Rating: 
Summary: good book for beginner
Review: This is an excellent book for those who have no experience in gym. When I started exercise, I have no clue how to use the equipment. This book provides a road map. The first half is a progressive exercise plan with forms to keep track of the status. The second half are photos of the models doing those exercises in the plan.
I'd also recommend US Marine Corp Workout. There are stretch exercises that are missing in this book and USMC workout doesn't require equipment. It's a good supplement way in case you don't have access to gym facility.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, It might work.... for a few weeks.....
Review: The book is actually realy good,it tells you what to do and when to do it, the problem is that the routines didn't work, at least not for me.
If you want something that works more than a few weeks, I can only recommend you, "Your guide to XLNT fitness" from www.xlntfitness.com
Rating: 
Summary: I wasted $14.95
Review: This book was recommended when I ordered Frederic Delavier's "Strength Training Anatomy" (which is excellent).
Unfortunately this Orvis book is extremely basic, meant for those who know nothing about weight training. The photos are the poorest quality I've ever seen in a book. Perhaps taken with a Polaroid or very cheap 35MM camera. I wasted $14.95 !!!
Rating: 
Summary: Get This Book
Review: If you're looking for an easy way to lose weight and tone up you can't go wrong with this book. The workouts are planned for you, all you need to do is follow them. I take my book to the gym and follow it faithfully. In the past few months I have lost 4% body fat and a few pounds (I was not overweight to start with, just wanted to be more toned). Everyone has told me how great I look. I'm really impressed with the results from weight training and will continue to make this a big part of my workouts.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for beginners
Review: Covers basic exercises along with training log. If you are looking for advanced work-out info, this is not it.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a newbie like me!
Review: I've been going to the gym for years, but never ventured out of the nautilus room. I always looked at the people using free weights and dumbells and wondered how to do that. This book is perfect for the person who has no idea how to create or do a weight training regime. It lives in my gym bag. I've been using it for six weeks and it is wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: Great resource for weight training!
Review: I have been using this book for 4 weeks, and have indeed seen a difference in my muscle tone. My friends have even said that they have noticed a difference in my appearance. What I found remarkable, and did not previously know, is that I could lift more and more weight with each passing workout. This really helped to encourage me, because I could literally see my strength improving. The reason that I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that I feel it is almost necessary to have access to a gym to really do all of these workouts effectively. Also, the section that has "Supersets" is potentially difficult to do because of the fact that you have to go back and forth between 2 pieces of equipment in each excercise. In a public setting, this is very hard to complete without interruption, because the piece of equipment not being used may become occupied by someone else. I can say, however, that there are a lot of excercises that can be done at home with free weights, and I have even been using the Total Gym that I bought some months ago and has been collecting dust in my closet to complete some of the excercises. All in all, this book is a very useful guide to anyone who is interested in adding weight lifting to their fitness routine.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book!!!!!!
Review: I purchased this book and have to say I am very pleased with it. It is very easy to understand and very precise. It also teaches you things you never even knew. You cannot make a mistake if you take this book with you when you do your workouts. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that want's to improve their body. I would buy it all over again that is for sure. I have been using it for about one month now and can already see a difference in my body.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book for beginners
Review: I've been running and swimming for a long time, but I just started lifting weights recently.I was going to the gym and just using the machines but I didn't really know what I was doing. This book has been very helpful to me I have been following the programs here for a few weeks and feel really good. The workouts are well put together and there are pictures of all the exercises. The recommended weight seems a little low but I just made adjustments. Strength training anatomy is also a very good book that shows you which muscles are used in each exercise.
Rating:
Summary: Very basic for those seeking quick routines . . .
Review: This book is geared toward beginning trainees who want a quick program without any hassle. It succeeds in that objective. Anyone looking for information on the sport and theory of weightlifting should look elsewhere. The same is true for intermediate and advanced trainees looking for a new routine. This book has little to offer in the way of general training knowledge.
The workout program in this book (there's really only one, that lasts several weeks broken into segments), in my opinion, lacks inspiration. It seems too determined to utilize every technique type (supersets, trisets, drop sets, etc.). Although each of these training types has a place in training, they are not all optimal for everyone. They also offer no particular benefit when ordered in the manner that they're presented in the book.
The workout in this book is also exclusively for those seeking to improve their appearance. Anyone training for sport or general strength would gain nothing from this routine.
All in all the routine presented in the book will suffice for beginning trainees seeking only to improve their physique. The author makes several statements that are too general (such as stating that slow is the 'best' way to lift - which generally applies when considering the lowering phase of a lift, but is stated too vaguely) that most trainers would tell you are not necessarily true. Also, the routine is a cookie cutter routine with no customization to the trainee. Again, this is usually sufficient for a beginning trainee.
In the end, any routine is better than no routine. This routine though, lacks basic movements, such as the squat and deadlift, that are essential for building muscle. There are several other problems, such as lack of adequate posterior chain work and placing too much emphasis on isolation movements, but it will do. Better, more complete programs are easily available online and in books. Even something like Body For Life would be better than this book. A book like Testosterone Advantage Plan from Men's Health would be a far better option (it also offers general information on nutrition and fitness as well) that adapts to suit everyone from beginning to advanced trainees.
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