Men's Health: The Book of Muscle - The World's Most Authoritative Guide to Building Your Body

by Ian King

The World's Most AUTHORITATIVE Guide to Building Your Body

You probably know a lot about building muscle. You know which curl is the best for your biceps, you do every possible exercise for your abdominals, and your 20-set bench-press routine is the envy of everyone in the gym. So why haven't you gotten the results you want?

This book has the answer. In fact, it probably answers every question you've ever asked about how your muscles work: What makes them grow? What makes them show? Why didn't that champion bodybuilder's routine work for you?

But The Book of Muscle does more than just explain how your muscles work. It also gives you comprehensive muscle-building programs from a world-class trainer.

Ian King has spent 2 decades as strength coach to world-champion and Olympic athletes. He is in wide demand as a lecturer on athletic preparation and physique development, and he is a popular contributor to Men's Health magazine and T-mag.com, the most popular bodybuilding Web site on the planet. Now, for the first time, he brings his extraordinary knowledge and unique muscle-building systems to a book meant for regular guys who like to work out and want to see better results than they've gotten from conventional programs.

Here's what you get from The Book of Muscle that you can't get from any other book:

Three complete 6-month, progressive workout programs created by Ian King to optimize muscle growth by juxtaposing opposing muscle actions Ian King's revolutionary training-age system to help you determine which program is right for you Complete abdominal training that ensures you'll not only get that coveted six-pack but also develop the muscles that prevent injuries and produce better performance on the field—any field Vital advice on warming up, stretching, and recovering between workouts The latest and best information on how you need to eat to make your muscles grow

If you've never before bought a workout book, this should be your first. And if you've tried all the others, this is the one that finally delivers everything you have ever wanted to know but couldn't find in one place.

Genres: Fitness, Reference, Nonfiction, Health, Sports

364 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Ian King is an Australian strength coach and former powerlifting champion who has trained world-class athletes on four continents. A certified strength-and-conditioning specialist, he has a bachelor's degree in movement science and a postgraduate diploma in education from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. He lives in Brisbane with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Svetlana Kurilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the muscle groups and exercises to get you started on the journey. I like to learn the fundamentals and understand how the body works. This book is not for the professionals who have been in the fitness industry for a while but everyone will find some interesting info here. Also, I liked a detailed explanation on tempo and how to vary it in workouts.

[Miles]

I'll rate after I put programs to the test but I learned a lot.

[Obi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a pretty fit guy. Have been working out consistently for about 13 years now. But for the past few years I'd been doing mainly body weight exercises.

So when my friend urged me to get back into weight training, this book came with a high recommendation. It's very thorough and taught me a lot about muscle biology that I didn't know. And it works if you follow the plan. I've easily put on 15 pounds of muscle, and I started with the "Beginner" program (at the book's suggestion).

Recommended.

[Jess Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Has an introductory section with lots of information about how muscles are built and then has a HUGE illustrated section with different exercises broken down by muscle group. Finally it has three 6-month workout programs-beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Simply awesome.

[Verdi]

i want make my body

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not *quite* like the guy on the cover yet, but I'm close, damnit!

[Raimondo Lagioia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at a used bookstore and picked it up for $1. I'm always trying to improve my fitness knowledge.

In many ways, this book, published over 20 years, is just as relevant today as it was when it first came out: the principles of how the body builds muscle comes down to a science that doesn't change.

I enjoyed the first part of the book, which delved deeper into some of the scientific concepts of building muscle - the different muscle groups, how the muscles are structured, the different types of fibers, etc.

I also enjoyed the book going over the proper form for many of the most common lifts. Nevertheless, for an experienced gym-goer, there wasn't really anything new here. The section on calculating macros and nutrition - what I really picked up the book for - was pretty generic. It recognized that there were different dieting approaches - regarding ideal percentages of protein, fat, and carbs- but the book didn't argue for on approach of another. I bought the book specifically for that. Suggestions like to time carbs around pre- and post-workout is kind of old news.

Overall, it was a decent read, but more for beginners. I'm sure the workout programs are fine, but with apps and AI, you could get a more customized, constantly updating workout plan in seconds, rather than manually record everything from a book and pencil-and-paper.

A good basic review of muscle science, exercises, and basic nutrition, but not much there for those who already know the basics.

[Shannon Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book. What first put me off is the fact that the illustrations did not show the various depth of the muscles. And I also didnt like the writing style. It sounded way too fraternal and not proffesional enough.I want to point out that Ian King is not a physiotherapist or or a doctor or a sports science professional he's just a gym bro. Yes he's worked with professional athletes but he's basically a knowledgeable gym bro and not a professional. And you can pick that up a lot of the time when he writes. This is a good book for beginners but if you want to go in depth don't waste your time with this.

[Max Waldron]

I followed the entire plan of this book.
My lifts went through the roof and my musculature was amazing. I managed huge deadlifts without problem. My back became incredibly strong.
These plans changed my hormonal environment naturally. No steroids, I could arm curl over 100 kg after a 60 hour working week.
If you're tough enough to take the pain for the gain, I'd thoroughly recommend this program.
I'd combine with some conditioning though.

[Austin Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful as to the inner working of muscles. It was incredibly thorough and gave a more complete picture of muscle fibers, hormones, macros, and the important exercises to target each muscle group. Quite enjoyed this.

[David Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read.

Liked the compound exercises mainly used to build a strong foundation. Good read for any level of fitness enthusiast. Definitely worth the money for the digital edition.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, exercises well described and pictures are clear. Possibly a bit outdated now.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is straightforward and easy to read. It starts with some light background on body muscle groups and workout theory, but doesn't waste time being academic. It defines exactly what you should be doing in each week: stretches, warmups, exercises, reps, tempo, etc. Illustrations abound.

The simple, explicit direction is what makes it an attractive choice for a workout book.

Of course, I can't truly review it until I see if it works...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful large photos describe each exercise. If you start out as a beginner, the workout progression will take you two years to complete.

Each minor stage takes three weeks during which a range of exercises are prescribed. They are challenging and well planned.

When I finally reach the final advanced workout one day, I'll be back to let you know what the end result was.

[Moustafa Abdelhamid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book and contains an amazing workout. i realized how great it really as i got older and more experienced with gym workout. right now after almost 3 years of absent, i returned to it and will be using the workouts again. This just shows that time has no effect on this masterpiece of muscle galore.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed. Great to look at, professional pictures and outstanding presentation. But when I get a workout book I want the content to make me stronger. The information presented here is pretty generic and isn't any different from what you'd find in popular men's fitness magazines.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide, with sections on anatomy, nutrition, stretching, proper form for each exercise, and pre-designed weightlifting programs.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Workout

[Tim Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST book of muscle there is.

[Erwinchong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complete book on muscles groups..definations...exercises..

[Gilles Desrosiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you really want to understand how muscles work, this book will teach you in laymen's terms. Very interesting and easy to read.

[Dilshad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice