I was going to purchase:
Starting Strength http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=134&m=PD&pid=2487
Practical Programming
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=134&m=PD&pid=1820
Supertraining
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=114&m=PD&pid=63
Science and Principles of Strength Training
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=134&m=PD&pid=65
but, I can’t spend more than $80, which would be the best choices?
Starting Strength and Practical Programming. The principles contained in the other two are described in all of Louis Simmons’ Westside articles on the Westside barbell site.
Ok thanks, those were the two I was leaning towards, and I have read most of Simmon’s articles on the westside sight.
I wholeheartedly recommend those two, too.
Starting Strength is amazing. Every time I re-read it I pick up things I’ve missed.
Can’t speak for Practical Programming but since it’s from the same guys wwho wrote Starting Strength it should be a safe bet. There’s a 2 part interview with Mark Rippetoe on EliteFTS actually, the second part was just published.
Supertraining, while always a book I wanted to read seems a bit too heavy for my liking. I’m not sure how well or easily you could transfer over what’s written down to a training cycle.
I have Science and Practice of Strength training. It’s a damn good book, It describes Theory and some guidelines on how to train, and somewhat explains how the body adapts to excercise. But I would go with Starting strength.
I have read Practical programing cover to cover and loved it, now reading starting strength 2nd edition and it looks just as good I would go for these 2 without question!
I agree. Go with “Starting Strength”. Be sure to get the second edition which just came out. Even though I have the first edition, I understand that the second edition is EVEN better. In fact, I have ordered the second edition from Amazon and eagerly await its arrival.
I just ordered Starting Strength and Practical Programming from Amazon, eventually I will order Supertraining and The Science and Practice of Strength Training, maybe when I finish reading the other two.
im going to say something that others may disagree with
DONT buy supertraining …yet.
Its a heavy read (post graduate level) and you will not gain much practical info from it.
stick with starting strength or some of the other books available of that ilk - strongest shall survive etc etc
I actually have all those books you have listed, and the only one that I constantly flip to is Starting Strength. Reading Zatsiorsky’s book, then reading Supertraining (which I have yet to) is mostly a lot of the science of things and concepts that are more for mental stimulation. If you want to just go smash weights, the two Rippetoe books should have you covered. There are enough articles here, on EliteFTS, and on Westside’s site to give you the important points of the other two books.
Those of you who have read both of the Starting Strength editions, do you think it’s a good investment to buy the second one even if you own the first one?
[quote]HKDOOM wrote:
Those of you who have read both of the Starting Strength editions, do you think it’s a good investment to buy the second one even if you own the first one?[/quote]
HKDOOM, I just got the 2nd edition of Starting Strenght and, having read the first edition, I have to say that I think that it IS worth getting the second edition. A lot more about the deadlift, squat, and MUCH MORE on the power clean.
There are also more info on the bench press (that doesn’t interest me that much)…In addition, you get around 75 pages on Assistance exercises that was not in the first edition at all. As well, you get about 30 pages on Programming.
If you’ve got the cash, I would say, DEFINITELY GET IT!
Nice, thank you for the advice. Seems like I’m going to be ordering it then and perhaps “Strong Enough? : Thoughts from Thirty Years of Barbell Training” to go with it. Have you guys read that book by Rippetoe?
[quote]HKDOOM wrote:
Nice, thank you for the advice. Seems like I’m going to be ordering it then and perhaps “Strong Enough? : Thoughts from Thirty Years of Barbell Training” to go with it. Have you guys read that book by Rippetoe? [/quote]
It’s a pretty decent book; Rippetoe has a lot of insights on training and the rise of the health spa/decline of barbell training and why. It’s not nearly essential to training like Starting Strength tho.
[quote]supermick wrote:
im going to say something that others may disagree with
DONT buy supertraining …yet.
Its a heavy read (post graduate level) and you will not gain much practical info from it.
stick with starting strength or some of the other books available of that ilk - strongest shall survive etc etc[/quote]
Dave Tate once said that the quickest way to get strong using Supertraining was to do three board presses off of it.
[quote]autodiadect wrote:
Dave Tate once said that the quickest way to get strong using Supertraining was to do three board presses off of it.[/quote]
He’s also stood behind it as being the greatest book ever written about training. The point was that people need to be busting their ass in the weight room and getting strong before they should be worrying about quoting Siff to people.
I think I’ll pick up the other two once I have more time in under the bar.
The books just arrived, I’m going to start reading Starting strength after I finish my homework.
The books just arrived, I’m going to start reading Starting strength after I finish my homework.ork.