Warrior Cardio: The Revolutionary Metabolic Training System for Burning Fat, Building Muscle, and Getting Fit [Paperback]

Martin Rooney (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 10, 2012

From fitness and martial arts expert Martin Rooney, author of top-selling Training for Warriors and Ultimate Warrior Workouts, comes a complete twelve-week workout and diet plan for anyone looking to shed pounds of fat and increase muscle mass. In Warrior Cardio, the creator of the world-famous Training for Warriors System provides the latest scientifically proven techniques for cardiovascular training paired with a weight loss plan that really delivers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Featuring the "Warrior 20" Diet

Shed Pounds of Fat and Increase Muscle Mass in Just 12 Weeks the Warrior Way!

Warrior Cardio offers a fitness and diet program that will help you "Bring Out the Warrior Within." World-renowned fitness expert Martin Rooney has devised an easy-to-follow workout and diet plan that efficiently burns fat and builds muscle in less time than you ever thought possible. A comprehensive look at cardiovascular training using scientifically proven techniques, paired with a diet plan that really delivers, Warrior Cardio features:

• A complete 12-week fitness and diet program.
• Hundreds of metabolic exercises with full-color photos.
• Dozens of exciting workout routines, including hurricanes, complexes, and body weight and strength circuits.
• Advanced warmup and prehab techniques to prevent injury.
• A Warrior diet plan from nutrition expert John Berardi, PhD, based on the "Warrior 20" essential foods that promote increased weight loss and muscle gain.
• The latest surprising research on the science behind cardiovascular fitness and training techniques.

Whether your ultimate goal is to be a better athlete—or just train and look like one—Martin Rooney's Warrior Cardio has everything you need!

About the Author

Internationally recognized fitness and martial arts expert Martin Rooney is the creator of the Training for Warriors System and the COO of the Parisi Speed School. More than 500,000 athletes have taken part in his programs, and he has prepared hundreds of athletes for the UFC, NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, Major Division I colleges, and the Olympics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (April 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062074288
• ISBN-13: 978-0062074287
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.9 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martin Rooney is an internationally recognized fitness, business leadership and martial arts expert with a Master of Health Science and Bachelor of Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science from Furman University.
Martin was a member of the United States Bobsled team from 1995-1997, 2000 and a four-time All Conference, and four-time MVP performer in Track and Field at Furman. Martin has also presented for numerous companies on leadership and teamwork including Fortune 500 companies such as Marriot International and Hasbro. He has traveled as far as Brazil, Finland, Mexico, Japan, Russia, England, Holland, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Austria and the Middle East to train, compete, and conduct seminars and help prepare world class athletes for competition. Martin has been the martial arts consultant to the NY Giants and the NY Jets and coach of the 2007 IFL World Team Champion New York Pitbulls. Martin is currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under UFC fighter Ricardo Almeida and a black belt in Kodokan Judo under Olympian Teimoc Johnston-Ono at the prestigious New York Athletic Club.
Martin has been featured on ESPN, ESPN2, Spike TV, Sports New York, Fox Sports Net, Fox Fight Game, the NFL Network, HDnet, NBC.com, Bodybuilding.com and in the New York Times, Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Men's Journal, The Sporting News, Runner's World, Stack Magazine, Fight Sport, Fighters Only, Grappling and Sports Illustrated for Kids. Martin has lectured for the American College of Sports Medicine, the College Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the UK Strength and Conditioning Association, the Finnish Coaches Association, American Fitness Professionals and Associates, Perform Better and has been commissioned by Nike to run speed testing camps at a number of major universities. He has written four books called "Train to Win", "The Team Renzo Gracie Workout", "Training for Warriors", and "Ultimate Warrior Workouts", the latter two published by HarperCollins. Martin is also on the editorial council of Brazil's Gracie Magazine.
In addition to training many world champion martial artists, Martin has also been a speed and conditioning consultant to the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona State University, University of Alabama, Oregon State University, Rutgers University, Montana State University as well as other athletes from the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA and numerous top Division I colleges across the country. He has also trained numerous Olympians including one gold, four silver medalists, and one US Olympic Trials champion.
Over the last 10 years Martin has helped to develop one of the top NFL Combine training programs in the country producing the fastest athlete at the 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006 NFL Combine and first place finishers at ten different positions, including five all-time records. 130 athletes Martin has trained have been drafted to the NFL including the #2 pick overall Chris Long in 2008.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

125 of 133 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Looks good - if you are planning to be a warrior April 13, 2012

By Johnnycakes

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ok, I will be the first to admit, that the title says it all: "Warrior Cardio." Maybe that should have been a clue that this is going to go way beyond what most people are looking for in a workout book. I am a middle-aged guy, getting back in shape, and - from the title - was hoping to find some new ways to do cardio that were not mind-numbing like a treadmill or elliptical trainer. I got the book the other day, and while I normally wait to review items until I have used them for a time, I wanted to get this up so others don't make the mistake I did. With return fees, it isn't worth me sending the book back - and I will be able to use a couple exercises in here in my daily routine. I kknow that a lot of times, these workout book reviews get jammed with groupies or friends of the author trying to hype the book - but I am neither. I am the average joe, sitting in my office, avoiding that painfully long project report by shopping on Amazon. So, here goes:

I gave the books 4 stars because there are a lot of positives in it:
- I found some good nutritional information, but the overall diet is a bit more than I am looking for.
- The book is beautifully photographed, the exercises pretty well staged out - as well as you can get in a book - and it seems to have a good flow to it.
- all of the models are very buff and good looking, and will inspire you to push the workout a little harder.

My one complaint - I am not complaining because I am average fitness guy would would need two simpler workout programs to build to this one - is that some of the workouts are REALLY unrealistic in normal people's homes or regular gyms. My gym does not have truck tires for me to push all over. I don't have room at my house for a full sled to tie to myself and drag around the yard. And I have never seen barbells with special handles on them for me to carry around doing lunges. So - for the average person, unless you are in MMA or something like that and have access to a professional gym that has this equipment, some of these are going to go way beyond what we can do. I did like some of the bodyweight exercises - some of them I will build up to, but they seem to be a good challenge.

Also, the book isn't really about just Cardio. A lot of the exercises are muscle building or would not be a cardio exercise unless you had the strength to do them quickly enough to count as cardio.

So, overall it is visually one of the nicest workout books I have seen in a while. The logic behind the program seems sound. But it is not for beginners or maybe even intermediate level people. If you are an athlete and have 8% body fat and muscles - lord love you if you do - then this book would definately take you to the next level, if you have access to the equipment. I just wish they had been more clear about the level of the workouts - the "getting fit" part is a little misleading.

No disrespect to the authors here, because they obviously know what they are talking about and their enthusiasm shows in the book. It was just not quite what I thought it would be and I don't have room for truck tires or weight sleds to try and follow the program at home. I would rupture something if I even tried.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Amazing April 10, 2012

By M. Craig Gilliam

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been following Martin Rooney and Training For Warriors for a while now, but I am always a little nervous when it comes time to see a fitness book. This book did not disappoint.

As an MMA fighter, a personal trainer, and a fitness nut I was very interested in seeing what this book was all about, so, like any reasonable person - I preordered it. Okay, I'll admit that this was the first book I have ever preordered... I was a little nervous. This book is page after page of different exercises, circuits, tips, methodologies, inspirations and pure knowledge. I am amazed at the simplicity of the breakdown of the book. He breaks it down into different sections based on the type of circuit, from there he breaks every circuit up into different body types. Each type of circuit has an instructional section followed by different interval and repetition suggestions.

On top of all the fitness instructions, Rooney includes a nutrition section. Now everyone might not agree but as a personal trainer I love that he did not just include a "Here's what to eat for 4 weeks" guide. Rooney goes through and breaks down nutrition in a very easy to understand way. Not only does it include tips for what to avoid, what to eat, and such for loosing weight, but also for gaining weight and mass (something usually overlooked in general fitness books).

I suppose if I was going to have a complaint it would be that some of the pages seem to be missing of few steps in the instructional photos. I have been doing this for a while, so I can fill in the spaces, but I could see how a beginner could get confused. Let me say though, that with almost 400 pages of FULL COLOR photos, this is hardly a negative.

In conclusion, I tore through this book in one day and threw two of the circuits together (which tore through me). I recommend this book to anyone looking to get in shape or improve their game. The great thing about circuits is that they can be tailored to any fitness level or athletic ability. Great job and congratulations to Martin Rooney!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Real World Training. April 18, 2012

By R. Donald

Format:Paperback

In the foreword to Martin Rooney's new book, WARRIOR CARDIO, Top 10 ranked UFC Lightweight, Jim Miller tells us "In the 3 years I have been following the Training for Warriors system, I have changed from a tough local-level fighter into a professional athlete. I have fought ten times for the UFC, going 9-1 over that span and I am ranked Top 10 in the World. I have not only been able to pack on 10 pounds of muscle and add hundreds of pounds to my lifts, but I have also stayed healthy."

So let's consider that. Top ranked, 10 pounds of muscle (remember, combat sport has demanding weight categories), strong and healthy. Sounds like a triple win.

WARRIOR CARDIO is the distillation of Martin Rooney's formidable experience. He has worked with athletes from the UFC, NBA, NFL, Olympians, armed forces and Division 1 colleges. Moreover, he himself has performed at the highest levels in a number of disciplines. So he's the embodiment of practicing what he preaches. And this, for me, is the clincher. What he says, is what he does and I can tell you, it's infectious.

If you are familiar with Training for Warriors and Ultimate Warrior Workouts you will know Rooney Rule #1 - "We don't do something for nothing". WARRIOR CARDIO is designed, without compromise, to get you fight ready, whether that fight is getting in the best shape possible or preparing to go 5 rounds in the ring. No knowledge or experience of martial arts or combat sport is required. Training for Warriors is aimed at each and every one of us. If you have any doubts just read Martin's blog, you'll feel better for it, I promise.

WARRIOR CARDIO breaks down in to three sections.

Part One

Getting Started, gives an initial view of what we have come to consider "cardio". Martin's long time mentor Dr Tony Caterisano gives us the Science. It's a wonderfully concise overview of the various energy systems along with a solid breakdown on the nuts and bolts of WARRIOR CARDIO. If you want the why, this is it. It will have you question many of the practices that have become conventional wisdom. It will also introduce you to a way of training that banishes boring cardio in exchange for a comprehensive system that provides incredible bang for your buck.

Mental Cardio is essential reading. Martin knows about coaching. I am not talking about teaching an exercise or providing a workout. I am talking about the ability to engage at the deepest level. Mental Cardio looks at the components of building a resilient athlete from the inside out. Some folk will want to skim over this section. I strongly advise that you sit down, read it thoroughly and apply. Taking the time to do this might be the best investment you can make.

Warrior Performance Self Evaluation. If you want to know where you are going you have to know where you are at. There are separate Speed and Power Tests and an eye opening Endurance Test. Once again, everything is laid out and ready to apply. You'll be able to rate your performance for each test which gives you an invaluable benchmark to work from.

Warrior Prehab 15 lays out a top to toe routine with 15 carefully chosen drills. This stuff is standard issue within the Warrior Cardio 12 week program and it might just be the nicest thing you can do to your body. People are quick to jump in to the deep end. The key to staying injury free is taking your time to get the body moving through a natural range of motion. WP15 is the answer.

Warrior Cardio Warm Up. Here's another aspect that we are quick to skim over. This warm up with challenge you. There are a number of dynamic drills, mapped out in sequence. There's no doubt that you'll be familiar with many of these. But I can bet you don't do them! Once you are familiar with the drills it's easy to mix and match. Failing that, the drills are integrated into the 12 week program.

Part Two takes us right in to the Metabolic Training section where everything is explained in detail with accompanying photographs. You will find all manner of tools and enough variety to challenge and engage even pickiest prospect. Martin maps out the 10 Commandments of Metabolic Training then delivers -

Energy Circuits,
TFW's trademark Hurricanes
Barbell, Dumbbell & Kettlebell Circuits
Bodyweight training
Speciality Strength Circuits
Sprint Training
Finishers
Core workouts.

It is a complete toolbox incorporating everything you can lay your hands on. Challenging? Yes. Boring? No way.

Part Three focuses on -

Nutrition for Warriors. Martin has brought in the talents of Dr John Berardi and his team to give us a resoundingly sensible approach to how we fuel our bodies. Berardi's Precision Nutrition is one of the most respected nutrition programs available. Here we get a no gimmicks approach, focussing of the kind of foods athletes eat to maintain muscle, get lean and perform at the highest level. It's a relief to see real food front and centre. The supplements section is practical look at what actually delivers, listing the benefits of ten key supplements and how to ingrate them in to your diet. Information on gaining, losing and cutting weight rounds out this Nutrition for Warriors. Again, the approach is practical and informed by people who actually do this, week in, week out.
Warrior Cardio 12 Week Program. It makes a lot of sense to read this book cover to cover before jumping in to the 12 Week program. The 12 week program maps out three sessions per week. Each comes complete with Prehab and Warm Up drills followed by Metabolic Training and finishing with a brief Core Training session. If you really want to understand and benefit from Martin's years of experience, I suggest you "absorb what is useful" and get to applying it!