Strength Training For Women: Tone Up, Burn Calories, Stay Strong

I bought this book to start free weight training at home. It is wonderful for home use. The author describes the benefits of weight training and how to lift weights properly(which I found very useful as a first time weight lifter). I love the descriptions that the author gives for each exercise. The author also color codes which exercises to do for each level of training. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is first starting out with free weights.

I checked this book out from the library 3 weeks ago, renewed it, and now am purchasing the book. Target Audience: - Beginning to intermediate level - Women - Home exercisers like myself who wish to obtain few equipments at a moderate cost This book has the following sections: A. First Moves: To get you started. Explains why and how to use the programs in this book to exercise. B. 4 for Life: 4 exercises for full-body conditioning, if you never do anything else. - Programs at a Glance - Warm Up - Individual Exercises - Stretches / Cool-down C. Lower Body Program D. Upper Body Program E. Core Body Program (Sections C-E include the following) - Programs at a Glance - Individual Exercises - Stretches F: Useful Programs: 4 programs that combines individual exercises from sections B-E for some popular fitness goals Great things about this book: (1) Clearly written instructions for each exercise (2) Easy to follow suggested programs, depending on your fitness goal and level (3) Well-organized content (4) Visually appealing diagrams, photos, and layout design I like to workout at home with video fitness DVD's. With this book, I have been able to customize and add to my existing programs to target specific areas as well as full-body conditioning while purchasing very few low-cost equipments. It has been a very helpful tool, and is a book that I will refer to over and over again.

This book is well-designed, nicely organized and clearly explains many exercises and stretches for each body part. The illustrations and photos are informative and attractive. I appreciated the inclusion of several muscle diagrams, so it's clear which area each exercise is targeting. A previous reviewer made several criticisms of the book that I believe are based on misunderstandings. The reviewer assumed that because the photos show models using light (perhaps 3 lb) weights, that the author is recommending this weight for all exercises. This is not true, as the author makes clear that weights appropriate for the exerciser's goals and level of fitness should be used. The reviewer also criticized the muscle diagrams, noting that some are oversimplified and do not indicate that certain muscles lie underneath others. This may be true, and the book may therefore be insufficient for medical students or serious bodybuilders. It's my understanding, however, that the book is intended for the average exerciser interested in strength training for health and fitness, not competition, and for this audience I believe that the muscle diagrams are more than adequate. I found them very helpful. I found this book to be much clearer, more comprehensive and easier to use than most other strength training books.

I have purchased several books devoted to strength training. I have to say, this book is the best I have found--by far. What makes this book exceptional is how thorough it is and also how much variety it offers. Exercises for home users--both those who use dumbbells, those who use resistance bands and those who use stability balls or all of the above--are offered. Exercises for gym dwellers are also given. This book caters to everyone in a very balanced manner. The book covers upper body, lower body, core exercises and lots of stretching ideas. While, sometimes, strength training can get confusing because one often questions which exercises are best, how much weight you need to use and how many reps to do, this book really does simplify the whole thing. Also, there are both modified and advanced descriptions and photos for each exercise. Usually when you come across a book on strength training, you see the same, basic moves you've seen (and probably done) a million times before. But Joan Pagano includes variations of moves even I, a fairly experienced exerciser, had never seen before. The layout of the book is visually stimulating. Along with photos illustrating each exercise, there are illustrations showing which body parts are being used with each move. The book was well-written as well. Joan's instructions are concise and encouraging. Recently, I decided I wanted to start working out during TV commercials--just to add a bit of boost to my fitness routine. I found many exercises within this book I will be doing while watching TV. I think this is an excellent book for an advanced exercise looking for a some new ideas. But more importantly, this is an awesome resource for a beginner. I will be purchasing this book for friends and family who are daunted by the idea of doing strength training. I suggest you do the same.

At last Joan Pagano has provided us with what has been missing from many of the fitness and exercise books: a concise, well written, superbly illustrated guide to simple, effective exercises for women. Pagano is a certified personal trainer who has worked with women of all ages. Thankfully, there are no references to "quick fixes", pills, or elaborate, expensive equipment. In fact, all of the exercises can be performed with no special equipment at all, although one or two hand weights, an elastic band, and a large ball are useful. Pagano points out that strength training helps a woman to "curve up" without bulking up or becoming muscular. She shows you how to get the benefits of such training for every age. Special attention is paid to prevention of osteoporosis and recovery from breast surgery. The color photographs are of excellent quality and demonstrate the movements clearly. Especially useful are the "feel it here" arrows pointing to the muscles targeted by the exercise. Helpful Training Guidelines are enclosed in boxes at the top of the pages. Photographs even show the proper use of weight machines so that anyone can feel comfortable going to a gym if they need more challenging amounts of weight. This book provides safe, medically correct, effective exercises that will serve women well for their entire lives. I recommend it highly to my patients, friends, and colleagues. John E. Barnett, MD