The book doesn’t waste any of its space or your time. After the into and a page’s worth of motivation (“Take Action”), we have two brief segments denoting the value of exercising with rings and paralletes (respectively), and the dos and don’ts of setting them up. It is all very exact and to the point, as it should be.

Next up is the program’s structure, or more precisely the authors telling you what to expect in advance. More specifically, the program is segmented into three(ish) levels, each more difficult than the last. In that order, they are called Unstoppable, Unbreakable, and Indestructible.

At the end of each one, there is a test. You are not meant to move over to the next tier until you are able to complete it. This wasn’t meant to be a hard rule, but it is good advice. A lot of the latter stuff is hardcore, and even some of the beginner moves are no joke.

Before detailing the levels themselves, the Kavadlos also include a comprehensive list of warm-up movements. These are great both in content and presentation, with photos, comments, and the like. Always good to have.

As the recommended starting point, Unstoppable is excellent. You are to do your workout 3 to 4 times a week, and move over to the more advanced sub-course every two weeks.

It consists of seven exercises: Table bridge to grounded L-sit, N-sit, Bodyweight row, High rings push-up, Flex hang/Negative pull-up, Hanging knee raise, and Rings assisted squat.

Every single one of these is explained in detail (like the warm-ups were), with photos, numbered steps, and commentary. All are great moves on their own, though they may be a bit demanding for a complete novice. If you’re having trouble, both we and the Kavadlos advise that you take things a bit easier and extend your stay here beyond the initial 8 weeks. Otherwise, a perfect starting point.

Next level, Unbreakable, is actually split into two complementary training sessions. You are to do each twice a week, meaning four weekly workouts in total.

This level adds ten new exercises: Jump through, L-sit, Planche lean, Pike press, Pull-up, Support hold, Inverted hang, False grip flex-hang/Negative pull-up, Rings assisted archer squat, and Rings assisted pistol squat.

By now you’re already familiar with the pattern: pics, instructions, tips, followed by progressions every couple weeks, and culminating in a test to see if you’re ready to move on.

No complaints here; it’s all good.

Survived all that? Well, Indestructible is there to finish you off! This level adds eight new ways for you to torment yourself: Low rings push-up, Skin-the-cat, L-sit to tuck planche, Elbow lever, False grip pull-up, Dip, Single ring pistol squat, and Ring assisted shrimp squat.

The progressions in this one are significantly more gradual in comparison to the last two, which is by all means a good decision.

The last thing you want with advanced moves it to overestimate yourself, get injured, and fall right back to the beginning.

Like Unbreakable, it is also made of two companion training sessions, and even ends with a test of its own! Surprise, surprise, there may be work to be done even after the final level!

So what happens when you go beyond Indestructible? The Kavadlos call it the “Next” Next Level, but we prefer calling it the “Look What I Can Do” tier.

Unlike what came before, this is not an exercise course per say, but a loose collection of advanced moves (complete with instructions) that you can tackle when you wish, if you wish.

 These are: Parallettes handstand, Parallettes handstand push-up, Rings L-sit, V-sit, Muscle-up, Back lever, Front lever, and One-arm elbow lever. The authors wisely advise the reader to remain patient when tackling these; while the moves are safe when performed properly by an accomplished athlete, they can result in injury when done incorrectly.

All in all, a fine way to conclude the program, and fully in tune with the philosophy of calisthenics: only the sky is the limit.

But the book doesn’t in fact end there. There’s not one but two additional segments to help you with your calisthenics journey.

The Soft Parts–or Workout Wisdom

As the title says, this is some of the wisdom the authors have accumulated over their illustrious careers.

• While Moving Ahead with the Beginner’s Mind seems like it could be a topic of its own, it actually sets the tone for what this part of the book will be about. Strange decision, but no matter because it leads to…
• Programming Your Workouts, which is an excellent framework for designing your own personalized workout regiment(s), and possibily the best such guide we’ve seen by now.
• Ask Al, where Al Kavadlo answers the most common questions posed to him about the Next Level Strength program, and…
• Danny’s Dos and Dont’s, where Danny Kavadlo gives out some general advice, as well as offer some truly outstanding tips on proper nutrition.

Again, even though it’s not crucial to the program itself, reading all of this information can only be helpful in the long run. Great additions, all of them.

The Final Set of Extras–Bonus Bonanza

And the book still isn’t over! In the final fifth (or so) of the book, we have:

• Before and After, which is another introductory title. Namely, it  tells us that the rest of the content would consist of updated versions of the some the authors’ prior, never before printed articles. This is of course perfectly in keeping with the idea of constant improvement and refinement, and includes…
• The Top 5 Calisthenics Newbie Mistakes, to help you straighten a couple more chinks in your form–if you still have them.
• Training, inc. where Danny Kavadlo answers some questions regarding working out and proper tatoo care. Very specific, but it’s there if you want it.
• Winter Warrior, wherein Al exposes the benefits of working out bare-chested in the cold–and the overall usefulness of cooling yourself. Seems crazy, but the points he makes can’t be argued!
• Training and Drinking: 5 Rules for Not Completely Ruining Your Gains. For those of you who like to take a sip of booze from time to time, this is a perfect set of guielines for setting a boundary or two. Just remember not to cross them when the time comes!
• How to Train for a one-armed pull-up. An excellent guide for working your way up to one of the hardest (and best) exercises out there.
• Take Hold of the Flame, where Danny gives us a glimpse into his own inner motivation, and how to make it our own.

Not all of these will be of equal value to everyone, but as far as both quantity and quality go, they’re top notch.

The Verdict

As you can probably tell, we liked NEXT LEVEL STRENGTH a lot. The whole package full of great content (both essential and bonus), and very well presented.

Get it when you can. It’s well worth the investment, both time and money-wise.

Our Score: 5/5