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Getting Stronger Weight Training for Men and Women Revised Edition

Written by Bill Pearl, a four-time Mr. Universe, and widely regarded as the best general book on weight training available, Getting Stronger contains specific strength training programs for 21 sports as well as general conditioning. The book includes more than 100 one-page fitness programs that can be performed by simply following the illustrations, while each lift is keyed to a section with specific instructions for that lift. The 20th anniversary edition includes new sections on nutrition, supplements, injury rehabilitation, stretching, and equipment.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Solid, timeless book for everyone from reformed couch potatoes to competitive bodybuilders
There are no silly fads here or wacko advice from the latest kid-wonder–just solid time-tested training weight training programs. I’ve used them, and I know they work for me, and I’m not particularly genetically talented for muscle-building. There is a heavy emphasis on free weights, which Bill Pearl believes provide the best workout. It’s also very useful that most of the exercises in the book can be done in a fairly inexpensive home gym.

As a female reviewer, I can also say this is great book for women. When I first bought the first-edition of book in the early 1990s, it was the only one I’d seen which advocated that women train like men. Specifically, that means free-weight exercises, including the bench press, and weights which are difficult on the last rep, in order to gain strength. He wasn’t just talking out of his hat either, as he trained regularly with his wife, Judy, who has a beautiful, trim, feminine body. Today it’s widely accepted that if women train like men they will gain strength without bulking up, but I give Bill Pearl credit for being one of the first to popularize that truth. The new edition of the book, which I bought recently, has an updated section on women.

I disagree with the earlier reviewer that photographs would be better than the simple line drawings in the book. The training programs with mini line drawings are excellent to photocopy and take to the gym! I’ve never seen a book with such convenient ‘memory jogs’ when you’re still learning your program. The drawings are based on photographs of Bill and Judy working out, so they are accurate. Each mini-picture refers you to a page with a larger drawing and complete description of the exercise–so if you need more info, you just go there.

I also disagree that this book is only for serious obsessive body builders. I’m a very average person and it has helped me enormously over the years! At least 3/4 of the book is geared to average people or athletes whose main sport is not weight training. The book starts with three “general conditioning” programs for beginners–which gives you about six months of workouts. Once you’ve worked through those programs you can decide to remain in a general conditioning track for strength and good health or move to either a sports-training track or a more serious bodybuilding track.

I’ve read quite a few weight-training books, and this all-time classic is still the best.

4 Stars A Classic For a Reason
It’s odd to me to read this book, because it’s now pretty old, even with updates every few years. Yet, the information is still just as solid as it ever was. When I first picked up this book a long time ago, I knew NOTHING about muscle training. I knew NOTHING about diet. I certainly didn’t know the specifics of certain exercises. But this book took all the brain power out of muscle building. It was like it hit me in the head and said, “Hey genius, shut up and just do these exercises and you’ll get these results.” It goes over a lot of different types of programs as well as how to do the exercises, and, depending on which edition you get, even some different forms for nautilus or free weights for each exercise. Simply put, even if you know nothing about exercising for muscle training, with this book you can dive right in.

That being said, there are still some qualms I have. For one, virtually nothing is said about diet. They say to eat healthy and all, but that’s about it, which is fine since it’s not claiming to be a diet book. I would also like to see a little more theory and science information in the book, maybe an extended chapter in the beginning or at the end. But again, it’s not all that necessary, but it would’ve just been a nice edition. I also agree with some comments that there have been scientific updates to techniques and training programs over the past decade or so that really need to be addressed somewhere in the book, as I think it would help increase people’s results. As well, while the book does cover issues of plateauing and motivation, it really doesn’t go into them in enough depth or with any practical information; rather, it just takes a paragraph here and there to cheerlead for a moment, which really isn’t enough. The complexities of plateauing are one of the leading problems that gets the way of a lot of people maintaining their intensity and drive, so something a bit more is really needed.

But make no mistake about it. This book is a classic and if you can’t find an exercise or program in it to satisfy your basic lifting/training needs at virtually any level, then you just aren’t reading it right. I think in another 20 years, the information in this book will still be just as relevant and just as useful. Now go get buff.

5 Stars Excellent book for beginners and experts as well
Excellent book for beginners and experts. My stepson keeps it on the lounge room table and reads it every day.

5 Stars A Must Have for Strength Training
This is an excellent book/manual for any strength training or personal fitness. I love the fact that it clearly shows exercises targeting all areas of the body, provides on and off season training for sports, nutrition tips and much more. This is one book that will likely get worn out from constant use.

5 Stars awesome and complete
Bill doesn’t over complicate things. I liked that. He takes you from beginner conditioning through professional bodybuilding. I also liked that he includes complete dumbbell workouts, in case you don’t have a barbell; you can get the same results. Also included is very sound nutritional advice. I actually bought this book probably 15 years ago. I wanted to get back into it, and its the first book I thought of. I bought it again (my first had been lost in a few house moves since then), and I was completely satisfied all over again, plus all the additions he’s made since the first book.

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