Myatt Murphy

There were some things I liked about this book. The recommendations for getting enough sleep, lifting *heavy* weights, the importance of destressing, and the cautions about xenoestrogens in our environment were all spot-on. The book also included a number of good studies with the latest research on areas related to maximizing testosterone. The diet recommendations were decent, although the unwillingness to stray too far from conventional orthodoxy in the face of scientific evidence (i.e. citing a study showing saturated fat isn't bad for you, and then cautioning not too eat too much of it anyways) was irritating. If the book just had these parts, I'd probably give it 4 stars.
But where the book really fell hard was in the actual workouts. The volume and intensity on these workouts simply lost all connection with reality. As an example, it recommended during the first phase of the workout, to start by doing 21 pullups -- 7 weighted, 7 with a little less weight, and 7 more with just bodyweight. How many gym newbies (which the book clearly seems oriented towards, despite the insane workouts) are going to be able to do that?! Even people who've been doing pullups for years likely can't do that many at once. It also included a couple of sets of "one handed Olympic barbell preacher curls". In other words, curling 45 pounds in one hand, using a 7 foot bar! Again, someone fairly advanced might be able to do this, but in NO WAY is this suitable for someone to start out with. And the workout volume was similarly insane -- the workouts advocated doing 30+ sets per workout. For bodybuilders who have been lifting for a while, sure, but this is not at all suitable for someone just starting out. This section gets 1 star.
So, my advice -- if you're interested in this topic, read everything except for the actual workout portion of the book. The non-workout parts are pretty good. For a workout routine, check out something like Starting Strength, or read Beyond Brawn.… (más)