Description:
Most weight-training programs are built around exercises that work as much muscle as possible, thus building the most strength in the least amount of time. But the Whartons believe the exact opposite approach is the most beneficial. They believe you should work your body one small group of muscles at a time. In that sense, The Whartons' Strength Book takes the exact same tack as their very popular Stretch Book. Will the Strength Book become as much of a fitness-bookshelf staple? Maybe, but the two books appeal to different ends of the fitness spectrum. Whereas the Whartons' ideas about flexibility seem to be most useful and popular with high-performance athletes, their strength-training theories seem most suited to beginners and recreational athletes. Maybe they really do train this way themselves, and maybe they really use these methods on the professional athletes who pay for their services, but one has to doubt that many serious gym-goers will want to do specialized exercises for tiny muscles in their wrists and ankles, and will want to do a bunch of exercises for lower-body muscles that one move--the squat--can work all at once. That said, most people who exercise will find something to like here. The beginning of the book is chock-full of useful tips for working out in your home without expensive equipment (for example, they note that a gallon jug of milk weighs 8.78 pounds; with two of those, you've got a decent set of dumbbells). Most people will be able to use at least a few of the 35 exercises illustrated. And anyone who enjoys sports--watching or playing--will be entertained by the Whartons' witty comments about training for specific activities. They note, for example, that hockey originated with bored shepherds strapping broken animal bones onto their feet. "Although the sport has evolved since those early days," they write, "one thing remains constant: broken bones." --Lou Schuler
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