Customer Reviews

Beginning Bodybuilding: Real Muscle/Real Fast

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the perfect book for anyone who is considering bodybuilding. I spent more than a year working out without seeing any results. In less than a month following this plan, I gained mass faster than ever. 5 Stars.

There are things I liked and disliked about this book - but I have 'gone away with something', and for me that is good enough.

The main points I took:
- The full body workouts (I've always done split training), so this is definitely something I want to try.
- How to calculate your personal ideal rep range for each muscle group.

Pros:
- The whole layout (design-wise) is awesome.
- Each exercise is very clearly explained and has excellent pictures (of both the start and finish position).
- Covers steroid use in the bodybuilding world - which many beginners people don't realize and set unrealistic goals (then end up giving up).
- For someone new to training, some of the routines will definitely start them off well, and they should see results - but I also think some routines are very advanced.
- The "Max Contraction System" was interesting.

Cons:
- Majority of the book is just different routines and how to do the exercise.
- Not much on nutrition - John doesn't seem to find that it as important as training (I think it is!!!)
- It sometimes feels like the book is a huge ad for Nautilus.
- John finds a lot of faults with the way others do things - I'd even call him a 'hater' based on some of his comments.

This program sets forth a step-by-step, month-by-month blueprint for building muscle naturally and intelligently. The book is very well written and presented, with each exercise described and illustrated in detail. The author emphasizes intense workouts followed by sufficient rest periods as the most efficient formula for growing muscle. Following several months of foundational training, the author provides an overview of his Max Contraction System designed to efficiently work the muscle at peak contraction for maximum benefit.

This book is horrible. The descriptions and pictures of the movements are ok, but the routines are derivative and contradict each other. In Little's previous major contributions (Power Factor, Static Contract, Max Contraction), he followed a line of reasoning that lead increasingly away from the standard Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 2 or 3 sets, 10 reps routines, and laughed at routines like supersetting etc. Anyone who read those books and agreed with his assumptions was forced to agree that these new systems presented useful innovations to strength training and bodybuilding.

But now with this book he completely tosses out all his previous reasoning, and tries to fit Max Contraction into a greater overall progressive scheme that *includes* the previous types of training he said was pointless.

And to make it even more annoying, like so many other acolytes of Any Rand's supposed "Objectivism" who confuse *fondness* for reason with an *ability to reason well*, he constantly maintains this attitude of superior rationality, railing against straw-men presentations of "mysticism" and irrational thinking... and then he goes on to offer his own mystical digressions (the story about Hercules for example) and irrational thinking ("Giant sets" aren't really multiple sets even though it looks like you're doing different sets with different exercises because you don't rest in between exercises, like you do in "straight sets"; and since you don't rest between exercises, you won't overtrain, because we all know that resting leads to overtraining... right?). These intellectual shenanigans would be nearly excusable from a bodybuilder if he didn't constantly pose as a Master of Reason who "Has It All Figured Out", and with just the slightest bit of humility and perspective on the evolution of his own thoughts as presented in his books he ought to see and admit that he has NOT figured it all out.

So between his pretentious attitude and the fact that there is almost zero novel information in this book, and especially considering the confused mish-mashing of the sequence of development he presents, I find it hard to imagine that *any* beginner would be able to separate the wheat from the chaff here, and anyone who can do that likely doesn't need this book for any reason.

And seriously, did he drug test the guys who posed for the pics in his book? If he's going to devote a chapter to bashing 'roids (which he should), the least he can do is give positive role models of people who don't look like poster boys for the black market.

Buying this book was an utter waste of money.

Is this a book for beginners? Yes and no. Yes, in that it starts of with simple rules and guidance for beginners. No, in that, it soon develops into a complicated and advanced system that is definitely not for the beginner.

Also, if you know Mike Mentzer's theories, this book is not much more than grand theft of his material in my opinion.

There are good, detailed breakdowns of exercises and plans. There are clear explanations of the theories.

Truthfully, this is the type of training most experienced bodybuilders cannot hack. So I don't know how you can expect a beginner to do it effectively.

I do believe in the Mentzer principles. I do not beleive this is a good book for beginners though.

I am not a bodybuilder but have read articles on strength training by Mr. Little that made sense to me. I exercise purely for health and function. This book was a bad choice for me. If you like high intensity weight training, there are much better choices than this book. It also seems to contradict other advice given by this author. He states in the introduction that this book is written for beginners who should train more frequently, but he gives only vague advice on when to change frequency. He gives an example of training one man on a once a week "max contraction" routine with great results, then advises three days a week for his readers. In other books/articles by this author he writes that after about 2 to 6 months of training you should go to once a week training.
The "Max Contraction" routine he prescribes has no exercises at all for the glutes and low back, essential for running/walking movement and spine stabilization. This is a major omission for someone concerned with general fitness and function. This type of training requires spotters and machines, and is impractical for most people. Recent studies show full muscle fiber/motor unit involvement using lighter weights and a full range of motion which is probably safer for most people.
Look for something by Wayne Wescott,for general fitness, or Ellington Darden if you're into bodybuilding stuff.
Griff