Rating: 
Summary: Your Gym Bag Essential
Review: Thank you James Orvis for writing this book. This is a great companion for anyone with an interest in weight training, and once you read what he has to say, you will realize you must weight train. I had been stuck in a circuit rut at my gym, always too intimidated to figure out how the other machines worked. I got this book and it changed everything. He's got twelve weeks of workouts planned, three days a week. Every exercise is explained thoroughly, complete with pictures and pointers on common mistakes. The workouts are also great. They will keep you interested in your program and feeling great afterwards. The book is a paperback spiral, so it is perfect to bring to the gym and refer to during your workout. I highly recommend this book for everyone with an interest in weight training. It makes working out simple, yet challenging.
Rating:
Summary: Want to lose weight, try this book!!
Review: I had been interested in getting into weight training, but didn't know where to start. Then I came across this book. Wow, what a difference. It's so easy to follow. Charts, actual pictures with step by step instructions on how to do all the exercises. It even tells you how the body works in reference to building muscle. If you want to get big or just want to tone up & lose weight but don't know where to start & feel intimidated by all the various weights & people around that look like they know what they're doing, buy this book. After just 2 weeks, I feel more confident & am seeing results.
Rating: 
Summary: K.I.S.S. Works for me!
Review: This book is stunningly simple, and therein lies its usefulness. The author seems to know his stuff: the workouts are progressive and varied, which pushes the body and keeps it reacting, rather than "settling in".My only complaint is that the book assumes that one has access to a gym and certain machines, especially for leg exercises. It would have been nice to include alternative exercises for those who work out at home. What are the best substitutions for leg extensions and leg curls, for example?
Rating:
Summary: K.I.S.S. Works for me!
Review: This book is stunningly simple, and therein lies its usefulness. The author seems to know his stuff: the workouts are progressive and varied, which pushes the body and keeps it reacting, rather than "settling in". My only complaint is that the book assumes that one has access to a gym and certain machines, especially for leg exercises. It would have been nice to include alternative exercises for those who work out at home. What are the best substitutions for leg extensions and leg curls, for example?
Rating:
Summary: Orvis needs to write a sequel for bodybuilders
Review: I had been weight training for about two and a half years before purchasing this book. I've tried numerous routines over that time - some I've found online, some I pulled from magazines and books - and I usually get bored after a couple months, so I wanted to try Orvis' technique. First off, be aware that this book is designed for the entry-level lifter. It assumes you either (a.) seldom/never lift free weights or (b.) have been out of lifting for a while. This book is perfect for that gym-goer who is afraid of leaving the Nautilus/cardio areas of the gym. It starts you off relatively slow with total body workouts and by the second month has you working a more typical bodybuilding schedule grouped by muscle area. The schedule has you working out three days a week, and most workouts can be completed in about 30-45 minutes assuming you don't have to wait for any machines/benches. Orvis doesn't cover cardio or nutrition. While that would be a nice addition, the book never makes the pretense of being a comprehensive fitness book - it solely delivers weight training workouts. What I enjoyed most about Orvis' plan was the all-inclusive workout style. When so many programs tout one or two methods of lifting (pyramid, inverted pyramid, super sets, drop sets, etc.), he covers every one of these, rotating through different training styles every couple of weeks. The lifting variety will keep the program interesting and will also prevent your muscles from growing accustomed to a single routine and plateauing. Having worked out for some time, I was impressed when my muscles were sore after starting the super set training week. The main problem I found was that Orvis' program sometimes overlooks certain muscle groups for an entire week. Often I found myself adding a bicep curl, French curl or calf lift to the week's schedule because the book overlooked it. I can see overlooking secondary muscles for a week, but not biceps or triceps. Doing bench presses or lat pulldowns won't give my arms a sufficient workout for an entire week. Overall, I found the book to be great. It's very portable and I've recommended it to a few folks I've met at the gym who are stuck in "Nautilus Land." I would recommend sitting down at the beginning of the week, looking over the schedule, taking a mental inventory of which muscles you will be working on and compensating if any certain group is overlooked. His workouts tend to be a little more oriented toward lower body development, so you may find yourself adding some upper body sets on occasion. Orvis' workouts are limited to just the major (common) lifts. If you're more than just a beginning weight lifter, I would strongly recommend purchasing "Strength Training Anatomy" or "The Encylopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" in addition to this book so you can get a better idea of what alternate lifts you can do to better work certain muscle groups or add more variety to your time at the gym. When paired together, I actually found this program to be great once I got past the first month. The super set/drop set/pyramid weeks are a blast. I would love to see Orvis publish a book oriented toward bodybuilders who have more time to devote to lifting and require more comprehensive muscle training.
Rating:
Summary: The best book for beginners!
Review: This is the best book for beginners I have seen. I was considering purchasing this book at Amazon.com when I ran across it in a bookstore. I'm glad I did because now I won't be buying it. Why? Because I am not a beginner. But anyone thinking of going to the gym should give this book a try. It has no fluff; it gets right down to what to and how to do it. In the two years I have been going to the gym I have seen lots of people come and go. Most people only visit the gym two or three times and I never see them again. Going to a gym and pushing weights on a regular basis is not something everyone likes to do. You either have to like it or you have to be very motivated. With this book you will find out in a couple weeks. Most books take up a lot of room on motivational stuff. (Which may get you worked up initially but it usually does not last.) Then they throw in a lot of definitions and explanations. All stuff to fill up pages. This book gets right down to what to do and how to do it. It shows you step by step so you can't make a mistake. So by the time you get to you're second or third week, you will know if you want to keep up this life style. If you don't, you have invested a minimal amount of time and money. If you do, you will find this book has everything you need to get started and then some.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good, but.....
Review: It was a good book, but I was looking for something more. Maybe I was just looking for TOO much. This seems like a GREAT book for someone who is just starting to work out, but not much info for someone who is already in a routine.
Rating:
Summary: great for learning some new techniques
Review: I completed the Body for Life workout program a few years ago. I felt it was time to get back to the gym again. I found this book while perusing the amazon site for weight training books. It is a great supplement to the B.F.L. course. I am sore (good sore) after every workout. Jim's book has opened up some different techniques that keep the workouts interesting and provide some alternatives that have really worked for me. If you've done B.F.L. and want some more try this book. Good Lifting.
Rating:
Summary: A Weight Training Book That Actually Makes Sense!
Review: I ran two marathons last year but still couldn't seem to lose that extra 15 pounds around my middle. I think I've tried getting into the gym to fix up my physique a half a dozen times. I've worked with personal trainers and I've read several other weight training books. This book is the only thing that worked for me. It gave me the structure that I've needed in no uncertain terms Mr. Orvis tells you how much weight to use, how many reps to do, and how many sets to do. He explains the techniques you need to use to fight you body's strong tendency to stay the way it is. Best of all I'm doing it all in about 3 hours a week (in addition to running). I'm halfway through th book and I'm already seeing changes in my body. The only thing that has kept me from giving the book 5 stars is that the exercise photos are a little vague. They show how to perform the first half of the exercise, but don't show how to move back into the proper starting position. Even so, this book is a must have for anyone who wants to get into better shape.
Rating:
Summary: Very simple, effective and motivational
Review: I purchased this hoping to gain some insight into how to do it right. I wanted to be effective at what training I do, build mass, and be safe. This book has helped me with all the above, with the exception of building mass which I feel is not its place anyways (that goes into diet, supplements ,etc). The plastic cover makes it more of a go-anywhere book, able to handle the stress of being in and out of a gym bag and getting flopped on the floor at the base of different exercise equipment. I highly recommend this for the beginner to intermediate who wants results in an easy to read down to earth manual.
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