Editor Rating:
$99.99 – $129.99
NOTE: High Performance Handbook is no longer for sale but we would keep this review page live for your reference. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at similar products like Turbulence Training or Visual Impact Muscle Building.
Pros
- Excellent product for athletes and fitness buffs, as well as athletic coaches and trainers. This program covers a lot of fitness and performance goals (i.e. not just weight loss) which benefits sporty people who are aiming for specific performance gains more than the average Joe or plain Jane – who are simply looking for something to sweat it out.
- Offers elite level (i.e. Olympic level) fitness methodologies and know-how typically reserved and acquirable only by hiring top level (i.e. expensive) professional trainers. With this program, that elite level training is now available to us laymen and laywomen.
- Professional athletes, decorated doctors, editors, and even the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers talk highly about this program. You can’t get those types of endorsements unless you produce a topnotch product.
- Provides a high degree of customization and flexibility not found in any other training program.
- Abstract and technical concepts are kept to a minimum. This program is all about doing the work and how to go about properly doing it.
- Modified versions of the exercises make it possible to go through the program without any expensive equipment or gym access. The program takes into consideration that some people may be training in high-end gyms while others may simply be ripping it in their dorm rooms.
- Very easy to use compared to other programs because it makes no assumptions about your familiarity with fitness terminologies and practices and explains everything in detail. The methodology is well laid out and workout templates are provided which allows you to get going with the program immediately.
Cons
- Despite a section for people with “special circumstances,” this program doesn’t account for people with injuries or medical conditions.
- Relatively expensive compared to similar fitness programs.
- The nutrition component is separate from the main program and can only be availed with additional cost on an already expensive package.
- Our customer support inquiry didn’t get a response.
This product is no longer for sale
High Performance Handbook Basic Product Details
High Performance Handbook is an elite level functional fitness program that offers a high degree of customization depending on your current fitness status and your specific fitness goals. By functional fitness we mean training for the purposes of performance gain (increase strength, flexibility, athleticism, etc.) instead of primarily aesthetic purposes; although having a rocking body is always a welcome side effect of getting into fitness. The program grants us “regular people” the rare chance to have access to high level fitness training normally reserved for professional athletes and Olympic competitors.
The main High Performance Handbook program is created by Eric Cressey (the High Performance Handbook: Nutrition Guide, added via the Gold package, is authored by his colleague Brian St. Pierre). Eric is a well-recognized and very accomplished personality in the fitness world. He owns his very own training facility, Cressey Performance, based on Boston; a training center frequented by the world’s best professional athletes (majority of which are baseball players). He has published a lot of articles and books about fitness which were featured in major magazines and TV shows. He’s also a competitive powerlifter who holds several impressive lifting records. It’s really a long line of achievements to be able to list in this short review but feel free to visit Eric’s official bio for the more comprehensive story.
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What’s Inside High Performance Handbook
As for the product itself, the main highlight would be the high extent of customization and flexibility that the program offers. The main idea is that athletes and fitness goers may have the same goals, but they start at different points. This is the reason why program customization is necessary as it allows you to maximize performance gains as well as prevent injuries.
This customization process involves, as a bird’s eye view, a self-assessment to determine your predominant posture and your average range of motion (you’ll be classified as a Flexion or Extension Bias). Afterwards you’ll choose your training schedule, allowing for 2 times, 3 times, or 4 times a week workouts. Lastly, you’ll decide what specific fitness goal you are trying to pursue; the choices include athletic performance, strength, or fat loss. Ultimately you’ll be presented with a “made for you” program based on the assessment results and choices you made.
Another crowning glory of this product is the exercise video database which, as of this writing, houses a massive 201 individual and highly-detailed coaching videos. However, the amount of videos available is not even the best part; the best part lies in Eric’s coaching style in these videos.
Firstly, it’s not a demo video wherein he simply executes every exercise and expects you to follow them correctly. In these videos, Eric lets his students and colleagues perform the exercises while he coaches the proper technique; detailing every aspect of proper posture and motion along the way.
Secondly, as an advantage of doing coaching videos versus demonstration videos, Eric constantly motivates you throughout the program. Imagine having Eric as your own personal trainer (without the hefty hourly fee); that’s how it feels working alongside these videos. It may be a minor benefit for some, but taking advantage of every little help can keep you focused, get you through the toughest roadblocks, and keep you pushing until you reach your goals.
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Prices and Packages
$99.99, Silver Package
- “High Performance Handbook” Full Program (“The High Performance Handbook Main Guide” eBook, “Video Database” online video access, “Training Templates” eGuide, “Four Supplemental Conditioning Options” eReport, “Exercise Modifications Library” eReport, “Special Populations Guide” eGuide).
- “Maximum Tension for Maximal Results” eGuide.
- “Cheap Additions to Your Training Program” eReport.
- “Troubleshooting Single-Leg Exercises” eReport.
- “10 Ways to Modify or Regress a Movement” eGuide.
$129.99, Gold Package
- Everything in the Silver Package.
- “High Performance Handbook: Nutrition Guide” eBook.
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Our High Performance Handbook Verdict
High Performance Handbook is as close as we (by we, we mean us regular folks) can get to having access to elite level fitness training whilst not having to shell out a fortune like sports organizations and professional athletes do. This program is layman’s, as well as laywoman’s and laycoach’s, go-to resource to achieving high level fitness performance. Pricing may prove to be the most pressing concern but the amazing value (and unprecedented access to guarded secrets of elite level training) provided by this program still merits this product a perfect 5 out of 5 stars rating.
High Performance Handbook gets a lot of things right. Aside from providing elite level training (which we have already mentioned over and over again), it also made some good choices with regards to presentation and content. We already mentioned how great a choice it was doing coaching videos instead of demonstration videos.
The program also did well when it chose to go with the “hold you by the hand” type of approach. Eric doesn’t assume that you already know a lot about fitness (i.e. common terms and procedures) and designed his program to be as easy to use for everyone as possible. On top of that, Eric also answered a lot of common issues (forming a large FAQ section when combined) so that no stone is left unturned.
However, this program is a bit pricey as far as fitness programs go. Our perspective on this is if you really want something elite, you have to pay the price, not just in terms of work but also in terms of cost to access. The saving grace is that it is by far more affordable than hiring an elite level personal trainer.
In the end, this rare opportunity to train like the best athletes in the world is hard to pass up. If you’re really serious about getting fit, achieving higher levels of performance, or even becoming a high level athletics coach, this product is a must-have.
Our Final Recommendation: Absolutely Buy High Performance Handbook
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