Women's Health Big Book of Exercises, The: Four Weeks to a Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You!

I love this book. I waited for the updated 2017 version and I'm glad I did. I'm middle aged and was brought up in the days when they said 'no pain no gain' and weights for women was frowned upon!! I wanted to get myself back in shape as middle age spread had been taking it's toll but I had no clue where to start. What I've learned is that only pounding away on the treadmill will get you knowhere - other than suffering with joint pain that is - and that a clear defined programme designed to build muscle will change your life. I've carefully taken notice of getting the right form and using proper techniques for lifting weights - everything is minutely explained and illustrated and gives me confidence to keep working hard. There are hundreds of exercises to do using easily available equipment at home or at the gym or even using nothing. I particularly like the work out programmes and successfully followed the 'I want my body back' 12 week programme. I'm getting on in years and I've learned so much from this excellent book. So much information. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I bought this book to supplement my gym routine (the days when I couldn't make to the gym) and I certainly wasn't disappointed. This is a very comprehensive exercise book divided into sections for each part of the body. I can't imagine anything more complete. Each exercise has step by step photographs on how to do the exercise correctly - the photography is in colour and presented well. At the back of the book is a host of workouts to do together with information about diets. Although most of the exercises are wall out of my range, what it gives me are the ideas to keep my gym workout out fresh and interesting. If you are serious about exercise then this could be the book for you. Compared to other exercise books I looked at, this is excellent value for money.

My husband bought this book for me and he bought the Men's version, however, the only difference is that there is a women on front cover of this & all pictures show a woman and not a man! Both books are identical, so only buy one. That said, this is an excellent book and it is very well detailed and easy to use. I have been going to the gym for a good few years & have various books, however, this is by far the best & my favourite. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced "gym rat" you will always find new excercises at different levels in this book.

The book has good clear illustration of movements to improve muscle tone etc with helpful, concise text and occasional warnings where there are likely ways to get things a bit wrong. It also gives some encouraging statistics and brief commentary as to why a particular excercise works.I hadn't expected to find so many exercises requiring extra gymn equipment (from simple dumbells and balls to workbenches and pulley systems!?) which was a little disappointing and makes sorting through the many pages for exercises that don't include such paraphanalia more awkward = specially mid-exercise routine! Still there are plenty of non-equipment exercises to be getting on with for the uninitiated like me. So on the whole a very helpful purchase.

I have been weight training for some time now, but am always interested in finding new ideas. This book is excellent for the beginner or the experienced user of dumbbells, free weights and similar techniques. It is very well illustrated and the huge number of exercises and variations could probably keep you from boredom at the gym (or at home) for quite some time.I've got another book called Sculpting her Body Perfect, which is similar but it's not nearly so well produced (poor quality paper and grainy black and white images). It's also rather grim in tone! This book is much better and provides just the right amount of technical information (e.g. diagrams of muscles so you know what you're using) with a lively and readable tone. Highly recommend for women of all abilities.

Amazing book, just what was needed as I felt that I had been stuck in a rut in the gym. This book has tons of exercises for all the body. Easy to follow & use. Highly recommend for all fitness users

Good collection of exercises for all the body, has a selection of exercises you can do anywhere with free weights and also includes gym exercises. An excellent comprehensive book of exercises with info about each muscle group. Some do look very difficult to do but if you are trying to improve your level of fitness this is a good all round book.

Got this for my GF, but found that I was learning from it as well! It is one of the clearest and well layed out fitness books I have seen so far. Precise photo's and guides help you to follow the excercises, with dietary information included.You would not regret purchasing this book.

It’s a bit of a con. I bought the women’s health one and men’s health one at the same time thinking they would be different. The books are exactly the same but with pictures of women for the exercises. All exercises and wording are identical.

**Second Update - 2 YEARS AND COUNTING**My husband and I are STILL using this guide on an almost daily basis as we both continue to strength train/exercise 3 - 5x week. Since we just rounded the corner on 2 years of consistent at-home exercise, we finally felt qualified to invest in more gym equipment ($$) and have now converted half our garage into a home gym (though I maintain my stance that you do NOT need hardly any equipment to get started!!!). This book has kept our routines varied and even though we to look for inspiration in other sources (online, etc.), we continue to come back to this guide to give us tips, proper form, new exercises, etc. If I can become an exercise person SO CAN YOU!**Update - 1 year using this book and still going strong**It's been almost a full year since my original review and I still use this book constantly - its dogeared and well loved! Using the suggested exercise routines in the back, I've gone through about 4 different "12 week" programs, and still have many options to choose from. The combinations are limitless and the book has grown with my strength and only become more helpful! I continue to do strength training 3x/week (my husband too!) and alternate with cardio or other kinds of workouts. Ichange up my strength training routine utilizing the suggestions in this book about every 4 weeks. If I come across a suggested exercise that uses equipment we don't own, I do some googling for improvising the exercise, or target the same muscle group with alternatives suggested in the book. IE, we don't own a rack and things like inverted rows are difficult without a bar, but I've managed to use YouTube inspiration to do inverted rows with cables over doorways, etc.Since buying this book, we've gradually expanded our equipment - starting with adjustable dumbbells (1-50lbs), a stability ball and a yoga mat. Truly, that kept us busy for almost 6 months (and could keep me busy a lot longer, but my husband's weight needs exceed my own). We've since added a chin up bar, some cables/resistance bands and are now at the stage where we're looking to invest in more equipment (a rack, barbell/weights, adjustable dumbbells 50-90lbs). This book has been wonderful in getting us started without the need to buy a lot off the bat, saving us from making irrational, expensive home gym decisions. This is truly the best $17 I've ever spent on myself and my health. If you are truly committed to doing it. If getting to a gym or being around competitive gym rats scare you, start with this book and some simple tools. I am so much stronger already, and so much less intimidated by strength training than I once was. I plan to continue to use this book as my 'proper form' and exercise suggestions bible.**Original Review**This was an awesome book for someone like me, who has typically relied on cardio workouts and has felt pretty unequipped in how to begin weight and resistance training. After having read repeatedly about the importance of weight training for people as they age to maintain muscle mass and weightloss/ weight maintenance, I committed to figuring out where to start. I'm in my mid-30's, have a healthy BMI and typically work out at home (either via walking/running/biking around the neighborhood or on a home treadmill). As much as I'd like to have access to a gym, I know myself well enough to know that it would be hard for me to squeeze a gym visit into my daily life as a working mom.Someone I knew recommended this book and it is chalk full of the information I needed: exercises I can do at home (with or without extra equipment). It includes all kinds of information on how to start, what exercises are good for beginning and how to develop more advanced workouts depending on your goals. It has full body options as well as targeted muscle groups. Every exercise has pictorial examples and discusses proper technique/form, as well as modifications for making each exercise easier or harder. I've been doing the "beginners" routine for six weeks and am now shifting to the other routines in the book. I love how the book "grows" with my improvement and can continue to offer value as my fitness improves.In reading the reviews, some people complained that the Men's Health Big Book of Exercises was the exact same book with a man pictured doing the routines rather than a woman. With this knowledge in mind, I told my husband that the books were identical and he felt comfortable just using my book to develop his own routine (inspired by my increased interest in resistance training). He has been a marathon runner for several years, but is now also focusing on these exercises as well.As a result of our commitment to this book, we've been gradually adding some equipment to our home (though this is not necessary to begin!). We agreed not to rush into buying anything expensive, but after about 4 weeks of both using these books, we found an adjustable dumbbell set on Craigslist. We're both able to use them (at different weight settings) and they take up a lot less room than a full set of traditional dumbbells. Otherwise we just use a yoga ball and yoga mat. As we continue to grow our fitness, we may consider investing in more - but don't let a lack of gym equipment stop you from beginning.

Its a nice book. People like me who are new to gym gain very good knowledge. It is very elaborately explained in pictures how to do particular excercise perfectly. Go for it if you are a gym goer and are not sure what to do.

Este libro es muy practico y gráfico. Te muestra los principales ejercicios para el gimnasio, ya sea que tengas pesas, aparatos o estes en tu casa sin equipo. Adicional viene con rutinas detalladas según tu objetivo.

Très bon livre!! Pleins de d'intéressantes choses à apprendre! Je recommande ce livre pour les débutants ainsi que pour les confirmés! Très bonnes illustrations, propositions de nombreux programmes et explications concernant les correctes positions à avoir!Je ne suis vraiment pas déçue de mon achat :-)