Customer Reviews

Mario Strong: Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder

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I received the book on Tuesday afternoon and immediately began reading it. By early Wednesday evening, I had finished the book cover to cover. There are several reasons why I was easily able to go through 400+ pages in little over a day.
The biggest reason is the author's writing style. While not complex the words flow very easily when read - so much so that it seems as if you aren't reading the author's words, but instead that he is sitting with you and is verbally telling you his story. His story of family, childhood, ups and downs but most importantly he shares his wealth of knowledge accumulated over four plus decades of first hand experience in the trenches of bodybuilding, nutrition and a healthy way of life.
For full disclosure, I was a member of Mario Strong's Staten Island Bodybuilding Club for several years in the late '70's and early '80's. So, while I was familiar with some of the stories he shared in Volume I as well as some of the author's fundamental positions on nutrition, fitness and overall health and well being, it was of great interest for me to read what I was familiar with for it was nostalgic and/or re-cemented that knowledge. Additionally to be exposed for the first time to some of the experiences of the author's last two decades and what he has fine tuned over that period of time was crystallizing.
However, on the downside - where was the chapter about me? ;-)
To be serious, a must read for anyone at any level of interest in fitness, nutrition and overall health and well-being!

I bought this book for my husband as a birthday gift. When it arrived, he opened the package and began to read it. Several hours later, he was still absorbed in its pages and I asked him what was so interesting. He replied, "This book is a story about an underdog who goes against the grain to not only better himself, but the world around him."
When my husband put the book down and left for the gym, I picked it up and began to read. I too found myself absorbed. Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder is similar to the Rocky Balboa films. It is about one man who challenges the status quo to achieve a quest. This book may not be for everyone. However, for those who can understand its message it is must have. I highly recommend it.

The book as written, including the family portions, make for a very enjoyable as well as informative read. Mario Strong presents his lifestyle in such a way that it seems like anyone who is really dedicated to change can accomplish their goals. It's also a pleasure that it is an easy read; you don't need to look up fancy terms to understand what he is presenting. For those who are searching for a natural way of living in a sometimes very un-natural world, and not miss out on real daily living, this book is highly recommended.

As a former student of Mario Strong's Staten Island Bodybuilding Club, I looked forward to reading his new book Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder. Mario's expertise is in the field of creating competitive physiques the old-fashioned way. Through perseverance, attitude, hard training, and strict nutrition. That is his style and this book brings his beliefs to the reader like none other.
If you want to learn how to get BIG and STRONG the right way, this book is for you. The training principles have proven themselves by the many trophies they helped to achieve. The nutrition advice is innovative and based on what the author has practiced for decades. The concepts and results speak for themselves.
The best part of this book is that it is about DRUG-FREE bodybuilding. Real bodybuilding - true muscle - lasting health - natural bodybuilding - by someone who lives the words he writes.
If you have a teenager looking to start weight training, this book would be a great idea to get him started on the right path towards building a strong and lasting foundation.

As a hard core body builder I spent years competing with the best in the gym and out. During the course of my training I tried almost everything to increase my mass and enhance my physique. After using steroids and seeing the results I did not believe I would be able to reach my goals without them. I simply configured them into my lifestyle as part of my diet. Today I know differently, unfortunately my lesson learned, like most, came the hard way; the end result however was learning how to achieve maximum results naturally. I found this book insightful and truly relevant to my interest. It showed me how there are others out there who realize that good things do come naturally with hard work and dedication. Not only am I recommending this book for others, I am also purchasing more copies as gifts for those I feel will be inspired by it.

It had been quite some time since I was able to pick myself up again and rejoin the world of the physically fit. I threw in the towel once I was diagnosed with an injury which effected my training; I was simply disgusted with myself mentally and physically. This book has inspired me to move on and regain the heart I once had for this sport. I have now learned to conquer my fears, injuries and other obstacles which once stood in my way. Excellent read, I highly recommend.

This review of Mario Strong: Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder, is one of the most difficult of reviews that I ever volunteered to compose. Mind you, the reader, my experience was limited to four years of being appointed as the `sole' film critic of my college newspaper. The Author, Mario Strong, is a friend, thus the dilemma teeters, should I be `brutally' honest, or decline the review? This dilemma yielded to my choosing the former option.
The author, allows the reader to view a personal window into his private life; mostly in previous years. The book's family album is a nice touch, reflecting on the honesty and sincerity of the author's pen. How can anyone believe what is written, if he doesn't believe in the author as a person? So, one may initially think, "Is the author, Mario Strong, selling and or endorsing some b.s.? That may be the first question as to the motive of the author's book. As I read on, I discovered that the author's main motive, and maybe sole motive, is to be strictly informative. On the high side, the information is motivational. I almost wanted to take notes and keep them as cheat sheets. On the low-end, some of the material may be repetitive. But, the repetition is necessary to reinforce the concept that Mr. Strong is presenting the reward of `if you follow the information the right way to bodybuilding, you will be healthy and possibly live a long life.' Mario informs the reader that the short-cut `steroid' way to bodybuilding is not only cheating one's internal system, and being morally wrong, but it is dangerous and one can die before their time. There are no shortcuts. Lift those weights and diet the correct way! Mr. Strong is talking about serious bodybuilding, a commitment, serious nutrition along with serious muscle groups. Yes, this is a serious, no-holds barred book.
Reflections of a Natural Bodybuilder is written in layman's terms - so put the dictionary back on the shelf. You may also want to ditch the chocolate chip cookies or that bag of processed potato chips. On a personal note to the author, I tend to think of Mario as a good ol' Brooklyn Boy from Staten Island who writes as he speaks. Or is it the other way around? In short, the book is helpful, informative, easy to read and enjoyable. For the health conscious individual, run, do not wait to purchase the book. It's about time we all take off the training wheels and get going to a healthier lifestyle.