Starting Strength (2nd edition)
by Lon Kilgore, Mark Rippetoe
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Book Reviews of Starting Strength (2nd edition)
Book Review: The Lost Art of the Barbell
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd recommend this book for just about everybody who lifts weights. Beginners can greatly benefit from it to learn good form right off the bat. Experienced lifters might also want to check it out because, a) there's always more to learn, and b) your form might not be as good as you think it is.
So what's the book about anyway? Well, the Cliff Notes version is that its a book on how to lift weights PROPERLY using a barbell. A few details:
-the book spends a lot of time discussing the details of all the basic barbell exercises, such as the squat, the bench press, the deadlift, the press, and the power clean. As you might have guessed, the book devotes a whole chapter to each movement. For instance, the squat is discussed on pages 8-63, while the bench press is discussed on pages 66-102- I give you the page numbers to show you how in depth the book goes into each exercise
-you'll learn a lot of details that are often times neglected, such as grip, and the placement of other body parts that are indirectly used during an exercise. As an example, the book spends about 4 pages discussing foot placement during the bench press exercise.
-the book is filled with pictures and diagrams. In fact its hard to find a page that doesn't have one picture or diagram on it.
-the book does also cover "useful assistance exercies" as well, such as chin-ups, dips, rows, barbell curls, etc.
The book ends with a nice section that talks about a lot of "miscellaneous" things, things such as the order of doing exercises, warm-up sets, nutrition, soreness and injuries, etc. As you can see, this is a pretty detailed and comprehensive book, a book I think all weight lifters, beginners and experienced, will get a lot out of. Other weightlifting books of interest include Smokin' Hot Guns!!: How an Average Guy Can Get Big, Muscular Arms In One Workout A Week.
Book Review: Too Technical for Trainees
Summary: 1 Stars
Unless you are a professional strength coach, this book is going to be one heavy read. You'll need a degree in kinesiology to wade through this stuff. One is reminded of Socrates, who after reading Heraclitus, said: "What I understand is splendid; and I think what I don't understand is so too- but it would take a Delian diver to get to the bottom of it."
The book is as well organized as the Keystone Cops on parade. The text meanders from one technical point to the next, with the occasional practical interlude. And regarding the so-called humour in this book, either Webster's definition differs from the OED, or the writers should leave the humour to Ambrose Bierce and W.C.Fields.
The book leaves a whole lot of questions unanswered. For example, on p.145 the trainee demonstrating the deadlift has a hyper-extended neck; is that correct? and the description of the dip doesn't tell the trainee whether the scapulae should be depressed &/or retracted during a rep.
In addition, two good exercises aren't prompted in this book:
1) the push-up with feet elevated and wearing a weighted vest (or even chains) and hands gripping dumbells;
2) the supine ("inverted") row with feet elevated and wearing a weighted vest.
All the useful info the trainee needs to read could be condensed into about 30 pages. The book is over-padded with irrelevancies. So, what's the trainee to do?
Either get the excellent companion DVD, or seek out the Aasgaard posters on the big lifts (now O/P), or get a copy
of Stuart McRobert's weight-training technique handbook. McRobert's book has flaws but at least it's addressed to the trainee, rather than the trainer.
Book Review: As good as it gets!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is simply a must read for anyone interested in gaining strength and size through weightlifting. Lifting weights my old way left me with severe muscular imbalances since I stuck with the lifts I was good at (bench press) and ignored the exercises I was not good at (squats). Coach Rippetoe addresses my old form of programming in his book by stating: "wandering around the gym, deciding what looks fun, doing it until the fun stops, and then doing something else IS NOT TRAINING." When I read about Coach Rippetoe's 3 days a week in the gym, 5 core lifts, and relatively few sets across, the program seemed insufficient. After doing the program, I now see how wrong I was and what a solid program Rippetoe has crafted. Each workout has a goal, and the weights just get heavier and heavier - you to the gym with a purpose - you leave having accomplished something. You build on your accomplishments every workout. This is a proven program that I wish I knew about years ago. I now view my pre-Starting Strength training as wasted time and effort.
I have two more recommendations: (1) Rippetoe's Starting Strength DVD, since it helps with the more technical lifts and with little things you could miss in the book; (2) Coach Rippetoe does a Q&A on the forum [...] where he answers programming questions and gives feedback re: form, etc. Not only is the information he posts valuable, but Rippetoe is extremely witty and his posts are always helpful and amusing (be sure to use the search function before you post, lest you be ripped by Rip). In sum, buy this book, you'll never look at the guys doing biceps curls in the squat rack the same again.
Book Review: Foundational training book
Summary: 5 Stars
There are so many reviews, I will just be brief.
This book is the best thing you can give a young person when they start training. It's also going to make a huge difference for someone that learned to train without the benefit of solid coaching, who has room to improve, which is almost everyone.
The approach is fantastic: Rippetoe focuses on just the basics, but goes into GREAT detail. Nobody else has done this. Most books have a brief description and a photo in the top and bottom position. This seems simple enough. But the surprising truth is, there is a lot more to it than that.
Developing solid form on the basic lifts and getting strong on those lifts is the foundation of successful strength training. This book makes that possible for people that don't have the benefit of a competent coach.
Without wanting to sound negative, 99% of the personal trainers and coaches you will find do not know what is in this book. For most people, getting a training partner and going through the instruction in this book will yield better results that getting a personal trainer. Trainers will do their clients a huge favor if they read and apply what's in this book.
My one grouse, I don't want to sound like I think they guy walks on water - Rippetoe is an expert on lifting form and lifting programs; his diet advice, while I am sure it works well for putting weight on young athletes, is not for everyone. Buy it as a lifting book, not a diet book, but buy the book.
Book Review: I admit, it's probably the best out there...
Summary: 5 Stars
There is a new generation of strength training books such as Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and The New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler based on cutting edge research that will give one more strength and more muscle than the routines contained in "old school" strength training books but MOST important of all, it will help focus newcomers on key concepts of muscle growth that are based on more than circuit training large groups of muscles. Concepts that one will extrapolate and apply to one's entire view of fitness. There is no question that applying a great amount of effort (or steroids) to a mediocre training routine will produce noticeable results but why not exert the same (or less) effort for better results?
Some other books I can recommend are Schwarzenegger's huge Bodybuilding Encyclopedia, Getting Stronger by Bill Pearl or any of the Men's Health fitness guides. For a different kind of workout check out The Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness by Stewart Smith, a fitness program with DVD based around a military program for Navy Seals that is completely free of any weights and uses only one's own body weight. Best of all is Strength Training Anatomy (2nd edition) by Frederic Delavier which is actually a translation of a French book and has far and away the clearest, most informative descriptions of all the strength training exercises that I've ever seen. Couple that will Starting Strength and The New Rules of Lifting and you will have the absolute best resources a strength trainer could have.