Scott Sonnon’s new 5 Classics program is a no-nonsense health-first fitness program that will help you improve your health, mobility, fitness, and body composition using a hodgepodge of traditional movement-based exercise disciplines that have been collected from various cultures all around the world and have been consolidated – using the best-of-the-best from each one – into one cohesive fitness training system for the average fitness enthusiast.
OK, I’ll say it. I think the name of the product is funny, and dare I say, totally unimaginative and even boring. I mean, come on guys, you’ve got some good stuff here. At least, give it a catchy title! 5 Classics just doesn’t do it for me.
But don’t let the name fool you. There is some good stuff in Scott Sonnon’s new 5 Classics program. And when you think about it, this is really something!
What Scott has done, is take a variety of fitness and movement disciplines from all around the world, eliminated the less useful or unnecessary elements, and put them together into one plug-and-play training program that can and should be done in a daily workout format. So, at least from what I can tell, there is no traditional influence in this product, in that, the movements weren’t included because of a cultural tradition – be it religious or otherwise. The exercises that made the cut for 5 Classics are in there because they’re physiologically good for us, and work well together in this system – not because it’ll help you cultivate more positive waves into your life. No offense to positive wave zealots.
Now, I was just sent a copy of the program yesterday. And with less than 24 hours notice, and only about a half hour to review the actual program materials last night, this will be a brief review of Scott Sonnon’s 5 Classics System – just my first impressions after taking a quick peek at the manuals and about half of the videos.
First things first, I can say that this is one of Scott’s most interesting programs because it’s been put together using training methods from at least seven different cultures from all around the world – taking a few classic exercises from Russian, Chinese, Tibetan, Persian, Indian, Japanese, and Swedish physical culture. I know you probably don’t care about things like this, but just identifying the supposed origin of some of the movements is fascinating to geeks like me. So, long-time CST and TACFITers would probably appreciate the historical relevance and the door it opens for further and deeper study. You may find that one of the elements really strikes a nerve with you, and you’d have at least a general direction for where to learn more.
Long time CST and TACFITers will also recognize that the major elements of Scott’s products are present in 5 Classics. Namely, you’ll be performing joint mobility training, yoga, and strength & conditioning work via bodyweight and biomechanical exercises/movements for the lion’s share of your work with 5 Classics.
Now, there is some brand new training material (i.e., lot’s of new exercises), and some old material that has been repackaged/repurposed/rebranded as is Sonnon’s custom. Some of the material has also been adapted and changed from Scott’s earlier work, too. For example, there are some new spinal rock variations that I’ve never seen before. And while I couldn’t give you an exact percentage of how much material is brand new, I can say that there’s more new material in this program than in most of Scott’s former products. So, if you’re looking for some new movements and exercises to try, then 5 Classics is definitely worth your consideration.
The program appears to be very simple to follow and implement – even simpler than many of Scott’s recent TACFIT releases. Plus, it only takes 10-20 minutes per day to follow the program as-is. And given that it requires absolutely no equipment, it’s definitely got a few things going for it.
And so, now we get to whom 5 Classics is best-suited for. Whom would enjoy and benefit from this product the most?
Well, on the 5 Classics sales page, Scott says…
“These won’t make you an elite athlete, but if you’ve been over-training, or consistently overreaching, then even elites could benefit. These traditional methods are mostly for those folks who want steady gains, manageable fat loss, and functional muscularity.
Those people looking for the hard-core “Get Huge and Ripped Fast” schemes, won’t necessarily appreciate these approaches. They only require approximately 20 minutes, or less a day. They’re very basic, though unconventional movements. And anyone can do them.”
And from the quick look I gave it, I would tend to agree with that. It’s a simple, humble program that will deliver good results on its claims.
So, I would say that this is a good fitness program for improving health, mobility and general fitness, and an average/so-so program for improving body composition (this is definitely not an optimized fat loss or hypertrophy training program). Also, if you’re looking to improve your conditioning level and amp up your athletic performance, there are other products that will probably serve you better, including some of Scott’s (e.g., TACFIT). And if you’re looking for accelerated results or to train at or near your peak performance level, then this just isn’t it either.
That said, this is a very good program for the right person, and might be the one for you. Again, like Scott said, this is just a good, basic, effective program – albeit different from the normal fare – without all the bells and whistles.
My recommendation for prospective buyers:
So, if you’re looking for a simple, straightforward, and balanced health-first fitness training program that requires no equipment and will have you training for 10-20 minutes per day with a variety of training protocols – a program that is different from the norm and will deliver good results over the long term, which is how we should all be approaching training anyways – then 5 Classics may be right for you.
And if you already own a few of Scott’s programs, like them, and want more material to work with, then it would definitely be worth considering 5 Classics, especially at the sale price. And finally, if you have a budding interest in alternative and traditional training methods, then 5 Classics is a no-brainer. From what I can tell, it seems like a great entry-point into this realm of old-time, traditional physical culture.
Final Words
And if you are interested in buying, definitely get this during the launch sale. The Japanese Jiujitsu Abs and Swedish Vital Gymnastics would be well-worth the investment, and they are only being included as extra bonuses during the launch. And honestly, I’m not sure why Scott would remove these elements after the launch sale expires because they seem integral to the program. So, get it while you can!
Click Here to Learn More About Scott Sonnon’s 5 Classics Program ($30 Off + 2 Special Bonuses Until Tuesday at Midnight!)
*Don’t miss out on the launch week discount ($30 off) and bonuses which expire on Tuesday at midnight EST!
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CST Coach, CST-KS
Health-First Fitness Coach
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I really appreciate your reviews of these. It’s hard to tell what you’ll get just from the ad copy. I got Tacfit 26 a couple months ago. How would this fit in with that? From your description, T26 is more intense. Would this be something that could be slotted in a 4×7 or a 7×4 as a supplement to T26? Thanks!
Thanks, Hank. I don’t see why 5C couldn’t be slotted into a 4×7 or 7×4, or even used for a cycle between T26 cycles for something different. You could also supplement (not substitute) your T26 training with some of the lower intensity recovery methods in 5C, too. Like Scott often says, you can do more of the low intensity exercise (e.g., joint mobility, yoga, etc.), but not more than the high intensity exercise.
As always, thanks so much for getting the review out so fast during the launch sale!! I especially appreciate your indication about new exercises.
I actually know some of this material from my experience over the years in various disciplines but, at this price & with the bonuses, it seems well worth getting this program. Not to mention the standard RMAX quality in all their programs.
You Da Man, John!!
My pleasure, Paul – thanks for the note.
Hi John, new to your page and love your stuff. Still exploring your site though. You mention amping up your athletic performance and accelerated results. I don’t believe in a magic pill or necessarily the best way. Just looking for you opinion on what you believe would be the best time/workout/method spent trying to achieve that goal?
Thanks, Randy. If I were going to give you a specific recommendation, assuming I’d even have one, I’d have to know what your specific situation and goals are (and conditioning level, injury history, etc.).
Since we can’t really do that via a blog comment, here’s an example. Scott’s new 5 Classics program is a little more low-key than say his TACFIT 26 or TACFIT Commando programs, which will take you right to your edge, and hopefully, no further. Those will deliver peak or near-peak results for most people. So, if you had a training goal that coincided with their purpose and the programming interested you, those would be quite effective towards that end. In fact, Scott’s whole TACFIT system is really about precision fitness for peak performance. You can learn more about TACFIT in this interview I did with Scott here: https://physicalliving.com/interview-with-scott-sonnon-about-the-tacfit-tactical-fitness-system/
I’ve also included some commentary on many of his TACFIT programs below the interview video to help provide some clarity about which might be right for whom.
Thank you for your review of 5C. I have done the Warrior and Primal Stress programs. I am still on the fence about this one. Right now, I am living in a temporary location and have very little space to workout. How much space to you need to do the 5C program?
Than you for your help,
William
Hello,
Thank you for your review of 5C. I have limited space to exercise at home and am on the road a lot staying in cramped hotels. How much space is needed for 5C?
Thank you,
Ryan
Ryan, William,
From what I can tell, most of the program can be done in minimal space. There will be a few exercises that are challenging (e.g., the Circle Walking drill from the Chinese Bagua section requires some walking space), and you may need to modify it, but most of the program requires minimal space.
I think this is going to be a lot of fun. I bought the set earlier this week, and had a chance to go through the Russian and Tibetan pieces, as well as some of the Persian. I think it will be quite a challenge for someone like me who has not done much flow-type mobility and breathing work.
You are right, John, other than the Bagua sequence, it does not take much space, about what you need to turn in a circle with arms outstretched, or lie flat on the floor with arms overhead.
I hope you enjoy it, Mark!
Well, I didn’t learn about the program until after the release sale was over so I spent full price on it (and I went ahead and got the additional 2 programs because “Swedish Vital Gymnastics” sounded interesting)…and I’m happy with it.
These programs are more what I think of as “Health and Vitality” programs rather than “Fitness and Conditioning” programs (and yes, I knew that before I purchased the sets). There is some fitness and conditioning incorporated in them (especially the Gymnastics and the Persian material), but their primary goals are aimed at promoting the health of the everyday home maker, not a competitive “elite” athlete – although even for elites, this material might be useful for recovery and balancing purposes.
I found the Bagua material especially interesting, and different enough from the rest of the “calisthentics”-mindset of the other programs to round out the whole set. BaGua for health, with its unconventional stepping patterns and ever twisting and turning palm sets, might have even more developmental potential than Tai Chi for the average person, and I’m impressed that Scott included it here.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, James!