Best book on Lifting

nitro

nitro

I have three months to do it. I want to get back in decent shape. My goal is simple, lose weight and build strength and mass. I have never lifted weights in my life (only for fun or on dares) because I have always been naturally strong and fit, but this doesn't work anymore. Clothes don't hang on me the same way they used to, and it is bugging me. I am a Mesomorph or Endomorph so it shouldn't be hard to do, I think.

I decided on this book because it is exactly three months:

Men's Health Maximum Muscle Plan: The High-Efficiency Workout Program to Increase Your Strength and Muscle Size in Just 12 Weeks (Paperback)
~ Thomas Incledon

I will be taking it with me and reading and looking like an idiot at the gym because when I don't know what I am doing I like to follow a procedure.

My hope is that this isn't some guy that decided to write a book and he doesn't know what he is talking about.
 
Quote from nitro:

BTW, my idea of a fit body is the way that Christian Bale looks like in Batman Begins.
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I suspect he did 'roids, so it'll take you a lot longer and you'll have to make do without the traps.

Whatever source you choose, focus on compound exercises. Forget the isolation stuff. That's for gym rats. Your best bang for the effort buck is with the very basics: bench, presses, dips, chinups, rows, squats (which I no longer do), leg press and the like. Compound exercises are like painting with a roller, while isolation exercises are like painting with a brush. Keep it simple and intense. And make sure to get the all-clear from your doctor first if you have not exercised in some time.

Oh, and don't forget the dietary regimen. In addition to eating all of the right stuff, be sure to cut the 4 whites: salt, sugar, flour and white rice.
 
Quote from Banjo:

http://www.extremebodyworkout.com/p90x-products/p90x.php

It works , it's your commitment that may fail.
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Maybe so, but anything that requires so many videos gives me the impression that there is a fair amount of superfluity there. (And, therefore, fancy isolation exercises. I don't know, I'm just guessing.) As far as workouts go, especially for weekend warriors who want to get into shape, I think anything more than a booklet on proper exercise form for the most basic exercises and a brief discussion on sets, reps and workout frequency is overkill and hype (think fancy color-coded indicators). That and proper dietary regimen.
 
Nitro, Arnold Schwarzenegger's book is good. It's a great read and it gave me detail on the muscle group that gets worked on.

I had a really good routine before that helped me lose 2 inches of waist line. What I did was:

1) Use the gym's bicycle for 30 mins. I use the fat burn mode. It's better than riding a bike outdoor, because it give off constant resistance. After a couple of weeks (3 times a week), you would immediately feel result when you walk up the stairs. It's like you got wings! Also, since your legs has the biggest muscles and they recover fast, you can really burn off a lot of weigh.

2) Do weigh training after the bike exercise. Focus on your back. You would immediately reap the reward with better posture. Go slow at first and slowly increase the weigh and repetition.

3) After the weigh training, do 5mins of intense exercise. 5 mins of way hitting and kicking the punching bag 3 times a week is all you need for a healhy heart.

4) Eat more oatmeals. When you are hungry, eat your oatmeal first before you eat your main meal. You'll find that the oatmeal, which is healthy for the heart, will pretty much fills you up. You won't need to eat that full slice of pizza or the full serving of fries.

5) Try to avoid junk foods and fast foods. If you must have it, reduce the overall portion and increase the frequency. So you can eat junk foods all day and overall, you are just eating just half a bag of chips.

I hope this helps!


PA
 
Quote from Pension_Admin:

Nitro, Arnold Schwarzenegger's book is good. It's a great read and it gave me detail on the muscle group that gets worked on...
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I have his Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, which I bought in the late '80s or early '90s. If I recall correctly, he proposed far too many sets per muscle group. Anyone following his regimen would be overtraining, especially in middle age. Also, he covers many unnecessary isolation exercises which may have value if you're going to compete for titles, otherwise not so much. Focus on the chassis before getting to the woodgrain finish.
 
Quote from killthesunshine:

arnold juiced ..freak him

http://www.amazon.com/New-High-Inte...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275514170&sr=1-2

the rational man's guide :cool:
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I had bought two of Darden's books at around the same period. I no longer have them. What I vaguely recall is that Darden proposed three 45-minute workouts per week. I don't think it was a split routine, but I don't remember. What I do recall is that he proposed very short breaks between sets, perhaps less than one minute, for even the larger muscle groups. I could never work that into my routine because, if I went all out on a set to failure, I would not be ready for the next set within the prescribed period. And if my breathing is not fully back to normal, then the weak link will not be the muscle I'm working, but rather my cardiovascular system. Personally, I prefer my anaerobic exercises to remain anaerobic. Also, although I no longer remember the number of sets per muscle group he proposed in those earlier books, they struck me as a little on the low side at the time. However, I just don't remember.
 
Whatever you do, take it easy. 45 mins tops for first month. Do one muscle group per day. You can hit small ones that work similar to big groups, like tri when you do chest. After a month or so, you will be in there 1-1.5 hours.

Here is what i do on diff days.

Chest/tri
Back/bi
Off
Shoulders/ abs
Legs

I do around 3-4 exercises for big groups, 2 for add ons. You should do 2 and 1.

I look decent. But diet is 90% and I slack. I like my donuts. Get your diet together if you want it to go faster, Do Not workout harder. Drink protein shake right after workout. Add cardio one month after you get going. Or a few months if you can let that slide. Let yourself start to grow first. Cardio is intense and if you go all hardcore you will look like an anemic runner.

The harder you work does not equal the bigger you get, trust me. And if you need size. Do something you can only do 6- 8 times per set. And only 3-4 sets. Not some light weight 30 times, you will never grow, but you will get tired and frustrated. Don't go for any burning feeling, you just want to get weak and your done. That burning is latic acid and you should only get hit on tiny muscles like calfs and if you do forarms. Let the women feel that, you don't want it.

Oh yea, dont get a book. You dont need it.
 
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