gzinkl
Posts: 3212
Joined: 3/23/2005
From: Chicago, IL
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The Maximum Muscle Plan isn't a perfect bodybuilding book--but then few are--but it is head and shoulders above most. This book will be my new reference when I'm back onto bulking, and a supplement for cutting.
The format is nice--about the dimensions of a magazine, and is about 400 pages long (including an index). My version is hardback, but more convenient for the gym, it's a light hardback.
The book is divided into five parts: (1) The science of size; (2) Maximum muscle workouts; (3) Tailored workouts; (4) The cardio edge; and (5) Hard-body eating. The strengths of the book lies in the first three sections; the cardio section isn't bad; the nutrition section is ok--it's not a Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (Venuto) or Precision Nutrition (Berardi) kind of treatise.
The first part talks about how muscles grow. This is where you're introduced into the authors' writing style and approach. These guys know how to write concisely and with a way that makes your eye enjoy drinking in the prose. It's not Melville, of course, but it's very well done. They are also steeped in the scientific literature, but rarely do they over-do it. Only a couple of mention of specific studies, and a couple of protein kinases showed their ugly heads. Otherwise, this is accessible; and these guys know their stuff.
Maximum muscle workouts goes through the different body parts (each getting a chapter or half a chapter in the case of closely related muscle groups). The structure of the chapters are all the same, making them a handy reference guide. First there is an introduction, of course, and then a description of the muscles under scrutiny. You won't get any diagrams of the muscles, but you will know what they are talking about because they relate the muscles to the work that they do. They do talk about arrangements of the muscles with each other, and often to bone, tendons, etc. Then a section on exercises. There are a lot of exercises, and some of these I've never seen before, not even in Nick Nilsson's ouevres (The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of, or something like that). Each exercise has a very brief intro, photos for the major steps (with in-shape models, but not with overwhelming physiques), and descriptions of the steps (in A, B, C . . . format). Then, two valuable sections are added: "Make it easier" on how to do the exercise if you're just learning it or can't do it the standard way right away, and "Do it harder" where if you think you're a smarty pants and can do the exercise too easily, these will cripple you  . The exercises use standard equipment, including body weight, free weights, cable machines, and stability balls (but sparingly on the last); and then there are elastic bands--both those that are the main feature of the exercises, as well as means for making some of the exercises easier or harder.
Interspersed are insets in grey boxes that are hints and advice on how to not hurt yourself, and why you might hurt yourself with poor form. These guys are all about form. Yes, they want you to move some serious weight, but you better not cheat. I feel that they will not be sorry for you if you hurt yourself because of poor form.
The grey boxes also discuss some of the controversies that can rage on how to do exercises, or put them together. They've obviously read the literature as objectively as they can, and you get that sense when they make their recommendations.
At the end of each chapter in this section, they give three workout routines: level 1 that focuses on size, level 2 that centers on strength, and level 3--"hybrid training" that zooms in on both size and strength. Within each level, usually 3 routines, or workouts, are provided. So nine total workouts at the end of each chapter. Often they give a weekly schedule, too.
In Part 3, they give welcome advice in tailoring your workouts. These include those that are directed to working with injuries (e.g., back pain), conditions (e.g., arthritis), if you're fat, weak grip, and sports-specific regimes. These are brief, but informative.
In Part 4 the authors talk about cardio and its many benefits. Curiously, they recommend a circuit lifting routine, but then tout the benefits of cardio for helping in fat loss. However, to their credit, they are not so on the cardio bandwagon as to be annoying; my overall sense was that they think you should do cardio because it's good for your health. They do have a nice selection of cardio that also addresses the risks for injury in each one, and the benefits. There are chapters on running, biking, swimming, aeroboxing and jumping rope. They also teach how to improve in each one in a gradual, reasonable and do-able manner. This section is also very brief; 12 pages.
Finally, in Part 5, dedicated to eating, you get the bare-bones, no-nonsense, no-fad eating. Pretty standard stuff. It's nice to see something that isn't blindly in-step with Atkins et al.. Instead, they emphasize that gaining mass can't be done well without a decent amount of carbs, although they do have some eating guidelines for different body types. They also address supplements, and eating to lose weight and to bulk. This section is brief: 24 pages.
Incledon has a website, www.thomasincledon.com, that is referred to occasionally in the book for additional training stuff. It's kind of a crude site, nothing flashy, and you have to register, including giving up your home address and home phone. I do not like that at all, and there is no guarantee, at least when you register, that he won't be selling your contact information. I did it anyway; ask me if there are issues later on . . .
One very nice aspect of the book I forgot to mention earlier is that a whole chapter is devoted to dynamic stretching. As I said, these guys are about avoiding injury. It's refreshing to see this addressed so well.
< Message edited by gzinkl -- 2/19/2006 6:35:20 AM >
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Printable Version
Maximum Muscle Plan (not an e-book) by Incledon and Hof... - 
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