Superfit: Royce Gracie's Ultimate Martial Arts Fitness and Nutrition Guide (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series) (Paperback)

~ (Author), James Strom (Author), (Author) "Being flexible enhances anyone's life, but for martial artists it can mean the difference between victory and defeat..." (more)
Key Phrases: lower your torso, intermediate workout, weight vest, Quick Tips Great, Steady Run, Good Mornings (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Royce Gracie has teamed up with James Strom, fitness coach for Keyshawn Johnson, Serena Williams, and the University of Southern California Trojans, to create a customized program for martial artists. This unique program of strength training, cardiovascular routines, flexibility exercises, and nutrition includes step-by-step, full-color workout plans for beginner, intermediate, and black-belt practitioners. Provided are guidelines for working out solo or with a partner, information on complete nutritional programs for different body types and martial art styles, and injury-prevention tips. This book is appropriate for beginning martial artists wanting to sharpen their bodies and minds, black-belt instructors looking for new ways to improve and motivate their students, or anyone interested in building a body of extreme effectiveness.

About the Author

Royce Gracie shocked the world when he entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the largest pay-per-view event at that time) in 1993 as a 170-pound unknown and defeated much larger opponents in record time. He went on to win two more UFCs and now teaches around the world. He is the author of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Self-Defense Techniques. He lives in Los Angeles. James Strom is an elite fitness trainer who has guided such athletes as Keyshawn Johnson and Serena Williams to the top of their sports. He lives in Los Angeles. Kid Peligro, a leading martial arts journalist, is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who has twice won the World Masters title. He lives in San Diego, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Invisible Cities Press Llc; illustrated edition edition (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931229333
• ISBN-13: 978-1931229333
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good look at Royce's PERSONAL training program, but maybe not ideal for you!, November 8, 2005

By	Steven Brown (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Don't take 3 stars the wrong way. 3 stars is good but not great. People reviewing here tend to give 5 stars to anything they personally like.

This book is Royce's personal training programs.
Its split into sections:
Stretching, abs, cardio, weights, plyometric, power, programs, diet

The stretching routine is Gracie's personal routine and is a 1 person full body routine, paying special attention to the hips, quads, and hamstrings (this is good, most guys tend to be tight in the hips, and what martial artist doesn't want to work toward the full splits!). It also has a section showing some good 2 person stretches.

The abs routine is the ONLY jiu-jitsu/grappling specific area of the book. Many of the ab exercises are done from various guard position (feet wrapped around someones waist, or feet under the inside of the thighs). These include twisting motions and full situps while hanging off someone standing up.
Good stuff.

The cardio section is short and doesn't feature many alternate ways to do your cardio workouts.

The weights routines are nothing special or unique, just a large list of the standard body building/strength training exercises you see 99% of people doing at every gym (not that this is bad, just don't expect secret sports specific exercises)

The plyometric and power (ie explosiveness) is an interesting read, but much of it is done with a trainer holding the attached bungee cords, providing resistance. A solo option is given - wear a weight vest - but I like most people don't have a trainer with cords, or a weight vest....
Other exercises like box jumps are good, if you have really high platforms to jump onto...
Still, this is Royce's PERSONAL exercise program so you are seeing what the champ himself does.

Included are exercise plans for beginner, intermediate and advanced as well as information about the Gracie family diet and information on what Royce himself does.

Its a good exercise book and is interesting to see how Royce trains. I was suprised it had so little sports specific (grappling) exercises because it is possible to combine the two.
You can see some of this in Choke (the documentary on older brother Rickson) and in Scott Sonnon's Grapplers Toolbox, Body Flow, and Prasara DVDs.

Personally the main thing I'll take from this is the 1 man stretching routine which is quite good and I'll have to disagree with another reviewer who said the routine is good but not worth the price of the book alone. I think it is!

Hope this helps you.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate book - Two Thumbs Up, April 8, 2004

By A Customer

This is the Ultimate book for conditioning. Royce Gracie shows a program that is directed to the Martial artist. With the help of James Strom who trains Keyshawn Johnson and Serena Wlliams, Royce goes on showing simple exercises that anyone can do, including some modern stuff. Most of the exercises you do not need any machines so it is perfect for people who do not have access to a gym or anything. There are no magical Wow exercises that no one can do. They are simple stuff with some twists and some clever variations. They point out specific tips that greatly hepld me do them properly.

They start out by showing stretching with beginners and advanced and then show specific stretching for elite advanced fighters as well. The stretches are demonstrated in sequence so you can develop a routine.

They then go on to providing you with workout routines for beginners, intermediate and advanced. Complete routines that anyone can follow. The layout and schematics of the book with its icons etc makes it very easy to follow. The programs is where other books have failed before but Royce and James give well structured complete programs.

They then go on to cover the Gracie Diet and even include several weeks of Royce's own daily eating meals so you can see how to follow the diet.

What I liked most about this book is that i can do just about everything that Royce showed, but I did not have a guide or a program to put the exercises together and that was were I failed and now I have it!

This is a great book and I have to give it a big two thumbs up. Well done!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not very good, March 31, 2004

By	eugene (La, CA) - See all my reviews

I am a huge fan of royce gracie and i was awaiting to get this book for a long time. however as soon as i opened it up i realized that it was nothing but a rehash of popular gym wisdom. approximately 90% of this book is pictures of royce doing various exercises e.g. bicep curls,incline presses, static stretches etc,etc,. the rest of book just shows you how to oranize a program with these exercises depending on your current level of fitness.Lastly the explanation of the famous gracie diet is pathetic its only 2 pages long. all in all skip this book and go for something else