 "Too much muscle isolation and machine dependency" | 2006-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By shaymaa_publishing |
Muscle Mechanics (Paperback)
Too much muscle isolation and machine dependency
Frìdreric Delavier's "Strength Training Anatomy" has stimulated the new trend of artistic animation of muscular action by personal trainers desperate for opportunities. In this book, the author emphasizes muscular animation, in one every three photos, for no other purpose than showing artwork. The author is afflicted with the American syndrome of muscle isolation during resistance training and fascination with machines. That is demonstrated by the author's compromised ability to serve his readers professionally and intelligently.
(Skipping the first three chapters for later comments) Chapters 4 through 8 constitute the bulk of the book. Here the author adopts boring and inefficient template of 4-descriptives to describe all exercises indiscriminately. The four descriptive are: target muscles, joint motion, alignment and posture, and motion and stabilization. The 4-descriptive template is applied on the exercises of the trunk, lower body, and upper body with pushing and pulling. That does not address crucial issues such as:
What sequence should the reader uses for safe and optimum training?
Where does warm up fit in?
What guarantees balanced body proportions if one follows such haphazard program?
The last chapter on program design is remotely linked to the bulk of the book and constitutes a burden in adding things together. On page 103, for example, the author describes the Barbell Hang Clean using the same 4-descriptive template. I counted the word "quickly" four times, under the motion and stabilization item. The entire description of the Hang Clean is flawed and shows that the author is clueless on the mechanics of the Clean. That is aside from the fact that the Hang Clean should not be described without starting with Standard Clean first of all.
The hang Clean is partial and supplementary to the Standard Clean. Both exercises entail head and pelvis bouncing and elbow fixation during the pull by the axial muscles, with utmost emphasis on the closeness of the bar trajectory to the body. The book's advice to initiate the Hang Clean with explosive jump is foolish. Experienced lifters do not jump during the pull, but rather aggressively hop on the feet balls without messing up the alignment of the centers of gravity of the body and the barbell.
The book also introduces many distractive moves such as one-hand press on one-leg, trunk extension, trunk extension on the edge of a bench, side leg lunge, and multiple versions of the same exercises that are redundant and useless.
Going back to the first three chapters, the book handled muscle subsystem grouping in a creative manner by using longitudinal, lateral, and oblique muscle systems that stabilize the body in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes. Here, the author did not utilize his artistic skill in emphasizing the grouping graphically but rather depends on hand drawings that are much inferior to those that follow. Chapter 3 on optimal exercise technique is a waste since the author did not adopt any correct technique in the rest of the book. The dumbbell snatch on page 105 is flawed in that the dumbbell is too far away from the heels of the lifter. The body weight stationary lunge, page 95, is entirely flawed since the torso leans forward during the lung and could strain the low back and deform the shoulders.
Finally, the author's motivation and energy, and the potential for refinement should be utilized in bettering the book concepts and structure. Instead of selling to the people what might entice them on the short term, the author should strive for long term philosophy of enhancing fitness in simple, practical, and reasonable manner. Look what the Chinese, and ex-communists are doing with down to earth facilities, superb technique, and disciplined training!!
Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Author of
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training
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| "Not bad. Very good step by step explanation to perform cor" | 2002-12-06 |
| - Reviewed By taufiq-habib |
The large number of exercises covered are well explained in a step-by step fashion. I just wish the models were not so wimpy looking! Good book for beginners or intermediate exercisers.
Use it in combination with a book showing in detail which muscles are targeted |
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 "All the Right Moves" | 2002-01-26 |
| - Reviewed By luis32789 |
| If you feel totally clueless whenever you step into the strength-training section of a gym, then "Muscle Mechanics" is the book for you. For many bodybuilding and fitness novices, learning the proper form or way to lift, pull, or push bars, pulleys, or other gadgets that are commonly found on a gym floor can be a task itself. Without the assistance of a personal trainer, which can be an expensive investment, weight training can be very difficult, if not hard for most. Unlike many other books on the market, "Muscle Mechanics" is a perfect companion to those who want to really get into the move of things. Using photographs, and easy-to-read type, the book surpasses many professionally written books by top name fitness gurus because. In plain English, this book is similar to a "Dummies" or "Complete Idiot's" guide to weight-resistance exercises. Although I am much more of a pro when it comes to training, this book was helpful in helping me learn several exercises that I was not performing correctly. Overall, the book's design, setup, and price are all added pluses when it came to me in purchasing it. So, if you're looking for a simple, yet thorough book on weight training, this book is the right choice. |
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| "pros and cons of MUSCLE MECHANICS" | 2001-03-08 |
| - Reviewed By fbrunner |
| Having read and purchased dozens of books on weight training I have come to the conclusion that no one book is going to cover everything, let alone cover everything well. The situation is this: 1. The fitness boom has created a market and publishers and authors are trying to profit from this new market. 2. Some books are just a rehash of old ideas and exercises. 3. Some books actually offer new material or points of view. 4. All books are missing information that can be found in other sources. 5. Weight training can and is used by many people with different objectives. The novice who wants no more than to reduce the size of his/her waist and add a few curves will have different goals than the powerlifter who wants to bench press double bodyweight or more. So there exist more than one audience or market for training books. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced might seem like logical divisions, but it is not enough. Olympic weightlifters and powerlifters employ training regimens that would be unnecessarily orthopedically risky for other trainees even though all groups might use some of the same equipment and exercises. 6. As one reads more and more weight training books it becomes more difficult to find books that don't cover material one has already seen. 7. Given the above facts, building a weight training library becomes a daunting challenge. Naturally, the novice would want at least one book that covers the beginning stages well. Several books are adequate in this regard, but as someone once said,"There are no secrets in bodybuilding, but there are shortcuts." and if one continues to train, new information can be acquired that will maintain continued progress and interest. 8. There are too many weight training texts to read or purchase. Some sytematic rating system is desirable to guide the reader or purchaser. Hence foreward in my ratings I will try to give: a. audience rating for beginner, intermediate, advanced b. audience rating for general fitness, bodybuilder, powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, athletic conditioning c. pros -- what the book does well d. cons -- what the book does poorly including omitted critical information , misinformation, and lack of precatuions or warnings that should accompany certain exercises or speed of movement e. value -- even though there is a proverb that says "Knowledge is finer than fine silver." sometimes one might find that the price for the knowledge determines whether it was a bargain or a bad buy. With this in mind I let me list the pros and cons. Pros: 1. By using two colors of ink(black and cyan/blue) the diagrams that show the muscles used in each exercise are excellent. Better than 98% of the books I've seen. 2. The author has credentials including a bachelors degree in exercise science as well as experience as a competitive bodybuilder and coach and in the exercise business. 3. There is a strong emphasis on good exercise form. 4. Although there is not an overabundance of exercises, all the major muscle groups are covered. 5. The author presents three programs to build a sound foundation and progress safely from beginner to intermediate stage. 5.Some of the equipment shown is different than that more commonly seen. Experienced trainees might be interested in seeing Cybex's version of a hip abduction machine for comparison to Nautilus's. 6. The author takes a kinesiological approach to naming exercises. One may or may not appreciate this "orthopedic surgeon's approach" to naming exercises. 7. There are exercises for the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder and their importance in injury prevention is exercised. This is a an feature lacking in older texts. 8. Usually two different versions -- machine and free weight -- for exercises are given. One or two omissions, but the effort is there and most exercises get both coverages. Cons: 1. Commonly used names for common exercises are not given. See 6 above. In effect, the author has created a whole new language which allows the reader to sound pedantic, but not be able to communicate with other trainees or cross reference his text with other exercise texts. 2. I saw no caution against holding one's breath while exerting a strongs effort to lift a weight. This is surprising given the general emphasis on safe technique. 3. I applaud the author's mention of pelvic tilt for safe body positoning. However, it should have been emphasized more. Enlarging portions of the two illustrations showing good spinal positoning and bad (lordosis) and pointing out the difference in the tilt of the hip bones would have been a good idea. 4.In early 2001 Newsweek magazine covered SuperSlow training protocol which was trademarked by Ken Hutchins in 1992 and I first saw used in 1984. Given its radical departure from traditonal weight training tempo and the fact that Wayne Westcott has modified his Nautilus instructions to incorporate it because of its effectiveness and safety makes one wonder why Everett Aaberg makes no mention of it. But then few authors outside of Ken Hutchins, Ellington Darden in some of his more recent books, and Matt Brzycki cover SuperSlow. I regard it as a serious omission. I checked this book out of our library first and thought enough of it to buy it. If I were on more limited budget or less impulsive, I would not have. It's a good read, but if one already has a good introductory text, then the next purchase should be something else. Authors wishing to write a training book should definitely read this. It's nicely illustrated, well written, and the author does cover some new ground, but still it could be improved. Borrow what's good and fill in the blanks. That's your job. I think all levels of trainees will find something to like in this book, but beginners more so than advanced. Whether or not they should by it is a different question. For about $20 the book is not overpriced at all. |
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| "Great resource tool" | 2001-02-08 |
| - Reviewed By hikinkris |
| I am a certified post rehabilitation specialist and exercise therapist, and assist a diverse group of individuals with an array of conditions. This book is a great tool for me to use with individuals so that he/she has the information concerning a specific exercise at his/her fingertips. This book helps to clearly demonstrate and explain indications and contraindications with easy to follow guidelines so that exercise may become a lifestyle habit for a beginner and or advanced exerciser. |
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