Training for Mass

"All you need is in this book; eliminate unneccesary workouts that are not good mass builders and abandon high volume marathon sessions that are ruinous to your joints and free time. This is unlike anything you've ever read. An intellectual approach that explains WHY a high intensity routine is effective. I love it. "
~ Written on 2008-10-20

"I can think of few topics outside of politics and religion that are more divisive than the subject of effective bodybuilding techniques. Mr. LaVelle, however, offers a well-reasoned and well-written contribution to the debate.

If your goal is to be most efficient with the time you spend in the gym and you want to avoid setbacks caused by injuries and over-training, you owe it to yourself to read Mr. LaVelle's book. If on the other hand, you get some sort of validation from being able to talk about how much time you spend working out, then, by all means, keep doing what you are doing.

I would caution you, though, read the book carefully. The author is quick to point out that his methods need to be tailored to the individual. This is not a "do exactly what I tell you" cookbook. I believe that when you read the book you will find, as I did, that the author's ideas are not only well supported but also seem intuitively right."
~ Written on 2008-09-16

" Although I am a competetive powerlifter (focus is on strength over mass) I was quite impressed with this book. It covers a lot of material and should become a standard in the bodybuilding as well as other lifting communities. It is the best book I have ever read on explaining and applying HIT. I personally am not an advocate of one training style or another...that is to say I believe in whatever works (to quote Alwyn Cosgrove "Methods are many,Principles are few, Methods often change, Principles never do."). Any experienced coach will likely tell you that you can take something useful from all training methods, as there is no such thing as one universal type of training for all applications. I used to view HIT as more of a fad or something that could only work in the short term, largely because the books I read on this type of training were relatively typical of most books in the lifting community; written by over-zealous authors and lacking any real research or scientific reasoning. My views have now changed after reading this excellent book on the hows, whys, and applications of HIT for gaining muscle mass. HIT is definately a viable type of training to add to the toolbox of all lifters, and could very well be the most reliable system of training for most bodybuilders in particular. Although the book does not have a large list of citations at the end, the author nonetheless does refer in most cases, to what he bases his information on and the studies that back his reasoning. This book is packed full of very logical and clear information, without pictures. It is written in a way that is not boring and monotonous and it is easy to understand what the author is trying to say. Although as a Powerlifter and all-round lifter I disagree with the idea of training by individual muscle groups (which as a bodybuilder the author naturally encourages), this book really is fantastic. It deserves a place among the classics, and is a legitamate, reliable source for lifters of all sorts and all levels. I would especially recommend it as an excellant base for the beginning lifter (who is primarily interested in mass and not pure strength), hopefully preventing them from the years of wasted time many go through because of poor sources of information. Pick this one up it is well worth it, and the price is extremely reasonable."
~ Written on 2008-05-19

"I haveTraining for Mass

I have over 20 years of weight training experience and have won or placed well in competitions. All of my training has been using the common high volume training methods that Gordon attempts to dispel in his book. His writing style is entertaining while he methodically breaks down the volume training strategy and proves a compelling case for the high-intensity training style.

My conclusion... While I made some good gains using the volume training, I believe my gains should be better given my consistency with my training and nutrition. His book has given me many new ideas, I am motivated again to get to the gym while I am using the high intensity training model he lays out very well in the book. So far, I am spending less time in the gym, the workouts are more challenging and interesting and I have noticed some early progress (I've only been doing it for approximately 4 weeks).

Keep an open mind to new ideas if you are like I was (pretty set in my training routines). You might find, like I did, that what we have relied on for years isn't the only way and, better yet, that there just might be a better way. Give it a try like I am doing."
~ Written on 2008-04-20

"Overall, this was a pretty good guide on how to perform HIT for building mass; the author was clearly a philosophy major in college based on how he picks apart Volume training and other methods.

I would have preferred a bit more instruction on what to expect amongst the various stages when starting out, hitting plateus, etc, but overall I think for someone that is trying to determine whether HIT or volume is best, this book will be helpful"
~ Written on 2008-04-14