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 - High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way by Mike Mentzer and John R. Little (Paperback - Dec 13, 2002)This book advocates the Art Jones principles of lifting. It doesn't even do a good job of that. Art Jones has a free website that has Bulletins #1 & #2, which give Jones' theory and practice of building muscle. Their pitch is that one set of maximum effort is all it takes to build muscle. That hasn't been decided yet by research, but the bulk of body builders don't follow it. The great bulk of the book is a testimonial to Mentzer's greatness. It didn't convince me. Great bodybuilder sure, but great man, questionable. He doesn't give evidence to convince me. The biggest flaw of the book is that only one chapter is devoted to explaining his system. The rest is written in the style of a sophomore using big words he doesn't understand trying to impress his professor. An example, he uses the word aforementioned instead of previously. He quotes philosophers. All I want is his training program. Save your money. You can get the same info off the net for free. Try bodybuilding.com or Testosterone Nation. Rating: - Poor Advice and Reasoning, HIT still valuable techniqueThis book claims to be a "scientific" analysis of body building principles, yet it seems its authors haven't the slightest clue what science is. Science involves investigation, experimentation and observation. This book is closer to a philosophy of of body building, and unfortunately like all philosophy, this is as much wishful thinking and self deceit as truth. The good: HIT is a valuable tool for body building. The bad: If you only do HIT you won't gain any muscle at all. Some muscles (in fact I would say most) *REQUIRE* high reps to build successfully. *Period* For an alternate view I would recommend a Schwarzenegger book like "Education of a body builder" or his encyclopedia. Rating:  - Best Book for serious training, EVER.This book is the quintessential read for ANY person interested in breaking through all of the BS in the fitness mags and infomercials. If you want the no BS approach to training for REAL muscle grwoth that lasts, and strength gains the RIGHT way, then you will read this book and work out at your local Athletic Nation men's personal training gym. Get this book and go to the gym's website to find one near you. Mentzer was the only guy to score perfect at the Universe and Olympis for a reason, and this gym trains its guys in the same methods. Rating: - One of my favorite books on weight trainingI have a bookshelf full of books on exercise and weight training and this book is certainly one of my favorites. The emphasis is on high intensity training and I am convinced it is the best way to improve your body quickly. The author does an excellent job of explaining the technique; he also presents several "principles" that he believes are important in weight training, including identity, intensity, duration, frequency and progression. Of most importance, however, he includes an excellent workout program. Overall the book contains a tremendous amount of valuable information and should be an inspiration to anyone reading it. It is filled with black and white photos -- mostly of Mentzer illustrating the various exercises. As most people in the business know, Mentzer won the Mr Universe competition with a perfect score, and he has conducted seminars and talks on body building around the world. Furthermore, he has written extensively about the topic so is well-qualified to write such a book. It is highly recommended. Rating: - Don't be afraid to try this type of workout..Before reading this book I always wondered why I would get burned out after 3 or 4 months of lifting. Plateau...then quit for a while. I love lifting. I love being in the gym. I would just fizzle after a while. This book explains it. I simply can't lift 3 times a week and make long term progress with out steroids. Did Mike do roids? Sure! Read between the lines in this book. He basically admits it. I've been lifting every week since reading this book 4 years ago. Although a workout consisting of one set of deadlifts followed by 4 days rest might seem crazy/lazy to you now - try it. It works. It's up to you.
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