Starting Strength (2nd edition)
by Lon Kilgore, Mark Rippetoe
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Book Reviews of Starting Strength (2nd edition)
Book Review: Not for the Skimming Type
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me start by saying that this book is one of the best how-to books that I have ever read. It had me at hello. The introduction's reasoning behind strength training is very convincing. A wonderful mix of research, experience and wit. I am recommending this book to all of my friends, most of whom are military and are constantly focused on their physical abilities.
The only draw back is, if you are the type that skims a book and gleans information from pics, you may teach yourself the wrong thing. A good bit of the pics are examples of the wrong way to do something. Simple strength training is...well, simple. The author does a great job of giving you a precise method for each lift, then the remainder of the chapter is what to watch out for. The author borders on giving too much info on how NOT to do an exercise that, again, if you are a lazy reader, will confuse you. I want to get my hands on a first edition to see what the cut-n-dry version was like.
I read the book three times (in a week and a half) to make sure that I got it all right. It's so well written that it wasn't a burden. Like I said, I've been telling all my friends about it.
Book Review: simple ideas, huge impact
Summary: 5 Stars
I am 29 years old have been training for many years now, picking up injuries due to my own stupidity and ignorance, lack of interest in hard work and the over-zealousness of my trainer. This book has changed my entire outlook towards weight training and fitness. Compound exercises are the way to go for the typical weight trainer like me and thats where this book is so valuable.
I recommend this book for the following reasons -
1. The content is straight forward, very elaborately explained, the layout of the book is very clean and eye catching.
2. The big 5 exercises explained are the 5 most important exercises in a strength trainers program (or atleast should be).
3. Very good for technique and motivation.
4. The physics is also explained in text and pictures.
5. "Must have" to perfect your form and avoid injury.
6. Very important for weight trainers of all ages, esp more important if you are older since you cannot afford injuries.
Bottom line - Highly recommended. Buy it. Read it. Understand it and PRACTICE IT.
PS - I strongly recommend the DVD for additional clarity.
Book Review: Barbell Training Bible, for basic intents and purposes
Summary: 5 Stars
I joined the local YMCA and had no prior lifting experience; the available trainer was basically clueless about free weight form. This book was a godsend.
While the chapters are organized nicely, the information and pictures within the chapters are a bit haphazard and/or redundant. This aside, it does seem to be a resource that you can skim over to get started with proper form, and then delve deeper into the physiological material once you've progressed. I bring it with me every time I lift, and I'm sure I'll still be referring to it for years to come.
The attention paid to the concepts of core strength, complementary exercises and programming is outstanding. I felt confident right from the start that I would see results and not hurt myself in the process. I was right: since Jan 4, 2008, I dropped from 280 to 245 using this method along with HIIT cardio and clean diet. This book, and the author's forum, are invaluable to those wanting to safely bulk or drop weight, all while developing proper lean muscle.
THANK YOU FOR STARTING ME RIGHT.
Book Review: All you need
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm 33 years old and have picked upp free weight training again after some 10 years of general on and off gym work out without any specific direction. Before that I was training power lifting for some years, and now as a family father I found myself back in the heavy gym, this time in my garage with a bar, a rack and a bench. To get a good start I purchased some books on the subject, but actually all I would have needed is Starting Strenght. It is straight forward but still provides very detailed information on all of the main and assisting power lift exercises. The book is angled toward people who want to do serious strenght training, but maybe not toward professional power lifters as it leaves for example out the nowadays popular deadlift sumo stance almost all togehter and also all of the assisting gear business in power lifting is basically left out. Assisting gear today contributes no doubt a great deal to the results in power lifting.
Starting Strenght works with the person, a belt, a bar, a rack, and a bench and that will take most of us as far as we need to go.
Book Review: The single best book on weight training.
Summary: 5 Stars
Most of us will never need anything more than this. Many will never need the entire book. Rippetoe focuses on the most productive exercises: squat, press, deadlift, bench press , row,(done quite differently than you pobably have so far), clean. Instead of adding an encyclopedia of assistance exercises, (don't get me wrong, they're here), he concentrates on every technical detail of safe effective work with these few movements. Rippetoe's the best source for dispelling myths about barbells, arguing convincingly that preadolescents, women and seniors can and should lift / deep squats are the safest squats / correct technique allows knees to safely go a bit over the toes and makes explosive cleans perfectly safe. My only problem is the myths he himself espouses about Nautilus and other machines, especially single joint machines. To say that such devices yield no muscular gains is simply not true, and tendonitus supposedly caused by Nautilus single joint work is just as easily avoided with good technique as big-lift problems are avoided.