Rating: 
Summary: An excellent refernce for beginners or experienced lifters.
Review: A very objective look at strength training. This book starts with the basics behind bone, muscle and tendon development and develops this into an excellent reference on all types of strength training exercises. I was a bit skeptical of the single-set program the author espouses, but after a couple of months I'm seeing the same results (or better) that I saw before with twice the time in the gym. Now I can work on aerobic training as well with the additional time this method has freed up! A very good reference for any serious strength trainer.
Rating: 
Summary: Great resource! One of the ten best on strength training.
Review: An extremely easy read. Much information to be understood by the masses. Helps to establish a good base of knowledge.
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Summary: Gives excellent safe advice for new 'Strength Trainers'
Review: As a fairly fit 59 year old coming to Strength Training for the first time, I felt that I was very lucky to have started with this book. It is a serious book based on the author's long experience and his wide knowledge of many scientific studies of the subject. But it is also easy to read and very reassuring. After ten weeks following his advice in the gym I am already seeing the hoped for improvements in body shape and strength, and more importantly in a sense of accomplishment and well-being. His guidance allowed me to approach this new task with confidence and correct technique. I regularly have to bite my tongue to stop myself from telling others about their mistakes in exercises which I have learnt from this book. Anyone who reads or flicks through many other books on this subject as I have will be surprised to find some apparently key exercises such as 'the squat' and certain 'calf raise' exercises not included in workouts suggested by the author. He refers to them in the text though and steers you away from potentially hazardous exercises that might give trouble to a beginner or someone of a certain physique or age. I found this aspect of the book most comforting. He also gives what seems equally good advice to younger exercisers and to women. If you want a 'fashion fitness' book promising buns or abs of steel do not buy this book. If you want a totally credible account of why and how you should take up a safe and effective strength traing program I don't think you could find a better book than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but leaves you wanting more
Review: Brzycki explains some things that you don't find anywhere else, and this is invaluable. One wishes his discourse wasn't quite as rambling as it sometimes is, which leads to some repetitiveness. Well illustrated but with amateur level photography. He interestingly breaks the exercises down by equipment used but I found the manual resistance section to perhaps be useful in a campus course but of little to no value to an individual weight trainer. A better use of book space would have been to cover more machines, including from Cybex, which isn't even mentioned, and other manufacturers. There's much good useful info here but I don't quite share other reviewers' total and effusive enthusiasm.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for trainers!
Review: Brzycki starts up by saing more science in weigth training is needed. This book is full of theories with backed up with so calld science! I can use a few example. No 1- You can't increase your balance by doing balance exercises! All athletes and trainers that has some experience in training knows that thats not true. Only because science haven't been able to prove it, it dozen't mean it do not work. Steroides didn't work accordingly to science some years ago. But everyone else knew in the training world. No 2- You don't need to train stability exercises for stability muscles because those muscles get exercised in stabel machine exercises. Let a gymnast run and let a runner do balancing acts that a gymnast do. The gymnast will have no problem but the runner will not be able to dublicate the movement. Use your brain when you read this book because it has som good points but also some ... Brzycki has high understanding of training my hat of to him. But he misses some vital points. To use Mike Mentzers point a view and A. Jones as proven science to back up his claimes please. Maybe it's here in Sweden were science is science. But this is a good HIT book, just not a good training manual for athlets and trainers.
Buy a book by Paul Cheek or NSCA book Essential of strength training and conditioning. Why not buy all three books and get a broader perspectiv on weight training.
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Summary: This is THE workout book for Everybody
Review: Forget all those muscle magazines. If you are seriously intrested in working out and getting stronger, this book is a must have. It gives you the straight dope on what you have to do to get stronger and what weight lifting fads might lead to injury. This book is clear, consise, and to the point-and will benefit both beginner and vetran weightlifters
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Summary: Good for a library, but not as a reference...
Review: Got to be kidding...while this book has *some* useful and correct info in it, there is some much junk.......Throw together outmoded ideas with modern references, *some* good information (but must seperate from the *bad*), hard-headed thinking, pictures of exercises performed incorrectly (example: look at curls, lat pull downs, more...), resistance exercises against a partner (oh no), throw in bunches of references and some basic physics to make things look good, shake it up on low speed, and you have this book. He has some good ideas, but I don't recommend this book unless you have a good basis in exercise and can seperate the wheat from the chaff. This book could use a major overhaul & re-thinking. It has potential. But as is, not as a reference for exercise.
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Summary: Review of strength training
Review: I am a fitness trainer, and I have been training athletes for 37 years. I have guided more than 25 athletes to the Olympics. Strength training is the only way to train. All of my athletes have used it and I read this book a while ago, and it is excellent for introducing people to strength training. Any questions or tips, just e-mail me.
Rating:
Summary: excellent book on strength training
Review: I am a health care professional and have taken many courses in exercise physiology. This book is the definitive work on strength training. It has become my bible and has changed the way I work out. I highly recommend this book to both novices and experts.
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Summary: Strength training for Athletes
Review: I am both a runner and triathlete and felt my training could be improved by adding some weight lifting. Unfortunately nearly every book, and even the trainers at my gym, seam oriented towards bodybuilding not building functional strength for athletics. I first heard about Mr. Brzycki's book on the rec.running news group were it is widely endorsed. I picked up a copy and have so far been extremely pleased with both the focus of the book (oriented towards athletes) and the results I have so far achieved. Highly recommended for athletes. Bodybuilders may want to look elsewhere. (Note on rating: as a matter of personal policy I almost never give 5 star ratings)
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