Men's Health Home Workout Bible: (Paperback)

by Lou Schuler (Editor), Michael Mejia (Contributor) "Your suspicions are correct: The home-workout experience is not quite like the commercial-gym scene..." (more)
Key Phrases: reverse pushups, seated curl, overhead triceps extension, Life Fitness, Body Solid, Cardio Athletic Kickbox (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This book's goal is not only to "turn a piece of your humble abode into your personal war room," but also to demystify the art of weight training: "Where it really counts-results-there's zero difference between a home gym and a membership gym." Sharply written by Men's Health fitness director Schuler, this volume contains all an average man needs to know to get his body in shape: expert, no-nonsense, to-the-point chapters on muscle groups, with descriptions that readers will actually remember; how to buy effective equipment without going bankrupt; and the correct way to lift (all those big guys in the gym are doing it wrong). But the heart of the book is located in the more than 200 pages of exercise programs designed by Mejia (all expertly photographed and illustrated), an incredible range of simple and effective routines. To further help the reader along, Mejia provides 4-week workouts for body weight, dumbbells, barbells, and cables, for work at home, as well as 4-week all-equipment and multistation workouts that can be done at home. This newest in the Men's Health series provides a range of solid, useful and entertaining information on a range of men's issues. Any man interested in learning the most effective way to develop a successful weight-training routine that he can do at home should buy and read it daily for inspiration.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
You dont need to muscle your way in to the gym to get a great workout. While recent statistics show that strength training is one of the countrys fastest-growing exercise activities, there is a corresponding rise in dollars spent on home exercise equipment. If a home workout is your style, this encyclopedic volume shows you how to get the results you want no matter what gear you own or what your experience level. Each chapter focuses on different types of equipment (dumbbells, barbells, cable station, full multistation home-gym apparatus, or even no equipment at all) with workout advice appropriate to the beginning, intermediate, or advanced weight lifter. Learn how to create a customized workout program based on your goals, equipment, and experience. Those interested in creating or expanding their home gym will find valuable consumer tips for making the wisest choices and getting the best deals.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 434 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (November 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579546579
• ISBN-13: 978-1579546571
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,280 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #21 in	Books > Sports > Training

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for home (or gym) weight training, November 10, 2002

By	"allenorris" (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This book has everything you need to know to develop a successful weightlifting program without spending $1,000-$3,000 on equipment.

I just got this book in the mail yesterday and even though I got home late, I couldn't put it down. I have been running, cycling and XC skiing for almost a year with the aid of the Covert Bailey books, and I recently brought out my old 80-lb. weight set from Christmas 1985. I was using the manual that came with the weights and a Bowflex training guide from the Internet to develop a workout that reached all of the muscles. I was sure going about it the wrong way.

The book first explains all of the muscles in-depth, even giving examples of motions that show their use. Then comes the equipment section beginning with items you already have in your house (milk jugs) up to thousand-dollar equipment. They help you identify your goals and discuss training plans to achieve them.

The next sections include exercises (beginner, intermediate, advanced) for ALL the muscle groups in your body sorted by equipment type: body-weight only, dumbbells, barbells, and multistation-machines. If you have a combination like me (body weight, dumbbells, barbells - investment of $250) there is a chapter on using them together. At the end there are actual charts of exercises for you to use. I am putting together a program for myself and am looking forward to increased effectiveness in my weight training.

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent with a few flaws, March 11, 2004

By	Justus Pendleton (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book gets high marks for making explicit what its goal is -- home workouts -- and then delivering on that. While the focus is on home workouts, it offers enough information to be useful as your primary workout book, regardless of venue. The authors offer divide the exercises into major sections, depending on what kind of equipment you have at your disposal: no weights at all (i.e. use bodyweight only and makeshift weights from things found around the house), dumbbells, barbells, and exercise machine. This is great because it makes it easy to come up with a temporary workout plan for that week you're on vacation and don't have access to your normal equipment. They tell you how to create a workout plan, taking full advantage of periodization. They include tons of exercises for you to pick from when constructing your plan. If you don't feel up to creating your own plan they offer several pre-made ones with different focuses.

It isn't perfect, however, there is certainly room for improvement. When discussing individual exercises I wish they did a better job of showing how the variations affect what parts of the muscle are exercised. For instance, I think that hammer curls are supposed to work your biceps differently than standard curls but there is no mention of that kind of thing in most exercises. That inclusion would make constructing your own work out routines even easier.

The structure of the book leaves a little to be desired as well. It felt that some things -- like whether to work to failure -- aren't introduced as early as they should be. The result is you really should read (or at least skim) the book from cover to cover before setting out. A little bit tighter structure would make it easier to just skip to the section you care about.

There is also not much mention of supplements although given the somewhat controversial nature of their efficacy and the target of the book (I would guess that people who workout at home are somewhat less hard-core than those who go to a gym) it is understandable.

Overall, though, this is an excellent resource. It has both breadth and depth, making it a great single-volume resource on working out.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid, honest, results oriented information. , September 25, 2005

By	Colin Benson (Roseburg, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am not an exercise nut. I am a lawyer and a family person. I just don't have a lot of time to devote to working out, and if I am at my kid's school for lunch, I'll eat the birthday cake and ice cream. I was looking for a practical book that I could use to improve the weights workout I had been doing for several months, but would allow me to spend no more than an hour or so in the gym every day. This book delivered and revolutionized my routine.

When I first got the book 6 months ago, I read through the descriptions of muscle development and the comparative benefits of different types of exercise, ie: Dumbbells, barbells, cable machines and I found the basic information amazingly useful. My lifting routine became much different than the other regulars at the gym and I found that for the first time in a LONG time, I was beginning to notice results. Eventually, I began to notice other lifters drifting away from the machines and towards the dumbbells - they began to do routines similar to mine.

Although all of the above made me happy, it was not what prompted me to write this review. Recently, I began to do the exact routines for muscle development that the book recommends. I feel like I have had a shot in the arm. My workouts have suddenly become dramatically more effective. I felt sore in places I had not felt sore in almost a year. My core is intensely stronger and my shoulders, legs and arms are beginning to grow again - even at my age and with my busy work and family schedule.

If you are one of those guys who hangs out in the gym talking to your buddies and maybe doing a single set of bench press, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for an intense, full body, healthy workout that builds solid muscle, but is devoid of hype, this is the book for you.

Get ready to move up a shirt size.