Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Sports Paperback – Deluxe Edition, November 10, 2005

Bill Pearl gives you all you need to know about training your body to be strong for life! I’ve personally used this book since the late 80’s first for power lifting training, and then into my older years for strength, health and balance. This book has sketches of every weight training exercise you can think of and some you may not even know! Bill Pearl took me from my 30’s to my 60’s, guiding me in my workout programs to keep me engaged and challenged all these years. My son has used numerous workout programs from this book throughout his life and I recently recommended it to a high school athlete that was looking to progress in sports!Seriously, don’t waste your time and money with the latest trendy workout. Stick with the pro that wrote the encyclopedia of weight training!

There are no silly fads here or wacko advice from the latest kid-wonder--just solid time-tested training weight training programs. I've used them, and I know they work for me, and I'm not particularly genetically talented for muscle-building. There is a heavy emphasis on free weights, which Bill Pearl believes provide the best workout. It's also very useful that most of the exercises in the book can be done in a fairly inexpensive home gym.As a female reviewer, I can also say this is great book for women. When I first bought the first-edition of book in the early 1990s, it was the only one I'd seen which advocated that women train like men. Specifically, that means free-weight exercises, including the bench press, and weights which are difficult on the last rep, in order to gain strength. He wasn't just talking out of his hat either, as he trained regularly with his wife, Judy, who has a beautiful, trim, feminine body. Today it's widely accepted that if women train like men they will gain strength without bulking up, but I give Bill Pearl credit for being one of the first to popularize that truth. The new edition of the book, which I bought recently, has an updated section on women.I disagree with the earlier reviewer that photographs would be better than the simple line drawings in the book. The training programs with mini line drawings are excellent to photocopy and take to the gym! I've never seen a book with such convenient 'memory jogs' when you're still learning your program. The drawings are based on photographs of Bill and Judy working out, so they are accurate. Each mini-picture refers you to a page with a larger drawing and complete description of the exercise--so if you need more info, you just go there.I also disagree that this book is only for serious obsessive body builders. I'm a very average person and it has helped me enormously over the years! At least 3/4 of the book is geared to average people or athletes whose main sport is not weight training. The book starts with three "general conditioning" programs for beginners--which gives you about six months of workouts. Once you've worked through those programs you can decide to remain in a general conditioning track for strength and good health or move to either a sports-training track or a more serious bodybuilding track.I've read quite a few weight-training books, and this all-time classic is still the best.

Reliable Old school weight training. Can’t beat it.

I love this book. The author has training regimes for every sport, every activity, and even for desk work. I found it in the library and had to get my own copy. I'll probably keep this for years or until it wears out. Get some basic weights and prepare yourself for almost anything!

This is my second copy of this book, and I highly recommend it. My first one, bought new in about 1998, is extremely shop worn now. This one is the ( slightly ) revised edition, it is however, missing the '' Universal Aerobic Super Circuit '' that the original had. This one has more photos of various brands of weight machines, treadmills, it mentions various brand names, it talks about the pros of setting up your own home gym. It gets into the history of fitness and weight training, with some interesting old photos. It talks about nutrition, it has programs to follow for beginners, intermediates, and advanced weight training, for active, or for ''office workers'', for people ''over 50''. So much, much more, too. The illustrations for the reader to follow are the BEST. The book is well put together and fun to look through and follow. It was written by world body building champ Bill Pearl. There are programs for off season '' golf'', for baseball, for swimming, etc. This should be in the hands of every Coach, gym teacher, fitness trainer, and rehab center trainer, physical therapy center. This is a ''must'' for people of all ages, and may be especially helpful to those, who as we age... don't want to be in the position of ''HELP.... I've fallen and I can't get UP"!

Very happy with my book

A great exercise resource book for beginner bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts! Not exhaustive by any means, but a great resource to have! With the internet it is somewhat redundant, but this book will never stall loading and will work even in a power outage.

Outdated content. Sports training has evolved way beyond this book. Rating might be a little harsh as there is actually a significant amount of content, but there are much more effective methods that are available today.

This book is perfect for developing weight training programmes. I use it to put a program together to improve my strength for sport (mostly cycling) but it is also good for bodybuilding. Has loads of sports programmes. Also good is the extensive range of excercises that allow you to change the excercise according to the equipment you have. A must for all sports people who need a weight programme.

Was in good conditional, slightly used as it was advertised and great price.