Muscle Mechanics - 2nd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)Having read and purchased dozens of books on weight training I have come to the conclusion that no one book is going to cover everything, let alone cover everything well. The situation is this: 1. The fitness boom has created a market and publishers and authors are trying to profit from this new market. 2. Some books are just a rehash of old ideas and exercises. 3. Some books actually offer new material or points of view. 4. All books are missing information that can be found in other sources. 5. Weight training can and is used by many people with different objectives. The novice who wants no more than to reduce the size of his/her waist and add a few curves will have different goals than the powerlifter who wants to bench press double bodyweight or more. So there exist more than one audience or market for training books. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced might seem like logical divisions, but it is not enough. Olympic weightlifters and powerlifters employ training regimens that would be unnecessarily orthopedically risky for other trainees even though all groups might use some of the same equipment and exercises. 6. As one reads more and more weight training books it becomes more difficult to find books that don't cover material one has already seen. 7. Given the above facts, building a weight training library becomes a daunting challenge. Naturally, the novice would want at least one book that covers the beginning stages well. Several books are adequate in this regard, but as someone once said,"There are no secrets in bodybuilding, but there are shortcuts." and if one continues to train, new information can be acquired that will maintain continued progress and interest. 8. There are too many weight training texts to read or purchase. Some sytematic rating system is desirable to guide the reader or purchaser. Hence foreward in my ratings I will try to give: a. audience rating for beginner, intermediate, advanced b. audience rating for general fitness, bodybuilder, powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, athletic conditioning c. pros -- what the book does well d. cons -- what the book does poorly including omitted critical information , misinformation, and lack of precatuions or warnings that should accompany certain exercises or speed of movement e. value -- even though there is a proverb that says "Knowledge is finer than fine silver." sometimes one might find that the price for the knowledge determines whether it was a bargain or a bad buy.
With this in mind I let me list the pros and cons. Pros: 1. By using two colors of ink(black and cyan/blue) the diagrams that show the muscles used in each exercise are excellent. Better than 98% of the books I've seen. 2. The author has credentials including a bachelors degree in exercise science as well as experience as a competitive bodybuilder and coach and in the exercise business. 3. There is a strong emphasis on good exercise form. 4. Although there is not an overabundance of exercises, all the major muscle groups are covered. 5. The author presents three programs to build a sound foundation and progress safely from beginner to intermediate stage. 5.Some of the equipment shown is different than that more commonly seen. Experienced trainees might be interested in seeing Cybex's version of a hip abduction machine for comparison to Nautilus's. 6. The author takes a kinesiological approach to naming exercises. One may or may not appreciate this "orthopedic surgeon's approach" to naming exercises. 7. There are exercises for the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder and their importance in injury prevention is exercised. This is a an feature lacking in older texts. 8. Usually two different versions -- machine and free weight -- for exercises are given. One or two omissions, but the effort is there and most exercises get both coverages. Cons: 1. Commonly used names for common exercises are not given. See 6 above. In effect, the author has created a whole new language which allows the reader to sound pedantic, but not be able to communicate with other trainees or cross reference his text with other exercise texts. 2. I saw no caution against holding one's breath while exerting a strongs effort to lift a weight. This is surprising given the general emphasis on safe technique. 3. I applaud the author's mention of pelvic tilt for safe body positoning. However, it should have been emphasized more. Enlarging portions of the two illustrations showing good spinal positoning and bad (lordosis) and pointing out the difference in the tilt of the hip bones would have been a good idea. 4.In early 2001 Newsweek magazine covered SuperSlow training protocol which was trademarked by Ken Hutchins in 1992 and I first saw used in 1984. Given its radical departure from traditonal weight training tempo and the fact that Wayne Westcott has modified his Nautilus instructions to incorporate it because of its effectiveness and safety makes one wonder why Everett Aaberg makes no mention of it. But then few authors outside of Ken Hutchins, Ellington Darden in some of his more recent books, and Matt Brzycki cover SuperSlow. I regard it as a serious omission.
I checked this book out of our library first and thought enough of it to buy it. If I were on more limited budget or less impulsive, I would not have. It's a good read, but if one already has a good introductory text, then the next purchase should be something else. Authors wishing to write a training book should definitely read this. It's nicely illustrated, well written, and the author does cover some new ground, but still it could be improved. Borrow what's good and fill in the blanks. That's your job.
I think all levels of trainees will find something to like in this book, but beginners more so than advanced. Whether or not they should by it is a different question. For about $20 the book is not overpriced at all.

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Obtain optimal muscle gains using superior technique! Muscle Mechanics will teach you how to train for strength, definition, and muscle size using 65 of the most effective exercises covering all the major muscle groups. By combining full-color anatomical illustrations and expert technical guidance, this book will help you better understand how to properly target specific muscles by using the most efficient alignment, positioning, and lifting technique for each exercise.

Three programs for base strength, full-body fitness, and advanced split routines show how to combine the exercises into progressive strength programs. And by varying intensity, volume, recovery, and exercise sequencing, you can design customized programs for reaching both immediate and long-term training goals.

Resistance training expert and Cooper Institute instructor Everett Aaberg is one of the world's foremost instructors and authors in strength training. In Muscle Mechanics, he puts the emphasis on training mechanics to help you maximize results and minimize the risk of injury.

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