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Max Contraction Training : The Scientifically Proven Program for Building Muscle Mass in Minimum Time | 
 enlarge | Author: John R. Little
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
Buy New: $8.50
You Save: $10.45 (55%)
New (21) Used (16) from $4.03
Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 268060
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.7
ISBN: 0071423958
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.71
UPC: 639785414902
EAN: 9780071423953
ASIN: 0071423958
Publication Date: December 12, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Mint.
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Product Description
The breakthrough new fitness program for readers who want big gains in little time "I had one little miniworkout. I couldn't believe how short the workout was, and how good I felt afterward. . . . This technique is going to change your life." --Tony Robbins, author of Awaken the Giant Within Bodybuilding pioneer John Little smashes through conventional training approaches with his revolutionary workout program supported by science and based on 15 years of empirical research. The Max Contraction Training program maximizes muscle fiber stimulation in the shortest amount of time-- leading to faster workouts and more impressive gains. Little reveals: - Groundbreaking techniques that MAXimize muscle fiber stimulation four times more efficient than conventional training
- Ideal exercise structuring in a workout routine
- Optimal time frames to train muscles for maximum growth
- False information put out by supplement companies
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
Which part of the range of motion is best? August 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is fantastic, as it has a lot of information to make you think about the best way to train for building muscle and strength.
However, one question arises: is it really best to train in the maximum contraction position? In that position your muscles are contracted and shortened, thereby strongest. To stimulate them in that position you need much heavier weights than at the beginning of a movement. How do you get the weight there if training on your own?
I contend that training in the recommended fashion at the BEGINNING of a range of motion has less leverage, the muscles are not shortened, therefore you can stimulate them maximally with much less weight, therefore the intensity is still maximal, but with less weight. The max number of fibers is involved because the weight is still heavy enough to barely allow you to budge it at that point in the range, therefore requiring the involvement of all available fibers, for a maximum intensity short contraction.
Since the weight is less than in the fully contracted position, but it is as hard to contract at this beggining of the movement position with the lesser weight, you will involve ALL available fibers for a MAX CONTRACTION at that point, the same way you would do with heavier weights in the maximum contraction position (at the fully contracted part of the range of motion). Therefore you achieve maximum intensity and muscle stimulation with a relatively lighter weight, making it possible to train in this fashion even on a home gym (otherwise you need extremely heavy weights - often unavailable).
Only one caveat: possibility of injury can be higher as muscles' strength increases possibly faster than the tendons have time to adjust. Warming-up may be important if one trained this way.
All up, the book is about the best way to train, in least time, in order to gain the most muscle, naturally.
 A Strength Training Book for Strong Minds November 7, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
...and by strong minds I mean those willing to question what they believe to be true.
Little does an excellent job of applying the scientific method to the problem of efficient strength training. Go into any gym on the planet, well, let's say 99.99% of them, and you'll find that MOST of the people are doing the following:
o Sets of repititions.
o Working a particular muscle group 2 or 3 times a week.
Little establishes directly and by reference, that intensity stimulates muscle growth, not repitition.
If repetition stimulated growth, then Phil the fifty year old bus-boy who has been working six days a week for the last twenty years, would have legs larger than Mr. Universe (genetics aside), for that matter so would marathon runners.
When I talk to people at my gym, I find it perplexing that they accept that a marathon runners leg muscles don't become massive, yet are pushed to their limit of repatitous (Low Intensity) endurance. They ache the days after a race, they need 'repair time' and so forth. They accept this without a hint of doubt.
Point out someone at the gym with massive legs and they will accept, again without question, that the hugely muscled legs are the result of heavy weights (ie High Intensity).
Now take these two data points and compare them, most peoplem, I find, are unwilling to believe (at a gut level) that intensity, and intensity alone, is the stimulator of muscle GROWTH. Further that sufficient rest is as essential as the excersise itself to obtain optimal results; time to repair the muscle, and FURTHER, time to allow the GROWTH that was the very reason you walked into the gym in the first place. "Getting GROWTH by NOT going to the gym before Wednesday???" Yes Sparky, that's exactly what he's saying.
If you want to be stronger, EACH TIME you return to the gym, then you have to be willing to look at experimental data to see what produces the largest gain in strength FOR A GIVEN TIME. That is, who can spend 3 months in the gym and produce the best result. This book will show you that.
I did find that some material in the book to be stated rather repititiously, and it would have had more of an impact if the material were stated more concisely. I'd have tossed some of the philosopy and the quotes, didn't impress me and seemed distracting. Read on though.
Sometimes we (all of us) can find imperfection in something or someone and use it to make ourselves 'uncoachable', when we'd be better off taking what value we can, and ignoring the rest. In this regard, I think Little has a HUGELY important message to deliver to the strength training world. I recommend his book whenever I get the opportunity.
If you are interested in improving your strength, and you want to do it in a way that ignores 'established practice' and instead focuses on 'experimental result', then this book is for you. It may really change some perceptions you may have about muscle growth.
Shorter Workouts April 10, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Get stronger and increase your range of motion with the techniques in this training manual. You won't need long workouts to see results.
It works! But Mix with other techniques aftre you max out. February 10, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have been using the Static contraction and Max contraction training for about 3-4 years now.
After years of doing long work outs and never getting anywhere. I said "screw it" I am doing less and that's that. And tried this I am now in the bet shape of my life and stronger than ever. Once you get up to really high levels of weight and start to feel it in your joints more I would reccomend back the weight down and then working in a wider range of motion which I have done.
Also wrist wraps are a great Idea when benching every heavy. I have only had very positive experience, my ownly injuries i have every had were doing full range of motion bench presses (before trying this workout)and a slight wrist problem before using straps. If you do this write you will not hurt yourself. Always follow how your body feels first.
But I feel this is one of the best workouts ever and does not leave so exausted that I feel weak after. I feel good after these workout and I get stronger. Now I have increased my range of motion and lightened the weight to work a little different. But I did the basic workout for over 1 year with very good results.
I now life heaver weights than I have ever before. I also am incresing my range of motion now and doing partial reps, but I could have never done that before I used this workout. I do partial range bench and incline bench with 315-400lbs I never could have done this before I started training that way. And to all those who think you need full range, full range hurt my shoulders for years and never let me grow I started growing when I did partials and then static. Not everbody responds the same way but for me this worked as a good base and now I am trying new things.
Once I pressed 5 plates for static, I deciced to back of the weight and increase the range and that is what I am doing now with good success.
Best used as a suppliment to your regular training December 13, 2006
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Readers BEWARE: The methods taught in this book should only be used to suppliment your training - and not to replace it. For years when I train people I tell them to hold the last rep --to contract and really squeeze the hell out of that muscle on the last rep. I drill that concept so much that I often tell others - that the last rep is so important that I could write a whole book about it - So guess what this book is about!! Except that he tells you to use THAT one and only rep in all your work outs--ONE REP WORKOUTS ?? that is crazy! No wonder so many people got injured following this method on it's own! You can't just work out 10 seconds a day putting supper intensenity in one rep and hope to become like Arnold! IN TODAYS LAZY SOCIETY WE NEED TO TRAIN HARD to achieve results. SO with that being said - if you put this book's method at the end of each exercise then you will have awesome potential in you hands - truely powerfull information!
The book is an interesting read -- a real page turner, with a lot of good insight on whats happening with the bodybuilding today as opposed to 50 years ago. You will love his explanitions on how corrupted the muscle magazine industries are,( How you are being brain washed by suppliment compenies) and the whole harsh reality of how unhealthy todays pro bodybuilders are. Check this one out at your local library.
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