Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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140 of 142 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
By far the best training book I have read, July 18, 2006
I am a physician and a trainer. I came from a middle distance running background. After medical school I continued to run but of course never got to the point where my fitness was at the level that it was when I was competing in college. I started adding strength training using mainly Olympic Weightlifting. While I was certainly gaining strength, it was not happening as fast as I would have liked. About 5 months ago I purchased Starting Strength. The book is very detailed, but unlike most books on training, it does not put you to sleep. It holds your interest through the plain language, and often funny, explanations of what should be done and also why it should be done.
I used what I learned in the book to modify my training, and I saw results fast. Lifts such as the Deadlift that had been giving me problems based on the form training I got from other sources improved quickly. My leg strength improved rapidly as I began squatting correctly. I did not focus on the bench press as much as the other lifts, but my strength there improved as well. Exercises that were not directly related to the training found in the book, such as pull-ups, also had big improvements. One of the biggest improvements to my performance was my improved running speed. Although I was spending less and less time running, and more time on strength, both my distance running and my sprinting have improved dramatically. The explosive speed that I had back in college has returned. It is amazing what doubling your leg and back strength can do for your overall fitness. I am in the best shape of my life.
I have also used what I learned extensively when I train other people. I have yet to come across a problem with form that is not addressed in the book along with a method of fixing it. I am also able to tell my clients why they should do something so that they understand the importance and will remember it. By using the cues that I learned in the book, I am able to see someone on the far side of the gym doing something that could be unsafe and correct it before there is an injury. I can't express enough how much reading the book has improved my confidence in my ability to train strength movements. So far I have not been at a loss at how to correct a problem. There is always a drill available that can be used to effectively address an issue. This book also increased my appreciation for the slow lifts and encouraged me to emphasize them more when I train other people. The short and long term results have been fantastic. Every day I fix someone's form on a squat or deadlift and have people say things like: "It is so much easier this way. Is it allowed?"
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who trains any type of athlete, including distance events, and to anyone who is interested in improving their athletic abilities or even just their basic functionality. It is true when the authors say, "Physical strength is the most important thing in life."
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84 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Learn How To Do It Right, January 15, 2007
I'm not really the intended audience for this book. It was written primarily for coaches wanting to improve the strength of their young athletes through effective strength training. Me? I'm just a 40-something bodybuilder wanna-be who never stepped into a weight room until 18 months ago. At one point in my struggles, I wanted to learn how to squat and deadlift. I looked around on the internet for information and pestered a couple of people for tips on form and how to not injure myself. I got a lot of bad advice and was lucky to survive with my back in one piece until a friend recommended that I read Starting Strength.
Starting Strength is very detailed and methodical in its explanations of the basic lifts. Where other descriptions of a properly executed squat can be a single paragraph in length, this book dedicates 50 pages to the topic. The descriptions begin with step by step explanations of how to execute a lift followed by information on fixing various problems that might arise either initially or later as greater weights are lifted. The language gets technical at times, but never to the point of incomprehensibility. The material is completely within the grasp of an average Joe like me. There are many excellent pictures and drawings that clearly illustrate the concepts conveyed in the text.
After reading Starting Strength, I changed almost everything about how I do squats and I now deadlift with confidence knowing that I'm using the right form. And with good form, my weights lifted have increased dramatically. I highly recommend Starting Strength. If you are seeking a better education in proper lifting, this book is the right tool for the job.
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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For All Lifters, March 13, 2006
I have been involved with weight training for over thirty years; HS and college athlete, competitive powerlifter, national level referee, meet promoter, gym manager and gym owner, coach and personal trainer. During that time I have read dozens of books and texts about training with weights, and of all those, Starting Strength is the best. Subtitled, A Simple and Practical Guide For Coaching Beginners, it is all that and more. As stated, this is not necessarily a "how to lift" book , but rather a book that explains how to teach basic weight training movements. The focus here is on developing strength in young athletes: what are appropriate exercises, how those exercises should be performed for maximum results, how training programs should be constructed, what equipment is necessary, and how to do this all in the safest manner possible.
This book begins with instruction in the squat, then moves on to the bench press, deadlift, press and lastly, the power clean. Each chapter builds on the skills and techniques used in previous ones. And though the program seems simple, this book is rich in detail. No aspect of a lift is left unexamined, such as hand placement when squatting, foot placement when benching, positioning the head while deadlifting. It is in these fine details that this book rises above its predecessors. Such insight is evidence of the authors' wealth of experience, which is hard to match. They have been there and done that as far as weight training is concerned. They have learned what matters through decades of observation and participation. The science is there, too. The authors have the academic credentials necessary for validating their training advice. Starting Strength is well illustrated with clear photos and anatomical drawings. As an added feature, a series of photos of each lift is located in the margins of each page. Flip the pages quickly and watch each lift as it should be performed. More importantly, you can examine each lift at any point in the lift. Best of all, this book is well written. It is easy to understand and it is fun to read.
Though Starting Strength is designed to train young lifters, this book will be of special interest to everyone involved in training with weights. For all lifters, this is a very helpful book. If I had had this information when I began lifting weights I could have saved myself alot of time, a lot of money, and avoided more than a few injuries. Even experienced lifters will find information here to improve their training. I did. As for those of us that coach, this is an important book. The health and safety of our students depends on our expertise and no single source can do as much to further our knowledge. Also, for Athletic Directors this book is essential. In an age when almost every school has a weight room and every coach wants their athletes to lift, it is crucial that the AD have a fundamental knowledge about weight training. Lastly, Starting Strength needs to be required reading for the parents of young athletes. Training with weights is a productive and efficient way to enhance athletic ability, even for pre -teens, but it must be done correctly and safely. For all the obvious reasons, parents should be aware of what goes on in the weight room when their children are training. The style and manner in which this book is written allows even those who have never been in a gym to understand the correct way to weight train. These authors have provided a valuable resource and all of us who have an interest in weight lifting can benefit from their work.
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