Customer Reviews

Weight Training Workouts that Work

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had been weight training for about two and a half years before purchasing this book. I've tried numerous routines over that time - some I've found online, some I pulled from magazines and books - and I usually get bored after a couple months, so I wanted to try Orvis' technique.

First off, be aware that this book is designed for the entry-level lifter. It assumes you either (a.) seldom/never lift free weights or (b.) have been out of lifting for a while. This book is perfect for that gym-goer who is afraid of leaving the Nautilus/cardio areas of the gym.

It starts you off relatively slow with total body workouts and by the second month has you working a more typical bodybuilding schedule grouped by muscle area. The schedule has you working out three days a week, and most workouts can be completed in about 30-45 minutes assuming you don't have to wait for any machines/benches.

Orvis doesn't cover cardio or nutrition. While that would be a nice addition, the book never makes the pretense of being a comprehensive fitness book - it solely delivers weight training workouts.

What I enjoyed most about Orvis' plan was the all-inclusive workout style. When so many programs tout one or two methods of lifting (pyramid, inverted pyramid, super sets, drop sets, etc.), he covers every one of these, rotating through different training styles every couple of weeks. The lifting variety will keep the program interesting and will also prevent your muscles from growing accustomed to a single routine and plateauing. Having worked out for some time, I was impressed when my muscles were sore after starting the super set training week.

The main problem I found was that Orvis' program sometimes overlooks certain muscle groups for an entire week. Often I found myself adding a bicep curl, French curl or calf lift to the week's schedule because the book overlooked it. I can see overlooking secondary muscles for a week, but not biceps or triceps. Doing bench presses or lat pulldowns won't give my arms a sufficient workout for an entire week.

Overall, I found the book to be great. It's very portable and I've recommended it to a few folks I've met at the gym who are stuck in "Nautilus Land." I would recommend sitting down at the beginning of the week, looking over the schedule, taking a mental inventory of which muscles you will be working on and compensating if any certain group is overlooked. His workouts tend to be a little more oriented toward lower body development, so you may find yourself adding some upper body sets on occasion.

Orvis' workouts are limited to just the major (common) lifts. If you're more than just a beginning weight lifter, I would strongly recommend purchasing "Strength Training Anatomy" or "The Encylopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" in addition to this book so you can get a better idea of what alternate lifts you can do to better work certain muscle groups or add more variety to your time at the gym. When paired together, I actually found this program to be great once I got past the first month. The super set/drop set/pyramid weeks are a blast.

I would love to see Orvis publish a book oriented toward bodybuilders who have more time to devote to lifting and require more comprehensive muscle training.

I am a 40 year old woman, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthrtis in February of this year, and put on steroids to avoid deformity in my hands. The doctors had mentioned that exercise was no longer an option, but a "must do". Being a novice to the gym, and knowing absolutely nothing about weight training, I felt very intimidated just watching everyone. I would try to copy what people were doing, but I soon found out that with arthritis you have some "bad days", and you are limited to certain exercises. When I approached a trainer to ask questions, they told me to sign up for 10 sessions for $650.00. Well not everyone can do that these days. I became depressed, I went online in search of the perfect video, or book, anything that would help. I stumbled on a review of this book, and the price was not going to break the bank!! I ordered it and 10 days into my work out, I am no longer uncomfortable at the gym, I know what to do! I don't have to ask around. I take the book to the gym with me, it is user friendly, I understand the terminology, and James Orvis writes it so there is no guessing involved!! Like the Nike commercial saids, "JUST DO IT!!" It gives you such a confidence high!!

I still have rheumathoid arthritis, but I have a stronger body now, and on thoes bad days, I mentally feel good! Order this book you will not regret it!! I emailed James, and he took the time out to respond, and he gave me the inspiration to keep up the good work, I do feel like I have a personal trainer!

Thank you James Orvis for writing this book. This is a great companion for anyone with an interest in weight training, and once you read what he has to say, you will realize you must weight train. I had been stuck in a circuit rut at my gym, always too intimidated to figure out how the other machines worked. I got this book and it changed everything. He's got twelve weeks of workouts planned, three days a week. Every exercise is explained thoroughly, complete with pictures and pointers on common mistakes. The workouts are also great. They will keep you interested in your program and feeling great afterwards. The book is a paperback spiral, so it is perfect to bring to the gym and refer to during your workout. I highly recommend this book for everyone with an interest in weight training. It makes working out simple, yet challenging.

I have been using this book for 4 weeks, and have indeed seen a difference in my muscle tone. My friends have even said that they have noticed a difference in my appearance. What I found remarkable, and did not previously know, is that I could lift more and more weight with each passing workout. This really helped to encourage me, because I could literally see my strength improving.

The reason that I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that I feel it is almost necessary to have access to a gym to really do all of these workouts effectively. Also, the section that has "Supersets" is potentially difficult to do because of the fact that you have to go back and forth between 2 pieces of equipment in each excercise. In a public setting, this is very hard to complete without interruption, because the piece of equipment not being used may become occupied by someone else. I can say, however, that there are a lot of excercises that can be done at home with free weights, and I have even been using the Total Gym that I bought some months ago and has been collecting dust in my closet to complete some of the excercises.

All in all, this book is a very useful guide to anyone who is interested in adding weight lifting to their fitness routine.

This is the best book for beginners I have seen. I was considering purchasing this book at Amazon.com when I ran across it in a bookstore. I'm glad I did because now I won't be buying it. Why? Because I am not a beginner. But anyone thinking of going to the gym should give this book a try. It has no fluff; it gets right down to what to and how to do it.

In the two years I have been going to the gym I have seen lots of people come and go. Most people only visit the gym two or three times and I never see them again. Going to a gym and pushing weights on a regular basis is not something everyone likes to do. You either have to like it or you have to be very motivated. With this book you will find out in a couple weeks.

Most books take up a lot of room on motivational stuff. (Which may get you worked up initially but it usually does not last.) Then they throw in a lot of definitions and explanations. All stuff to fill up pages. This book gets right down to what to do and how to do it. It shows you step by step so you can't make a mistake. So by the time you get to you're second or third week, you will know if you want to keep up this life style. If you don't, you have invested a minimal amount of time and money. If you do, you will find this book has everything you need to get started and then some.

I ran two marathons last year but still couldn't seem to lose that extra 15 pounds around my middle. I think I've tried getting into the gym to fix up my physique a half a dozen times. I've worked with personal trainers and I've read several other weight training books. This book is the only thing that worked for me. It gave me the structure that I've needed in no uncertain terms

Mr. Orvis tells you how much weight to use, how many reps to do, and how many sets to do. He explains the techniques you need to use to fight you body's strong tendency to stay the way it is. Best of all I'm doing it all in about 3 hours a week (in addition to running). I'm halfway through th book and I'm already seeing changes in my body.

The only thing that has kept me from giving the book 5 stars is that the exercise photos are a little vague. They show how to perform the first half of the exercise, but don't show how to move back into the proper starting position. Even so, this book is a must have for anyone who wants to get into better shape.

I purchased this hoping to gain some insight into how to do it right. I wanted to be effective at what training I do, build mass, and be safe. This book has helped me with all the above, with the exception of building mass which I feel is not its place anyways (that goes into diet, supplements ,etc). The plastic cover makes it more of a go-anywhere book, able to handle the stress of being in and out of a gym bag and getting flopped on the floor at the base of different exercise equipment. I highly recommend this for the beginner to intermediate who wants results in an easy to read down to earth manual.

My wife and I are both in our mid fifties. We have worked out in the gym on and off for quite a few years. We have used trainers off and on with mixed results from "great" to "useless". We both were getting to a plateau that we felt we needed some help with our routines. At this particular point we were working out about 3 times a week for about 2 hours a session. I was looking for a book to satisfy this need when I came across "Workouts that Work". It sounded good, and when I got it I liked the looks of it.
I swithed my routine immediately, and I was real happy with things. After about a week or so, my wife decided to switch to the new routine and she too was happy with it.
The problems started around week 5. I hurt my knee doing leg presses. I also started to get back pain. My wife developed nerve related pains in her back and legs. We both went to the doctor (who happens to be 30 year gym fanatic) explaining the problem. He was extremely emphatic about discontinuing these workouts. He felt that "People in their fifties shouldn't be working out in a fashion such as recomended in this book."
These workouts push you hard and advance you quickly. If you are in your fifties and are in good enough shape to use this workout without injuries, than the chances are you know enough not to need this book.
I liked the book and I wish it didn't lead to injuries. I would not recomened it to most people over 40, though.

I have been following "Weight Training Workouts that Work" for 7 weeks and I'm seeing muscles I never new I had. I thought I new how to workout in high school and college but I wasn't scratching the surface compared to the workouts in this book. This is no nonsense and no hype. Follow the simple workouts and you will see your whole body transformed. As the book says, "Don't watch other people because they're probably doing it wrong....". Just believe in yourself, trust yourself to learn and follow through. You will not be disappointed!!

I lifted for years, but had a shoulder operation and was unable to do anything for a couple of years. I knew a lot about weight-training, and designed my own workouts for my own needs (I was a wrestler). But coming back into the game I knew I would need something that clearly told me what to do, and when to do it. This was necessary because it is really hard to get in the habit of weight-lifting, especially when you have plenty of other stuff going on.
This book does exactly what it is designed to do: provide clear routines, with instructions and pictures for performing exercises correctly. Even those of us who have been athletes for years can benefit from this, because it is quite easy to lose control of your form in an attempt to move to heavier weights more quickly. This book will help you get into the routine and make progress, which is the best you can ask for from a book. The rest comes from within.