Convict Conditioning - Paul Wade

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Over the last six chapters I've outlined all the exercises you need to start training in The
Big Six:. Virtually every prison athlete has used these exercises-or at least some of
them-at one point or another during their training.
But I've learned from my experience as a coach that it's no good just giving wannabe calisthenics
experts a list of exercises-no matter how good those exercises are. Even if you combine those
exercises with a fantastic training program, perfectly tailored to an individual's needs, there's still
something missing.
What's missing is the "x factor" of training success. It's an innate understanding of the essentials
underlying any given conditioning experience; like knowing how to warm up perfectly, how to
progress at the ideal pace, or how hard to push your training, and when to cut back.
These matters are never black and white. They are more of an art than a science. You really
can't just write these things down on a piece of paper and hand them to an athlete, because they
are not simple objects of knowledge. They are about subjective inner understanding
gained through experience. It's more a matter of body wisdom than
conceptual memorization.
I do have a lot of experience, and a big 01' chunk of that experience has
come from screwing up. It takes time to learn body wisdom, and it would be
foolish of me to think that I could take all the useful training smarts in my
head and put them into yours. It doesn't work that way. But I can at least tf)
to point you in the right direction to get your own.
Let's start at the beginning.