HardStyle Abs

This is a classic Pavel product. I started off in the evening casually flipping through the pages,having bought the book only because of the author (I have never been interested in abs). I finished it past midnight, and am already beginning another read. There are nuggets of wisdom thrown liberally every other page. Once more, perhaps more than ever, you see how high a class Pavel belongs to when he continues to credit even his detractors for some original thought or the other. I have no doubt that this book is going to make me a much stronger and healthier man. Already, my ugly lumbar rounding at the bottom of my squats is gone. If you have this problem, you need to learn about pelvic tilts, hamstring tightness AND ab weakness. Pavel circles these areas tirelessly on the wheels of research and his own vast coaching experience. Call me biased, but I see no downsides to this book. I have seen Pavel up close and how incredibly gifted he is as a coach and a teacher. To see him deliver such a high class product on this oft-beaten subject of abs surprised even me, the perennial (and trained) skeptic. Now go buy this book!

I've attended nearly 180 hours of Dragon Door workshops, certifications and miscellaneous training and have nearly the entire library of Dragon Books and DVDs. I can honestly say that this is definitively the best resource yet on all things abs. I've read the entire book, taken furious notes and practiced the drills. As an RKCII this is a great recap of material covered in last years RKCII cert as well as wealth of new info. Pavel continually improves upon his previous works and this is no exception, This book is one of Pavels best, guaranteed to provide enough challenge to last a lifetime. If you're an RKC, a fan of the Naked Warrior, Convict Conditioning or ETK then this book will blow you away.

But it is also interesting and beneficial. I have been waiting for a reboot of Pavels abdominal work for quite some time. After my first RKC I assisted at 3 others-and something extra was taught each time about using the midsection (I refuse to say "core"). This work I believe best represents the current training methods of the RKC for all midsection needs, definitely a "desert island" book. It is worth its price for the drill showing how to do leg raise type training in a hotel room without hand holds. It is rich with technique, instruction and scalable progressions. This collection, more than much of the previous work, teaches integration with other Hardstyle training. An outstanding work with my only regret: waiting for the DVD.I have to add that the picture of Pavel with the I love Pilates sign is awesome!zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

With over a decade of teaching Americans and other Westerners under his belt, Pavel has boiled down the essentials of ab training to three almost-literally killer exercises. He continues learn from both experts and trainees, refine his methods and protocols, and hone his presentation. The book is sharply edited, has great, clear photos, and is well-footnoted for anyone who wants to geek out on the physiology references. I'd give it a 10 but until "Beyond Bodybuilding" is surpassed, I will be handing out stingy 9s -- call me "the Russian judge" if it makes you feel better.

I got HardStyle Abs about a week ago and have read it cover to cover twice. This the best book that Pavel has put out since Enter the Kettlebell. Pavel finally has got across to me the idea of the Power Breath. I am amazed how much easier it is to do deadlifts and shoulder presses using this technique. In addition, I finally understand how to properly use the Pavelizer and now feel what a Janda sit up should feel like. The hanging leg raise is interesting but out of my ability for now. Maybe after a few months of power breathing, Janda situps and full contact Russian twists, I will be ready to learn that move.Well worth the price.