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62 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for "abs", January 6, 2011
This review is from: The New Rules of Lifting for Abs: A Myth-Busting Fitness Plan for Men and Women Who Want a Strong Core and a Pain-Free Back (Hardcover)
Like another reviewer, I cringed when I heard the latest book in the "New Rules" series was "for Abs." However, this book is not just about getting "abs." In fact, you could trade out the word "abs" for mobility, performance, injury prevention, core, or back. I bought this book because: 1. I trust Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove to rely on solid scientific research and admit their own biases or limitations. 2. The other "New Rules" books completely changed my approach to fitness, and the proof is in my increased strength, improved body composition, better mobility, and more restful sleep because I no longer over-train like a maniac. Plus, I eat many more calories and never gained an inch. Cosgrove & Schuler helped me realize I was undereating (common among female fitness buffs). 3. I suffer from some painful injuries from the bad old days when I over-trained, as well as from imbalances that I still need to work on. Yes, I have tried physical therapy, but I know I need a new approach to my workouts as well. 4. My husband also wanted the book. He struggled for years to achieve muscle gains, but only when we purchased and followed the original "New Rules" programs did he see real results. 5. Lou Schuler is funny. The cover also promises that "New Rules for Abs" is a "myth-busting fitness plan for men and women who want a strong core and a pain-free back." Folks, this is not some cheesy book about getting a "six pack." This is a fitness plan that takes the long-term view, keeping your back and joints healthy for the long haul. I love the dynamic warmups, as well as the tweaks to tried-and-true exercises. I also appreciate the "core challenge" notes alongside every exercise. They not only help explain the fitness philosophy behind the exercises, but they also help me visualize the movements more clearly so I can get more out of them. The pictures are excellent, too. The workout phases look as challenging as ever -- if not harder than previous "New Rules" because of the additional core challenges. They are not just for "abs." Rather, they work the entire body. Women: Do NOT hesitate to buy this book or any of the books in the "New Rules" series. Trust me. You will not get "bulky." You do not have the testosterone to make that happen. Hit the weights heavy and hard, and you WILL gain strength and confidence. You WILL get a tighter, leaner physique. And with this latest "New Rules" book, you will also protect your back and increase your mobility for all your other activities, even cardio. Lou Schuler & Alwyn Cosgrove: If you are reading this, I want to thank you. You have no idea how much your books have changed my life. I am forever grateful to have stumbled upon the first "New Rules," and I can hardly wait to get started with this latest edition. Edited to add: The book mentions Valslides for dynamic stabilization exercises. Instead of spending ~$40 on the "Valslides," get these: Waxman 4704095N 9-1/2-Inch by 5-3/4-Inch Reusable Oval EZ Sliders, White. You will only pay $12.95 (as of 1/12/2011) for four, and they work the same. I want to add that I have gone through the A & B workouts in Phase 1. I thoroughly enjoy them, and more importantly, I am gaining insights into my imbalances (which are deeply ingrained since I was born breech with damage to my hips, and hence, have had hip issues my entire life. The hip issues have had a domino effect--setting off a host of issues with my knees and back, all of which were irritated further by my training methods in the past). Since starting Phase 1, I feel my left hip & glute engaging more than it ever has. Now, I am not claiming some miraculous recovery here. It is subtle, but a leap forward all the same. For the first time in awhile, I feel a spring in my step. Some of the core movements were not new to me per se, but they have subtle tweaks or more sets than I am used to. I also have really enjoyed the warm-ups, even though I look like a dork doing them. Finally, some have critiqued the lack of nutrition information. I can see how that is an issue for some readers, but for me it was not. I am quite familiar with manipulating macros and calories. That is why I did not address it in my initial review. UPDATE: I am now working in Phase 2, and I'm thrilled with my progress on mobility, form, and strength. As I mentioned previously, I have suffered from lifelong, serious issues with hip mobility. The dynamic warm-up movements in the New Rules of Lifting for Abs have helped me tremendously. It was not until I practiced & practiced with the "squat to stand" movement that I *finally* changed my movement patterns for a squat. I could never lower myself far into a squat before, in part because of hip mobility and in part because I just did not understand how to make it a hip movement (that might not make sense to those without mobility issues, but it will make sense to fellow breech babies out there, I suspect). To make matters worse, I lacked the necessary core strength, even though I had included core work for years. I *thought* had core strength, but I was wrong about that. Now, I can finally execute a squat! Hooray! And my squats continue to improve and deepen. And wow, I love the offset squats with the uneven dumbbell load. OK, that last one is really a love-hate thing. :) Likewise, I have struggled for a long time to increase my weights on certain exercises, always hitting a plateau where I would suffer injuries or just not be able to increase. I think this was due to form issues, core weaknesses/imbalances and mobility problems. I am increasing weights regularly again, and that feels great. Most importantly, I just feel more "mobile" in general. I walk more gracefully, stand taller, and suffer less pain. I can jaunt across the street if I need to without wrecking my knees for the day. It's really funny how I will be doing something, and suddenly, I will realize I am moving differently before ... and I can correlate that new pattern to something in the warm-ups or workouts in this book. The movement suddenly "clicks," and I see even greater improvements.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Effective Safe and Do-able, January 11, 2011
This review is from: The New Rules of Lifting for Abs: A Myth-Busting Fitness Plan for Men and Women Who Want a Strong Core and a Pain-Free Back (Hardcover)
There are a million exercise books out there and everybody is an expert, so what's a mother to do when it comes to choosing an exercise program? Here are a few "rules" 1 Do something 2 Do something you like 3 All the rest is just details New Rules of lifting for Abs fills in the details. Lou writes in an interesting, witty and information packed format, and is a welcome addition to the "New Rules" series. This book speaks to a newly emphasized aspect of weight training namely core training. The book also speaks to another newly emphasized aspect of exercise namely metabolic training. I started lifting about 45 years ago when I joined the wrestling team in High School. Our coach was a Olympic wrestler and competed internationally all through the years I was on his team. We basically trained like he did. We lifted weights, we did push ups, we did pull ups, dips etc (strength training) we did tons and tons of wind sprints (metabolic training) We ran some miles (cardio) and we scrimmaged with guys bigger than ourselves (maybe the best damn core training ever). Nothing changes but the date. Every year I was engaged in wrestling season I was in the best shape of my life. This book has all the old concepts in new clothes. The book is designed to get you through some pretty intense workouts. Rule 11 from the first book (NROL): You'll get better results working your ass off on a bad program than you will loafing through a good program This book gives you the advantage of working your ass off (literally) with a good program. Over the years I have tried dozens of "programs" purchased scores of books and I have employed several "trainers" and have seen mixed results from all this effort. With Alwyn Cosgrove's programs I have seen excellent results. I have been through the first NROL program 2 1/2 times in the past 3 or so years. I have added muscle, lost weight, and gained strength, and even though I'm an ugly old buzzard, I get compliments at how well I look. Alwyn's programs have several advantages: 1 They are eminently do-able regardless of your expertise or the shape you are in. You start with what you got, work your ass off, and pretty soon you got more than what you started with. It doesn't matter if you are a novice or Russel the Muscle, there is gain to be had from this program if you engage it. The second time through you will be stronger and better trained and the program will take on a new character of challenge because you are better able to perform and engage the exercise. It's a very satisfying experience. Initially the exercise will master you, then you will master it. Very Zen. As your body changes you will gain experiential wisdom. As you gain wisdom You will be able to feel yourself doing better and come to a better knowledge of yourself. My guess it is something like this that keeps people going to Yoga class or acquiring belt after belt in martial arts. 2 The workouts are compact. Alwyn's idea is to use movements that engage large groups of muscles instead of isolating single muscles. In a few movements he covers your whole body, but especially targets the core. You can do 3 heavy duty workouts a week or if you like you can add some light duty workouts on the days between. Typically a workout lasts 30-40 minutes and the rest intervals are timed. 3 The workouts are safe. This is a prime consideration given the proliferation of new fangled exercise gizmos and techniques. About 3 years ago I blew out 3 disks doing reverse crunches on a Swiss ball. I got the exercise from watching some joker on youtube. It was this experience (and the 6 months I spent in rehab) that made me stop doing my own thing and look for a program from someone smarter than me. Alwyn's workouts fit that bill. If I had been doing Alwyn's program instead of watching some muscle head on youtube, I never would have blown out my back. One of the major points of the abs book's workouts are to help you develop the muscles that protect your spine. This aspect is now at the top of my list when I look at any program due to my experience, and it is something to think about when you are considering a program or choose to do your own thing. There be danger out there matey and you have to live with the damage until you die if you injure yourself!! 4 You don't have to know what you are doing. You just follow the program. All of the exercises are integrated and fulfill a purpose both in the present workout and in training for what comes next. Phase 1 will equip you with the skills and strength to lead you into phase 2 which is more advanced etc. Each step of the way has many exercises that get substituted in and out of the routine so you are always doing something a little bit different. This allows for muscles to recover. If you are always banging away at the same exact movement eventually something is going to break down. If you add variety to the movements, to how the movements are performed, to the reps, to the number of sets and to the weight lifted your body responds to that in a way that tends to prevent injury. The variety of the program gets you stronger in a more balanced way while aiming to avoid overuse injury. 5 The program adds mobility exercises and metabolic exercises to the mix. This allows you to get stronger while getting more agile as well. This carries over to every other sport you may engage, and is a prime consideration in not getting injured while increasing your performance. I had a friend who was a runner. She took a year off running and engaged in strength training and core work. She was challenged to see how her running performance had changed and despite not running for a year her performance was better. 6 The program addresses an appropriate fitness diet and lifestyle, and how to "think" about a fitness diet. The point of lifting weights is to get stronger. Poor nutrition, poor lifestyle and poor sleep will kill this goal dead in its tracks. The book does not give you specific meals, it rather gives you a way to think about food as a basic ingredient in the mix that will make you stronger and how to adjust exactly what you put in your pie hole. The main thing you need to eat if you want to get strong is protein in an adequate amount, so the diet is keyed around protein intake and how much is enough. Next is to consider calories. Not too few, not too many. You can't be anabolic (adding muscle) and catabolic (starvation mode) at the same time. The book goes into how to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat and how often. It goes into some of the latest thinking about carb cycling as well. One of the rules is: You can't out exercise a hunger inducing lifestyle, meaning your inputs have to be in balance and coordinated if you expect to see a positive result. Another rule is: You can sleep your way into a better body...or not sleep your way into a bigger belly This issue here is stress and stress management. If you allow your hormonal environment to be ruled by your stress hormones success will be hard to achieve. The program also addresses how to integrate these modules and phases into other programs in which you may be engaged. I am presently engaged in the strength part of New Rules of Lifting (NROL), but I have added some of the metabolic and mobility aspects of NROLAbs especially to my present regimen There is a lot of experience to be mined and its a great way to add variety if you already are "Doing Something". The book looks into how you might like to engage the exercises. You don't have to be tied to a commercial gym It gives advice on economically setting up a home gym using things like suspension straps, exercise bands, dumbbells, Swiss balls, and kettle bells to do the workouts. For a couple hundred to a few hundred bucks you can get a very long way down the road to a high degree of core strength and over all health while loosing the lard, and never leave the comfort of your own home. This is a great boon to those of us that don't have the time to drive to the gym or wait in line to access the equipment, or may have little kids or may have odd hours available to you for working out. I have a home gym and I wouldn't have it any other way. At nine o'clock at night after a brutal day I love being able to just step out into my weight room and start working out. It eliminates so many of the barriers to sticking to the program. No way at 9 at night am I driving half an hour to the gym. Over the years you can add equipment very economically by looking for steals off craigslist. Recall: Do something Do something you like All the rest is just details You'll get better results working your ass off on a bad program than you will loafing through a good program To this list I will add BUY THIS BOOK, DO THIS BOOK AND YOU WILL HAVE THE REWARD OF WORKING YOUR ASS OFF IN A GOOD PROGRAM This book adds to the knowledge of the other two books. Together they make a useful library on lifting and weight training and related studies on exercise physiology, kinesiology and diet. They take into account state of the art information and update the exercises according to the best available data. For example some of the tried and true exercises (like crunches and reverse crunches) have been removed from the line up based on new information on exercises that are more effective but protect spine by Dr. McGill. Even though this book is new to the market I have done many of these exercises in my back rehab over the past few years. I have had suspension straps and Valslides for several years and I used them along with planks and T pushups and other body weight core exercises in my rehab program. (I forced my PT to be very aggressive with me...
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31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Core Training And Then Some..., January 3, 2011
This review is from: The New Rules of Lifting for Abs: A Myth-Busting Fitness Plan for Men and Women Who Want a Strong Core and a Pain-Free Back (Hardcover)
Bottom line - great book. I am writing this review within one week of the book hitting Amazon and the bookstores so it's not possible to have gone through all the exercise routines. But this latest in the "New Rules" series does not disappoint. I find Lou Schuler's writing style to be easy to read yet informative. I like the "rules" approach to talking about where the latest thinking is in exercise and rehab science. And I think overall this is the best "nutrition" section in the series. If you're a gym rat who loves to read the latest fitness books and stuff out there you'll probably compare New Rules for Abs (NROL4Abs) to Core Performance Essentials: The Revolutionary Nutrition and Exercise Plan Adapted for Everyday Use, The IMPACT! Body Plan: Build New Muscle, Flatten Your Belly & Get Your Mind Right!, and the other books in the New Rules series. That's fine. I think NROL4Abs is a great addition to books focusing on the importance of functional exercises that work the core in a way the latest research suggests. There are 3 programs presented in NROL4Abs. Each program is broken up into sections - dynamic warmup, core work, strength (and power), and metabolic work. The book presents LOTS of variations of the core and strength exercises used - everything from using dumbbells, barbells, body weight, adjustments for injuries, kettlebells, and the TRX trainer. In other words - you shouldn't have problems doing these workouts at home, a gym, a fitness studio, or hotel. The core work section alone presents 3 levels of core exercises - stabilization, dynamic stabilization, and integrated stabilization - each with a bunch of variation exercises. If I had a criticism it would be that the exercise plans themselves felt "hidden" in the strength chapters. I would have liked another 10-20 pages at the back or the beginning where Phase 1-3's programs are written out with a workout sheet and maybe a pictorial guide. Again - the routines weren't hard to find - but I found it odd that they were in the strength work chapters. One reviewer criticized the lack of emphasis on metabolic circuits. I think this is unjustified. NROL4Abs includes a metabolic circuit (burpees + KB swings) to use. Yeah it would have been "great" to have more than one circuit - Alwyn has published programs with many - but it really isn't needed. UPDATE - in the review above I mistakenly call out only 1 published circuit of metabolic conditioning in the book. Actually, in addition to the burpee+swing circuit, New Rules contains 4 additional circuits that are done as supersets of 6 reps for 10 minutes. This follows the programming of some of Cosgrove's other programs and speaking from experience they are killer. These are not classic high intensity (cardio) intervals but the density approach of the supersets is highly metabolic in my opinion.
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