Let’s get the pink elephant out right now. The title invites a small amount of wincing. After all, it is a book promoted for the development and showing of the abs. A topic which we as “serious” professionals in the industry should shy away from. After all, it is about function and performance, right? Vanity can’t be at the forefront of our minds and certainly should be the least of your concerns (as a serious trainee).
What if the truth is somewhere in between? What if the truth shows that focusing on the function and stability of your abs can lead to a visually pleasing look? New Rules Of Lifting For Abs discusses that very thing.
The Set-Up
In classic “New Rules” fashion, Lou Schuler begins the book by diving into the rules that make up the book. (Spoiler: Apparently size DOESN’T matter. Kinky) Lou’s writing is witty and entertaining as ever, and with it comes little tidbits of information and anecdotes sure to make the reading of the book enjoyable for every trainee level.
Most of the book is exercise instructions for the program. Here is a brief rundown:
-The program is in 3 phases
-The exercise descriptions are easy to understand
-The exercise selections are fun and varied
-There are substitutions and progressions listed in certain instances
Overall the program is very solid and looks fun. There isn’t a lot of filler in the training. That being said, it is more than squat, deadlift, and bench. Alwyn Cosgrove, the creator of the workouts, does a great job at providing a functional standpoint, but remembering the majority of people want to enjoy their workout.
The Ignorant Statement That Is, “Been There, Done That!”
I read a review that sang the tune of “Been there, done that!” Well…
If you have been involved in the industry and research, then yes, you will be familiar with a lot of these concepts. You should know about the work of Stuart Mcgill. You should know classic sit-ups have been proven ill-effective for performance and appearance. You should know about correct rotational movements. But, before you knew it, you didn’t know it. And, just because you know it now, doesn’t mean others are going to be tapped into your personal brain. To be so self-involved as to assume there is nothing new here, is a mistake which can deter others progression, and perhaps your own.
This book is under $20.00 and is released in the main market for the general public browsing through bookshelves. I assure you, there is nothing “Been there, done that!” about this program.
Bottom Line
In my opinion, I like this book the most out of the NROL series. Granted, I think it is the case of needing to read the first, to appreciate the latter. Should I dare make a comparison to Godfather? Regardless, I enjoy the program set-up and movement selections a lot.
There were even a few surprises in the nutrition section, in that I actually liked a lot of what I saw! For a mainstream market book, which focuses mostly on training, usually the nutrition sections are horrible. There is even a nice little bit from Tom Venuto on page 201. I never hate seeing that.
So, will this book help you get abs? As with any program, it is only as good as your application of the methods.
Where to get it?
You can get it here on amazon.com.
You can also find it at most local book stores. That is where I grabbed mine.
You can also get support for the product over at JP Fitness.com.
Am I affiliating this product?
I would because I support the product, but currently the state of North Carolina has certain affiliate laws that are long and boring for discussion. In short, Amazon.com does not allow affiliates from North Carolina. So, there you have it. I make no money and the sale of this product does not go to support Leighpeele.com.
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Great Review. I ordered my from amazon already and am waiting for it to get here.
Good to see a NROL review. I have been a fan and a poster on JP’s from the beginning and was suprised at how little props and promotion it was getting. I really enjoyed it myself and while I am not doing the program, I am stealing a few of the moments,
Great review Leigh. I am in the middle of reading the book now and I agree it is my favorite yet.
Thanks for reviewing this Leigh, I am interested in reading it.
I wasn’t interested in getting the book at first because of the title. I did get it once I found out that it was about more than getting a six pack. Informative review for a good book.
I felt that same way.
After reading your review I am intrigued to buy it now.
Sounds worthwhile, thanks Leigh! I got the impression from perusing it and a few other reviews that it is, just as you said, the best of the three.
Update: I picked this up on Sunday at Barnes & Noble. I’m a couple of chapters in and I have to say that I just love Lou’s writing style. He makes the material even more interesting. As for content, I’m pretty impressed. Highly worthwhile thus far…
Heard Lou’s interview on TheFitCast, got the book from Borders and have really liked it.
My wife and I will be trying out a phase 1/2 blend this weekend at the gym together (wish me luck).
You mean there’s more to abs than just dead lifting?? dang it!!
I read this book. It is fantastic. I have done some of the programs, and they are fun. I love Lou Schuler’s writing.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lou Schuler, Alltop Health. Alltop Health said: New Rules Of Lifting For Abs – Review http://bit.ly/hQm41t [...]
there is a lot of rubbish on the net about ‘abs.’ Good to see you are heping to set the reord straight.
Like others have said, I almost didn’t buy the book because of “Abs” in the title. I am a good 40 pounds away from the barest hint of a shadow that might kinda sorta be an “Ab”. But after Lou was on the FitCast, i bought it. I am glad I did.
[...] even write about it. Previous examples are – Nick Tumminelo’s Joint Friendly Training, New Rules Of Lifting With Abs, Core [...]