What do you think?
Rate this book
Radically Simple Strength: A practical plan to help average guys build awesome bodies
Getting in awesome shape isn't easy, but it isn't complicated, either.
The principles of effective training and nutrition have been understood for decades, and the truth is, it's pretty boring stuff—lift weights, eat enough of the right foods, and get adequate rest. Do that consistently for a few years, and you'll build a strong, impressive physique.
So why do so many guys struggle to achieve their fitness goals?
The problem is that boring (albeit effective) advice is hard to sell, and in our congested, hyped-up, social media-crazed world, aspiring trainers, coaches, and fitness influencers are incentivized to pump out ever more sensational, polarizing, and provocative content that leaves the average guy confused, overwhelmed, and buried under mountains of misinformation and silly BS.
I wrote Radically Simple Strength to cut through the clutter and conflicting advice and answer one simple "What should the average guy do to get in awesome shape?" Rather than using this space to craft a slick sales pitch, let me skip the meaningless marketing jargon and tell you how Radically Simple Strength is
It's simple
When I say "radically simple," I mean it. I've stripped out all the superfluous stuff that wastes your time and doesn't lead to real results. What remains is an ultra-minimalist training and nutrition program with only the most essential strategies, tools, and tactics you need to get strong and look strong.It's specific
Most fitness books try to appeal to the widest possible audience by offering infinite flexibility and endless options. In my experience, that rarely works. More choices mean more analysis paralysis and decision-making fatigue. Instead, Radically Simple Strength tells you exactly what to do every time you step into the gym or the kitchen. No guesswork. No overthinking. No decisions to make. Just effective, actionable advice.It's proven
I've spent over two decades as a lifter, strength coach, and gym owner, testing, tweaking, revising and refining this approach with real people in real-world situations. This isn't a bunch of theories and hypotheses; every page of the Radically Simple Strength is packed with practical principles that have been proven to work.It's complete
I hope this is the last fitness book you ever need. I set out to create a comprehensive training and nutrition manual that I could hand to any guy looking to transform his body and say, "Here, just do this. Ignore everything else. This is everything you need to know (and absolutely nothing you don't) to get in awesome shape." The training programs and meal plans in Radically Simple Strength are designed to guide you, step-by-step, from a total beginner to an advanced barbell badass.Who this book is (and isn't) for
This book is not for competitive powerlifters, elite athletes, or professional bodybuilders. Those guys don't need my help. This is a book for regular guys with average genetics who want to be a little bigger, a lot stronger, not fat, and not hurt. It's for men who want to make the most of the hereditary hand they were dealt and get in the best shape possible without killing themselves in the gym or making fitness their full-time job.
So if you're sick of spinning your wheels and not getting the results you want. If you're tired of sorting through all the flashy fad diets, complicated training programs, and ambiguous advice.
The principles of effective training and nutrition have been understood for decades, and the truth is, it's pretty boring stuff—lift weights, eat enough of the right foods, and get adequate rest. Do that consistently for a few years, and you'll build a strong, impressive physique.
So why do so many guys struggle to achieve their fitness goals?
The problem is that boring (albeit effective) advice is hard to sell, and in our congested, hyped-up, social media-crazed world, aspiring trainers, coaches, and fitness influencers are incentivized to pump out ever more sensational, polarizing, and provocative content that leaves the average guy confused, overwhelmed, and buried under mountains of misinformation and silly BS.
I wrote Radically Simple Strength to cut through the clutter and conflicting advice and answer one simple "What should the average guy do to get in awesome shape?" Rather than using this space to craft a slick sales pitch, let me skip the meaningless marketing jargon and tell you how Radically Simple Strength is
It's simple
When I say "radically simple," I mean it. I've stripped out all the superfluous stuff that wastes your time and doesn't lead to real results. What remains is an ultra-minimalist training and nutrition program with only the most essential strategies, tools, and tactics you need to get strong and look strong.It's specific
Most fitness books try to appeal to the widest possible audience by offering infinite flexibility and endless options. In my experience, that rarely works. More choices mean more analysis paralysis and decision-making fatigue. Instead, Radically Simple Strength tells you exactly what to do every time you step into the gym or the kitchen. No guesswork. No overthinking. No decisions to make. Just effective, actionable advice.It's proven
I've spent over two decades as a lifter, strength coach, and gym owner, testing, tweaking, revising and refining this approach with real people in real-world situations. This isn't a bunch of theories and hypotheses; every page of the Radically Simple Strength is packed with practical principles that have been proven to work.It's complete
I hope this is the last fitness book you ever need. I set out to create a comprehensive training and nutrition manual that I could hand to any guy looking to transform his body and say, "Here, just do this. Ignore everything else. This is everything you need to know (and absolutely nothing you don't) to get in awesome shape." The training programs and meal plans in Radically Simple Strength are designed to guide you, step-by-step, from a total beginner to an advanced barbell badass.Who this book is (and isn't) for
This book is not for competitive powerlifters, elite athletes, or professional bodybuilders. Those guys don't need my help. This is a book for regular guys with average genetics who want to be a little bigger, a lot stronger, not fat, and not hurt. It's for men who want to make the most of the hereditary hand they were dealt and get in the best shape possible without killing themselves in the gym or making fitness their full-time job.
So if you're sick of spinning your wheels and not getting the results you want. If you're tired of sorting through all the flashy fad diets, complicated training programs, and ambiguous advice.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2022
325 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 23, 2023
Paul Horn has knocked it out of the park with Radically Simple Strength. If you are looking for a training program that requires you to track exact lifting tempos and rates of perceived exertion in addition to your sets, reps and weights, keep moving along. But if you are normal guy looking for an extremely well thought out training program that will not only get you stronger (and looking stronger as well) but keep you actively engaged in your strength gaining process, and not tempted to program jump every time you hit a speed bump in your training (or see some flashy new over-hyped title recommended by some "influencer"), just add this book to your cart and get on with the gains.
By no means do I toss around powerlifter weights, and honestly with a history of herniated discs, there was a time when I thought my squatting and deadlifting days were over. Luckily, I found Rip's Starting Strength which helped me get my form straightened out and now, even more luckily in my opinion, I found Paul Horn's RSS. There is no B.S. in this book. He doesn't try to pass off long-standing training methodologies as his own, but he has tweaked them and arranged his program in a way that is an absolute breath of fresh air. The program is simple, it is immediately actionable, and it is written in terminology that even the most caveman-like knuckle dragger can understand (I stand as a perfect example). There are not 30 pages of scientific study references included, nor is it written in gym-bro-ease.
In addition, Paul has a great Reddit community where he is not only very active, but also extremely polite and personally helpful. I have seen many online fitness communities where a new member would be absolutely terrified to announce that his bench press (for example) was under 200 pounds. The backlash would be immediate and intense. That is not so with Paul. He treats everyone with dignity and respect, no matter where they are in their strength journey. And that is a man for whom I will gladly shell out hard-earned money to support.
By no means do I toss around powerlifter weights, and honestly with a history of herniated discs, there was a time when I thought my squatting and deadlifting days were over. Luckily, I found Rip's Starting Strength which helped me get my form straightened out and now, even more luckily in my opinion, I found Paul Horn's RSS. There is no B.S. in this book. He doesn't try to pass off long-standing training methodologies as his own, but he has tweaked them and arranged his program in a way that is an absolute breath of fresh air. The program is simple, it is immediately actionable, and it is written in terminology that even the most caveman-like knuckle dragger can understand (I stand as a perfect example). There are not 30 pages of scientific study references included, nor is it written in gym-bro-ease.
In addition, Paul has a great Reddit community where he is not only very active, but also extremely polite and personally helpful. I have seen many online fitness communities where a new member would be absolutely terrified to announce that his bench press (for example) was under 200 pounds. The backlash would be immediate and intense. That is not so with Paul. He treats everyone with dignity and respect, no matter where they are in their strength journey. And that is a man for whom I will gladly shell out hard-earned money to support.
December 27, 2023
Get strong made simple
This is an excellent cut through the fluff guide to getting strong. It is very simple and systematic approach works amazingly well and I have been able to lift weights at 39 years old that I was not able to when I was in my 20’s. This guide has everything you need to get strong as well as a simple nutrition plan to lose fat to show off your newly made muscle. The author (currently) offers free form checks on Reddit and is always quick to respond to a programming/training question. This is the exact type of person/product I want to support with my money. Buy the book, get stronger than you ever have before, and look good.
This is an excellent cut through the fluff guide to getting strong. It is very simple and systematic approach works amazingly well and I have been able to lift weights at 39 years old that I was not able to when I was in my 20’s. This guide has everything you need to get strong as well as a simple nutrition plan to lose fat to show off your newly made muscle. The author (currently) offers free form checks on Reddit and is always quick to respond to a programming/training question. This is the exact type of person/product I want to support with my money. Buy the book, get stronger than you ever have before, and look good.
February 10, 2023
Great book! Very practical and straight forward. You could start using his plans right away. As a husband and father who doesn’t want to spend hours in the gym this is a very effective way to train to get the most from your training in the shortest amount of time.
May 22, 2023
Lift-read this
Weather you are a gym rat or home gym read this book. Simple is better, this can be your plan to remain healthy when you get older and when you need it most. At 82, this helps me.
Weather you are a gym rat or home gym read this book. Simple is better, this can be your plan to remain healthy when you get older and when you need it most. At 82, this helps me.
September 30, 2025
Especially good for novice or beginner
There is a lot of good information here, but as an experienced trainer I have read most of it before. Also, I don't appreciate the gratuitous profanity included to make it sound "hardcore".
There is a lot of good information here, but as an experienced trainer I have read most of it before. Also, I don't appreciate the gratuitous profanity included to make it sound "hardcore".
December 6, 2022
Great read.
Awesome supplement to Starting Strength methodology. Quick and easy read. Paul has always been a humble and straight shooter. Thanks!
Awesome supplement to Starting Strength methodology. Quick and easy read. Paul has always been a humble and straight shooter. Thanks!
August 10, 2023
Nice
Nice book. A bit silly but fun. Starting Strength a vastly superior read and the author actually says as much!
Nice book. A bit silly but fun. Starting Strength a vastly superior read and the author actually says as much!
September 28, 2023
Horn offers a simple (not easy) weightlifting and nutrition regime to get strong and large. -1 star for unnecessary cursing and for his postmodern secular nihilism.
June 15, 2024
Helpful. My goal is health, and a book like this keeps things simple. Don’t appreciate his sprinkling of profanities throughout, but the guidelines are just what I needed. Recommended.
November 14, 2024
abbreviated training at its best
Paul Horn joins a sensible group of iron-heads advocating abbreviated barbell training and practical advice for those choosing this path.
Paul Horn joins a sensible group of iron-heads advocating abbreviated barbell training and practical advice for those choosing this path.
September 28, 2025
I've been doing Starting Strength for a few years and am a big advocate for barbell training. This book fills in all the gaps left by Starting Strength. It's super clear and easy to follow.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews