Women's Health Lift to Get Lean: A Beginner#s Guide to Fitness & Strength Training in 3 Simple Steps

by Holly Perkins

Research shows that building muscle helps the body burn more calories 24/7 and that resistance training is the most effective way to torch body fat. Yet that message is still lost on many women who fear that weight lifting will make them bulky, turn their skin green, and give them Incredible Hulk muscles like their boyfriends'. Women have more options than step aerobics or running on a treadmill to shed They can weight-train in a very specific manner designed to make the most of a woman's unique physiology.

Lift to Get Lean is the first beginner's guide to strength training from Women's Health that is written specifically for women by a woman. Holly Perkins is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) who has been teaching the fat-burning secrets of weight training exclusively to women for more than 20 years. Perkins doesn't follow men's rules when it comes to building muscle. Her Lift to Get Lean delivers a three-step Technique, Movement Speed, and the Last 2 Reps Rule, which make all the difference in developing the kind of strong, lean, and sexy body women want. Perkins offers four different 90-day training programs that efficiently build functional strength along with leaner legs, stronger arms, and a sexier butt.

Genres: Fitness, Nonfiction, Health

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2015

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just joined a gym and really needed some direction. This book has been super helpful. It's strictly gym focused, so if you're working out at home, skip this title.
I didn't find any of the issues other reviewers noticed--she does talk about physiology differences between men and women and does talk about lunges being great exercises.
I'm tired of hearing "don't worry, you won't get big!!" from books like this though. Get as big as you want. Women don't need to be small people.
I would probably have preferred not to have the weight loss ('get lean') in the title--I'm sure books that promote weight loss and diet culture are more marketable though.
This book is exactly what I needed, so totally happy with it.

[Beverly D. Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A female perspective for bodybuilding

I like how Ms. Perkins explains how doing certain exercises a certain way are beneficial to a woman's physique. There were changes to hand positions I had not come across before. I'm looking forward to the transformation.

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a book for women new to strength training.
I was disgusted by the photo of the author at the beginning of part one; like lifting that teeny little weight (what is that-a 3 lb weight?) had anything to do with the leanness of her body today.
I disagree with her main premise, however, that women must train differently than men. This is fueled by the notion that the general public has regarding women and heavy lifting-namely, that women will get "huge" from lifting heavy weights. This is just not true. Women lack the amount of testosterone that men have which allow them to build serious muscle.
She makes no mention of squats, lunges, or deadlifts, which I would argue are the best exercises to get the leg & butt shape that most women want.
Skip this book and find a gym and a trainer.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like her workout plan that involves going quickly on the "hard" part, the pause, and the slowly on the "easy" part. What I was sorely disappointed with was that, after my first...was it 12 weeks?.... when I was ready to move on to the next plan, it did not involve any new exercises, only decreased rest time and increased reps. I also question the logic that you "lift until you can do the last 2 reps at 80% of perfect form" then "increase weight with each set. If you are lifting that heavy to begin with, increasing weight with each set and continuing reps, doesn't make sense to me.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

So in not a lifter...read this to get ready to work with a trainer at the gym. I want to go in with my mind right and kinda know what everything is. I realize this is a beginners book and that is exactly what I wanted.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and her exercises, but after awhile they get so boring because there is literally NO variation. You will do the same exercises just with more weight added for 90 days. That may work for some people, but I need variety.

[Zainap V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

understand about the three-step system that includes techniques and how to exercise properly to get better results.

excellent recipes, tried and tasted.