Practical Programming For Strength Training by Rippetoe & Killgore Book Review

I purchased Practical Programming For Strength Training about two weeks ago. Since I love reading everything related to fitness and strength training, I gave this book a once over.

If you are looking for a book that covers just program creation, then you may be disappointed by this book. When I read the introduction, the author made some very good points regarding the fact that most books seem to fall short when it comes to actual program creation. The author mentions Zatsiorsky, verkhoshansky, and a few other Russian authors and suggests that most of the information presented in their books are based on unproven theories. Rippetoe does make some good points regarding Russian training, but the gist is that the information and literature to verify the information is lacking. The authors also make some valid points regarding periodization and the lack of research in this area as well, all valid points IMO.

The part where I have to disagree with the authors is when it comes to the actual creation of programs, reps, sets, etc. Of course you have to get through a few chapters of basics before you get to the actual programs the book presents, but if you have little to no experience in the field, this information will be useful for you, but if you are looking for just a book on program creation, then you might want to skip the first few chapters. The book goes on to present basic programs for each level of training. There are a few things in this book that I have to call into question, such as using the same novice routine for all trainees, which seems to violate the laws of individual differences, but it probably doesn't matter with novice trainers who will react positively to nearly any type of program thrown at them.

Overall, I would suggest this is a good book to read just to get some ideas on how others may train, and of course I would suggest you give the workouts a try to see how they work for you. You never know when you will find an excellent workout that produces superior results, so always remember to have an open mind when it comes to new training techniques and programs. I wish this book would have stuck to program creation instead of the basics, but it is what it is.