Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: The Complete A-Z Book on Muscle Building

This book is beautiful! I have a large library of bodybuilding books and magazines collected from the 80's and I'm always looking for something new and different to add to my collection, which is not always easy since every book out there seems to be a repeat of something else. The book is a hardback which makes it somewhat heavy and awkward to hold and I can see over time how the binding may start to get stressed and begin to break because of the weight. If it's placed on a sturdy shelf and cared for, it should never fall apart- but it's something to consider. I almost wish they would have just made it a paperback because books are meant to be read and therefore endure some level of abuse from time to time. Hopefully they will get a paperback version out there soon. Also, it has a dust-jacket which is a bit annoying because of course it's going to slip off and get torn over time. The book covers almost every aspect of bodybuilding that I can think of, including history and famous bodybuilders (vital information for beginners to the sport), how to stretch safely (something most bodybuilders overlook from time to time), how to make money in the industry, contest preparation and promotion, mass gaining, "the pump", individual pro's workouts, nutrition, basic physiology/biology, a "question and answer" chapter in the back, side affects of steroid use, training injuries, etc. Really there's nothing it doesn't cover, so a beginner to the sport would really get a lot out of this large book. I am a natural competitive female bodybuilder and am also a personal trainer, and still found this book to be informative and thorough and am proud to add it to my extensive collection of literature. The pictures are mainly of male bodybuilders which is always disappointing because I think it's equally important to read about the history of women's bodybuilding and explain the differences in muscle building between men and women. There is a quick rundown of the beginning of female bodybuilding with a large picture of Cory Everson (page 24-25), but it's really only two pages long and gives a basic explanation of why female bodybuilding is not as popular (ie. extreme masculinity being a turn-off, etc). I subscribe to MuscleMag International and have for years, so I'm used to the writing style and information that Robert Kennedy provides in his publications. The pictures in this book are some of the best I've seen in any book I own, and they are inspiring. As a trainer, I like to keep myself informed from a scientific viewpoint, but also from the perspective of the people I train. Most of them will pick up books like this looking for information and it's important that I know what they are reading to better guide and educate them. This is one book I would recommend to any client of mine who appreciates the bodybuilding lifestyle and is not turned off by the larger than life physiques in this book. It is thorough enough to educate a newbie- but to also shed some light on the bodybuilding counterculture that is truly fascinating and unlike any other sport in the world.

I added this hardcover, and given a choice, I buy hardcover instead of softcover books, adding this excellent encyclopedia to my growing bodybuilding reference library, and I am glad I did buy it, since it has alot of informative sections on health and other issues, like the aging bodybuilder which is encouraging. Other areas are a must read, I believe information listed concerning what some have resorted to in order to build muscle, I guess for the allure of money winning contests(?), is absolutely astounding, I had no idea that there are some who would damage their health and/or risk death in minutes by "using" some commonly used prescription drugs other than sterioids, I had no idea of the scope of the extent to which some have gone, considering the deaths reported from such abuses. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't read it and seen pictures of grotesque malformations caused by such abuses. At first I was biased for big name books like the Bill Pearl books, Arnold books, among many I have, and almost passed on this sale price buy book and I am sure others may have as well, but I say to them just get this book and you will see it has a rather excellent glossary of defined terms, shocking sections on the aformentioned abuses, along with just plain ole good information even on how to lift weights. As for myself, I am old school on "how to" books, and I would have preferred either diagrams or several pics of start to finish on how to do lifts, like in other books, but all is explained in detail in words and a simple picture pose of what is being talked about, like if talking about long bar barbell curls, then there is a pic of someone muscular doing that in one pic, unsure if there are some who need overly simple diagrams of simple step by step to do the particular action with like four pics each, which is why this book may actually cater to those who are really into weightlifting already even though there are beginning to advanced bodybuilding sections and meant to cater to all levels of lifting, though total beginners need this book especially, even if it is just for the references of what to avoid like dangerous actions and abuse that can cause injury of muscle or joints, or disfigure, or kill either immediately or in the short term, to long term. I don't believe in the "if you only had to have one book, then such and such is it", since there is no such thing on any one subject, you need this book along with several or more other big ones to get the total picture, and you can even get a few used and underpriced like I did, though I bought this book on sale under $30 new, but knowing now what is inside I know it is worth the full price of $40 for sure if it were not on sale.

Excellent Quality! Got this book as a graduation gift for a teen that is into bodybuilding.

This book is extremely comprehensive, and filled with a ton of high quality information, gorgeous pictures, and advice from the pros. It is lso brand new, so the information is 100% current. On the other hand, it does not go very deeply into a lot of the details. For example, there is a good description of various workout schedules, but no examples of what sample routines in most of them would look like. Likewise, the descriptions of the exercizes are woefully inadequete, and relegated to an appendix, with only a few pictures (typically 1 picture for every 5 or so items). If you are not familiar with the words that describe exercizes, you will have a hard time understanding these descriptions. I really can't compare this book to many other sources; the only other body building book I've read is The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Comparing the two, I think that this book covers a lot more ground, is much more modern regarding some things (you have to keep in mind Arnold's background and take a lot of what he says with a grain a salt... much of it is old wive's tales...). for example, I've tried Arnold's recommended 6 day split, and like he said, I got awesome results... but at the same time, every 6 or so weeks, my body would collapse and I would need to lay off for at least a week. This book talks about that, and I feel a lot better know that it isn't just me, and that the 6 day split is too grueling for most people. I am looking forwards to trying some of the alternatives now, and no longer feel like I'd better "slacking". But Arnold has a MUCH better section on how to perform the exercizes. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a good survey of the bodybuilding landscape, and then supplementing with a book devoted specifically to "how to perform exercizes", or even Arnold's Encyclopedia.

As someone who’s serious about building muscle and constantly looking to improve, I found this book to be a great source of knowledge. The A-to-Z layout makes it easy to reference different concepts, exercises, and nutrition tips whenever I need a refresher or something new to try. While some parts cover information I already knew, there’s still plenty of helpful insights that added to my bodybuilding journey overall. Definitely a solid resource to have on the shelf for anyone dedicated to the lifestyle.

Yes the tittle say it and it's true why? 1- This book does not hide any of the truth of body building from the ups and history all the way to the lows and steroid, HGH Synthol etc... This book explains everything from the history, lifestyle, nutrition, supplements, workout routines of the pros. Although some people would not give it a good rating because it has a chapter devoted to the seedy side of bodybuilding I for one feel that is the truth and the truth of the bodybuilding lifestyle has it place in fact I hope guys read it and then get taken back by all the downfalls and side effects of using steroid, HGH and Synthol. 2- The real only downfall is that it does explains a lot of the exercises needed to build the bulk and has the workout routines of the big boys but it does not fully cover all the details of the specific exercises that Arnolds encyclopedia covers cause it is an encyclopedia of bodybuilding and an encyclopedia should have details on how to perform the specific exercise but I guess that would add another 100 pages to list the details of each exercise for each muscle. Anyway this is an awesome book if you don't like it for the content I think it's still heavy enough to do some light curls with 5 stars good read.

As a 52 year old man with no prior involvement in sports of ANY kind, and the overweight fat-covered body to prove it, I was a mess. I have malformed heart valves from birth that prevented me from participating in most sports as a youngster and, having no endurance due to poor oxygenization, I simply ignored the rest...leading to a lifetime of what can only be termed sloth. Until at 52 I found myself with no muscle tone, layers of unattractive fat, really REALLY bad eating habits, the beginnings of arthritis in my knees, high blood pressure, 60 pounds overweight, and taking a wide variety of multi-coloured medications to control the negative impacts on my body. I threw down the gauntlet last year and got to work. Lost 60 pounds in 6 months on a controlled and monitored program of conditioning and nutrition with a personal trainer. Got my Dr. to wean me off the meds, and give the go-ahead for more strenuous exercise. Then started weight lifting. My muscles responded like they had been starved my entire life. Tone, solidity, growth, definition, progress, body sculpting, and size all became possible for the first time in my life. (My trainer is a genius!)Arthritis is no longer a problem because my leg muscles are taking the weight off the knees. I feel healthier and look better than I ever have. I have developed a strong, overpowering attraction to all things metalic, round, flat and heavy. So as an older newbie to the gym, I have been inhaling every book I possibly can about my new found addiction to iron, protein, and the burn. While I find that some of the other books I have bought that focus on anatomy and proper form are more pertinent to my current need to nail down my technique and issolate particular muscle groups, this massive volume provides ample opportunity for browsing, adding to my knowledge base bit by bit, the all-important INSPIRATION, and a realistic outlook on what I can expect to acheive. After all, guys, at 52 I ain't producing the testosterone of a 20 year old anymore. I recommend this book to the other late-starters out there.

I have to say first that I do like this book as a reference, but unless you are a competing bodybuilder, the last half of the book is useless information. It is all about pre-contest eating, posing styles, trunks, tanning, etc. But for $26 it's not a bad value. This book covers the history of working out and bodybuilding which was interesting to me, but might not be to others. It covers nutrition and has a few good recipes. It covers muscles and joints and how to work them. The section The Body You're Building has the most information for how your body works and health. The section Ready, Set, Go is the beginner section. It is short, but it covers a lot of what you need to know for starting out. The book is big. I mean really big and hardback. It is broken down into several smaller books with chapters. It would be of much better use had it been several paperback books bought together. Then each "book" could be used as needed. It's tough to lug it around just to read a section on routines. Overall it's a good reference book to have around. It is very informative, but the last half is just for body builders.

As someone starting out in fitness after leading a sedentary lifestyle, I started hitting the gym 6 months ago and have seen good results, I bought this book as my gym staff are fairly useless/unfriendly and don't really do anything other than lead the odd class from time to time, so my gym is purely a place where I can use the equipment which is fine and I go every other day. This book was bought to help me better understand the process of getting in shape, along with others, its a great book and extremely informative. Its huge and covers every area I think I could ever want to know about. I'd recommend it to anyone into fitness or thinking about getting fit.

bien plus que les livres publiés en français, un niveau bac général suffit pour le lire et le mettre en pratique !

Hatte diese Buch fuer meinen Mann vor ueber einem Jahr gekauft, er ist noch immer begeistert davon und holt viel information aus dem Buch. Er trainiert alleine in unserem privaten Fitness center. Allerdings macht er schon seit ueber 20 Jahre Fitness. Ist also keine Anleitung fuer Anfaenger.

Love this freeking book .... it is my go to bible for bodybuilding... wish i could get my hands on a hard copy though.

Das Buch, das sich selbst als Bodybuilding Enzyklopädie für das 21 Jahrhundert betitelt, trägt diese Bezeichnung vollkommen verdient! Auf knapp 800 Seiten beschäftigt sich das von Robert Kennedy, dem Herausgeber des Musclemag`s verfasste Buch, mit allen Themenbereichen des Bodybuildings. Hierbei wird wirklich nichts ausgelassen und sehr fundiert und aktuell berichtet. Das hochwertig gebundene Buch überzeugt auch durch sein reichbebildertes Layout und den niedrigen Preis. Derzeit kann kein deutschsprachiges Buch diesem Werk standhalten. Absolute Kaufempfehlung!!!