Sports Illustrated Training With Weights: The Athlete's Free-Weight Guide

Rating:
Summary: great beginner book
Review: I bought this because I got a weight set and bench cheap and wanted to learn how to use it so I could increase my strength and resistance to osteoporosis without killing or injuring myself. The book is very straight forward and has good pictures. The descriptions of some of the moves (or variations on lifts) are, for the most part, simple and easy to understand. This book gave me the confidence to start a short exercise-with-weights program and firm up my muscles. Advanced lifters will probably be disappointed, but for a total beginner like myself, it was a great starting point -- one I return to often. And the authors make sure to include women in the photos, which helped me (as a woman) feel like it wasn't just a "man thing" -- that I could do it too.

If you're too intimidated to do this stuff in the gyms, the gym staff aren't very helpful with it, or if the weights/benches are always hogged by jock types, get yourself a good used weight set and bench and buy this book. You'll do just fine. Note: having a mirror nearby can help you be sure you're doing the exercises right and with the proper positions and posture.

Rating:
Summary: Good for beginners
Review: This is a great book for beginning weight lifters and especially fellow women who'd like to begin to lift and might feel uncomfortable asking gym staff for assistance. It has pictures of exercises and the proper way to lift weights as well as specific exercises for shaping certain muscle groups. Small book, but informative and easy to read. Good reference.