The "law" that guarantees you huge muscle growth Whether you are a weekend athlete, beginning bodybuilder, or champion, the information in this book will forever change the way you view bodybuilding and strength training exercise. Peter Sisco is editor of Ironman Magazine's Ultimate Bodybuilding series and co-author of Power Factor Training and The Golfer's Two-Minute Workout. John R. Little, the innovator of the Static Contraction Method of strength training, is the editor of the Bruce Lee Library Series and co-author of Power Factor Training and The Golfer's Two-Minute Workout.
Customer Reviews:
Destroyed my shoulder joint, even doing the exercises correctly!.......2007-06-18
I was a HUGE advocate of SCT because it all seemed to make so much sense. I had a subscrition to the Pete Sico newsletter and once almost ordered the ridiculously expensive Expolisve Fitness machine.
I did SCT and though my hold tiems went up, my strength throughout a full range of motion didn't. I began replicating the isometric exercise of the machine he was hawking and after several months of doing it, I sustained 2 joint injuries - 1 to my neck, which left my right are falling asleep for 3 months till the radiopathy healed itself. The 2nd one I've been suffering with for several months now. My left shoulder is destroyed, Ahces all the tiem, and when I move it in any one of several direction, the agony kicks in. It feels liek arthritis, but I think it's joint and tendon damage. In the end, I got no lasting muscle increases and no strength increases.
Conventional working out gives you the mass you want. Mayeb throwing in a little more rest time makes sense, but this method does nothing but sell you pipedreams. Nobody that works out this way ever has the body you envy. Believe that.
My analytical mind says yes, but................2007-05-01
For starters I'm NOT Angelbabiesmom.....that's my wife!!
I've read the book several times and gave it a go several years ago. My weights did go up dramatically but I eventually gave it up. I don't even remember why. All the info contained seems logical and scientifically valid. People seem so dead set on believing the traditional gym myths that have been around for decades. Funny, considering traditional volume training (overtraining) works for so few people (drug free people, that is). I personally have never known anyone who gained signifigant mass working out in the traditional way. And EVERYONE I grew up with lifted weights. Some lifted year after year "hoping" something would magically happen (pure lack of logic). Some would lift for months, see no gains, and quit (common sense). There is a lot of hatred for an idea that flys in the face of traditional theory. Interesting, seeing how traditional body building theory has served so few people. It has even hurt people...myself included. As I write this, I just returned from getting an MRI to try to pinpoint the location of a herniated spinal disc that I ruptured 14 years ago doing BB shrugs. 14 years ago!!!! I'm still paying with both dollars and extreme pain.
I will start this program again and do it to the letter except for one thing that did NOT clear the checklist in my analytical mind. I will NOT be holding in the "strongest" portion of the lift but rather in the weakest. The whole goal is to overload the muscle to the maximuim degree possible. The strongest part of a lift (bench press for example) is due solely to leverage advantages. When you are approx. one inch below lockout on Bench press your forearm and upper arm are almost straight. You are only capable of holding extreme weights because of the leverage advantage. You are not stressing you pecs so much as your arm bones and joints. The stress on the pecs could be just as intense if you were in the weakest range with much less weight.... your bones/ joints being spared.
Valuable Weight Training Principles.......2007-04-10
Learn what techniques will help you gain strength and muscle and find out why those techniques work. These principles can be applied to your workouts in various ways.
static contraction .......2007-02-16
This book is very good. It gets done to the nuts and bolts about gaining strength and muscle. It helps you to understand what works and why in weight training.
Book is well written just not sure about the training.......2006-10-17
If you really want to try this training method this is a very detailed well written book that explains the method. I tried it but not long enough to tell you if it works or not. I was going to a gym with a partner and the trainers in the gym got very upset that my partner and I were using this method of training. We showed them the book and they were all totally against it saying that you have a greater risk of getting injuried than of getting pumped up. The book however says the opposite. If you want to try something different this is a good book to look at.
Customer Reviews:
Exercises Shown are Great for Male or Female!.......2007-09-12
I bought this book when it first came out, mainly because I am a big fan of Rachel (I fell in love with her in Pumping Iron 2 The Women). I started looking at the exercises that she presents and I realized that many of them can work for me (I am a male). Now it is close to 20 years that this book came out and it is still relevent providing a fundamentally sound work-out regimen that anyone can use to attain or maintain a strong lean physique. Joyce Vedral has an understanding of the human body that few "self-proclaimed" experts (ex. John Beisdow) seem to have. Don't waste your money on some of the overpriced newer books that promise alot with their beautiful models and deliver very little. Try this book instead!
Great Muscle Sculpting Book.......2007-08-27
This is one of the few books out there that actually tells women to lift as much weight as they can handle comfortably, and that's a great thing! Most books only tell women to lift three to five pound dumbells and omit barbells all together. They are simply playing into many women's fear that they'll turn into a steriod freak naturally by lifting weights for an hour a day. It literally can't happen, ladies. This book is great in that regard. The diet is a bit sparse, through (I didn't see any mention of dairy, and as we know now, dairy actually helps to fight fat as well as building the bones which women, esepcially weight training women need). I also didn't care for Ms. McLish's proselytizing (can you imagine Shakira dedicating a sexy video to the "only perfect person who has ever lived Mohammed"? Ms. McLish basically does this when she dedicated a book where she bends over in a barely there bikini to Jesus. Nice, Rach.), but you can always roll your eyes and ignore. All in all, one of Ms. Vedral's best workout books, although for nutrition I would reccommend another book (perhaps "You on a Diet). I just don't feel that the meals will supply enough fuel to help ward off the sweet tooth and sustain one through the gruelling (and they are, that's why they work!) workouts.
Disappointed.......2007-08-04
I bought a new book and received one that had several pages that were black, as if they were copied too dark.
I cannot comment on the book as it was difficult to read due to poor publishing.
A must read for women who are into fitness.......2005-08-05
I recentley bought this book because a friend of mine that is a trainer reccomended it to me. The instructions are easy to follow and the book is filled with beautiful pictures. I enjoy the book and I often utilize the moves from various sections to reduce some of my trouble spots. I would reccomend this to any semi-or higher experienced female weight lifter. I have loaned and reccomended this to many friends. It is a definite addition to any woman's collection of fitness material.
For newcomers and old hands alike.......2005-03-08
This is an excellent guide to bodybuilding for women.Looking at Rachel's pics should give you some motivation.Everything is clearly explained.Highly recommended
Book Description
Innovative abdominal exercises to help tone the abdomen, improve posture, and build a strong back using the Swiss exercise ball.
- Offers a 10-minute and 20-minute workout for all levels of fitness.
- Shows how the mobility of the ball targets underutilized muscles.
- Shows how traditional sit-ups and "ab" machines limit how much abdominal muscles can be trained and also aggravate lower back pain and neck tension.
The exercise ball has long been recommended by doctors, physical therapists, and Olympic coaches for people suffering from back pain. Now Colleen Craig, author of the bestselling book Pilates on the Ball, reveals why the exercise ball is unmatched as a tool for building superb abdominal strength. She presents a selection of over 80 innovative exercises, including some of the key powerhouse-builders from the Pilates Method, all of which she has adapted specifically to the ball.
Craig shows how traditional sit-ups and "ab" machines actually limit the degree to which abdominal muscles can be trained and can even aggravate lower back pain and neck tension. In contrast, the very mobility of the ball targets underutilized muscles, recruiting both deep and superficial abdominal muscle fibers to enhance results.
Abs on the Ball includes exercises for all ability levels that show how to properly use the breath and how to activate the correct muscles during a workout--from the core exercises of the Waterfall, Oblique Curls, and Full Abdominal Curls to the more advanced Side Twist Plank, the Teaser, and Backward Crunch. The author also offers a 10- and 20-minute workout designed not only to build the abdominal core, but also to strengthen and train deep muscles in the back and hip in order to soothe lower back pain and increase overall body strength, balance, and coordination.
Customer Reviews:
A fitness first........2006-03-25
When I heard pilates on a ball, I was ecstatic! I was just impressed by the creativity used in coming up with such wonderful exercises.I attempted many of the exercises, and I just saw how valuable they would be to athletes, who have been using traditional exercises for a long time.This new system, is so dynamic, and I just love the fact that even seasoned exercisers would be challenged positively.
The author does an excellent job in introducing the audience to the material.I am not a die hard pilates instructor, so I appreciated it.
Excellent ab strengthening moves.......2005-09-24
After only a few reps, I can feel the work! I like how it builds on moves I am familiar with and has some new ones in there.
I only wish there was a DVD on this.......2005-01-11
I know that most DVDs are for most of the exercises that are done on any exercise endeavor, including those on the ball, I just wish there was a DVD to accompany this book. I believe that DVDs help to keep people motivated to exercise.
That having been stated, this a great book to "wear you out" and get you into shape. I have always thought that doing Pilates was a good thing for the average person, but the ball makes it twice as fun.
If you enjoy ball exercising and feel that it does the job you reshaping you in the way you want, this book will be a lovely addition to your exercise routine.
Great workout. The ball relaxes you.......2004-10-01
There is something about the ball that relaxes you - maybe the shape takes you back to the womb....
Anyway, this workout is a great complement to the advanced Pilates workout I do with a teacher every week. The exercises feel different, deeper and harder with the ball.
Most of the explanations are pretty clear, but it would help to see the workout on video.
I only regret the layout of the exercise flow at the end of the book... It is kind of hard to flip around the book if you need more explanations while you are doing the workout flow. It would be better if they added a kind of pull-out chart with the exercises, and references to the pages of the exercises on it.
Innovative exercises in the style of Pilates.......2003-06-30
In this text, Colleen Craig brings a new set of core strength exercises using inflatable balls. Note: this text not only uses a Swiss Ball; it also uses a Gymnic Overball. You probably won't find the Overball at local stores; you'll have to purchase online at somewhere like balldynamics.com or just put "gymnic overball" in a search engine for a list of vendors world-wide.
The 9-inch Overball is used for 3 things: as a Magic Circle for inner thigh/core strength, a small ball for balancing on, and a means to provide support and feedback on a variety of exercises (like a mini roll-down with the ball behind your pelvis). Colleen has created some innovative exercises here. Some of the exercises are done with a mostly-deflated Overball, so it really makes sense to have at least 2 of these guys.
Colleen makes a compelling case for the use of inflatable balls for core training in the Introduction. She points to some state-of-the-art research as to why the crunch-oriented "core training" isn't really core-oriented at all. The first three chapters are must reading for any Pilates students and for anyone who wants to understand the nature of core training and why Pilates hits the target so well for these exercises.
For beginners with Pilates, I still strongly recommend getting 10-15 group or private classes under your belt before trying any of this on your own. Core training really is a horse of a different color; we do not naturally know how to do it. While the balls give you great feedback for your proprioception, there really is no substitute for a live instructor to start you off with these kind of exercises. And many Pilates instructors have picked up some training on these balls.
This is a great book for any serious student of Pilates/core strength. If you follow these exercises, you will get stronger in the most important muscles in your body. And this are total-body exercisees: the advanced exercises presented here will involve all the muscles in your body. This is some kick-abs stuff!
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- Bill Walsh: Finding the Winning Edge
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- Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul
- Chicken Soup for the Mother & Daughter Soul: Stories to Warm the Heart and Honor the Relationship
- Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul: Stories to Celebrate the Spirit of Courage, Caring and Community
- Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's Sourcebook Series)
- Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook
- Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year: A Guide to Health and Comfort Before and After Your Baby Is Born
Books Index
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General
| Alternative Medicine
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Applied Kinesiology: Muscle Response in Diagnosis, Therapy, and Preventive Medicine (Thorson's Inside Health Series)
Your Body Can Talk: How to Use Simple Muscle Testing to Learn What Your Body Knows and Needs : The Art and Application of Clinical Kinesiology
Touch For Health: The Complete Edition
Your Body Doesn't Lie
The Ultimate Healing System: The Illustrated Guide to Muscle Testing & Nutrition
RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)
Not for Massage therapists.......2006-06-11
Not enough.........2005-01-30
