By Joe Weider with Bill Reynolds
In my opinion, this is probably the best and most informative book ever published about bodybuilding and weight training. It is ideal for both people just beginning to use weights and experienced bodybuilders looking to refresh their workouts or obtain a different perspective. It is ideal for people also just looking to add strength training to their workouts or just wanting to add some muscle definition to their physique. Nowadays you can cross-reference the information found in this book with the exercise videos on YouTube and fitness sites like mine. Although the book was published in 1983, the information contained in this book is still very relevant till today, however you may have a little trouble finding it, but it is still available online at Amazon.
This book is proof that older content can still be as valuable, relevant or more valuable and relevant than the newer content of today. This is especially true in fitness and exercise.
I purchased The Weider System of Bodybuilding sometime around 1988 to 1990, after reading about this book in a bodybuilding magazine. I found the information in fitness magazines to be all over the place (sort of like the Internet) and a little overwhelming, confusing. I needed this information to be centralized and easily accessible. Also, this was before the Internet existed (at least for the masses, for everyone) and at the time TV show shows on fitness and exercise were very limited, I really needed a comprehensive information source all in 1 place about weight training and bodybuilding. I was just beginning to train with weights so I needed to educate myself about weight training and bodybuilding both with text descriptions and photos and this book allowed me to do just that.
I used this book to teach myself how to do various exercises for various body parts, how each body part functions and I learned about various training techniques along with structuring my weight training workouts. I have read it from cover to cover and I have re-read many sections numerous times, although presently, a lot of the information is engrained in my memory.
The book itself is divided into two sections. The first section describes different training principles and techniques. The second section lists by chapter the many different weight training exercises available for each muscle group. Each chapter begins with a photo of a famous bodybuilder and the anatomy of the particular muscle group that will be discussed followed by detailed instructions on how to carry out each particular exercise. This is done through photos and clear and concise descriptions of each exercise broken down into the following headings: main area of emphasis, method of performance, variations and training tips. What I really like about this book is that there are a lot of different and varied exercises which helps to keep your weight training workouts interesting and varied. There is also a superb abdominal section and expert advice and opinions from many bodybuilders are provided throughout the book.
A few of the famous bodybuilders of the past are featured in this book include: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Dr Franco Columbu, Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, Robby Robinson, Roy Callender, Chris Dickerson.
I highly recommend the Weider System of Bodybuilding book. I am positive that it will be read, re-read and referenced for years to come.
I also have a short HD video book review which you can watch here:
