Bret Contreras

This is truly a book for anyone who wants to improve strength, balance, coordination and flexibility in privacy or without access to a gym full of gear. Unlike most books like these (Convict Conditioning), this one gives you a series of exercises, a wide variety, rather than just a few with progressions to improve in them. For example, this is how most bodyweight exercise books would approach the push-up, from easiest to most difficult -

1. wall pushup
2. table
3. knee
4. standard
5. offset
6. show more one-armed
7. the Stallone (one-armed with clap)

Instead Contreras gives you 12 different styles of pushups that you can work into your routine as needed or when equipment isn’t available. This approach is good for people who want variety rather than the attainment of a narrow goal.

Illustrations are spectacular - muscles involved and overall details of musculoskeletal structures are shown with figures engaged in every exercise. They are labeled with common and Latin names. He also includes female athletes as well as male so that it presents less testosterone-y and in-your-face.

For each exercise, the author starts with a section showing proper technique, then outlines the muscles involved (again with those great illustrations), then a notes section including tips and pointers for perfecting the movement. Helpfully, Contreras indicates levels of difficulty for each exercise with a vivid graphic for easy identification.

Finally at the end, he supplies sample program routines for overall fitness and effective workouts without equipment. A marked departure which results in a great improvement over most bodyweight exercise books. show less

The author sneaks in a bit of apparatus here and there, disguised as household furniture. Lots of excellent exercises, though, and the anatomy presentation always pleases.

I love that the exercises in this book require very little equipment (towel, table, chair, etc.). The the amount of detail put into the illustrations allows you to see the primary and secondary muscles that each exercise targets. The illustrations along with the instructions make the moves easy to understand and follow.
The difficulty level guide makes it easy to identify which moves are more simple, for those of us starting a muscle building journey.
Chapter 10 provides valuable information show more about planning your workout to ensure you are evenly working out the muscles and providing samples of different routines.
I love the fact that this book can also be used for continuing education credits in Human Kinetics. show less

This is a valuable book for anyone looking to increase their strength and definition without spending hours in the gym. Bret Contreras explains the best exercises that don't require any equipment yet have been proven to strengthen and shape all the major muscles. The book includes many illustrations that show exactly which muscles are used during the different exercises. This is especially helpful when you have some weak areas that you would like to target. Overall, it's a very practical show more book with lots of great tips. show less