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Customer Reviews:

• Not For the Novice Lifter!!!!
  I read a lot of reviews on Amazon and thought I would give this book a try. Let me start my saying that that this program DOES work if you stick to it. Having worked as an Athletic Trainer at Division I college for over 10 years I have seen this type of program implemented to college athletes with great success. The problem I have with this program is a lot of these lifts are VERY COMPLEX!!!! If you have very little lifting experience and you attempt a single-leg good morning or a single-leg romanian deadlift you may very well injure yourself. A lot of these movements are taught to college athletes by a certified strength coach (which dos Remedios is) Athletes are closely supervised by this coach to make sure they are performing the movements correctly (as to avoid injuring themselves). Once these movements have been done correctly by the athlete they are given a little more freedom to exercise on their own. I think this program has great benefits for the experienced lifter who is looking to change his program up. And while Dos Remedios never says its a beginner book he also never states its for the advanced lifter.....which in my opinion it is. If you are a beginner or an overweight person looking to get started I would avoid this book. A couple of suggestions I have to make the book more beginner friendly.
  
  1) Have a video showing proper form for some of the complex exercises
  2) Classify exercises in the book as beginner, intermediate, advanced etc.......more info
• A book you should not be without!
  There are three books in my workout library which I consider indispensable: Beyond Bodybuilding by Pavel Tsatsouline, Ultimate Flexibility by Sang H. Kim, and this book, Men's Health Power Training by Coach Dos. This book is outstanding in every way: explanations of power movements and why you should do them, illustrations, and examples of workouts for Hypertrophy, strength, and general fitness, as well as workouts you can create on your own. I've been using the principals in this book for 4 months now and have seen remarkable gains in strenth, size, and fat loss. I can't recommend this book highly enough!...more info
• Phenomenal
  Like many others here I have several training books and resources but Power Training is easily the most comprehensive and best designed program I've seen. It takes all the guesswork out of designing a proper routine and given the variety and goal-based approach you could easily use this program for years. In six week I've made gains that I haven't seen before at this pace and I've still got another six weeks before I even complete the first phase.
  
  Make no mistake though, the programs in Power Training are not for the lazy or half-arse attempts at getting in shape. You leave nothing on the table when you finish a workout and crawl out of the gym. ...more info
• Amazing
  Simply a fantastic book. Every other workout program has you doing isolation exercises (and many of the same exercises) over and over again. Not only does it get boring, it doesn't give you any functional everyday strength. The program outlined in this book is slowly transforming my life - I feel stronger in everything that I do and my college flabby physique is completely turning around.
  
  After doing the workouts in the book I feel like I am one of the only ones in the gym actually working out. You begin to see how many people go there to lift a small amount, chat and finally leave. I feel like I'm the only one there actually busting my but off!...more info
• revolutionary workout philosophy
  i have never written a review but feel compelled to for power training
  
  this book logically convinces you to ditch your old "bodybuilding" habits for aesthetic goals to instead focus on the natural motions of the human body and increase strength in such a way that is FUNCTIONAL.
  
  though i do not recommend people who do not frequent the gym regularly to jump in head first. take it slowly and as your body is more receptive to the movements then move on to the more complex exercises.
  
  
  my entire approach to the gym has changed and believe that if can perform like an athlete i will have the body of an athlete...more info
• Perfect Advice, but the delivery is questionable
  First of all let me say that I have been following this book for six weeks. I love it. Great exercises, easy-to-follow pictures, and totally worth the buy if you have been training for a while.
  
  Again, before I get into the negatives, I'll say that you should get this book if you are serious about lifting/training/looking better. You will see amazing results if you follow this plan.
  
  Cons:
  - Book is huge. This is no paperback. It is a monster book that will not fit into your gym bag. So if you have questions about a certain complex lift. Too bad, should have studied at home.
  
  - Poor organization. Topics are of all over the place. When planning your workouts you have to constantly flip through the book to look for the 'Bilateral Knee Dominate Exercises' or whatever you need for a certain 'menu item'. This could have easily been solved with page numbers after the workouts in the second chapter.
  
  - Lack of warning. If you are a beginner DO NOT get this book. It is not written for beginners. You will hurt yourself. Any lift that requires a barbell can easily hurt you unless you have proper coaching. To be fair Doc does say this, but it is in the last sentence of a chapter. It took me three reads (ok...skims) to catch that.
  
  - Lack of Warning 2. If you are an armature (like me) who has been lifting for a year or so, keep in mind that it is easy to hurt yourself. These workouts are intense (which is a very good thing) but you need to be able to listen to your body and stop when you get a bad feeling or something starts to hurt.
  
  I want to state again that I love this book. You are buying a great way to build workouts. And all of these problems are minor since this book delivers what it claims. You will see results! Good luck!...more info
• Power training book review!!
  This book is great! Robert dos remedios has changed my way of thinking about strength training. I use the compound exercises and I have been able to burn way more body fat and get the decent size gain i so desired in a shoirt amount of time. AND ITS FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES TOO!!...more info
• Great Theory .... Difficult to adapt for typical Home Gym Users
  Below is Coach Dos's response to a critical review of his book and the review itself from Coach Dos's blog: http://coachdos.blogspot.com/. I found Coach Dos's response paltry at beast and very dissatisfying.
  
  I purchased the book and read it cover to cover. While in the Military I worked out exclusively and extensively in Gyms and would have loved the programs and exercises provided in the book. However, now that I am a civilian and work out at home (gym memberships are expensive) I have a hard time using the programs and exercises in the book to achieve my fitness goals. I have had to figure out my own adaptations and after working out with the book for over 6 months have not seen the gains I expected. I only paid $14 dollars for the book, so I am not completely dissatisfied. However, I think Coach Dos should have put more effort into his response to the other critical review and help us home gym rats design a program without a power rack.
  
  "The Amazon.com reviews of my book have been amazing, the feedback is awesome. I often read reviews where people say that some info was missing etc. yet if you read the entire book, this info can usually be found in there somewhere. This is the first time I have ever seen someone review my book WITHOUT ever reading it. I liken this to people who say they hate the Atkins diet or the Ornish diet but have never actually read the books.
  
  The funny thing is that if you read the review, it's actually pretty positive. The fact that your home gym set-up makes it difficult/impossible to perform my workouts warrants a 2-star rating? Sigh.......
  
  My be better suited for some..., April 20, 2008
  By ________________
  I try not to review items that I do not actually own, however I have done a lot of research on the book (including forum chats with the author and others on the program) and it became clear that this workout, while very effective, is very hard to do in a home gym. I was very close to buying the book. People who use this program seem to rave about it, but at the same time the program itself prevents more people from doing the program. I work out in a home gym, but I do not have one of the key pieces of equipment that is pretty essential to the program - a power rack. This is a simple, but very large piece of equipment that I do not have room for in my home gym. After spending close to $2,000 on home gym equipement (and getting very good results with that equipment) I am not willing to a) buy a gym membership, or b) replace the equipment that I am already getting good results with. This is a bit of a shame because I really like the principals and ideas that the book is founded on, as well as the ability to design your own program. Perhaps one day when I move into a bigger house and have room for a power rack and stacks of free weights, I will give this workout a shot. That being said right now this workout is not for me, but for those who have access to all of the equipment (and space... you also need higher ceilings! My basement ceiling is a bit low for some of the exercises too) you will have better luck with the program.
  
  The awesome thing is that there are a bunch of GREAT reader follow-up comments to this review. Thanks again to all of my supporters!"...more info
• Power Training
  I read the book and enjoyed the radical training concept of push and pull. The book has a variety of exercise programs for a total body workout to be fit, increase strength or build more muscles. I love the workout program if you are traveling and away from a gym. This book includes a broad diet program to feed those muscles and start seeing results from the intensive workouts. I give the book thumbs up!...more info
• Very User Friendly
  As a mother of three and over 40, I found just what I was looking for in a weight training book. I have done kettlebells and free weights for several years but do not consider myself "advanced" and this book was very user friendly. The author does suggest one get some instruction for the more difficult lifts....but I don't see where one would need to be "advanced" to benefit from this book. It is a 'no fluff' book on some great weight training methods. I have looked at several books and feel this comes closest to what I was looking to find. Being a kettlebell enthusiast, I totally agree with the lifting complexes for strength--not isolation for "mirror muscles":-)...more info
• Totally deserving of the praise
  I look forward to my Power Training workouts more than I have any other workouts I've ever done. Most days when I get home on workout days I'm thinking "Oh, yeah! It's time to do some Power Training!" Even on the days when I'm feeling sluggish, once I've finished my warm-up I'm thinking "Oh, yeah! It's time to do some Power Training!" Dos does include some sample programs but one of the things I really enjoy about this book is that Dos gives you the templates and an extensive menu of exercises and YOU get to put your own programs together. There are so many variables, I really believe this book gives you the knowledge to create workouts for a long, long time. You can build workouts with straight sets, supersets, complexes, and hybrids, you can do 2 day/wk, 3 day/wk, or 4 day/wk programs, you can do push/pull routines or total body workouts, and you can do hypertrophy or strength programs. The possibilities really do seem endless....more info
• Top notch program
  I've been a dedicated gym rat/weightlifter for 8-10 years, bordering on obssesive. This is about the best training book I've come accross and absolutely the best training method/theory/routine I've ever done. I'm stronger, in better shape, and feel better than ever. This will probably be the general workout style I will do for the rest of my life.
  
  Specifically, the 3 day per week full-body regimine is great. The book outlines a solid theory on why full-body training is more optimal than muscle group-specific training. For so many years I worked out like a bodybuilder (as most guys probably do): Bicep curls, tricep press-downs, lat raises, 3 exercises of 4 sets for each "muscle group", and a lot of wasted time. In that respect, the hardest part for me was getting past my archaic mindset that, for instance, if I don't do bicep and tricep specific exercises then my arms will shrink, and realizing I don't need to do 4 sets of bench, 4 sets of inline, and 4 sets of flys to see gains in strength and size.
  
  A few very good sample routines are provided but the real long-term benefit (and goal) is to create and track your own workout programs once you grasp the overall theory. I choose to add a little more variety and change my workouts a little more frequently than the book suggests, but simply following the books' outline will be enough to see great results and keep workouts from becoming stagnent and repetitive, which is the death of most workout regimines.
  
  This isn't one of those 8,10, or 12 week programs that leave you saying "what do I do now?" when you're finished - I consider this a workout program somone can use for a lifetime. For what it's worth, I give it my highest recommendation....more info
• Excellent Reference
  Men's Health Power Training: Build Bigger, Stronger Muscles with through Performance-based Conditioning]]
  The training philosophy is very sound and the exercise descriptions, photos, and adaptations belong in any trainer's, or enthusiast's library....more info
• Power Training
  good book. well written and illustrated. workouts make sense and eliminate a lot of fluff and isolation work. negatives of the book would be lack of talk about going to failure or past, how to handle the fact that many people cannot do multiple sets of a movement without dropping the amount of weight. but these are small complaints. note about the nutrition segment, the author follows a meat free diet, yet the nutrition advice is meat based. a veggie diet would be an interesting comparison....more info
• Great book for anyone interrested in training
  I really enjoy this book. Even though my knowledgebase is big, I really enjoy the ideas and the exercises in this great book. Love it!...more info
• PURCHASE this book
  I could not be any more pleased with this book. I have been looking for training tips on functional exercises and this provides all necessary information along with all kinds of exercises that are valuable to people with injuries or issues with the provided plans. There are step by step and overall knowledge provided in a manner in which i have never seen before. It seems so simplistic that i cannot believe that there isn't something else out there as useful. Bottom line is that this is a top to bottom comprehensive book that leaves nothing out. You can read it through then use the provided sheets at the gym and be done with reading workout stuff. cannot recommend high enough...more info
• Best of Breed in Fitness and Weight Training... listen to Coach Dos!!!
  Obviously Men's Health is an important magazine to keep in rotation for any guy concerned about fitness. The problem with the magazine is that because it must constantly produce new articles, the information (as any long-time reader may notice) can sometimes be contradictory.
  
  Coach Dos' book has no problems when it comes to contradiction. He lays it out, in plain English with excellent photo examples, the exercises and routines that he has taught to his students over the course of time. He knows what works to transform the body, to strengthen and grow, to slim down and make lean, and all those other goals that most guys have.
  
  I've given this book about 10 weeks and, no joke, at 28 I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been. I've certainly weighed more and looked "bigger" but now I feel leaner, more balanced, quicker, and stronger than before. I'm by no means a bodybuilder and looking like one is not my goal. I want to be lean and strong and this book is truly helping me realize those goals.
  
  Coach Dos preaches explosive movements that require core strength, unilateral movements that demand balance, and he shies away from asking questions like "What do you bench?" in favor of "How many single-leg pistol squats can you bang out?" The routines are demanding, especially finishing them in the recommended time, but I've seen a bigger change in the past couple of months than I've seen in the past couple years of gym-going previously.
  
  I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who can look through it and who honestly feels that they can stick to the routines. They will challenge you in ways you're not used to and you'll be thanking Coach Dos for it....more info
• butt kicker
  what a killer! I have been doing the full body work out2-3 times a week, often feel like crawling out of the gym! I kind of miss how much bigger my arms used to get on a regular regimen but otherwise my overall strength is much better, enjoying tossing my kids around a lot more easily than before! ...more info
• Best training program I've come across.
  For three years I've been looking for just the right book to fit my needs for fitness and for the martial arts. As I studied Kung Fu, I knew I needed to improve my total fitness AND my performance. I started with many of the traditional exercises workout plans (centered around squats, deadlifts, and bench presses), but I knew I needed something different; I just didn't know what. I heard about coach Dos through my soccer playing friends who had him as a strength coach. "He's the head coach, and man does he work you out!" When I happened upon his book, I decided to give it a try. Not only did I gain muscle size and strength at a speed I didn't even think was possible, I busted plateaus I had been in for months! If you're an athlete, or just looking for a fitness plan that'll give you more bang for your buck, This is the book for you! I recommend it not only as a personal trainer, but also as a martial artist who's gotten fantastic restults with it....more info
• Needed this book in the nineties.
  Excellent material. The cutting edge in functional stability exercises. Recommended for all who believe that something worth doing is worth doing right!...more info
• Very Challenge - Great Manual to have
  I am 24 year old former college athlete, and having conditioned throughout school, these exercises are not necessarily new, but it is laid out very well and fairly easy to follow. I will not lie, these workouts are not easy, and you will see results if you follow the workouts. This book is definietly a fresh air as it uses functional strength training methods raher than isolation (bench press, bicep curls, etc) exercises that will help you become a better athlete or just help you get into better shape. I consider this book a must have, and it will keep you busy for a while....more info
• Coach Dos has really impressed me.
  I have purchased many books relating to strength training, including a few published under the "Men's Health" name, as this one is. This book is easily the finest out of the bunch. Other reviewers have compared it to the "Choose Your Own Adventure" children's book series and, to a certain extent, the basic premise is the same: Coach Dos gives you the tools and then lets you formulate your own workout. While 12 weeks worth of workouts are provided based on three different program designs (Total Fitness, Hypertrophy, and Strength Gain) the primary focus of this book is on allowing you to adapt the workouts to your own tastes and goals. You don't like doing power cleans? No problem - Coach Dos provides you with a dozen alternatives that will hit the same muscles. Bench presses hurt your wrists? Again, no problem - you can choose from several alternatives. Let's say you only have time to hit the weight room twice a week instead of three or four times. This book includes a template for you as well. It also includes extensive sections on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and less extensive sections on nutrition and the like.
  
  The above alone would only make the book "good" as opposed to "great." I became aware of the final factor roughly a month after I started the plan. Like any book, "Power Training" raises a few questions that are left unanswered. "Men's Health" has set up a subforum devoted to "Power Training" on its online discussion forums. I had a question about rest days that wasn't explained in the book to my satisfaction and asked around on the subforum, hoping another user could point me in the right direction. Within a few hours I had an answer from Coach Dos himself. My follow-up question was answered the following day. I have seen fitness authors answer readers' questions in the past, generally in the form of a general update on Amazon. This is the first time I have actually had an author personally walk me through an answer, in his free time, several months after the book had been published. Most authors could be expected (not unreasonably) to move on relatively soon after publication. Not this one.
  
  If you're looking to shake up your lifting routine or are merely curious about power lifting, this book is worth every penny. Between the solid information included between the covers and the willingness of the author to provide individualized follow-ups, you really can't go wrong with "Power Training."...more info
• Best resource of it's kind
  This is simply the best conditioning book I have ever read. If one is looking for a program to become functionally strong and athletically conditioned, this is it.
  
  In essence, the type of training detailed in this book is the type of training done by athletes, not bodybuilders. So although there will be increased muscle size, it is not the same type of muscle size desired by bodybuilders. In addition, the programs focus on core stability and exersises that translate into everyday activities as well as sports.
  
  As stated earlier, this is simply the best book of its kind that I have read so far. This takes nothing away from other similar books on the market, of which I have read some, however, this is just the best....more info
• Excellent Addition to Any Functional Training Library
  I purchased this book after participating in a workshop held in Fargo, ND at which Coach Dos was the primary presenter. I found his straight forward approach to training for both athletes and the general population to be very practical and applicable to my own work and needs. The book would be an excellent first introduction or a worthwhile addition to an established collection of references....more info
• Excellent book
  I have been power lifting and bodybuilding for almost 30 years. Even so, I found this book very useful. I highly recommend it. I liked it so much I even bought one for my brother who lives in Oman....more info
• a great resource
  I have been working out for years, and wanted to try a new approach. I love the workouts, and they are challenging for someone at any level of fitness. I would recomend this program to anyone looking for a new and effective way of weight training....more info
• A must-read book
  Coach Dos' book Power Training is a phenomenal book. It has totally revolutionized my training. After 10 yrs of doing traditional bodybuilding routines, i.e. Chest on Monday, Back on Tues, Legs on Wed, etc etc. I read his book and finally got on board with the concept of total body conditioning and push-pull routines. I feel stronger, more athletic and more coordinated than ever. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm not quite as "big" as I was when I was doing traditional bodybuilding-style routines, however, I feel much more athletic and coordinated. I am about 6 lbs lighter and my BF % has went down. The push-pull routines are awesome. I change my routine every 3 wks and pick new exercises from the book. And single-joint exercises are a thing of the past in my routines. Now I laugh when I see the guys at the gym doing concentration curls and leg extensions.
  
  A must-read for sure. ...more info