C-Mass Calisthenics Mass: How to Maximize Muscle Growth Using Bodyweight-Only Training

This book is more an infomercial for other books by the same author than a repository of content. In my opinion, any fitness book worth its salt should provide a program which the reader can follow for at least a couple months. This book does not do that. It doesn't teach many movements either -- instead, it tells you to buy his other books.In addition to the lack of content, there are claims in this book which are blatantly false. The author has a brief section on exercises you can do to grow taller. Spoiler alert: this is complete malarky. Once your growth plates have fused, you will not be able to grow taller. I know that because I am a doctor. He makes a lot of big claims about muscle building also. I am not a body builder, so how am I to know if they are true or not? If he lies sometimes, I can't trust him on anything.I gave it a 2 instead of a 1 because he had a few useful tips about how I might alter my rep schemes to focus on either strength or hypertrophy. Overall, however, I would recommend spending your money (and more importantly the precious time you have to exercise) on a different book/ exercise program.For better books about bodyweight fitness by the same publisher, consider Get Stronger by the Kavaldo Brothers, or The Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsuline (the former is the most useful for a novice, the ladder is the most useful for one-legged squats, one-arm push-ups, and advanced techniques for maximizing muscle force)

This stuff works! I put on an inch of raw muscle onto my arms in just over a month using Coach Wade's system... And increased my strength as well.Wade blows modern bodybuilding myths out of the water with his tried & true old school knowledge. He unmasks the bodybuilding industry for what it really is: a money-making scam designed to deceive you in order to peddle you cheap supplements!He demonstrates why the conventional knowledge on muscle & strength building is wrong, and how to do it correctly... NO GYM OR SUPPLEMENTS NEEDED.He gives not only great tips on diet & sleep, but also a bunch of complete workout programs designed to pack on muscle mass on anyone from a beginner to an advanced calisthenics athlete.If you want to put on serious muscle with nothing but bodyweight exercises, then get this book .

Okay, overall...its a good book. Coach Wade gives a no-pulled punches approach as far as his opinions and ideas concerning body weight training. The techniques and ideas are basic and to the point. There is no real substitute for hard work to get the body you want. Ya, you may have heard alot of what Coach Wade has to say, but its these very simple steps as far as building muscle, AND STICKING WITH IT!! Consistency is the secret to having success as far as gaining mass and having strength. He even tells you (in his book) on how to obtain strength WITHOUT gaining mass as well!! As far as giving a workout plan or a routine that you can follow? No he doesn't. This book just give you the principles on how to gain that muscle mass using body weight. If you want something that actually gives you a routine or a workout plan to follow then go and buy "Get Strong" by Al Kavadlo & Danny Kavadlo (the two guys who are pictured on this book!)

Pretty decent book, nothing earth shattering in the knowledge department. The biggest issue is that there are no pictures or valid stories about people putting on size with these exercises. This is also a problem with all the other “Coach Wade” books. It is hard to take advice from a faceless, fictional character who makes big claims and then says because he is a felon he has to remain protected.

On one hand you have mass, the other strength. Wither you want one, the other or both, this book has something for you. Classic Paul Wade, straight to the point with no holds barred. If you got Convict Conditioning (and to a lesser degree CC2) you don't need this book. However you might still want to pick it up, as it provides some powerful insight into both building mass and strength in 2 parts.It reminds me of The Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline. Referencing the strongmen of yesteryear as a demonstration that our current pop fitness model is often unfounded, built on BS and sometimes down right silly when you take a step back and look at it. Of course we shouldn't revert back to the Victorian age, but we should be critical about information circulating about fitness (both traditional and current.) Easy to read, interesting, and very insightful; whats not to like?

This is a very well thought out path to mass via body weight exercise. The best part is the use of proper progressions and the explanations of how to do it right and where you should focus as you progress.

This is an excellent resource for a newb like myself. I enjoy Coach Wade's style, and the way he breaks things down into manageable chunks. Perhaps not for the advanced or the already-huge, unless they are naturally curious or are seeking a path to reach newb clients.I have one beef: Wade cites Pavel's recommendation that pullers grip the bar for more pulling power. I tried that early in my journey and wound up with serious tendonitis that I still have to nurse. Better to try less strenuous progressions to train the neuro-muscular system and connective tissues than to try to squeeze blood from a stone with tricks, at least at first. Overall, a great read. I found it helpful and well worth the price.

I can tell you, it is not the most beautiful literature, but it is an important reading. If you don't agree, at least make you think a lot. I found not problems on vegan and testosteron information, but made me research and learn a lot. I think it is a must read.

I am sure I already reviewed this from my Kindle, but Amazon has a habit of losing some reviews. This is not the same sort of book as Convict Conditioning. This is a set of principles and techniques to apply to bodyweight in order to add mass. There is also a section on what to do if you want to increase efficiency and strength without mass - this material can be found elsewhere, but for some of us it is useful to have it in one place. This is why I bought the book. I generally do not want extra muscle mass, since I am already fairly muscular and as a disabled person, I need to prioritise mobility and function over appearance. On the other hand, there may be times when a change of routine can help refresh and restore the body. Injuries also may benefit from higher reps at a slower pace, the resultant hypertrophy may be functional.

In the coronavirus lockdown and not being able to go to the gym this book has enabled me to make more gains with dodgy weight at nearly 50 than I did with weights in my 30’s.My workouts now take half the time and I get twice the benefit

The Coach is a bona fide master of bodyweight crafting and the knowledge spills in to the writing like poetry. Paul Wade and the Kavadlo brothers supply all the calisthenics information you need.

Paul 'Coach' Wade the most mysterious man in fitness is back with a small volume to fill the gap between Convict Conditioning 2 and Convict Conditioning 3. Here he delves into ways to build muscle with calisthenics as well as ways to build strength without building muscle. Along the way the book is peppered with images of old time strong men as well as the miraculous Kavadlo brothers - Danny (who never smiles) and Al (who always smiles). If you are looking to be spoon fed routines you won't find them here but if you've read Convict Conditioning (and you probably have if you are looking at this) then you can probably figure out how to do this. I was surprised at some of the dietary info for mass building which says a little junk food doesn't hurt. Appealing as that sounds, I might take that one with a pinch of salt. For a small book there is a lot of meat on the bones and not much fat and at £3 it's a bargain. Of particular interest was a slim section on the mental component of strength training. I'd like to see this part expanded on in a future volume or perhaps on the PCC blog.

First I must say I'm a big fan of Paul Wade books such as the Convict Conditioning series and the Kavaldo brothers work so I may might this with a bit of bias. This book won't break the excerises down step by step but will put you into a mind set that you can archive good results without heading to a gym. After reading this and altered my training to more mass building excerises and rep range, I have seen the results in my body.