The Navy Seal Workout : The Compete Total-Body Fitness Program

I just bought three more copies of this for gifts and just in case it ever goes out of print - so obviously I'm a fan. I go through cycles of different weightlifting programs, but this book has the routines that I always come back to when I want to switch to all bodyweight exercises, and I love it. I love the warm up stretches and the sequence and choice of the exercises: pull ups and variations, dips, push ups and variations, sit ups and variations. The reviewer who noted that the lower body exercises are misnamed has a point, but the core exercises such as leg lifts, scissors, and side crunches do seem to work my legs and combined with the running program, it gives me all I need. The program is Spartan in the best sense of the word and is adaptable to age and fitness level. Simple and perfect.

This is a good book for those who want to stay fit. This book describes exercise regimes used by Navy SEALS. It describes how to stay fit with minimal gym equipment. Many of the exercises can be performed with just your body weight or with minimal weights.The exercises are great for those who just want to develop lean muscle and do not necessarily want to bulk-up.The exercises are intense and designed for younger people who are still in their prime or for those who have been exercising regularly and are still in reasonable fitness. But they can be modified to suit even someone who's unfit.

Navy SEALs are renowned the world over as being among the most-physically fit men alive. In this book, Mark De Lisle, who became a Navy SEAL at age 27, adapts various workout routines and methods from his training to be useful to the 'average' civilian who wishes to work out hard.There is no substitute for Navy SEAL training, and if you are looking for precise programmes of fitness routines and performance standards of SEALs here, you will be disappointed. For one thing, most people cannot come by the equipment required in SEAL fitness training. However, there are standards and performance measurements that can be attained in a number of ways, and De Lisle provides a good adaptation here that calls for a minimum of special equipment and settings, but still requires a maximum of dedication and drive.De Lisle provides a brief description of the history of the SEALs as well as his own introduction to the training. De Lisle is an inspiring writing, giving details of his own performance failures and working through these - one thing he emphasises over and over is that determination and definite goals are important.The first section is on stretching, an often overlooked part of training. Pre-workout stretching should take at least 15 minutes following these routines. In all, there are 18 different stretching exercises detailed. Each has description and basic photographs of the movements. There are stretches for all parts of the body, upper, lower, etc., as well as some stretches that could be done by two people. Working out in pairs can help with motivation.The second section is on upper-body workouts. It is very tough. Five of the ten exercises listed are variations of pull-ups, and four are variations of push-ups. For these, some place for doing pull-ups will be necessary, as well as dips. De Lisle gives charts for beginning, intermediate and advanced pacing. These are all body-weight exercises; there are no weight-machine or free-weight exercises here. This is a book about fitness rather than body-building.The third section is lower body exercises, primarily meaning abdominals (many exercise manuals classify these with upper body exercises). There are 13 exercises here, that will give a good all-around burn to the midsection. Again, De Lisle gives general tips and hints on exercising and maintaining proper form, so as to minimise the chance of injury.Sections 4 - 6 look at running, swimming and combined run/swim programmes. There are few leg-strengthening exercises built into the exercise routines, as that is accomplished through the running and swimming. These include sprints, stair-climbs, and other methods to keep the legs and the aerobic system in good order.There are two final parts of the book, one on maintenance and one on progress charts. De Lisle gives basic nutritional information (it seems few exercise books are complete without requisite but basic nutritional guidelines; these include here both suggestions for losing weight and for gaining weight). Progress charts are highly recommended, as they are very motivational, and SEALs are big on motivation.The photography in the book is basic black-and-white, no real glamour shots here. De Lisle and a partner illustrate the exercises; in between are a few 'mood' shots, but these are few and far between. The book is really about working out.

This book is great for anyone who wants to start doing quality calisthenics workouts regardless of whether you have any interest in joining the military or not. Mark De Lisle takes you from absolute beginner to much more advanced levels of fitness with this program. If you are interested in getting into some of the most elite shape possible, I highly recommend Mark De Lisle's follow up to this book: Special Ops Fitness Training, which has workouts so challenging I have to seriously wonder how many people could ever even finish them.

I had an original edition that I lost during hurricane Sandy, I wanted to replace it but this is not the same quality book as in the original. The older version featured glossy pages cover to cover with very clear photos. This new edition is printed in standard non-glossy paper and the pictures are a little subdued and fuzzy. Still semi enjoyable for the content but I would have preferred the glossy crystal clear version.

Everytime i want to get back into working out i use this book. My muscles are sore for days after a workout, really can feel the targeted muscles. Easy to follow with workout plans that i can accommodate to my own schedule needs.

... I bought this book previously, and gave that copy to a friend ... great exercise book that allows a comprehensive work-out with little to no equipment (buy a pull-up device from Amazon for less than $100.00 if you like, but not absolutely necessary) ... thanks ...!

My son eats, breathes, and sleeps all things Navy SEALs. He has had another workout book that he has done and redone. Over and over and over. He really liked this one, too. It has kept him interested, motivated, and challenged. He's been doing these workouts for quite a while now, and I can honestly say that they work. He does like a bazillion pull ups and push ups, and for a 15 year old, he's got abs that are the envy of any man. Seriously. You could drive nails with his pecs.

Just what we were looking for.

Speedy delivery and a great read.

I am traveling quite a bit and was seeking a workout book that would teach me easy things that could be done in a hotel room or even poorly equipped gyms. This is it! Very effective, short, spot on.

als ich das buch sah, dachte ich mir. "okay, wenn der autor schon ein buch schreibt, das speziell das workout der seals bearbeitet, dann muss ich mir das doch ansehen". ich habe , das muss gesagt sein, schon ein anderes buch des autors (special forces fitness training)in meinem besitz, mit dem ich sehr zufrieden bin. und genau deswegen, weil ich begeistert war, dachte ich, das das vorliegende buch ja noch besser sein müsste. naja....leider nicht. im großen und ganze ist das buch nicht schlecht, die trainingsübungen auch ansprechend und nützlich. aber zu 90% ist es dasselbe programm wie im buch "special forces fitness training". es gibt nur wenige unterschiede zwischen den beiden büchern. im vorliegenden gibt es dieselben übungen, allerdings hier ein paar klimmzugvarianten mehr, dafür weniger liegestützübungen. die fotos der einzelnen übungen sind im vorliegenden buch größer, somit deutlicher zu sehen, was natürlich für manche ein vorteil sein kann. der größte, positive unterschied ist allerdings, das im vorliegenden buch mehr auf das lauf- und schwimmtraining eingegangen wird, was im special forces buch fast gar nicht der fall ist. dafür ist der trainingsplan im special forces umfangreicher. was hier vernachlässigbar ist, ist das minikapitel über gesunde ernährung. da gibt es andere trainigsbücher, die weitaus genauer und umfangreicher sind.fazit: wer das special forces fitness training buch vom autor hat, der braucht das navy seals workout buch nicht wirklich, wenn er nicht unbedingt wert auf lauf- und schwimmtraining legt. dann davon abgesehen, sind die beiden bücher fast identisch. trotzdem ist das hier bewertete buch natürlich kein schlechtes buch, im gegenteil. das trainingsprogramm ist was für fortgeschrittene, für anfänger nur mit viel mut und ausdauerwillen. alles machbar, man muss sich nur trauen.

As you might expect, Mark De Lisle's book is a little biased towards the physical prejudices of US Navy SEAL teams; think huge biceps, enormous shoulders and the like. It doesn't really cover the finer details of cardiovascular development needed for the selection programmes of other military forces, and the nutritional information looks a bit dodgy (seemingly photocopied from a Department of Defense handout?). However, the advice on stretching and warming-up is excellent - 'never stretch a cold muscle' - and the illustrations are very good, if a little campy. So, if you need to work on those abs after the yuletide turkey has gone the way of the dodo, and be shipshape for summer, I can thoroughly recommend this guide.