Customer Reviews

Weight Training: Steps to Success (Steps to Success Activity Series)

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There are sites springing up all over the web that will design a weight training program for you. If you're like me, though, you like to do things yourself -- not becuase you can necesarily do it better, but because you want to learn how. This book teaches you how to design your own program.

In a series of 12 steps, you will learn the basics of equipment, exercises, program design, etc. You start with a total body routine that you will do three days a week for 4-6 weeks. Then, you design your own program. You'll decide how many exercises per body part, how many reps, sets, days -- everything. That's what's so gret about this book -- the customability (is that a word?).

This book is aimed for beginners, but persons with a more advanced background with weights could get some use out of it as well.

One gripe I have is that there are not enough exercises listed for you to chose from once you get to steps 10-12. By that time, though, you probably have spent enough time in the gym to learn some others. Also, there are no exercises presented that use dumbells instead of barbells. Many experts think beginners should use barbells, but I prefer dumbells since I usually workout alone without a spotter.

This is definitely the right book for someone who wants to do more than simply copy others he or she sees in the gym.

I'm fortunate to have a brother with a master's degree in exercise science and a lot of experience in strength training, as he's always designed my weight training programs for me. But being the self-reliant kind of person that I am, and not wanting to impose too much on my brother's time, I asked him to tell me what one book he would recommend to someone who wanted to learn how to design their own weight training program. He immediately recommended Weight Training Steps to Success. After reading this book, I understand why he recommended it so highly.

The authors first explain the physiology behind weight training and give a detailed orientation on weight training equipment. They then take you step-by-step through learning a basic weight training program, choosing appropriate exercises for each major muscle group. They place great emphasis on taking things slowly and learning proper form for all the exercises before tackling heavier weights for training. The steps for performing each exercise are clear and detailed, and they provide a simple procedure for you to determine with what weight you should start training for each exercise.

After you have mastered the basic training program, they move on to discussing how to design your own training program based on your specific goals (strength, endurance, hypertrophy, or a combination). Their coverage of periodization is the most simple and practical I've ever seen, and it is one of the major reasons my brother recommended this book.

I had some experience with weight training before reading Weight Training Steps to Success, but I had just been doing what I had been told, not really knowing why I was doing what I was doing. I certainly didn't know what to do next after I had reached a certain point. Now I know the whys and hows, and will be able to design my own training program as I continue to progress. This book is also perfect for the absolute weight training beginner, as it assumes no knowledge or experience whatsoever. In short, this book is the perfect place to start if you want to learn how to design your own weight training program.

An excellent primer for the beginner and a valuable resource for the experienced lifter; it teaches you how to select exercises, establish weight limits, begin training, and stay motivated. All in plain English, easy to understand by anyone. Start your weight training program TODAY with this excellent publication. Soft cover, well bound and printed.

I like to research any new endevor, before I commit to a course of action. As a beginning weight "trainee", out of all of the books I've read about this subject, this was the most clear, concise and comprehensive. It gave me all of the information I needed to not only tailor my own program, but where and how to begin, (i.e. how to calculate a good starting workout load, how many reps, etc...) The book takes you through the basics, but is flexible enough to fit anybody's particular preferences and resources. While a few more exercises would be helpful, there are plenty of them layed out to get a good program started.

Thank you for your excellent service, I didn't know how to leave feedback or I would have sooner!! Hope to do business with you again!

This is a very academic-like book. For example, it gives formulas for calculating how much weight you should use. While I like the way it uses science, I think you'll be better off getting Starting Strength (2nd edition) instead.

This really is a well thought out book, if your getting into weights (i.e. from home) then this is great, does not tell you everything, but really does explain the basics, exercises and posture.

After digging through piles of books at the library about weight lifting we finally come upon this one and immediately went out and purchased our own copy...

This book is *excellent* for those beginning weight training. It's explanations of things are down-to-earth and simplified without being "dummy-fied".

Disappointed is about the only word that comes to mind. The book is written for complete novices (trust me, you know more than you might realize, which will be painfully obvious once you open this book.). Aside from the lengthy overview of the basics, you get hand drawn images of imaginary people doing really basic moves. Yay. And the whole "set up your own routine" is clunky and rather limited given the scope of exercises provided. Do yourself a favor and avoid this title. Instead, pick up The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan, which is much more complete, modern, and useful.