Maximum Strength: Get Your Strongest Body in 16 Weeks with the Ultimate Weight-Training Program

Eric Cressey's "Maximum Strength Program" is a good, basic program for building raw strength and increasing joint mobility & health. As a Personal Trainer, what I found unique to this program is Mr. Cressey's emphasis on joint health and proper prep for heavy work. Too many other programs sold concentrate almost solely on the "lifting/exercise" portion alone and do not address the importance of soft tissue work and training in a balanced fashion. This is not one of those programs. It is scientifically sound, musculoskeletally balanced, and periodized for results. I hold two very minor differences with this book, one which is more programmatic and the other which is more business-oriented; neither of these personal differences are very meaningful however since they do not detract from the ability to attain significant strength gains in 16 weeks - hence the reason why I kept my review rating to 5 stars: 1.) Mr. Cressey's periodization model is much shorter in length than what I am accustomed to using with clients. He varies overall workload on a weekly basis, whereas I tend to vary such on a much longer block of time - typically 6 weeks, give or take 1-2 weeks depending. The short-block emphasis is good for more intermediate-to-advanced lifters who probably are not used to waving their intensity so drastically, while I have found the long-block emphasis good for beginners and those who really wish to hone in on certain fitness goals at certain times of the year. Those with orthopedic challenges may find that extending the block-lengths (from weekly to biweekly, monthly, or even a bit further) in the beginning will help to provide more time and room for postural corrections and rebalancing than just simply starting off with weekly variances. Again, not a big deal and there are many different training variations with which to work, but for those who find that a weekly undulation may feel a bit "harried" or rushed there are other methods of periodizing the program which can work as well. 2.) Just from a purely marketing standpoint, unless Mr. Cressey has plans of unveiling a "Maximum Strength For Females" book in the near future, I would like to state that despite the book's blatant emphasis on the male gender, this program is suitable for males OR females who wish to develop maximum raw strength. The references throughout the book to the male gender may have developed out of his experience that the vast majority of his clientele interested in maximum strength development are male, however keeping it so characteristically male-centered has probably been a turnoff to some potential female readers. To any females reading this review, please do not allow that to happen. This book will help you just as much as any man (if not more so given the average tendency of males to acquire and exhibit strength moreso than females). In conclusion, great job Mr. Cressey on a workable, intelligent approach to maximal strength training! 5 stars was easily deserved on this one.

I'm new to strength training, and this book has helped me immensely. I was previously using the Strong Lifts 5x5 workout, but I injured myself due to lifting too much weight too soon for too long. This 16 week program is designed with rotating High Load, Medium Load, Very High Load, and Low Load weeks which has helped my strength to increase while lessening the risk of injury. The 2 alternating warm-up routines eliminated pain in my shoulders within a week. The warmups take me 20-25 minutes, but they make a huge difference in the amount of weight I'm able to lift without pain. I've had constant shoulder pain for the last 13 years because of 3 major shoulder separations during college. The combination of soft tissue work, stretches, mobilizations, and the strength routines themselves have done miracles for my shoulder pain, which is now non-existent! I have also struggled with terrible back pain throughout my life due to a 15mm leg length discrepancy. Since I've started using this program, my back pain is also getting better and my back is getting stronger. I just make sure I'm using my heal lift while squatting and dead-lifting. If you're looking for a strength program that will build functional strength and mobility for athletics or just for enjoying life, this is the program for you!

This is an excellent book. You don't have to read many workout books to know that Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength is phenomenal, both for its content and workout programming. First off, the book has a complete section on proper warm-ups, nutrition for building strength, and then the actual exercises. Each exercise and warm-up comes with a picture, sometimes two, and a detailed explanation of how to perform the exercise. This is a comprehensive guide to getting in shape and healthy, not just what exercises to do. More on that though: this book breaks down exactly what you should do for each workout, down to the numbers of reps. This means you don't have to think about anything, you just follow the instructions. Given that recent research has shown that will power is a muscle like any other, not having to think too much is a valuable component of any program. I thought I knew how to warmup prior to reading this book, but the 1st time I did the warmup from this book and felt muscles move I didn't know I had, I realized I had not been warming up properly. The warmup does take 10 to 15 minutes, but you move so much better afterwards that you don't begrudge the time spent. I highly recommend just following the warmup section for anyone who has long-standing injuries. You might benefit as much from that as you do the actual exercises. I recommend this book if you like to workout but want to get stronger, are bored with your current routine, or want to learn more about weight-lifting in general. Oh and if you're not down with working out 4 times a week, which is what the plan calls for, check out Cressey's 'Show and Go' on his personal website; it has options for 2x a week up to 5x.

I like the book overall, but there is too much cable work here. It's designed so that you could do it all with a home gym but how many people actually have cable attachments at home? Maybe I can substitute other exercises but I like to be able to follow a workout to the letter so there's no doubt I'm doing it right. Otherwise, great book. All safety concious, form correct, do-able exercises.No outrageous claims, no stupidly difficult routines. Just science based plans for strength gain. edit: I am 3/4 done with the program and am making significant improvement in the deadlift and bench. However, my back squat has gone way down. There isn't much back squat in this book, but front squat instead, and well, I kind of suck at it and am forced to use half the weight I was using for the back squat. I know the significance of the front squat, but if I do this plan again, I'd do back squat instead and save the front squat for "off" days, using light weight. As the commenter on my review stated, you can do the cable work with bands. That has worked fine for me.

This book is a must-read. I heard a lot of hype about this book before purchasing, and I'm glad I finally bought it. I did the entire 4 month routine and honestly, my body feels better than it ever has in the past. I was used to the traditional bodybuilding bodypart split of chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, Arms on Wednesday, etc etc. For years, I just accepted that this was the way to train your body. I just dealt with back pain and shoulder pain as part of the "price of working out." Doing 5 exercises for your back in one day, and 5 exercises for your shoulders in one day is the absolute wrong way to train your body, unless you are an actual bodybuilder, but for the average fitness enthusiast, that just doesn't apply. Eric's book outlines splitting your routines into upper body days and lower body days. The routines are easy to follow. Full detailed pictures, and explanations. One of the most important things he advocates is varying the rep range each week within the 4 week routine. You probably never have done any exercise of 8 sets of 2 reps or 10 sets of 3 reps. You have to keep in mind Eric is a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the goal of getting you stronger. I was hesitant, but you have to open your mind and try it. My body feels stronger, and more balanced. There are a few non-traditional exercises that you probably have never heard of, or are hesitant to try out. My advice would be to do everything in the book to a T. It works. You may be reluctant to do so much deadlifting and squatting. You may have never hear of scapular push ups, walls slides, face pulls, or behind the neck band pull aparts. Open your mind. Follow the routines exactly and you will be glad you did. I know I am. Your body will feel so much stronger, more balanced, and your posture improves. I hope this doesn't sound like a 3 a.m info-mercial testimonial for the latest fitness product, because it's not. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Gym Rat who has been lifting for 11 years. Open your mind, try the routines, follow to a T. Your body will thank you.

Great book based on sound principles of weight training. Better for kids or inexperienced lifters than professionals. Not what I expected but not a waste of money.

I have nothing for praise for this program. Before my first experiment in the lifting world I had ran and I did regular body weight exercises. However, I wasn't satisfied with the results of all my efforts. So I began to lift weights, and despite my lack of knowledge and my pitiful technique, I initially saw fairly satisfying results. As Cressey mentions in his book, it doesn't take much for a complete newbie to get gains in the weight room. However, needless to say, I plateaued quickly, and I found that my shoulders were beginning to feel a soreness that was more than just a muscle burn. Then, I found Maximum Strength. I found the program pretty intimidating at first, as prior to beginning the program I only had about six months experience of weight training. I've read several reviews that stated that this program is for more experienced lifters. Well I'm hear to say, that while relatively fit, I was certainly not an experienced lifter, and the program worked wonders for me. Not only did I start seeing gains again, but the soreness is gone and I'm much more flexible than before. Here are my before and after results. Packing Day: BW of 154lbs at 5'7 Broad Jump: 86" Box Squat: 225 lbs Bench: 185 lbs Dead Lift: 290 lbs 3RM Chin-up: BW + 40 lbs Moving Day: BW of 158 lbs Broad Jump: 92" Box Squat: 250 lbs Bench: 210 lbs Dead Lift: 345 lbs 3RM Chin-up BW + 50 lbs This is a fantastic program for beginner and veteran lifters. The exercise descriptions helped me correct my form on several lifts. Poor form was probably the main contributing factor to the soreness I had felt. I feel better than ever before and, thanks to Maximum Strength, I'm equipped with knowledge that will stick with me for as long as I lift. Highly, reccomended. Also would recommend visiting [...]. He's very down to earth despite all his accolades and success, and has even responded to an email I sent him. There are several articles on his website that work as an excellent supplement to maximum strength.

In a time where most muscle books don't put out anything innovative any more, Eric Cressey delivers something genuinely fresh. Obviously powerlifting style routines like the one in this book are not brand new, but putting one in a more mass market package like this is. Cressey makes powerlifting accessible to your average weight lifter and even to those who may not have much experience with resistance training at all. The 16 week routine presented in the book makes use of a number of common and uncommon movements, many of which are not known to the average gym goer. Each movement is well explained and given to the reader in an unintimidating fashion. Cressey also presents a full chapter on dynamic flexibility warm-ups and soft tissue work with more depth than I've seen in any other book. Including those concepts in the program not only insure that the book's reader will get bigger and stronger, but that they'll improve their posture and remain injury free. Those factors are often overlooked in books like this but are very important to a resistance training program. The book introduces a focus on lower repetition work like no other book I've read. For those of us that are interested in fitness from BOTH an aesthetic standpoint (looking good) and a performance standpoint, this book is a must have.

Muito bom este livro!!! Vamos seguir o treinamento e ver os resultados!! Recomendo a leitura!! as explicacoes forneceidas elo autor sao de grande avalia para pessoas que tem o interese de aumentar sua performance de treino e resultados.

I really like this book. Its got an awesome workout routine and it shows how to do each exercise along with a warmup routine. Wicked fast shipping

One of the best book and written by world's finest S&C coach

After practicing 5x5 for a year, I bought Eric Cressey's book and made the whole program, though in a year rather than in 16 weeks. I can give following feedback: 1) Doing the mobility work before training, I was never harmed. 2) Though not losing significant strength, I lost weight (5 kg) 3) My strength is much more usable. Doing 5x5 was making me big and heavy, but neither fast nor flexible. I was getting bad at jogging, cycling and so on. 4) Due to less rep and smaller training session, I am less hungry than with 5x5 training, which comes handy with my daily life. I do not have to eat huge amount of food all the time. As stated in other reviews, I think this book is very good for beginners and intermediate weightlifter, to build a basis of exercises that can be used latter as well. Single leg exercise and "speed" exercises (with less weight) proved to be particularly powerful to me. The book itself is very clearly structured and presented.

Cressey is one of a handful of people who really knows what he is talking about. Get this and his new High Performance Handbook especially if you're a trainer.