Reviews (5)

Condescending
What a condescending, supercilious and smarmy piece of crap.Even the title is a slap at bodybuilders, many of whom work very hard to perfect their physiques.Would Klein have written similarly about B.K.S. Iyengar, the world's great yoga teacher, who practices yoga
Predetermined interpretation
As a lifter (but not a bodybuilder), and trained as an anthropologist, I expected this to be a fun and illuminating book, especially in light of some of the other reviews.I think this is a decent book--Klein writes well and captures gym flavor decently--but not a good one.It seems to me that Klein had already decided, prior to his empirical work, that bodybuilding was an outgrowth of or response to a sense of inadequacy.As far as I can tell, he never puts his interpretation to any kind of test: rather, he merely picks out those facts that support his interpretation and glosses them with a great deal of unsupported speculation.There is actually counterevidence to some of his claims in the book, but he never deals with it as such.All in all, I think it is a shame to spend seven years doing fieldwork only to rehearse a fairly standard bias against bodybuilders.If you read this book, balance it with another Roland S. Persson's short book Big Bad & Stupid or Big Good & Smart, which is a more controlled and better evidenced study.Persson's book is hard to find, but exposes some of the kinds of bias implicit in Klein's study.

an interesting book for anybody who weight trains
When I was a little kid Use to marvel at many of the bodybuilders. Arnold Swartzengger was my childhood hero. I bought flex magazine regulary. I bought Weider training videos. When I was 12 years old I bought all this bodybuilding stuff and I wanted to look like Arnold when I grew up. Well somewhere along the way I lost interest in bodybuilding and got more interested in sports in high school. This book explains why young teenager boys 7are lured to bodybuilding because they are insecure and want to make up for it by being very muscular and strong. This book did an excellent job of explaining the lifestyle of the bodybuilder and the motives why they became bodybuilders. I found much of the information true, however on some occasions I think the author's analysis was flawed. For instance the author said something along the lines that bodybuilders just have big muscles, but don't have enough strength to lift very heavy weights. So they just look strong, unlike powerlifters who can lift very heavy weights. This is not true bodybuilders don't lift very heavy weights because they wan't to isolate muscles rather than try to lift the most weight. Many bodybuilders could bench press just as much as a powerlifter if they used bad form, arched their back,and wore bench shirts. Other than that this book was fantastic! This book reveals how bodybuilder is more like an addiction rather than dedication for many bodybuilders. Many bodybuilders couldn't stop lifting weights if they wanted to. It really is a depressing book to read. Bodybuilders spend as much as 8 hours a day in a gym some of that time training, some of socialicing. This book reveals how bodybuilders throw their life away to the gym and because of it they fail to develop the necessary friendships and social skills necessary for a healthy life. This book reveals bodybuilders are dirt poor and because of that they often resort to prostiution and selling steriods just to get by. I remeber my classmates telling me not to get into bodybuilding because most of them are gay, after reading this book I realize my friends were right and I am glad I didn't go into bodybuilding. This book reveals their is a lot more risks in bodybuilding besides steroids. Anyone who is seriously considering bodybuilding should read this book first so they know exactly the lifestyle they will be getting into. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Bodybuilding for women    4. Masculinity    5. Men's Studies - Masculinity    6. Social aspects    7. Sociology    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. United States   

Reviews (4)

Excellent on theory, planning, and price. Mediocre on technique and mechanics.
It is hard not to give this book five stars. The author has labored hard and honestly to present deep, extensive, and insightful information on a specialized subject, on which few people could even scratch its surface.Not only his hard labor that earns him credit, but also his open mindedness and intimate association with physical training has that rendered his work believable. This book will survive its author, as one of the best references on planning strengthening routines. Needless to say, its cover design is simple, thoughtful, and smart.
Thorough
This book is a very comprehensive guide towards setting and properly adjusting your workout routine, with hundreds of specific exercises and a clear explanation of the different types of muscle movements and resistance types.Very useful, although "encyclopedic" is right - it is dense and overwhelming enough to be a bit hard for the beginning weight trainee, although the book attempts to overcome this by offering a few pre-made workouts in the book for specific strength and muscle goals.

A lot of information
I liked this book.Hence, I'm writing this review!I would say the book is geared towards intermediate and beyond weight trainers.The book contains many many workout routines which could prove to be a bit overwhelming for the novice lifter.Whole chapters are devoted to strength routines, bodybuilding (hypertrophy) routines, etc.As a strength training devotee I enjoyed reading the "russian squat" routine among others included in the book.I think most serious weight trainers would enjoy this book... it's definitely not watered down stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Muscle strength    4. Reference    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Weight training    8. Fitness training   

Reviews (8)

Nice for the pictures, but otherwise not clear
Cheng Man-Ch'ing is a cult figure in taiji, with a fiercely loyal group of followers.Certainly he was a master, and this book provides excellent photos of him doing the form.But taiji is all about movement and feeling, and still photos can't convey the quality of movement or hint at the internal mechanics of the art.So if you want to use the book to learn the form, forget it.If you have a good teacher, and want the book as a source of inspiration, by all means, buy it.If you're a Cheng Man-Ching fan, keep in mind that he talked and wrote about taiji, but much of his power was derived from nei gong, including the small and great heavenly circulations, that he kept a closely held secret, for reasons that remain unclear.Temper what he says with the understanding that he held back as much as he offered, and you won't be frustrated by doing the form over and over without getting anywhere near the benefits Cheng derived.Bottom line is that the book is an artifact and a good one, and it was one of the first books in English on taiji.As a learning tool, it is limited.

Classic work
This might have been the first work in English on tai chi, and Smith was Cheng Man Ching's first western or American student. It's still one of the best introductory tai chi books out there. The photos of Cheng's form are worth the price of the book by themselves, his form being impeccable as usual and a high benchmark we should all strive to attain.
not that clear
I've practiced CMC's short form for a few years before I read this book. The bulk of the book is form sequence pictures, but as another reviewer wrote, these are mirror-image pictures and are awkward to use. Another book, "The Tai Chi Book : Refining and Enjoying a Lifetime of Practice" by Robert Chuckrow, explains the tai ji concepts clearer and the form sequence pictures are not mirrored even though he's writing about the same thing and the same 37 posture form. Learning the flow of the form from any sequence of pictures would be difficult, but comparing body positions to pictures can be useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. General    4. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    5. Martial Arts - Taichi    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Oriental martial arts   

Reviews (4)

General Info, maybe too general...
The author obviously knows the subject matter.He seeks to write a very basic, general manual on beginning bodybuilding.The setup is very easy to follow, with chapters each discussing a different topic and seldom exceeding more than two pages.His best chapters are the ones on Creatine and other supplements, since this is his area of expertise. Superb information in an easy to read format
This book is presented in a straight-forward and easy to read format.Each of the "50 Ways to Build Muscle Fast" is summarized and then followed with supporting information.The book has utilized pictures and charts to keep the reader's attention.The short chapters (there are 50) can be read individually or as I did, in one sitting.Everything from "Accepting your genetics" to "Getting Enough Sleep" is included in a logical format. Asolid book for a solid workout
I found this book full of useful information not only for the beginner but for someone who has been working out for a while. Each chapter is easy to read and understand, the information is useful and straight forward. Thisbook offers good solid information for a good solid workout. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Exercise    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Bodybuilding    7. Fitness & diet    8. Fitness training    9. Health & Fitness / Exercise    10. Diet    11. Health    12. Beauty   

Reviews (17)

This Book is AWESOME
I bought this book as something to help me use the equipment at the gym.I was surprised to find it also offered exercises I can do at home without expensive equipment.The diagrams and pictures are wonderful and I absolutely love the page that shows the muscles so if I want to have a targeted workout I can pick a few muscles and easily find the pages that show me how to do the exercises.The best part is there is no expensive equipment to buy to do the exercises. I've taken this book to the gym to follow the exercises and now the gym is selling it!Several co-workers and friends have also borrowed it and are interested in getting their own copy.

Excellent beginners book
I bought this book to start free weight training at home.It is wonderful for home use.The author describes the benefits of weight training and how to lift weights properly(which I found very useful as a first time weight lifter).I love the descriptions that the author gives for each exercise.The author also color codes which exercises to do for each level of training.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is first starting out with free weights.

Good Beginning to Change my Body Book
This really is a good book. There are different exercises for beginner, intermediate and advanced. There are pictures for all exercises. If it was spiral bound it would be perfect. I say by it and try it for 2 weeks. What do you have to lose other than a few pounds. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Consumer Health    3. Exercise    4. Exercise for women    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Physical fitness for women    8. Weight training for women    9. Women's Health - General    10. Health & Fitness / Women's Health   

Reviews (6)

New Edition is Way Better
I'm a multi sport athlete who trains all year round regardless of what sport I play. I bought a few of these Ultimate Guide to Weight Training books, and they definitely helped me train specifically for the different sports that I play. Then about a year later I received an email from amazon that there was a new edition out.These upgraded editions are even better than the originals, with more articles and a lot more sport-specific information. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who plays a lot of sports or wants to specifically focus on training for one sport in particular.

very informative
The illustrations are excellent. This book offers all the help you need to get started in your training for rugby. It even provides charts so you can keep a record of your progress.

good for me
i quite liked the book, as the routine i was using had become very stale, and i have noticed improvements from following these routines for the last two months
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Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Rugby    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sports & Recreation / Bodybuilding & Weight Training    6. Sports & Recreation / Rugby    7. Sports & Recreation / Training    8. Training    9. Athletic Training And Conditioning    10. Exercise    11. Health & Fitness    12. Physical education and training   

Reviews (6)

Perfect Gift for My Husband
As soon as my husband started flipping through this book, he was so excited. I surprised him with it on Valentine's Day, and within a couple of minutes, he was checking out trick shots that had always eluded him, shots that he always wanted to learn, some he had never seen before, and some that he was doing incorrectly. It has great diagrams and excellent explanations. We whole-heartedly recommend this book!

A great addition to you pool library
Highly entertaining, and informative to boot, even for regular, non-trick play.Anyone who already has Byrnes Standard Book of Pool and Byrne's Advanced should also get this, and his Wonderful World of Pool & Billards book, as all four volumes regularly refer to (useful) information in eachother.While this is MOSTLY a fun book about cute tricks shots (and possibly profitable ones, if you can master them and find suckers for bar bets), your casual, league and even tournament play can learn a few good pointers from the materials herein.

Super-Excellent, Awesome Book for Trick Shots!
This book covers the classics, such as the football shot, butterfly shot, machine gun shot, just showin' off, etc, plus variations, (i.e. masse machine gun shot) lesser known shots, and shots by the author. Some require almost no skill at all, while making others could keep pros happy all day. Read more

Subjects:  1. Billiards    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Games    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles    6. General    7. Pool (Game)    8. Pool, Billiards, Snooker    9. Snooker, billiards, pool    10. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (39)

Good Info, But...
...the book, as many have noted, is pricey.The other thing that bothered me was the tone.Pavel more than occasionally dismisses other perspectives in the most childish ways, referring to preferences for "pink dumbbells" and making declarations like, "Go get a manicure" to "effeminate" people who apparently don't train correctly.Can we be interested in improving our bodies without acting childish?

The Skill of Strength....and some advertisements to boot
What can I say?Pavel is always a blend of the best and the worst in the fitness genre.He has some of the most intriguing, refreshing, hard-to-find, scientifically proven information out there.Like him or hate him, one cannot deny his genius and authority.At the same time, he is a salesman without peer.I'm glad to see him enjoying the benefits of free-market capitalism, but he could do without adding so much fluff and hyperbole to his books.His rhetoric can leave the uninitiated distrusting numerous other exercise methodologies, many of which are legitimate.Yes, as Pavel says there has been a softening of the fitness industry in america, but one does not have do subscribe to his version of "hardcore" fitness to see results.
Bodyweight Exercises
This book is excellant.Even though my personal focus isn't bodyweight exercises, I still consider this book valuable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Consumer Health    4. Exercise    5. Healthy Living    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Weight Training   

Reviews (6)

A Good Intro to the World of Plyometrics
This book does an excellent job introducing the topic of plyometrics to the reader.It discusses the different types and categories of jumps as well as the varying intensities.It even gives sport specific plyos as well as sample programs.However, this is not the definitive book on plyometrics.I think of it as more as a good reference tool.I would really recommend "High-Powered Plyometrics" for even more in depth info on this wonderful method of training.

Excellent Resource for your Personal Library
This is an excellent resource for the Strength & Conditioning professional. To begin with you get a little history and physiology of plyometrics. Then the author dicusses some of the basic nomenclature of plyometric training, along with the equipment that is needed. We use Donald Chu's techniques every day.
As a high school volleyball coach, I've found Donald Chu's book a terrific help in increasing our team's "credit card" jump reaches! Using Chu's techniques, we've noticed a great improvement in team performance and quickness, and I've been extremely pleased with the results.Read more

Subjects:  1. Athletic Training And Conditioning    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Exercise    4. Physical education    5. Physical education and trainin    6. Physical education and training    7. Plyometrics    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Training    11. Fitness training   

Reviews (1)

Fantastic reference work, and very entertaining
There is only one billiards encyclopedia in the world better than this one (and it costs upwards of [$$]!)This is a *great* reference on the terminology, history, and facts of pool, billiards, snooker and other cuesports, written by the curator of the Billiard Archive (i.e., he knows what he's talking about.)I can't recommend this enough.The trade paperback version is more affordable than the hardback, but I'm really happy to have the hardback version. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Encyclopedias    3. Pool, Billiards, Snooker    4. Reference    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (50)

Good overall guide with more exercises than most weight training books.
I have searched MANY books on weight training and have found this to be the most comprehensive, offering the most variety of exercises - suitable for home and gym alike.This is by far the most inclusive book I have found, and turn back to it frequently so that I can keep my work-out varied.
Excellent info for building a woorkout plan
We found this book to be an excellent resource for us. We were trying to develope a workout plan for us and this book has all the answers. We could find specific exercises for each body area and it helped us to blend weights with an aerobic program. Highly recommended!

I'm no athlete
I checked this book out of the Library, xeroxed the parts I liked and use the exercises to get in shape for a trip.In three months, there was a noticable difference.What I like best is there are so many charts set up in a series of routines broken down by what you want to work towards.For someone like me who knows nothing of sports or exercise, it was a big help. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Fitness & diet    5. Fitness training   

Reviews (3)

Not for the average person
Briefly, this book is definitely a recap of what you see over a year of Iron Man magazines. But let's face it...has the bench press chnaged at all in 30 years? Info like this is repetitive because of that reason. This book does a great job of going over the same material everyone has.
A good book
Basically, the book seems to be a culmination of different issues ofIronMan magazine. This book gives some pretty good tip's and a bunch ofworkout routines (Although some are a bit advanced). If you've beencollecting IM mags for a long time you'll be familiar with some of the infothat is in this book.

Best Buy on the Market
Ironman's "Ultimate Guide to Building Muscle Mass" isone of the best buys on the market.you get thetrue information of how most of the current bodybuilders train along with a how-to-guide that includes the best mass-building routines of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Healthy Living    6. Muscle strength    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (3)

New Edition is Way Better
I'm a multi sport athlete who trains all year round regardless of what sport I play. I bought a few of these Ultimate Guide to Weight Training books, and they definitely helped me train specifically for the different sports that I play. Then about a year later I received an email from amazon that there was a new edition out.These upgraded editions are even better than the originals, with more articles and a lot more sport-specific information. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who plays a lot of sports or wants to specifically focus on training for one sport in particular.

Excellent Book - Helped My Teams
I purchased this book as an athletic director.I got this and the other sports books in the series.I received excellent feedback on the tennis book.The coach did not know much about training, but said the book is easy to read and understand.even the exercises he did not know how to do, there were photos and descriptions which made it easy for the players to use it.Definitely worth it.

Good general not sport specific
It is a good guide to weight training for someone just starting out and it is easy to understand. But, If you have any other books in the series you do not need this one. The tennis guide is very much like the one for soccer. This book is not very sport specific, if you are looking for a strengh and conditioning book more sport specific to tennis, Complete Conditioning for Tennis by the USTA would be a more valuable resource. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Tennis    5. Training    6. Sports training & coaching   

Reviews (50)

How One Book "Shaped" A Life....
I received this book in 1980 when I was fifteen years old. The funny thing is, I don't really remember how it came to me. Did I receive it as a gift? Did I buy it? I don't really remember, all I remember is that I owned a copy of this book and it really changed my life.
Makes you go to sleep.
This is a long over written book, I know Arnold has lot to say about body building, but the text is so boringly written, it should be sold as a sleeping pill.

The Pump.. It's Great Right?
The Education of a Bodybuilder is one of the greatest books I've read. Obviously it's in no comparison to say MacBeth or something like that, but it is as entertaining as it is educational. In the first portion of the book Arnold tells his life story of how he got into bodybuilding, his trial and error process, and ultimately leads up to his first Olmpia win. There are many great stories in between that make both for a good laugh, and also serve as motivation. Secondly, there is a section in the middle that has many of his photos from various contests, teen-Olmypia's. The last part of the book is an intro to certain styles of lifting and techniques, followed by some programs/splits to use as you progress. Overall, I'de say it's the best book I've ever read but that may be because I idolize Arnold and respect the work ethnic he had to become in my eyes the greatest bodybuilder of all time. Either way, I think anyone even semi-interested in exercise, bodybuiling or even a good read will thoroughly enjoy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Actors    2. Biography    3. Bodybuilders    4. Bodybuilding    5. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    6. Massage & Reflexotherapy    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Biography: sport    10. Sports & Recreation / Bodybuilding & Weight Training   

Subjects:  1. Anatomy    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Human Exercise Physiology    4. Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Weight Training    8. Fitness Training    9. Sports & Recreation / Bodybuilding & Weight Training    10. Strength Training   

Reviews (7)

An Excellent and Easy to Follow Handy Guide on Arms Training

Amazing book!
This book is really great! The techniques included in this book are very effective & true.

good info for beginners
The book is targetedfor beginners.If you are
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Subjects:  1. Arm exercises    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Diet / Health / Fitness    4. Exercise    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Reference    8. Bodybuilding    9. Fitness & diet   

Editorial Review

Bob Anderson is the author of Stretching, a flexibility handbook that has sold in the millions. Bill Pearl, a bodybuilding legend, is coauthor of Read more

Reviews (11)

Missing Pages
I just received this book from Amazon and was greatly dismayed to find that pages 119 - 150 are missing, and pages 89 - 118 are repeated in their place.That's like Ford shipping a car with the engine installed in the trunk - what a basic mistake!Now I have to go through the effort to return the book and wait 7 - 10 days for a refund after they get it back!
Humble, practical and result oriented
In 1996 after I went to US from India, within a year, I was overweight and then the fitness blues started. I went thru several cycles of extreme exercising, dieting, painandgive-up. During the same time I wanted to find a no-nonsense fitness literature. One of the criterias of my search was to avoid the books boasting photographs of ideal bodies. When I saw this book, I trusted my instinct and bought it. For four months I followed the programs (from this book) from "program before program" to "basic program 2" and reduced several kilos. During this time, I did not clearly follow very important advise from the book about increasing the training progressively. I had to give up because I was doing too much after getting encouraged by initial results.
A Good Start!
Whether you are a couch potato or ex-jock, Getting in Shape presents a straightfoward, descriptive, illustrated guide to fighting the battle of the bulge.
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Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Exercise    3. General    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Physical fitness    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Fitness & diet   

Reviews (5)

An Excellent and Easy to Follow Handy Guide on Chest, Back & Shoulders Training

An excellent book for beginners
This is the 2nd book on weight lifting I've read.The first one being "Muscle Logic" which was both difficult to grasp as a beginner, and also a very unrealistic program to actually accomplish (read it and you'll see why you couldn't do this unless you owned your own gym).
Lots of Routines
I have read a few body-building books and think this one, along with the other books in the same series (arms, legs, abs, etc), are the best to date.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding    2. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    3. Chest weights    4. Diet / Health / Fitness    5. Diet/Nutrition    6. Exercise    7. Health & Fitness    8. Shoulder exercises    9. Fitness & diet    10. Sports & Recreation / Bodybuilding & Weight Training   

Reviews (33)

Triple H is THE GAME
This book is a rather good read, even though it does leave a lot out. Triple H is one of my all time favorites, only being outshown by Undertaker. I wish that this book would have went more in-depth into his life, his relationship with Chyna, his friendships,etc. But Triple H is not overweight like some reviewers have said. Did you see the pictures in the book? The man is rock solid. Give him a break, he's busy with expecting a child. Obviously some people haven't went through a pregnancy with their wives.

Time to play the OVERWEIGHT game.
Have any of you guys actually seen triple h lately. The man is obese. I have to admit before he left on his four-month vacation, back in June 2005, he was in pretty good shape. Then he came back to the WWE on their special homecoming episode in October 2005 and man he was huge. It looked like he was the one pregnant, not Stephanie McMahon. It seems like triple h has been having too many burgers and not lifting enough weights.
triple h's approach to a better body
gave me all the information i was looking for from a professional and reliable source ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1969-    2. Bodybuilding    3. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    4. General    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Triple H.,