John Powers - Progressive Calisthenics: The 20-Minute Dream Body with Bodyweight Exercises (Calisthenics)

PROGRESSIVE CALISTHENICS

The 20-Minute Dream Body with Bodyweight Exercises

By John Powers

Copyright 2015 by John Powers - All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Copyright: No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, recording or other electronic mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

First Printing, 2015 - Printed in the United States of America

The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it!

- Tricia Cunningham

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I NTRODUCTION

A great looking body, plenty of strength and agility and a positive mental outlook are the dream for most people. For those willing to put in 20 to 30 minutes a day at least 3 days a week performing a variety of calisthenics and bodyweight exercises, the dream can easily become a reality !

Calisthenics (Cals ) and Bodyweight training (BWT ) have been around since the dawn of time there were no gyms or fancy exercise equipment! Everyone has seen the movies with Roman gladiators, Greek warriors and Nordic fighting men and their physiques are all impressive! These images may come to us today from Hollywood but the reality is also presented in countless museums across the globe in the shape of statues and paintings of real men and women.

There are also plenty of modern-day examples of excellent levels of fitness achieved primarily through calisthenics and bodyweight training:

The human body is an amazing machine and it takes proper nutrition and maintenance in the form of functional movements to keep it functioning at an optimal level. Unfortunately, the availability of handy pre-prepared foods and labor-saving devices have caused people to lose sight of the best ways to keep healthy and these habits are hard to break.

With just a little practice and determination, it is possible to reverse the effects of improper diet and inadequate activity at virtually any age and develop a strong, healthy, fit body that looks good and leaves you feeling great .

In this book, you will be presented with an overview of how the body functions and the benefits calisthenics and bodyweight training provide. You will learn about:

In other words, you will receive the information and motivation you need to begin a Cals and BWT program and create the body and mental outlook you have only hoped for in the past . And this is all possible without expensive equipment, gym memberships or countless hours of exertion.

Happy exercising!

CHAPTER 1

PHYSICAL FITNESS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

Its easier to stay in shape if you never let yourself get out of shape in the first place

- Bill Loguidice

There is nothing new about wanting a strong, fit body. Many types of exercises programs and a tremendous number of exercise gadgets and machines have come and gone, but the original form of athletic training, calisthenics and bodyweight activities, are still going strong. Countless people have developed excellent physiques and unsurpassed stamina through regular bodyweight training and it doesnt cost a thing!

ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES

Physical fitness has been prized since the beginning of time. At first, it was the means by which people were able to provide food and shelter necessary for their survival. Strength and stamina were required for hunting and gathering food and the nomadic way of life meant that groups were constantly on the move.

Even after the rise of agrarian societies, the rigors of daily life necessitated strength and endurance for plowing fields, harvesting crops and hauling and storing all types of wares.

As more people became engaged in less strenuous occupations, general fitness levels began to decline. This pattern has existed among the people of the world for over 7,000 years.

Philosophy and religion combined with gymnastics and other forms of physical training in ancient China and India as the correlation between a healthy body and healthy mind was realized. Physical ailments and diseases were found to result from inactivity and this led to the creation of Cong Fu gymnastics and Yoga. The famous Chinese philosopher, educator and politician Confucius is credited with saying that exercise is good for the overall person. Shaolin Monks were highly trained through rigorous calisthenics to be able to defend their monasteries and are considered to be among the most deadly combatants in history.

Ancient records and artifacts point to the regular participation of both men and women in athletic pursuits. Pictures found on Egyptian artifacts depict acrobatic activities and the beauty of the human form was admired by ancient Greeks who believed that a healthy body was necessary for intellectual growth. Men of all ages took advantage of gymnasiums and participated in a variety of contests such as ball games, tug-of-war and throwing the discus or javelin. This, of course, led to the Olympic Games that began in 776 BC and even the Heraea Games for women sometime in the 6th century BC.

In numerous cultures such as the Persian, Spartan and Roman, strength and fitness were seen as the basic elements necessary for military might. Anyone who has seen movies such as 300, Troy, Pompeii or Hercules can appreciate the beautiful musculature and amazing power of the main characters. From a young age, boys were trained for eventual military service and women were also encouraged to engage in fitness training to ensure the birth of strong, healthy babies.

Interestingly enough, it is also a fact that many of these civilizations declined as the citizens relaxed and enjoyed the wealth and leisure that conquest brought. As physical fitness diminished, early groups were then more easily overthrown by stronger, more able-bodied aggressors.

Moving ahead 1,000 years, the value of good physical conditioning was also recognized by leaders in many different countries. In Europe during the Renaissance (1400 1600), the interest in the culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans sparked an increase in the interest in the human body. Da Vincis anatomical drawings were the first to clearly identify muscles and explain how the body moves. In the field of medicine and also in relation to the mind-body connection of a well-rounded education, fitness and the proper functioning of the body became important topics of study.

Just a few hundred years later as nations began to develop independently, the importance of a fit citizenry led to the founding of physical education programs and a broad following for gymnastics. England, Germany, Denmark and Sweden were among the leaders of the creation of fitness programs and clubs designed to improve and maintain the health and physical well-being of all citizens.