[.ca] Brawn: Bodybuilding for the Drug-Free and Genetically ... (ISBN 9963616089)

No frills advice:
I found this book to be a reality check for most people when it comes to weight training. I found his insight helpful. He is a bit long-winded sometimes but other than that it is a good book. I would also get his insiders guide to weight training exercises as well if you need to know how to do exercises.

No B.S. advice for the newbie:
I'm fairly new to lifting (about 2 years) and have read a lot of material from a lot of "Experts". If your a genetically typical person (otherwise known as a "hardgainer") this book in an invaluable tool to help you see results. This book is a down to earth no BS veiw on how to acheive size and strength without using any supplements or DRUGS. McRobert is very down on the rampant drug use in bodybuilding today, in fact downright preachy. Some may find it frustrating that McRobert does not give you specific routines to follow ("do it exactly like this and you'll be huge!")and this is mainly due to the obvious - not everbody is the same (Shazam! imagine that). What he does give you are the guidlines needed to put together a you're own program. He also blasts many bodybuilding myths, and puts forth such heresy as only working out 2 days a week and sometmes 3 times every two weeks. Basically the "less is more" principle. Whether you new to lifting or have been around a while, make sure you re-read sections of the book to make doubly sure you undstand the principles outlined. This is definately the book I wish I could have purchased 2 years ago, it would have saved me time and injury.

Extensively discussing a variety of training approaches:
Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Brawn by body-building and weight-training expert Stuart McRobert is a no-nonsense, "user friendly" instructional guide to bodybuilding and weight training for improved personal health, physical fitness, and physique sculpturing. Extensively discussing a variety of training approaches and problems, as well as addressing injury prevention and other safety concerns, Brawn is a superb and enthusiastically recommended guideline to forming a personal plan of "do-it-yourself" physical self-improvement and fitness enhancement.

Crammed with information:
This book is aimed for a bodybuilder who has typical genetics, does not use anabolic steroids, and has a life outside the gym. The author does not advocate two-hour long workouts with 15 sets for each bodypart, as seems to be the case with some more conventional books. Still, this is not high intensity training, per se. The author advocates the basic lifts and training style from the golden era of bodybuilding, when Reg Park and John Grimeg were dominant figures in the field. The emphasis is on squat, deadlift, stiff-legged deadlift, chins, dips and the like. Interestingly, McRobert even uses somewhat archaic names for the excercises, like overhead press for military press, and he advocates paying attention to grip and neck work. These issues are not handled routinely in most modern bodybuilding books. I was surprised to find out that the author advises to train two, or even three total body workouts every week. I have been used to train each bodypart directly once in ten days, so that was almost a shock to me, especially considering that the author is otherwise against the modern trend of frequent and extensive workouts. However, as I read along, I discovered that actually, the author now advocates dividing the body to two or three parts, and doing the rotation once a week, of even less frequently. The confusion developed because the text from the first edition has not been edited at all, even if the author has changed his opinion towards a given matter. Rather, there is a boxed, "important note for the second edition" to note that now the author has different opinion on the matter. This can be very confusing, as in some matters, the authors' opinion has changed considerably, and the boxed note for second edition sometimes is not located right after the outdated information. There is not a single picture of graph in the book. At first, that made the book appear to be heavy to read, but actually the text is very easy to read. Perhaps on some occasions a picture or two would have made it easier to understand what the author is saying, but as he can explain the things very well, I believe that I have not missed anything. And speaking of pictures, there has been some criticism that as the author does not pose in his books, the training system is not believable. I have read dozens of training books, and I believe that there has not been a single picture of the author posing in any of the books, unless the book has been authored (or co-authored) by a professional bodybuilder or the like. Therefore, I don't understand this kind of critic. This kind of training worked well for all great bodybuilders of the golden era, in a time before steroids, and when even the stars had to work for a living. Therefore, as man has not evolved considerably in past 50 years or so, the same principles work today, for a person who does not use steroids, and works for a living. Even without its' flaws, as the book is crammed with information that relates to typical, drug-free bodybuilder, it is highly recommended.

Best Book Period On Productive Bodybuilding!:
This is an outstanding and extremely comprehensive book on practical bodybuilding. This book will save you years of frustration and help you avoid serious injuries that can result from bodybuilding programs that were made for genetically gifted steroid monsters. Stuart is a great writer and this is an enjoyable read that anyone interested in weight training will enjoy.