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Training for Mass | 
 enlarge | Author: Gordon Lavelle
Publisher: Romanart Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $18.98
You Save: $1.01 (5%)
New (4) Used (1) from $18.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 149764
Media: Perfect Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6.5 x 0.6
ISBN: 1604024380
Dewey Decimal Number: 613
EAN: 9781604024388
ASIN: 1604024380
Publication Date: July 13, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: All orders ship same business day via standard shipping (USPS Media Mail) if received by 1 PM CST.
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Product Description
The definitive guide for building muscle: Training for Mass is a comprehensive, intelligent guide for constructing effective and efficient weight training workouts. It also offers a scientific analysis of current popular weight training strategies, and demonstrates how the vast majority of workout routines are neither scientific nor effective. Based on observations about how the human body responds to exercise, Training for Mass advocates a less-is-more approach, and shows how spending endless hours in the gym is counterproductive and even harmful--debunking the myth that building muscle requires a great investment of time. Training for Mass is not a picture book; rather, it is filled with useful information. Nor is it a rigid scientific journal or text book; the author draws upon unusual examples and provides uncommon insight into the factors required for success in weight training.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 An excellent text for those looking to gain muscular mass May 19, 2008
Although I am a competetive powerlifter (focus is on strength over mass) I was quite impressed with this book. It covers a lot of material and should become a standard in the bodybuilding as well as other lifting communities. It is the best book I have ever read on explaining and applying HIT. I personally am not an advocate of one training style or another...that is to say I believe in whatever works (to quote Alwyn Cosgrove "Methods are many,Principles are few, Methods often change, Principles never do."). Any experienced coach will likely tell you that you can take something useful from all training methods, as there is no such thing as one universal type of training for all applications. I used to view HIT as more of a fad or something that could only work in the short term, largely because the books I read on this type of training were relatively typical of most books in the lifting community; written by over-zealous authors and lacking any real research or scientific reasoning. My views have now changed after reading this excellent book on the hows, whys, and applications of HIT for gaining muscle mass. HIT is definately a viable type of training to add to the toolbox of all lifters, and could very well be the most reliable system of training for most bodybuilders in particular. Although the book does not have a large list of citations at the end, the author nonetheless does refer in most cases, to what he bases his information on and the studies that back his reasoning. This book is packed full of very logical and clear information, without pictures. It is written in a way that is not boring and monotonous and it is easy to understand what the author is trying to say. Although as a Powerlifter and all-round lifter I disagree with the idea of training by individual muscle groups (which as a bodybuilder the author naturally encourages), this book really is fantastic. It deserves a place among the classics, and is a legitamate, reliable source for lifters of all sorts and all levels. I would especially recommend it as an excellant base for the beginning lifter (who is primarily interested in mass and not pure strength), hopefully preventing them from the years of wasted time many go through because of poor sources of information. Pick this one up it is well worth it, and the price is extremely reasonable.
Great book! - from an experienced weight trainer April 20, 2008
I haveTraining for Mass
I have over 20 years of weight training experience and have won or placed well in competitions. All of my training has been using the common high volume training methods that Gordon attempts to dispel in his book. His writing style is entertaining while he methodically breaks down the volume training strategy and proves a compelling case for the high-intensity training style.
My conclusion... While I made some good gains using the volume training, I believe my gains should be better given my consistency with my training and nutrition. His book has given me many new ideas, I am motivated again to get to the gym while I am using the high intensity training model he lays out very well in the book. So far, I am spending less time in the gym, the workouts are more challenging and interesting and I have noticed some early progress (I've only been doing it for approximately 4 weeks).
Keep an open mind to new ideas if you are like I was (pretty set in my training routines). You might find, like I did, that what we have relied on for years isn't the only way and, better yet, that there just might be a better way. Give it a try like I am doing.
 Decent guide to building mass April 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Overall, this was a pretty good guide on how to perform HIT for building mass; the author was clearly a philosophy major in college based on how he picks apart Volume training and other methods.
I would have preferred a bit more instruction on what to expect amongst the various stages when starting out, hitting plateus, etc, but overall I think for someone that is trying to determine whether HIT or volume is best, this book will be helpful
Excellent book for intermediate to advanced lifters April 7, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have read quite a few books on the subject and must say this is the most intelegent book on weight training I have ever read. The ideas in this book are well written and aplicable to todays world. A must read for anyone training for mass. The only down side is it contains no tips on diet, cardio or sups.
makes sense March 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A logical, scientific, engaging, and eloquent manual that is dedicated to putting on mass. With all the machines, exercises, 'philosophies,' and techniques out there, this book convinces the reader to keep things simple, intense, and most importantly, progressively more intense. Lavelle relates the mechanism of adding muscle to other physiologic adaptations the body makes, in order to drive home the point that the body adapts to different 'insults' in simlar ways, and unless you're making it a point to expose the body to an intense stimulus, the body will not adapt (add muscle). And unless you purposefully make the stimulus more intense (recording workouts helps), the body won't continue to adapt (keep getting bigger).
In the process, he acknowledges many other philosophies and techniques and explains why 'High Intensity Training' has to be more effective. Unfortunately, most people train the way they do for ungrounded reasons. They saw some guys doing it and he was ripped. A trainer told them to do it that way. If 1 hour or 1 set is good, 2 must be better. They get a good pump. They get sore. Many of these ideas can add muscle, but equally likely is that they will leave you overtrained, injured, or wasting tons of redundant effort.
I have been training for years, but started to get overwhelmed by all the creative exercises I saw trainers using in my gym. I noticed clients were sweating and panting during weight training exercises, and suspected that aerobic work couldn't be the best way to add muscle- and that weight lifting couldn't be the best way to gain fitness/lose weight. This book confirmed and explained my suspicion.
This book has no pictures. If you are looking for very beginner's advice on how to perform exercises, the internet is an adequate resouce.
I recommend you invest your time in reading this book. You will know why you're training the way you are, see amazing results, and will be happy to leave all the wasted effort and unscientific techniques behind.
-Michael Khalili, M.D.
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