Rating: 
Summary: Excellent with a few flaws
Review: This book gets high marks for making explicit what its goal is -- home workouts -- and then delivering on that. While the focus is on home workouts, it offers enough information to be useful as your primary workout book, regardless of venue. The authors offer divide the exercises into major sections, depending on what kind of equipment you have at your disposal: no weights at all (i.e. use bodyweight only and makeshift weights from things found around the house), dumbbells, barbells, and exercise machine. This is great because it makes it easy to come up with a temporary workout plan for that week you're on vacation and don't have access to your normal equipment. They tell you how to create a workout plan, taking full advantage of periodization. They include tons of exercises for you to pick from when constructing your plan. If you don't feel up to creating your own plan they offer several pre-made ones with different focuses. It isn't perfect, however, there is certainly room for improvement. When discussing individual exercises I wish they did a better job of showing how the variations affect what parts of the muscle are exercised. For instance, I think that hammer curls are supposed to work your biceps differently than standard curls but there is no mention of that kind of thing in most exercises. That inclusion would make constructing your own work out routines even easier. The structure of the book leaves a little to be desired as well. It felt that some things -- like whether to work to failure -- aren't introduced as early as they should be. The result is you really should read (or at least skim) the book from cover to cover before setting out. A little bit tighter structure would make it easier to just skip to the section you care about. There is also not much mention of supplements although given the somewhat controversial nature of their efficacy and the target of the book (I would guess that people who workout at home are somewhat less hard-core than those who go to a gym) it is understandable. Overall, though, this is an excellent resource. It has both breadth and depth, making it a great single-volume resource on working out.
Rating: 
Summary: A must-have for home (or gym) weight training
Review: This book has everything you need to know to develop a successful weightlifting program without spending $1,000-$3,000 on equipment. I just got this book in the mail yesterday and even though I got home late, I couldn't put it down. I have been running, cycling and XC skiing for almost a year with the aid of the Covert Bailey books, and I recently brought out my old 80-lb. weight set from Christmas 1985. I was using the manual that came with the weights and a Bowflex training guide from the Internet to develop a workout that reached all of the muscles. I was sure going about it the wrong way. The book first explains all of the muscles in-depth, even giving examples of motions that show their use. Then comes the equipment section beginning with items you already have in your house (milk jugs) up to thousand-dollar equipment. They help you identify your goals and discuss training plans to achieve them. The next sections include exercises (beginner, intermediate, advanced) for ALL the muscle groups in your body sorted by equipment type: body-weight only, dumbbells, barbells, and multistation-machines. If you have a combination like me (body weight, dumbbells, barbells - investment of $250) there is a chapter on using them together. At the end there are actual charts of exercises for you to use. I am putting together a program for myself and am looking forward to increased effectiveness in my weight training.
Rating:
Summary: Great and honest advice for home workouts
Review: This home workout book exceeded my expectations. The photographs are OUTSTANDING because every exercise is shot in a position that makes it easy to figure out to do the exercise properly without hurting yourself. Also, there are tons of close-up, detailed photos of the equipment itself which really helps in the purchasing process. The text is humorous and informative and the author does not pull any punches- He really seems to be speaking from the everyman point of view and not from a fitness guru point of view which i found very refreshing. The product review chapters and sample training logs are a nice bonus. Overall, this book is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to begin a workout regimen from home.
Rating:
Summary: Just a phenomenal resource
Review: This is a great resource for those looking to maximize their home workout routines. It covers all of the major exercises, and goes into detail about different variations that can be used to get the most for your own level of fitness. Really a great one.
Rating:
Summary: Buy it now!!!
Review: THis is a must have for anyone getting tired of paying a gym every month when they would rather just stay home and get the same workout. Ware is it writen that we have to go to some high class gym to get in shape? This book will cover every workout you can ever think of. ANd some will make you think "Dah!" "Why didnt I think of that?" hehehhe I just got my copy in the mail and I may be buying a second copy. Just so I can keep it in good condition.
Rating:
Summary: A great guide to training at home
Review: This is a very useful book to buy if you are looking to set up a home gym. Anyone from a beginner to a serious trainer could get something from this, just depends on how you want to spend your money and what equipment you can afford. The exercises are all well illustrated and whether you are using dumbells, barbells, or a multi-gym, there's workouts devised with all combinations. I like the fact that it's been kept simple, yet the information is top class. You won't find much different advice even if you go to dedicated weight training sources. My programme is based primarily on dumbells and a bench, although on advice of this book I have added a chinning bar and will look to add a barbell as well later. Results are pretty good so far, and I feel I've got a really good starting platform with this book. Even using the fairly basic equipment I've got, I've seen a big improvement in general shape, muscle development and the energy boost that comes with it is a big plus. Dedicated muscleheads may find it a bit basic but if you are looking to set up a home gym, which is what this book is about, then you really don't need to look anywhere else. I'll probably supplement this with Strength Training Anatomy and I reckon that should be pretty much all I'll need to get into a more than acceptable shape.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!!!
Review: What a great piece of work! This book is well laid out and very easy to follow. The authors go over anatomy and explain what various muscles do and the best way to develop them. The authors use speak a layman's terms so that everything is easily understood. I highly recommend this book. It is a God-send for someone like me -- a busy corporate professional who is married with a toddler-aged child. When you can work out a home, there are no excuses. Just get off your butt and get busy.
| 
