Convict conditioning
by Paul Wade · first published 2010
76% recommend18% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Equipment-free bodyweight program that builds strength by progressing to harder exercise variations rather than piling on reps; short, dense, and no-nonsense. Suits desk workers and home exercisers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
How to Train As If Your VERY LIFE Depended on Your Degree of REAL Strength, Power and ToughnessMost physical training systems are designed for the domesticated human animal. That is to say, for us humans who live lives of such relative security that we cultivate our strength and power more out of pride and for a sense of accomplishment than out of an absolute need to survive in the wild. The professional athlete hones his body to function well in a sports event-rather than to emerge safe from a life-or-death struggle.
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Paul Wade: Convict Conditioning Less intellectual than most of the books mentioned here, but more healthy. [Edt]
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?” ↗For those of you that are interested, you might want to look up "Convict Conditioning". http://www.amazon.com/Convict-Conditioning-Weakness-Using-Su...
on “What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise” ↗Ha, that's funny. Starting your day with a shot of endorphins is a better way to go. Check out the book 'Convict Conditioning' by Paul Wade.
on “I can't process the information that is coming at me” ↗Recommendation for those looking to build serious functional strength and avoid injury: Convict Conditioning. Emphasis is on calisthenics (body weight training) not pumping iron. Can’t recommend it highly enough. https://www.dragondoor.com/convict-conditioning-downloadable...
on “Common Muscular Weaknesses” ↗…check out the bodyweightfitness subreddit [0] for good discussion and advice. They have a simple and concise starting routine [1] for people just starting out. There are also some mild critiques [2] of Convict Conditioning. It's very good for a very practical kind of strength, but you will likely not get big very fast, if that's what you're looking for. I've been doing it for two years almost continuously with no injuries.…
on “Common Muscular Weaknesses” ↗...including this. Start with body weight training. Convict Conditioning is a great no-BS book & program, for instance.
on “Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie (2011)” ↗Since home exercise equipment is so hard to find, I’ve been doing a lot of bodyweight exercises. I found a book called Convict Conditioning that requires no equipment (except a pull up bar for some of the later exercises, but there’s a park nearby my house), and has real progressions designed to build strength. So far, I’m enjoying it a lot.
on “New fitness habits being created during Covid?” ↗Convict Conditioning is hands down the simplest, shortest, and most densely packed book on callisthenics I’ve ever read. It explains how to work out your whole body and increase the load via harder workouts instead of increasing…
on “Ask HN: What's a good program for calisthenics for beginners that YOU have tried” ↗Assuming the exercises are going to be done during breaks from the computer, I'd recommend taking a look at Convict Conditioning. Most bodyweight training programs tend to focus on increasing volume, e.g. hundredpushups.com. In contrast, CC increases strength by progressing to more difficult versions of the exercises. For example,…
on “Exercises for a programmer sitting by the PC all day” ↗There is a nice book by a convict who used his time in jail to exercise using whatever available, a very inspiring read. The title is Convict Conditioning.
on “Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?” ↗Not OP, but I used the following resources: Convict Conditioning book. There is also an app on Android call Convict Conditioning which I use to track progress. calimove.com Paid classes but they really teach you good form
on “Ask HN: Have you picked up any new skill from scratch in your 40s or later?” ↗…excercises progressively harder instead of endlessly increasing the volume, if you want to increase strength. The pinnacle are pushups on one arm, Bruce Lee demonstrated those on two fingers. The book Convict Conditioning contains progressions for several bodyweight excercises.
on “Squats can boost brain activity [video]” ↗I cycle between stronglifts.com (simple 5x5 program, but detailed if you want it) and "Convict Conditioning" calisthenics program. Weights vs body weight. Recommend either!
on “Show HN: 1 min workouts for people who sit all day” ↗Just a few days ago I read a book called "Convict Conditioning". In essence, it's about bodyweight exersices. You won't need a gym, but you'll need a place to hang from. Copying a part of a book review: Convict Conditioning is a book of bodyweight only training.…
on “How going to the gym makes you stronger” ↗…found it best to read around and after a while I could figure out what parts of different programs were useful. In the last few years there have been a bunch of new bodyweight training books published. Convict Conditioning, Your Body is Your Barbell, Your Body is Your Gym, etc. (Apparently these authors are too weak to come up with original titles.) Maybe you can find something written by someone from more of a clinical…
on “Lost Posture: Why Indigenous Cultures Don't Have Back Pain” ↗