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Zen Mind, Strong Body

How to Cultivate Advanced Calisthenic Strength—Using the Power of "Beginner's Mind"

By Al Kavadlo

Paperback 124 pages

In Zen Mind, Strong Body, acclaimed bodyweight exercise expert Al Kavadlo presents his “philosophy of fitness”—a philosophy that has allowed him to endure injury-free, while achieving some of the world’s most challenging movements, be it the One-arm Pull-up, the Human Flag, the Stand-to-stand Bridge, or the Front Lever. It’s also a philosophy that’s allowed Al to sculpt a magnificent physique—while maintaining an ever-burning passion to further develop his calisthenic excellence.

Al’s “secret sauce”? A Zen-like attitude to physical cultivation—which marries intense focus with a light-hearted “joy-in-the-journey.” Zen-like too, is Al’s insistence on intuitive simplicity and his celebration of personal, direct experience as the most trustworthy teacher.

Zen Mind, Strong Body culls 26 of Al’s favorite articles, elaborating his position on a wide spectrum of fitness subjects from diet and supplements, to machines and free weights, to cardio options, to mental training. For Al, though, all roads finally lead to Bodyweight Exercise—as the supreme path for all-around, everyday athleticism and practical functionality.

Want what Al Kavadlo has? Absorb the hard-earned, earthy training wisdom in Zen Mind, Strong Body—and you will be on your way.

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Invest in the Wisdom of Zen Mind, Strong Body and Discover:

  • How to put the fun back into your fitness—instead of treating your workouts as a chore…
  • How to combine "presence" and joy—for a deeper, more rewarding training experience…
  • How "light heart" translates to "heavy payload"—when it comes to spectacular, long-term physical gains…
  • How to infuse "warrior spirit" into your body-mind—and attain the calisthenic ideal of physical excellence…
  • How to recruit the power of the "Big 3"—Experience, Logic and Intuition—as your preferred allies in the battle against weakness, fatness, slowness and tiredness…
  • Why to beware of the "Tricky 3"—Dogma, Faith and Science"—when it comes to wise practice in diet and exercise…
"Al Kavadlo’s Zen Mind, Strong Body is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant forest of rote physical training books. I have had the good fortune to train and learn from some of the best in the world, and Al Kavadlo is among the few people I would travel and pay money to train with."—DR. CHRIS HARDY, Author of Strong Medicine
  • The empowering secret of "open-ended" program design—to free you from the shackles and restrictions of one-size-fits-all fitness shibboleths…
  • The key differences between gymnastics and calisthenics—when considering your optimal goals for physical development…
  • How to make impressive gains year-after-year—while staying off the "injured reserve" list…
  • How to marry fun and function—for athletic longevity and enhanced well being…
  • How to use your mind to manifest what you choose—including the body of your dreams...
"Al Kavadlo is a master of bodyweight training and calisthenics. If you want to gain strength and improve flexibility, and do it all without a single piece of gym equipment, Al's the expert you should turn to."—MARK SISSON, Author of The Primal Blueprint
  • The "Specificity Principle"—and the direct approach to getting better and better and better…
  • The hows and whys of building strength without mass—when whipcord-functionality is your goal…
  • The #1 factor to consider in practicing strength as a skill—it’s the difference between longterm success and the also-rans…
  • What "business" you need to focus on first—if being a lean ‘n mean machine is what you want…
  • Why "subtle nuance" can be more important than "gross motor"—when developing supreme movement skills…
"Zen Mind, Strong Body by Al Kavadlo should be the first book you look at when considering the world of bodyweight work."—DAN JOHN, Author of Never Let Go
  • The 5 major levels of bodyweight strength—so you know where you stand in the chain of greatness…
  • The 4 best bodyweight drills to emulate the benefits of the traditional deadlift—when you don’t want to bother with a barbell…
  • The special significance of Back Bridges—for longevity in your strength practice…
  • Why walking is overrated as a preferred exercise choice—for almost anyone…
  • Why you don’t need to take a single supplement—yet still achieve peak levels of fitness…
"Zen Mind, Strong Body expertly covers the methods, the moves, the nutrition, the equipment, the benefits, the philosophy and even the culture of bodyweight training. If you are a newbie uncertain about whether to explore bodyweight, or an advanced athlete looking for a new take on the most ancient conditioning method, this is now the definitive go-to book."—PAUL "COACH" WADE, author of Convict Conditioning

Table of Contents
Foreword by Mike Fitch
Introduction by Al Kavadlo


PART I — ZEN MIND
1 Zen Mind/Calisthenics Mind..................1
2 Sifting Through The Madness...............3
3 Make Your Own Workout......................6
4 It’s Not Gymnastics..............................10
5 No Year’s Resolutions..........................15
6 It’s All In Your Mind...............................17
7 The Specificity Principle.......................18
8 My Path To The PCC............................21

PART II — STRONG BODY
1 Strength Without Mass.........................29
2 Calisthenics And
Body Awareness.....................................35
3 Mastering Your Bodyweight.................36
4 Bodyweight Deadlift
Alternatives ............................................39
5 Why I Don’t Wear
Workout Gloves......................................43
6 Clean Up Your Muscle-up....................45
7 Avoiding Injuries In
Strength Training.....................................48

PART III — DO YOU DO CARDIO?
1 Is Walking Really
The Best Exercise?................................55
2 Bodyweight Conditioning.....................56
3 Beginning Running..............................63
4 Running The NYC Marathon...............65
5 Racing The NYC Triathlon...................67
6 Death To Cardio...................................70

PART IV — STAY HUNGRY
1 Why I Don’t Use Supplements.............75
2 Diet And Exercise.................................77
3 I Peanut Butter..................................79
4 The Best Exercise
For Weight Loss.......................................81
5 All Or Muffin..........................................83

BONUS SECTION: SAMPLE WORKOUTS
1 Bodyweight Beginner...........................88
2 Bodyweight Baron................................92
3 Bodyweight Beast................................94
 
Read Reviews For: Zen Mind, Strong Body (paperback)
9.08 out of 10 (12 reviews)
 
 
Rated 10/10 If I can give this book a score higher than 10....
 
By Stephen Ventimiglia / Jamaica, NY, United States

Al paints such an invigorating story in this book and it really sums up the three books(Raising The Bar, Pushing The Limits, and Stretching Your Boundaries) for body-weight training. Zen is the answer when it comes to working out and Al portrays this in the perfect way.

He answers a lot of questions regarding how to approach body-weight exercise, what to do for nutrition, cardio, and fills in the cracks for what's missing in his other books. That's if there is anything missing.....

Not likely! A perfect zen-ten! Thanks Al!

 
Rated 10/10 Start your program the right way!
 
By Matt Palfrey / Sydney, NSW, Australia

The old adage "Give a man a fish and he'll be satisfied for 1 day, but teach a man to fish and he'll never be hungry again" is a good metaphor for this book. To simply follow another program without proper preparation is unlikely to give you the long term results that you need. Instead, this guide aims to give you the tools you need to continue making progress on an ongoing basis.

In a similar vein to "We're Working Out! A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness", Al covers the necessary foundations behind developing elite strength and conditioning. Rather than overly focusing on this program or that exercise, the book is aimed at encouraging readers to take responsibility for their own programming - and that is a very good thing indeed.

 
Rated 10/10 Insightful
 
By Jeff Duenez / Ladera Ranch, CA, USA

Zen Mind, Strong Body is truly insightful with regards to being detailed without boring the reader to death. Al is open with his life and how he approaches it, I wish that I had his mindset 30 years ago but I know it's not too late. I am 54 years old and changed my lifestyle habits a year ago without the book , but now I can go even further with the change to better my overall goals of fitness and health.
This is the second book that I purchased from Dragon Door that was written by one of the Kavadlo brothers and will not be the last.
Thanks Al and Danny, I tip my glass to the both of you!

 
Rated 10/10 Al Kavadlo is an admirable individual.
 
By Dan Earthquake / Birmingham, West Mids, UK

I've bought less than 10 books in the last 10 years & 3 in the last 3 months. CMASS is what did it last year - having been a lurker on Dragondoor since 2005 I liked the look of a lot of things but never enough to commit to buy - afterall, I've been around the block, have read & given away more books on exercise than most people have bought & have kept a shelf of around 20 books that I think are the best. I re-read them occasionally to remind myself of the things I like the most. I liked CMASS the best of anything I've read. I stand by that.

Of course, if you're a fan of Coach Wade it's hard not to notice the Kavadlo brothers & once introduced their own honest delivery of a positive message is welcoming. I like a bit of Zen. I had an artist friend who was into it in a big way & he gave me his favorite book on it before he died. We used to have very random conversations about art, science & mysticism. I'm not a believer in doctrines or a practitioner of religions. Zen appeals to that being in the moment when all the distractions are gone & there is nothing left to think about but the here & now. I had that swimming in the English Channel - 21 hours & 25 minutes of continuous effort with all my thoughts exhausted after 18 hours. The last few hours were just a mantra of "Yes, yes, yes," (pre Daniel Bryan I might add) & that eventually gave way to a complete focus on taking the next breath & turning the arms. I've done other significant efforts that have produced similar clarity. If you lift up a car & hold it for as long as you can, time distorts in a strange way as your muscles & joints compress & your head begins to feel like an orange being squeezed. I remember thinking a mass of random thoughts that were suddenly expelled to a moment of clarity, possibly enlightenment. Someone shouted a time check "Ten seconds" & I startled with an internal "What?" I had been lost & it had felt like an eternity. After that I asked them not to call out the time, & counting breaths & looking at the sky usually got me a minute of something offworldly before the reality of pain became too compelling to continue.

I have experience in many physical pursuits & was never the best at any of them. I'm a practitioner, a participant, in for the long term. A farmer I worked with once described me as a student of physical culture, that was the first time I'd ever heard that term. All exertions produce some unique mental effects, most of which can be attributed to chemical changes due to the effort involved. The focus of the will should not be discounted though. The majority do not do it, preferring more sedate pastimes with easier gained rewards, so honest discussion of such things is limited in everyday experience.

I don't know if Zen Mind Strong Body taught me anything specifically, rather it was more a purchase to share some ground with Al Kavadlo who is an admirable individual. If I were starting out with no idea it would be revolutionary, an ideal gift for an impressionable drifter that I was seeking a concept on which to hang a physical commitment on. I spent my youth in libraries & book shops trying to find books like these & the search was often fruitless. Now we have the internet & x million titles. Being discerning is the new challenge.

 
Rated 10/10 worth it
 
By rick tenactin / boston, Massachusetts, usa

Excellent recourse of fitness philosophies, ideas and even some calisthenics tutorials. Its a perfect read for anyone getting into calisthenics and doesnt know how to approach it.

 
Rated 10/10 great book that motivates and makes you think
 
By Frank Delventhal / Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

"Oh no not a book that makes me think ... " ;-) ok for me that is important, if I read a book and do not have to think about it it was just a wast of time. That means you are already familiar with all the contents or that it was boring.
Happy me that is not the case with Al?s book.
If a book inspires you to make up your own mind it makes you grow. I read it in the right type of mood, as I had to lay down my training for a couple of weeks, no sports allowed at all. So I was very thankful to read a bit more about the philosophical side of training. That motivated me to keep calm and to concentrate more about the "inner values" of my practice / training.

Of cause it covers also a lot of practical issues - so it is a book for the body and soul. :-)

The book is worth reading and I am pretty sure that everyone who likes physical activities will love that book. The layout and pictures are great ... ok maybe the only exception is that ugly dark dressed Goblin on page 42 in the bottom right corner - the lever from Al is cool by the way. ;-)

Side note: The book will be a great present for someone for whom physical practice (sports) became a part of his life.

 
Rated 8/10 Worth the Price if you want quick/easy info
 
By Mike Escobar / Sparks, NV, USA

This eBook is classic Al: accessible, fun, VERY helpful, and easy to read. Ten bucks to download this treasure trove of articles is a fair price; however, as the author himself says, most of the information contained within its pages is available on his www.alkavadlo.com website. If you're patient and willing to look through his archives, it might be a better/more economical deal for you to do so. If you want quick and easy access to some of his best articles, this book is for you. Nothing new or groundbreaking within its pages, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

 
Rated 6/10 An Interesting read but...
 
By Jeremy Burke / Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

First off, Al Kavadlo is clearly a gift to all of us who pursue calisthenics/CC training. The reason for my lower score is that I felt a little mislead by the title. The book is actually a collection of essays on a wide range of topics. While the insights were interesting, if you follow Al's writing on his blog or on Dragon Door Forums you may have already seen these pieces. I sincerely hope that Al writes an entire book about a "Zen" approach to training. The ebook was worth the cost, but it pales in comparison to other works (including his own) in my opinion.

 
Rated 9/10 Good Information & Insight
 
By Billy Melvin / Williamsport, Pa, Usa

Good to get prespective on how Al thinks and trains. Good information that can be read multiple times to get a lot of tips to improve the way you live and train.

 
Rated 10/10 Read it, Internalize it, USE it . . .
 
By Peter Carmichael / Swan View, Western Australia, Australia

I know basically all of Als's comments and suggestions can be found elsewhere but do yourself a favour and get this book.

For me . . . I found it easy to follow for several reasons.

True, the comments are reasonable, logical and sensible. But more than this, the style of writing FELT like we're just a couple of ordinary folks having genuine 2-way conversation down at the park.

Al treats his readers . . . all of US . . . with RESPECT as individuals.

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