Book Description
An introductory text with the primary focus on the techniques associated with the Olympic lifts and their assistance exercises. This text explains how to perform each exercise and why things should be done the correct way. Also includes an extensive "common error" section ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

No-nonsense, old fashion Weightlifting
My first impression when I opened a light and skinny envelop of the delivered book was that of opening some business correspondence letter. The book is only 132 pages, of black and weight print that could be produced on a home printer, the era preceding of hp-laser or inkjet. Though the first edition came in 1997, it immediately revived my memory of the struggle to print and publish my own book on those days. It is a painful experience for authors to meddle with so many hurdles in order to get their information to the reader.Then, there is my bias in favor of a fellow weightlifter attempting to maintain a dying sport form retiring to history archives.

In total contravention to the inclusive format of Drechsler's Weightlifting Encyclopedia and El-Hewie's Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training, Cissik sticks to the hardcore of old fashion Weightlifting.The classical two lifts; Clean and Jerk and Snatch, are described, together with their immediate supporting exercises. The back, front, and overhead squat; deadlift with various handgrips and height of pull; goodmorning in standing, seating, and ground positions; pullover, and stretching is all that trainees need to advance in weightlifting.That is a bold and daring confrontation of appealing consumerism that thrives on promoting expensive machines, fancy exercise accessories, and endless exercises that do little, if any, good to fitness.

The simplicity, clarity, and accuracy of Cissik's Introduction outweighs it poor production quality and attests to the author's courage to stand tall on substance. Although, the book is intended as an introduction, the above mentioned attributes make the book practical and convenient for modern day busy people. In addition, each chapter begins with neat tabulated highlights and basic contents and ends with a list of references. Inside the chapters, the author places the reference citation where needed in every page.

Its drawbacks are:

(1) Complete omission of individualized peripheral training exercises. Modern weightlifters rival bodybuilders; on bulk and definition, and powerlifters; on peak isometric strength.Many young weightlifters could not attain the astronomically high level of modern international records because of lack of muscular bulk. Cissik's old fashion training emphasizes the technique of lifting and periodization for robust, explosive power, yet falls short on massing slow twitching muscle fibers. Those require dedicated bodybuilding training during off season or prior to committing to protracted competitive weightlifting career.

The fear that bodybuilding and powerlifting exercises would do away with the mental skill, specific to the explosive full range of motion and highly coordinated dynamics of weightlifting, is well understood and recognized by experienced lifters and coaches. However, modern lifters have sufficient resources to ease the highly toned and acutely inflamed structures caused by such repetitive and depleting modes of exercising. Yoga, Pilates, Stretch, UV booths, saunas, and massage are few such modern remedies for the side effects of strengthening through controlled motion exercising. That however raises the stakes of heart and cellular reserves. Could the heart tolerate multiple overloads? Could the cellular metabolism adapt its enzymatic machinery to oppositely demanding activities? or, could the trainee have access to adequate health knowledge in dealing with such double sword training modes? Cissik's answer is: simplicity; a wise, safe, and practical choice.

(2) Jumping straight in the air during the pull isn't scientific. Although few great lifters do jump, the laws of mechanics forbid jumping. It wastes energy. Explosive extension isn't synonymous with jumping.Cissik is rightfully insisting on not spreading the feet sideways, yet wrongfully advises jumping.Jumping might be stimulating, yet wasteful.

(3) The deep squat during the amortization phase portrays to some that "deep" is a requirement for lifting. It is better to emphasize that squatting should be as high as it is needed to catch the barbell at its (the barbell) final destination.Unnecessarily deep squat should be reserved for training, stretching, and strengthening.


Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Author of
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

Solid info.
Cissik did a very thorough job researching Olympic-style weightlifting - in fact, this text reads like a research paper/thesis.Having said that, the text might be a little too formal for some.

Excellent Book!
This book is MUCH better than the first edition.The beginning of the book is a concise description of the Olympic exercises and associated assistance exercises.This is good for the beginning lifter.The secondhalf of the book is on workout design.It is EXCELLENT and draws heavilyon EASTERN EUROPEAN texts (They always have the best lifters!).The bookis worth buying for this section.Powerlifters and fitness buffs can usethe principles outlined here to greatly improve their progress.Everychapter is heavily referenced for those who are interested in learningmore. ... Read more

Product Description
Like the first edition, this second edition is intended to serve as a compendium of those aspects of Weightlifting and Weight-Training essential to the development of physical strength. A prominent feature of this book is the in-depth coverage of scientific and medical aspects of a forgotten sport.In this second edition, all efforts were made to revise the first edition and correct the typographical errors in spelling and grammar.The book Index and Glossary have been restructured more efficiently.In this edition, chapters six and seven, of the first edition, are consolidated into one chapter, with complete restructuring of the anatomical figures. The following two new chapters are added: Chapter seven –“Warm-up and Stretching” eases the difficulty of planning training without weight, prior to venturing into vigorous lifting. Chapter twenty one –“Performance Analysis”- immensely enhances the visual understanding of the dynamics of Weightlifting and the functional anatomy of the human body.It contains 395 impressive photographs of international Olympic weightlifters, beginning by Vasily Alxeev and Pyrros Dimas, and ending by Reza Zadeh.With colossal collections of annotated photographic art work, the second edition becomes a must have reference on weightlifting, athletic performance, human strife for glory, health, and graceful existence. The second edition adheres to the basic premise of the first edition of emphasizing axial training with vehement zeal. This is supported extensively by the hundreds of colorful photographs, drawings, and personal narrations.The very unique aspect of the second edition is the extensive elaboration on performance analysis of contemporary weightlifters by an engineer, physician, weightlifter, and math teacher. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Detailed review by former physiology teaching fellow and biochemist...
Although I am currently not in the best of shape, at one time I worked as a personal trainer and by education I was trained as a research scientist.I have graduate education in both physiology and biochemistry and have worked with some high end athletes including one Olympic level powerlifter.Currently, I am looking to use strength training again myself because I was sidelined for a number of years by a back and neck injury, this is the context for my interview.

The first thing I would like to say is that I own and have bought many books on strength training and most of them are not even in the same category as this book.Of the books that are out there, most of them say the same thing in different ways, make unsubstantiated claims or set unrealistic expectations.In short, this book is a welcome exception.It is well-organized, detailed, thorough, well-written and dense with valuable material.

A lot of the focus here is on training for powerlifting.However, it's also a great strength training text with lots of references.The scope of the book is ambitious and covers the proper way to perform important exercises, information about periodization, explanations of how different types of programs affect the body, the importance of coordination, etc.

In addition, this title has many useful diagrams, training ideas and references to actual studies.The information in it is very credible and much more than one person's opinion.I was also extremely impressed with the detailed descriptions of how each exercise works, the anatomy involved and the sections on physiology.

One might assume that a book like this would read like a text book in accounting or calculus (not that there is anything wrong with either of these subjects).... However, it sometimes difficult to be technically precise and at the same time engaging to the reader.On this account, Dr. El-Hewie has certainly succeeded.

Although this book is quite expensive, it covers a TREMENDOUS amount of ground in a reasonable space.It was clearly a labor of love and it is well worth every cent.Rather than wasting money on more of the same, I recommend getting a few good books.This is one I would NOT like to be without.

Another book that I saw recently for hard-gainers had a lot of good content in terms of building mass.I think it fell down a bit in the nutrition/supplement area, but it is much less expensive than this and covers a subset of this material that is most important to training properly for mass.This book is called From Scrawny to Brawny.There are a FEW other books I saw that I thought were quite good and I will be reviewing them in the near future.I will most likely be reviewing the ones I thought were quite bad as well.

Lastly, this book covers lots of nuances like nervous system adaptation, relationships between strength, mass and power.The importance of coordination and how to plan a path forward depending upon your goals.It's really one stop shopping for an athletic approach to strength training vs. bodybuilding.Bodybuilders will find a lot of great material here, but this is NOT the emphasis of this particular book.

Thorough Weight Training Book
What I liked: coverage of the different types of weight training (power lifting, body building, etc.), great description of body shortcomings (too stiff, weak arms, shoulders) and possible remedies, form for different lifts, interesting Egyptian history and training methods over time (40+ yrs), Q&A section

What I didn't like: 1st edition binding unraveling, small print, overwhelming size of information, sometimes dry writing style

Who should buy this? those looking beyond the basics and wanting something more integrative & descriptive approach - whole body lifting

You're Never Too Old
Learn the right forms for power lifting and weightlifting so you don't injure yourself when lifting.Even a 75-year-old woman will find this reference guide a useful fitness tool.

One of the best books to have as a reference even for a woman of any age (even 75 years old.)
The descriptions of the reviewers: Slavisa Nesic and Larry Wagner "Athlete, Analyst, Coach, Dad"in this list do an excellent review and detailed description of the book. I just wanted to add my voice, as a woman, that I found his book incredibly useful too.

As is stated, the emphasis of El Howie's book is on weight-lifting and power-lifting (which focuses more on strength) as compared with Bodybuilding (to get those shapely muscles that make our stomach flat and the rest of us curvaceous.) Women in general want to look great in a bikini and the Bodybuilding orientation is the way to go.

But he gives enough coverage to Body-building and nevertheless, he is meticulous about form.

The other two books I have liked in conjunction with this is Delavier's Strength Anatomy and his Women's Strength Training Anatomy (I recommend getting both whether you are male or female.) Those books give you very clear basics for form, lots of detailed diagrams and so forth. El Howie's book is extremely comprehensive.

There are various debates as to how often to work out, whether you should focus on just parts of the body each day at a time or workout the whole body in each session. There are also differences of opinion as to best plan your meals, whether and when you should do cardio in conjunction with the weight-lifting. It would be useful, if you are a first-timer, to go for Body for Life or some other program that involves lifting weights. At bottom, in my experience, how one comes out on the various debates invariable is what works best for them, whether physiologically, psychologically or schedule wise.

I just want to say to any woman reading this, if you don't already know, you will never get back or achieve that girlish figure if you don't lift weights and lift heavy weights. And you can no matter what you age.

Though I do not want to provide a link on an Amazon post, if you google John Stone 42 the first link that comes up should be "Fit Women over 42- 89 on parade." If you go to that link you will find tons of stories with pictures of women going through fantastic transformations starting at age 50, 60 and older. Don't ever believe you are "too old" or "too out of shape" to achieve this.

And El-Howie's book is a great reference for getting form down correctly to get the best results and not injure yourself.

Nice book
I bought this book and it was not a bad decision.Most of the reviews here are pretty accurate.He does cover unique ground in pointing out exercises that are not common in the more mainstream books like Body for Life and Lean Body Promise.The first edition has its fair share of editorial bugs but I think that you could piece together the general meaning given the context.I would point out that most books do not go into lifts such as the clean and snatch due to injury possibility.This is something that needs to be covered because some of these exercises can really put a person into jeopardy if they did not slowly build up to these type of movements.The more mainstream books tend to stick with bodyshaping movements and do not really go into more "athletic" moves.This is a good resource to consult for those type of movements but most people that I see working out at the gym are not into that type of lifting.In that way, the book is a bit overkill.The author has taken unnecessary pot-shots at the Body for Life and Lean Body books for being to simplistic or "looks based", but that is what a lot of people go for these days.They just want to know how to get from A to B as fast as possible.You look at Body for Life (even with its flaws) and the program is fairly simple and will give results as long as you are consistent.The downside with this book is that in being as comprehensive as it is, it misses the typical American way of life.I am not saying that this is the right way of thinking but it is out there.I would say that this is really geared towards those that are more advanced and not intimidated about more advanced lifting techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

highy recommended
This book is the real encyclopedia with thorough contemplation ofa very experienced author. You will not find numerous pictures or the beginning stuff several times repeated in this work. But you will find two-column dense text of pure-gold information that every good and skillful weightlifter or bodybuilder should know.
Up to now I gave a very good recommendation for Mr. El-Hewie’s ‘Weightlifting & Strength Training’, which is also encyclopedic work on the same subject. It is interesting to compare these two books.

Shortly said: ‘Weightlifting & Strength Training’ by Mr. El-Hewie is full of pictures and a little more on the beginner’s side when compared to the Mr. Drechsler’s book. On the other edge is the ‘Weightlifting Encyclopedia’ by Mr. Drechsler which has almost no pictures, but is much more dedicated to the experienced lifter; it does not repeat itself through it’s contents, and it has a very deep treatment of the weightlifting practice, which is more suitable for experienced practitioner; also it is cheaper.

But this distinction is not quite justified: El-Hewie`s book have the outstanding analysis of muscular imbalance in relation to Olympic weightlifting, which I could not find in Drechsler`s book at all. Some pictures from El-Hewie`s book are really worth thousands of words. It seems that the books complement each other beautifully.

Which book should you buy after all? I think you should have both books; either as a professional or a beginner you will have extremely valuable information in both books.

I recommend this book highly for every experienced weightlifter and for the inspired beginners.

NOT for beginners, very good for more advanced lifters
The book is huge and really explains every tiny aspect of O lifting. If you are a beginner it can actually be a bad thing since you're flooded with an enormous amount of information, but when you have a solid foundation and you aren't just lifting to improve your performance but participating in the sport of weightlifting this book is for you.
Too little pictures to demonstrate technique.(there is a videocompagnon available however)

It is about time to have a Second Edition.
It is about time for Mr. Drechsler to refine his encyclopedia in a newer edition. He must find ways of reducing the lengthy pages of text, without illustration or appropriate paragraph breaks, into less boring and modern style. His wealth of knowledge is greatly undermined by his extensive literal description of techniques and approaches, with skimpy illustrations.

The book contents attest to the dedication and genuine desire of its author to enhance the sport of Weightlifting and to convey the best information the author could offer.

The design of the book cover is poor where the title is pushed aside and reduced into a tiny unnoticeable scratch. A book with such wealth of knowledge deserves better cover design, better paragraph design, and attractive illustrations and quotations between transitions of thoughts in order to keep the reader interested and staying awake while reading.

Awesome
Great for a beginner or advanced lifter. Great for a coach trying to teach the lifts.

The Best Book On The Subject - but...
Given that there are so few books about Weightlifting and given Dreschler's exhaustive treatment on the subject in this book, based on his valuable personal experience, this is a must-have book for any weightlifter. This book is without peer.

That said, Dreschler could have used a good editor. The book could have covered the same material minus a few hundred pages. In addition, the book is text-long and diagram-short. Essays can be a wonderful tool, but so much of weightlifting can be explained better with photos and diagrams. For example, there is no freeze-frame analysis of lifting technique. How better to correct technique problems than to display examples of proper and improper technique? In this case, a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

That said, the reader should also purchase Dreschler's companion video or some other weightlifting video. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

It's a pamphlet!
Maybe I should have read the description better, but this was a big disappointment.It really tells you nothing that you shouldn't already know.

I took issue with its lack of evidence and research.Saying things like "Add 200 pounds to your bench" kind of leaves me wondering.Jump higher by jumping off stairs?Anyone who knows anything about plyometrics can tell you that.

It tells you what to do, but leaves a lot unanswered.

I'd pass on a 30 page paper with no research, and focus on something a little more robust.

It's About Time!
While enhancing performance, this program takes away the mundane task of always doing the same exercises and seeing little progress. This book kick-starts your enthusiasm to see such results so quickly. You can even add these programs to your already existing routine. The book is simple, easy to follow and affordable.
Absolutely Awesome for any age!

Straight to the bargain basement - out of date and incomplete
I am sorry to say that this book doesn't add much to any existing literature. In addition, it is rather outdated in its approach to training for explosive sports. Moreover, it is poorly written as well as illustrated.
In fact, I cannot believe it was first published only a few years back. All in all, it has a strong seventies feel to it.

Not just for the young guys
Like many 'older' athletes, I was pessimistic about anything carrying the label "super". But after working out and carefully following McCrane's well thought out program, the results spoke for themselves, especially in my legs which are usually the first place us older guys lose strength. The increased strength was immediately apparent when I went skiing and then on the golf course. I'm not building bulk but I am building strength and that is exactly what the book says it would help me with. 'Super' job!

Great for Teen Athletes!
My 14 year old son who is on the track team has made substantial improvements on his time.He has also increased his weight lifting and continues to do so.The book has given him the passion to excel in athletics! ... Read more

Book Description
You don't have to be a man to create a beautiful, healthy and fit body while lifting weights. Weightlifting Made Simple for Women explores the myths and benefits of using weights as a form of fitness training. Weightlifting can make you feel and look younger, increase full body strength, burn unwanted fat and improve self-esteem. It's a woman's secret weapon for being her best! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Silly
Well, I was given this book as a gift, and, although it's humorous in a sick sort of way, it's certainly not a real workout. How many cats are really going to sit patiently while you do your third set of curls? No cat I've ever met. I think it would be more realistic if Stephanie Jackson were shown in her poses, covered in scratches inflicted by a pissed-off cat.

What a great book!
I've already tried catflexing, and my cat, Mulder, absolutely loves it! It is actually a good workout, and it is so much more fun than any other workout I've tried.

I don't suppose all cats would be up to the strangeways you need to hold them for the exercises, but if your cat doesn't mind,then I would definitely recommend this book!

I love this book!

The "Purr"-fect Gift for Lovers of Cats & Fitness!
Stephanie Jackson has crafted an endearing and informative "tale" that reflects her lifelong love of both cats and fun exercise.The tongue-in-cheek commentary will beguile even the mildest of cat fanciers--and she even includes several little-known pointers about cat nutrition.Even if your cats decide to remain inquisitive spectators, they'll enjoy watching **you** play with human toys (i.e., barbells) in their stead.Can't wait to see the video!

Both my cat and I say meow/thanks!
My caregiver was skeptical, but this book really worked! I can already see some results, and me and my cat Whiskers get to spend fun time together! Thanks a big bunch! Elizabeth Murray.

Step aside Jane [Fonda]...and Garfield!This is a hit.
The best book...um, the ah, only book in its league!Catflexing has got to be the most entertaining yet sincere and informative book I've picked up regarding cats or exercise.What a wacky combination...Jackson's really on to something here. ... Read more

Book Description
Book Description It is the first complete reference on the subject of Weightlifting training that bridges the gap between health science, medicine, and physical education. It is written by an author who is a physician, an engineer, and a weightlifter, with forty years of practical experience in training.The book is intended to serve as a compendium of the following subjects: o Resistance training that is essential to the development of physical strength. o Pros and cons of the sports of Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, general weight training, and Weightlifting. o Education of all folks who are interested in advancing their physical strength, with special emphasis on children, women, and elderly people. The book presents diverse exercise plans, with exercise description, plan of managing daily, monthly, and annual load volume and intensity. o Elaborate personal tales of successful athletes who climbed to the top with persistent training, planning, and experimentation. Those are documented with photographs, tab ... Read more

Product Description
Coach's Guide to Sport Specific Strength Training: How Effectively & QuicklyIncrease Players' Weight, Strength, Power, and Athletic Ability is a 110-page, 8 ½-11, soft cover book.Strength & Power training is now a prerequisite for any coachwho wants to be successful.This book describes functional weight training in detailwith a special emphasis in muscular weight gain.Olympic-style lifts have long beenknown to produce great gains in power and athletic ability.They are described inthis book in detail, along with correct body positioning, cues, teaching progressions,and trouble-shooting.This book also offers a comprehensive program of weighttraining for year-round training.The knowledge presented serves as an equalizer tothe less talented team with a strong work ethic.Coaches from any sport can use thisbook to better their players athletic ability, power, strength, and/or size. Includedwith the book is the Olympic Weightlifting DVD Companion.It is approximately 90minutes of action-packed training hall footage featuring the author's preparation forthe 2004 Olympic Trials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good, not great.
Winnig weightlifting, by R.V. Fodor, is a reasonably good basic manual for beginning weightlifters and powerlifters. The text is generally accurate, but some of the accompanying illustrationsshow some of the worst lifting form of all time. Buy this if you lifted in the state of New Mexico in the mid 70's, as all of the photos feature New Mexican lifters of that era. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from International Journal of Men's Health, published by Men's Studies Press on June 22, 2004. The length of the article is 4521 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Using imagery to predict weightlifting dependency in men.
Author: K.J. Munroe-Chandler
Publication: International Journal of Men's Health (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2004
Publisher: Men's Studies Press
Volume: 3Issue: 2Page: 129(11)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Palaestra, published by Challenge Publications Limited on September 22, 1991. The length of the article is 980 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: World Wheelchair Weightlifting Championships. (National Wheelchair Athletic Association)
Author: Paul M. DePace
Publication: Palaestra (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 1991
Publisher: Challenge Publications Limited
Volume: v8Issue: n1Page: p47(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more