Since the first Convict Conditioning DVD came out, I’ve been asked a couple questions. (There are always questions. Like: if Teflon’s non-stick, how do they attach it to the pan? If you choke a smurf, what color does it go? Why the hell do they report power outages on TV..?) This time one of them there questions that came up was:
In the Convict Conditioning book, the Master Step pushup requires a straight body; but in the DVD, the model twists. Is he doing a real “prison pushup”?
The answer is—hell yeah! A one-arm prison pushup is a unilateral pushup with the feet together—this is key. Can you twist? Yes, you can—twisting (not to the floor, but to the side) is one of the “hidden steps”. I said this already in the Super FAQ. Of course, when you twist, the hand positioning must change for balance. This kind of prison one-armer—the one shown in the DVD—is incredibly tough, but things can be made even harder over the years by straightening the body. This is the version shown in the book. Why the difference? When the book came out, one of the major areas of feedback I got was that “the presses are too hard, too unattainable”. I took this feedback seriously and as a result I present the ten steps slightly differently in the DVDs. So—which one is the true “Master Step”? Neither. As I said in the Super FAQ, the whole concept of a Master Step is an illusion. The ultimate goal of your training will differ from mine, or the next guy, or the next girl. The idea of a “Master Step” is something to motivate, to inspire. It shouldn’t be dogma. I was psyched as hell when I saw the final DVD—everything inside is perfectly as I laid out in my instructions, and the finish and look of the DVDs is just incredible. The complete CC DVD library will immortalize old school progressive calisthenics, and I will always be incredibly grateful to John and Dragon Door for that. But the fact remains that I intended the DVDs to be a little different from the book. The DVDs will be my legacy—and it’s crucial to me that all my students who shell out of these DVDs have the chance to ask questions if they need to. I did my best to answer training questions about the book in the Super FAQ but I’m not sure another FAQ is right for something as complex and huge as the DVD project, so I’m coming out of hiding for this one, and saying something I thought I’d never say: if you have bought the DVD, and have a question, email me. I’m really not an “internet guy” or someone who haunts forums repeating the same stock answers. This gesture is for only those of you who bought the DVD and have questions. Email support@dragondoor.com giving the name you purchased the DVD under and your order number, and they’ll send you my email address. I can’t promise I’ll holler back straight away, but I promise I WILL answer every email, and I will do it individually each time. No questions are off limits, boys and girls. Get studying the DVDs. They are my final say on the Convict Conditioning strength system. You got questions, you email me. Fair enough?
