Customer Reviews

Training for Mass

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When it comes building muscle, this is the best training book I've ever read. I've been a bodybuilder for 15 years and have read dozens of books on the subject. I, for one, am both analytical and skeptical, but I can absolutely testify to the effectiveness yet incredible rarity of the techniques shown here.
The book addresses two main camps in muscle building execution: Volume Training, which means to work out really hard and really long to get really good results. The other is High Intensity Training or H.I.T., which implies short concentrated sessions in the gym for optimum results. The author propagates the latter.
Although I've admittedly employed this type of training myself throughout the vast majority of my time in the gym, this book has reaffirmed and refined my understanding of how it all works. It has integrity because of its roots in progressive logic and it's incredibly inspiring because of its analogous style.
After reading the book in about two days, I've slightly modified my training by adhering to a more pure version of High Intensity Training, which is more thoroughly explained in LaVelle's book than any other, and have already seen a higher rate of improvement in my physique. Having said that, this would not only be a review, but also a testimonial.
People with inquisitive minds when under going weight training will be particularly satisfied. Also, it's just a fun read. After all but disposing of the non-theory of volume training and giving a convincing argument for H.I.T., the author uses great visuals in the realms of science, philosophy, and warfare to once and for all convince the reader of the absurdity displayed by most people in most gyms.
For me, the real gems of the book were towards the end in a section called the intangibles, which is an expansive and nutrient dense section that really shows off the authors thought process and gives the reader a psychological charge. It makes you want to lift weights. Other bonus material includes an appendix section, with an educational story about Conan The Barbarian that made me laugh out loud. The book is packed.
Lastly, if you're a volume trainer by deliberate choice or most likely by traditional fate and you're thinking of getting this book, I'll say this: You'll never feel so good feeling so stupid.

First of all, the author did a tremendous job on this book. It is detailed and well written. The author readily admits that his ideas are the same as Arthur Jones/ Mike Mentzer. Personally I think this author is much clearer than Mentzer ever was. (Who was not the most balanced individual on the planet!)
I always have issues with philosophical answers to biological questions. The training advice is sound but the "marathon runner/ sprinter" analogy would be torn to pieces by a physiologist.

Gordon lavelle introduces a quality training program that produces results in a work out that takes less than an hour to complete. His training recommendations are contradictory to conventional methods of training. By maximizing your training reps until failure enable the muscles to resond with an outstanding pump yet leave you mentally stimulated to continue to the next exercise. In about an hour you have completed your exercise, injury free and leave with a maximum pump that creates results that achieve physcal growth and mass. This can all be done by following Gordon's advice.

My recommendation is to buy this book and you will not be dissapointed. Shipping is extremely fast and I will recommend this book to everyone that is interested in work life balance that produces results.

All you need is in this book; eliminate unneccesary workouts that are not good mass builders and abandon high volume marathon sessions that are ruinous to your joints and free time. This is unlike anything you've ever read. An intellectual approach that explains WHY a high intensity routine is effective. I love it.

A logical, scientific, engaging, and eloquent manual that is dedicated to putting on mass. With all the machines, exercises, 'philosophies,' and techniques out there, this book convinces the reader to keep things simple, intense, and most importantly, progressively more intense. Lavelle relates the mechanism of adding muscle to other physiologic adaptations the body makes, in order to drive home the point that the body adapts to different 'insults' in simlar ways, and unless you're making it a point to expose the body to an intense stimulus, the body will not adapt (add muscle). And unless you purposefully make the stimulus more intense (recording workouts helps), the body won't continue to adapt (keep getting bigger).

In the process, he acknowledges many other philosophies and techniques and explains why 'High Intensity Training' has to be more effective. Unfortunately, most people train the way they do for ungrounded reasons. They saw some guys doing it and he was ripped. A trainer told them to do it that way. If 1 hour or 1 set is good, 2 must be better. They get a good pump. They get sore. Many of these ideas can add muscle, but equally likely is that they will leave you overtrained, injured, or wasting tons of redundant effort.

I have been training for years, but started to get overwhelmed by all the creative exercises I saw trainers using in my gym. I noticed clients were sweating and panting during weight training exercises, and suspected that aerobic work couldn't be the best way to add muscle- and that weight lifting couldn't be the best way to gain fitness/lose weight. This book confirmed and explained my suspicion.

This book has no pictures. If you are looking for very beginner's advice on how to perform exercises, the internet is an adequate resouce.

I recommend you invest your time in reading this book. You will know why you're training the way you are, see amazing results, and will be happy to leave all the wasted effort and unscientific techniques behind.

-Michael Khalili, M.D.

If your looking for real results and information that really works than this is your book.I've been training for approximatly 22 years and have competed in several ameature bodybuilding events. I have always been a high volume theorist the more work you put in the the better the results. Well I'm telling you that I was wrong. I read Gorden's book and have incorporated his philosophy into my own training regiment and the results in just a matter of three months has been incredible. The training time cut back by 2/3,recovery by 1/2,and don't be fooled you will leave the gym pumped. My only regret is that I didn't try this years ago I'm sure that I would have put on more muscle mass and saved myself the constent set back caused by injury. Great book

LaVelle's depiction of body building and training is matched by no other I've ever read or studied.

The delivery of information was straight forward and easy to understand, but also densely concentrated with useful knowledge.

A definite must read for any serious body builder looking to expand his or her understanding of the art of building muscle.

Although, as a female, I am not interested in building massive muscles, I have always enjoyed reading about health, nutrition, and fitness. Gordon LaVelle's unexpected humor, practical suggestions, and detailed descriptions (exercises, routines, mindset) make his book a joy to read.

Training for Mass, like its name suggests, offers an effective and straightforward program for people looking to gain muscle mass. Also, Gordon's in-depth (and interesting!) explanations make the book appropriate for readers (like me) who want to learn more about various exercises. He even answers the eternal questions of superiority: free weights vs. machines?... and his answers might surprise you.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the emphasis on "high intensity training" (read: less time spent in the gym with greater results) separates Gordon's book from most of the weight training books on the market.

Training for Mass will educate, inspire, and entertain you whether you are a hard core gym rat or a beginning exerciser.

If you lift weights, you need to get this book TODAY. I got it about 2 months ago after reading Mike Mentzer's last book - High-Intensity Training - and was absolutely hooked on HIT.

Most of my life I have enjoyed lifting weights, but now I am a student of it and can't wait to get to the gym because of the perspective Lavelle has given me.

Even better, I have made some obvious physical gains in a very short time by implementing what the book says to do.

As for the content of this book, Gordon's writing style is much more concise, and I would say clearer than Mentzer's was. And the fact that it is all about training and has no pictures to distract you from the subject, will make it hard for you to put it down!

In summary, if the great Mike Mentzer was the messenger for HIT training before, Gordon Lavelle now holds the torch.

Well done Gordon, well done!

If you are reading this because you seek a clear and scientific method for acquiring Size and Strength without sacrificing your life in the Gym or your budget on supplements, then you have stumbled across a RARE GEM in Training For Mass that you can immediately apply to your training, (regardless of whether you are a hopelessly ectomorphic hard gainer like me, or a disgusting fat body, or just your average over-trained gym rat trapped on the hamster wheel of volume training with little progress to show for your all efforts).

The ultimate payoff offered by Training For Mass is this:

You will learn exactly HOW to put that Mass on, steadily, consistently, methodically - not with unsubstantiated theory as with most books on this subject - but with demonstrated scientific fact !

- You will experience remarkable progress in your Size and Strength gains when you apply the method

- You will recover loads of free time outside of the gym to pursue other goals/interests

- You will learn exactly what to do - and what not to do

- You will decrease your risks of injury


I highly recommend Training For Mass for anyone willing to apply a proven scientific METHOD for consistent steady gains in size and strength.