I love Becoming Supple Leopard Preventing Performance
Reviews prior to this one have illuminated the content of Kelly and Glen's book very well. I do not feel the need to repeat the obvious. However, I will offer the following comments. After years of practice, training, coaching, learning and now teaching I am inspired by the position (forgive the unintended pun) these two have taken in BASL. What has been achieved is a thorough explanation of complex information in a simple easy to understand manner. The concepts in this book are solid from the perspective of biomechanics and kinesiology. I believe any academic program that is charged with the preparation of future healthcare professionals would benefit from requiring this text as part of the educational experience they provide.
This book holds concepts that can be applied across the spectrum of human movement. Therefore, any level of human performance - whether that be Olympians or great grand parents picking up groceries - will benefit from the adoption of the techniques espoused in this text.
I hold a PhD in Exercise Science and am an Associate Professor and Coordinator of a University level Health Sciences program. There are no conflicts of interest associate with this review.
When you first see this book, you'll probably be overwhelmed by its size. But leave it to a fitness book to challenge you even before you even open it up! That's what you get from BECOMING A SUPPLE LEOPARD by coach and physical therapist Dr. Kelly Starrett, creator of MobilityWOD.com.
ReplyDeleteKelly is a highly sought after speaker on athletic performance as the co-owner along with his wife Juliet of the San Francisco CrossFit box where they have trained elite athletes and everyday people alike to reach their personal fitness performance goals. The CrossFit community is growing by leaps and bounds and this one was amongst the first 50 that were ever in existence.
Written alongside strength and conditioning coach as well as fitness author Glen Cordoza, Kelly unveils all the methods he's been using with his clients for many years to make them better physical specimens--complete with descriptive instructions and photos of every movement he wants you to make. It's like having your own personal trainer Kelly Starrett right there with you.
Once you flex your muscles and open up this book, you'll discover the passion the tattoo-armed man has for getting you in the best shape of your life. To be "supple" is to adapt to any given situation and being willing to bend and alter your current state in response. That just about describes what Kelly's philosophy is all about. You will get pushed to your physical and even your psychological limits if you apply what you learn in BECOMING A SUPPLE LEOPARD. But the payoff in the end will be a better body that looks, feels and performs the best that it ever has.
You may have gotten some exercise books in the past, but you've never seen one quite like this before! It's a huge, 400-page hunk of blood, sweat and tears sharing the great knowledge, wisdom and experience of Dr. Kelly Starrett. GET IT!
As a strength and conditioning coach, I work with athletes from all sorts of backgrounds and therefore all sorts of different limitations of movement. This will be the perfect resource as I work to improve movement, prevent injury, and help each athlete achieve their full genetic potential.
ReplyDeleteTogether, Dr. Kelly Starrett and Glen Cordoza have created a resource that every person should have on hand. Not just athletes and coaches and fitness enthusiasts are becoming and will become better because of this book, but even children, grandparents and just the average everyday desk-job Joe will improve themselves when practicing what this book preaches. The detail used to explain human movements, why it's important to understand how we move and how to properly execute these movements in training and everyday life is unparalleled by any other resource.
ReplyDeleteAs an elite athlete and strength and conditioning coach, I use and will continue to use the tools provided in this book to keep my body and my client's bodies in running order. The authors of Becoming A Supple Leopard have given us all the ability to move better, without or with less pain and keep our bodies biomechanics functioning properly for as long as we continue to perform basic maintenance on ourselves.
Reviews prior to this one have illuminated the content of Kelly and Glen's book very well. I do not feel the need to repeat the obvious. However, I will offer the following comments. After years of practice, training, coaching, learning and now teaching I am inspired by the position (forgive the unintended pun) these two have taken in BASL. What has been achieved is a thorough explanation of complex information in a simple easy to understand manner. The concepts in this book are solid from the perspective of biomechanics and kinesiology. I believe any academic program that is charged with the preparation of future healthcare professionals would benefit from requiring this text as part of the educational experience they provide.
ReplyDeleteThis book holds concepts that can be applied across the spectrum of human movement. Therefore, any level of human performance - whether that be Olympians or great grand parents picking up groceries - will benefit from the adoption of the techniques espoused in this text.
I hold a PhD in Exercise Science and am an Associate Professor and Coordinator of a University level Health Sciences program. There are no conflicts of interest associate with this review.
As an athlete, I've been in and out of physical therapy, weekly massages, etc in order to deal with reoccuring injuries. What Kelly and Glen offer here is a one-stop resource to understand your body's mechanics so that you can do your own injury prevention and treatment. Having used Kelly's mobility.wod for the past 1+ years while keeping my body healthier and more resilient than ever, I'm excited to have this new this new resource for injury treatment and prevention. Both practical and detailed, this is an excellent new addition to any athlete's tool-box.
ReplyDeleteI've finally received the book after a long and anxious wait! Its everything I wanted it to be and more. I've been following Kelly Starret's work on the mobilitywod.com, which has changed how I approach my workouts, how I position myself in life, and how to recover from challenges. Along the way I have learned a lot about myself and biomechanics. The book goes way deeper more in depth. Its the next layer of the onion. Should be required reading for all.
ReplyDeleteThere are three reasons why every coach and athlete should read this book.
ReplyDelete1. Your time spent in front of television will become 1000 PERCENT more valuable because now you will becoming supple at the same time!
2. You realize quickly that proper human mechanics and functioning are not something to be left at the gym, but can be brought into all areas of your life. (If you're not sitting up straight, do so now!!! Even better, stand up!)
3. You will kick ass the next time you go to a yoga class.
True to his mantra that all humans should be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves, Kelly Starrett has now given us the guide to do exactly that. Years of testing his hypothesis with clients and athletes, we are now the beneficiaries of all that effort.
This book will remain at the top of the pile as a reference in all good gyms. I suggest that every gym leave a copy for members to look at.
This is the real deal. There are so many books on improving form, moving better, running better, etc. I feel like I've gone through so many iterations of wanting the same thing: to feel like I can move through life without pain, and be as active as I want, in whatever form I want, and not have to worry about injury. I've been a long distance runner almost 25 years, and only after getting introduced to Kelly's training have I seen what my body is capable of.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a book on weightlifting, this might not be for you. If you are looking to improve your weightlifting by understanding your body and why good form is good form, this book is perfect. However, I don't consider myself a weighlifter at all, and I love Kelly's philosophy because it focuses on improving your everyday life by increasing your range of motion and your ability to apply force (which you do all day) in those ranges of motion.
Tons of exercises with super simple and easy to attain tools. You don't have to have full access to a gym to take advantage. I started out with a few lacrosse balls and some rubber bands that I bought right here off of Amazon. There are tons of variations of each area so you can just choose something you're having trouble with, and start working out the kinks immediately. I love that he focuses on "test, re-test" because it shows you that the exercises are working right away, and you can feel the difference immediately. Very motivating, and has gotten me to stick with it over the last few months. I usually just do 10-15 minutes a day and I'm seeing massive improvement in both how I feel (everyday things like squatting down to look under the couch) and in my athletic performance.
So psyched that I found this. Wish this book had come out 10 years ago!!