Yoga For Regular Guys: The Best Damn Workout on the Planet

Many martial artists include yoga, or yoga like stretches, into their weekly or even daily workouts.  I write and speak a lot about fitness and exercise for those who live with the Warrior’s Edge.  Stretching and yoga can help you both physically and mentally.  So, if you are one of those who thinks, “Yoga’s not for me…”  Check out this book.  Page makes a great case why yoga is for regular guys.  Here is the review I wrote on the book:

This is not your regular yoga book! But it’s not a joke either.  It’s a serious workout.  Yoga For Regular Guys: The Best Damn Workout on the Planet by three time World Champion Wrestler Diamond Dallas Page is a fun book that provides the basics to get a great yoga workout.  Page wrote the book with Dr. Craig Aaron and even got Rob Zombie to write the Foreword. I found a copy at a used book store and am very glad I did.

First off, the book is aimed at guys. This should be obvious by the title.  With that said, there are a few tid bits of locker room humor, but nothing that bad, and as the covers states, there are yoga babes included.  Page begins by making his personal case in regards to doing yoga.  Why he started, what it’s done for him, and why he thinks it is the best workout you can do.  His case is compelling.  I agree that yoga is great for you and I hope Page is able to get a lot of regular guys to check this form of exercise and stretching out.  He then goes into the first lesson on breathing.  This is so important and I’m glad it was included. (If it hadn’t, I’d question the book.)

The bulk of the book is devoted to three routines.  The 20 minute workout section, the 30 minute workout section, and the 45 minute workout section.  Each of these provides pictures and short descriptions to follow along with and learn the routines.  The pictures and descriptions are good, but those that have taken classes or watched DVDs will have an advantage.  It is a lot easier to learn movements that way rather than from a book.  But for a book, this one is done well.  It also has a few pages of the workouts at a glance.  These have the pictures without the descriptions to help you remember the sequence of moves.

The book concludes with a section called “Hammers and Duct Tape” which provides some quick fixes for instant stress relief, and a chapter that has some quick information on ice vs. heat, organic foods and juicing, massage, and drinking water.  Finally, there is a little inspiration and motivation.

Throughout the book there are side boxes by Dr. Aaron (Yoga-Doc says…) and boxes by Page’s wife, Kimberly, called “Hot Tip!”  These provide additional information and add to the book.  The models demonstrating everything in the pictures include Page and his wife, as well as some “yoga babes” as he calls them and some regular guys.

Yoga really is good exercise and you can now take it from Diamond Dallas Page, it’s for regular guys, too. If you have ever been interested in trying yoga, or adding it to your workout regimen, this book might be just what you need to get off the couch and onto the yoga mat.  I enjoyed reading it and am including Page’s yoga workouts into my weekly exercise and stretching.  Read it and see what yoga can do for you.

The book is sometimes hard to find, but here is the amazon listing: