Strength Training for Fat Loss

This book has lots of exercises and some good info on nutrition and plenty of workout styles (circuits, combos, complexes, and bodyweight). All the pictures are in black and white but they are descent size. Some problems I had was in chapter 3 he recommends pre-workout supplementation but no post-workout supplementation which is more important for recovery. He also recommends using protein, creatine and caffeine (pre-workout) but won't go into detail since he has written other articles regarding them already. But my main issue was not having info on the main muscles being used for the different exercises. It's an ok book if you're looking for some new moves though and plenty of program designs as well.

I'm relatively new to weight lifting - just two years since I began my first real foray into it at the young age of 47! I started with the New Rules of Lifting for Women and fell in love with what weight lifting has done for my body and my soul! It's been a great addition to my running and biking. I've been stuck using the New Rules books because I really enjoy them and they give me results, plus, it's what I learned from so the programs are designed in familiar enough terms that I feel comfortable with them. I've completed the new Rules of Lifting for Women once then did the New Rules of Lifting for Abs twice (because I liked that one so much!) I then started in on the New Rules of Lifting Supercharged but never finished it.

Life got in the way and I was fumbling through trying to create a program for myself with the Supercharged book when I got ahold of Nick Tumminello's Strength Training for Fat Loss. It looked intriguing and somewhat familiar to what I already knew so I decided to jump into this and go back to Supercharged later. For what it's worth, the first chapter is pretty much stuff I already know, but good reminders and definitely good for beginners to read through. it's not a lot depth, but then this book is more about the workout then giving you a deep discussion about the benefits of fat loss. In my opinion the first three chapters are great - short and to the point - with the core information that you need to know about fat loss, strength training, and nutrition. then Tumminello gets right in to describing the various types of workouts. The descriptions are good and the accompanying photos are perfect as they show the full workout, not just the beginning position or the end. I really need that visual for the workouts that are new to me or I can't quite remember the proper form - which is several of them!

The warm-ups and cool down exercises are at the end, which I think should be in the beginning, but still glad they are in there! Then there are sample workouts to get you going. I've already started just using the ones provided, though he gives pretty good direction on using these as a guideline to build your own routine so you don't get bored. Personally, I like have a prescribed plan first and then I can "wing it" on my own later as I get better. Right now I'm still on the "muscle base" workout, though I probably could have started right in with the metabolic, but I wanted to get a feel for his routines so thought it would be good to start here.

The one thing that is missing is a glossary. when I'm starting a new workout and need to familiarize myself with the moves, I have to go back and thumb through the book to find the page describing the particular workouts. If not a glossary, at least if the program had referenced the page numbers I could find the exercises on, that would help.

I guess I'll have to come back and update how the program went when I get through the whole thing, so far I'm only a few weeks into it, but I have already felt my muscles getting a good workout. (as evident from the dreaded day-after-DOMS - or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)! Anyhow, for now I think this is a 5-star worthy book, even without the glossary.

This book is pretty comprehensive. It covers several different ways to work out, and I admit that by the end I was a little confused, but there are specific workouts recommended. There is a path to building your muscle base, which I suspect most readers would start with, and then other paths to follow for specific goals. Each exercise is explained in detail, with pictures, and that serves as a reference later on in the workouts. Sometimes it was body-weight exercises or simple dumbbells, and other times specific gym equipment was needed.

Of course, it also talks about diet and how that impacts your results. You can't eat too little, but you also don't want to eat too much. and you want to eat the right things at the right time. The book goes into this, without exactly prescribing a diet - more guidelines.

My favorite part about the book was the beginning where it explained the principles of fat loss and muscle building, and responded to some common misconceptions. It confirmed the science behind the way that workouts are often designed. For example, I am following T25 and it uses some of the principles explained in this book, so I liked understanding why something works.

for me, I do not do well following a book for a workout, as it's too much referencing the book, and carrying it around. I am more likely to do something that i can take with me on my tablet (perhaps an idea for the author to expand into mobile apps) or a video to follow, so I don't know how much I'll use the actual workouts. I have considered packing it into my gym bag for work, so that I could make better use of the corporate gym.

I gave it four stars because it's my honest assessment. I like it, but I don't love it. However I'm not sure if I'd love any book when compared to other ways of teaching fitness, as explained above. I think a book like this would be a great guide to a trainer coming up with workouts for his/her clients. I'd love to have someone take the principles from this book, design a workout and walk me through it. I just don't see myself however putting a book on a bench and trying to read and exercise at the same time.

I requested this because the description said, "body-weight exercises." It does indeed, have a chapter on body weight exercises that do not require a gym. However, I have two issues with the chapter in question:

1) the exercises are pretty basic (squats without weight), and

2) some of the exercises in the body weight chapter use bands--which are not body weight.

Overall, though, this is a large, well-put together book on strength training for fat loss. It appears to be thorough and extensive, but the photos are black-and-white, and the book as a whole has a very clinical feel.

If you're looking for body weight exercises with a lot of variety, and you want something that looks pretty, you might be better off with books on yoga.

This is a good basic introduction to weight training emphasizing fat loss as well as muscle growth. High intensity circuits are the basic premise; free weights are used throughout as well as a few gym-type machines, exercise balls and bands, plus your own body weight, so you can use these routines at home as well as a gym. It's a well-illustrated and no-nonsense approach to weight-training. My only quibble with the book is one of the models is so grim-faced she kind of resembles Lizzie Borden with a barbell instead of an axe. Of course, who doesn't look grim doing burpees?

I've used and own many books about health, fitness, dieting, and bodybuilding/workout routines. This book, Strength Training for Fat Loss is one of the few that is clear and to the point about its intentions. If you're looking for a lot of hand holding and coddling through your workout, this isn't the program for you. If, however, you're looking for a detailed routine that will help you build muscle, increase metabolism, and move you closer to your fitness goals, this is the book and program you've been looking for.

Exercises are clearly explained and there are step-by-step photo images to illustrate the exercise itself. Workout programs of varying intensity are also included. There's no fluff in this training manual... it's all about lean.

Anyone who is undertaking a strength/weight training program, whether or not for fat loss, can benefit from this excellent compendium of exercises. Tumminello is an expert who carefully describes each phase of each move in clear layman's language. His attention to detail is what really sets the book apart. It can be really difficult to get form right from photos alone, so the explanations are gold.

The book has a nice wide variety of free weight and gym-machine exercises. My pet peeve is strength training books that assume everyone has a gym membership. I don't, so any exercise with specialized gym equipment is useless to me. Fortunately, there were lots of exercises in this book I could use.

One complaint: The small and slightly muddy black and white photos made the book look like something from the 70s. In this day and age, there's no reason not to have big, bright, clear photos, and preferably in color. It really makes a difference for me when I can see the move clearly as well as read an explanation.

I was interested in this book because I am currently doing the Drop Two Sizes exercise program (I've just completed Phase 1 using the DVDs, but the Drop Two Sizes book offers similar follow-along routines). As explained by author Nick Tumminello, metabolic strength training differs from traditional forms of exercise in that it is high intensity, involves the entire body, and demands repetitive effort. Tumminello also reviews various benefits of this type of training, from performance-specific advantages such as improved strength and better cardio conditioning to general health impacts including improved sleep, decreased stress, and increased energy.

Tuminello does also stress the role of good nutrition in fat loss, but he only briefly reviews this area, debunking different types of popular diets (e.g., low fat, low carbohydrate, low calorie) and introducing the concept of "complementary eating." However, the bulk of the book is devoted weight training exercises. These are divided into three types: 1) circuits, involving multiple exercises performed using various strength-training equipment, 2) combinations, which are multiple strength training movements combined into a single exercise, and 3) complexes, a series of strength training exercises performed for multiple repetitions with the same piece of equipment.

Each exercise chapter offers multiple photo illustrations and clear descriptions of the moves. There are also many different equipment options, including barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, and weight machines. In the final chapters of this book, Tuminello covers dynamic warm-up moves (many of which are very similar to the "RAMP" in the Drop Two Sizes program) as well as self-massage methods for cool-down, including use of a foam roller. He also presents suggestions for different workout programs such as beginners, muscle-base, body weight, and general metabolic strength training. Finally, Tuminello concludes by offering general "Fat Loss Training for Life" advice.

I think that this book is mostly likely to appeal to experienced exercisers who have failed to see results and who are looking to change up their routine. I would NOT recommend this book for beginners, however, as I think that they would find the layout a bit too cumbersome. Overall, however, I am a huge fan of this type of training, and I think that author Nick Tuminello does an excellent job of making a good case for it.

Are you tired of the books with magic bullets that don't seem to fire?

If you are at the point where you are done with snake oils, paleo-shaminism and rotation charts, then it's time to get busy with some down to earth, clinically backed science. That's what you get with this book's no nonsense approach.

With 150 exercises, everyone is going to find something here that they will do, and really, isn't that the problem? We start things that are way over our heads and get frustrated from the word go. With this many selections on the menu, you are bound to find the components of your persona life-long program.

There isn't a lot in the way of nutrition in this book. It is what the title says, Strength Training for Fat Loss. The suggested routines (putting the exercises together) are at the end of the book. Routines are helpful for beginners that don't know what they want to stack or why they would want to stack it. Having said that, the book is written for an audience that has some experience in a gym or working out. Not to say that the exercises aren't explained well. They are very detailed and documented with copious photos. But I feel that the voice of the book might talk over the heads of somebody looking to get started for the first time.

Some of the sections could have been better. The routines could have a thumbnail of the exercise it is talking about. That would made "Day 1" less of a hassle as you flip back in the book to remember "what's that squat again?"

All in all a pretty good book, but it isn't as all inclusive as you might think. You would want to suppliment this with a good nutrition book.

Nick Tumminello is undoubtedly a great trainer and I was anxiously awaiting his book. This book is exactly what I was looking for! Lets face it...you can get in great shape by doing a few different exercises. But that gets a bit boring and your muscles do better by making variations now and then. This is a great encyclopedia of about 150 exercises that you can easily use to switch things up.
Some of the reviewers have complained about it being light in nutrition, but I dont think that is the intent of the book - there are plenty of diet books! This is really about giving you ideas to make strength training approachable by anyone.

Strength Training for Fat Loss is very similar to Cardio Weight Training by Coach Dos. It uses the same methodology and offers a lot of ready-to-use workouts. What I did not like were two things. First, this book needs an index of the page numbers where you can see the picture and test descriptions of the different exercises. Second, each exercise author seems to use their own terminology in naming exercises. One exercise author will name an exercise A but another exercise author will name it Q. I like this book, but I don't follow the programs verbatim. Instead I use it as a quick reference for workouts to change my exercise routines. I do like the kettlebell workouts a great deal. The lack of a useful exercise page number index caused me to lower my rating from four and change stars to three.

I was impressed with how clean and clearly this book is laid out. The information is detailed enough so you can follow along and although the indexing is not great I found going through looking at the different exercises with clear descriptions and photos I could follow easily and felt like I could get a routine together that worked for me. I did not buy this for the nutritional info as much as the exercises so I have been very happy with it. I am by no means a beginner so that may be why I found this book easy to follow.

Human kinetics makes great books. This one is a very nice edition with good photographs, but what is good is it has nice workout ideas - the complexes and other items - that are shown together instead of as a list. Meaning, many books have an end section where the exercises are in one area, then all the photos, etc are in another so it makes it very tiresome to really try a workout unless you have done special indexes or have a great memory.

Note - this review was done as a result of winning a copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program

I had been looking forward to this book because I liked Nick's website and youtube videos, so I bought the kindle version before getting the hardcopy book on Vine. The book is big in format, with lots of photos and descriptions of exercises using all sorts of equipment from barbells and angled barbells ("landmines") to dumbbells, kettlebells, balls, suspension trainers and your own bodyweight. Throughout, Nick explains the purposes of each exercise and routine (broken down into circuits, combinations and complexes). At the end are a break-in muscle building program, six sample routines where you alternate two workouts each, a bodyweight routine and an optional strength-cardio circuit called Fat Loss Five.

All throughout, you're encourages to plug in or substitute exercises based on your ability and available equipment. But unlike New Rules of Lifting for Life, which organizes exercises within type based on difficulty, this book organizes them more by equipment used, and since there are no page numbers on the workout charts, you have to go back and search if necessary. I agree that an index is badly needed as well as page numbers on the charts (I wrote them in myself, in the book).

The workouts themselves are fun and have a lot of variety, but they are long. With a warmup, I can't get them under an hour, and it's more like 90 minutes in a crowded gym. But they do work me out! I especially like the farmer's walk routine, and I'm learning how to use the landmine at the gym. I feel like I've gained strength more than fat loss at this point, but that's still a good thing especially at my age.

I feel they could have done a much better job with the Kindle edition. There are no hyperlinks and the photos are tiny, although they are in color while the book is in black and white. Still, I prefer the layout of the book.

This is a really good book for beginners to strength training. It covers the basics of nutrition and includes different workouts for in the home or in the gym. It's full of photos and instructions for a lot of exercises. Even someone who's been strength training for a while would benefit from reading Strength Training for Fat Loss, especially if they're like me- I've strength trained for years using videos, but I got interested in this book because I'd like to start building my own routines.

PROS- explains how to train to boost metabolism, lots of expertise and exercises to select, *****
CONS- inflexible; poor book production: hard to navigate because no detailed contents or index, photos are B&W, **

At the beginning, this book explains "metabolic strength training" to make muscles burn more fat, which is accomplished by anerobic exertion rather than aerobic activity (cardio). Compared to traditional strength training, this approach builds power endurance, rather than peak strength and power. While this chapter is brief, in a way it is the most important, because it is the explanation for how all the exercises are done in terms of reps, duration, etc. that form the bulk of the book.

The numerous exercises are grouped into three kinds: circuits (focus on single area), combinations (total-body exercises), complexes (various body exercises which stay with a single piece of gym equipment), all of which require various equipment including hand weights, barbells, kettlebells, and various gym apparatus. Fortunately, for use at home or during travel, he also has a chapter on body-weight exercises, that mostly exercise against the weight of the body (but do use some anchored elastic bands). Each exercise is illustrated with one or more B&W photos and an explanatory paragraph.At the very end are tables and charts of sample workouts, including beginner "break-ins" and some body-weight only exercises. However, there is little flexibility in these routines, it would be nice if there was a big more variety and exercise options, information about when and how to adjust loads, etc.

The biggest problem I see with this book is that it can be hard to actually do a suggested workout, because the workout charts at the back don't give page numbers of the specific exercises, so you have to page around and around to find the details (and there is no index or detailed table of contents or chart of exercises). If you are expert enough to know what activities the exercise names refer to, you don't need this book, but if you are still learning, this book is almost impossible to utilize. There is a a tremendous amount of training expertise in this book, but it can be hard to access the specifics. This book really needs a detailed table of all the exercises and which parts of the body are addressed and special equipment required, along with page numbers! Even if you are composing your own workouts, you still need some way to see a list of possible exercises. Other training books may be more informative and easier to actually utilize, such as Fitness Weight Training-3rd Edition.

Also, some people may be bothered by the black & white photos, which are not as crisp as they could be, and also sometimes diagrams or annotations would help to highlight important aspects of positioning or movement. In this way, the book is looks old-fashioned compared to other training books out there.

Finally, his dietary advice is also rather old-school. He says to eat meals composed of a) protein, b) fibrous carbs, c) starchy carbs, and d) fats. He claims all those carbs are needed to fuel the body, ignoring the alternative forms of energy the body uses when eating lower carb. However, unlike trim body-builders, people who are interested in losing weight often have carb and blood sugar issues, which are improved by a lower carb approach. Also, the web is full of accounts of athletes improving with a low-carb approach (for just one instance, see the exercise archives at dietdoctor; others are easy to find). So I think he needs to show some nutrition flexibility in this respect, rather than prescribing one-diet-fits-all.

Mr. Tumminello has written a solid exercise guide. His core philosophy for increasing the metabolism by increasing lean body mass (muscle) is solid and has been proven for decades. Having 150 or exercises in one volume is handy as are the many pictures and great descriptions on how to perform the exercises.

However, the nutrition aspect is just brushed over, in my opinion. Yes he mentions lean protien and clean carbs, but that is more of a given these days.

As an exercise guide, with great instructions, and as core philosphy guide for lean mass increases equal metabolism increases equals fat loss its a 4.5 star book in my opinion.

But when the title is Strength Training For Fat Loss, I am expecting a lot more on the nutrition side to aid those that need to lose fat; a lot more on the support side for those embarking on the journey to change their lives. Perhaps a forum or something for the later would have been an amazing addition for those needing help and support...not to mention a serious positive benefit to Mr. Tumminello's business. For these reasons I give it three stars.

I first came across Nick Tumminello’s work in Oxygen Women’s Fitness magazine a few years ago and have since been following him on Facebook. Nick’s workouts are highly effective, challenging and fun! As a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor, I encounter individuals who tell me that they want to start their foray into fitness with a few weeks of “cardio first, lose some fat, and then move to lifting weights.” I tell them that the two are complementary to each other and can be done simultaneously. Nick’s new book is the perfect resource for those looking to gain strength while losing fat.
In Strength Training for Fat Loss, Nick lays out the essentials of training for fat loss, with respect to both exercise and nutrition. His information is well-researched and backed up by science. There is no fluff whatsoever. The large assortment of workouts available in this book is sure to appeal to individuals of all fitness levels. There are body weight workouts, dumbbell workouts, full body workouts, band workouts and much, much more! What sets this book apart from others is the degree of detailed instruction, and that makes it a fantastic resource for beginners. You are guaranteed to receive accurate information and proper guidance on form. For those who are advanced exercisers, the challenge lies in the various styles: circuits, complexes and combinations. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book and it doesn’t disappoint at all. In the one week that I have had this book, I have already incorporated new routines for my own, as well as for my clients’ workouts. As a trainer, I am always looking for programming ideas that guarantee results. This book delivers BIG! Nick’s knowledge, expertise and years of hard work are evident. It is a valuable asset to every fitness enthusiast and trainer. If you are even thinking about whether you should get it or not, I say GO FOR IT!
Lavanya Krishnan, MS (Exercise Science), MPH

Nick Tumminello is known for his science based grounding and great teaching ability. This is reflected in his work in the book Strength Training for Fat Loss. As a physician who sees multiple patients looking for weight loss in the clinic, this will be a great resource to use when developing workout plans for them.

A must have in your workout book collection!

A fairly good book on strength training for fat loss, aimed at women.

Reasons I'm giving it 3 stars:
All the pictures are in black and white
Not a huge variety of exercises (not bad though)
Not a lot of different rotations

I'd definitely recommend the Men's or Women's Health (or both) Big Book of Exercises over this one. Tons of variety, lots and lots of rotation ideas and the pictures are glossy and in color.

I'm relatively new to weight lifting - just two years since I began my first real foray into it at the young age of 47! I started with the New Rules of Lifting for Women and fell in love with what weight lifting has done for my body and my soul! It's been a great addition to my running and biking. I've been stuck using the New Rules books because I really enjoy them and they give me results, plus, it's what I learned from so the programs are designed in familiar enough terms that I feel comfortable with them. I've completed the new Rules of Lifting for Women once then did the New Rules of Lifting for Abs twice (because I liked that one so much!) I then started in on the New Rules of Lifting Supercharged but never finished it.

Life got in the way and I was fumbling through trying to create a program for myself with the Supercharged book when I got ahold of Nick Tumminello's Strength Training for Fat Loss. It looked intriguing and somewhat familiar to what I already knew so I decided to jump into this and go back to Supercharged later. For what it's worth, the first chapter is pretty much stuff I already know, but good reminders and definitely good for beginners to read through. it's not a lot depth, but then this book is more about the workout then giving you a deep discussion about the benefits of fat loss. In my opinion the first three chapters are great - short and to the point - with the core information that you need to know about fat loss, strength training, and nutrition. then Tumminello gets right in to describing the various types of workouts. The descriptions are good and the accompanying photos are perfect as they show the full workout, not just the beginning position or the end. I really need that visual for the workouts that are new to me or I can't quite remember the proper form - which is several of them!

The warm-ups and cool down exercises are at the end, which I think should be in the beginning, but still glad they are in there! Then there are sample workouts to get you going. I've already started just using the ones provided, though he gives pretty good direction on using these as a guideline to build your own routine so you don't get bored. Personally, I like have a prescribed plan first and then I can "wing it" on my own later as I get better. Right now I'm still on the "muscle base" workout, though I probably could have started right in with the metabolic, but I wanted to get a feel for his routines so thought it would be good to start here.

The one thing that is missing is a glossary. when I'm starting a new workout and need to familiarize myself with the moves, I have to go back and thumb through the book to find the page describing the particular workouts. If not a glossary, at least if the program had referenced the page numbers I could find the exercises on, that would help.

I guess I'll have to come back and update how the program went when I get through the whole thing, so far I'm only a few weeks into it, but I have already felt my muscles getting a good workout. (as evident from the dreaded day-after-DOMS - or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)! Anyhow, for now I think this is a 5-star worthy book, even without the glossary.

NOT for beginners. The exercises and equipment that are shown in this manual require you to work with a trainer to get your sea legs for. There is too much room for injury if you just go based on the pictures. Also the pictures are really small considering the footprint of this book and they are BLACK AND WHITE - not in color like I was expecting from the cover.

Having blasted all that out - IF you know what you are doing in the gym - this is a fairly decent guide with programs, nutrition help and schedules. However, IF you know what you are doing, you could probably put this together on your own.

So now you see it is hard to rate - the information is solid - the pictures are sad - this is not for beginners - I think old pros don't need this - you know how to do circuits and combination moves.

If you want a better beginner guide - Body Sculpting Bible is a much better book choice (pictures are in black and white, too).

And if you are a TRUE beginner - find a qualified trainer - with ACE or ACSM certificates and hire them for 10 sessions. They can correct all the little things that go terribly wrong and cause injury. Injury SUCKS - I know this from personal experience and over use - learn it right the first time so it gets into your muscle memory.