Teach Yourself Visually Weight Training Description:

Teach Yourself Visually Weight Training review:
2 stars (Workout endlessly and get nowhere) - The graphic design of this book is impeccable. Also, the book's binding and readability are fairly decent.



The major flaw of the book is its shallow approach to weight training. The girl pictured on the book cover and inside is anorexic are represents poor image to fit females, despite her beautiful hair. Working out with 3-pound dumbbells is counter-productive. She should have been instructed on gaining muscle mass with adequate protein intake in her diet and proper general fitness training prior to indulging in isolated exercising of individual muscles. Also, the picture of the man perfroming barbell leg-lunges depicts a flawed technique where the lower back is rounded, which led to the limited backward exntension of the rear leg.



Exercising each region of the body by weights requires endless training with minimal outcome. It is a frustrating and futile way of teaching people how to workout with weight. The book is divided into many chapters addressing regional exercises with total disregard on the modern emphasis on sports-like training as a practical and efficient way of altering physique and building healthy and robust musculature and lung and heart fitness.



The book falls into this category of media published by wealthy individuals whose experience and knowledge with proper fitness planning is questionable at best. Beginners of weight training could make greater progress with simple exercises such as running, push-up, and chin-ups. These three compound exercises, besides emphasizing the major muscle groups of the thighs and shoulders and exquisitely workout the low-back, they also enhance the cardiovascular function, which improves general health and fitness.


5 stars (The best weight training book ever!) - This book is great for anyone who is just starting a workout routine or who wants to learn how to get the most out of their workout. The book is broken down into sections for each part of the body and it shows in full color the name of the exercise, exactly how to do it, and what *not* to do. It also shows the primary and secondary muscle groups that each exercise target. It covers free weights, machines, exercise balls, stretching and has sections for diet and setting up a workout routine.

A must have for anyone serious about weight training.


5 stars (Your Personal Trainer in a book) - I have been training with weights for over 15 years, and I think if I were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book on weight training, this would be it. I own many books on the subject, but this is by far the most comprehensive and useful. It gives good photographic illustrations of the movements for free weights (barbell and dumbell) and machine workouts. The most useful for me is the illustrations of good form AND what NOT to do to get the most benefit out of a particular exercise. The text also includes suggestions for easier or more difficult versions of a particular exercise, or a variation which will target specific areas of a muscle or group of muscles. It is well organised and easy to follow. I spent hours with this book when I first acquired it, and have learned a wealth of information that I couldn't find in other books on the subject. This is also very down-to-earth advice and instruction, for your average, everyday person who just wants to get the most out of their workout with weights. I highly recommend this book. The one drawback, as another reviewer mentioned , is the outdated nutritional information. This is a minor complaint, really. Get your nutritional information elsewhere, but cherish this book for good solid weight training information.