Review - Practical Programming

[gobbla]

What are we taking about?

Practical Programming for Strength Training

What does this product claim?

Practical Programming offers a different approach to exercise programming than that typically found in other exercise texts. Based on a combined 60+ years of academic expertise, elite-level coaching experience, and the observation of thousands of novice trainees, the authors present a chronological analysis of the response to exercise as it varies through the training history of the athlete, one that reflects the realities of human physiology, sports psychology, and common sense. Contrary to the one-size-fits-all models of periodization offered elsewhere, Practical Programming explains the differences in response to exercise commonly observed between athletes at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, explains these differences in the context of the relevant exercise science, and presents new training models that actually work for athletes at all levels of experience. Complete with new, innovative graphical representations of cutting-edge concepts in exercise programming, Practical Programming is sure to become a standard reference in the field of exercise and human performance. Contributor: Glenn Pendlay

Where can I get it and how much does it cost?

$22.00

Review:

The book starts off with 5 chapters discussing the basic theory behind exercise science. How your body functions. What stress is, and how you respond to it. It goes over recovery and timing of exercise in regards to adaptations and what you should be looking for and getting through your training program.

The next section(s) discuss training in regards to ability as defined by a novice\intermediate\advanced trainee. Through each section a generic format is laid out in regards to recommended training cycles including the "why" you should be training in this method and "why" if you train that way you'll advance more quickly than if you'd chosen a different approach. Each section introduces more complex variations on the previous section but it's never overwhelming and each section is laid out in an easy to read and comprehend way that naturally builds on itself.

Final Thoughts:
It's easy to see why this is recommended at one of the first books that an individual would buy in regards to strength training. It will not cure AIDS in Africa or make you an expert. It will give insight into basic and not so basic programming. When ever someone says "What should I be doing?"...well...look it up...here...it'll give you a pretty darn good idea.

The only downsides that I could really picture is someone that is interested in getting better in athletics and ONLY getting better in a specific sport as the book really doesn't cover this. The second downside being if someone wanted to look a little deeper into peaking or addressing particular weakness' which again isn't covered in any depth.

For $20(ish) dollars it's hard NOT to recommend this book to 99% of the population. As an entry level introduction to strength training, you're probably not going to find too many better. If you're looking for sports training theory then you should probably look elsewhere. If you're looking for a solid foundation for your strength training adventures then look no further

[Jason B]

Great book. If everyone who was just starting out lifting picked this up instead of some magazine, you'd see a lot less stupid shit in the gym.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Nice review, thanks. Maybe I'll buy this with some money I make from my job this summer.

[Phaedrus49er]

Awesome. Added to the (extensive) wish list. Thanks!

[Alcoholiday]

this is a good book. i haven't finished it yet, but i like starting strength better because it has how to actually spot errors in the basic lifts, like spotting wrinkles in shirts during squats, etc.

gobbla, Practical programming is good for what it's supposed to cover. I agree with you that it doesn't cover athletics, etc, but it doesn't claim to do that. It is aimed to get the athlete better in athletics through improving their strength, which is what it does, IMO.

[gobbla]

Alc> Agreed. That was more of an attempt of caviating who will benefit\not VS. a knock on the book itself. The book assumes (and comes right out and tells you) that there is nothing else going on with the world other than strength training, so a novice 5ker might be better served with "the lore of running".

That said, the principles presented for strength training can be applied over with a little bit of sense and thought (esp per level novice\int\adv). But that's not the books intention (or claim).