No Gym. Just Gravity. Build a Leaner - More Muscular You in 28 Days!

I was surprised to find that you still need equipment. I am disappointed to see that. There is good information here if, you are new to HIIT. But if your not new, you may be disappointed to find this information is already out there in several books and all over the web. It's just another re-package of the information.

So, Gaddour's book broke my Franken-kindle, which after it's first near cataclysmic death last year I managed to mostly resurrect to some degree of functionality...until I purchased this book, and I'm once again whipping out the crash pack and struggling to get it to work properly. So the store may have reason to shortly be thankful for this if I have to purchase a new one...but that is not the reason for my rating.

So thanks to my Franken-kindle, and a couple of weeks that have been eating me alive, I haven't finished this book (I'm currently at 37%), and I normally like to at least finish something before I leave a rating, but I was so concerned about a piece of advice in the nutrition section, that I felt it needed to be put out there now, and if I feel I need to adjust anything after finishing this book, I will update this review at that time. Though to be honest, I doubt anything I see in the fitness section is going to cause me to lower anything, so far, I'm super impressed with the quality of the fitness portions I've read thus far.

In fact, if I had to base this review on the fitness stuff, I would be putting it at 5 stars. But I'm so concerned about the potential seriousness for some individuals in regards to my concern in the nutrition section, that I wanted to put it at 2 stars, but because I liked the fitness portion so much, I needed to appeal to my better angels and bump it up a star.

The nutrition section is written by Michael Roussell, who has a PhD in nutrition. Yes, I'm really still going to take issue with some of his advice even after the letters behind his name. Specifically the portion that reads: “You can get a boost from caffeine...Pop 200 milligrams of caffeine in tablet form and increase the dose based on your individual tolerance.”

So first off, let me start by saying, I'm not the patron saint of caffeine avoidance. There have been some days where caffeine has been the thing that allowed me to pick myself up by my sleep deprived bootstraps and soldier through my day- but I never go above 400 mg per day. And here's why I have a problem with his advice: it came with no form of medical disclaimer, and it absolutely needs one.

Here's the real deal. It's true that the lethal dose of caffeine is really, really high, and most people would have a hard time exceeding it under regular circumstances. But if you have Type II diabetes, caffeine can raise your blood sugar levels and interfere with your medicines. If you have anxiety and depression disorders, that much caffeine will make your symptoms worse. If you need antibiotics, caffeine can interfere with the efficacy of some of them, so your Dr. absolutely needs to know if you're popping these pills like candy. If you have high blood pressure, caffeine raises your blood pressure and can be a problem for you. If you are a post-menopausal woman, caffeine should be kept below 300mg per day, because it pulls more calcium out of your system and you need that for your bones. (As a side note to anybody, you'll need to be mindful of taking extra calcium if you're going crazy on the caffeine, just saying). If you have a history of heart disease or heart attack, caffeine isn't your friend either- it makes your heart beat harder, and it can make your heart beat faster. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Any of this can be verified with your Dr, and even Dr. Google if you just can't wait.

Many times people who are buying fitness books have been recently diagnosed with a chronic health condition of some kind that they are trying to reverse or manage with lifestyle changes, so just be aware, if any of the above conditions apply to you, unfortunately, you will not be able to start popping caffeine pills with impunity.

Aside from that, if my understanding is correct, any more than 8 cups of coffee worth of caffeine a day, and it's treated as if it's a performance enhancing drug. For me personally, if someone compliments me on something like my face, which I popped out of the womb with, it doesn't mean as much to me as if someone compliments me on my current level of fitness, because I worked really hard for that, and I own it, both the good and the needs to be better. And I feel best about myself when I can say it's all me, it's what my body can do on it's own. So I am sure I am not at Gaddour's level of fitness, but I don't need to be. I'm in the best shape I've ever been, and that's good enough for me, and I'm very proud of what my body has been able to do without that kind of assistance.

Those things aside, if you are in good health overall and you don't share my feelings about the performance enhancing things, go for it. As I said, I'm not the patron saint of caffeine avoidance. And if this section had come with an appropriate medical disclaimer, I would have let it pass. But it did not.

A much less serious matter is the number of meals. This one also needs a bit of a medical disclaimer, and I usually see something of that nature in other fitness books, because it is needed and appropriate. He recommends eating 4 times a day, which isn't terrible, but certain medical conditions are managed by eating more frequently, so always you need to follow the advice of your medical provider in a case like that. Like hypoglycemia, which is something yours truly has struggled with, so I make sure I eat 5-6 small meals a day. Because the quickest way for me to look like the conductor of the crazy train is to skip one of those meals and have a blood sugar crash. And I usually carry something with me even in case I get caught out away from home when I need to eat. Your welcome world. And for the record, I made sure I ate before I wrote this review as well.

So bottom line, I love Gaddour's fitness portions, and I don't even have a problem with most of the nutrition stuff. But I feel like the caffeine use needs a big, involved disclaimer that wasn't there and that the meal frequency also needed a much smaller disclaimer that again was M.I.A. My honest advice would be, get this book. Just be aware of those things and ignore those two nutritional recommendations if your health needs that.

Received this book yesterday for Christmas (thanks Santa!) and did the first workout today. There are 5 levels and I initially thought maybe I'd jump the first couple levels since I've been working out for awhile.
I'm glad I didn't! Level 1 - Ground Zero was hard enough!
There are 8 different exercises and while some are relatively easy some I could barely do for a minute!
With each exercise there are variations to make them easier or harder.
I enjoyed the information in the book. Some of the information is similar to other work out books but for me the exercises and workout programs are the best part.
I am a little doubtful about the claim on the cover "lose 10+ pounds in just 4 weeks!". I'm always skeptical of claims like that. I'll update in 4 weeks!

So, Gaddour's book broke my Franken-kindle, which after it's first near cataclysmic death last year I managed to mostly resurrect to some degree of functionality...until I purchased this book, and I'm once again whipping out the crash pack and struggling to get it to work properly. So the store may have reason to shortly be thankful for this if I have to purchase a new one...but that is not the reason for my rating.

So thanks to my Franken-kindle, and a couple of weeks that have been eating me alive, I haven't finished this book (I'm currently at 37%), and I normally like to at least finish something before I leave a rating, but I was so concerned about a piece of advice in the nutrition section, that I felt it needed to be put out there now, and if I feel I need to adjust anything after finishing this book, I will update this review at that time. Though to be honest, I doubt anything I see in the fitness section is going to cause me to lower anything, so far, I'm super impressed with the quality of the fitness portions I've read thus far.

In fact, if I had to base this review on the fitness stuff, I would be putting it at 5 stars. But I'm so concerned about the potential seriousness for some individuals in regards to my concern in the nutrition section, that I wanted to put it at 2 stars, but because I liked the fitness portion so much, I needed to appeal to my better angels and bump it up a star.

The nutrition section is written by Michael Roussell, who has a PhD in nutrition. Yes, I'm really still going to take issue with some of his advice even after the letters behind his name. Specifically the portion that reads: “You can get a boost from caffeine...Pop 200 milligrams of caffeine in tablet form and increase the dose based on your individual tolerance.”

So first off, let me start by saying, I'm not the patron saint of caffeine avoidance. There have been some days where caffeine has been the thing that allowed me to pick myself up by my sleep deprived bootstraps and soldier through my day- but I never go above 400 mg per day. And here's why I have a problem with his advice: it came with no form of medical disclaimer, and it absolutely needs one.

Here's the real deal. It's true that the lethal dose of caffeine is really, really high, and most people would have a hard time exceeding it under regular circumstances. But if you have Type II diabetes, caffeine can raise your blood sugar levels and interfere with your medicines. If you have anxiety and depression disorders, that much caffeine will make your symptoms worse. If you need antibiotics, caffeine can interfere with the efficacy of some of them, so your Dr. absolutely needs to know if you're popping these pills like candy. If you have high blood pressure, caffeine raises your blood pressure and can be a problem for you. If you are a post-menopausal woman, caffeine should be kept below 300mg per day, because it pulls more calcium out of your system and you need that for your bones. (As a side note to anybody, you'll need to be mindful of taking extra calcium if you're going crazy on the caffeine, just saying). If you have a history of heart disease or heart attack, caffeine isn't your friend either- it makes your heart beat harder, and it can make your heart beat faster. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Any of this can be verified with your Dr, and even Dr. Google if you just can't wait.

Many times people who are buying fitness books have been recently diagnosed with a chronic health condition of some kind that they are trying to reverse or manage with lifestyle changes, so just be aware, if any of the above conditions apply to you, unfortunately, you will not be able to start popping caffeine pills with impunity.

Aside from that, if my understanding is correct, any more than 8 cups of coffee worth of caffeine a day, and it's treated as if it's a performance enhancing drug. For me personally, if someone compliments me on something like my face, which I popped out of the womb with, it doesn't mean as much to me as if someone compliments me on my current level of fitness, because I worked really hard for that, and I own it, both the good and the needs to be better. And I feel best about myself when I can say it's all me, it's what my body can do on it's own. So I am sure I am not at Gaddour's level of fitness, but I don't need to be. I'm in the best shape I've ever been, and that's good enough for me, and I'm very proud of what my body has been able to do without that kind of assistance.

Those things aside, if you are in good health overall and you don't share my feelings about the performance enhancing things, go for it. As I said, I'm not the patron saint of caffeine avoidance. And if this section had come with an appropriate medical disclaimer, I would have let it pass. But it did not.

A much less serious matter is the number of meals. This one also needs a bit of a medical disclaimer, and I usually see something of that nature in other fitness books, because it is needed and appropriate. He recommends eating 4 times a day, which isn't terrible, but certain medical conditions are managed by eating more frequently, so always you need to follow the advice of your medical provider in a case like that. Like hypoglycemia, which is something yours truly has struggled with, so I make sure I eat 5-6 small meals a day. Because the quickest way for me to look like the conductor of the crazy train is to skip one of those meals and have a blood sugar crash. And I usually carry something with me even in case I get caught out away from home when I need to eat. Your welcome world. And for the record, I made sure I ate before I wrote this review as well.

So bottom line, I love Gaddour's fitness portions, and I don't even have a problem with most of the nutrition stuff. But I feel like the caffeine use needs a big, involved disclaimer that wasn't there and that the meal frequency also needed a much smaller disclaimer that again was M.I.A. My honest advice would be, get this book. Just be aware of those things and ignore those two nutritional recommendations if your health needs that.

Received this book yesterday for Christmas (thanks Santa!) and did the first workout today. There are 5 levels and I initially thought maybe I'd jump the first couple levels since I've been working out for awhile.
I'm glad I didn't! Level 1 - Ground Zero was hard enough!
There are 8 different exercises and while some are relatively easy some I could barely do for a minute!
With each exercise there are variations to make them easier or harder.
I enjoyed the information in the book. Some of the information is similar to other work out books but for me the exercises and workout programs are the best part.
I am a little doubtful about the claim on the cover "lose 10+ pounds in just 4 weeks!". I'm always skeptical of claims like that. I'll update in 4 weeks!

Great exercise book.. although the one chapter on nutrition is misguided and outdated. Plenty of different approaches to healthy and nutritious eating out there - that are also great for people trying to build muscle. This book underscores the new found importance of healthy fats (coming from things like avocado, real butter, coconut oil, nuts, traditional cooking fats like lard). Carb consumption can help with post workout demands, but not much are needed (eating a lot of carbs [carb loading] after workouts can cause kidney and prostate damage after awhile, more-so from nutrient poor carbs).

There is such a thing as drinking too much water, and people who workout need to be aware of this because it can cause damage to the kidneys by overworking them. It’s not good to be dehydrated, but overly hydrating can land someone in the hospital with a kidney infection. Signs that a person is drinking too much water are frequent urination of a completely clear color. I’m mentioning this because I’m seeing too many people gorging themselves on water nowadays.

Quality of a meal’s ingredients and how something’s cooked also play important roles into how healthy they are (this one point alone is full of complexities that aren’t fully understood yet so I can understand why it wasn’t included).

I agree that calorie counting’s not necessary but 3 meals a day can be just as good as 4 for someone starting out, especially since that’s what many people are accustommed to already. 5 or 6 meals a day can be just as good for someone hitting the intermediate stages of this book’s exercise routines. It really all depends on personal preference. I didn’t take away stars for this point however.

Honestly, even with the sheer volume of information available on proper exercise nutrition, I’d be hesistant to use much of it because of constant revisions every few years. I do feel with a new focus on healthy fat incorporation and a continued focus on vegetables that the scientific community (including exercise science) is headed in the right direction.

Sorry for the rant, aside from Chapter 2, this book is solid.

Great book at outlining the progressions for different exercises in a clear and concise manner, and also shows how to make each individual progression easier or harder. I have not seen another book that does this so clearly.

BJ Gaddour and I have been great friends for several years. I say that with great pride and thankfulness knowing how much he has motivated me to be a better trainer, coach and individual. That said, after reading "Your Body is YOUR Barbell" , just like BJ himself, it did not disappoint. In BJ's unique way has shown how body weight training can quickly become an amazing training tool to enhance both fitness and performance, regardless the starting point.

As a fitness professional and an owner of a fitness equipment company, this book has and will continue to altered how I apply body weight strength training into my own training programs. BJ has always been the master of innovative exercise creation but never without well thought out exercise progressions included which is not the case with many body weight training books. This book, like BJ Gaddour himself, will and probably already has, raised the bar when it comes to body weight strength and conditioning.

I highly recommend "Your Body is YOUR Barbell" to coaches, fitness professionals, rehab specialist and, of course, the fitness enthusiast that is looking for a "no excuse" unlimited training challenge they are assured of having great success with.

Great Job BJ,
You once again have hit it out of the park.

Dave Schmitz (The Band Man)
[...]

Best investment of my book purchases. BJ Gaddour breaks down the movements to the very core and demonstrates how you can get a great workout with 8 core movements with your own body weight anywhere regardless of your fitness level. Great Buy.

I absolutely loved this book, it was so informative that I couldn't put it down and read most of it in one sitting. As a personal trainer I consider the relative strength gained from calisthenics to be the ultimate in functional fitness. This book breaks down the exercises into categories of muscle movement such as push, pull, hip dominant, knee dominate, etc. The book explains why you don't need a gym to get in excellent shape. It gives several different training options depending on your goals, whether it's for strength, weight loss, etc. I believe this book highlights the future of fitness!

Really enjoyed reading the book and going through the workouts. Your Body Is Your Barbell has great body weight progressions that are great for anyone from beginner to advanced. The book is well organized and has great descriptions for each exercise that makes it easy to follow. I highly recommend you buy this book as it is the best fitness book I have read.

Drew

Great exercise book.. although the one chapter on nutrition is misguided and outdated. Plenty of different approaches to healthy and nutritious eating out there - that are also great for people trying to build muscle. This book underscores the new found importance of healthy fats (coming from things like avocado, real butter, coconut oil, nuts, traditional cooking fats like lard). Carb consumption can help with post workout demands, but not much are needed (eating a lot of carbs [carb loading] after workouts can cause kidney and prostate damage after awhile, more-so from nutrient poor carbs).

There is such a thing as drinking too much water, and people who workout need to be aware of this because it can cause damage to the kidneys by overworking them. It’s not good to be dehydrated, but overly hydrating can land someone in the hospital with a kidney infection. Signs that a person is drinking too much water are frequent urination of a completely clear color. I’m mentioning this because I’m seeing too many people gorging themselves on water nowadays.

Quality of a meal’s ingredients and how something’s cooked also play important roles into how healthy they are (this one point alone is full of complexities that aren’t fully understood yet so I can understand why it wasn’t included).

I agree that calorie counting’s not necessary but 3 meals a day can be just as good as 4 for someone starting out, especially since that’s what many people are accustommed to already. 5 or 6 meals a day can be just as good for someone hitting the intermediate stages of this book’s exercise routines. It really all depends on personal preference. I didn’t take away stars for this point however.

Honestly, even with the sheer volume of information available on proper exercise nutrition, I’d be hesistant to use much of it because of constant revisions every few years. I do feel with a new focus on healthy fat incorporation and a continued focus on vegetables that the scientific community (including exercise science) is headed in the right direction.

Sorry for the rant, aside from Chapter 2, this book is solid.