Practical Programming for Strength Training

This book like Mark Rippetoe's others is extremely well-written, dense with useful information and easy to understand. As a former physiology Teaching Fellow and research biochemist I give it my highest endorsement.

With respect to the content, it is well-researched, referenced and gets to the point quickly. Safety and technique are strongly emphasized as well as realistic expectations given your genetics and assuming you are NOT using steroids.

Another author I highly recommend is Stuart McRobert. His books are also excellent and in the same category particularly, Build Muscle Lose Fat Look Great: Everything You Need to Know to Transform Your Body and Beyond Brawn: The Insider's Encyclopedia on How to Build Muscle and Might (Brawn). Starting Strength by the same author as the book I'm reviewing is also excellent.

If you want to get BIG, do it safely and use scientifically proven methods using a natural approach I can't imagine any books better than this one and the ones I mentioned above. You don't need anything else... really! I was also a personal trainer at one time and I'm a hard-gainer, you can trust this information.

Very simply- This book covers a multitude of question regarding programming a strength training routine. You will definately learn when you read this book. Easy to understand and a good read.

Overall I found this book to be extremely informative and very straightforward. Mr. Rippetoe's style of writing can be understood by non-science oriented individuals as well as science-oriented individuals.

The concepts in this book can be applied to all sports ranging from football to bodybuilding. Not only does he teach you the how, but he explains the why. There is a "why" for novices, intermediates, and advanced athletes.

I truly wish I had this book when I first started training. The knowledge you get from this book coupled with the progress in your own training makes the price a steal!

I highly recommend it. I've used it in addition Coach Rippetoe's book "Starting Strength."

I can't add anything much to the other 10 reviews, all giving it 5 stars. I'm sure they have all covered it all, already.

GET THIS BOOK.

It should be your number one purchase ahead of all other training gear. Ahead of gym memberships, ahead of a bar and plates. Get this.

And number 2 is "Starting Strength" by the same authors.

You absolutely must read and LEARN what is in this book before wasting time reading the other rubbish out there in books, on websites, by countless authors making things more complex than they need be.

This book is gold. If you could send it back in time say, 20 years it would be worth its weight in gold. It would be priceless back in the days of muscle beach. Back then, good information was hard to get hold of unless you met some of the great trainers. Today, information is everywhere, but the quality of info. is sometimes dubious.

Get this book first and use it as your guide.

Hope that has convinced you. It really is better than all other books on the topic, if you are trying to decide between this and anything else, get THIS FIRST. You will thank me that you did.

Good luck.

I wish I could say this was the best book ever, but I think that honor goes to Starting Strength. Practical Programming is the best follow up book ever! It is a Must-Read for fans of the iron game, anybody that lifts or coaches other lifters.

Thank you, Rip, Lon and Glenn.