Pushing Yourself To Power

Rating:
Summary: Best book for Overall Health and Fitness
Review: Pushing Yourself to Power is not just another exercise book, but rather a total health and fitness package. It is comprehensive and includes top notch information drawn from the wisdom of the healthy strongmen of the past. There are a lot of health and fitness books out there, but most of them take a very soft approach. John is not one of those "fat, enlightened looking" guru types. He can perform handstand pushups between chairs with a weight vest on, standing ab wheels for high reps, 30+ pullups and has a GQ physique to boot. Oh, and he's 50 years old! His book is composed of bodyweight exercises, but he has a unique and intelligent spin on this theme. He incorporates three types of exercises into his program, Dynamic Visualized Resistance, Dynamic Self Resistance and Power Calisthenics. I particularly like the way Dynamic Visualized Resistance exercises are intelligently incorporated into this program.
Believe me, I am not a big fan of most bodyweight exercise programs, but I am a fan of this one. It is straight forward and comprehensive. I have personally gotten stronger as a result of incorporating John Peterson's ideas into my training. For the price, this book is a great investment!

Rating:
Summary: U r an awakening
Review: This book changed my life athletically(to the maximum), spiritually(finding who I really am), and my morals. I feel better. I look better. People see me better both outside AND inside. This is not just an athletic improvement book, but rather a book that will change your life forever ffor the good. As far as athletically speaking, this book is unsurpassable, turning ANY person into a ripped perfect figure! Believe me I was skeptical too before I purchased the item.

Rating:
Summary: Body weight in its maximum expression
Review: This is based on Charles Atlas' dynamic tension course, but explained in a clear way, and adding more exercises that are powerful and effective.
The writing is very good and easy to understand and follow. Any person can benefit from this training. I recommend this book very much.



Rating:
Summary: Best book!
Review: This is the best book you can buy on increasing your strength, losing weight, and just getting into perfect shape. The money you would have to spend to equal the information in this one book, would be alot. Its an encyclopedia on Physical culture. Its the best resource that Im aware of. And the book is just filled with information. 182 pages filled with text and pictures. Unlike Pavel and Matt Furey's books that use huge font, and 1 or 2 pictures of the exercise. Example John does the Furey Pushup and shows 8 pictures of him doing it during different parts of the exercise. Matt Furey shows 2 pictures of him doing it. If you buy Matt's book "Combat Conditioning" you would still probably have to buy a video to figure out how to actually do the exercise. Not with PYTP after seeing the 8 pictures of John doing the exercise you know exactly how to do it. And the whole book is like that. Thats just one example.

The strong part of the book is the layout. The book breaks down like this.

John's writing style is very readable. You can tell he knows what he writing about. Every subject from the exercises to nutrition, to goal setting is very well done. Good explanations of the exercises, good uplifting advice(motivational), with enough humor thrown in to keep it from ever getting dry.

As far as books about BWE's go this is the best one Ive read to date. He outdoes Atlas and Furey with this book. I havent read anything from Liederman so I cant comment on his work.

John's workouts are designed to give you 7 attributes of Dynamic Fitness
1.Strength
2.Flexibility
3.Endurance
4.Speed
5.Balance
6.Coordination
7.Asthetics
All done working with the greatest piece of exercise equipment ever made, YOU

The book has a good introduction and a list of Johns hero's who built themselves up with bodyweight exercises. Good reading.

Then we get to the lessons
1.(Deep Breathing, Super Joints, and Chest exercises)
2.Nutrition
3.Energy
4.Abs
5.Neck
6.Shoulders
7.Back
8.Biceps
9.Triceps
10.Forearms
11.Thighs
12.Calves
These lessons are done mixing Dynamic Self Resistance, Dynamic Visualized Resistance, A few Isometrics, McSweeney's Tiger Moves, Bridging and Calisthenics.
Then a section with Power Calisthenics (Furey Pushups, Furey Squats, Pullups, etc.)
By far this is the best book for beginners that Ive seen.(Something finally knocked off Solitary Fitness)

And these pages are packed with info. You wont get the feeling that these 182 pages could have been done with using 50. No this book is wall to wall. Alot of Furey and Pavel's books could actually use alot less pages than they do. Not the case here.

All in all this is the best book on BWE's that mix Calisthenics with Isotonic, Isometric, old style conditioning. A great value for the money. Very motivationg book. That realizes that people are different sizes and have different leverages. Good Q&A's after every lesson. Great Nutritional Advice. Good goal setting and health advice in lesson 3. I wasnt offended by the religous overtones in the book. I highly recommend this book. And those two other reviewers PJ and Orange are mistaken. Not everyone on John's board is old, Im 27. And Im not sure of everyone else age, but Im sure its all across the board.

Rating:
Summary: A sane approach to fitness
Review: Unfortunately, a couple of "reviewers" (possibly only one operating under two names)have exercised their freedom of speech to spew forth a personal attack on John Peterson. Enough said.

I've been involved in conditioning and personal fitness for over 35 years. Within the past year I have been fortunate to discover both Matt Furey's "Combat Conditioning" book and John Peterson's PYTP. They complement each other well. Bodyweight exercises, the exercises of my youth, work! Yeah, I remember the old P.E. classes well. As a plump youngster, I dreaded them. Now, I am rediscovering the power (and safety) of functional strength training.

Hey, if your goal is building a body similar to what is pictured in muscle mags, this isn't for you. But, if you are looking for functional strength, as I am, give this a try. The combination of strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity is just the ticket for me. I've never felt better and John's book is one reason why. Guess what: there is no magic book that will substitute for discipline. This book, however, is a great guide if you supply the willpower. As an added bonus, John Peterson hosts a wonderful forum and quickly answers any of your questions regarding not only his program, but conditioning in general. I have not met a finer individual with more concern for his customers, which he considers his friends.

In short, you will get more than your money's worth by buying this book, IF functional conditioning is your goal and you have the willpower to work for it.