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I love this book. It was a great read for me to start lifting weights from just doing cardio. It has really helped me see the benefits of heavy lifting and how I can do it and become strong and healthy. :) Thanks for such an awesome book for women that busts the myth that women shouldn't lift heavy.
I love this program. This program hits all areas of my body and has made a new woman out of me. It has done my body a world of good. I'm 68 years old and in good general health, but needed a program to stengthen my body. I love the workout recording sheets, which are a great help in keeping track of my program. I have participated in many fitness programs over my lifetime and I can say this one and Rachel Cosgrove's program are the best.
I bought this book a year and a half ago in hardcover form. There is absolutely no point in putting forth the effort to work out if there's not going to be any reward. So the workouts in this book aren't intense enough for me.
Enough was enough and when I decided to burn off the lard, and this was just the thing to get me back into the game. Instead of a bunch of drivel about "toning" and "sculpting" like you find in so-called women's magazines, the authors get right to the point. I trained martial arts and bodybuilder style in the past, but for a variety of reasons I let myself get very fat following a knee injury.
But if you're recovering from an injury or you're new to bodybuilding it's great.One of the things I like best about this book is the fact it's not patronizing. I also recommend Tom Venuto's "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle". These days I'm back to my usual 3-day split with at least two workouts per day.
YES, we DO want to look like we lift weights. A workout program in which a person still looks and feels like a ball of Jell-O afterwards is not effective or worthwhile.
Not that it is totally devoid of any readable text, the writing is actually enjoyable and friendly, and it comes in a very balanced tone. If you're like me, and your actions are dictated by your understanding, then this is the right book for you. Seldom are there "training" books that actually go right into the heart of the matter than this. It became a habit of mine to plan my workouts after my weight management sessions so I can really attest to it that writing it down cements it in your brain and therefore makes you more committed. Anyway, I bought this as an e-book from B&N since I didn't want to carry a book around with me. Ive taken Weight management sessions with a coach and this definitely has a same philosophy of getting it right but being flexible as to where you are, but nonetheless committed. Before you know it you'll master it.Not many trainers would give this kind of information since many would just hire them and not think about what they are doing in the gym.
But if you're more advanced, maybe it could help, but after reading tons of stuff from figure athlete dot com it looks like you would probably be better of going there for more advanced stuff. Usually you would get motivational speeches, excerpts, stories from their previous successful clients or whatever to fill up more pages of honestly, stuff you can go without. I can probably call myself an intermediate person in terms of know how so I feel that this book can be of great help to me. For beginners its pretty friendly in terms of explanation, but you may need a pen and paper to write everything down to keep everything in mind. Just be patient with yourself and just think of it as learning to play an instrument (only easier) and getting used to how it feels. Although I always believe that going back to the basics always keeps you successful in whatever you do. Thank God for that so I could read it right away and not have to go to a store and get it.If I lose this book I would definitely buy it again for repeated reference to it, and I'd definitely recommend this book to others.
I have not deviated from the program in any way other than maybe not resting as long as it says to between sets. Legs show more definition and feel stronger; butt is taking on a leaner look. I chose fairly light weights so I wouldn't exhaust my dumbbell assortment - and I slowly creep up, sometimes only a pound or two at a time. The book leaves it up to you to decide at what weight to start with. You'll need a variety of dumbbells, a stability ball in place of an incline bench, some bands or tubes for the pulldowns. It's simple, straight forward, yet thorough and progressive.
Don't let the 'simple' fool you, it can be extremely hard at times, but not impossible. I would recommend it for anyone who doesn't have access to a gym and has to make do with items found in most home gyms. I am a personal trainer and decided to give this program a try so I would know whether or not to recommend it. Who khew. I've made it almost through Stage 5 and I can tell you my arms, shoulders and core have been transformed. My body was strong before but never this proportioned. Only piece of equipment I did purchase for this program was a pull-up bar.
If you're looking for isolation moves, you won't find them here. So far this works surprisingly well. You'll be as sore as you want, depending on how heavy you lift. Little space is required. It's all about training smarter, not harder. I was surprised at the one exercize that never fails to make my triceps sore - the prone cobra. It was inexpensive and something I'll be using for years to come.
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