weight - 10-15, or even more kilograms of fat. And this, by the way, applies to high-ranking athletes. The average bodybuilder finds himself at a much greater disadvantage. Magazines talk about protein making up a large part of an athlete's diet (a completely shameless way to sell special nutrition), and as a result he consumes huge amounts of food that promotes muscle growth. Since most bodybuilders do not use steroids, their metabolism is insufficient to process so many calories and turn them into fuel for muscles. The result is that athletes simply overfeed their bodies and become plump, especially when they begin to seriously engage in bodybuilding.
Weightlifting and overeating go hand in hand. Before starting a tough workout, athletes convince themselves that its results directly depend on the amount of food eaten. Moreover, everything eaten must certainly turn into muscle. And after training, they feel extremely exhausted, and their appetite increases even more.
When athletes begin to seriously train using the method of sequential gymnastics, the opposite happens. If excess weight and bodybuilding are friends forever, then obesity and gymnastics are sworn enemies. If your goal is to incline press 180kg, you can eat as much as you want and will probably reach your goal even if you swim unattractively fat. However, you are unlikely to be able to perform perfect one-arm pull-ups while uncontrollably eating huge amounts of food. No one has been able to achieve the highest mastery in sequential gymnastics without moderate nutrition.
Sequential gymnastics is the art of manipulating your body in space. The more fat you have in your body, the more difficult it is for you to manage it. Once you start doing consistent gymnastics regularly, you will notice that the lighter your body, the easier the workout. Gymnastics regulates appetite and automatically changes taste habits. And this has been proven. Guys who lift themselves regularly will naturally lose fat. Try it and see for yourself.
This book will probably be read by different people. Beginners (who want to develop strength and build muscle) and advanced bodybuilders, trainers and sports gurus looking for new training techniques in between workouts in the gym. Perhaps some readers will be prisoners. And someone will probably just want to expand their knowledge about physical training or find out how they train in prisons.
Regardless of your reason for reading this book, I hope I have been able to convince you of the benefits of bodyweight training. I am truly passionate about showing and telling everyone how to get into great shape and regain your health using proven methods that nature created for us. I am confident that everyone who is somehow involved in the field of physical training can gain a lot of new knowledge and effective techniques proposed in the book. For me, this is not just a book with exercises. This is the Training Zone's manifesto for revolutionary strength training techniques.
The book can be
- , types of exercises
Paul Wade's training programs
How long and how often should you exercise? The answer to this question depends on three main factors: your free time, your level of preparation and the goals you set for yourself. The question of time is quite obvious and does not require much thought. I knew a lot of guys in prison who went to training hours a day. If you work or study a lot, you are unlikely to be able to find much time for training. Moreover, if you have a family with many responsibilities at home, most likely you have very little time to exercise. The level of training also plays an important role - long and intense training is useful and effective only for a prepared body. If your level leaves much to be desired, extensive training will only harm you, no matter how motivated you are. Perhaps the goal plays the most important role in the training process. Long-term and volume training develops endurance and endurance, but is useless in building strength and muscle mass. True muscular strength and power are obtained through hard and intense training, but never long-term. Quality, not quantity, is the main slogan of strength training.
Power is the main goal of all modern training, which is why I discourage long and exhausting training. I advise you to first warm up well (see pp. 261-262), then, putting maximum effort on each exercise, perform two or three “working” approaches. If your goal is strength, then more than two or three approaches is a waste of time, you will only get exhausted, but the result will remain the same. The amount of load should be equivalent to the ability to recover, which means you will have to wait longer for the body to recover and be ready for a new workout.
With these three factors in mind, I have developed the five programs that you will find on the following pages. The first, Fresh Blood, is designed for classes twice a week, ideal for beginners. The second, Good Behavior, is designed to train three times a week and is suitable for anyone who wants strength and muscles. The third, Veteran, involves training six times a week, ideal for those who are already in good shape. The fourth, Solitary Confinement, is exclusively for experienced and advanced athletes who are able to quickly recover from training. The fifth and final one, Supermax, is for well-trained athletes who want to focus on developing endurance more than strength.
Fresh blood
The program is designed specifically for those who are just starting to master bodyweight training. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to build a good foundation and intends to train in the Training Zone for a long time. The program includes four basic exercises and is designed for two workouts per week.
- When you first start exercising, your fitness may be poor and muscle soreness can sabotage your strength. Therefore, the program provides sufficient time for recuperation.
- The program includes only four of the Big Six exercises. Bridges and handstand push-ups require higher levels of contractile force and joint strength - these exercises can only be performed after the basic ones have been mastered.
- Muscles develop faster than joints. That's why in this program, soft tissues - new to this business - are given time to get used to the new load.
- Follow this program or create a similar one and train the beginning levels of the Big Six using it. Once you have completed Level Six of all four exercises above, move on to the next program.
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2-3 approaches 2-3 approaches |
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2-3 approaches 2-3 approaches |
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SUNDAY |
Good behavior
This may be the best basic bodyweight training program out there. It includes all the Big Six exercises and is designed for three workouts per week. Good Behavior is an advanced level of the Fresh Blood program, but still provides plenty of rest time to allow the body to recover. Although the program is designed for intermediate levels, advanced athletes will also find it very effective for long-term exercise. If you decide to dedicate yourself to strength training, you should return to the basics - the Good Behavior program - from time to time - regardless of your skill level.
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2 approaches 2 approaches |
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2 approaches |
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2 approaches |
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SUNDAY |
- “Good behavior,” if desired, can be included in the schedule of anyone, even the busiest person in the world.
- The program can (and should) be used by all athletes, regardless of their level of training, intending to achieve a decent level of strength.
- For those who recover well from exercise, the program may represent unnecessary precautions. Therefore, rest days can be used by athletes for other sports - running, martial arts, boxing, etc.
Veteran
A very simple, but extremely reasonable program for all those who train according to my system for several months. Instead of training two or three times a week, the program involves training almost daily with just one Big Six exercise. One day is allotted for rest.
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2-3 approaches |
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2-3 approaches |
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2-3 approaches |
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2-3 approaches |
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2-3 approaches |
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2-3 approaches |
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SUNDAY |
A good program for those who really don't have much time. Each approach only takes six to seven minutes a day!
Muscle recovery does not require much time, since within two days the exercises on the upper and lower body do not overlap. The exercises are alternated in the most effective way.
The program is very effective for anyone who trains according to the ten level system to develop strength. Each day you perform only one type of exercise, where you must give your best.
This program is the basis for creativity. If you feel the workload is too much for you, add a day of rest as needed. Don’t limit yourself, just don’t forget about the prescribed rest day to restore your body from stress, no matter what program you choose.
Solitary confinement
This rigorous program can result in excellent overall body condition, but strength development may suffer somewhat due to lack of rest: in the case of strength, more is not better. The program involves doing the Big Six exercises for three days, repeated twice during the week. For masochists, additional work is added to this busy program. The program is intended exclusively for people with rapid recovery capabilities who have been practicing bodyweight training for more than a year. To train with this program, you must have six or seven hours of free time per week. Don't overuse it all the time.
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MONDAY |
Pull-ups |
3-5 approaches |
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Squats |
3-5 approaches |
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Grip training |
Any number of approaches |
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Push ups |
3-5 approaches |
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Leg raises |
3-5 approaches |
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Calf workout |
3-5 approaches |
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Handstand push-ups |
3-5 approaches |
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"Bridge" |
3-5 approaches |
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Neck muscle training |
2-4 approaches |
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Pull-ups |
3-5 approaches |
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Squats |
3-5 approaches |
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Grip training |
Any number of approaches |
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Push ups |
3-5 approaches |
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Leg raises |
3-5 approaches |
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Calf workout |
3-5 approaches |
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Handstand push-ups |
3-5 approaches |
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"Bridge" |
3-5 approaches |
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Neck muscle training |
2-4 approaches |
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SUNDAY |
The program includes additional training of individual muscle groups - hands, neck and calves. If you like this approach to training but find it hard, add a rest day whenever you feel like it.
This is a tough program. But not for those who keep fit and lead a healthy lifestyle: eat regularly, get enough sleep, etc. Otherwise, you will quickly get exhausted.
Super Max
Supermax is a good example of volume training that I practiced during my time in Angola Prison. It will require persistence on your part. This program is ideal for developing endurance, but before you begin, you must complete a basic level of training - such as the four programs listed above. But you will not be able to develop strength and power, so when starting to train with this program, make sure that all ten levels of the Big Six are thoroughly worked out. Do not attempt to follow the program unless you have at least several years of heavy training experience.
Train at any time of the day. Doing all the sets in one workout is one option, but you can break your workout into mini-workouts and do them throughout the day. Alternating two exercises through each approach is also an option.
To increase the speed of the program, I took just a couple of deep breaths between sets. Therefore, often twenty or thirty approaches in a row turned into one gradual and continuous approach for me!
Start with ten sets of ten reps each and work your way up to doing fifty sets. If you perform two exercises a day, then you will get one hundred approaches per day, and correspondingly two and a half thousand per month. If you need more, increase the number of repetitions.
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MONDAY |
Pull-ups Squats |
10-50 approaches 10-50 approaches |
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Push ups Leg raises |
10-50 approaches 10-50 approaches |
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Handstand push-ups "Bridge" |
10-50 approaches 10-50 approaches |
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Pull-ups Squats |
10-50 approaches 10-50 approaches |
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Push ups Leg raises |
10-50 approaches 10-50 approaches |
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Handstand push-ups "Bridge" |
10-50 approaches 10-50 approaches |
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SUNDAY |
Hybrid programs
Throughout the book, I keep repeating that bodyweight training is an excellent alternative to heavy weight training, machine work, and other forms of training. I am an old school gymnastics enthusiast, and my own experience as both an athlete and a coach has proven that bodyweight training is the surest way to develop strength.
Believe me. You don't need anything else - no exercise equipment, no barbells - nothing.
I am aware that many of my readers are already adherents of various types of weightlifting - bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, working with kettlebells, etc. And not everyone is ready to give up their favorite activity for the sake of gymnastics with their own weight, but simply want to diversify your workouts.
I'm not as harsh as I might seem. I just want to help you (see how kind I am?). With a little thought, there are plenty of ways to incorporate bodyweight training into any program for any discipline. For example:
Three day cycle
Do you train at the gym three times a week? Many gyms have mats or open space where you can do bodyweight exercises in between heavy weight exercises; Why not mix up your regular gym workout with some Big Six exercises, doing one or two during your workout and moving the other three to the weekend? For example:
MONDAY Push-ups, neck, shoulders, triceps training
WEDNESDAY Leg raises, leg workout, hamstrings, calves
FRIDAY Pull-ups, back muscles, biceps, forearms
SATURDAY Squats (bodyweight, not barbell), bridge, handstand push-ups
Home workout
Instead of spending three days in the gym hitting three major muscle groups, why not try training the major muscle groups for two days and spend the third doing bodyweight exercises at home, focusing on smaller muscles? For example:
MONDAY Squats, deadlifts, leg presses, leg curls, etc. (in the gym)
WEDNESDAY Leg raises, bridges, calf raises, handstand push-ups (at home)
FRIDAY Bench press, bent over row, triceps, etc. (in the gym)
Bodyweight training as a remedy for lack of results
Are you stuck in the development of a certain muscle group? Continue training with heavy weights, adding bodyweight exercises for this muscle group: for example, single-leg squats for the quadriceps, pull-ups for the back, push-ups for the chest, etc.
Flexibility and freedom of action
At the very beginning of the chapter, I talked about the benefits of sticking to an exercise routine. But the regime must adapt to the person. And as soon as a person begins to adapt to the regime, all achieved indicators very quickly deteriorate.
Of course, once you have found the right schedule for yourself, try to stick to it. But you must also give yourself leeway. Severe restrictions always lead to boredom, overtraining and exhaustion. If you notice this, start experimenting, try different options. It is not at all necessary to follow exactly the program listed above that you have chosen for yourself. Mix and match. Come up with your own program. Try variations of exercises from time to time. Play with the number of repetitions. Vary the distance between your arms or legs in your favorite exercises. Add volume and lower the intensity of your workouts for a couple of weeks. Replace a fast pace of execution with a very slow one and vice versa. Perform exercises from different angles. Try to do the exercises only partially. Challenge yourself to add one more “killer” approach at the end of each workout: try to perform the maximum number of repetitions of an exercise that comes easily to you. Experience your body's newfound strength with hybrid workouts. Find yourself in new sports - running, boxing, walking, yoga, martial arts.
On the other hand, I was never bored, and nothing could make me stop training - I simply had nothing to distract me. There are a million and one reasons out there to go astray and stop doing exercises, even basic ones, the importance of which cannot be underestimated. Don't stop training. If you ever get bored, there are plenty of ways to vary your workouts.
Lights out!
Training in prison is serious business. She certainly helped keep me sane, and I know plenty of guys who can say the same. The training was something real, something worthwhile. No matter how hard the day was, training was like an island of stability in this crazy world. Whatever we may have lost while incarcerated, training has always provided an opportunity to achieve something even more essential than health and strength - self-respect. Add repetition, work on technique, move on to a more difficult exercise. Logical. Earnestly. Has the meaning. You are always moving forward, you are always in control of events. For me this is a special power. You need to get into the training to understand what I'm talking about. Those of you who are already training will probably agree with me.
So take your training as seriously as you can. Treat her with respect wherever you go. The second you start training, try to change the way you think about training, change the way you look at the world. Stop your jokes and stop doing nonsense. Make exercise your number one priority. Decide on your training goals - do one more repetition, improve your technique, keep them in mind all the time and strive to achieve them with all your might. The moaning, grunting, grunting and puffing that many bodybuilders are famous for is not what you want. Aggressiveness in achieving your goals - yes. But learn to direct your energy in the right direction. Cultivate targeted, controlled aggression. Work in this direction, and you will soon reap the benefits of this attitude towards training.
Find a place where no one will disturb you and practice. I don't recommend lifting weights with friends or colleagues. I believe that the best results of training are achieved in solitude - this is the only way to develop concentration, reduce irritation and heal the soul.
Perhaps my opinion goes against the traditions of modern training. But I prefer to train alone and spend time communicating with people. Always. Exercise gives me more than any of my “friends.” In my life, I have met hundreds, thousands of people who tried to beat me, steal from me, humiliate me and even kill me. Training only brings me benefits. She gives much more than she takes away. I've wasted too much time on people I wish I had never seen. But I don't regret a second of the time I spent training.
Every split second, every drop of sweat is well spent.
Paul Wade is the author of a famous training system, the foundations of which go back to ancient times. This is how our distant ancestors trained when there were no specially equipped gyms with various types of equipment. Now many prisoners train this way, who also do not have the opportunity to go to the gym, and often have only improvised equipment and their own weight. This is exactly what the article will discuss.
Biography of Paul Wade
So, what can we say about the personal life of the author of books about training under prison conditions? There are no details or exact data, it is only known that Paul Wade was already in company with criminals as a teenager, which led to his first prison sentence at twenty-three years old. This is where his school of survival began; fortunately, on his way, Paul met worthy people - masters of physical improvement and survival.
However, Paul Wade himself began the search path, becoming interested, as it turned out, in the ancient training system. He learned from many people, gaining experience and building his own training system. He subsequently conveyed all the experience in several books that he wrote after his release. It is about them that we will talk in the article, as well as about the philosophy of developing muscle mass using only your own weight.
Books written by Wade
Now consider what Paul Wade wrote. The books have the following titles:
- “Training zone” in two parts.
- “Calisthenics. Workouts without iron or equipment. Strength, endurance, flexibility.”
From the cycle about the development of your body, it is devoted to the historical aspect. It talks about how ancient athletes trained when there were no gyms or modern methods of pumping up muscle mass. There was only one’s own physical strength and some available materials, thanks to the use of which a person developed his own without building up crazy muscles. At the same time, the athlete had real inner strength.
And, of course, this book talks about exercises and how to start practicing, especially if you are a beginner. The system is described in stages, each exercise is described in detail, what load it carries, on which muscles and how to perform it without harm to health.
The second part of the book, “The Training Zone,” goes deeper into body training. It talks about more advanced exercises that put more stress on the body. But they must be completed only after the previous stages have been completed. This book also covers nutritional issues and describes in more detail the strengthening and development of joints, neck, spine, and muscles in various parts of the body.
Another book by Paul Wade “Calisthenics. Workouts without iron or equipment. Strength, endurance, flexibility.” It talks about such a training method as calisthenics. Effective exercises for gaining body strength and flexibility are shown. It is based on prison conditions and opportunities that can be adapted to the conditions of free life.
Wade's Training Philosophy: Old School
Now we should talk about the philosophy that Paul Wade describes in his books and methods. For him, it became a way of life due to the circumstances. Developing and strengthening the body in survival conditions has led to some realizations and revelations. Meeting teachers along the way who trained according to the old school method, he learned from them.
Wade came to the conclusion that consistent gymnastics is what will allow you to achieve physical perfection, and is less traumatic for the body. It is more tailored to the individual (his joints, ligaments and muscles), and also allows for real strength and athletic ability. In the modern world they have forgotten about this; very few people use such gymnastics. However, there is a place where similar techniques have been preserved. Training prisoners is difficult because they do not have special equipment for this. Thus, you have to use available materials and try to survive. This is exactly what gymnastics can do using old methods.
Famous historical gymnasts and athletes
The Paul Wade system is an ancient training program that ancient athletes and strongmen used to gain strength. Of course, the system as such may not have existed, or it may have been compiled by each person for himself. Be that as it may, it was this method of training that gave results not so long ago, when there were no special gyms for building strength and muscle mass.
What people inspired Wade to continue working on himself? In prison he met Joe Hartigan, who was over seventy years old. He did not lose his strength even at this age. Joe talked about another strong man - the Mighty Atom. He was a famous strongman in the world who lived in St. Louis in the thirties of the last century. It was real even at eighty years old. He could break chains with his bare hands, screw a screw into a pine board. Wade conveyed his philosophy and training methods in his book.
The author of the book looked for mentions of this training method in ancient sources. For example, gymnastic exercises were part of the training arsenal of the great Spartans, who defeated armies of superior numbers. Gymnastics was also popular in Ancient Rome. It should be noted that it was relevant until the first half of the 20th century.
Wade training program
What is special about the system that Paul Wade proposes? It is based on the fact that it uses natural and rhythmic movements, a small investment of time and full-fledged strength training without special devices. It should be noted right away that this is not a quick way to achieve what you want. In order for the results to be visible, you need to exercise regularly and, most likely, throughout your life.
So, in the first book, Wade suggests working with only six basic exercises, which should be started at a basic level, and for everyone. Each is performed in a 2-1-2-1 rhythm (for example, push-ups): lower the body for two seconds, hold for one second, raise for two seconds, then hold again for one second. This principle should be used in all exercises.
You should repeat as much as you can do perfectly. At first, ten is enough. Do only two approaches. As a result of completing the exercises, you will reach the Master level (according to the interpretation of the book). In this case, you can diversify the basic exercises with strength tricks.
The second part should be started only after achieving excellent results. A good addition to the previous knowledge will be additional chapters that talk about how to return damaged muscles and joints to normal.
Conclusion
So, if you want to gain real strength, you don’t have time to go to the gym, then turn your attention to the “prisoner training” method. You won't get quick results, but you will always be in shape and maintain your health.
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