Smart Bodyweight Training: How to Focus Your Mind to Transform Your Body

Excellent book, must read for anyone into calisthenics. Easy and interesting read with beautiful pictures to explain the concepts. Worth buying.

I have read the Kindle edition of this book.Having been introduced to training with body weight exercises by Convict Conditioning (on a recommendation from the author) I’ve been looking for ways to improve my routine and get better at the exercises. This book has given me the tools to progress my movements and the confidence to apply them to my daily routine.This book explains nicely how to establish a neural connection with our body, before moving on to the “chains” of connected muscles we have through our bodies. Matt then sets out an exhaustive yet very readable set of explanations of how we can exercise these chains with specific exercises and variations.Behind it all is the periodic table of progressions, in which everything from adjusting the angle of our limbs to moving slower or moving in toward the centre line is set out as a collection of “elements” we can apply to our movements.This book is not just an overview of how to train using body weight exercises but a toolkit for creating our own unique plans that best work for our needs and skills.Throughout, Matt writes in a friendly, clear, approachable manner. This is a must-read for anybody exploring body weight training and looking for ways to progress.

I have quite a collection of calisthenics books now, I think this one may be the best. In the past I have followed progressions to a certain level and then hit sticking points. This book rather than being a prescriptive programme provides you with the tools you can use to adjust your training to suit your own circumstances. I would highly recommended to anyone interested in bodyweight training.

An absolute phenomenon of a book! I have been doing callisthenics on and off for the past x15 years combined with kettle bells and weights as well. Last year I decided to stop the weights as I was picking up injuries. Since then I have followed this guy on YouTube - his videos are amazing.The book is about connecting your mind and muscles and body. Instead of crunching out dozens of reps you’ll be lucky to do a fraction following this guys advice, but the results are there to be had. Combine this with Convict conditioning and you will get stronger, and no doubt bigger as well. 12 months on from following this guy, I am stronger, arms are bigger, and think entirely differently about training than I did before.One flaw is the kindle edition (paper white) the pictures aren’t great so would recommend using the app on your iPad/phone for the images or buying the hard copy.

Really liked the book. Matt’s sense of logic and lateral thinking is the most refreshing thing about it. It’s also fairly exhaustive in terms of bodyweight progressions whilst also being quite concise and simple. A must have addition to any seasoned trainees reading arsenal.

Already owning numerous books on body weight or calisthenics exercises, I was pleasantly surprised to find Matt had taken a slightly different approach about the subject. The result is a refreshing read packed with common sense ideas that can enhance your workouts. Highly recommended.