The Purposeful Primitive

For years I have been searching for the "Holy Grail" of fitness. Being an active duty Marine, my state of physical fitness is a huge priority. I have used several different aproaches; from the Matt Furey bodyweight calisthenic routines, which were great for a time but were lacking in the extreme strength gains that I want, to the Crossfit craze, which made me stronger but also made me chubby and lose cardio stamina. Kettlebells, on the other hand, had a great effect on my stamina and strength, but I still did not make the gains I have with only three weeks of the Purposeful Primitive regimen.

I can't say enough about the Purposeful Primitive. Like I said before, I've only been using this routine for three weeks and have already seen the gains in both strength and cardio stamina that I need.

This book presents strength and fitness in a way the speaks to the uninformed and the highly educated. Marty Gallagher uses plain English to describe the foundational truths that academia seems to enjoy over complicating with scientific jargon. I have a graduate degree in kinesiology and work with the general public. I not only learned from Mr. Gallegher, but also found effective ways to communicate to my clients. Purposeful Primitive should be looked to as the basis of what physical culture should be today. A must read!

Marty Gallagher, the author of "The Purposeful Primitive" is a legend in the Powerlifting community. He not only held World and National titles, he has coached others to those lofty heights as well. As a writer he has penned over a thousand articles on training and has written two other books in addition to The Purposeful Primitive: Coan: The Man, The Myth, The Method and Strong Medicine. He is currently working on several other projects that will be released in coming months - all with his trademarked "in your face" style of writing that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until you understand what he is trying to impart.

The Purposeful Primitive is Marty's "magnum opus" and contains the seeds of greatness. His dissertations on training, periodization, nutrition, and related subjects are required reading for anyone who is serious about developing absolute strength and keeping it. Let's put it this way: Marty is a SME (Subject Matter Expert) for the U.S. Navy SEALs and works with them several times a year on their strength and conditioning requirements - and has been doing it for a number of years. He also does consulting for the British SBS and SAS as well as other Tier One Spec Ops personnel. If you are thinking that you want to have the same "insider knowledge" that these guys have then you should get a copy of The Purposeful Primitive and study it from cover to cover!

Unless you were a competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter in the 70's, 80's and 90's; or even if you were, you would be hard pressed to find more and better information about the real world of training than in Marty Gallaghers lastest epic, The Purposeful Primitive. Marty is without peer as a writer in the Iron World, combining a rare and unique ability to transmit inportant training and historical data at the same time making it seem like he is just telling a story to his training buddies. Marty last book about the greatest powerlifter in history Ed Coan: THe Man,The Myth, The Method was just a taste of the information and in depth insight Marty has given to the critical aspects of body transformation in The Purposeful Primitive. Covering resistance training, cardiovascular work, real world nutrition info from the trenches and the rarely examined but critical aspect of the mental game Marty hits on all cylinders in a very easy to read examination of how to REALLY change your body the way it's been done by experts for many years. He backs it up with many examples of regular people using his techniques with great success. The fact that Pavel considers Marty his mentor should say it all.The fact that Marty writes so well makes reading everything he writes a joy. I love the in depth look at the Iron Masters; the guys I grew up idolizing and patterning my training after.Information, inspiration and motivation all in one incredible book. Great job Mr Gallagher, can't wait to see what you come up with next! Rif

I've read several books on weight training over the years, starting with Randall Strossen, culminating with Pavel's Beyond Bodybuilding. A lot of great stuff out there, but this just blows them away. Gallagher has a very engaging writing style and his knowledge is second to none. I recommend this to anyone interested in weight training - should be the start of their collection if they are just beginning, I feel. Worth every penny.

If you are a power lifter Gallagher's "The Purposeful Primitive" is a must read. Templates and training tips from the worlds greatest power lifters and strength athletes are interspersed with prose that will amuse, delight, and educate anyone interested in the world of strength training. I have already read and reread the gems of knowledge that Gallagher has mined from the minds of the experts in lifting, mental focus, and nutrition. As a fellow lifter said, "If reading this book doesn't put pounds on your total, you ain't paying attention".

Gallager's ability to enlighten us regarding the greatest lifters the world has ever known is worth the price of the book in itself. Yet this book is so much more. (The section on the transformation of obese individuals who Gallager put on power lifting programs should be required reading for every spandex wearing personal trainer and internet "fitness guru" on the planet.)

Are you all about getting bigger and stronger, are you driven to constantly lift more weight, do you find yourself enraged by the "get fit quick" schemes/devices on TV and the internet, are you constantly searching for hard cold truth on improving power liting performance, do you eat, drink, sweat and bleed iron? If you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions then you need to make Gallager's master piece a part of your strength library.

I have just completed my first reading of Marty Gallaghers's new book The Purposeful Primitive (notice I said 1st reading) and have been educated, challenged, validated and entertained. This fitness book contains true "fitness wisdom" and is a must have for trainers and trainees alike.
Not a fluffy feel good approach to what is referred to today as "fitness", the Purposful Primitive is a clear distillation of a simple approach to strength, nutrition, cardio and the mental side of performance. Simple does not mean easy as you will earn your primitive stripes!

Brett Jones, Master RKC, CSCS

I haven't even read the entire book, and I am FLOORED with this information. POWERFUL, INSPIRATIONAL AND PRACTICAL...Oh yea, the workouts I've read, the info prescribed, all of it will transform anyone into a freakin' animal!

Where was this stuff when I was a competitive athlete! This is going straight into the hands of the Coaches at my gym for education and inspirational purposes.

This book is about what training should be and unfortunately is not in way too many places. It is long overdue that we have such a book like this!

The photos, the stories and the workouts are so freaking inspiring, it makes me wanna drive right back to my gym and kill the weights! I am fired up and please don't take this as arrogance, but, I rarely endorse other products! This one is amazing!

I'm getting the inside look at how men of amazing strength trained, how powerful gyms were formed, the type of foods to eat for super human gains in strength and he development of lean muscle.

Marty, I never met you or ever spoke with you, but damn do I feel like we're related! Thank you sincerely my friend, this is the kind of stuff that is near and dear to my heart.

When I was a teenager, you would find me awake at night, at 2, 3 in the morning, reading Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, planning my workouts, getting pumped up looking at the old school bodybuilders in the endless black and white photos.

It's too bad this book wasn't available for me back then, but hell, I'll take it now!

I am grateful beyond words!

In Strength,

Zach Even - Esh

Owner, Underground Strength Gym
http://ZachEven-Esh.com

It has taken me several days to digest "The Purposeful Primitive". It is an amazing read - a straight-forward, no-nonsense, practical, and at times humorous account of legendary athletes, trainers and teachers' approaches to creating strength and health. The book is so extensive in its breadth, covering not only strength training, but mental approach, diet, and cardio-health, and refreshing in its reflection that it almost make you think "Well, that's it. I guess there's nothing left to say - he's just about covered everything!" If you have any interest in strength sports or just lifting, you will love this book. I recommend it to anyone without reservation.

I just got Purposeful Primitive by Marty Gallagher. Marty is a 3 time World Master Powerlifing Champion and has been a strength and fitness writer for over 30 yrs. This book big...473 pages big, I have had it less than 24 hrs and have read some of the best quotes about strength training I have ever read. Marty quotes his old Zen power coach "you think you 're training hard until you get sucked into a training group , a group way smarter and way stronger than you". Better to train in a dump with superman than a posh palace surrounded by low-pain tolerance politically-correct metro-sexual sissies!!!
Pure Gold