You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises

UPDATE: There is now a companion app for iPhone available on the app store! Search for "You Are Your Own Gym" on iTunes. This app goes great with the book since it allows a user to use timers for the workouts.INTROThis is an awesome book with a great introduction using the author's military experience. I've been using the workouts for a short while and already notice my ass getting kicked by stuff I wasn't doing in the gym.PRO'S* The 10-week workout plans are awesome, and the beginner workouts will challenge strong guys that come from a weight training background. They are written in such a way that a beginner can jump in and get in shape with less than an hour a day (usually 15-30 minutes). They are very detailed and describe which exercises to do on which days. They also describe what type of set/repetition methodology to use, such as: ladders, tabatas, interval sets, etc. Slowly the workouts transition from high-volume/low-intensity to high-intensity/low-rep and finally alternates between the two rapidly. It may remind a lot of people of P90X, except it's a fraction of the price and with more sensible theory explained.* This book is an excellent fitness reference with over 100 bodyweight exercises categorized by one of the following types:PUSH, PULL, LEGS, and CORE. In addition to this, there is a set of exercises that develops all of the body's muscles.* The theory behind the programs are also included so that users can formulate their own programs.* Almost all of the workouts in the book can be done inside with minimal equipment. Great for people who travel or are on a budget.* People who weight train at the gym a lot will notice they are getting more range of motion and working out more muscles. E.g. If you do squats at the gym, the side lunges and 1-legged Romanian dead lifts will hit other muscles you neglected while improving stability.* Diet theory and suggestions are included in a dedicated chapter, but not so much data that it overloads the reader. The main emphasis of the book is still on exercises.BOTTOM LINEGreat job Mark on putting together these 10-week programs. This is a great book and I hope to buy another copy from the next edition of "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren!

I've used this book on and off for years, and after ordering a physical copy (sometimes easier to handle than the ebook version) I wanted to include my impressions and include a different point of view than what I've been reading here when I was re-ordering.First off, this book is outright amazing. It includes a massive amount of information in a usable format, and it's timeless. The knowledge inside can last you your whole life. Also, it's amazingly portable! The concept is that you can provide your own gym from just using your body and/or minimal, common, household objects like a chair, set of stairs, bookbag with thingsinside, etc. If you don't have access to something, it's got detailed sections with photos on a ton of other exercises you can do.My main concern before starting bodyweight training was how can you as easily adjust difficulty in the way you can do on a machine or with a full rack of dumbbells at a gym. Good news: you totally can, you just need to learn how, and this book can help you. There are variations to exercises to make it easier or more difficult, and again there are tons of exercises in here if something doesn't feel right in whatever way.I would hardly have imagined ever writing a review for a workout book or tool. I'm not an expert, and I'm perpetually mildly out of shape (kids, family, desk job, classes, etc), but the great thing about this book is if you work on it (read the exercises, try things out, learn your own body), you can absolutely do this.A fair critique is that this book just dumps knowledge at you, and you have to work with it to be able to use it most effectively. I'd suggest you don't get this to immediately leap into the planned workouts. For what it's worth, the beginner program is where I'm at once again, and it's really hard if you keep pushing yourself throughout. The workouts don't take much time and you don't need to commute to the gym. Take some time yourself to read the explanations and appendices and get a feel for the book and how to use it first, and try out some exercises and motions. That way, if you're having difficulty with a body part or exercise, just swap it out for something else in a logical manner.If you're willing to work at it for your own sake, this book is amazing. If you're looking for someone just to tell you what to do and not put in work into understanding the material, find something else, but I'd suggest you ask yourself what are the downsides to learning skills, moves, and techniques for using your body more effectively that can last your lifetime, save time, and save money on gym membership and home equipment costs (and save space at home for that matter).Cheers.