The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40 Paperback – December 1, 2016

As an older lifter, currently 74 years old, finding the three books, Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, Practical Programming by Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker, and The Barbell Prescription by Dr. Sullivan and Andy Baker, changed my approach to strength training. The authors present the science and mechanics of performing barbell lifts in a safe and efficient manner. The books should be read and studied thoroughly. They are a must have resource for lifters of all ages that want to build strength to improve their quality of life. They are also must have resources for coaches and trainers that are focused on getting results for their clients.The Barbell Prescription focuses on the science and programs for Athletes of Aging, those beyond 40, 60, and 70. It is never to late to start strength training and the Barbell Prescription provides the road map to safe acquisition of the strength needed to live a self reliant and productive life as the years accumulate.Following the guidance in these books from Rippetoe, Baker, and Sullivan I have fully recovered from crippling motorcycle crash injuries and have achieved remarkable strength levels as measured by my progress with the barbell lifts. I have purchased multiple copies and have gifted them to friends and family so that they can have the information needed to achieve increased strength also.Buy the Books! Do the program!

There are many reasons why I can recommend the book, “The Barbell Prescription, Strength Training for Life After 40”. I suggest that it should be read by anyone, man or woman, over 40. I myself have purchased both the paperback and Kindle versions.Here are a few of the reasons why I recommend this book.1. Experience: The two authors, Sullivan and Baker, have years of experience of coaching the Masters Athlete and this adds to the credibility of this text. I must ask who better to write a book about the barbell prescription topic for Masters then two individuals with the combined credentials and experience that Sullivan/Baker have. They can take a complex topic and make it easy to understand and digest. Too often books written for and about the aging population are written at such a high level that you need a Ph.D. to decipher. This book is deep but the authors write it in a way that anyone can understand at first reading. This book with its layout and progression through the topic, with understandable descriptions, will allow the reader to quickly unlock the mystery of their aging bodies. It explains why barbell training is vital to be able to live a healthy life after 40.2. “Sick Aging Phenotype” explained: This new term as it is defined throughout and the book makes sense. The example of Will and Phil in Chapter 1 about two identical twins living very different lives is a shrewd description of what the authors mean by this term and why they believe strongly in the Barbell Prescription topic for aging adults. This chapter lays out the groundwork for the authors’ premise of barbell training to combat the aging process and what it takes to counteract the previous sickly outcome for most people over the age of 40.3. The book concentrates on the Masters athlete: Most barbell training books are aimed at the younger athlete. The Masters concentration allows the authors to make the differences clear about how an athlete over 40 can and should use barbell training as part of their regimen to counteract the aging process. Thus, Masters can live a healthier life as they age. The authors explain why, "Masters are volume-sensitive, intensity-dependent", why this is different than in younger lifters, and how to work with this principle in the Master athletes own training.4. The authors provide a clear explanation of the building blocks of a training program: The explanations about the Novice versus Intermediate programming is concise. Sullivan/Baker give complete descriptions of the Stress-Recovery-Adaptation cycle. Included in this description are whole chapters on each part of the cycle. They provide clear examples and explanation of training programs for the many different ages what constitute an athlete over 40.The purpose of this book is to present the information needed for the aging population to live by the premise that “Healthy aging is Strong aging”. The authors deliver on that purpose.If someone is looking specifically for a how-to book on how to perform the barbell movements, that is not the purpose of this book. As Sullivan/Baker state in the Introduction and Chapter 7- Elementary Iron, “This book is not intended to instruct the reader in the performance of barbell exercises.” It correctly points to, Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training 3rd edition, for performance and instruction of the barbell movements. Also in Chapter 14 – Programming, they state that, “This is not a cookbook. Read everything before you try anything.” I can say for myself that by reading this book I have been able to take advantage of all the information the authors provide. It was and is both helpful and eye-opening for myself and will be to others. The book makes it clear that being a Masters athlete can help one reach their full “genetic potential”, no matter what their age.As I stated earlier I recommend this book.

My recently deceased father had to use a walker for the last several years of his life. I'd like that to never happen to me. I turn 70 in two months. Using the information in this most excellent book, (with the aid of an online lifting coach too), I can say that I know I'm stronger than most men 20 years younger than I am. Resistance training, (EXTREMELY safe when done correctly) is the best way to slow down the aging process. This is an excellent resource for doing it well.

This is a super detailed workout book. Complicated to read.