Powerlifting

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Although it is informative to hear the views of an insider to Powerlifting, the author failed to warn people of the shortcomings of this unscientific and dangerous sport.

The author is obsessed with the definition of Power in the context of the laws of mechanics and entirely omits the physiological dimensions of muscular power. Powerlifting induces serious limitation in the range of motion of joints. Thus, many powerlifters would be crippled with knee injuries, back injuries, and shoulder injuries before too long.

The three powerlifting lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift) are arbitrarily chosen to represent the sport. Thus, powerlifters will fail to lift overhead, in upright position, due to frozen shoulders, stiff back, and worn knee cartilages.

Powerlifters should be advised strongly to stretch and enhance the range of motion of those three major regions. They also have to be told to plan for health insurance that covers serious knee injuries with life-long disability.

One must admit that training on Powerlifting is much better than doing nothing. Yet, better, is to lift weight from the floor overhead, standing on your own feet, even if it would require many months to develop the coordination and balance. Lifting in the deadlift is very "partial". Lifting in the "squat" tips the body extensors at the expense of the flexors. Lifting in the "bench press" freezes the shoulder joints in a narrow range of motion. The three lifts have to be balanced with full, floor-overhead, lifting and flexing exercises such as "pull-over", "weighted crunches", and "standing shoulder-press".

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I purchased this book to add to my general knowledge of powerlifting. It was extremely basic and utterly useless to anyone who has some knowledge of the sport. I hoped to gain information about training methods and routines, but the book did not deliver. The book also contradicts itself on many occasions. At one point, it claims working the calf muscle will not increase power, yet later it gives information on calf exercies to supplement the squat.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I purchased this book to add to my general knowledge of powerlifting. It was extremely basic and utterly useless to anyone who has some knowledge of the sport. I hoped to gain information about training methods and routines, but the book did not deliver. The book also contradicts itself on many occasions. At one point, it claims working the calf muscle will not increase power, yet later it gives information on calf exercies to supplement the squat.

Rating:
Summary: Very very basic and uninsparing
Review: This book is perhaps only interesting if you are a absolute beginner and want to learn a bit about powerlifting. The exercises are in my opinion very poorly displayed. Also the text is sometimes vague and uninspered.

It looks like this book is put together fast for sales, with no creative ideas or innovating routines. All the information in this book is well known to everybody, easily obtained through websites , and in places outdated.

I am sorry that I bought it, since I ecspect more from a recent publication by Human Kinetics.

Rating:
Summary: very useable for firewood
Review: who is barney groves??????........and who are the supposedly national and world champions he presents in his book?????

as one who had been involved in powerlifting since it's inception as coach.....international referee.......and a 5 time world champion........i find this book to be a joke......mr groves may have meant well...but i find the book to be a piece of junk...written by a no name author ...giving incorrect information....using made up national and world champions to promote a book that teaches nothing........i guess anybody can make money on anything today in the good old u.s.a.

it does my sport a great disservice to present information like this to the general public......

the book should be rated as a comet not a star......i.e falling to earth and burning up is it's best chance of being useable
rickey dale crain