Starting Strength
Mark Rippetoe
12 people recommended it in 5 threads, 2011–2017.
What people on Hacker News said
After years of fumbling around in the gym this cut through a lot of bad ideas about fitness, exercise, strength, and health. It lead to the first real (and lasting) progress I've ever made physically.
The chapter on doing squats in Starting Strength is 80 pages long. Odds are it would cost you a couple of hundred dollars and many session to get that much information from a good trainer.
It's a simple how-to guide to getting strong. Just follow the program he gives and you become stronger - it's time tested and works well for pretty much everyone.
I went from a reasonably out of shape cube denizen who strained at a 125 pound low bar back squat to a 300 pound low bar back squat in just seven months.
The most I got out of the book was cues (such as actively push legs out when squatting to avoid cave in). Would definitely recommend!
Starting Strength is a great introduction to weightlifting and getting stronger, I highly recommend it.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014? 2014 · 6 recommendations
- Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011 2011 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books are you reading 2011 · 1 recommendation