Overcoming Gravity
by Steven Low · first published 2011
71% recommend29% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Systematic guide to gymnastics-style bodyweight strength and programming; readers cite its progressions and detailed training specifics, for people building strength with just a pull-up bar or rings.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…very well known today, but also a great practical guide to a variety of techniques that can be included into daily activities easily, and will increase happiness. For the body: http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Gravity-Systematic-Gymnasti... Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength - Steven Low As I'm growing older (turned 40 last year), I'm no longer inclined to exercise with…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?” ↗…compete, Juggernaut Training and the Renaissance Training groups are great sources. If you want something portable you can do at home, Pavel's Simple and Sinister is your best bet for kettlebell work, and Overcoming Gravity will teach you bodyweight work that only requires a pull-up bar.
on “The Zen of Weight Lifting” ↗If you are interested in bodyweight training, check out this excellent book: http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Gravity-Systematic-Gymnasti...
on “The Scientific 7-Minute Workout” ↗Overcoming Gravity For most of my life never really had an interest in working out but learning more about calisthenics and body weight fitness in general has really changed things for me in a positive way, and this book…
on “Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?” ↗…Amazon. 2. Buy Get Strong by Al and Danny Kavadlo. Start training 3x per week following their Phase 1/Foundation program. Go for a 10-15 min run on your rest days. 3. If you want better results, then buy Overcoming Gravity by Steven Low. Read a bit everyday while doing 2. Once you get the basics, adjust your routine to match your goals.
on “Ask HN: How do you stay active while working from home?” ↗What really got me into strength training was accidental read of Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength This book turned out to be infinite knowledge source about physical training and how our body works in general. At first I wasn't convinced…
on “Ask HN: Which book can attract anyone towards your field of study?” ↗definitely checkout https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Gravity-Systematic-Gymnast... and the corresponding subreddit
on “Ask HN: Advice from people who strength train from home” ↗I thought I was missing out on a community! But I assume you mean /r/bodyweightfitness? I am also a big fan, but I moved on from it and do my own programming based on reading Overcoming Gravity (2ed) - fantastic book if you want to get into the nitty gritty on body-weight programming. /r/bodyweightfitness have just started rolling out a new series of plans to replace the RR. So if you haven't…
on “Select a muscle and it provides the exercises to workout the selected muscle” ↗Exercise doesn't have to be at the gym. You can do fairly high level calisthenics with a weighed bag and/or Olympic rings Excellent books on the topic like Your Body is Your Gym, Overcoming Gravity, and Paul Wade's ultimate isometrics.
on “Top Performers Have a Superpower: Happiness” ↗…and I’m not sure anyone would say he wasn’t strong or didn’t have strength in the 80s. Calisthenics are definitely hard to program, but you can build a huge amount of body strength without weights. “Overcoming Gravity” is a great book if you’re ever looking to program body weight movements. This isn’t a knock on lifting weights, weight training is great and everyone should do it. It’s just that strength is in relation…
on “New fitness habits being created during Covid?” ↗Does body expanding also count if you are a philosophical monist? ;) Overcoming Gravity 2 - buy this book and a pair of gymnastic rings and you are set for life in terms of fitness (...ok, you should also do squats and deadlifts with weights)
on “Ask HN: What is the most mind expanding book(s) you have read till date?” ↗…your bodyweight in closed kinetic chain [1] exercises and avoid the machines unless you're injured or have a specific reason. There are progressions for every level. I recommend "Be your own gym" and "Overcoming Gravity" for great references on bodyweight training. (Also: don't do muscle ups. The only people who like that are sports medicine docs.) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_kinetic_chain_exercis....
on “Less gym time, same results: Why ‘lowering’ weights is all you need to do” ↗Author's website: http://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/ His book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Gravity-Systematic-Gymnast...
on “Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?” ↗…scene to finish. For anyone interested in learning more about this, it's called "greasing the groove". There are plenty of web articles about it, and it's also covered pretty thoroughly in the book _Overcoming Gravity_ by Steven Low.
on “Biohacking Lite” ↗56 pushups in 30 seconds? It seems to me the only way to do that is to either a) do them with extremely bad form, b) not go down completely, c) both of those. People like eshlow (author of "Overcoming Gravity") at /r/bodyweightfitness recommend a tempo of 10x1: lowering yourself for one second, staying 0 seconds at the bottom, pushing up as hard and fast as possible (x = explode), and holding for one second…
on “The Scientific 7-Minute Workout” ↗