Reviews

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!

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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.

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.

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.

This is the first ever Dragondoor product to disappoint me! I have bought so many products Over the years but this is basically a reprint of bulletproof Abs.

Not worth the purchase if you have Pavels older books!

Hi I am 38 years old when I was 9 I did Kayaking for a sport it is a sport that required a considerable level of upper body strength then when I was about 15 I switched to Karate from Karate to Kickboxing then mixed in some BJJ. From the age of about 16 to 35 I trained 6 times a week. I am still in pretty good shape. So when I looked at the Janda situps with the towel the first thing that came to my mind was. "Pfff can't be that hard!!"

Then I got my wife to help me give it a try. OH MY GOD!! Forget doing 3 or 5 I could not even do 1. Where was this exercise 20 years ago???? How come I never heard of this? I was born in Hungary after all not that far from Czechoslovakia and Russia. You guys occupied my country for almost 50 years I had to lean Russian in School. So tell me why did you keep this a secret???

This book has provided me with better understanding on how to use and teach anything abs. I haven't found any other resource that comes close to this one.

I purchased the book as an E-Book as soon as it was released. Not too long after, I received a copy of the video.
Like many other of Pavel's writings, this book contains many '"Bang for your Buck" nuggets of information.
What I really like about Pavel is his very direct instruction. There is not a lot of explanation, yet you understand what it's about.
This isn't just some book on developing a 6-pack, although that could and would be the result. This is a book that is also backed up from a biomechanical standpoint through various Dr. McGill references.
Although I must admit that I am not a big fan of prescribing flexion based exercises for my athletes, reading this may sway me a little at least to try some of them with my advanced guys. This is the way that I would incorporate spinal flexion in my program.
The video is a great way to assist in reading the book and absorbing the information. Sometimes for me, I need to see a video of an exercise, rather than read it in a book.

This is a must have on your bookshelf. Clear, simple,precise and effective. I highly recommend this book.

Hardstyle Abs has a degree of overlap with Pavel's earlier book, Bulletproof Abs (2nd ed.). It could be thought of as a pruned, reordered and expanded version, and it's informed by his extensive interactions with Prof Stuart McGill of the U. of Waterloo. It's rather tightly focused on its three main techniques of "hardstyle breathing", "hardstyle (or "Janda type) sit-ups" and "hanging leg raises", and hammers them in hard; some other important techniques including McGill's "stir the pot" are separated off in two appendices. The training instructions in the book are precise, detailed and insightful. Many subtle and often unnoticed performance issues are explicitly brought to the reader's attention.

The program begins with "hardstyle breathing", a technique of abdominal contraction which is basic to the book. To those who've never tried it before, it might initally feel like a somewhat novel use of the midsection muscles. Pavel rightly describes it as a "skill", but it's not difficult to get the hang of it since the explanations and performance cues are typically systematic and thorough. The book offers some persuasive reasons to learn it.

The section on Janda-type ("hardstyle") sit-ups is hugely improved from the previous book. In the execution of this exercise, correct form is critical to maximising the recruitment of the abdominal muscles by minimising the involvement of the hip flexors. Sloppy form appears to cause the reverse to happen. The instructions are more detailed than before and ruthlessly clear. It has the consequence (fully intended, I'm sure) that one can't fool oneself into believing that one is easily mastering this simple-looking but formidable exercise. The good news is that the author shows how to gradually achieve the full sit-up. Though use of the "Ab Pavelizer" has been recommended here, alternatives not requiring the device are also presented. Moreover, since the underlying principles of these sit-ups are explained over several pages, inventive readers may be able to devise yet other alternatives.

The section on Hanging Leg Raises is new and tacks a different course from Paul Wade's in Convict Conditioning. Here also a couple of alternatives are available for those without access to a pullup bar. Mercifully, hardstyle sit-ups don't seem to be a pre-requisite for at least one of them! As before, the instructions are clear and comprehensive.

Omitted are the ab-wheel rollouts and some other drills and stretches of the earlier book. But I suppose it doesn't matter overmuch. Master the ab routines of the present book and you probably won't need to bother about any others, unless it's for a change. However, his influential "full contact twist" (aka the "landmine") for the obliques and the "suitcase deadlift" (a unilateral deadlift) targetting the less easily worked quadratus lumborum muscle, have been retained.

This material is entirely worth the time and effort to try and master.

Do not wait for paper book to come up if you need to build your abs before beach season this year (2012). My client was looking for ways to build solid abs so I applied a few. Hard Style Situp is a much effective one than previous Janda Situp format.

This book is the Naked Warrior for Abs.

Less is much better ; rather than randomly choose from the plethora of abdominal movements out there,learn a few exercises/techniques well and get abs like iron.

The book is typical Pavel-clear,concise,with tons of useful information.I only wished it came out years ago.This may be his best one yet(which is saying a hell of a lot).

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This book is good. Why? Well if you read it, you will be familiar with much of the Pavel philosophy. He will repeat it. So what? You didn't listen the first time. Remember, repetition is the mother of skill.

I will say this about that,....
"Masters don't teach you new tricks, they teach you better ways to use the basics". 

And,....

"Other coaches and trainers know how,.. Pavel tells you WHY."


In this book, Pavel follows Bruce Lee's lead of "stripping away the inessential". "Making the utmost, out of the minimum".

If you've read Pavel's other abdominal books.. then this clarifies, illuminates, informs and entertains to a greater degree.

Rather than be in the "either/or" school of ignoring the middle ground, Pavel presents research, expert testimony and the common sense of abdominal, back and hip flexor mechanics, use and development.

Let's start with what I DIDN'T LIKE.

Cons-- There could have been more photos. I thought it was clear, but more photos and diagrams would have been even better.

Pro's-- I like the interjection of Dr. Stuart McGill's observation through out the book. His science is tempered with the ability of Pavel to produce results.

Fundamentally, this book answers questions that move far beyond the model of Men's Health Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, Today Show talk fodder and Face Book experts. It delivers.

Much of Pavel's material delivered in the year 1999 and 2000 has become common place. Now he returns with abdominal information that presents a laser like focus to the HARDSTYLE method.

A book the cuts through the all the junk we see in the fitness industry about 6-pack abs and teaches a simple effective way to train your core properly. Pavel is a great writer and brings it in this book.