Strength Training: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to a Stronger, Sculpted Body

Review – Strength Training from DK Strength Training is one of a small series of books from Dorling Kindersley Limited, a British company. The book is very well done, artfully laid out, well formatted, good diagrams of the exercises and relevant information. The information moves from very basic to quite advanced. Obviously much thought and preparation went into creating this book. The book is actually aimed at beginners in the fitness world, but much of the information is of value to all practitioners of fitness at all levels. Good explanation is made of the muscles and their functions, the bones and their functions, the exercises and their uses. Correlation is well made to everyday movements of activities of daily living (ADLs), to sports activities. The exercises are well diagramed, well explained, given a progression of difficulty and of need for preparation with other exercises. Aside from the cover, all images are diagrams of bodies, both male and female all well clothed, sometimes with muscles exposed, sometimes just showing the movements. The diagrams are clear in their intent. My only complaints or criticisms is that the authors include crunches and triceps dips. These two exercises have been thoroughly discredited by experts such as Dr. Stuart McGill and damaging respectively to the spine and the shoulder. This high quality book will take a beginner in fitness to quite a high level of strength or will fill in gaps in knowledge for As usual the practitioner will benefit from a multitude of inputs of this knowledge.

I am obese and I had this recommended by one of my gym rat friends. He says that he started with this when he was first starting out and did not know what the heck he was doing. LEMME TELL YALL ABOUT THIS BOOK!!! It breaks down everything for you. Everything!! I am using it to draft my own workout plans for at home and for when I go to the gym so I feel much more confident about it. I no longer just stick to the cardio machines in the gym. I am even able to use this book to help me map out exercises for wanting to target muscle groups. The book is easy to follow, but gives a wealth of knowledge and is illustrated so I can SEE what the form is supposed to look like. I wish I had found this gym sooner.

Well written, well laid out book. As a newbie, I was quite confused where to begin my strength training journey, this book was the perfect source for me.

I just got this today. I was looking for books that describe the exercise, how it engages the muscle, and reasonable renderings of how to do the exercise graphically. I am a visual learner. I have only had time to glance through the pages. I ordered a similar book from a different author which I also critiqued and between the two, it appears I have what I was looking for along with the perfect log book to document my work outs. I have been working out consistently since April of 2014. I have lost 40 lbs and was in better shape than I have been in decades. Over the holidays I got out of my routine, worked out too hard and tweaked a nerve in my neck, that previously only bothered me occasionally then recovered, but this time gravitated to my right shoulder, persisted, and after 5 weeks of back to back battling of the flu, an upper respiratory infection, the pain from this tweak and having to get massage therapy to fix it, my shoulders and arms, particularly the right side have atrophied to the point where I have to be very careful how I work back into my routine, modifying the movements to compensate for previously reliable muscle groups that are now impacted to recover what I have lost. It has been a blessing in many respects, but I wanted information in book form not from the internet. This book is exactly as represented and I am excited to employ its contents in my recovery process. I had some concerns with the other book, but this one looks to be exactly what I wanted, compliment the other, but is focused more on an experienced user looking to deepen their understanding of the physiology of the motions and their impact.

More clarity about how to fit in the various, excellent routines would be most helpful and push this book to a 5 star rating. It was not clear if the stabilizing muscle routines should be added to the strength routines, for example. The exercises are well described and beautifully illustrated and the book is based on proven methods with a good discussion of the pros and cons of the many "in fashion" strength routines.

I bought personal training sessions at my local gym, for about $400 for 8 sessions, pricey, just so I could learn how to use free-weights. While the book is not a substitute for a personal trainer who can correct your form and design a unique program for you, it is a great start for those who are gym novices. It covers all the major areas as far as I can tell: arms, chest, back, legs, core/abs. I have a personal trainer but still find this book invaluable for in between sessions. I think that if I had gotten this book sooner I would not have signed up with a trainer. It has really made my gym visits much more productive, less confusing and intimidating. Buy this book, it is EXCELLENT. Compare it to others in its field and you will see that this is far easier to understand and really get use out of. Very good price too!!!

Is this day and age of web-based information, this title really shows the value that you can only get with a printed book. Richly detailed colored illustrations organized in a manner that makes it easy to reference, especially the pictorial index of lifting exercise arranged by muscle group, provides an experience you just cannot get with a web browser (and probably not even an app). By reading this book I went from more or less winging it in the gym to putting together a more systematic approach to workouts, and the results shows. As my routine evolves, I find myself continuing to refer back to it since there’s so much it covers. A must-have for anyone who wants to create a regimen tailored to their goals.

I am new to weights and clueless about the terminology, don't know a dead lift from a squat clean. This book explains in minute detail and with great pictures all I need to know. High quality color illustrations of muscular structure and correct form throughout with so much useful information on the muscles targeted. Some basic nutrition facts thrown in. Warm up and stretches are illustrated as well. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Takes me out of blonde territory to ah hah, so that is what that is. I am a petite 118# almost 60 year old looking to build strength, tone and preserve bone. The right book has arrived at my door. Kelley Coffey-Meyers weight lifting video on the way for a workout guide.

Very helpful book with 125 exercises for strength training. Across 250 pages of glossy content, it contains easy, intermediate and complex categories which is useful to beginners and experienced in strength training. Each exercise is scientifically explained with muscle activation pictures as well as steps to perform with best form. This book is sufficient for anyone who is looking for hints and details about exercises and machines in gym. Instead of listening to influencers on social media, reading and following the methods presented in this book will give much better perspective and results - the old school way. Only missing information is about nutrition for which one would have to refer other material.

Unbelievable !

Awesome book no matter what your level of fitness is. Lots of detail on which workouts are good for what muscles. Would definitely recommend.

Just as expected.

Gives a good idea but not specific enough.