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    The Calisthenics Quest
    The Calisthenics Quest
    The Calisthenics Quest
    Ebook198 pages1 hour

    The Calisthenics Quest

    By Raymond Shonk

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    About this ebook

    Your journey to physical fitness will not be an easy quest, but with the help of calisthenics DM Ray Shonk, you will be on the adventure of a lifetime. The Calisthenics Quest is a custom journey filled with high adventure. The biggest limitations are your own imagination. This book is designed to make the most of the best exercise equipment that you have; your own body. With levels such as the Skilled Agent and the Super Villain, depending on your goals, you can have the physique that you have always wanted with dedication, focus, discipline, and a little imagination. This book is designed for multiple levels: from the beginner who wants to put on a little muscle, to the athlete who wants to up his/her performance level. You will be able to customize the routines to make the most of the body weight that you have. For those who are starting from scratch, there are pre-built workout routines, yet for those who are farther along in their quest, there are customized workouts. With tips on nutrition and calisthenics history, this is a must have for those interested in physical fitness.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRaymond Shonk
    Release dateNov 7, 2017
    ISBN9781386162537
    The Calisthenics Quest

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      Book preview

      The Calisthenics Quest - Raymond Shonk

      Foreword

      By Danny Kavadlo

      In my years as a health professional, I’ve been a personal trainer, a PT manager, an author, a blogger, a fitness model and even an international presenter. Suffice it to say, I’ve worn a lot of hats in this industry and I’ve met a lot of trainers!

      Some of these trainers are more memorable than others. Some have impressed me while others have not. But every now and again a trainer comes along who just gets it.

      I’m not just talking about understanding the science of training like sets, reps, and human anatomy—I’m a strong believer that anyone can learn that. No, I’m referring to something larger. Love, passion, spirit and more.

      What I’m speaking of is the ability to connect to people, to resonate and to change lives. Hell, maybe even change the world.

      Ray Shonk is such a trainer.

      Ray and I first connected over social media several years ago. Since then, Ray has been my student at Dragon Door’s acclaimed Progressive Calisthenics Certification, my comrade as a lifelong advocate of bodyweight strength training, and ultimately, I’m proud to say, my friend.

      Ray has the rare gift of being able to motivate and inspire, while never coming across as overbearing. He leaves the work to his students, while providing exactly what they need from him in terms of instruction. Nothing more, nothing less. He is a true expert of his craft.

      So as you might imagine, when a copy of The Calisthenics Quest appeared across my desk, I couldn’t wait to tear into it. I found Ray Shonk’s writing to be informative yet friendly. It’s comprehensive, yet casual. He explores serious concepts with simplicity and humor. For example, when discussing the notion of challenging yourself, Shonk simply states: It is called a workout, not an easy out. None of this will happen overnight.

      So honest, simple and true—but definitely not easy!

      Whether Ray is exploring the roots of bodyweight training, sharing his own anecdotes, or explaining the details of step-by-step exercise progression, he delivers the goods on bodyweight training—and then some!

      One of my favorite passages appears toward the end of the work, when Mr. Shonk discusses the character building virtues of working out. In his signature style, he explains the importance of focusing on form and quality of movement, rather than only shooting for high reps and letting the ego take over. This type of process-mindedness is at the very core of Ray’s philosophy as a trainer, a martial artist and a man. No rush here.

      As Ray himself says, This is your journey, so enjoy it.

      -Danny Kavadlo

      2017

      Chapter 1

      No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates 469-399 BC

      So, you’ve decided to undertake the quest for a new, healthy you. It will be a long journey, but it will be well worth it. This entire program is taking a minimalist approach to fitness through calisthenics. What is calisthenics? Calisthenics is an exercise method using your own body weight to achieve bodily fitness and grace of movement. It’s beautiful and powerful at the same time. You are about to tap into beauty and power that is all generated from yourself. Sounds rather bad ass, doesn’t it? You will get to move your body in one unified movement, just like our ancestors dating way back to the great mammoth hunters. They didn’t have big fancy gyms or fancy equipment.  All they had was their hands. They climbed, jumped, ran and lived with the basics of push and pull. They had to do this if they wanted to survive. Imagine this: you wake up in your rocky cave and want to grab some breakfast. Well, you better chase it down, at the same time making sure you are not being chased down as something else’s breakfast. With just our bodies we achieved great things.

      Yes, back in ancient Greece they did have gyms, but nothing like we have today. It was almost all calisthenics based. Parallel bars, pull up bars, tracks. It was all they needed. Look at the old farmers before the days of big tractors! Those guys were a force of power. I remember seeing my grandpa in his older years lifting 4 bales of hay at once. Keep in mind each one of those weighs about 70 pounds! That’s some epic strength for an 80-year-old man! Or even my calisthenics hero Jack Lalanne! He was amazingly strong even into his 90’s. Let’s look at the gym classes in the early 1900s. All you would see is jungle gyms, monkey bars, pull-up bars, Olympic rings and other calisthenics equipment. Yet, those guys were ripped and functionally strong! They never used a sit up machine, or a Lat pull down machine. What I’m trying to say is, since our start, fitness was woven into the very fabric of who we are, but the modern person hasn’t unlocked this, yet...

      Sadly, in a lot of schools, gym class has become a place to merely learn about sports, and not so much about getting healthy or fit. I think when I was in school, we had maybe one or two weeks of a strength training classes. Not nearly enough time to get fit or really learn the basics. Hell, we couldn’t even use the fitness center without a teacher present, and none really wanted to stay after school for that. Most of my fitness in those years came from climbing trees or running through the woods, possible even reenacting scenes from a certain book that was about bringing a certain ring to a certain volcano. Because of situations like this, a lot of people believe that you need a gym membership at some massive franchise loaded with a lot of distractions and machines that offer no functionality or a lot of equipment to achieve a more fit body, and for a long time I was one of those people, but that simply isn't true. You already possess the best equipment available, your body. With this equipment, you can become stronger, faster and more agile. Hell, I have went outside and used a tree for pull-ups. The fresh air was a lot nicer than the smell of a sweaty gym. Know what is really nice? Going to a local park, back yard and your living room, requires no membership fee. For me, working out at the park makes me feel like a kid again. Is this the be all end all approach to fitness? No, there is no perfect workout that fits everyone. This is just one of many avenues of fitness. To be perfectly honest, if I had to choose

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