Customer Reviews

Yoga for Regular Guys: The Best Damn Workout on the Planet!

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Diamond Dallas Page's "Yoga for Regular Guys" is a very well illustrated intro guide to yoga, focusing on only a few major patterns, but spending a lot more time illustrating them and talking through how to get the most out of them than many other yoga guides I've perused. Its pragmatic approach makes it an ideal intro guide for guys (or women) who want to get into Yoga but have no idea where to start.

I've been recommending this book to everyone (including women) as a good introduction to yoga for 3 reasons: (1) the routines are simple to figure out and do at home, thus promote consistent practice; (2) the routines are fairly dynamic, which are good for holding a beginner's attention span (I once saw a "beginner" yoga book that included a five-minute trikanasana - not a great way to hook someone new imo), (3) the routines have a nice general emphasis on loosening tight areas of the body, which allow you get yourself ready for other yoga (if you ever feel compelled to change). After 6 months with this book, I think one would definitely want to expand a little - either by going to local classes or for someone more serious, using a book like David Coulter's Anatomy of Hatha Yoga to fine tune their practice with a better understanding of positions in this book and perhaps by adding new ones. Although ok to practice on your own, I will strongly recommend that everyone should try to go to at least a class or two when they are starting out, because an instructor can make sure you are starting on the right foot. Once you know what you're doing, alone at home is fine.

OK, I'll admit that I was very hesitant to try yoga at first. I have taken martial arts for 20 years & had always considered Yoga to be more of a sissy thing. Well, Dallas Page changed my mind- & Yoga really whopped my @$$!

Yoga For Regular Guys is probably the BEST work out you can get. It works every muscle- even ones you didn't know you had. It can really build your body & boost your confidence. You don't need to be in amazing shape to try it either. The beauty of YRG is that it will sculpt your body for you- if you are willing to at least try. YRG takes you step-by-steo through the entire process. Nothing is left out, even nutrition & the proper ways to get the most out of your food are strategically explained. Who wouldn't want to improve not only their body? But it also (as corny as this sounds) clears your mind too.

Hey! If I guy like DDP can do yoga & look cool, then no one will laugh at you. 'Cause one of the most dominant athletes swears by it. The sexy yoga babes don't hurt either.
Yoga For Regular Guys, it's a Good Thing!!

Once you get past some of the gimmicks of the book (DDP goes a little too far out of his way at times to stress the Regular Guy stuff) you'll find that this is a good solid Yoga workout, with a well thought out progression of positions for different abilities. The pictures of the positions are well done and I enjoyed the smaller extra sections with advice on eating habits and general health ideas. Overall I thought it was a little pricey but I have enjoyed it.

Two of my "girl" friends started doing this YRG and I can not believe the transformation of thier shapes and even their mental outlook. I was so impressed I decided to give it a try and all I can say is..After my second day of doing the 20 minute workout, it hurt to even breathe and I didn't think it was doing much as I was learning the moves. But I am already motivated to add a change to my diet and I think this may be the perfect combination of several life style changes that may be just the thing that really really works.

I agree this book provides a great Yoga workout, especially for a Yoga novice like myself. As with other reviews, my only criticism is that you do have to flip some pages to follow the workout.

After each of the movements are explained, there is a section where you put it all together, with images that chronologically outline a 20-minute workout, along with a section for additional exercises to turn it into a 30-minute workout, and a section for more exercises that make it a 45-minute workout.

The problem in looking at the routines is that there are no reminders as to whether to inhale or exhale, or how many breaths to take while holding each pose. My solution was to write that info in under each picture for easy reference. On those poses where I inhale, I put an arrow pointing up. For an exhale, I use an arrow pointing down. If the book instructs me to hold a pose while breathing in and out three times, I wrote in an "up" arrow, then the number three, then a "down" arrow.

I also made a visual note (a thick vertical line) in the 20-minute routine to indicate where I need to flip over to the add-on exercises to make it a 30-minute routine. Then, it's just a matter of inserting a bookmark or folding down a page corner to find the 30-minute add-ons without breaking your workout flow.

With these slight tweaks, I find this to be the perfect workout to do when I'm traveling. You can do it in a hotel room (even a small one) and get a great workout without having to find a gym or rely on the workout facilities (or lack thereof) at the hotel.

YOGA for Regular Guys is an AWESOME book. The book is an easy read. I was ready to go two hours after opening the book and exhausted 20 minutes later. I've been working on moving to the 30 minute workout which is the 20 minute plus a couple extra movements. I've found this difficult because I have to stop and flip through too many pages. It would have been nice to have each workout separate.

After three weeks, I'm feeling great with more flexibility. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a great workout. I've always been a big DDP fan and I'm glad he came out with this book for us "Regular Guys"

This is a great workout. You are able to get cardio, strength and stretching all at one time! I've been doing it everyday and sometimes twice a day with no soreness, in fact the more I do it the better I feel.

I have to say that I started looking at this with some skepticism. DDP quickly made a believer of me. I LOVE my YRG. YRG is a great workout because it is fun. I look forward to my morning workouts!!

This book is an excellent companion to the DVDs. The pictures and instructions really clarify the DVD instructions and help you to understand what you are doing.

The instructions are clear and presented in an easy-to-follow format that is vaguely similar to the 'dummies' books. There are lots of pictures, and DDP really talks TO the reader, not AT him.

I really enjoyed the section on restorative poses and on general health.
They really helped me to refine my program.

If you are looking for a spiritual book, this isn't it. I don't think there's much (if any) Sanskrit terminology or esoteric stuff in this book.
DDP's written a book that is what it says it is - a Yoga book for Regular Guys.

I have read through this and followed the 20 minute workout now for about 4 weeks. I can tell you I was shocked...Along with the walking, I feel that with healthy eating this Yoga regiminent is fantastic. It isn't easy at first. But making copies of the 20 and putting it on a flow chart with Inhale and Exhale cues I have lost over 13 pounds in the past month and a half. The calorie burning has increased with my knowledge and consistency of my workout... can I recommend this book? Well I give it 4 stars and a DDP... BANG!!!!