The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess

New Rules of Lifting for Men was quite interesting, but I didn't do anything with it as it was so targeted at men. But I eagerly bought this new women's version, which is similar in some ways but overall is quite different and definitely targeted for women. I enjoyed Lou Schuler's witty writing style and offbeat humor, which made the information easier to digest and less dry. I read this entire book carefully front to back (important to do!!) and decided to implement co-writer Alwyn Cosgrove's workouts exactly as written and stick with it. One caveat: I think this book and its workouts is NOT for total beginners. In a way, you have to "arrive" at this book and the ideas it presents. I think if you were a newcomer to weight training you'd need some help with the exercises and proper form (particularly the squats and deadlifts, which must be done correctly to avoid injury). As a newcomer you would not have the frame of reference to appreciate the total brilliance of the workouts. I've worked out and tried many different programs in the last 10 years. I admit to having a tendency to "over-do" my workouts, my approach was always "more must be better", and consequently I always burned out on the programs and the 2-hour workouts I'd end up doing. Despite my hard work, I never got the results I wanted. Coming into this book, I knew a lot of weight routines and was familiar with proper weightlifting form. At first glance I thought the routines didn't look hard or detailed enough, that there were too few exercises! But I was WRONG! Despite the apparent simplicity of the workouts, they are not easy or fluffy. Rather, they are quite substantial because they are not isolation exercises. Every exercise works multiple muscles at one time. Fewer exercises but more muscles worked in a natural way. (Think of tripceps kickbacks with dumbbells: This is not a movement you'd ever do in real life. Plus, it's not great for your elbows!!). This book argues that to build muscle, gain strength and lose fat, you need to concentrate on multi-joint type exercises (i.e. squats, deadlifts, pushups, step-ups etc.) and not waste time with a multitude of individual isolation type exercises (i.e. bicep curls, tricep kickbacks and pushdowns, etc.), Alwyn Cosgrove's exercises are designed for practicality in real life utility. Having the strength to lift heavy things is a reality....hence the value of squats. On the other hand, laying back at an angle on a leg press machine and pressing weights outwards and upwards is not something we would do in real life. He stresses fewer reps with increasingly heavier weights. Strength over endurance. The reasoning behind each exercise is explained, and you need to be willing to do the background reading in this book so you can absorb the logic of the workouts and their design and sequencing. Coming into this book with my previous weightlifting experience, faulty though it was, this program immediately made a whole lot of sense as a truly different approach. I knew all my previous efforts hadn't paid off to my satisfaction, so I was finally ready to try this new approach: Stick mostly to big muscle exercises, no isolation exercises at all, fewer reps, lifting progressively heavier (no "Barbie weights!!"), and LIMITED exercises per workout (usually just 5 exercises), and short but high intensity interval cardio if any at all. (Cardio is not emphasized here). Each workout takes about 30 minutes, ideally done 3 days a week (although two workouts can suffice, but 3 is ideal) requiring at least a day between weight workouts (I generally did Mon-Wed-Fri). I have resisted my previous tendency to "do more", so I've done the workouts strictly as written and haven't added anything additional. I wanted to see what results I would get with the program "as written." And surprise....I've got better, more defined biceps doing pushups, squats and deadlifts (but not a single bicep curl), my quads, glutes and hamstrings are rock hard and strong without any of the hamstring curls, leg extensions, etc. The squats, deadlifts, step-ups, pushups and a few other things have worked wonders in just 4 weeks. In this short time I'm stronger and more defined than I've ever been. I'm really quite amazed. The program is divided into a number of levels (varying weeks of length per level), with each level having 2 alternating workouts (so you never do the same workout twice in a row--important to prevent plateaus). If you do all the levels and workouts, the whole thing would take about 6 months to finish. --> This is NOT a quick fix, it's steady strength development done realistically over a reasonable time. It requires commitment and a solid determination to follow the program as presented (if you "tweak" it, you're not doing the program). After finishing the program you could then repeat it to hold on to your progress level. I decided to wait until I was adequately into the program to review it. Now after about 4 weeks, here's my initial opinion: I can already tell this is the BEST program I've ever embarked upon and I'm seeing results already on a level which I never reached previously.....not even after 12 weeks of Body for Life! I've got stronger, more defined biceps than ever before without doing a single bicep curl! Back of the arm flab is gone! Quads are firm without a single leg extension! Squats and Deadlifts are amazing, and those two alone target an incredible number of muscles all at once. My mid section fat is rapidly diminishing, despite a pretty modest amount of ab work (so far in Level 1, only modest reps (2 sets of 15 reps on two stability ball exercises divided between two different workouts: jackknives in one workout, and ball crunches in the other workout, that's it for Level 1). No endless ab work here! After all, most of the OTHER exercises are also working your abs! I'm incredibly impressed with this program. I can say it is working better for me than the multitiude of other programs I've previously tried in the last 10 years. And I work out far less, usually 3 weight workouts a week (occasionally only 2), with 20 to 30 minute interval cardio (elliptical) usually done after weight workouts or sometimes an interval aerobic workout on days I don't do weights. The max I go to the gym in any week is 4 times. The structure of the program has allowed me to stay very positive and enthusiastic about the program. I really like the full body nature of the workouts (I previously had done upper vs. lower body days), It's nice to have alternating workouts.....not so boring. I like the challenge of gradually increasing the weight on the various exercises. (Note: on this program it's important to keep a record of all workouts). This a program you can sustain forever because it doesn't burn you out mentally or physically--importantly, you are not overexercising to get results. The program can actually be fit into your life quite nicely. I look forward to the workouts! I feel great afterwards! The book has what appears to be a good nutrition section, although I don't follow it because I have certain dietary restrictions (no gluten grains, for example) that don't fit with the recipes and recommendations. But it looks very solid for most people. I don't consider the nutrition section to be the most important part of the book since at this point in time I've got a very careful nutrition plan that works for me. The nutrition part would be good for someone who has a relatively controlled diet already. It would probably be hard for someone who is a junk food junkie to transition to what is presented here. Final thoughts about fat loss: This is probably not the book for someone looking to lose 50-100 or more pounds. It's for someone who is probably 30 lbs. or less from goal and who has worked out before, who has a certain level of current fitness, and who is comfortable in the weight room. You need a certain level of independence and self motivation. Having these prerequisites, this book is a wonderful blueprint for getting to your goal, and you will lose that last fat in the process. The only negative was a tiny bit of vagueness in figuring out the exercise routines. A blank workout sheet is in the book, or you can go to a website and print off a workout sheet, but I didn't like the setup of either of them so I used a spreadsheet program to create my own workout sheets. It took me a bit of time to figure out the Levels/workouts and precisely how they worked (a fully filled out sample would have been nice and would have cleared up this confusion). It's important to record every workout, the weights used, etc. as this is your record of progress. Since you are alternating between two workouts I think it would be difficult to remember what you did/what weights you used previously if you weren't writing it all down. The idea is to consistently challenge yourself with more and more weight (slowly, of course). At the end, it will be nice to see a record of how you got there! If you are a relative newbie to exercise and are someone who needs to get your diet under control, doing Body for Life would be a very good way to get your diet under control and learn weightlifting basics. After that you might be ready for this program.

THE PREMISE: While contemplating whether or not this was a program that I wanted to embark on, or a book that I wanted to add to my collection, I came across a few reviews that said this book was not for overweight women or for women who do not have any gym experience. I strongly disagree. Here's why: No matter what your size is you will always need a strong foundation. I hear from women and men alike all the time "I'm going to drop some weight before I start lifting weight." My response is always the same, "What's the appropriate weight for someone to start lifting weight?" My point exactly. Now, since I've said that let me tell you who this book is not for. This book is not for someone who does not have any knowledge of what a dumbbell looks like and has not done any physical activity (besides waking up and going to work and coming home and sitting on the couch) for years. THE PROGRAM: There are really 3 parts to book, in my opinion. The First part is the mental prep. The mental prep consists of why a woman should lift, what "endurance", "aerobics", and "muscle pump" is, and essentially what muscle does for us. The second part is food. The food section basically talks about the flaws in programs that people have put out and the public eats up. Although this section debunks a lot of nutrition myths it does not exactly bash other diets or plans. It then continues talking about the importance of macro and micro nutrients. The third section of the book is the training, which I will discuss in more detail later. THE FOOD: The books includes a breakdown of fats, carbs, protein, and booze! One thing that book is not is a dieting book, but diet plays a big part in determining the results that you'll see (Lou even states this in the book with an example of study of high protein diets.) The meal plan includes formulas for suggested caloric intake. You can also check a few calculators online and compare the results. The diet plan isn't in stone. It is flexible and even states that if you're not seeing results with the amount of calories you are consuming that you'll need to change things up. I like that there are suggestions of how to put your own meal plan together rather than just daily menus telling you what you must eat. I can enjoy the occasional treat without feeling like I am failing the entire plan. There are also some pretty tasty recipes included. THE TRAINING: This is the fun part. If you're someone like me (I have been exercising for quite some time, but weight training for three years) you will see the exercises and think "that's it?". I am so used to go to the gym doing and a lot of exercises during one session that the workouts looked like a cake walk. Let me assure that you will soon find out that they are anything but. If you're working out at home you'll want to pick up a barbell and some plates, dumbbells, and a swiss ball. You'll be surprised at how fast you advance. If you start the phases and do not feel anything then you need heavier weight. If you're someone who is not familiar to weight training the book takes you into consideration by offering detailed descriptions of the exercises and offers alternatives without babying you. All total there are 7 stages which will probably take you 5-6 months to complete. Depending on your fitness level, it may take you longer or shorter. It is recommended that you workout three times a week to avoid over taining. With this breakdown the first stage will take six weeks, the second, third, forth, and fifth stage will each take about three weeks and the final (7th) stage will take four weeks. Between each stage you will be taking a week off. Rest is important to let your body recover and your muscles grow. THE STYLE: As with any book there is room for improvements. One thing that readers have to realize is that they have to determine if this is the book for them. If you are not ready to workout or do not know the slightest about nutrition then you might want to look elsewhere before starting this book. One thing that is nice about this book is that throughout the chapters studies are shown to support what the author is saying. I have read a lot of other programs and it seemed as though those authors were pulling their information out of the air. Lou also makes a point not to state studies that are just in favor of what he is trying to say. He leaves the decision up to you. IN CONCLUSION: This workout can be done at home, but if you do not have any experience it doesn't hurt to go to the gym and work with a trainer so that your form is correct. Utilize online tools to check your nutrition and your exercise form. Hit the weights heavy and don't ever underestimate what you can do!

I recommended --- but criticized New Rules of Lifting (for men) because it excluded women. Well, thanks to the authors, my criticism is now stilled. And thank you, authors. I like this book very much. It covers three areas. First, it discusses the general differences in women's fitness problems and that of men. It also explains how women can expect somewhat different results in some areas. Everything is backed up by science and studies. Unfortunately, not nearly as many studies have been done on women than men. No surprise there. The book also has a section on nutrition, including some good recipes along with the nutrition information such as calorie count, etc. It had some great protein shake recipes, which I appreciated. I found some of the recipes out of step with most clean eating recipes I use. Most of them look great and any can be modified, of course. But, as an example, one simple recipe called for cottage cheese and cashews. Not a bad mix. But as nuts go, the cashew, while tasty, is not among the best for the heart and it didn't say to use unsalted. The exercises are not something I plan to follow. First, it lays out a plan of exercises for a certain period of time. I'm not one to follow a certain path in my workouts. But then, I may be older than the average reader and been lifting longer. So, for others, it's probably a great idea. On the other hand, it gave no modification for those of us with bad knees and shoulder injuries and such things as happen to most of us as each day turns into another. And one or two (the pullover comes to mind) can be dangerous and lead you into trouble. The pullover is one of seven exercises to avoid in fitness lifting. If you're a professional bodybuilder, you're on your own. Any exercise done behind your neck is to be avoided. I especially like the part where the author explains that you actually need "more" calories to lose weight, not less. He shows how to speed up your metabolism. He is dead-on right here. I know. I read that in Tom Ventura's ebook, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. I had hit a one-month plateau after losing ten pounds. I re-read that old ebook and learned I should eat more, not less. I did, and the weight started coming off in a matter of days! (I have to add I did one extra workout as well.) I recommend that ebook, by the way. So my favorite part of this book is the first section. In fact, it's worth the price of the book and it will be good to look back on and refer to as needed. It guides you on how often to workout and tells you to use heavy weights. I like that. Too many women use those little sissy red, yellow and blue weights and lots of reps and it's stupid. What is that? Real women need muscle to do all we have to do and get through life. We need muscle to age successfully and not end out in a rest home with the feeble. Bring on the muscle! Lift iron, not little pretty bobs. But when you start lifting heavy and as you age, you'll want to buy some of Jim Johnson's books on exercises for torn rotator cuffs and other issues that happen with age and over training. Or, can happen. This book doesn't deal with modifications or injury. On the whole, this is a fantastic book. The authors have done an excellent job and Lou Schuler, who did the writing, writes in a friendly, conversational manner. He is not condescending as some men tend to be. Although, it's very clear that he knows he's a man writing to women and he writes differently than in his book written for men. As with all books, you have to take from it what you need and let the rest go. But I recommend this book to every woman of any age. If you want to be healthy and ward off the bad things that happen to older women, you must lift weights! And you must begin now to eat right and understand how to protect yourself from the ravages of time. This book will get you going. Buy it! - Susanna K. Hutcheson

Today I am finishing the very last work out in the New Rules of Lifting for Women. It took me almost 7 months to complete the program, and the results are impressive. I've been pear shaped my whole life, but I am now a balanced hour glass shape. I actually took my measurements yesterday, and my shoulders are broader than my hips (!!!). My arms and abs are defined, and I can lift significantly more now than I could back in August when I started. I've worked out with trainers in the past, and although they are MUCH more expensive than this book, I never got results like this (I've found that many trainers are not so good at sticking with a progressive program, they bounce around and try fad exercises that are fun but not so great for results). I have been working out to some degree on and off for years (I'm 36), and I considered myself an intermediate in the weight room when I started. I had just completed a crazy relay race and had been training hard for running for months when I started so I was in pretty good cardio shape, and had a lot of endurance. I already knew how to do most of these exercises. As I began the program at my work gym, several co workers asked to join me. They were complete novices. Wow, you should see the difference in them! One has lost a ton of weight and gone down in size, the other has crazy tone in her arms now. They both report (and their husbands agree) that these workouts have helped their mood a lot too, much decreased their stress. So I do think this works for a variety of fitness levels. I just lifted much heavier than my work out buddies. I didn't really follow the diet as I already had a fairly healthy diet, with plenty of protein and calories. There were some good recipes, and I like how it emphasizes getting enough food. I did however follow the work outs pretty religiously, including adding interval sessions. What I liked: 1. Honestly, what I liked best are the results. This program has a sensible, well thought out progression of exercises that works. 2. I liked having it all thought out for me, I didn't need to make any decisions (other than what specific weights to use). It was laid out and ready. Unlike other books that have a variety of exercises but that are not all combined into a program. 3. I enjoyed the first chapters that explain the background and why women should lift heavy. It is a quick read, reminds me of a magazine article. The downside: 1. This is not aimed at a quick fix but long term lifestyle change. So if you are looking for results in two weeks, this is probably not for you. 2. The first phase of the workouts are a little on the boring side, with small numbers of exercises that are repeated. However this phase is necessary to establish good movement and build a base. If you can stick with this, you are golden. 3. Some people find Lou's tone off putting; I find him funny. Tips/suggestions for folks who are just starting out: 1. The ebook format was difficult for me to follow, I found the paper version better. 2. There's a great Facebook private group that Lou posts on (!), good resource for questions and support. 3. With some minimal Googling, you can find excel spreadsheets for work out log books, I just printed these and put them in a binder which I bring to the gym to track progress. It really is key to do this so you can remember what weights you are using, saves a lot of time. I'm looking forward to starting Strong Curves next so I can maintain, and maybe even build on, my gains!

I have been strength training for the last 4 months and this book was great. I read it in 2 days. It is easy to read, and although I don't really like the author's humor, I appreciate the effort and the information was solid including great workout programs. I appreciated the information about metabolism and the myth busting. I was suspecting that I was over training, and this book described my symptoms perfectly. The diet portion is more of a guideline that I find easy to modify and follow. I liked the variation of simple semi homemade shake recipes and the shakes from scratch. I have taken nutritional classes, and this book expanded my knowledge in that area and in the area of fitness. I am having a personal trainer help me to follow the program in this book, and although it is not a requirement asked by the author, I think it will help me to get results faster and safer, which is insinuated by the author. I have already started to practice my form in the exercises and test my metabolism so that I can get serious results. I can only think of 2 things that I disagree with and have trouble with in this book. 1. I don't agree that artificial sugars are a good idea- there are many people on both sides of this fence; and 2. I don't know where to get a "step" for the step up exercise. I got my husband the men's book by this author and it featured the step up done on a high fitness step. I'm thinking I can go to my local fitness store and search for this. This still wasn't enough to make me reduce the rating. -By the way, the men's book is great too, but that is another review.- The last and best thing that I will say about this book is that the programs can be modified to be done entirely at home. For once I am going to seriously train at home without the waiting for and constant cleaning of equipment at the gym. My home gym is coming together beautifully. Thanks to all the authors of this book

I bought this as a kindle book which made getting access to the menus and work-outs not very easy. They are spread through out the text. I was hoping there would be an appendix which would just list the menu/meal plan and another for the workouts. As it is, you have to scroll through pages and piece together the meal plan and workouts amongst many paragraphs of text between each. I am a NASM certified personal trainer and there isn't anything in the text that is anything a NASM CPT trainer wouldn't already tell you. The book seems to try to make a point that personal trainers don't know what he's talking about, as if it is something "secret" to just him and his research - but that is definitely NOT true. The information presented is nothing new. The book basically is a giant vent about how women are basically idiots with little pastel weights doing isolated exercises, and instead, we women should pay attention to what men are doing in the gym and do whole-body workouts with "manly" weights. He says we should also do away with cardio as it is detrimental to muscle-building. Instead he recommends doing warm-ups for maybe 10 min if we're just out of bed and rely on the afterburn from the resistance training to burn calories. He presents a perfectly reasonable argument, but for those of us who enjoy having cardio endurance and higher cardiac output (which increases overall fitness as well) might take offense. It would have been nice if he was a little less anti-cardio and was able to present something that could satisfy both - but the book is about lifting afterall. He also is an advocate for not reducing calorie intake. Again, any NASM CPT will guide you through exactly how many *more* calories you'll need if you are trying to build muscle and the proper proportion of macro nutrients and timing of consumption. The book covers some of this but again, it's mostly a high-level overview. One thing I found surprising was the deliberate exclusion of helping a woman determine what starting weight she should use. He does give you basic guidelines for just starting with something and trying it, then at your next workout try more. If you have a good personal trainer, at the assessment, they'll put you through pushing and pulling type exercises for upper body and lower body and from that you'll learn what your 1 repetition max is. You use a percentage of that for hypertrophy training and then re-asses after 4-6 weeks so you can gauge your progression. While this is a structured approach which the book does not follow, I think it would be helpful to include something for beginners who have absolutely no idea what is a good starting weight, especially since he makes a point to call out how "stupid" we are for using light pastel weights. It would help take out the guesswork and insecurity of starting something like this for the newbie (in my opinion). A quick mention of tempo and reps, and supersets would have been useful as well. The most annoying thing he said was presenting a vent about women complaining that they "don't want to get too big." He argues that it isn't possible and that he's never in his life looked in the mirror and said, "dang I'm just too big!" As a woman, I guarantee you that you can get "too big." Certain muscle groups are very easy to grow big compared to others, at least on me. While the author states it as a fact that he is opposed to the supermodel look, it is clearly from his distaste of that body shape where he says you "can't get too big." I personally, have been on dates where the man said I was beautiful but have some huge "hammers" (referring to my clearly non-feminine, muscular arms). Yes, my arms were too big - not from flab but from muscle and that was just from doing push-ups. For those of you women who admire a super model body but want to see just a tad more muscle definition, don't believe him when he says we're stupid for thinking we can't get "too big." It's a matter of personal image and it's better to cut back before you get hammers, but by all means, if it's hammers and bulging veins you want, then go for it. But to clarify, this book is *not* for becoming a bodybuilder of any sort, and he makes that clear. Another omission was in stretching. Perhaps body builders he knows never stretch but it's a proven fact that stretching helps realign muscle fibers and helps prevent injury and helps retain full range of motion - all of which you should care about. He completely skips all of that. There was a worksheet in the book which you were supposed to photocopy to use for keeping track of weight and reps for various exercises and there was supposedly a link to his website to print it (since I had the kindle version I couldn't exactly photocopy it). Unfortunately, the link didn't work. He also doesn't list out what equipment you need to even do the workouts and for only some of the workouts does he share ways to work the same muscle groups without a fancy pieces of gym equipment. Overall, I took some offense to his stereotyping of women to be so ignorant and naive in their workouts, and to his lecturing tone.. I also took offense to the fact that he injects so much personal opinion in how he thinks a woman should look. Rather than just give objective facts about the proper way to lift and maximize strength and muscle-building, he's written a book that is basically a lecture and vent, intermixed with a few recipes and some workouts which you have to hunt to find and put together into your own plan. There's no mention of corrective exercises, no stretching and no cardio and no options for or mention of working with injuries (but again, the book is for lifting and apparently nothing else). However, despite my objections, I do think there is useful information for a pure beginner and it's cheaper than a personal trainer. If you know anything about resistance training already - don't bother with it. There's no new information here. If you are a beginner and only follow the book, I'm sure you will end up with injuries but even without reading the book and just doing random stuff on your own, you'd probably just as likely be prone to injury as well. If you are serious, you'd be better off with at least a couple sessions with a legitimate personal trainer who can give you an assessment, understand your personal goals and put together a personalized plan for you to do either at home or in the gym.

I've been a serious runner since high school, so I've always avoided weights for fear of "bulking up" and screwing up my running. Since having children, I've logged a lot of miles trying to get back to a smaller size. I did loose a lot of weight, but was never really happy with how I looked. I was just a skinnier version of my fat self. I've read "Body for Life" and really liked the idea of weights, but was always intimidated by the weight room and didn't have the time to do such a long weight routine. I'm so glad I found New Rules of Lifting for Women!!! What I like: #1 - its FAST. There are no unnecessary exercises! Thats one thing that really resonated with me: why should normal people waste time doing routines designed for body-builders? It just makes sense to do exercises that will enhance your ability to perform your day to day tasks. And compound movements take half the time! #2 - its HARD. Not to discourage anyone from trying it, but I really like to trash my body when I work out, and these workouts kill me! Love it! #3 - you get to EAT. I tried doing the NROLFW program in the spring, but I did just what Lou said stupid women do and I cut too many calories and burned out. This time, I'm eating what he recommends and... #4 - I look GOOD. I haven't noticed any more than a few pounds loss on my scale weight, but my body has totally changed. My pants fit better, I'm loosing my pooch, I stand up straighter, my arms are lean and defined (NOT bulky), and best of all, I have so much energy! Everything I do in my day to day activities - picking up kids, running up stairs, cleaning, lifting bags of Costco food - is waaaay easier. For someone who considered herself to be in pretty good shape, I'm really suprised by how much change I've seen in my fitness level and appearance just after finishing the first stage. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to be a strong, competent woman who can manage her daily tasks with ease and grace. I don't recommend this book if you have hours a day to spend at the gym, or anyone who wants to look like a skeleton. Thanks for such an awesome program! And to set the record straight: I still run on my off days, and if anything, I've actually seen an improvement in my running, espcially on hilly routes.

This book has it all, an introduction explaining basic principles of strength training and the differences between men and women, diet and food section, lifting section and a meal plan/recipes. Okay when I started reading the book introduction and the talk on calories I'll admit I scoffed a bit at how many calories he suggested and thought myself in superior in planning a 1200 calorie diets and doing maximum exercise to drop my last twenty pounds. After food binging in the afternoon and suffering through some dizzy spells I realized I obviously wasn't doing it right. Since then and doing additional research I am realizing everything this author is talking about is the best way of attacking those last pounds and getting into the best shape. For starters this book does not advocate fast quick weight loss with dangerously low calories diets because not only is that not healthy but for those of us who struggle it's not feasible in the long run. I think I read a reviewer argue that this book plans for too many calories but I disagree out bodies need soo much more than we realize especially if we are planning for cardio and building muscle. The author gives a simple formula in figuring how much calories you'll need to fuel your body and lose weight without starving. I love to have things spelled out for me and with the exercise plan he does that in mapping out what exercised to do and when. The idea is to lift heavy so you can shorten the time you spend exercising. I admit I did feel a little self conscious at the gym but I practiced at home and then took it to the gym. To lift safely trying out his exercises I do strongly recommend that you go online and watch trusted online video demonstrations of the proper technique, in the long run this might save you from injury. So far with the recipes I have tried the protein shakes and they are not half bad, I plan on following the meal plan as well. I cannot tell you how many people in different online forums have recommended this book, so let me add my voice and say you can learn so much.