Customer Reviews

A Woman's Guide to Weight Training

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

 

 

To avoid gym boredom and that exercise "plateau", I am always looking for variations on exercises. This book is good for women, particularly those who have just started an exercise program, on several aspects. First, the exercises are a fairly even mix of weight machine and free weight exercises. Second, the concentration areas are divided into chapters (i.e. stretching, abdominals, arms, shoulders, etc.). Each chapter contains recommendations of exercises for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels in outline form, including sets and repetitions. Third, each chapter also has a list for when you cannot get to the gym. This is especially good for those of us who travel substantially or workout at home. Fourth, each exercise has photographed examples of correct form during the exercise along with text instruction, isolated muscles worked, and postures to avoid.
Now for the negatives. The biggest, and only real, negative is the fact that the book is hardbound. This type of book needs to be spiral bound to allow those trying new exercises to glance at the text and photos DURING their workout, not just as a reference book. Being hardbound, this is impossible. Another minor negative is that the lack of tabs along the pages makes it difficult to flip from one muscle area to the next.
Another decent book is "Do It Right: 75 Best Body Sculpting Exercises for Women" available at the Shape Magazine web site. This book is spiral, has section tabs, recommendations for the beginner and advanced, and photos with correct and incorrect form. The exercises as a whole, although, are better in the Hers Woman's Guide to Weight Training.

The information is good but not necessarily any different to what one would find in the fitness magazines such as M&F Hers and Shape. Provided that one subscribes (or has access) to either of these magazines and creates a scrap book of the exercises shown, perhaps it could serve as a decent substitute for this one. Believe it or not, some of the info presented can even be found in Weight training for Dummies (though it has alot of extra verbiage!).

One of the better features of the book is where they demonstrate how to progress through a 6 wk weight-training program...this is an excellent idea esp. if one does not have access to a trainer.

However, my major disappointment w/this purchase stems from the quality of the book itself...after reading it for a few hours the FIRST day, the pages started loosening! Unbelievable!! In making this purchase, it seems like there is too much of a trade-off between reading up on the material and actually maintaining the book in decent condition.

Not a bad resource overall.

I read the prior review above and it gave me the courage to order "A Woman's Guide to Weight Training". As a woman who has made excercise part of her life in the last two years, I'm constantly looking for new challenges and "mixups" in my routines. This book is a great reference for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. It breaks down routines for each level and gives pros and cons for everything! I learned quite a few new things that I had not found in any magazines and found myself inspired again. This is definitely a great investment especially for beginners and intermediate excercisers. Advanced levels are also helped by means of mixing up your routines but not as extensive as they would be from Oxygen magazines. For a woman serious about her body and excercise this book is a definite plus!!

This book is awesome! It has very detailed descriptions and pictures. It goes into helping you create your own workout and has pages at the beginning of each body part section labeling beginner intermediate and advanced exercises. Also a section at the end with stretches. An all around awesome book. I would recommend it to anyone!

Great information to get you started.

Explains how to put together your own routines, but also gives beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts to follow.

Two pages devoted to each exersize with: great pictures, clear explanation of techniques & trainers tips, muscles worked, skill level & variations.

Combined with 101 Workouts for Women by M&F Hers and you'll never be bored at the gym again.

And as much as I enjoy this book... the quality is terrible. It WILL fall apart after a few weeks of use. Would be perfect spiral bound.

I worked through the Beginner and Intermediate Workouts for the first 12 weeks, and lost 4 pounds, and, more importantly, close to 5% body fat. Despite the poor binding, the workout plan is worth the purchase.

The information is good but not necessarily any different to what one would find in the fitness magazines such as M&F Hers and Shape. Provided that one subscribes (or has access) to either of these magazines and creates a scrap book of the exercises shown, perhaps it could serve as a decent substitute for this one. Believe it or not, some of the info presented can even be found in Weight training for Dummies (though it has alot of extra verbiage!).

One of the better features of the book is where they demonstrate how to progress through a 6 wk weight-training program...this is an excellent idea esp. if one does not have access to a trainer.

However, my major disappointment w/this purchase stems from the quality of the book itself...after reading it for a few hours the FIRST day, the pages started loosening! Unbelievable!! In making this purchase, it seems like there is too much of a trade-off between reading up on the material and actually maintaining the book in decent condition.

Not a bad resource overall.

i am happy with the content of the book but i have only had it two days, read first two chapters and skimmed thru the rest..already the pages are falling out..i am very disappointed in the quality and dont know why it was made hardbound in the first place..i ordered it thru shapeboutique and i would have to pay s&h twice to return it so i am just keeping it...otherwise i look forward to putting the content to use