The Men's Health Home Workout Bible: Over 400 Exercises No Gym Required

It's about time someone came up with a book that caters to the person who wants to get in shape and build muscle in the comfort of their home. The author explains there's no difference if you workout at a gym or at home, if you put in the effort, you'll get results. In the first part of the book, the muscles of the upper bodyand lower body are explained to youin easy to understand language and often quite humorous. Then, they explain the free weight equipment,dumbells, barbells, plates, benches, squatracks, powerracks, etc. Basically, what you have to spend and your fitness goals will determine which equipment you purchase. I don't agree with their opinion when they say buy an olympic 300 weight set. A regular non olympic set will do just as well. In my workout patio, I have a bench with leg curl-extension, incline, dip attachment, butterfly,preacher, and cable attachment. Also, a combination chin-bar and dip station and 2 barbells, 2 pairsof adjustable dumbells, an easy curl bar, hooks for the dumbells, aswissball, and over 400 lbs of weightplates. This book has excellent pictures of the exercises for the various bodyparts. Everything is easy to understand and tell's it like it is. There are sample routines for the beginner as well as the advanced trainers out there. The author also recommends using the sample workout logs in the book that you can photocopy.Working out at home has many advantages, no waiting, no egos, workout whenever you want, etc. Ifyou workout home, this is the bok for you.

I recently had foot surgery, and I was on crutches for two and a half months. I found out just HOW out of shape I was. I'm a woman, and like a lot of women, I was doing mainly cardio, not strength training. I have to have surgery on my other foot next fall, so I decided I'm NOT going to get my butt kicked like I did this time, because being on crutches is exhausting. But I also didn't want a "typical woman's workout plan." Most of those are, "Lift a three pound weight three times, then go have a Diet Coke." That won't give me the results I want. So I started looking for a man's workout plan. This book not only has routines that will kick your butt, these exercises and routines are not BORING. There are sections for different types of routines, like just using your body weight, dumbbells, barbells, a pulley system, and fully-equipped exercise stations. There are exercises I've never seen before, which I like. I get tired of the same old trite exercise routines, with exercises I've done before. Yawn. Not with this plan. And there are so many different ways to do the exercises that I know I'll never get bored. The main thing I'm looking for is something I can stay with because I won't get tired of it--and I won't with this. I've already started doing the exercises that I can, because I'm still not fully recovered. But I can't wait to do the whole thing. Very cool book, and I highly recommend it. Update, April 11, 2011: I'm still using this book, and still lovin' it. I've made it the basis of my entire workout program. And I look better than ever. I've only told 80,000 people they should buy this. Maybe I should tell twice that many!

This book is useful, and overall I like it. There are many options for exercises different muscles, depending on how much gear you have/want. Here's what I recommend for the next time they revise it. Clean up the charts in the end. For the suggested workouts, there are charts in the back, but it's like the editors/graphics designers got tired and stopped trying when they got to this most critical part of the book. Page numbers for each exercise would help enormously. It took me a lot of time to find the exercise descriptions that they listed, and simple page numbers would help a lot. Also, they reused the same charts without checking to see if they actually made sense, so there are things like "Weight" columns to let you track how much weight is involved in exercises that actually don't require using weights, such as pushups. Or, they tell you to do just one rep for the beginning workout, but then have a "Reps" column for you to track how many reps you did. They don't have an obvious way to track how many pushups you did, just how many reps of 10-15. So, this needs some logical revision. Also, it would be helpful to have an easy way to make exercise substituttions. For example, if you have dumbells but mostly want to do body weight workouts, you might want to substitute a dumbell curl for a self-resisted bicep curl. There isn't an easy way to make such substitutions, but doing so would be an obvious way to use the book, in accordance with the authors' approach. Some of the exercises listed in these charts aren't actually listed in the book with the same name. For example, the unilateral calf raise. In the exercise descriptions it's called one-leg calf raise. So, a consistency check needs to be done. There should be a paragraph somewhere in the book telling you to figure out what an appropriate amount of weight to use is. I have tried starting exercise regimens many times in my 40 years, but have had a recurring problem: two days afterwards, my back goes out and I'm in enormous pain for two weeks, which ends my attempt. I believe the reason is that in my exuberance to change my life, I push myself too hard at the very beginning, and wind up trying too many reps or too much weight. It doesn't hurt at the time, but long run it does. So, some way to help gauge what makes for a sensible effort would be helpful. I'm actually cutting some exercises in their recommended beginner workout in half at first in hopes of avoiding injury. I imagine that's a good strategy.... Also, I'd like just a little more info about cardio, which these authors clearly don't like much. But a description about how to monitor heart rate and how to incorporate cardio into a regular routine would be helpful. Half a page is all I'm asking for. Generally, I like the author's organized approach and informal, readable style. A few tweaks would inspire a fifth star, and I think these guys have it in them.

Provides basic understanding of exercise physiology and diet. Provides basic understanding of muscles and their functions. Provides the nuts and bolts of dos and donts with respect to form, routines ( when to and how to change routines ). One of the only few books out there which would tell you what exercise equipment to use and what to expect from that equipment. Also one of the only books which has divided ALL exercises ( dumbell, free weights and cable ) into beginner , intermmediate and advance level. If you are new to weight training this is a must have and probably the first one to have. My only complain is that the author has strongly discouraged the use of SMITH MACHINE. I understand the rational but if you are like me i.e. exercising at home without the spotter and do not want to get injured then you got to have this machine. After doing weight training for one and a half year my last comment about the ultimate machine "the dream machine" is Get a SMITH MACHINE with Free weight capability and integrated cable system. Get a cheao 40 lbs each two adjustable dumbells from Walmart and you are set to be at the next level. Good Luck!

Great book! Lots of illustrations and we like the fact that it’s a MENS HEALTH addition. Lightning fast delivery and packaged beautifully to ensure safe delivery.

I've used this book for several years, and I can say it's excellent for its purpose. What I did: set up a miniature gym in my small house, focusing on dumbbells. I have a Body Solid bench and rack for the weights and a Swiss Ball, that's it. My whole set-up ran me $800, which is what I spent each year on gym membership. I love all the time I save; no travel, no gym bag, lock, checking in, waiting in line, avoiding the sight of other naked men in the showers, etc. Results: I am a typical white guy, aged 48. I will never compete for Mr. Universe, but I remain trim [6'2" / 175lbs] and strong enough to get up at 5:30 each morning for a full, challenging day. I have no heart disease, despite the fact that every other man in my family has had it by this age. Rock on. The book tells you all you need to know to make an effective workout. You will need to test different techniques and see what works for you; everyone is different. I find the criticisms of the book rather funny. Some guys think they need more specific techniques or one exercise to work one muscle, by name. I had no idea so many elite body builders lived in America. Where are these guys? When I look around me at the airport or the shopping mall, it's hard to find a man over 40 with a trim waist. Many of these old hogs look like they are pregnant. Don't let it happen to you! Follow the Home Workout Bible plan, and you'll stand out like a giraffe in the pig pen.

Basically this book shows you how to put a gym in your home. Its good if that is what your goal is and is very informative on how to do just that, but from the title I thought it would include more calisthenic exercises. That's why I say the title is miss leading because the point of the book is to build a gym in your home so that should be the title. There is a book that does focus on exercises without any kind of gym written by Mark Lauren and his book is what I thought this one would be judging by the title. As the the old saying goes "never judge a book..."

Left an area with Anytime Fitness to one without. Desperate I had to do something. This book was discovered before the sojourn; thankfully, and will be my go-to toward affordable fitness. Only wish the title included women. Really muscle is muscle and I could not afford to be stuck on stupid regarding nomenclature. The book is a godsend as far as I am concerned. Straight forward, in chaser like I need and prefer. Buy it! You won't regret it.

Definitely well done. I'd like to have more time to do exercises these days, but still when I bought it I used it every evening! A book full of precious pieces of advice.

Though presented as a home workout bible, which shows you how you can do workouts with minimal equipment, it is also useful for the gym goer who would like to get a better understanding of exercises. Not limited to the homework out! I bought this one as a gift (it is my second purchase)

If you're planning a weights routine at home then get this book. Exercises are explained in a way that gives you confidence in doing them correctly (and safely). Lots of info on the equipment required, with plenty of variations offered for those more advanced. No gimmicks, just the stuff you need to know!

A light, conversational tone makes for entertaining reading about a subject that might otherwise be as laborious as the physical activities it describes. If you can forgive the occasional lapses into sexist language, there are laughs and much learning in this big book. Large pictures and concise descriptions make it an ideal learn-as-you-work book, to be placed alongside your weight bench or your gym mat. Whether you have basic equipment, soup cans and milk jugs, or just your own body and a bath towel, there are plenty of exercises here to keep you busy several times a week for 30-60 minutes at a time. Eat properly, count your calories, and keep this book within reach. It may be the only book you need to learn about your body, buy the right equipment, and create a plan to meet your individual goals.

Warning: The workout tables are UNREADABLE in the kindle version.