Men's Health Big Book of Exercises, The: Four Weeks to a Leaner, Stronger, More Muscular You!

Purchased a used book described as “good” condition and I was very happy to find the condition was excellent and exceeded my expectations.As far as the contents, I bought the book for my 16 year old son and it looks to be a great introductory guide to fitness from what I can tell.

The book starts by explaining the basics and functionalities of different muscles - very informative. I found that this helped me understand my targets better as well as give me a sense of control over my workout.The illustrated exercises are very clear and simple to understand. When there's been an exercise I was not too sure about in the gym, I just asked a gym coach to explain it to me.I found the best feature of the book is towards the end where several workout programmes are given. I've been following a 12-week programme. I am in week 7 of 12 and have been seeing great results.One advice: remember to read the intro to each chapter (one page each) and not just jump straight to an exercise unless you are a regular gym goer.

There are better books on the subject out there but as a general reference guide this comes in as nearly perfect. The book talks about nutrition without actually talking about nutrition - just lots of rambling around the subject and no real specifics (my own general knowledge is better).Not a book for a serious builder or athlete but for the common "got to get myself fitter" type this book will suffice adequately. Clear pictures and descriptions with regressions and advance moves also so nobody will need to get bored with their workout. Excellent for the frequent gym user who isn't willing to pay for personal training but I will use this as a reference to my personal training as there is always a need to push oneself harder to get fitter. Some very useful little known facts but useful for motivation only.If you have a general understanding of fitness this book "might" be a good guide but you probably already know the contents so it is only a reference guide.There are better books on the market for fitness.

I didn't used to be a very regular gym user but when my size demanded I loose some weight and get fitter this book came in great use.It gives you a break down of some exercises for each group of muscles as well as giving suggested training programs for you to follow depending on what results you are after. It is not just for the bigger guys it is for everyone as it give exercises ranging from very easy ones through to the hardest veriations for the larger, stronger guys.This book also has suggested eating programs, diets if you want to call them that but this is just a small section at the frount of the book.In conclustion if you want a book to give you ideas on exercises for a gym program or if you want some basic pre worked out program this is the book for you as it will give you ideas on how to train.

I found Men's Health Big Book of Exercise to be a great help.I am coming from a practical angle - the sport and nutrition science discussed in other reviews goes straight over my head.My starting point was: middle aged, overweight and confused what to do. I went to the gym 6 month prior to buying the book 3 times a week doing only cardio: rowing, x-trainer, stepper, crunches, etc. That lost me about 6 kg (1 stone) and I got stuck.When I read the Men's Health Big Book of Exercises advice "you need to do weights" I was really sceptical. However, I followed the (excellent) workout plans in the back of the book and my weight loss got moving again - about 4.5 kg IN A MONTH. This will obviously slow down, but their advice was spot on for me.I would look at the book as a "beginners to intermediate" guide, written in plain layman's language the average (and not obsessed) man can actually understand. As all sports books, I recommend to read the summary, do the trial and error thing and reread the chapters properly once you start getting the hang of it.Personally, I am very grateful to Men's Health for having published the book, which has really met my needs.

This book was great, so many exercises to choose from, both body weight and weighted. It also has a really helpful section to show the easiest variation of an exercise and how to progress through the variants to the most advanced techniques.As a personal trainer I occasionally hit a “writers block” on exercises and a quick flick through this book is enough to get that spark back.

This book details how to perform 100's of lifts / exercises. The pictures are in colour and are the procedures are clear. I only wish there were more routines at the back (e.g. the Spartacus workout) that employed the good advice at the start of the book (e.g. which muscle groups to exercise in the same workout). Highly recommended at this price.

Really impressed with this book. Loads of great advice, suggested workouts and hundreds of exercises to choose from. Loads of equipment free options as well as options for those people who only have a set of dumbbells. It also has plenty of dietary advice as well.

Excelentes ejercicios, bien explicados, gráfico, super completo.

I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time. Tons of exercises, tons of workout programs, easy to read explanations with good pictures. If you’re looking for some expert guidance for your workout regimen then this is a great book for you. My only criticism is that there doesn’t seem to be any consideration for older people, so if you’re over 40 you may have to make some small alterations to your workout program so you don’t injure yourselves. Having said that, there are many variations of the exercises in the book so you may be able to find one that suits your specific situation. Happy training!

u only need this book and nothing else.obviously u need to customize a personal plan. Use this book for targetting muscle groups. Great pics, variations, can ask for more.

Es como una pequeña enciclopedia de ejercicios con explicaciones y fotos. Probablemente el mejor libro que tengo sobre la materia. Si lo compras esperando encontrar muchas rutinas de entrenamiento olvídate, este es para quienes tienen suficiente experiencia como para deisérselas ellos o ellas mismas.Si me piden que proponga una mejora, yo añadiría links o códigos QR a videos con la ejecución de los ejercicios y ya sería un libro perfecto.

Great book! If you are looking to vary your workouts and exercises or hit a plateau, this is definitely the workout book for you! When you get this in the mail, yo will also be surprised how thick this book is--the spine is two fingers thick and it is 551 pages of color photos.PHOTOS AND EXPLANATIONS OF EXERCISESLots of workouts with easy to understand photos AND explanations. Relies on both photos and description to explain what you need to feel as you do the movement/exercise. This is very helpful because it explains where you need to squeeze or pull to help exercise the muscle properly. There is an index in the back to help fine the exercise or muscles you are looking for too!HELPFUL INFORMATION AND VARIATIONSThe book also provides tidbits on the side which are helpful, such as building muscle by doing certain variations. For example, there are 25 variations and combinations for biceps which you can do for a simple dumbbell curl to work different portions of your biceps! You can use them all to get a fuller shape, which is great to work into a rotation.MUSCLE DIAGRAMSAdditionally, there are muscle diagrams which help you both learn about the muscles you are work. But it also helps you identify what you want to build. If you do not know what muscle it is that you want to grow bigger or stronger, you can go to the muscle diagrams at the front of the chapter to get the name (which is clearly pointed out and explains what it does and what movements target it). Then you can go into the chapter and look for the exercise which works that muscle. For example, ever wonder what that muscle is at the bottom of your biceps that connects to your forearm area? How to work that? It is called the brachioradialis, and you can now go into the chapter and look for exercises that target it!THOROUGH BODYWEIGHT EXERCISESIf you are in an apartment or don't have time to get to a gym some days, there are great bodyweight exercises. This section is thorough and can be done at home, in the office at lunch, or while away on vacation. Most use minimal furniture too, so you can really do most of the exercises with nothing but you and a floor.WORKOUT ROUTINESNot only does this book have just workouts, but it also has some great workout routines for different goals. There are routines are generally broken down for strength building, endurance, and fat-burning. There are also routines to do at home with minimal equipment, such as just dumbbells, which will really challenge you and make a difference such as spartacus or the wheel. Many of the workouts also explain how you can vary them too to make them easier or harder.NUTRITION AND MEALSThere is also a section about nutrition and healthier eating for your hard workouts. This is also helpful and gives meal plans, but I wouldn't say it is anything you could not find online. If you are an absolutely beginner and don't know where to look, this will certainly help!