The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Exercise - Complete Calisthenics

I've been following the books program for 6 weeks now and my skill and strength have dramatically improved. I am a trainer and have read every book on body weight training there is and this book takes a different route starting with easy basics and leads you to impressive human feats. Highly recommended!

Excellent! My only real gripe is that the author doesn't spend enough time with the progressions so beginners may have a harder time, but the info is solid and everything is very well laid out. It is great on its own, and worth the money, but if you are a beginner I would also look into Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade. The two together could very well be all you need to take your Bodyweight journey to the next level.

Great book. The author predicts whatever questions you might have and answers them all! Not only it covers everything, but with a surprising detail and honesty too. That amount of valuable knowledge and attention to detail, proves that the author knows what he is talking about which motivates me and makes me confident that I'll manage to do everything over time.
I've bought the Kindle version but I will buy the book too as I found out it is quite large and therefore will be easy to read / see the pictures and have it around while I'm doing the workout as it is reasonably priced too.

I thought I knew about calisthenics from my time in the Military. I was wrong, this book has showed me variations to classic minimal equipment exercises. I look forward to exploiting the information within to build up my body while being gentle on my joints.

Great book with wonderful knowledge. I totally recommend it to beginners and intermediate levels. But as for advanced levels I recommend the books Convict Conditioning 1,2 and 3. Volume 3 is Explosive Calisthenics and also "Over coming gravity is really good book" for advanced knowledge. But all in all if a person is 1st starting in Calisthenics this books is the way to go!! :)

This book is well thought through, well written, and covers a wide range of movements. Like anything else, especially body weight training, it is a very personal matter. I would recommend this to anyone.

I've been training progressive calisthenics-style for about two years (after 23 years in traditional gym settings and competing in natural bodybuilding contests). I have to say that I quickly learned and mastered a few advanced moves, like front and back lever. However, I was stuck with not much progress in other moves, like HS for example.

Ashley Kalym's book is the first one I buy on calisthenics. I thought I need guidance from someone who's already mastered the moves I was stuck on and has experience teaching them. Well, here are a couple of great things I like about the book and the author:

- All exercises and advanced moves are presented as a learning path from simple novice moves to more advanced variations of these moves to finally the actual advanced moves. I personally was missing the steps in the middle that take you from not being able to do an advanced move to being able to. I was personally trying with the most difficult move from the advanced ones without knowing that I need to do some move-specific conditioning that will help me get to the advanced move.

- The author comes across as a down-to-earth regular guy, who's even provided his personal email address in the book for readers to get in touch with him. I did write him an email and he very cordially replied in about 24 hours (there is 6 hours difference between where he lives and where I live).

I personally wasn't impressed with the depth of the nutrition section in the book but that's not a reason for taking a star from the rating. The truth is that I am more of a functional nutrition fanatic and I'd say that my knowledge about nutrition is a bit above layman level. That said, the info in the nutrition section is just about enough for someone who's coming from the perspective of a convenience type of pseudo food into highly nutritious eating that will actually support him/her in achieving serious athletic goals like the goals that mastering advanced calisthenics requires.

All in all the book is complete and you will fell like someone took you by the hand and walked you though what might seem an unachievable and superhuman world of complete calisthenics (and that's how the book is called), while in the process not talking down on you from the angle of "I know and have done it all".

I look forward to reading whatever other books Ashley will come up with.

An amazing book that gives so much information it's unbelievable! You won't need to purchase any other book regarding calisthenics due too how much information is given. Highly recommend both versions paperback and kindle. Step by step instructions and detailed pictures explaining every movement. Great buy!!

If you're a beginner or already advanced, this is a great reference manual to come back time after time in your journey of becoming a super human! I'm 38 and have been doing calisthenics training exclusively for about 6 months, and went from crappy fish out of water pull-ups to 5 muscle-ups! I would say my progress thus far is intermediate, given I'm only capable of performing tucked levers, and handstand holds for 10sec. I'm glad Ash made a reference to goals, because that's exactly what I did! This book will give you the progressions to becoming a superhuman without having to watch countless YouTube videos, which can also be helpful. Keep up the great work Ash, and never stop learning.

Absolutely fantastic, step by step breakdown.

That being said, some of the descriptions of progressions may require further research for a reader not familiar with calisthenics or is relatively new to training.

A lot more options for progression that nearly any other book I've read, and very straight forward. I appreciate him staying within his scope, avoiding preaching, and acknowledging the potential benefits of weight training, particularly for the lower body, as a functional addition to a strength training regimen.

If trying to start or an intermediate stuck on certain progressions, definitely a good book to help you progress.

I bought this out of frustration from attempting to build my own piecemeal routine from disparate sources on the net, and from reviews this sounded close to what I was looking for. I also considered Convict Conditioning (and may still get that), but the reviews pushed me slightly toward this one. I also got this to complement CrossFit (did I just lose all credibility? :) ), since I wanted more systematic and progressive bodyweight/gymnastic training. The suggested milestones and routines are laid out well, and for each exercise he advises on modifications to build strength and how many reps to aim for before moving to the next progression.

I bought this book expecting something awesome but was sorely disappointed.To many pics on one exercise should have had more variations then what was in here.I know all of the exercises in here nothing really different.For as many pages as there was there should have been tons of exercises.It is no different then other books out there.Very unhappy.

I'd favorably compare this excellent book to super popular Convict Conditioning. It's similar but more challenging for its use of gymnastics conditioning exercises and spares us the lectures on prison culture etc. Love this book. Must read for bodyweight enthusiasts.

This is an extremely important book to have if you're looking for a book that explains everything you need to know about bodyweight exercise.
I've never seen anything like this. The author shows you how to start and progress through out all of your training.
I highly recommend this book.

Listen. I've trained calisthenics for over a year and while this book has some great information in it, all of this info can be found on youtube. Don't waste your money on this book. Look up thenx instead.

This was exactly what I needed. It's also sensible, no nonsense and well written. If you are looking for 'how to get ripped in 30 day's then look elsewhere. This deals with the very serious business of gymnastic and core strength and how and why you might want to build it. I purchased this as a help to my ultimate goal of the iron cross. Ambitious for a woman. Not impossible. This gentlemen has the tips and the tools and a lot of sensible advice. This kind of stuff takes years :)

This is a well written book. Unfortunately this is geared towards those that are more elite in their athletic ability and want to go beyond. If you are not advanced or elite I would recommend a handful of other books on calisthenics or body weight training.

This is a well written book. Unfortunately this is geared towards those that are more elite in their athletic ability and want to go beyond. If you are not advanced or elite I would recommend a handful of other books on calisthenics or body weight training.