Customer Reviews

Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Sports

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Bill Pearl retired from professional bodybuilding after winning the Mr. Universe Contest for the fourth time in 1971 at 41 years of age. The weight training wisdom in this book is timeless. Although the illustrations are basic line drawings in black and white I found them to be more helpful and easier to follow than any other book on weight training. This book is well organized and quite complete at nearly 500 large (8.5" x 11") pages.

The book is roughly broken down into these chapters:

Table of Contents & Author's Introduction - Bill Pearl writes a short autobiography brimming with his experiences and love for sport of bodybuilding.

General Conditioning - This section explains a basic general conditioning program (3 examples are given), how to get started, and special considerations for women athletes. It includes a story of Gary Moran, who tried to skip his rest day between weight training days, and the weightlifting experiences of track and field champion, Mary Peters.

Bodybuilding - Programs for bodybuilders form beginning to competitive are explained here. Most of the programs are three-days a week. The competitive program is a rotates through all muscle groups in three days, repeats this three days and suggests a day of rest for the remaining day. Bill Pearl shares his own training program and closes with a series of cautions and stories.

Strength Training for Sports - This chapter begins with a very good explanation of sports training principles followed by cardiovascular training. Also included are weight training exercise programs for 22 different sports.

Exercises for Free Weights - This section includes over 100 pages of the most helpful weight training drawings of any book on the market broken down by muscle group. The book is worth its price based on this section alone.

Nautilus Machines

Electronic Gym

Stretching - This is a short chapter. I have found myself using Anderson's Stretching as complement to this book.

Fit for Work

Fit for Life - Bill and co-author Gary Moran, PhD. explore issues of childhood and old age in regard to weightlifting. It includes a special program for weightlifters over 50 years old.

Hardware - This chapter gives helpful hints for choosing a gym. He also compares free weights and various exercise machines.

Muscles

Injuries

Nutrition - This chapter deals with the macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) as well as other good advice on nutrition. Bill Pearl became a vegetarian at age 39, although he is not dogmatic about this to others. His insights into life as a vegetarian bodybuilder are quite good.

Drugs - Bill and Gary take a stand against steroids.

History - This section is a brief 18 page history from ancient times until the present (although mostly pre-1960).

This book is a great resource for anyone looking for a good "database" of excercises and workouts. It probably best fits an "independent" person who wants to design his/her own workouts and routines and is looking for excercises that do not require a rediculous machine in the gym. Nearly all of the excercises rely on free weights and can very well be performed at home or any gym. The book also explains quickly the basic principles behind the different workouts, how to choose the number of reps, diet basics, etc.

Finally, the one thing I LOVED about this book is the complete and total absence of the motivational .... most books of this type are full of. If you just want to get in shape, stay in shape, build muscle, prepare yourself during a sport offseason, etc. and want none of the "How I lost 30 pounds in 3 months by eating more and excercising less" - THIS IS IT. The guiding principle of the books is - if you want to have results you need to do the work, if you want to do the work here is how.

This is a comprehensive book which anybody can learn from, whether you're a beginner or a hardcore, experienced bodybuilder. Bill Pearl's qualifications are unquestionable, and he takes the reader through his own training experiences, both good and bad. There are programs for general conditioning, beginning, intermediate, and advanced bodybuilding, and specific sports training, all of which are excellent. In addition, you can also find a chapter on "fine-tuning" specific body parts, as well as 26 pages of various illustrated free-weight exercises, for you to incorporate and mix up in a self-designed program. I enjoy this book as a female, because there is no special section for "weight training for women" - they are treated as equals, and referenced throughout the book. Also, this is a great reference for the home trainer, since it is much cheaper to buy a set of free weights to train with vs. expensive machines which limit your movements. Bill Pearl gives the reader plenty of exercises to choose from using free weights alone. He doesn't neglect machines, although he definitely stresses free weights more, as that is where the bulk of his own experience comes from. One more plus is that there are several pages which seem designed to be photocopied and brought to the gym (something I have done to give me general program guidance, and to help me come up with new ideas). He even has a tracking card in the back of the book to copy and fill out, so you can watch yourself progress.

Overall, I give this book my highest recommendation!

Bill Pearl, a former bodybuilding star, undertakes to explore the whole field of weight training, giving the reader a good basic understanding of how to craft a personalized weight training program. Pearl's book stands in stark contrast to much modern bodybuilding literature, which is written by authors more interested in building their bank accounts than building your muscles.

Pearl explores the whole field of weight training with brief chapters on almost any weight training subject you'd ever want to know about. He leavens his study with sound, safe, common sense advice. In addition to model bodybuilding regimens, he gives suggested training programs for numerous sports, from "all around athlete" to "wrestler". He also includes comprehensive descriptions of myriads of exercises. Pearl concludes his work with some observations on drug use and a brief history of bodybuilding.

A few years ago I became disgusted with most of what passes for weight training and bodybuilding literature and got rid of my considerable library on those subjects. "Getting Stronger" was one of the few books I kept.

I've had this book for 15 years; I've read a myriad of others, including all the magazine publications for muscle and fitness, and GETTING STRONGER is the most complete, comprehensive, easy to understand guide available. Whether you're a beginner, or advanced weight lifter, this book is a great reference tool and teacher.

This excellent book has been around for years and is still one of the greatest resources anyone can use to increase their physical strength or just get in shape. There are really few books out there of this quality that one can really claim are "for everyone". This is one of them.

Pearl breaks it down for the reader. You can plan your exercises around which sport you want to improve at or which body parts you want to emphasize. Each exercise or series of exercises is also layered according to fitness level. A great resource for anyone.

I've used this book for fourteen years and have gone through a couple of them [one criticism is the paper cover- a hardback version would be excellent].

An excellent exercise and training resource: Highly recommended.

This book is very easy to understand. The index has pictures of the different exercises for those of us that can't remember all of the names of the different exercises. The index is split into the different body parts (e.g shoulders..back..chest) The book also has sports specific information as well as diet info. A must read for all aspiring body builders and serious athlete's.

I have been out of weight training for some years now. Looking to get back into it, and into it right, I looked to the experts. This book was rated in the top 3 of all bodybuilding books available on the market. I bought it and have since begun an incredible re-entry into the sport. It is easy reading and to the point. It outlines great programs for all levels of fitness, all sports in which weight training is a necessary component of competitive performance, as well as just general health and well-being, delves into nutrition, support and encouragement. Well done Mr. Pearl.

When I decided to start exercising seriously I was 43. I reviewed countless books to see which might help me and more or less serve as a "fitness trainer". Pearl's book was unique. I largely followed his regimen and advice and now I am 57 and still working out four times a week with weights. His advice is right on target, intelligent, rational, honest, effective.

While I do not go for "records" any longer and am more or less on a "maintenance" program, at the age of 49 I bench pressed 405 pounds and undoubtedly could have gone higher in competition at body weight of 190 (and for a time considered competing in "Master`s" competitions). I eventually went lower in body weight, to around 179-180 and didn't worry about pushing myself harder on lifts. (I might add that when I first started lifting I weighed around 250 pounds.) Today, just a couple of months from 58, I still follow Pearl`s guidelines. They work, simply that. And if one wants to be healthy and is not aiming at heavy lifting, great, his advice applies. In fact, Pearl is first and foremost an intelligent guy whose first objective is health.

One of the best bodybuilding literature in the market for over a decade. Don't look anywhere else or you will end up reading the wrong material. No wonder why is still on the top ten bestselling list.