Customer Reviews

Extreme Muscle Enhancement: Bodybuilding's Most Powerful Techniques

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I got quite a bit of good information from this book and with that information I was able to finally bust through a plateau that I'd been struggling with for months. Could I have gotten this information for free off the Internet? Probably. But, I was getting tired of reading articles here and there and wanted one good source of information that I could read in the bathroom.

Colker's book was particularly helpful for me in that it got me away from machines and instead doing more free-weight exercises. I'm also doing way more squats and deadlifts. The section on supplements was very useful in that I was finally getting information from someone with a medical background instead of a web page that also sold supplements.

This book loses a star for me for lack of a good editor. There are frequent tangential digressions, some poor organization, and much confusion over when to use "then" versus "than". But, if you're not expecting the writing skill of a Hemingway, you probably won't be bothered by this stuff.

I do believe this book to be one of the best sources of information out there for the beginning male weightlifter. It lays out the basics and cuts through most of the garbage that most people will try to feed you.

The fact that it stays MOSTLY hardcore is very good. Most books do not even choose to venture this far into the extreme. The diet, supplements, and anabolics information is up to date. Even though such information becomes obsolete very quickly it's suprising that Dr. Colker was able to write a book using concise information that doesn't outdate.

For those who don't know Dr. Colker writes a column in Muscular Development magazine that used to be called MD's MD but was changed to Extreme Muscle Enhancement. Look there for futher information to keep you updated.

If the workout portion is a little too basic for those who are of advanced status then I'd recommend picking up Arnold Schwarzenegger's encyclopedia. It's better for the training portion and if you are serious about building your best body you should have one on your bookshelf anyways. In fact other good reads are things like Legal Muscle, Anabolics 2005, Building the Perfect Beast, Natural Hormonal Enhancement, Body for Life, ABsolution, Winning the Arms race, Hormonally Intelligent Exercise, The Metabolic Diet, CEO Muscle, Eating For Life, Stella's Kitchen, The Anabolic Diet, The Precontest Bible, and The Steroid Bible. Even if you are all natural it is beneficial to know about anabolics (Dr. Colker goes in depth in his book about the pros and cons of usage. Instant death and/or depression are not actual cons)

Remember, one has to experiment to find out what works and what doesn't. Arnold's routine isn't going to work for Ronnie Coleman. Fles Wheeler's routine isn't going to work for Mike Mentzer. ANY pro's routine will most likely not work for you. The routine that Dr. Colker advises doesn't cover all bases but I'm assuming that he expects you to traverse on your own and find what works. Some people can build awesome backs without deadlifts (Will Harris) and some people couldn't live without it (Johnnie O. Jackson). The one thing that you must always remember is that you cannot overemphasize the basics, and this is what the book is all about. Keeping it BASIC and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

All that aside Arnold built his legs with Front Squats (little know fact) but such a movement is not basic and many people who attempt it without someone there who KNOWS how to do it properly can hurt themself. The same goes for deadlifts.

Also dips (if you look at the motion as if you were lying down) are basically decline presses for the chest. If you do them for triceps it works well but most people would do them on a bench and as an MD, Dr. Colker wouldn't recommend that.

After reading this book as a supplement and NOT a bible I have improved my gains significantly. Yes I keep in my deadlifts and front squats. Yes I do eat some carbohydrate sources on lifting days. Yes I do take supplements outside of what is recommended. Yes I do behind the neck presses (correctly mind you). No I do not have any shoulder problems. No I am not getting weaker. No I am not on any anabolics. And no I do not work for any supplement or training affiliate.

To get you started here's a tip...

The company that publishes this book (prosource) has a webpage that sells supplements. Get the Nytrowhey Extreme to kill two birds with one stone. (ARGININE-AKG and CFM WHEY)

dont make the same mistake i did!! this is the first edition - do NOT buy this one --> get the 2nd edition!!! its the same price but has alot of new material!!!

I'd actually give this book 4.5 stars , but that wasn't an option. I've been working out for over 25 years. During that time I've done a lot right and a lot wrong. Most of it was just trial and error. I've had shoulder surgery, and actually blew a nerve in my neck. After twenty years you figure out what works and doesn't it. I am a hard gainer, and like to run. Lifted and ran 5 times a week for 12 years and never gained an ounce. During the first Gulf war, after eating 5000 plus calories a day , I actually started putting on a lot of muscle. I wish I had this book twenty years ago. It would have saved me a heck of a lot of time. I think the supplement part is a bit overdone. But honestly , probably 90% of getting in great shape is in diet, eating enough calories and protein, and eating often, particularly ,if like me you're a hard gainer. Two other books I would recommend are "Burn the Fat Feed the muscle" , by Tom Venuto (this may exist only as an ebook), and The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. Honestly that's all you need. Everything else is hype.

Dr. Colker's book Extreme Muscle Enhancement is an absolute must for anybody who wants to gain muscle. Its an easy read, he is able to explain the science behind his approach to nutrition in a way that is easy for anybody to understand. I have been following his nutrition and workout advice for a couple monhs now. My lifts have increased almost every time I workout. I have been working out with more intensity and energy yet I havent experiance any of the signs of overtraining. I have a huge library of bodybuilding, weightlifting and nutrion books, yet Extreme Muscle Enhancement is the only one I consistently go back to to reread and review. Extreme Muscle Enhancement is all you will ever need to learn how get huge!

This book is a must read for those wanting to get big. The workout and diet info is second to none. The author is a bit technical so if you are dumb you should start out with something simpler. Great analytical information on body types and how to design the most effecting program around your own type.
The author pushes for the natural body builder (which I highly applaud), and puts down steriod users, but he then praises pro-body builders who are juiced to the gills. Also his section on steriods is filled with false information. This would be a five star book if all the information was accurate.

This book is an excellent resource, with the added benefit of the author having trained with the bodybuilding greats as well as being a practicing sports medicine physician. This work is very up-to-date and contains information on some of the most recent supplements and ideals to hit the bodybuilding scene. Highly recommended.

This is a very interesting book. Any one who is lacking a good nutrition program should buy and read this book. Goes very in depth about what to and not to eat and also why eating the wrong things at the wrong time can be a disaster for your physique. Must read for any one wanting to improve their body.

This book is by far the best source of the latest information available to achieve optimum muscle. Easy reading and right to point with the essentials that are needed for understanding the process of getting maximum results. Definitely worth the money.

Dr. Colker's book is an eye-opening read. A lot of what I "thought I knew" about fitness and nutrition, he crushed! Normally, I just wouldn't believe something that went against my own knowledge, but he supports everything with science - not to mention making sense of a lot of the stuff that just wasn't working for me. My quest for my best body is on an entirely different course, now that I've read Extreme Muscle Enhancement. I've only been following the principles for about 3 weeks now and can already tell that I'm going in the right direction!