Men's Health Power Lifting by Robert dos Remedios

Ok short review because this is a short book. Which is a very good thing because if you want to read theory behind sacroplasmic meiosis within type IIb muscles cells you'll have to read elsewhere. But if you're an expierenced lifter who wants to transfrom their lifting to a more Rosstraining type direction then this book is for you. It simply lays out Remedios' undulating perdiodization for sports conditioning, the what, where and why of that and then gives a long list of cool and unique exercises for you to choose from to make your own workouts. Very similar to Joe Defanco's excellent WS4SB templates. The one thing that I liked the most was the suggestion of using lifting straps for holding the bar on front squats for those with wrist and elbow injuries. Another suggestion I liked a lot was that push pressing was less stressfull on the shoulders than regular overhead pressing. Well at least in my case I found this to be true when using weight that isn't maximal (still would be a good idea for me to cycle this one). So in one sit down with this book I'm now doing two essential exercies that I thought I could no longer do.

There are two types of templates: full body workout and a four day push pull split. I chose the push pull split because I lift frequently for stress relief.

The set up of the workout is this:

1. Explosive
2. Hip/knee dominate
3. Horizontal
4. Verticle
5. Rotations (abs)
6. Bridge (abs)

Following this template my workout today was:
1. Dumbell snatch
2. Front squat
3. Weighted ring pushups
4. Push Press
5. Band wood chops from the knees
6. Ab wheel rollouts.

Any other stuff like neck work, rotator cuff etc can be added at the end.

Each periodization: general fitness, hypertrophy, strength/power, has it's own set/rep and rest period set up.

There are also sections on complexes, GPP and diet. It's all there in one easy reference. All in all I think this is the best book I've read yet. It's simple, concise and really easy to implement. It cost $13- on Amazon and I think only the most advanced students of the game wouldn't get something from it. Plus Remedios personally answers any good questions you have on the Men's Health forum.

 

Have you read Starting Strength 2nd Ed.? That is the book by which all training books shall be judged. Since you're saying this book was the best you've ever read, I'm doubting that you have ever read Starting Strength. I have yet to find a training book worth buying after reading Starting Strength, except for Practical Programming (I owned Ross's books beforehand).

 

Looks solid to me. Remedios seems like a good coach.

 

1. Yes SS was an excellent book but the book I'm reviewing here is different method.
And I thought I made myself clear my opinion is based on my experience.

2. You accuse me of making claims w/o having read Ripptoe's book and then you do the exact same thing with Rememdios' book. Come on.

 

Relax, I'm not making claims, judgements, anything. I just wanted to know where you were coming from. I think you'd agree, someone who has read Starting Strength is going to have much higher standards for their training library than someone who hasn't. I just wanted to know where you were coming from. That's all.

Since you have read Starting Strength, I definitely think that Rememdios' book must be something awesome indeed to get that acclaim from you.

 

is this men's heath as in my local newstand men's health?

 

Freeman,
Yes

This book is just a different flavor than SS. Plus it's only $13- so even if one dosen't like it it isn't like $70- spent on a bad grappling instuctional.

 

I picked up a copy. It's a good book.

Thanks for the review.

 

Has some good points but still a lot of cryptic info in there.

 

cool, I'll pick up a copy then.

Thanks

 

I ordered it last night, and I'm waiting intently.

 

This website has lots of information on the book.

Men's Health Power Training

 

Do you want to have sex with Starting Strength?

 

He already has...and it was good.

 

I was walking to the basement carrying my wife's swiss ball to do inverted rows and she asked what i was doing with her ball. I replied "power training" I probably could only suprise her more by saying I was voting for Dennis Kucinich (Like when hell feezes over).

 

No, it wants me mostly. I can't handle the commitment of a serious relationship because I find her sister "Practical Programming" equally attractive.

 

I flipped through this book at the bookstore last night for quite awhile. Just couldn't justify buying it. It seems like a solid book, but I just didn't see much that I haven't already seen many times in other books I own, read in articles online, etc.

I think it should be noted that a HUGE portion of the book is a catalogue of exercises. Don't get me wrong, it's a good catalogue, probably very helpful to a raw beginner. However, it's nothing most people who have been training before haven't seen a thousand times, either in print or in an online database. Combine that with all the "introductory" material and such, and there really isn't much there I haven't seen before.

I think this book would be best for people new to strength training, or for people moving from appearence training to strength and power training. It is a GREAT book, don't get me wrong. It beats the heck out of a lot of the stuff I've bought and read before. But if you've been training seriously for a couple years (researching along the way) and already own Rippetoe's books, I don't think you'll find much new here. I couldn't find enough to shell out the 15 bucks or so.

 

It's not so much that it's a catalog, or that you can find these exercises anywhere but the way in which it's set up. The program has endless possibilities and is capable of a great deal. As a personal trainer, I know so many other trainers who would rather put people from the average to the athlete on some of the most retarded programs from useless bodybuilding isolation exercises to doing walking lunges on BOSUs. This is a program about movement, that has benefited not only athletes but your every day person who needs strength throughout their day.

 

Weeks later and I'm still rockin this workout. Eventhough the front squat isn't going as well as I hoped I discovered yesterday that the front squat has helped my back squating a lot. I can now almost 20 rep ATG squats a weight that I have only been able to do to parallel. Also I got the great idea of sandbag squats from the book (although that particular exercise isn't in the book it motivated me to experiment) and some other new for me stuff that brought excitement back to my lfiting.

 

JRT thanks for the thread, I'll check out this book out.