Get an inside look at the human form in action with more than 400 full-color illustrations. This detailed artwork showcases the muscles used during each exercise and delineates how these muscles interact with surrounding joints and skeletal structures. Like having an X-ray for each exercise, the information gives you a multifaceted view of strength training not seen in any other resource.

This updated bestseller also contains detailed anatomical analysis of training injuries and preventive measures to help you exercise safely. Chapters are devoted to each major muscle group, with 115 total exercises for arms, shoulders, chest, back, legs, buttocks, and abdomen.

The former editor in chief of PowerMag in France, author and illustrator Frederic Delavier is a journalist for Le Monde du Muscle and a contributor to Men's Health Germany and several other strength publications.

The book is broken down into seven major muscle groups: arms, shoulders, chest, back, legs, buttocks, and abdomen. Within each muscle group are multiple exercises, each comprised of detailed anotomical illustrations, instructions on performing the exercises, and key information such as variations (for specific focus on particular muscles) and warnings (to aviod injury).

Using this book, one could easily select a variety of exercises to build a total body workout program. The selection of exercises also allows for some routine variation to keep one's workout from getting stale.

The illustrations are of an exellent quality, as are the materials. The pages are of heavyweight paper, with a semi-glossy finish.

Although I rated this title highly, I did so with the understanding that it suits a very specific purpose, and is not a general purpose introduction or guide to weight training. This is an ANATOMY REFERENCE, specific to selected weight training exercises. It does not contain any other information concerning weight training, diet, exercise, etc. In fact, there is not even a brief introduction by the author, simply the reference material itself. But, in terms of its intended purpose, it is an excellent reference. If you already have some sort of "Bodybuilding Encyclopedia", you probably already posess much of the information contained in this title. Having no interest in the history, self-promotion, and general testosterone driven attitudes of many of those types of titles (as well as the phonebook sized package), I much prefer this concise book as an exercise reference.


Indispensable!   December 12, 2002
 88 out of 315 found this review helpful

I buy lots of fitness and strength training books, and this one is by far the best I've purchased. The book may look small, but it provides an extensive listing of exercises and includes tips about variations that will change how you work each muscle. This is important for a couple of reasons.

To maximize your gains in the gym, you have to constantly change your program so that your body doesn't hit a plateau. Regularly incorporating new exercises will also keep you from becoming bored with your workout. This book will show you how using a rope attachment with the pulley works a different part of the triceps as opposed to doing bench dips or doing a kickback. Also, the illustrations show you the auxiliary muscles that are recruited during compound movements like presses and deadlifts.

At first I was worried that the book might be too much for me to absorb, but it's not because the author does not get overly-technical with the explanations. The text is concise, yet thorough, and the pictures are highly detailed.

This is a wonderful reference book, and I highly recommend it.


Major Disappointment   September 4, 2003
 46 out of 112 found this review helpful

Great illustrations, but the book is full of innaccuracies, perpetuating many of the myths of strength training.

For example,there is an exercise showing how to work the "inner pecs" - something which is anatomically impossible, since you cannot contract only part of a muscle fiber.

Also, he writes how different hand rotations affect different heads of the triceps during various pushdowns - also anatomically impossible, since the triceps attaches to the ulna not to the radius and is thus unaffected by arm pronation/supination (rotation of the forearm).

These are only two of many inaccuracies!!

Nice drawings, not much else!


Strength Training Anatomy -10/10 Beyond Expectations   September 15, 2001
 31 out of 71 found this review helpful

This is a MUST for all those involved in strength/weight training. This book will become a major cornerstone/reference in anyone's library, as it has already in mine. The book has all the major exercises for each body part covered [from squats, bench press to dumbell rows]in great detail, shows how to do them correctly and also shows all muscles used for each movement in full anatomical pictures. This book by far exceeded my expectations and is another solid published book by Human Kinetics! I HIGHLY reccomend this book!!!!!!!!