Disclaimer: this is an independent review and is not endorsed in anyway by the author. I do not receive compensation for book sales resulting from this review.

 
I’ve been pushing to finish an ultra-long review of Congruent Exercise. “Ultra-long” because I was weaving in so many different ideas into the review, that are important to the discussion, but not absolutely necessary. Well, I’m about to be without internet access for a few days, and in light of those additional discussions not being absolutely necessary, I have decided to write a short and simple review, and release it immediately.

I’ve made this decision because it needed to be made — because there are things about this book that need to be said.

A book that says things about exercise, that absolutely needed to be said.

This 68 page manual is the greatest manual on exercise ever written, and it appears I am not entirely alone in this sentiment.

What is Congruent Exercise?

CE is the follow up manual to Moment Arm Exercise, or MAE, with updated ideas and discussion by the author, Bill DeSimone. Not only is the book up to speed with Bill’s latest conclusions, but the ideas within are condensed, simplified, and as easy to understand as they will ever be (unlike MAE which was not written with others reading in mind, but was instead written primarily for Bill’s personal use).

This simplification is done without compromise in any way or to any degree.

Is CE better than MAE?

Without a doubt, yes. Bill’s writing has improved dramatically, yet it retains his sense of humor which makes an “exercise book” actually enjoyable to read, not to mention, easy to digest. CE is a technical manual with revolutionary concepts that even the lay gym goer can grasp with little or no difficulty. This is the call sign of someone who is a true master of their craft/profession.

In addition, CE contains more and better explanations for suggested exercises, as well as improved picture quality. You are shown exactly what you need to be shown.

For the first time ever, Bill DeSimone also digs into “core work”, including the muscles of the spine and abdomen, which I suspect many have asked him about for years now.

If I own MAE should I buy CE?

Yes. Bill’s explanations have not only become clearer in some areas, but have quite literally advanced.

If I’ve seen Bill’s 21 Convention presentation, should I still buy CE?

Yes. Bill was limited to 90 minutes in that speech, given well over a year ago. That video is awesome, but this book has a lot more content than the video.

Why is CE the greatest exercise manual in history?

Because for the first time in human history, someone has brought biomechanics to the discussion of exercise, thoroughly, clearly, and definitively. That someone is Bill DeSimone.

Biomechanics as it relates to exercise is the single most fundamental concept possible to the discussion, yet up to this point, has been ignorantly and/or arrogantly dismissed. Yet, biomechanics is as fundamental to exercise as the discussion of oxygen is to breathing, food to nutrition, and the existence of organisms smaller than we can normally see, to human health.

Every article, word, text, video, and media item in existence on the subject of exercise, from every website, every book, and every interview, from every author in history, does not compare to the importance of the sum of knowledge Bill has formulated and presented in Congruent Exercise.

I mean that literally. While this may not have been the direct intention of Bill in writing the book, the most important personal conclusion I walked away with is that without biomechanics, there can be no discussion of exercise. To do so is complete nonsense.

And no one understands biomecahincs as it relates to exercise like Bill DeSimone. There is not a single other trainer, author, blogger, or “fitness celebrity” who is even remotely close to understanding, practicing, and celebrating the very simple discoveries Bill has made and presented in this manual (which is not to say other great minds in exercise do not exist — many do — but they are up to this point NEVER the ones that are popular).

Example:

The human spine is a pyramid, and loading it from the top down is antithetical to the basic function and design of the human body — ie, barbell squats are one of the most fundamentally ineffective exercises imaginable, in spite of all the lore and myths surrounding this magical exercise with “super duper benefits” that even in the best of circumstances, can never outweigh the reasons to completely and totally avoid this exercise, forever.

Compare that, a conclusion I walked away with from the book, to this bout of insanity — tantamount to putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound (discussing finer points of an exercise that is fundamentally flawed to the highest of degrees, completely in-congruent to the human body, and is outright dangerous to your health, short and long term).

Top comment

Looking at Rippetoe’s qualifications I’d say follow his advice to a T and you’ll be safer, stronger and healthier than you’d be listening to most anyone else.

Yeah, that, or you’ll fast track your way to becoming a quadriplegic.

And of course, don’t forget this for added insanity.

Closing comments

While I wish the book was even longer, and contained even more exercises, more discussion, and entire sections criticizing the insanity that is currently the status quo of the “fitness world”, I am utterly happy with this book, and give it my highest recommendation.

Bill DeSimone deserves a nobel prize.

In exercise, the buck starts and ends with biomechanics. Anyone that argues with this premise after buying Congruent Exercise is arguing with basic human physiology, and is likely a complete fraud, patently dishonest, or is just an idiot stuck in his ways “cause that’s what he’s always done and it hasn’t caused a problem” — yet.

Biomechanics is king. The fitness world is a sham. Congruent Exercise rocks, as does Bill DeSimone.

Buy the book here or contact Bill directly through the Congruent Exercise Facebook page.

You can also read an outstanding interview with Bill here, and watch his Youtube videos here, further explaining his ideas.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

Edit: I suspect people are going to go apeshit over my jab at barbell Slowking Mark Rippetoe, so I’ll quote myself in a comment just below.

People aren’t de-facto stupid for doing or recommending squats

They only become as such when they understand basic biomechanics, and continue to sell them (barbell specific squats), as a legitimate exercise. Keyword there is “continue” (as well as barbell).

Mark Rippetoe is someone who will promote barbell squats to the day he dies, even if it’s death by barbell squat.

24 years.

That’s how long it took me to get my shit together, health-wise. I’m still working on the other parts of my life but I feel like I’ve finally got my health under control.

I’ve always been a chubby kid, even in high school when I was a star lacrosse player, I was never really a great athlete. But I was active enough that I could get by with eating complete garbage every day.

I look at my photos from my junior and senior year in high school and you can tell I gained about 10-15lbs. Once I hit college and stopped playing sports I really took off. I went from being 5’8″ and 190lbs, steadily climbing until I just recently hit my highest weight ever of 270.

As with most gradual changes, I never really noticed it. I knew I was getting bigger and buying bigger clothes, but hell, there was nothing I could do.

I got serious about my health two years ago and started eating all the traditional healthy foods, and working out every day. I lost 20lbs in two months, but I burnt out soon after and fell off the wagon.

There is a saying, that you truly can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves, something I am sure Anthony ‘Dream’ Johnson, my good friend and former roommate knows very well. I lived with Anthony for a year and have known him for 5 (geez!), and it isn’t until just recently I decided to help myself. Despite the massive amount of knowledge on nutrition and exercise I had available to me while living with Anthony, I never took advantage of it. I took a passing interest in some of the stuff, but it went so far against conventional wisdom and everything I knew I never took it seriously.

To give Anthony credit, it must have been tough to see me destroying my health on a daily basis but he never tried to push anything on me and only offered advice if I asked him about it. I will always appreciate that.

Well 3 months ago I finally listened. I watched the Mark Sisson 21 Convention speech and immediately ordered all three of his books. When I got them I started following the Primal Blueprint plan religiously. I have stayed on it for about three months though and the one thing I realized is that losing weight and taking control of your health is SIMPLE.

The concepts to eating healthy are simple and easy to understand. You don’t have to count calories or keep track of points. There are foods you should eat and foods you shouldn’t eat. It’s that simple, but it definitely isn’t easy. It’s been nearly 3 months and it has been tough. I have fallen off the wagon multiple times. I have cracked due to stress, lack of willpower, whatever on multiple occasions.

I just ate like complete crap this weekend, but I am eating healthy enough on a consistent enough basis that I am not losing sleep over it. How did I respond? I went to the store and bought a bunch of healthy foods and prepped my meals for the week.

So after 3 months, how has my body responded?

Let’s compare my blood work from a little over a year ago to my blood work today. Obviously this isn’t perfect, and who knows how bad some of these numbers actually got in the 9 months between the original blood tests and when I started eating Paleo, but regardless it is still interesting.

8/5/10

• Weight: 262
• Blood Pressure: 145/90
• Cholesterol Total: 201 (out of range is about 200)
• HDL Cholesterol: 41 (out of range is below 40)
• LDL Cholesterol: 129
• Triglycerides: 156 (above 150 is out of range)
• Glucose: 88
• Creatine: .98

Compare that with my most recent blood work

9/30/11

• Weight: 231
• Blood Pressure: 120/70
• Cholesterol Total: 175
• HDL Cholesterol: 36
• LDL Cholesterol: 111
• Triglycerides: 141
• Glucose: 84
• Creatine: 1.12

My HDL result concerns me since it should be at a minimum of 40 and a healthy range is 60 – I am not sure why it has dropped, but my doctor said not to worry about it and to keep eating healthy, it may have dropped even lower since my last test and have been rising. I am following up my blood work after Christmas – and until then I am following tips from Mark Sisson on raising my HDL.

I thought it was interesting that my creatine increased. Apparently it is found in red meat, something I rarely ate before.

As you can see, 3 months of eating well and my cholesterol dropped 26 points overall, and my LDL (bad) cholesterol dropped18 points. My triglycerides which were originally out of range are now in range, dropping at total of 15 points.

According to wikipedia, in humans, triglycerides are a mechanism for storing unused calories, and their high concentrations in blood correlates with the consumption of starchy and fatty foods. I have cut out all grains and starches and increased my intake of saturated fat through meat and healthy oils, and my triglycerides actually decreased.

I plan on getting my blood work done again when I drop below 200lbs (hopefully around Christmas if I bust my ass doing the right things) and I will be able to compare again.

– Liam

By my judgement, the best movie you are likely to have never seen — and perhaps, to ever see — is The Fountainhead starring Gary Cooper as architect Howard Roark. The movie is based on the book, but does not follow it to the letter, like most book to movie adaptations. In fact Ayn Rand, who had virtually full control over the movie, was forced to change the ending of the movie because divorce was in some way “forbidden” in movies at the time.

What she changes it to though can hardly be called a sacrifice in terms of significance (i.e. she did not have to “dumb down” the story, merely make an exchange).

Interestingly enough, John Little of Body by Science fame produced “the making of” featuretee on the DVD version. (Also interesting to note, this movie is free to stream if you have an Amazon Prime account).

~~~

All that aside, this movie is incredible if you share even the slightest, genuine admiration for man as individual, man as he ought to be, and as he can be, with me through this blog. The acting is top notch, and miles ahead of the junk that is consistently produced in Hollywood today.

The movie is also true to the book in the ways that matter most, which I cannot say the same for Atlas Shrugged Part 1 that released earlier this year, in which a rape scene was omitted and exchanged for something out of a daytime soap opera. To the contrary, the rape scene in The Fountainhead is pretty clearly a “rape scene”.

What’s most ironic is that TFH movie was produced in 1949, a time when any form of sexual situation in film was, as I understand, damn rare. On the flip side, in 2011, when AS Part 1 released, we readily have access to hundreds if not thousands of terabytes of hardcore porn with nothing more than an internet connection.

Talk about a total flip in what cameras are used for today in movies.

ANYWAY, go watch this movie. However long you wait to watch it will be to long. Whether it’s a day, a week, or a month, you’ll kick yourself for doing anything but ordering or downloading it right now.

(Considering the rapid state of collapse the world is in today, I really don’t believe Ayn would give a shit if you torrented this movie instead of paying someone for it. So long as you are inspired to new action and deeper levels of conviction by it, I think you are paying her for the movie, even in death, and to a much greater extent than fiat federal reserve notes could ever reward her).

– Anthony Dream Johnson

ps — Despite what the trailer portrays, the movie, like the book, is primarily a portrayal and depiction of the ideal man. The romantic aspect is immensely important, but secondary.

This water bottle cost me $150 USD. I’ve had it since the fall of 2009. Since then it’s saved me 3 to 4 times it’s initial cost, because I never, ever buy bottled water anymore.

Whether I’m at home, or backpacking, or camping on an island … I always have sterile, safe, great tasting water (because I buy the easily replaceable carbon filters and pop one in every ~4 months, which cost about $7 a pop).

It works without fail. No matter how “ok”, or how dangerous the water is, I pour it into the bottle, pump it out, and presto — awesome water. You can even pee in it up to three times in a row, although I haven’t gotten past two yet.

Anyway, this thing really does save a crap ton of cash. It’s a little bulky, but it’s the single best investment I’ve ever made for traveling, because it saves me hundreds of dollars a year. Really, I watched my camera guys spend over $4 dollars a day on bottled water in London this past May/June. I was there for almost 6 weeks. Had I spent that much on water every day, on this one trip alone, I would have spent over … you guessed it, $150. The price of a brand new Life Saver Bottle.

Crazy.

Pick one up on Amazon here.

They also have a larger 6,000 L model, but I don’t think I will even break 4,000 L within the first 2 years, at which point you have to replace the main filter anyway (regardless of whether or not you’ve used the full capacity of the primary filter).

You can also view a video here (link) from the creator demonstrating and discussing the bottle, and how it filters out damn near everything — even polio.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

ps — if there’s ever a viral zombie outbreak, I am totally set. =D

If you haven’t seen it yet, James Steele II wrote an epic review of The 21 Convention 2011 of London England.

Read the review.

James btw, is one of the stars of that new cinematic trailer I mentioned. Yes, it’s so awesome there are stars, in the trailer.

Official release date is June 21st, which is also when 2012 Europe tickets go on sale.

Stay tuned kiddies.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

The Fountainhead is my favorite book. The Fountainhead is my favorite movie. One being better than the other has never been a question that makes any sense in my mind. It’s the equivalent of asking me who I love more, my mother or my father [which is not to say you should love your parents unconditionally and by default].

When it comes to Atlas Shrugged however, the tune I sing changes, because as much as I enjoyed the movie, the book is dramatically better, at least so far as Part 1 is concerned.

The actors, actresses, and their acting: fantastic, with the exception proving the rule. Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart are especially great to see brought to life.

But beyond that, the movie falls short.

What the producers did right?

Got Part 1 factually correct. The movie does not stray from the book to any significant degree (other than as mentioned at the end of this review).

What went wrong?

Lack of detail. 9 times out of 10 detail is lost going from a book to a movie, with a movie like Fight Cub being the exception that proves the rule.

But when it comes to Atlas Shrugged, the movie literally feels hollow. The Fountainhead on the other hand, produced in 1949, has no such feeling. Some of the plot was changed, Ayn Rand wrote the script, etc, but even those factors do not make up for a gap this large.

Seriously, this movie is rushed from beginning to end. Were they on a tight budget? Yes, and maybe that was the determining factor for keeping the movie so short (1 hour 42 minutes). But that hour and 42 minutes felt more like an hour.

Had I not read Part 1 already, I would have had difficulty keeping up with the movie. I had no such problem watching The Fountainhead for the first time, which stands tall and independent of the book.

Atlas Shrugged Part 1, sadly, does not.

Which left a faint, but bad taste in my mouth leaving the movie. The taste was bad because at a time in history when a projection of the ideal and hope for the future is needed so badly, this movie did not do what it could have.

It wasn’t enough. It simply wasn’t enough. And if this country has a snowball’s chance in hell of avoiding a Soviet style collapse, acts like this can’t fly anymore. More was possible of the film adaptation, much more.

And that’s what has to be done. More.

Worth seeing? Absolutely. Seeing twice? I will be, if only to help ensure a sequel where someone steps up to the plate and swings the home run possible to Part 2 of Atlas Shrugged.

Final Note

This perhaps depicts the core of what was wrong with this movie. The rape scene between Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart was, not a rape scene. It looked more like something filmed for Lifetime.

This was the one part of the movie that they depicted wrong by not depicting enough. Even at a PG-13 rating, a lot more could have been done with this scene.

Case and point, the rape scene from The Fountainhead, produced in 1949, was more radical than this scene.

Think about that. When sex on film was 110% off limits (1949), the film makers had more balls than now in 2011 when pornography accounts for over 25% of every search on the internet, sex in movies is the norm, and sex on TV is expected.

It’s really bewildering to see that inverse, especially for so critical a point in the story.

See the rape scene from The Fountainhead here.

— Anthony Dream Johnson

This post is a tribute to the best in the world — by my judgement.

The best medical doctor in the world.

• Doug McGuff
  • Runner Up: Michael Eades, Kurt Harris

The best health blogger in the world.

• Mark Sisson

The best blog in the world with a lower back focus.

• James Steele II

The best video introduction to proper nutrition, in the world.

• What to Eat, What Not to Eat

The best examination of bio-mechanics as it applies to exercise, in the world.

• Moment Arm Exercise

The best personal trainer, in the world.

• Drew Baye

The greatest personal trainer, in the world.

• Patrick Diver

The best exercise machine in the world.

• CZT Machines

The best water bottle, in the world.

• Lifesaver Bottle

The best multi-tool for under $80, in the world.

• Victorinox Swiss Tool RS

The best personal towel, in the world.

• MSR Personal Pack Towel
  • Note: I’ve used this towel almost exclusively for the past 6 months.

The best seducer in the world.

• Jason Savage

The best asian dating coach in the world.

• Dj Fuji

The best dating coach in the world.

• Adam Lyons

The best men’s event in the world.

• The 21 Convention

The best men’s magazine, in the world.

• The Spearhead

The best documentary series for men, in the world.

• The Community Tapes

The best book on exercise, in the world.

• Body by Science

The best document in the world — ever.

• The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

The best book in the world.

• The Fountainhead

The best truck in the world (2nd gen).

• Ford Lightning

The best chain of restaurants in the world.

• Texas De Brazil

The best television series in the world.

• Jericho

The greatest television series in the world.

• John Adams

The best shotgun for ~$300 USD in the world.

• Mossberg 500

The best shoes in the world.

• Vibram Five Fingers

The best clothing in the world.

• Icebreaker

…

The best man in the world.

• Ronald Paul