This book is great for those who really want to work hard and sculpt their body. It's great for beginners as well as those more advanced. His descriptions of the exercises are good, but it was lacking on the diet end of weight training. I would have liked to have seen more nutrition information.

This book is awesome. Whole new perspective on weight training for women. You will not be bored with your work-outs any longer!

I bought this book when it first came out after reading about it in my local fitness club magazine. I recently finished the entire program and really enjoyed it. There's nothing to fear lifting weights, and by doing real weightlifting with heavy loads you will build muscle. Of course it's important to remember that diet is key and that's one reason that this book exists. The exercise routines themselves aren't tailored to women, because they are normal free weight exercise that any man or woman can do. However, women have to learn to eat more. So a significant part of the book is devoted to debunking myths about diet and explaining why women need to lift weights. This isn't a fat loss program, so if you're looking to lose a lot of weight it might not be the place where you want to start for that. When I started the program I didn't need to lose weight, but was interested in building muscle and strength. The result - I have the same body fat as in college but weigh 10 pounds more.

Good book and workouts. My friends and workout partners like some of the workout ideas but we have had greater results (added firm muscles and lost weight)from the book: Weight Training Workouts and Diet Plan that Work by James Orvis

The workouts are quicker and planned out, you just follow them.

But would recommend New Rules for variety.

If you know anything about lifting weights, then this book is not for you. I've been lifting weights consistently and seriously for about 6 years now and the exercises in this book are not meant for an experienced weight lifter. There is nothing "new" or innovative about this book or the exercises in it. Are they good exercises? Yes. But they are traditional, basic, well known weight lifting exercises that are tried & true and have been around for a long long time. This book would be great for beginnings but experienced weight lifters looking for something truly new & innovative should not expect anything new & different in this book. You can find the same exact information by reading magazines like Oxygen, Fitness Rx, & Muscle & Fitness for Her.

As the mother of 11-month old, I am still in the process of losing the dreaded last ten pounds. Although most people tell me that I don't even look like I've had a baby, they don't know that I have to squeeze into the jeans that used to fit me perfectly because my stomach isn't as flat as it used to be. I'm one of those girls the magazines call "skinny fat"--thin with no physical strength or endurance. Between losing the baby weight and getting stronger, I looked for books that can help me do both.

This is the fourth weight lifting book I have purchased, and it is by far the most helpful. I used to abhor strength training. Three out of the four books I've read include exercises for every small muscle you can think of. As a result, I spent more time at the gym than I would like. There was a "lower body day", "upper body day" , and "abs day". I didn't like strength training to begin with, and having to spend more time on it than necessary made me dislike it even more. I eventually stopped.

Enter "New Rules...For Women". This book allows me to strength train without wearing me down with exercises for every small muscle. And these workouts are by no means easy. You're not using "Barbie weights" (as the author calls them). You are going to be using real weights that you will increase as you get stronger. I like the fact that the plan requires you to exercise 3 times a week (a rest day in between each session). To me, this is a realistic time commitment, since many of us don't have enough time to exercise like celebrities.

The diet plan is excellent. I like the fact that you are not required to eat like a bird or cut out certain food groups entirely (I would die without rice and pasta!). You are by no means restricted to the food in this book, but I've tried a lot the recipes, and I love them. The food is flavorful REAL food that is healthy. I use a lot of other recipes that are similar in nutritional content (love Rachael Ray!) to complement the program.

So, did the advice work? A friend told me I looked much more fit in the upper body than I did a few weeks ago...and that was only 2 weeks into the program! I've gone from 129 lbs. to 122 lbs. in 4 weeks without cutting any calories. My jeans fit better, and even my husband noticed that my stomach isn't as "poochy" as it was a few weeks ago. I am going to start stage 2 of the workout a week from now, and I look forward to getting even healthier.

I have watched many of my co workers use this work out and all have more strength and lost weight, looken great.
BUT IT IS VERY HARD WORK AND YOU HAVE TO STICK TO IT!!!!!!!!!

This training guide is amazing. I come from a family of male body builders ... and being a woman it was a bit difficult for them to instruct me (They don't realize that women can and should lift in a similar way... read and you will understand)... So I had spent many years trying to figure out how to get stronger (running/cycling/swimming) but all those endurance workouts did was make me more efficient at lengthy/intense workouts and I wasn't getting "stronger" ... my pace was always the same even as the miles/laps increased. This book is amazing... It's what I have been looking for for years. It's a no nonsense manual to building muscle, getting healthy while dispelling countless fitness misconceptions. Information is backed by the authors apparent long history and wisdom while also referencing professional/medical studies. This book is both interesting, informative and easy to understand... The six months of workouts is great! All angles are covered... read it in two days and revolutionize your workout pallet. This is the only book I have ever bothered to write a review for...! I was wary of the "meal plan" section... I don't really like my fitness books to have meal plans BUT this one was really on point. INstead of cutting calories, Lou Schuler and Cassandra Forsythe explain that creating a calorie deficit while training is totally counter productive to building muscle and being healthy. You will like this book. Awesome.

I work out 5-6 times a week, doing either an hour of cardio over 150 beats per minute or an hour with my personal trainer (2x week). So I'm reasonably fit and strong for a 47-year old woman. My trainer suddenly quit without warning, so I got this book, and I'm really, really glad. I'm stronger than I was when I had my trainer even though I'm only in Phase I still. The compound exercises this book recommends are SO much faster than standard exercises/machines, and the combinations the author puts together work muscles in groups, which makes so much sense when you think about it. I can be done with lifting in under 45 minutes, warm-up and stretching not included. It's faster AND I'm getting a better workout. And I'm gaining strength faster than I thought possible. The author's goal to able to do unassisted chinups is one I really aspire to. I haven't done an unassisted chinup since the third grade!

I ran into my trainer and told him what I was doing, and he liked it a lot. He said that the combinations of exercises in the workouts is good, like pushups (pushing) and seated rows (pulling) for a full-body workout. That's certainly how it feels. The form is really important--if you don't know how (having had a trainer helps), get someone to show you and USE THE MIRRORS. Doing compound exercises wrong is not just ineffective, it's dangerous. But they are way more effective than 10-lb dumbells, and it's how your body was MEANT to work.

If you lift 3x week, this book is a six-month program. Most trainers won't put you on that organized a program--my trainer didn't have me doing chinups in 6 months! Anyone can go to the gym and do the same four things over and over--having 2 workouts to alternate between, knowing when to change them up, and having the workouts be designed with a common goal is what sets this book apart. I'm just worried what I'll do in month 7--maybe the author will do a follow on!

New Rules of Lifting for Men was quite interesting, but I didn't do anything with it as it was so targeted at men. But I eagerly bought this new women's version, which is similar in some ways but overall is quite different and definitely targeted for women. I enjoyed Lou Schuler's witty writing style and offbeat humor, which made the information easier to digest and less dry. I read this entire book carefully front to back (important to do!!) and decided to implement co-writer Alwyn Cosgrove's workouts exactly as written and stick with it. One caveat: I think this book and its workouts is NOT for total beginners. In a way, you have to "arrive" at this book and the ideas it presents. I think if you were a newcomer to weight training you'd need some help with the exercises and proper form (particularly the squats and deadlifts, which must be done correctly to avoid injury). As a newcomer you would not have the frame of reference to appreciate the total brilliance of the workouts.

I've worked out and tried many different programs in the last 10 years. I admit to having a tendency to "over-do" my workouts, my approach was always "more must be better", and consequently I always burned out on the programs and the 2-hour workouts I'd end up doing. Despite my hard work, I never got the results I wanted. Coming into this book, I knew a lot of weight routines and was familiar with proper weightlifting form. At first glance I thought the routines didn't look hard or detailed enough, that there were too few exercises! But I was WRONG! Despite the apparent simplicity of the workouts, they are not easy or fluffy. Rather, they are quite substantial because they are not isolation exercises. Every exercise works multiple muscles at one time. Fewer exercises but more muscles worked in a natural way. (Think of tripceps kickbacks with dumbbells: This is not a movement you'd ever do in real life. Plus, it's not great for your elbows!!).

This book argues that to build muscle, gain strength and lose fat, you need to concentrate on multi-joint type exercises (i.e. squats, deadlifts, pushups, step-ups etc.) and not waste time with a multitude of individual isolation type exercises (i.e. bicep curls, tricep kickbacks and pushdowns, etc.), Alwyn Cosgrove's exercises are designed for practicality in real life utility. Having the strength to lift heavy things is a reality....hence the value of squats. On the other hand, laying back at an angle on a leg press machine and pressing weights outwards and upwards is not something we would do in real life. He stresses fewer reps with increasingly heavier weights. Strength over endurance. The reasoning behind each exercise is explained, and you need to be willing to do the background reading in this book so you can absorb the logic of the workouts and their design and sequencing. Coming into this book with my previous weightlifting experience, faulty though it was, this program immediately made a whole lot of sense as a truly different approach. I knew all my previous efforts hadn't paid off to my satisfaction, so I was finally ready to try this new approach: Stick mostly to big muscle exercises, no isolation exercises at all, fewer reps, lifting progressively heavier (no "Barbie weights!!"), and LIMITED exercises per workout (usually just 5 exercises), and short but high intensity interval cardio if any at all. (Cardio is not emphasized here). Each workout takes about 30 minutes, ideally done 3 days a week (although two workouts can suffice, but 3 is ideal) requiring at least a day between weight workouts (I generally did Mon-Wed-Fri). I have resisted my previous tendency to "do more", so I've done the workouts strictly as written and haven't added anything additional. I wanted to see what results I would get with the program "as written." And surprise....I've got better, more defined biceps doing pushups, squats and deadlifts (but not a single bicep curl), my quads, glutes and hamstrings are rock hard and strong without any of the hamstring curls, leg extensions, etc. The squats, deadlifts, step-ups, pushups and a few other things have worked wonders in just 4 weeks. In this short time I'm stronger and more defined than I've ever been. I'm really quite amazed.

The program is divided into a number of levels (varying weeks of length per level), with each level having 2 alternating workouts (so you never do the same workout twice in a row--important to prevent plateaus). If you do all the levels and workouts, the whole thing would take about 6 months to finish. --> This is NOT a quick fix, it's steady strength development done realistically over a reasonable time. It requires commitment and a solid determination to follow the program as presented (if you "tweak" it, you're not doing the program). After finishing the program you could then repeat it to hold on to your progress level.

I decided to wait until I was adequately into the program to review it. Now after about 4 weeks, here's my initial opinion: I can already tell this is the BEST program I've ever embarked upon and I'm seeing results already on a level which I never reached previously.....not even after 12 weeks of Body for Life! I've got stronger, more defined biceps than ever before without doing a single bicep curl! Back of the arm flab is gone! Quads are firm without a single leg extension! Squats and Deadlifts are amazing, and those two alone target an incredible number of muscles all at once. My mid section fat is rapidly diminishing, despite a pretty modest amount of ab work (so far in Level 1, only modest reps (2 sets of 15 reps on two stability ball exercises divided between two different workouts: jackknives in one workout, and ball crunches in the other workout, that's it for Level 1). No endless ab work here! After all, most of the OTHER exercises are also working your abs!

I'm incredibly impressed with this program. I can say it is working better for me than the multitiude of other programs I've previously tried in the last 10 years. And I work out far less, usually 3 weight workouts a week (occasionally only 2), with 20 to 30 minute interval cardio (elliptical) usually done after weight workouts or sometimes an interval aerobic workout on days I don't do weights. The max I go to the gym in any week is 4 times. The structure of the program has allowed me to stay very positive and enthusiastic about the program. I really like the full body nature of the workouts (I previously had done upper vs. lower body days), It's nice to have alternating workouts.....not so boring. I like the challenge of gradually increasing the weight on the various exercises. (Note: on this program it's important to keep a record of all workouts). This a program you can sustain forever because it doesn't burn you out mentally or physically--importantly, you are not overexercising to get results. The program can actually be fit into your life quite nicely. I look forward to the workouts! I feel great afterwards!

The book has what appears to be a good nutrition section, although I don't follow it because I have certain dietary restrictions (no gluten grains, for example) that don't fit with the recipes and recommendations. But it looks very solid for most people. I don't consider the nutrition section to be the most important part of the book since at this point in time I've got a very careful nutrition plan that works for me. The nutrition part would be good for someone who has a relatively controlled diet already. It would probably be hard for someone who is a junk food junkie to transition to what is presented here.

Final thoughts about fat loss: This is probably not the book for someone looking to lose 50-100 or more pounds. It's for someone who is probably 30 lbs. or less from goal and who has worked out before, who has a certain level of current fitness, and who is comfortable in the weight room. You need a certain level of independence and self motivation. Having these prerequisites, this book is a wonderful blueprint for getting to your goal, and you will lose that last fat in the process.

The only negative was a tiny bit of vagueness in figuring out the exercise routines. A blank workout sheet is in the book, or you can go to a website and print off a workout sheet, but I didn't like the setup of either of them so I used a spreadsheet program to create my own workout sheets. It took me a bit of time to figure out the Levels/workouts and precisely how they worked (a fully filled out sample would have been nice and would have cleared up this confusion). It's important to record every workout, the weights used, etc. as this is your record of progress. Since you are alternating between two workouts I think it would be difficult to remember what you did/what weights you used previously if you weren't writing it all down. The idea is to consistently challenge yourself with more and more weight (slowly, of course). At the end, it will be nice to see a record of how you got there!

If you are a relative newbie to exercise and are someone who needs to get your diet under control, doing Body for Life would be a very good way to get your diet under control and learn weightlifting basics. After that you might be ready for this program.

I recommended --- but criticized New Rules of Lifting (for men) because it excluded women. Well, thanks to the authors, my criticism is now stilled. And thank you, authors.

I like this book very much. It covers three areas. First, it discusses the general differences in women's fitness problems and that of men. It also explains how women can expect somewhat different results in some areas. Everything is backed up by science and studies. Unfortunately, not nearly as many studies have been done on women than men. No surprise there.

The book also has a section on nutrition, including some good recipes along with the nutrition information such as calorie count, etc. It had some great protein shake recipes, which I appreciated.

I found some of the recipes out of step with most clean eating recipes I use. Most of them look great and any can be modified, of course. But, as an example, one simple recipe called for cottage cheese and cashews. Not a bad mix. But as nuts go, the cashew, while tasty, is not among the best for the heart and it didn't say to use unsalted.

The exercises are not something I plan to follow. First, it lays out a plan of exercises for a certain period of time. I'm not one to follow a certain path in my workouts. But then, I may be older than the average reader and been lifting longer. So, for others, it's probably a great idea.

On the other hand, it gave no modification for those of us with bad knees and shoulder injuries and such things as happen to most of us as each day turns into another. And one or two (the pullover comes to mind) can be dangerous and lead you into trouble. The pullover is one of seven exercises to avoid in fitness lifting. If you're a professional bodybuilder, you're on your own. Any exercise done behind your neck is to be avoided.

I especially like the part where the author explains that you actually need "more" calories to lose weight, not less. He shows how to speed up your metabolism. He is dead-on right here. I know. I read that in Tom Ventura's ebook, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. I had hit a one-month plateau after losing ten pounds. I re-read that old ebook and learned I should eat more, not less. I did, and the weight started coming off in a matter of days! (I have to add I did one extra workout as well.) I recommend that ebook, by the way.

So my favorite part of this book is the first section. In fact, it's worth the price of the book and it will be good to look back on and refer to as needed.

It guides you on how often to workout and tells you to use heavy weights. I like that. Too many women use those little sissy red, yellow and blue weights and lots of reps and it's stupid. What is that? Real women need muscle to do all we have to do and get through life. We need muscle to age successfully and not end out in a rest home with the feeble. Bring on the muscle! Lift iron, not little pretty bobs.

But when you start lifting heavy and as you age, you'll want to buy some of Jim Johnson's books on exercises for torn rotator cuffs and other issues that happen with age and over training. Or, can happen. This book doesn't deal with modifications or injury.

On the whole, this is a fantastic book. The authors have done an excellent job and Lou Schuler, who did the writing, writes in a friendly, conversational manner. He is not condescending as some men tend to be. Although, it's very clear that he knows he's a man writing to women and he writes differently than in his book written for men.

As with all books, you have to take from it what you need and let the rest go. But I recommend this book to every woman of any age. If you want to be healthy and ward off the bad things that happen to older women, you must lift weights! And you must begin now to eat right and understand how to protect yourself from the ravages of time. This book will get you going. Buy it!

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

This workout book is inspiring and helpful. At first, I checked it out of the library only. Then I thought I'd buy it when it was issued in paperback--but I liked it enough that I decided to just get the hardcover version.

I particularly liked the author's no-nonsense tone of voice, as when he punctures various myths about certain kinds of exercise being able to make muscles "long and lean." (A muscle is a muscle--you can make it strong and bigger but it takes its shape from your genes and you cannot "sculpt" it as so many hope.) The book also demystifies issues like "how heavy should the weight be" and "should I eat anything special after lifting."

I also liked the clear directions for each exercise. I finally became brave enough to do "real" squats with a squat rack (instead of a Smith machine or a leg press) after reading the book. The routines, at least the first set, are do-able in 30 minutes or less. It remains to be seen whether I will ever look even remotely like a goddess, but I do feel I'm getting a good workout in less time than before.

I wish that the author provided more alternatives to the machine-only exercises. For example, one routine calls for you to use the lat pull-down machine, but I don't have one of those at home and I don't always like to travel to the gym. And some of the non-weight-bearing exercises seem to call for more reps than the author prescribes. But I do most of my workouts at the gym so this isn't a huge hardship.

For those women who are reasonably familiar with lifting but are not necessarily complete hard-body gym rats, this book is worthwhile.

This book really hits home about how women should lift. It has an intense workout in it, I just wish it had more upper body to it. I've just started the program, so I don't know the results yet, but I know it will build overall strength.

I was introduced to this book by my best friend and ended up not being able to put it down. Finally, a book which makes sense! I have been waiting for a plan that is simple but EFFECTIVE. I do NOT like to work out, but at my age need to, and want every work out to be extremely effective. I also like the information about cardio work and the fact that it is not necessarily super productive! I plan to begin my plan tomorrow and looking forward to the results!

I have been strength training for the last 4 months and this book was great. I read it in 2 days. It is easy to read, and although I don't really like the author's humor, I appreciate the effort and the information was solid including great workout programs. I appreciated the information about metabolism and the myth busting. I was suspecting that I was over training, and this book described my symptoms perfectly.

The diet portion is more of a guideline that I find easy to modify and follow. I liked the variation of simple semi homemade shake recipes and the shakes from scratch. I have taken nutritional classes, and this book expanded my knowledge in that area and in the area of fitness. I am having a personal trainer help me to follow the program in this book, and although it is not a requirement asked by the author, I think it will help me to get results faster and safer, which is insinuated by the author. I have already started to practice my form in the exercises and test my metabolism so that I can get serious results.

I can only think of 2 things that I disagree with and have trouble with in this book. 1. I don't agree that artificial sugars are a good idea- there are many people on both sides of this fence; and 2. I don't know where to get a "step" for the step up exercise. I got my husband the men's book by this author and it featured the step up done on a high fitness step. I'm thinking I can go to my local fitness store and search for this. This still wasn't enough to make me reduce the rating.

-By the way, the men's book is great too, but that is another review.-

The last and best thing that I will say about this book is that the programs can be modified to be done entirely at home. For once I am going to seriously train at home without the waiting for and constant cleaning of equipment at the gym. My home gym is coming together beautifully.

Thanks to all the authors of this book

This is a great book! I have been lifting off and on for at least five years now and never thought of the fact that perhaps the "girly" strength training programs might not be helping me reach my full potential. I am a week into this program and already I can feel the difference in the intensity of my workouts. I highly recommend it if you want to challenge your workout and kick it up a notch.

This book is the one I've been waiting for! Dispelling the myths that free weights are for men and machine weights are for women. It was so encouraging to have the information about building muscle (without looking like a body builder!), the workouts to do (without watching a video tape over and over again), and a nutrition guide that is not a diet!

I should preface this review by stating that I have not actually tried the workouts yet, I've just read it from cover to cover. I was shocked at the amount of information that blatantly conflicts with everything we women have been fed by women's fitness magazines (such as Self, Shape, Fitness, etc). I was one of those women starving myself on a 1600 calorie diet AND trying to build muscle (not gonna happen according to the authors.) I was losing weight, sure, but eating far too little protein and lifting far too little weight. And killing yourself with an hour of cardio everyday is completely blasted in this book, all backed up with scientific research on why that is a waste of your time.

All in all, I think this book is full of very useful information and I cannot wait to put the program in place. This book urges women to ditch the Barbie dumbbells and start working out like you mean it. I think that's a great thing. :)

This book is a great resource. After spending hours looking through different weight training books at the local book store, I came home excited to order this book from Amazon. The author has written this book in an easy to read manner, not too technical, and offers sound, good advice. My boyfriend is a power lifter and has been involved in weight training for over 30 years. As I was looking at the book, I told him he could have written it - it has a lot of the advice he shares with me. I can't wait to implement the work outs suggested. Thanks!

My husband bought this book for me for my birthday and I LOVE IT!! It is a good read and very informative, it helped me understand a lot about a good diet and exercise program. The recipes in the book are delicious and really help your body with the program. I've been very excited about my workout routine and recommend this to any woman who is interested in lifting like a man and looking like a goddess :)

I can see why they called it new rules since many folks are unaware of power lifting. But power lifting is as old as dirt. It's the original strength training. The information presented is logically presented and they are correct building muscle in this manner is the right way to go. I've had the opportunity to do power lifting before I read this book and I loved it. SO while I was disappointed in that I was looking for something new and innovative, I still think this is an awesome form of strength training that more people should try.

The book has numerous work outs and as other reviewers have indicated, the workout organization is a bit challenging until you try to break them out on a daily basis. I have a moderate level of experience with lifting weights, mostly in a boot camp setting. I am working out at home now and the book provides excellent alternatives to the exercises listed for those of us who work out at home.

The book assumes it will be easy for readers to modify their dietary habits to those reccomended in the book and does not address one of the number one reasons why women fail on diets: emotional eating. The book is clearly aimed at a female audience, but definately overlooks this phenomenon among women. Some words of motivation would be helpful, but alas there is not much to be found in the book.

The books is intentionally weak in the area of promised results. In fact, the authors seems to downplay any positive results. In the instances where anticipated positive outcomes are discussed, they are discussed in the context of regular clients at Alwyn's gym in California. The lack of hype regarding the potential results makes it difficult to get motivated about doing the program. The reader is left to 'trust the authors', which can be difficult considering the program is six months long.

If you are looking for a book to motivate you to start a workout program and stick with it, this may not be for you. However, if you are already familiar with the results weight lifting can provide and are looking for a varied set of workouts based on common sense, this is your book.

I absolutely LOVE the workout program in this book. I just completed stage 1 and I'm doing weight I never dreamed of and can deffinately see improvement in my overall body tone, especially my legs and butt, and what girl doesn't want that! I started Stage 2 last night and it deffinately ups the intensity. Looking forward to moving through the remainder of the stages to see how Lou and Alwyn will transform my body.

I was very encouraged to purcahse this book based on positive reviews both on Amazon and in fitness magazines.

The book is very well-organized and divided up so that you can easily access information later while going through the fitness and nutrition plan. There are great demos of exercises and detailed explanations to ensure proper form which is key. It really couldn't be easier--this book tells you what to do, how to do it and when!

I did feel a bit 'bored' with the lengthy information leading up to the actual plan itself. I had to resist just skipping through the introduction and going straight to the good stuff-the exercises and nutrition plan. I felt there was a lot of explanation as far as what the plan WASN'T and what they wouldn't make you do, which seemed like a waste of space.

Overall, I think this is a great book with wonderful information on fitness and nutrition, though I do feel it was geared primarily towards beginners to weight lifting. This book now sits on my shelf, but I know someday I'll go back and re-read.

I enjoyed this book. It encouraged me to keep lifting heavier weights. It is a little confusing getting started, but after a couple of checks back to the explanations of the charts (the explanations are very clear), it becomes easy to do.

I've been following this plan since January and have lost ZERO weight. Now, I don't really need to lose weight--I'm a healthy, medium build--but I was hoping Alwyn Cosgrove's genius and my sweat would finally get me my flat abs. They're a little better, but not what I'd expect after three months.

So why do I still have this book four stars? Because I feel amazing. I feel strong and like I can hold my own in the weight room. The lifting and eating plans are very reasonable. I'm a fitness writer, so I know what's BS and what isn't. This plan is based on solid research and, as such, requires you to get off your [...] and not eat like crap. What I like best about it is that the routines switch so often you really can't get bored. Plus you keep challenging your body. The first sequences are really simple, but after a while you're doing all sorts of crazy split squats and loving it.

Keep in mind that this is a LIFTING book, not a cardio book or weight loss book. If you want to learn how to lift, it's fantastic.

This book is brilliant. Provides a great summary of training options, dietary suggestions and lifting techniques and is backed up by evidence.
On top of all that it has been written in a fun and informative way and I found myself laughing on more than once occasion.

The book is really easy to read, in fact almost addictive, and I would recommend it to any woman who is seeking ideas about amending their training program or for new kids on the block who need some tips starting out.

I read and loved Schuler's original New Rules of Lifting, so I pre-ordered The New Rules for women even though I guessed that it would by and large be the same book. Wrong! Though fundamentally the message is the same--step away from the machines and pick up a heavy weight--Schuler really has rewritten this book completely for women. He addresses women's health and fitness concerns directly. The nutrition section is also tremendously fleshed out from his previous book. It's interesting that the most repetitive section of the book is the exercises themselves--but that shouldn't really surprise me, after all. Schuler's point is in fact that women should drop the Barbie weights and join the men lifting the "real" weights if they hope to attain their fitness goals. Right on. Highly recommended resource!

I was so excited to check this book out from the library, but when I got it home, I was sorely disappointed. As one reviewer pointed out, this book does spend a great deal of time going over what's wrong about other popular diets and exercise programs. It gets tedious after a while, and I found myself wanting to skip ahead.

Second, the nutrition program wasn't what I was looking for. First of all, for trying to loose weight, it just recommends too much food. I followed it for 2 weeks and actually gained weight. Once I adjusted my calories, I started to lose weight again. I wasn't particularly enticed by the recipes, but I did try a few of them. None of them seemed to be keepers.

Third, the workout plan wasn't what I was looking for. First of all, the author recommends full body workouts that incorporate several muscle groups together. He suggests leaving out small muscle groups like the biceps and calves because they'll get worked when you work the larger muscle groups. Well, that doesn't help those of us women who work out to change the look of our bodies or specifically a body part we don't like. So for example, here I am with huge "cankles" that I'm looking to get rid of. My lower legs aren't particularly fat, and I've had thick ankles ALL my life. There's no getting around the "cankles" but I can minimize the appearance of them by bulking up my calf muscles. If I never do a calf raise, I won't ever get there. My point is that sometimes it is helpful to do isolation exercises for smaller muscle groups, and the author actually discourages it. That's when you can tell the book is written by a man for a woman. :) He just doesn't get what most women are trying to accomplish by working out.

These are, of course, just my opinions, but most of this stuff is no-brainer stuff. If you've picked up this book, you're probably not new to exercise or weight training. You can find all this stuff in Oxygen Magazine or Muscle and Fitness HERS. Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet is a good one, too. I'd steer clear of this book or check it out at the library first to see if it's what you're looking for.

I found some of this simlar to Body For Life, but yet also learned some new things about lifting for females. I enjoyed the style of his writing tremendously and found myself laughing several times. I'm following his lifting advice and am seeing changes in my body I didn't see with many years of working out with lighter weights. Also incorporating the eating habits and that has made me feel more energetic, less hungry and am seeing changes in my body without feeling deprived. This has been a good guide for me and I will pass it on to others gladly.

I bought this book hoping to learn new routines or new ways of working my muscles to the limit. I was sorely disappointed to find nothing new. . .This is the first book I actually returned to Amazon for a refund. Magazines like Oxygen and Muscle & Fitness for Her have just as much info and cost much less.

This book helped me understand the basics of lifting and how your body works. I read it in one night because I was so eager to learn and I must say it really jump started my routine in the gym. The only criticism I have is that a lot of the exercises have potential to injure your back if you're not careful and I don't think this book stresses how important it is to make sure you have correct form. Its hard to judge form from the pictures and I just wish they would have linked you to some website with video demonstrations on them. There also aren't any alternatives in this book for using only dumbbells in case your gym is limited like mine. Other than that though, great first book to anyone interested in starting lifting and actually maximizing your time at the gym. Read this book if not for any other reason than to understand that straight cardio is not going to help you lose that much weight or be fit.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves the gym but is a little lost when you're actually there. When I bought the book I was specifically looking for a detailed and progressive work out schedule. This book contains pictures of the strength training moves along with a progressive set of repitions and different workouts. The information about strength training v. cardio v. high intensity cardio is also very interesting and changed my thinking. I am finally seeing real results with a workout after trying and discarding many. I have not followed the diet at all so I can't comment but the real meat to this book is the workout regimine.

I started Body For Life in November (2007) and only lost 5 pounds. Well I got really bored with the same weight lifting routines too. My friend told me about this book she got from her boyfriend who is a trainer at 24 hour fitness. I figured, hey a trainer should know what he's doing. Right? Anyways, I am very pleased with it. I started in mid January and have lost 7 pounds, (2 1/2 inches in my waist) total of 12 pounds which isn't bad considering I break down once in awhile for brownies. (Bad I know...) The book gives you good ideas for food. I also LOVE the author! He has a good sense of humor which makes it a fast read. I LOVE that the stages (weight routines) change too AND you can do this at home or at the gym. I also LOVE that I am actually seeing changes in my body. Even my husband said that he has noticed a difference. You can't go wrong with this book ladies! Another book you might want to check out with this one is "The Solution: For Safe, Healthy, and Permanent Weight Loss by Laurel Mellin." It helped me a lot with my emotional eating. Good luck to you on your journey!

I have been a regular on the generally "mens" side of the gym for several years now, and it is terribly depressing to see the small handful of women doing "weights", which generally means that they find a little corner of the room where they can not be seen and use 5 lb. weights for everything. Women, we need to claim the weight room as our own as well as the mens, get off the cardio and weight machines, and pick up this book and some real weights. This book needs to be read by everyone woman who wants to make every moment in the gym count. The nutrition section of this book is so very important, women are out there starving themselves with 1200 calorie a day diets and not getting the proper nutrients needed to function. I knew much of this information that the book gave about nutrition, diet, exercise, but there are so many women who NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. If your idea of working out is mostly cardio, read this book.

This book wasn't particularly helpful for me. A good chunck of it was dedicated to other diets and why they are wrong. I got the feeling that the author has the mentality of "i'm right and everybody else is wrong" I might use some of the workouts, but the diet portion was pretty useless for me there wasn't any new information, it just quoted information from studies that have been out for several years. It wasn't what I expected I wouldent recommend it to anyone I know.

This book was ok but not what I was looking for. The information on the way you should eat was not very good. All this information could have been found free on the internet. I was looking for something with more detail.

The book itself is fine and a very interesting read. The quality of the binding, however, is another story. I returned it for a replacement and I'm afraid the replacement isn't going to be much better. Not Amazon's fault though as I've read that the publisher is having the same problems wherever the book is sold.

At first glance, I was not totally pleased. But...once I started reading the material, I was glad I purchased the book. The author uses fact and humor which makes for a more enjoyable read. I will incorporate some of the info. I have obtained through this book in my work-outs for myself as well as my clients.

Excellently written, great information - I can only recommend this book. It is an easy read with a load of valuable info.

This is the best workout book I have read in a long time. I am looking forward to beginning the 6 month training routine and seeing the results!

While the book did do some pros and cons of fitness, it laid out some very common sense approach on fitness training for women (and men too, if you haven't read the first NROL), and especially added the nutrition aspect with recipes. I can't wait to see my wife cook something good and healthy for a change. I would recommend this book to everyone young and older.

I was very pleased with this book and have already recommended it to friends. I had already read the author's "New Rules of Lifting" for men. Some of the information is a repeat, but is such good information that it doesn't hurt to reread it. Plus this book for women is just that - for women and includes information specific to women. I haven't finished reading the entire book yet, but am excited to try both the meal ideas and exercise plans.

I was very pleased with this book and have already recommended it to friends. I had already read the author's "New Rules of Lifting" for men. Some of the information is a repeat, but is such good information that it doesn't hurt to reread it. Plus this book for women is just that - for women and includes information specific to women. I haven't finished reading the entire book yet, but am excited to try both the meal ideas and exercise plans.

I agree with the others so far that this is a great resource. My mother gave this to me and to herself for Christmas - she and I both enjoy fitness and we got started together with Stage 1 a few weeks ago to give each other feedback. (She's in her early 50s, I'm in my early 30s but she's still much stronger from years of working out!) I just got into fitness again about a year ago but was mostly doing cardio - I was using gym machines occasionally and finding it too cost-intensive with too little pay off. Doing the workouts in Stage 1 with 5 basic moves takes about 45 minutes plus a short cardio warm-up and you use your entire body so it takes less time in the end than weight machines would have (the first time through takes longer as you figure it out). I have been sore every time - you really use those muscles if you keep increasing the weights! Another plus is the online forum with support from other users of this book - I even emailed Lou Schuler himself to ask for a copy of the training log and he sent it within an hour! Finally, I feel motivated putting on my weight gloves and pumping with the boys. Now I can't wait to see results... The only downside is that occasionally the exercises don't include as many tips for how to do them safely so a total beginner might want to research moves like the deadlift or squats to make sure you do them right - having had lumbago and sciatica I am pretty careful to make sure I don't injure myself. All the same, I strongly recommend this book - solid, simple, practical and time-effective.

I agree with the others so far that this is a great resource. My mother gave this to me and to herself for Christmas - she and I both enjoy fitness and we got started together with Stage 1 a few weeks ago to give each other feedback and check we were doing the moves correctly. (She's in her early 50s, I'm in my early 30s but she's still much stronger from years of working out!) I just got into fitness again about a year ago but was mostly doing cardio but had been using gym machines occasionally but finding it too cost-intensive with too little pay off. Doing the workouts in Stage 1 with 5 basic moves takes about 45 minutes plus a short cardio warm-up and you use your entire body so it takes less time in the end than weight machines would have (the first time through takes longer as you figure it out). I have been sore every time - you really use those muscles if you keep increasing the weights! Another plus is the online forum with support from other users of this book - I even emailed Lou Schuler himself to ask for a copy of the training log and he sent it within an hour! Finally, I feel motivated putting on my weight gloves and pumping with the boys. Now I can't wait to see results... The only downside is that occasionally the exercises don't include as many tips for how to do them safely so a total beginner might want to research moves like the deadlift or squats to make sure you do them right - having had lumbago and sciatica I am pretty careful to make sure I don't injure myself. All the same, I strongly recommend this book - solid, simple, practical and time-effective.

Why, oh why, do women think they should do 50 reps with 2 pounds? Ladies, you are picking up 40 pound children, 20 pound grocery bags, 8 pounds of milk to pour on your cereal...You have not bulked up from these activities you do everyday, so...you won't bulk up in the weight room. There are a small percentage of women who happen to be extremely athletic, and these are the women you see who are huge, but what are the chances that you are one of these women? Don't you think you would have noticed it by now? Let me tell you how it really is: Weight training is like going to school. If you do it regularly, and do your homework, you will graduate and learn something along the way. If you cram, or mess around, you will fail. Truly, when you weight train, you are building a mountain one shovelful at a time. All you get to do is put one shovelful of dirt on the pile per day. So one day of work does not look very impressive, but after awhile, the pile gets pretty big. THAT is what weightlifting is...slow and steady wins the race. Please do not imagine that there are any quick fixes. Go into the weight room, do squats and deadlifts like you are a man, and you will look like you are a GIRL again. Not like your mother. PS: I do a modified powerlifting routine, I work out with the heaviest weights I can possibly lift with proper form, I strive to add weight every time I go to the gym, I've worked out religiously for 15 months, and I weigh 126 pounds at 5'5". I look better now than I have in my entire life. Do yourself a favor and learn to lift heavy!!!

This is a smart, informative book that should inspire women
to leave the light weights and machines and cross over to the
free-weights and build some muscle and strength. A great book.

Good book overall. Note to authors: you'd probably sell a lot more books with a better cover. Shoulda used a photo of Jen Heath or the like for the cover.

I was so excited to get this book, I read the whole thing the day I got it. It gets down to business pretty quickly. No pages of gushing testimonials or before-and-after pictures to take up space. Just the facts, ma'am (and a protein shake, please). Lou Schuler is direct and pleasantly engaging in his explanation of The New Rules of Lifting for Women. He is also very thorough. The reading gets a teensy bit tedious here and there, but it would be a disservice to you if it weren't. He also offers the courtesy of his notes in the back of the book, which cite the majority of his sources (to the best of his recollection).

I appreciate the honesty and straightforwardness with which he writes. I even understand his perspective on why he omits motivational talk from the text. Several of the exercises in the workout section are new to me, which is motivating enough. If I can perform, frankly, any of those workouts...I'm one tough broad, LOL!

Everything in the workout section is explained and charted for you. There are pictures which illustrate the exercises (thank you!)Workouts are set up for you for seven weeks. The nutrition section is super-sensible, with recipes for dishes that you wouldn't mind sharing. No weird or exotic ingredients. It's not fat- or carbophobic, either. And you get to EAT, ladies! Five times a day. Six, if it's a workout day. That practically makes eating a hobby! You can even have some dark chocolate. I'm excited to be doing this, mostly because of workouts with exercises I've never seen before. Lift like a man; look like a goddess!