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Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body
If you want to be muscular, lean, and strong as quickly as possible without steroids, good genetics, or wasting ridiculous amounts of time in the gym and money on supplements...then you want to read this book.
Here's the deal:
Getting into awesome shape isn't nearly as complicated as the fitness industry wants you to believe.
You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars per month on the worthless supplements that steroid freaks shill in advertisements.
You don't need to constantly change up your exercise routines to "confuse" your muscles. I'm pretty sure muscles lack cognitive abilities, but this approach is a good way to just confuse you instead.
You don't need to burn through buckets of protein powder every month, stuffing down enough protein each day to feed a third world village.
You don't need to toil away in the gym for a couple of hours per day, doing tons of sets, supersets, drop sets, giant sets, etc. (As a matter of fact, this is a great way to stunt gains and get nowhere.)
You don't need to grind out hours and hours of boring cardio to shed ugly belly fat and love handles and get a shredded six-pack. (How many flabby treadmillers have you come across over the years?)
You don't need to completely abstain from "cheat" foods while getting down to single-digit body fat percentages. If you plan cheat meals correctly, you can actually speed your metabolism up and accelerate fat loss.
In this book you're going to learn something most guys will never know: The exact formula of exercise and eating that makes putting on 10 to 15 pounds of quality lean mass a breeze...and it only takes 8-12 weeks.
This book reveals secrets like...
The 6 biggest myths & mistakes of building muscle that stunt 99% of guys' muscle gains. (These BS lies are pushed by all the big magazines and even by many trainers.) (Page 28)
How to get a lean, cut physique that you love (and that girls drool over) by spending no more than 5 percent of your time each day. (Page 61)
The 4 laws of muscle growth that, when applied, turn your body into an anabolic, muscle-building machine. You'll be shocked at how easy it really is to get big once you know what you're doing... (Page 32)
How to develop a lightning-fast metabolism that burns up fat quickly and leaves you feeling full of energy all day long. (Page 41)
The carefully-selected exercises that deliver MAXIMUM results for your efforts, helping you build a big, full chest, a wide, tapered back, and bulging biceps. (Page 91)
A no-BS guide to supplements that will save you hundreds if not THOUSANDS of dollars each year that you would've wasted on products that are nothing more than bunk science and marketing hype. (Page 100)
How to get shredded while still indulging in the "cheat" foods that you love every week like pasta, pizza, and ice cream. (Page 83)
And a whole lot more!
The bottom line is you CAN achieve that "Hollywood hunk" body without having your life revolve around it--no long hours in the gym, no starving yourself, no grueling cardio that turns your stomach.
Imagine, just 12 weeks from now, being constantly complimented on how you look and asked what the heck you're doing to make such startling gains. Imagine enjoying the added benefits of high energy levels, no aches and pains, better spirits, and knowing that you're getting healthier every day.
SPECIAL BONUS FOR READERS!
With this book you'll also get a free 75-page bonus report from the author called "The Year One Challenge." In this bonus report, you'll learn exactly how to train, eat, and supplement to make maximum gains in your first year of training.
By applying what you learn in the book and in this report, you can make more progress in one year than most guys make in three, four, or even five (seriously!).
Here's the deal:
Getting into awesome shape isn't nearly as complicated as the fitness industry wants you to believe.
You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars per month on the worthless supplements that steroid freaks shill in advertisements.
You don't need to constantly change up your exercise routines to "confuse" your muscles. I'm pretty sure muscles lack cognitive abilities, but this approach is a good way to just confuse you instead.
You don't need to burn through buckets of protein powder every month, stuffing down enough protein each day to feed a third world village.
You don't need to toil away in the gym for a couple of hours per day, doing tons of sets, supersets, drop sets, giant sets, etc. (As a matter of fact, this is a great way to stunt gains and get nowhere.)
You don't need to grind out hours and hours of boring cardio to shed ugly belly fat and love handles and get a shredded six-pack. (How many flabby treadmillers have you come across over the years?)
You don't need to completely abstain from "cheat" foods while getting down to single-digit body fat percentages. If you plan cheat meals correctly, you can actually speed your metabolism up and accelerate fat loss.
In this book you're going to learn something most guys will never know: The exact formula of exercise and eating that makes putting on 10 to 15 pounds of quality lean mass a breeze...and it only takes 8-12 weeks.
This book reveals secrets like...
The 6 biggest myths & mistakes of building muscle that stunt 99% of guys' muscle gains. (These BS lies are pushed by all the big magazines and even by many trainers.) (Page 28)
How to get a lean, cut physique that you love (and that girls drool over) by spending no more than 5 percent of your time each day. (Page 61)
The 4 laws of muscle growth that, when applied, turn your body into an anabolic, muscle-building machine. You'll be shocked at how easy it really is to get big once you know what you're doing... (Page 32)
How to develop a lightning-fast metabolism that burns up fat quickly and leaves you feeling full of energy all day long. (Page 41)
The carefully-selected exercises that deliver MAXIMUM results for your efforts, helping you build a big, full chest, a wide, tapered back, and bulging biceps. (Page 91)
A no-BS guide to supplements that will save you hundreds if not THOUSANDS of dollars each year that you would've wasted on products that are nothing more than bunk science and marketing hype. (Page 100)
How to get shredded while still indulging in the "cheat" foods that you love every week like pasta, pizza, and ice cream. (Page 83)
And a whole lot more!
The bottom line is you CAN achieve that "Hollywood hunk" body without having your life revolve around it--no long hours in the gym, no starving yourself, no grueling cardio that turns your stomach.
Imagine, just 12 weeks from now, being constantly complimented on how you look and asked what the heck you're doing to make such startling gains. Imagine enjoying the added benefits of high energy levels, no aches and pains, better spirits, and knowing that you're getting healthier every day.
SPECIAL BONUS FOR READERS!
With this book you'll also get a free 75-page bonus report from the author called "The Year One Challenge." In this bonus report, you'll learn exactly how to train, eat, and supplement to make maximum gains in your first year of training.
By applying what you learn in the book and in this report, you can make more progress in one year than most guys make in three, four, or even five (seriously!).
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2011
About the author
Michael Matthews
41 books390 followersHi,
I’m Mike and I’ve been training for nearly a decade now.
I believe that every person can achieve the body of his or her dreams, and I work hard to give everyone that chance by providing workable, proven advice grounded in science, not a desire to sell phony magazines, workout products, or supplements.
I’ve helped quite a few people achieve their health and fitness goals, and at their urging, I am sharing what I’ve learned and know works here in this website, and in my books.
So if you’re looking to get in shape and look great, then I think I can help you. I hope you enjoy my website and books, and feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions and I’ll do my best to help.
Sincerely,
Mike
http://www.muscleforlife.com/
I’m Mike and I’ve been training for nearly a decade now.
I believe that every person can achieve the body of his or her dreams, and I work hard to give everyone that chance by providing workable, proven advice grounded in science, not a desire to sell phony magazines, workout products, or supplements.
I’ve helped quite a few people achieve their health and fitness goals, and at their urging, I am sharing what I’ve learned and know works here in this website, and in my books.
So if you’re looking to get in shape and look great, then I think I can help you. I hope you enjoy my website and books, and feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions and I’ll do my best to help.
Sincerely,
Mike
http://www.muscleforlife.com/
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 695 reviews
July 10, 2012
I think it's great! :)
Mike
Mike
December 30, 2012
Good, concise read. The dieting information is particularly useful, though could do with bring more detail. The strength training material is broadly correct but is very clearly derived directly from the likes of Mark Rippetoe and Dan John - often word for word in the case of Rippetoe - and omits valuable detail.
The workout plans aren't well suited to novices - while the big compound lists are present, so are a lot of isolation exercises that have no place in a beginner programme. While good for bodybuilding, the author contradicts himself by recommending his method to those with no lifting experience yet emphasising the need to build a solid foundation of strength first.
Those who haven't lifted before would do well to follow Rippetoe's Starting Strength for 3 months (or until intermediate programming becomes necessary) to learn the lifts and lay down a base layer of muscle first before progressing to a bodybuilding style programme. However, the author deserves credit for including information on how to maintain or even gain small amounts of strength while cutting, something that seems to be anathema to many coaches.
The workout plans aren't well suited to novices - while the big compound lists are present, so are a lot of isolation exercises that have no place in a beginner programme. While good for bodybuilding, the author contradicts himself by recommending his method to those with no lifting experience yet emphasising the need to build a solid foundation of strength first.
Those who haven't lifted before would do well to follow Rippetoe's Starting Strength for 3 months (or until intermediate programming becomes necessary) to learn the lifts and lay down a base layer of muscle first before progressing to a bodybuilding style programme. However, the author deserves credit for including information on how to maintain or even gain small amounts of strength while cutting, something that seems to be anathema to many coaches.
July 19, 2012
How many books can change your life?. Well, I don't know, but I DO know one that can. Bigger, Leaner, Stronger is that book. And it will, if you follow it, for the better.
Let me tell you how I knew about this book. Some time ago I was looking to get back exercising, so I bought some equipment for a gym at home, tired of spending time and money in gyms, and I needed something for my work outs. So I headed for amazon, and looked for bodybuilding books. This one had (and has) very good reviews, so I tried it and, at first, I didn't like it much. It was talking about what type of workouts you should do, but about calories, aminoacids, carbs, proteins and a bunch of vocabulary.
But when I continued reading, it all started to make sense, because without the proper vocabulary, you can't understand what you're reading. Then it goes on with the importance of nutrition, the good and bad nutrients and meals, how to make a meal plan if you want to cut, mantain or bulk. It also explains a lot of things that people don't know about Health, Nutrition and Fitness, and the biggest myths and mistakes of building muscle (although if you want it in more detail, there is this book: [[ASIN:B007GC5KNW Muscle Myths: 50 Health & Fitness Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making (The Build Healthy Muscle Series)]])
Then it comes the workouts. Although this is not a book about workouts, there are enough included in the additional free report, for a whole year. Finally, he gets to the supplements, which ones work, and which ones don't, so you can save a lot of money in useless supplements.
After reading this book in a day, my life started changing, and it has, for the better, and quickly.
Let me tell you how I knew about this book. Some time ago I was looking to get back exercising, so I bought some equipment for a gym at home, tired of spending time and money in gyms, and I needed something for my work outs. So I headed for amazon, and looked for bodybuilding books. This one had (and has) very good reviews, so I tried it and, at first, I didn't like it much. It was talking about what type of workouts you should do, but about calories, aminoacids, carbs, proteins and a bunch of vocabulary.
But when I continued reading, it all started to make sense, because without the proper vocabulary, you can't understand what you're reading. Then it goes on with the importance of nutrition, the good and bad nutrients and meals, how to make a meal plan if you want to cut, mantain or bulk. It also explains a lot of things that people don't know about Health, Nutrition and Fitness, and the biggest myths and mistakes of building muscle (although if you want it in more detail, there is this book: [[ASIN:B007GC5KNW Muscle Myths: 50 Health & Fitness Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making (The Build Healthy Muscle Series)]])
Then it comes the workouts. Although this is not a book about workouts, there are enough included in the additional free report, for a whole year. Finally, he gets to the supplements, which ones work, and which ones don't, so you can save a lot of money in useless supplements.
After reading this book in a day, my life started changing, and it has, for the better, and quickly.
January 23, 2015
Scientifically based, working methods for getting a great body (in other words, no BS)
I will start with the old bullet list for those not wanting to read the full review. I do recommend that you read it all though.
--> A quick, but very good introduction to some of the terms people often have heard, but don't fully understand.
--> No BS. Just solid, simple, scientifically based/proved methods for both progressively increasing natural muscle mass/strength and losing fat.
--> Complete, simple exercise programs suitable for different weekly setups, using almost only (very effective) compound movements.
--> Detailed instruction about how to eat both in bulking and cutting phases. Good info about supplements as well.
--> Much more good stuff inbetween. No fluff.
--> Some good extra value (other than the book itself) including a full years training program and links to videos online showing how to perform the movements correctly.
Ok, let's dig in.
Since being away from weights for quite some time I was on the hunt for a good exercise book with a sound approach. Although having practiced weight lifting many years ago I wanted to refresh my knowledge and get some of my own theories about building muscle confirmed.
This is a book describing how to get a great physique, that is both good looking and strong. Because of the progressive nature of this method one will not get tired of doing the same amounts of reps/weights endlessly, but actually get bigger and stronger over time. This in itself will work as a driving force and keep nasty thoughts about quitting away.
Having followed Mike's blog for some time I felt I was pretty much in tune with his thinking regarding both muscular development and dieting. This made my choice much easier. Although you can gather a lot of great info for free via his blog (and other great online resources) the added value for me is having all the info in one place, laid out in a very logical fashion.
For people wanting to try before buy you can download the three first chapters for free. A great way of getting a feel for it I think. I didn't do that however, since I had no doubts of it's value for me. My way of knowing is through his blog, and I really recommend potential buyers to pay him a visit and read a few articles about exercise, diet or philosophy/self development (yep, some nice articles about that as well). That way you can get a very good feel for the way the information is presented and also the training approach used.
For me a few light bulbs went off regarding regulating weight and building muscle naturally. Stuff I already kind of knew but needed to get confirmed a bit more. It's very, very logical if you think about it, but sometimes you need to get the info in it's most simple and raw form.
Some authors complicate the hell out of matters, but this book is very straight forward. Not complicated at all, which is one of the things I think will benefit a lot of people. Especially those that are not very interested in deeper theory, but want good, fast results nevertheless. I actually believe that simple approaches almost always are the most powerful ones as well.
I actually bought Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger as well, since I think it's a bargain and I'm pretty certain that I'll need the advanced programs after practicing the current method for some time, concidering my lifting background.
Can't really see how anybody wouldn't get great results from following the provided programs and methods as closely as possible.
BIG thumbs up. Heavily recommended.
Per Chronberg
I will start with the old bullet list for those not wanting to read the full review. I do recommend that you read it all though.
--> A quick, but very good introduction to some of the terms people often have heard, but don't fully understand.
--> No BS. Just solid, simple, scientifically based/proved methods for both progressively increasing natural muscle mass/strength and losing fat.
--> Complete, simple exercise programs suitable for different weekly setups, using almost only (very effective) compound movements.
--> Detailed instruction about how to eat both in bulking and cutting phases. Good info about supplements as well.
--> Much more good stuff inbetween. No fluff.
--> Some good extra value (other than the book itself) including a full years training program and links to videos online showing how to perform the movements correctly.
Ok, let's dig in.
Since being away from weights for quite some time I was on the hunt for a good exercise book with a sound approach. Although having practiced weight lifting many years ago I wanted to refresh my knowledge and get some of my own theories about building muscle confirmed.
This is a book describing how to get a great physique, that is both good looking and strong. Because of the progressive nature of this method one will not get tired of doing the same amounts of reps/weights endlessly, but actually get bigger and stronger over time. This in itself will work as a driving force and keep nasty thoughts about quitting away.
Having followed Mike's blog for some time I felt I was pretty much in tune with his thinking regarding both muscular development and dieting. This made my choice much easier. Although you can gather a lot of great info for free via his blog (and other great online resources) the added value for me is having all the info in one place, laid out in a very logical fashion.
For people wanting to try before buy you can download the three first chapters for free. A great way of getting a feel for it I think. I didn't do that however, since I had no doubts of it's value for me. My way of knowing is through his blog, and I really recommend potential buyers to pay him a visit and read a few articles about exercise, diet or philosophy/self development (yep, some nice articles about that as well). That way you can get a very good feel for the way the information is presented and also the training approach used.
For me a few light bulbs went off regarding regulating weight and building muscle naturally. Stuff I already kind of knew but needed to get confirmed a bit more. It's very, very logical if you think about it, but sometimes you need to get the info in it's most simple and raw form.
Some authors complicate the hell out of matters, but this book is very straight forward. Not complicated at all, which is one of the things I think will benefit a lot of people. Especially those that are not very interested in deeper theory, but want good, fast results nevertheless. I actually believe that simple approaches almost always are the most powerful ones as well.
I actually bought Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger as well, since I think it's a bargain and I'm pretty certain that I'll need the advanced programs after practicing the current method for some time, concidering my lifting background.
Can't really see how anybody wouldn't get great results from following the provided programs and methods as closely as possible.
BIG thumbs up. Heavily recommended.
Per Chronberg
May 14, 2014
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. I think it's a great book for most people who don't know too much about fitness, nutrition or supplements but for anyone who's spent time working out or knows about basic nutrition, it may not be worth a read.
My big issue with the book was mostly that it read like an ebook that I could have put together on my own. While it was quite substantive, all of the information contained is freely available online.
The book did excel in one dimension and that was motivation. If nothing else, this book pushes you to get off your couch and do something. At the end of the day, isn't that all we can hope for from any fitness book?
My big issue with the book was mostly that it read like an ebook that I could have put together on my own. While it was quite substantive, all of the information contained is freely available online.
The book did excel in one dimension and that was motivation. If nothing else, this book pushes you to get off your couch and do something. At the end of the day, isn't that all we can hope for from any fitness book?
August 2, 2021
A simple introduction to exercise science and sports nutrition.
The author starts by defining terms such as calorie, carbohydrate, and metabolism.
These definitions lay the groundwork for later discussions of such things as the way cheat meals and tactical refeeds affect metabolism, why carbohydrates, not proteins, should be eaten immediately after workouts to encourage muscle growth, and the importance of calorie counting for weight loss and body recomposition.
Then he debunks fitness myths. Some of the myths, though, are not myths. For example, it's true that more sets equals more growth. It's true that "the pump", though not necessary for hypertrophy, can improve it. The fabled pump is caused by muscle swelling and blood flow restriction which promotes hypertrophy and reduces protein degradation. And you don't need to load creatine. Just take it every day, before workouts.
He also says isolation exercises are useless, that people who use isolation machines are narcissistic steroids-users, and that only compound exercises are worth doing. These assertions are transparently stupid and are the most blatant examples of the author's arrogance (he later calls people who don't want to follow his workout and diet plans "weak". What a tosser). Isolation exercises reduce the risk of injury, period. That's why 7-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath uses them exclusively and why they're often recommended to the elderly and infirm. Heavy compound lifts, and heavy lifting in general, have a high risk of injury. They've caused career-ending, chronic injuries for multiple bodybuilders and powerlifters. The most famous exponent of heavy lifting in bodybuilding, Dorian Yates, mostly did isolation exercises and still managed to catastrophically injure himself by lifting heavy. Heavy compound lifts are injurious, full stop.
Then he makes dietary recommendations. It's simple stuff we all know about eating lots of protein, limiting carbs when cutting, and eating fewer calories overall. His supplement advice--that most are money sinks--is mostly true, yet he has the gall to spruik his supplement formulation at the end of the book (again, tosser). Diet, exercise, and recovery are vastly more important than supplementation. Don't follow his advice about multivitamins, though. At best, they're useless wastes of money, and at worst, they make you more likely to die from vitamin E toxicity.
Lastly, he outlines his ideal workout. He recommends a maximum of 9 sets per exercise and a maximum of 6 reps per set. I would rather stay injury-free than be muscular, so I don't follow this advice, but it's pretty standard among personal trainers. He recommends cardio on days you don't lift weights. And he recommends eating carbs in the hour after you workout. That's it.
This book is very simple. In sum, it says: do heavy, compound lifts. Eat lots of protein. And eat less than you need. And . . . that's kind of it. It is peppered with mistruths and arrogance and a huge amount of worthless filler words For these reasons I would not recommend this book. Nonetheless, it changed me in 2 ways:
1. I will start eating simple carbs, an orange or a banana, immediately after a workout.
2. I will lift heavier. Nowhere near as heavy as he recommends, but heavier than I currently lift. Frank Zane, 3x Mr. Olympia, said that his main professional regret was injuring himself by lifting heavy weights and that in retrospect he should never have done less than 10 reps per set. I will change my set and rep ranges from 12x12 to 10x10.
The author starts by defining terms such as calorie, carbohydrate, and metabolism.
These definitions lay the groundwork for later discussions of such things as the way cheat meals and tactical refeeds affect metabolism, why carbohydrates, not proteins, should be eaten immediately after workouts to encourage muscle growth, and the importance of calorie counting for weight loss and body recomposition.
Then he debunks fitness myths. Some of the myths, though, are not myths. For example, it's true that more sets equals more growth. It's true that "the pump", though not necessary for hypertrophy, can improve it. The fabled pump is caused by muscle swelling and blood flow restriction which promotes hypertrophy and reduces protein degradation. And you don't need to load creatine. Just take it every day, before workouts.
He also says isolation exercises are useless, that people who use isolation machines are narcissistic steroids-users, and that only compound exercises are worth doing. These assertions are transparently stupid and are the most blatant examples of the author's arrogance (he later calls people who don't want to follow his workout and diet plans "weak". What a tosser). Isolation exercises reduce the risk of injury, period. That's why 7-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath uses them exclusively and why they're often recommended to the elderly and infirm. Heavy compound lifts, and heavy lifting in general, have a high risk of injury. They've caused career-ending, chronic injuries for multiple bodybuilders and powerlifters. The most famous exponent of heavy lifting in bodybuilding, Dorian Yates, mostly did isolation exercises and still managed to catastrophically injure himself by lifting heavy. Heavy compound lifts are injurious, full stop.
Then he makes dietary recommendations. It's simple stuff we all know about eating lots of protein, limiting carbs when cutting, and eating fewer calories overall. His supplement advice--that most are money sinks--is mostly true, yet he has the gall to spruik his supplement formulation at the end of the book (again, tosser). Diet, exercise, and recovery are vastly more important than supplementation. Don't follow his advice about multivitamins, though. At best, they're useless wastes of money, and at worst, they make you more likely to die from vitamin E toxicity.
Lastly, he outlines his ideal workout. He recommends a maximum of 9 sets per exercise and a maximum of 6 reps per set. I would rather stay injury-free than be muscular, so I don't follow this advice, but it's pretty standard among personal trainers. He recommends cardio on days you don't lift weights. And he recommends eating carbs in the hour after you workout. That's it.
This book is very simple. In sum, it says: do heavy, compound lifts. Eat lots of protein. And eat less than you need. And . . . that's kind of it. It is peppered with mistruths and arrogance and a huge amount of worthless filler words For these reasons I would not recommend this book. Nonetheless, it changed me in 2 ways:
1. I will start eating simple carbs, an orange or a banana, immediately after a workout.
2. I will lift heavier. Nowhere near as heavy as he recommends, but heavier than I currently lift. Frank Zane, 3x Mr. Olympia, said that his main professional regret was injuring himself by lifting heavy weights and that in retrospect he should never have done less than 10 reps per set. I will change my set and rep ranges from 12x12 to 10x10.
October 11, 2022
Musclebound Motivation
The formula is simple: Work out 5 days a week. Count and restrict your calories. Eat 3x the protein you used to (1). Sleep well, stay motivated, stay relaxed (2). Do this for 3 years (3) and you too can get shredded. Bigger Leaner Stronger (BLS) is a summary of weightlifting gospel, with appendices throughout on improving motivation for the necessary lifestyle changes to maintain a low body-fat percentage in modern America.
I don't doubt the system works. Yet much consistency is needed in order to achieve results. I've only ever managed to keep weight-lifting motivation for 8 weeks at a time, and 3 weeks into my current effort, am naively hoping this time will be different. Much of the book is devoted to generic ways to maintain habits over bodybuilding technique, such as:
1. Start small
2. Stack habits
3. Celebrate
It sounds almost trivial, but the best change I've made to fitness was stacking a workout to the rest of my morning routine, leading to much improved consistency. Advice for resisting cravings is just as important: "Introduce a mandatory 10 minute wait time before you act on an urge". BLS recommends using implementation intentions to increase the odds on followthrough for diet + exercise goals, and affirmations to help regulate emotional state. These are useful tips on motivation, even if I might not use them for the next workout.
The nutrition advice felt par for the course, but the books analysis of the science is obviously not the author's strong suite: That wasn't statistically significant, but would be practically significant. (4) Anytime this book disagreed with How not to Diet, I found myself believing the latter, even if I, like the author, would like to use motivated reasoning to believe that red meat and chicken tenders are perfectly healthy. For me, the biggest diet edit is protein -- I was eating 66g a day, and will now attempt at least double. Thanks to Hunger of the Gods I feel like an epic Viking warrior every time I eat skyr in the morning.
The writing is about what you would expect for a fitness book: I'm only asking you to pick stuff up and put it down until your muscles burn and your body aches. . Once the author started making a sales pitch for their own supplements, I tuned out. But if you are willing to overlook these flaws, there is a lot of good research and advice on the underlying systems that make the motivation required to take steps beyond pure healthy eating that will lead to better body composition.
(1) It doesn't take a lifetime, for most guys it requires no more than 3 years of consistent training. Note: So in the time I could get a law degree, I can get in shape... doesn't give me much hope.
(2) Ways to deliberately relax:
1. Change your perception of stress, 2. Get more sleep, 3. Exercise regularily, 4. Consuming less media , 5. Avoiding Screens before bed , 6. Having more sex , 7. Enjoying aromatherapy, 8. Getting and giving a massage , 9. Listening to classical music , 10. Drinking green tea, 11. Going for a walk, ideally in nature , 12. Taking a hot bath
(3) You have to do this while staying within your calorie budget. You can eat anything you want, but if you want a hamburger you're going to need to calorie borrow to do it. What is calorie borrowing? Eat mostly protein leading up to and after your treat meal, known as calorie borrowing.
(4) This demonstrates the author doesn't understand or doesn't want to believe in the concept of statistical significance
The formula is simple: Work out 5 days a week. Count and restrict your calories. Eat 3x the protein you used to (1). Sleep well, stay motivated, stay relaxed (2). Do this for 3 years (3) and you too can get shredded. Bigger Leaner Stronger (BLS) is a summary of weightlifting gospel, with appendices throughout on improving motivation for the necessary lifestyle changes to maintain a low body-fat percentage in modern America.
I don't doubt the system works. Yet much consistency is needed in order to achieve results. I've only ever managed to keep weight-lifting motivation for 8 weeks at a time, and 3 weeks into my current effort, am naively hoping this time will be different. Much of the book is devoted to generic ways to maintain habits over bodybuilding technique, such as:
1. Start small
2. Stack habits
3. Celebrate
It sounds almost trivial, but the best change I've made to fitness was stacking a workout to the rest of my morning routine, leading to much improved consistency. Advice for resisting cravings is just as important: "Introduce a mandatory 10 minute wait time before you act on an urge". BLS recommends using implementation intentions to increase the odds on followthrough for diet + exercise goals, and affirmations to help regulate emotional state. These are useful tips on motivation, even if I might not use them for the next workout.
The nutrition advice felt par for the course, but the books analysis of the science is obviously not the author's strong suite: That wasn't statistically significant, but would be practically significant. (4) Anytime this book disagreed with How not to Diet, I found myself believing the latter, even if I, like the author, would like to use motivated reasoning to believe that red meat and chicken tenders are perfectly healthy. For me, the biggest diet edit is protein -- I was eating 66g a day, and will now attempt at least double. Thanks to Hunger of the Gods I feel like an epic Viking warrior every time I eat skyr in the morning.
The writing is about what you would expect for a fitness book: I'm only asking you to pick stuff up and put it down until your muscles burn and your body aches. . Once the author started making a sales pitch for their own supplements, I tuned out. But if you are willing to overlook these flaws, there is a lot of good research and advice on the underlying systems that make the motivation required to take steps beyond pure healthy eating that will lead to better body composition.
(1) It doesn't take a lifetime, for most guys it requires no more than 3 years of consistent training. Note: So in the time I could get a law degree, I can get in shape... doesn't give me much hope.
(2) Ways to deliberately relax:
1. Change your perception of stress, 2. Get more sleep, 3. Exercise regularily, 4. Consuming less media , 5. Avoiding Screens before bed , 6. Having more sex , 7. Enjoying aromatherapy, 8. Getting and giving a massage , 9. Listening to classical music , 10. Drinking green tea, 11. Going for a walk, ideally in nature , 12. Taking a hot bath
(3) You have to do this while staying within your calorie budget. You can eat anything you want, but if you want a hamburger you're going to need to calorie borrow to do it. What is calorie borrowing? Eat mostly protein leading up to and after your treat meal, known as calorie borrowing.
(4) This demonstrates the author doesn't understand or doesn't want to believe in the concept of statistical significance
October 22, 2019
As a fitness personal trainer, I am familiar with mostly the whole information the author is talking about. However, this is an excellent guide book for two types of people; folks who have been spending long time in gym with no changes in their body, and second this should be enough for any beginner who has no idea how to start, and what to do.
This is definitely the book I would hand to a beginner.
However if you are already a certified fitness expert, you may find yourself familiar with the whole information in the book, hence its up to you whether you decide to read it or not.
Note that recommendations and plans represented on the book are specifically designed for males, if you are female you may have to read "Thinner Leaner Stronger".
This is definitely the book I would hand to a beginner.
However if you are already a certified fitness expert, you may find yourself familiar with the whole information in the book, hence its up to you whether you decide to read it or not.
Note that recommendations and plans represented on the book are specifically designed for males, if you are female you may have to read "Thinner Leaner Stronger".
September 6, 2023
Ik geef eerlijk toe: ik zou het niet vervelend vinden om een sixpack te hebben. Ik denk eigenlijk dat de meeste mannen daar geen zwaarwegende bezwaren tegen zullen hebben (en mevrouw Hazeleger hoor ik ook niet klagen).
Dit boek lag daarom al een tijd op mijn digitale nachtkastje, te wachten op het juiste moment om opgepakt te worden. Gewoon om eens te ontdekken of ik voor de 40 nog wat fitter en gespierder in mijn vel zou kunnen zitten.
De tijd zal leren of dat gaat lukken (ik heb nog 4 jaar), maar het zal in ieder geval niet aan dit boek liggen. Op een relaxte en wetenschappelijk onderbouwde manier legt de schrijver uit hoe je door eten en bewegen Bigger, Leaner en Stronger wordt.
Dit is niet een typisch Goodreads boekenclubboek, maar heb er wel enorm van genoten. Waarom?
1️⃣ Veel nieuws geleerd over gezond eten en sporten
2️⃣ Laagdrempelig en toegankelijk geschreven
2️⃣ Motivatie en inspiratie om aan de slag ten gaan
4,5 sterren. De laatste 0,5 krijgt hij als het ook echt werkt 😄
Dit boek lag daarom al een tijd op mijn digitale nachtkastje, te wachten op het juiste moment om opgepakt te worden. Gewoon om eens te ontdekken of ik voor de 40 nog wat fitter en gespierder in mijn vel zou kunnen zitten.
De tijd zal leren of dat gaat lukken (ik heb nog 4 jaar), maar het zal in ieder geval niet aan dit boek liggen. Op een relaxte en wetenschappelijk onderbouwde manier legt de schrijver uit hoe je door eten en bewegen Bigger, Leaner en Stronger wordt.
Dit is niet een typisch Goodreads boekenclubboek, maar heb er wel enorm van genoten. Waarom?
1️⃣ Veel nieuws geleerd over gezond eten en sporten
2️⃣ Laagdrempelig en toegankelijk geschreven
2️⃣ Motivatie en inspiratie om aan de slag ten gaan
4,5 sterren. De laatste 0,5 krijgt hij als het ook echt werkt 😄
March 31, 2017
With tons of 'advice' on how to build a body, get six packs, loose fats and loose weight out there in the internet, it's quite a challenge to select 'what fits for me'.
If you think this is the only book you need, you are wrong. However, this is the book that will serve as a brilliant guide to get into an excellent shape.
This book is divided into Nutrition, Type of workouts, How to do each workouts, Workout routines, Supplements and bonus features.
Bigger Leaner Stronger is a no-nonsense book with common sense advice. The author doesn't ask us what food to eat and what not to, instead he informs us what our body needs and make a choice of foods based on that information.
When you realize that you need protein to help muscle recovery and you need to ear X grams throughout the day, you will be mentally at ease to select the kind of foods that you like to eat that has quality protein. This way you don't need to eat food you don't like. It's advice like these that makes this book 'the' most popular book on overall fitness. The book also goes deep into breaking a lot of 'myths' of getting into shape.
Building the body (I don't mean body building) you want, whether it's learn, muscular, curvaceous, etc. takes time. That's something the author explains clearly and that's why I loved the book lot more.
Almost all articles, books are written keeping young, athletic people in mind. These kids have high quality metabolism, quick muscle recovering and amazing result with a short span of time.
When you are 30+ and non-physically active for few years, your metabolism rates have dropped, muscle recovery is more, fat accumulated is more and it takes time to get into shape. The moment I read that your body need time to adapt to new routine and food, I knew this book was for me and all those who want to get into shape.
REMEMBER: It takes time. Time can range from 3 months to 2 years and it depends on hell lot of factors. Your age is the biggest determinant. The older you are, the longer it takes. Another factor is 'inactive years'. This means that your muscles will take time to respond to your new physical activity. It also means that you have accumulated 'bad fat' in your body and your body will take time to remove them once you start working.
I'm 35 and I have been trying to get into shape from 2 years with little or no effect. I have spent time, energy and money to get into the shape I want with little or no effect.
This book is going to serve as my guideline. My first task is to reduce my body fat from 24% to less than 12% without losing weight. I know it takes time.
If you think this is the only book you need, you are wrong. However, this is the book that will serve as a brilliant guide to get into an excellent shape.
This book is divided into Nutrition, Type of workouts, How to do each workouts, Workout routines, Supplements and bonus features.
Bigger Leaner Stronger is a no-nonsense book with common sense advice. The author doesn't ask us what food to eat and what not to, instead he informs us what our body needs and make a choice of foods based on that information.
When you realize that you need protein to help muscle recovery and you need to ear X grams throughout the day, you will be mentally at ease to select the kind of foods that you like to eat that has quality protein. This way you don't need to eat food you don't like. It's advice like these that makes this book 'the' most popular book on overall fitness. The book also goes deep into breaking a lot of 'myths' of getting into shape.
Building the body (I don't mean body building) you want, whether it's learn, muscular, curvaceous, etc. takes time. That's something the author explains clearly and that's why I loved the book lot more.
Almost all articles, books are written keeping young, athletic people in mind. These kids have high quality metabolism, quick muscle recovering and amazing result with a short span of time.
When you are 30+ and non-physically active for few years, your metabolism rates have dropped, muscle recovery is more, fat accumulated is more and it takes time to get into shape. The moment I read that your body need time to adapt to new routine and food, I knew this book was for me and all those who want to get into shape.
REMEMBER: It takes time. Time can range from 3 months to 2 years and it depends on hell lot of factors. Your age is the biggest determinant. The older you are, the longer it takes. Another factor is 'inactive years'. This means that your muscles will take time to respond to your new physical activity. It also means that you have accumulated 'bad fat' in your body and your body will take time to remove them once you start working.
I'm 35 and I have been trying to get into shape from 2 years with little or no effect. I have spent time, energy and money to get into the shape I want with little or no effect.
This book is going to serve as my guideline. My first task is to reduce my body fat from 24% to less than 12% without losing weight. I know it takes time.
May 28, 2020
"If you have the power to change your body, you have the power to change your life" - Michael Matthews.
I liked this book more than I thought. I've been doing exercise all my life, and there was so much I didn't know. This book provides the essentials in training, dieting and supplementing that you need to change your body (and your life! ). Either if you want to cut or lean bulk, this books provides you with all the knowledge that you need and confidence to start (again) your journey to fitness once and for all.
Let's get to work! 💪🏻
I liked this book more than I thought. I've been doing exercise all my life, and there was so much I didn't know. This book provides the essentials in training, dieting and supplementing that you need to change your body (and your life! ). Either if you want to cut or lean bulk, this books provides you with all the knowledge that you need and confidence to start (again) your journey to fitness once and for all.
Let's get to work! 💪🏻
September 18, 2020
I've read a lot of similar books/guides in the past and this book is by far one of the best I've read on the subject (if not the best). Not only is most of the content correct (at least to my knowledge/experience), but it backs everything up with research and good logic. The content is broken down in a way that is helpful for beginners and experienced lifters alike. That being said, this book does make one mistake that many books on the subject make. It's way too long. To be perfectly honest, if you read my synopsis of the main points below... that's probably enough for someone that just wants to get started. If you want to know more or see all of the scientific research behind it (as well as all of the interesting 'smaller' points), then I'd highly recommend just reading the book. I've broken down the main topics into three categories that really summarize the main ideas behind the book.
Dieting 101
Dieting is a huge industry. It shouldn't be though because dieting is actually really simple. The problem is that it's also really hard for most people. Because of that people are constantly searching for an easier way. Others see this as a great $$$ opportunity and thus the industry was built. In reality, there's a few simple concepts to understand and once you have those down, you should be good to go (but it won't be easy).
The first thing to understand is energy conservation. You're weight is 99.99999% a function of what you put into your body and the energy that you expend. There's a simple formula that can be used for each day and it applies to EVERYONE (though it may be harder for certain people):
(calories-eaten) - (calories-spent) = remaining mass
If you eat more calories than you spend (via physical activity, simply living, etc) that remaining mass will over the course of many days result in weight being gained because that extra mass will generally stay with you. If you eat less calories than you spend, then you will lose weight. No matter what. It's the First Law of Thermodynamics. You'd win a nobel prize if you could prove otherwise. All of those diets that say things like "you can eat as much as you want everyday, just don't eat carbs" are totally wrong. You could eat nothing but olive oil and candy bars all day and still lose weight as long you expend more energy than you put in (there's a famous study where this was actually done... and it worked). Sure, it'd be bad for a bunch of other health aspects, but you would lose weight.
We can use this knowledge to craft a simple diet plan. If you want to gain weight, then try and have that equation above end with a positive number of say 50-250 calories. If you want to lose weight, then try and have that equation above end with a negative number of say 50-250 calories. If you do this, you'll gain/lose weight at a nice and healthy rate. To plan and map this out just use google. There's a bunch of tools built for this purpose. Easy!
... Except we know that it's not so easy. Losing and gaining weight can be very hard. Here's a few key tips to help, especially if you're trying to put on muscle.
- Make sure you get enough protein. Ideally approximately 1g per pound of body weight.
- Carbs (especially ones that come from foods with a low-glycemic index) are directly correlated with willpower. Carbs are okay! In fact, if you're trying to lose weight I'd recommend a diet that has a lot of low-glycemic, carb-heavy food to keep your willpower levels high.
- Eat regularly (but light) if you're trying to lose weight. When you starve yourself for long periods your mood and willpower deteriorate... neither of which is good for losing weight in the long run.
- Try and eat foods with no added sugar that are organic. Many foods that have added sugar or are highly processed (certain kinds of bread, pop-tarts, breakfast cereal, etc) get broken down really fast by your body. This means the willpower you derive from them is often fleeting. Plus they lack many nutrients that proper food has. Further, they'll keep you hungry. Even further, they're associated with a host of health problems. A guide I like to use is to try and eat in a paleo (as humans would have ate thousands of years ago... google it) manner when possible. Paleo as a diet is over-restrictive and unnecessary, but is a great heuristic for eating healthy.
How To Get Strong 101
There's two main aspects to developing strength. There's the development of your central nervous system (CNS) and there's muscle growth. Experts and experienced professionals might treat each of those as a separate category when it comes to training/planning, but luckily for us they go hand in hand with the right workout plan. The 'fundamental theorem of getting strong' is based on the idea of Progressive Overload. Progressive Overload is actually a really simple idea. Lift some heavy weight. It'll probably be pretty hard and you'll be sore for a little while afterwards. During that period of training and ensuing soreness your muscles/CNS will break down and rebuild themselves, but stronger so that next time that heavy weight won't feel as heavy. Next time you workout, you'll lift that same weight plus a little more. The process repeats and you get stronger and stronger over time. Pretty simple. All of those more complicated schemes are either for people that are professionals or using steroids (not there's anything wrong with that). For the vast majority of people such as you and me, Progressive Overload is all you need. There's a few things to keep in mind though:
1) You must be consistent. If you aren't consistent about training then those strength increases will diminish. Your body won't keep getting stronger for 'next time' if 'next time' doesn't regularly come.
2) You must treat your body right. You must eat enough and get enough sleep. Otherwise, the recovery process won't work.
3) You need to follow the right training schedule. See below.
How To Train 101
Often you hear about people's complicated workout routine that involves supersetting 5 different types of curls for 2 hours. All of that stuff is unnecessary. You could do under 20 exercises/sets and be out of the gym in an hour and get stronger. All you have to do is use compound lifts, lift heavy weight, and follow Progressive Overload. A compound lift is a lift that generally involves a free-weight and is a full-body motion (though it may focus on certain muscle groups over others). There are 4 main compound lifts:
1) Barbell Squat (primarily leg focused)
2) Barbell Deadlift (primarily back focused)
3) Barbell Bench Press (primarily chest/arms focused)
4) Overhead/Military Barbell Press (primary shoulders/arms focused)
Doing compound lifts are important because they train your entire body (muscles AND central-nervous system). They also look really cool when you're doing them. Therefore, most decent training plans will use these 4 core lifts as a basis. Each lift will compose a 'day' in your workout schedule and will define the muscle group trained that day. The key to making a training plan for each day is as follows:
1) Pick ~4-6 exercises that target the corresponding muscle group for the compound lift that day.
2) Lift approximately every other day (sometimes more frequently, sometimes less... depends on you).
3) Do 3-4 sets of each exercise for 4-6 reps on a heavy weight. It should be hard and you should be a little scared to do it.
4) Rest about 2-3 minutes between each set.
5) Each week add more weight (~5-10 lbs) to the core compound lift (add weight to the other lifts if possible to, but mainly focus on that core lift). If you ever fail, then try that weight the next week until you can do it... and then add more weight. That's Progressive Overload in action.
6) Every 8-10 weeks take a break for a week and lift light or don't lift at all.
If you do that, you'll get strong. Coming up with an exact training plan is hard. I would highly recommend googling "Starting Strength" or "Stronglifts" and use that if you're a beginner. One last thing to note though... Make sure you do those compound lifts with proper form! If you start off doing them wrong it'll be hard to correct later and can lead to serious injuries. Be careful!
Dieting 101
Dieting is a huge industry. It shouldn't be though because dieting is actually really simple. The problem is that it's also really hard for most people. Because of that people are constantly searching for an easier way. Others see this as a great $$$ opportunity and thus the industry was built. In reality, there's a few simple concepts to understand and once you have those down, you should be good to go (but it won't be easy).
The first thing to understand is energy conservation. You're weight is 99.99999% a function of what you put into your body and the energy that you expend. There's a simple formula that can be used for each day and it applies to EVERYONE (though it may be harder for certain people):
(calories-eaten) - (calories-spent) = remaining mass
If you eat more calories than you spend (via physical activity, simply living, etc) that remaining mass will over the course of many days result in weight being gained because that extra mass will generally stay with you. If you eat less calories than you spend, then you will lose weight. No matter what. It's the First Law of Thermodynamics. You'd win a nobel prize if you could prove otherwise. All of those diets that say things like "you can eat as much as you want everyday, just don't eat carbs" are totally wrong. You could eat nothing but olive oil and candy bars all day and still lose weight as long you expend more energy than you put in (there's a famous study where this was actually done... and it worked). Sure, it'd be bad for a bunch of other health aspects, but you would lose weight.
We can use this knowledge to craft a simple diet plan. If you want to gain weight, then try and have that equation above end with a positive number of say 50-250 calories. If you want to lose weight, then try and have that equation above end with a negative number of say 50-250 calories. If you do this, you'll gain/lose weight at a nice and healthy rate. To plan and map this out just use google. There's a bunch of tools built for this purpose. Easy!
... Except we know that it's not so easy. Losing and gaining weight can be very hard. Here's a few key tips to help, especially if you're trying to put on muscle.
- Make sure you get enough protein. Ideally approximately 1g per pound of body weight.
- Carbs (especially ones that come from foods with a low-glycemic index) are directly correlated with willpower. Carbs are okay! In fact, if you're trying to lose weight I'd recommend a diet that has a lot of low-glycemic, carb-heavy food to keep your willpower levels high.
- Eat regularly (but light) if you're trying to lose weight. When you starve yourself for long periods your mood and willpower deteriorate... neither of which is good for losing weight in the long run.
- Try and eat foods with no added sugar that are organic. Many foods that have added sugar or are highly processed (certain kinds of bread, pop-tarts, breakfast cereal, etc) get broken down really fast by your body. This means the willpower you derive from them is often fleeting. Plus they lack many nutrients that proper food has. Further, they'll keep you hungry. Even further, they're associated with a host of health problems. A guide I like to use is to try and eat in a paleo (as humans would have ate thousands of years ago... google it) manner when possible. Paleo as a diet is over-restrictive and unnecessary, but is a great heuristic for eating healthy.
How To Get Strong 101
There's two main aspects to developing strength. There's the development of your central nervous system (CNS) and there's muscle growth. Experts and experienced professionals might treat each of those as a separate category when it comes to training/planning, but luckily for us they go hand in hand with the right workout plan. The 'fundamental theorem of getting strong' is based on the idea of Progressive Overload. Progressive Overload is actually a really simple idea. Lift some heavy weight. It'll probably be pretty hard and you'll be sore for a little while afterwards. During that period of training and ensuing soreness your muscles/CNS will break down and rebuild themselves, but stronger so that next time that heavy weight won't feel as heavy. Next time you workout, you'll lift that same weight plus a little more. The process repeats and you get stronger and stronger over time. Pretty simple. All of those more complicated schemes are either for people that are professionals or using steroids (not there's anything wrong with that). For the vast majority of people such as you and me, Progressive Overload is all you need. There's a few things to keep in mind though:
1) You must be consistent. If you aren't consistent about training then those strength increases will diminish. Your body won't keep getting stronger for 'next time' if 'next time' doesn't regularly come.
2) You must treat your body right. You must eat enough and get enough sleep. Otherwise, the recovery process won't work.
3) You need to follow the right training schedule. See below.
How To Train 101
Often you hear about people's complicated workout routine that involves supersetting 5 different types of curls for 2 hours. All of that stuff is unnecessary. You could do under 20 exercises/sets and be out of the gym in an hour and get stronger. All you have to do is use compound lifts, lift heavy weight, and follow Progressive Overload. A compound lift is a lift that generally involves a free-weight and is a full-body motion (though it may focus on certain muscle groups over others). There are 4 main compound lifts:
1) Barbell Squat (primarily leg focused)
2) Barbell Deadlift (primarily back focused)
3) Barbell Bench Press (primarily chest/arms focused)
4) Overhead/Military Barbell Press (primary shoulders/arms focused)
Doing compound lifts are important because they train your entire body (muscles AND central-nervous system). They also look really cool when you're doing them. Therefore, most decent training plans will use these 4 core lifts as a basis. Each lift will compose a 'day' in your workout schedule and will define the muscle group trained that day. The key to making a training plan for each day is as follows:
1) Pick ~4-6 exercises that target the corresponding muscle group for the compound lift that day.
2) Lift approximately every other day (sometimes more frequently, sometimes less... depends on you).
3) Do 3-4 sets of each exercise for 4-6 reps on a heavy weight. It should be hard and you should be a little scared to do it.
4) Rest about 2-3 minutes between each set.
5) Each week add more weight (~5-10 lbs) to the core compound lift (add weight to the other lifts if possible to, but mainly focus on that core lift). If you ever fail, then try that weight the next week until you can do it... and then add more weight. That's Progressive Overload in action.
6) Every 8-10 weeks take a break for a week and lift light or don't lift at all.
If you do that, you'll get strong. Coming up with an exact training plan is hard. I would highly recommend googling "Starting Strength" or "Stronglifts" and use that if you're a beginner. One last thing to note though... Make sure you do those compound lifts with proper form! If you start off doing them wrong it'll be hard to correct later and can lead to serious injuries. Be careful!
July 24, 2020
رائع! كتاب موجه للرجال اللي يسعون لاكتساب العضلات بشكل اكبر، رغم حديثه البسيط عن من يرغب بتقليل وزنه، و لا يوجد اي حديث عن الكارد و الكاتب يؤمن بانه خيار جانبي.
من المصاعب اللي ابعدتني عن عالم بناء الاجسام و التمارين و الحميات بشكل عام هو التعقيد الزائد، مئات الافكار و النقاشات الطويله و التغيرات السريعه و "الفلسفه الزايده" في عالم التغذيه و بناء الاجسام. وجود مصدر يقدم لك خطه بسيطه، مختصره،بعيده عن الهراء و التعقيد، و التركيز ع"الزبده" هو في الحقيقه من اكبر نقاط القوه في هذا الكتاب.
ميزه اخرى هو وجود مصادر كثيره تدعم الكتاب، مثل ملف البي دي اف المجاني المرافق للكتاب المفيد جدا.
الكتاب مقدم بشكل تام للرجال، و ايضا لمن يرغب بتضخيم العضل، قد لايقدم الكثير لمن يرغب بانزال وزنه.
شخصيا استمعت للكتاب الصوتي، لكن انصح بالورقي، لوجود رسومات و جداول توضيحيه ستفقدها في النسخه الصوتيه.
من المصاعب اللي ابعدتني عن عالم بناء الاجسام و التمارين و الحميات بشكل عام هو التعقيد الزائد، مئات الافكار و النقاشات الطويله و التغيرات السريعه و "الفلسفه الزايده" في عالم التغذيه و بناء الاجسام. وجود مصدر يقدم لك خطه بسيطه، مختصره،بعيده عن الهراء و التعقيد، و التركيز ع"الزبده" هو في الحقيقه من اكبر نقاط القوه في هذا الكتاب.
ميزه اخرى هو وجود مصادر كثيره تدعم الكتاب، مثل ملف البي دي اف المجاني المرافق للكتاب المفيد جدا.
الكتاب مقدم بشكل تام للرجال، و ايضا لمن يرغب بتضخيم العضل، قد لايقدم الكثير لمن يرغب بانزال وزنه.
شخصيا استمعت للكتاب الصوتي، لكن انصح بالورقي، لوجود رسومات و جداول توضيحيه ستفقدها في النسخه الصوتيه.
August 29, 2015
I reserve 5 stars for something that was "amazing" and for what the purpose of this book is, I believe it qualifies. I have read about fitness and nutrition before, but usually the information was scattered, incomplete, lacked references or lacked proper actionable goals. I will also quantify it as 'amazing' as it has had an effect on me and I've been actively now for one week doing the recommended five day a week program and following as many of the guidelines as possible.
'Bigger Leaner Stronger' covers all the bases that I wanted. The first part goes through nutrition, giving scientific facts and referencing all the research papers mentioned in case you want to go further and get more information. I feel after reading it I have a much stronger understanding of nutrition, the differences between fats, carbohydrates and proteins as they relate to body nutrition, the importance of protein for muscle synthesis, among many others. Even just this introductory text to fitness and nutrition will put you ahead of the game. Michael Matthews walks you through calculating how much and of what you should be eating depending on your goals (maintenance vs cutting vs bulking) and gives you some sample
You won't get anywhere with just diet and nutrition, so the other core part of the book focuses on exercise routines. We have three versions (3x, 4x, or 5x a week) of a full body split that are supposed to get us a beach worthy body. Before this I was doing variations of Starting Strength (by variations I mean skipping workouts or doing whatever I wanted to do that day instead of what the program called for) and while it's very good, I will try out this program for a cycle of 12 weeks on a bulk and possibly update the review back then with the results.
The book does not focus on how to do the exercises or form (which is fair as it might make it too long), so I highly recommend that you supplement this with a good technique book such as Rippetoe's Starting Strength (SS). The last thing you want to be doing is squatting incorrectly. (Warning: After you read SS, you will become very judgmental of squat, benchpress, military press and deadlift technique. You will many-a-time roll your eyes seeing someone do a half or 3/4 squat in the gym).
There's a good section on supplements too with linked research and why you should be taking them. Michael's website also has listed on it a bunch of recommended supplements, but make up your own mind after reading the book as to which to buy as I'm sure he's affiliated with the ones he lists on his website (which is a fair thing to do. Not only is the author a good writer and fitness expert, but also a fantastic marketer with his network of website, blogs, podcasts, FB page etc) so just use your judgement and get whatever you think you need.
Who this book is for: mid-beginner to mid-intermediate lifters who want to learn more about the holistic approach (nutrition + motivation + lifestyle + supplements + exercises + rest) instead of just exercise technique (for which I recommend the SS book). In fact, I recommend that before you start doing the exercises here you also read SS to get exercise technique down. If you are a complete beginner, possibly SS might be even better for you a couple of cycles. You probably don't need to be caring too much about shoulder specific workouts or ab circuits as at that point your goal is to put on as much muscle as quickly as possible and the big lift focus in SS might be a better starting point.
In summary, if you are serious and decided to pull yourself together and follow a fitness program, read this book and do what it says. I have only started, but I'm one hundred percent certain that if I follow all the nutritional and fitness advice provided here my physique and strength will improve. The difficult part is of course following through. Good luck.
'Bigger Leaner Stronger' covers all the bases that I wanted. The first part goes through nutrition, giving scientific facts and referencing all the research papers mentioned in case you want to go further and get more information. I feel after reading it I have a much stronger understanding of nutrition, the differences between fats, carbohydrates and proteins as they relate to body nutrition, the importance of protein for muscle synthesis, among many others. Even just this introductory text to fitness and nutrition will put you ahead of the game. Michael Matthews walks you through calculating how much and of what you should be eating depending on your goals (maintenance vs cutting vs bulking) and gives you some sample
You won't get anywhere with just diet and nutrition, so the other core part of the book focuses on exercise routines. We have three versions (3x, 4x, or 5x a week) of a full body split that are supposed to get us a beach worthy body. Before this I was doing variations of Starting Strength (by variations I mean skipping workouts or doing whatever I wanted to do that day instead of what the program called for) and while it's very good, I will try out this program for a cycle of 12 weeks on a bulk and possibly update the review back then with the results.
The book does not focus on how to do the exercises or form (which is fair as it might make it too long), so I highly recommend that you supplement this with a good technique book such as Rippetoe's Starting Strength (SS). The last thing you want to be doing is squatting incorrectly. (Warning: After you read SS, you will become very judgmental of squat, benchpress, military press and deadlift technique. You will many-a-time roll your eyes seeing someone do a half or 3/4 squat in the gym).
There's a good section on supplements too with linked research and why you should be taking them. Michael's website also has listed on it a bunch of recommended supplements, but make up your own mind after reading the book as to which to buy as I'm sure he's affiliated with the ones he lists on his website (which is a fair thing to do. Not only is the author a good writer and fitness expert, but also a fantastic marketer with his network of website, blogs, podcasts, FB page etc) so just use your judgement and get whatever you think you need.
Who this book is for: mid-beginner to mid-intermediate lifters who want to learn more about the holistic approach (nutrition + motivation + lifestyle + supplements + exercises + rest) instead of just exercise technique (for which I recommend the SS book). In fact, I recommend that before you start doing the exercises here you also read SS to get exercise technique down. If you are a complete beginner, possibly SS might be even better for you a couple of cycles. You probably don't need to be caring too much about shoulder specific workouts or ab circuits as at that point your goal is to put on as much muscle as quickly as possible and the big lift focus in SS might be a better starting point.
In summary, if you are serious and decided to pull yourself together and follow a fitness program, read this book and do what it says. I have only started, but I'm one hundred percent certain that if I follow all the nutritional and fitness advice provided here my physique and strength will improve. The difficult part is of course following through. Good luck.
January 11, 2019
Although the title, along with the cover, might strike some people as silly, and while the first few chapters have an annoying quasi-conspirationistic tone (with the familiar "I'm the messeger of the truth that they don't want you to know" kind of stuff), this is actually a great book. Though there's a lot that's not exactly new to anyone who's been reading a bit about weight lifting and nutrition for some time, even those in that category are likely to learn some valuable stuff (I can say I did). The whole book and its recommendations are refreshingly evidence-based, with references from reputable sources. One of the best virtues of the book is the fact that the author is careful to rely on meta-analyses on several parts, which is especially important given the fact there often are articles with contradictory results, and some people take advantage of that to conveniently cherrypick some research while ignoring the rest of the story.
Like other reviewers have said, the nutrition part is arguably the best in the book. Matthews dispels several nutritional myths and offers scientifically sound nutritional guidelines, while being wise enough to make it clear that there isn't a one-size-fits-all diet given the fact that there is a lot of individual variation in relevant things such as the basal metabolic rate, for instance. However, I have to say I found Matthews' concern, during his discussion on vegetarian diets, with GMOs a little overblown. Of course, if you are extremely risk averse maybe you should avoid GMO-based food until your unusually high standard for food safety is met in the future, but otherwise you can happily go for transgenic food with no need to worry, since there are systematic reviews concluding that GMOs are safe for human consumption (see, e.g., the European Commission 2010's report on 10 years of GMO research) and there's a growing scientific consensus around this conclusion.
While there wasn't much new to me in the training part, there was enough for me to make a few important adjustments in my training routine. Most importantly, Matthews has convinced me to start with compound exercises and to increase the volume a little bit. I have been working out with my updated routine for roughly two weeks now, and I'm happy to say that I've been steadily increasing my strength in every excercise on a weekly basis -- especially in the deadlift, my absolute favorite exercise. The reason why I didn't start with compound exercises before was that I was afraid I wouldn't have enough strength to properly execute some important isolation exercises, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this didn't happen at all -- all it took was just resting a little longer between exercises and sets.
Another problem I'd like to mention before finishing is that the book falls seriously short of decent reference editing. I don't know who's to blame for this, but the references' section is a complete mess and it should be fixed in future editions of the book. The standard academic way of editing references is quite simple and makes the reader's life very easy, so sticking with the standard editing is a safe bet in case of doubt about how to organize the references.
So, my upshot here is that this truly is a very good, fairly complete evidence-based guide to basic training and dieting, with useful summaries of key points at the end of every chapter. Beginners will certainly greatly benefit from it, but it's also worth reading for people who have been working out for a while, as well as for people who are interested in being updated about what the available evidence says about training and dieting. With so many persisting myths in the fitness world, a book like that is pretty good for a change.
Like other reviewers have said, the nutrition part is arguably the best in the book. Matthews dispels several nutritional myths and offers scientifically sound nutritional guidelines, while being wise enough to make it clear that there isn't a one-size-fits-all diet given the fact that there is a lot of individual variation in relevant things such as the basal metabolic rate, for instance. However, I have to say I found Matthews' concern, during his discussion on vegetarian diets, with GMOs a little overblown. Of course, if you are extremely risk averse maybe you should avoid GMO-based food until your unusually high standard for food safety is met in the future, but otherwise you can happily go for transgenic food with no need to worry, since there are systematic reviews concluding that GMOs are safe for human consumption (see, e.g., the European Commission 2010's report on 10 years of GMO research) and there's a growing scientific consensus around this conclusion.
While there wasn't much new to me in the training part, there was enough for me to make a few important adjustments in my training routine. Most importantly, Matthews has convinced me to start with compound exercises and to increase the volume a little bit. I have been working out with my updated routine for roughly two weeks now, and I'm happy to say that I've been steadily increasing my strength in every excercise on a weekly basis -- especially in the deadlift, my absolute favorite exercise. The reason why I didn't start with compound exercises before was that I was afraid I wouldn't have enough strength to properly execute some important isolation exercises, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this didn't happen at all -- all it took was just resting a little longer between exercises and sets.
Another problem I'd like to mention before finishing is that the book falls seriously short of decent reference editing. I don't know who's to blame for this, but the references' section is a complete mess and it should be fixed in future editions of the book. The standard academic way of editing references is quite simple and makes the reader's life very easy, so sticking with the standard editing is a safe bet in case of doubt about how to organize the references.
So, my upshot here is that this truly is a very good, fairly complete evidence-based guide to basic training and dieting, with useful summaries of key points at the end of every chapter. Beginners will certainly greatly benefit from it, but it's also worth reading for people who have been working out for a while, as well as for people who are interested in being updated about what the available evidence says about training and dieting. With so many persisting myths in the fitness world, a book like that is pretty good for a change.
November 7, 2023
This is an excellent book for beginners, but I must stress it is for newbies. 99% of the info in this book is well known to anyone who has been lifting and taking supplements for 6 months to a year. And as horrible as the author makes muscle magazines and supplement companies sound, the reality is they have already produced a lot of great information and suggestions that are just copied in this book. If you are looking to jump into a healthy lifestyle and have no clue where to start or what to do then read this book. It’ll give you one great tips and pointers. For anyone who has even a basic understanding of fitness then it might not be that interesting to you.
October 14, 2023
A lot of research based corrections about common misconceptions and has many no-bullshit tips.
November 16, 2013
Mike did a great job of explaining basic principles of building muscle and losing fat. Many of us have the goal of achieving a great physique, but there is just too much contradictory information out there about how to actually do that. BLS is a straight-forward read, no BS or fairytales or bro-science - just plain facts. And I loved it for that!
I've decided to follow the training program laid out in the book to the last rep. On the other hand, I've decided to go with a bit different nutritional regime than the one Mike proposes in BLS. I've tried Intermittent Fasting a couple of months before learning about this book and I fell in love with it immediately! IF works so well for me, I feel awesome and I'm not changing it for the world. I'm sure Mike would approve ;)
And while the way you eat is something you can, and probably should, experiment with and try to find something that will work the best for you specifically, working out is a totally different beast. Even if for nothing else, BLS will always have a special place on my bookshelf for these chapters alone.
I could write a lot more about Bigger Leaner Stronger, but I will just say this - get it and read it, especially if you're a novice in the world of fitness and it all seems way too complex. After reading BLS you'll be ready to hit the weights and shed the fat in no time! You will learn a lot and find out that getting to look and feel better is not such a complex endeavour after all, at least not when you're armed with all this knowledge.
And if you're ever stuck, just reach for Mike on one of many social networks he's active on, or his website. He always responds to questions and really cares about your success!
I've decided to follow the training program laid out in the book to the last rep. On the other hand, I've decided to go with a bit different nutritional regime than the one Mike proposes in BLS. I've tried Intermittent Fasting a couple of months before learning about this book and I fell in love with it immediately! IF works so well for me, I feel awesome and I'm not changing it for the world. I'm sure Mike would approve ;)
And while the way you eat is something you can, and probably should, experiment with and try to find something that will work the best for you specifically, working out is a totally different beast. Even if for nothing else, BLS will always have a special place on my bookshelf for these chapters alone.
I could write a lot more about Bigger Leaner Stronger, but I will just say this - get it and read it, especially if you're a novice in the world of fitness and it all seems way too complex. After reading BLS you'll be ready to hit the weights and shed the fat in no time! You will learn a lot and find out that getting to look and feel better is not such a complex endeavour after all, at least not when you're armed with all this knowledge.
And if you're ever stuck, just reach for Mike on one of many social networks he's active on, or his website. He always responds to questions and really cares about your success!
February 3, 2018
Well I did it, I read a whole book about getting in shape, you can divide the whole content in three, nutrition, the training and supplements, there's a lot of times you will say that that is quite obvious, and other details so specific that you'll thank him for including on the book, for sure change won't start without you but this is a start, and gives you a complete guide about how to start or if you are like me a fitness junkie who sees no results it gives you and idea in how to get unstuck
October 17, 2018
For good books i give 3 stars, this was a good book. The information is good, doesn’t contradict other things I’ve read on the subject. I did not give it 4 stars because the format of chapter recap was very repetitive. The worst was for the Q&A. It also became very much a sales pitch towards the end.
Having said that, I will do the 12 month challenge. I will put the principles laid in the book. I believe what is presented and want to experience the effects. Wish me luck.
Having said that, I will do the 12 month challenge. I will put the principles laid in the book. I believe what is presented and want to experience the effects. Wish me luck.
February 3, 2013
Nâo gostei. Muito, muito básico e com alguns conceitos errados (definição de carboidratos, por exemplo). Parece ter um programa muito bom para academia, com boas dicas e programas, mas não é o que eu procurava, nem posso opinar.
February 24, 2017
What an amazing book!! I am recommending it to anyone and everyone who asks me about my results. Mike has created a training manual that encompasses so much from every area of fitness and the best part is that it's well researched and helps you to avoid all the mistakes that he made starting out.
June 9, 2017
I found the sections on nutrition more helpful and the sections on programming, less so.
February 2, 2023
Targeted towards men while very informative for anyone
August 16, 2023
A good summary of the core principles for a healthy, fit body. The book goes over many of the essential elements of dieting and programming your workout in a fairly concise manner. There are the usual chapters around figuring out and managing your calories/macros, arguments for double progression in workout programs, sample workouts, (in)effective supplements, as well as some motivational pieces. The author does a good job of cutting through a lot of chatter to focus on the basics which are simple yet empirically known to be effective. For nutrition, this boil down to eat well, within the caloric needs for your goal, sticking to mostly unprocessed food and staying close to sensible macros. For workouts, it's focusing on the larger lifts with some accessory ones and implementing progression while sticking to a somewhat lower rep ranges. The material is well-presented with links to several online resources.
This book would have come in more handy 15 years or so back for me. I can't say I learned any thing new but it was still good to get a refresher on what's important when it comes to fitness. While there's lots of good information here, there are bits that can get prescriptive or preachy. There's also considerable stress on including animal-based food in the diet ("specifically red meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and eggs.") which would go against the emerging science like the research cited in How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. With those couple of caveats, this is an excellent reference, especially for those newer to their fitness journeys, when the online noise can feel overwhelming and it's unclear what the sensible path should be. Recommended!
This book would have come in more handy 15 years or so back for me. I can't say I learned any thing new but it was still good to get a refresher on what's important when it comes to fitness. While there's lots of good information here, there are bits that can get prescriptive or preachy. There's also considerable stress on including animal-based food in the diet ("specifically red meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and eggs.") which would go against the emerging science like the research cited in How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. With those couple of caveats, this is an excellent reference, especially for those newer to their fitness journeys, when the online noise can feel overwhelming and it's unclear what the sensible path should be. Recommended!
Read
April 8, 2018The first half of this book covers nutrition, especially as it relates to committed working out and weightlifting and is very much worth reading. I learned a bunch of worthwhile stuff, so I was glad I got the book for that alone. But I bailed when I got to the workout section. Not because of the program Michael Matthews promotes. Given his experience (not to mention his physique) his program of lifting very heavy weights with few reps probably has great merit. But I didn’t even get through his description of how to do a proper squat. Maintaining proper form is an important part of lifting weights. When you’re lifting very heavy weights, it become super-essential. Matthews’s description of how to perform a squat is very thorough, but doing it properly involves keeping mindful of TEN different things (Bar placement, Chest, Thumbs, Grip, Eyes, Back, Hips, Feet, Butt, Knees). Given how easily you can injure yourself while lifting a super-heavy load, that’s way too much to keep in mind. Until I can afford to have him standing right there spotting all ten points, I’ll find another way of working out.
September 10, 2021
I was looking for a book that would give me the knowledge to take control of my weight loss journey, both through nutrition and exercise. I would always go online and watch videos of people talking about this stuff, discussing small pieces of everything. Well this book gives you all the information you would ever want to look up (and even things you never considered looking up) in a straightforward manner that gives you an in depth explanation of these concepts, and simplifies it down to what you really need to know to apply it to your own life. The author heavily bases his advice on research, and states the conditions of studies done, and what they seemed to imply, always maintaining the scientific approach that studies can be imperfect and acknowledging where research might not be giving a straight answer. I feel like I’ve learned a lot more, and was able to immediately apply the lessons to my life! I would highly recommend this book for someone that wants to really understand how to build muscle and lose weight as effectively as possible
March 14, 2023
First of all, I am not a man which this book was aimed at, but this is what my library had and also, I don't want to lose weight, I want to build muscle, so I believe the men's one is more appropriate for me. I was warned in advance that his workout section is a little outdated by other bodybuilders, but still a solid book and definitely to give a read for the rest of it. I have to say that I agree. I found his advice on eating particularly very helpful and clear-cut. I'll definitely be referencing back to it if I need. I already was doing a lot of his advice, but his explanation on meal planning and such is very helpful. Also, it should be noted that he does own his own supplement brand - Legion - but he doesn't come across as shilling it in anyway which I was satisfied with. I thought his advice on supplements was very informative. I really liked how much he referenced scientific studies through-out his book. I'm not much into "bro-science", I want facts and proof to back up claims and he definitely delivered. I would say I would reccomend this book in the future to others. Even though I felt the actual training chapters were a bit different advice than what is now advised for hypertrophy, it would still not by any means be a bad place to start for someone new to bodybuilding/strength training, just not optimal. I would say 4.25 stars from me!
April 24, 2020
I've tried several fitness plans over the past ten years and never stuck with any. Bigger Leaner Stronger is the only one that I have found reasonable to follow and I've lost 20 lbs in the past 4 months using this book as my primary guide. I'm on my way to being in the leanest I have been since my early 20s.
I've always had a tough time putting on muscle, but I'm seeing noticeable gains (and I'm 40). I'd be doing even better if I was more disciplined about my macro nutrients.
Highly recommended!
I've always had a tough time putting on muscle, but I'm seeing noticeable gains (and I'm 40). I'd be doing even better if I was more disciplined about my macro nutrients.
Highly recommended!
January 10, 2018
Excellent book for anyone looking to understand health and nutrition in order to make an improvement in their life. Whether you're a professional athlete or have never gone to a gym or on a run in your life, this book will leave you a better individual by giving you the knowledge of how your body works.
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